Reese sped through the dark streets of Bantayan Island, his physical strength propelling him at an astonishing speed of 180 km/h now that he was at the very peak of the Nether Realm. The shadows of trees and buildings blurred past him as he ran, the cool night air whipping against his skin. The island's dim lights flickered in his peripheral vision, creating a surreal backdrop for his urgent mission.
It was a good thing they had visited Paradise Beach earlier that morning. It would have been so awkward to be running blindly through the night, not knowing the exact location. His familiarity with the route now was a small blessing.
As he ran, Reese noticed a group of local men drinking by the side of the road. Their laughter and chatter echoed through the night. In a flash, Reese sped past them, causing a sudden gust of wind that knocked over their drinks and sent their hats flying.
"Did you see that?" one of the men exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
"Must be the tuba," another slurred, looking at his drink suspiciously.
"No way, man! That was a ghost!" a third man yelled, scrambling to his feet and nearly tripping over his own legs.
Reese couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he continued his sprint towards Paradise Beach, the startled shouts of the men fading into the distance.
He arrived at the beach just five minutes before midnight, the soft sound of waves crashing against the shore filling the night air. The beach was dark, with only the faintest hint of moonlight illuminating the sand and the silhouettes of palm trees swaying gently in the breeze.
Reese stopped at the entrance of the resort and used his spiritual sense to scan the area. To his disappointment, there was no one suspicious loitering around the resort. Everything seemed normal, almost too normal.
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Ten minutes later, two black vans approached the entrance of the resort and came to a halt. Reese watched from the shadows as eight men stepped out of the vans, four from each. They looked like stereotypical bad guys from an action movie—muscular builds, dark clothing, and an air of menace. They began to look around the area, their eyes scanning for any sign of movement.
From his dark spot, Reese observed the men, noting their suspicious behavior. 'These must be them,' he thought, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and anger. Silently, he moved closer, emerging from the shadows to confront them.
"Are you looking for me?" Reese's voice cut through the night, startling the men. They turned abruptly, their expressions a mix of surprise and confusion at the sight of the young boy standing before them.
One of the men, tall and imposing, stepped forward and squinted at Reese. "What's your name, kid?" he asked, his tone gruff.
"Reese," he replied, his voice steady.
The men exchanged puzzled glances. They had not expected the person they were looking for to be so young.
"You're Reese?" another man asked, disbelief evident in his voice. "You're the one we're supposed to meet?"
"I guess so; you don't see anyone here but me," Reese confirmed, his eyes narrowing. "I'm the one you're looking for. Now, where is Chloe?"
The leader of the group chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't believe it. It's actually a kid to handle this. You must have a death wish, boy."
Reese's eyes flashed with determination. "I'm not just any kid. Where is she?"
The men laughed, but there was an edge of nervousness to their amusement. "You'll find out soon enough," the leader said, signaling to the others. "But first, you have to come with us."
Reese had no choice but to agree. The eight men quickly moved to tie his hands behind his back and blindfold him. Reese chuckled inwardly at their actions, knowing he could easily break the ropes if he wanted to. Even the blindfold was futile; his heightened senses allowed him to clearly perceive his surroundings, even if they used metal to cover his face.
As they finished securing him, the men grumbled among themselves. "This is almost too easy," one of them said, shaking his head.
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"Yeah, didn't expect it to go this smoothly," another replied, pushing Reese towards the van.
They shoved Reese inside one of the vans, and he felt the vehicle lurch forward as they drove away from the resort. Reese listened carefully, noting the route they were taking. The van's tires crunched over gravel roads, then transitioned to smoother pavement as they headed away from the tourist areas and into more isolated parts of the island.
After about thirty minutes of driving, Reese felt the van turn onto a rougher road. The vehicle slowed as it approached their destination. Through the vibrations and sounds, Reese deduced they had arrived at a dilapidated warehouse. The engine stopped, and he was roughly pulled out of the van and dragged inside.
The warehouse was dark and smelled of rust and decay. Broken windows let in slivers of moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the floor. Reese could hear the scurrying of rats and the distant dripping of water.
One of the eight men shoved Reese to the ground, forcing him to sit. As he sat there, Reese sensed Chloe being dragged nearby. She, too, was bound, gagged, and blindfolded. Scanning her, he noted with relief that she was not physically harmed. Despite her tears, she seemed otherwise unharmed.
One of the men approached Reese and yanked off his blindfold. "Stay put," the man growled, but Reese was already assessing his surroundings. He sensed around fifteen men scattered throughout the warehouse, their nervous energy palpable.
Reese's mind zeroed in on Mr. Fernandez. 'Just as I thought,' he mused.
Inside the warehouse, the leader of the group walked over to Reese and crouched down. "So, you're the famous Reese," he said with a sneer. "You don't look like much."
Reese remained silent, his expression calm. He knew that the element of surprise was on his side. His captors had no idea what he was truly capable of, and he intended to use that to his advantage.
Mr. Fernandez stepped out of the shadows with a smug look on his face. "Welcome, Reese. I must say, you did not expect to go this way, huh?"
Reese looked up, meeting Fernandez's gaze with a calm yet intense stare. "No, I didn't expect it to go this way. But I did expect that you were behind it, Fernandez." He straightened his back, exuding an air of arrogance. "Here's the deal: let Chloe and me go, and I'll forgive you and your men for this little kidnapping stunt."
Hearing Reese's threat, Mr. Fernandez and the others stared at him in stunned silence. They couldn't believe the audacity of the boy in front of them. He wasn't even twenty, yet he stood there with a smug face, seemingly unafraid of them.
The leader of the goons behind Mr. Fernandez suddenly spoke up, his voice dripping with venom. "You little punk! Who do you think you are, making threats? You're outnumbered and out of your depth!"
Fernandez held up a hand to silence his subordinate, his eyes never leaving Reese's. "Interesting offer, Reese. But I'm afraid we can't just let you go without getting what we want first. Tell me where the statue is, and then we can talk about letting you and Chloe go."
Reese smirked, his confidence unwavering. "You think I would just hand over that information? You underestimate me, Fernandez. If you want the statue, you'll have to do a lot better than this."
The tension in the warehouse grew thicker, with the men around Fernandez shifting uneasily as they observed the fearless boy in front of them. They were used to seeing fear in their captives' eyes, but Reese was different. He exuded a confidence that unnerved them.
Mr. Fernandez took a step closer, his face inches from Reese's. "You seem very confident for someone in your position, Reese. But let me make something clear. We will find that statue, with or without your help. The question is, how much are you willing to endure before you cooperate?"
Reese's eyes narrowed. "Do your worst. But remember, if anything happens to Chloe, you'll regret it."
The leader of the goons snarled, "This kid is insane! He's not even afraid of us!"
Fernandez smiled coldly. "Perhaps he's just overconfident. But no matter. We'll break that confidence soon enough."
But before Mr. Fernandez gave his order to his men, he gave Reese another chance, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Listen, Reese. I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me the location of the statue, and I'll give you a share of the treasure. Once we find it, I'll be fulfilling my ancestors' legacy. Think about it: wealth and power beyond your wildest dreams, and you'll be part of history."
Reese laughed, a deep, mocking sound that echoed through the warehouse. "You think the statue and the treasures are your family's legacy? That's ridiculous. The only legacy the Fernandez family has is the unfinished ancient book your ancestor found. When I find the treasure, I'll make sure my name is put in that book as the one who found the treasure and fulfilled the Fernandez legacy." He laughed out loud, the sound full of derision and scorn.
Chloe, who was nearby, heard Reese's verbal assault. She couldn't understand why Reese was acting like this, mocking their captors and showing no fear. 'Why is he so fearless? Doesn't he know what they can do to us?' she thought, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing Reese mock his ancestors and himself made Fernandez's blood boil with anger. His face turned a dark shade of red as he clenched his fists. "Enough!" he roared. "You dare mock me and my family? Men, torture him as hard as you can. Make him scream until his arrogance is broken and my anger subsides!"
The men hesitated for a moment, taken aback by Fernandez's fury. Then, with grim determination, they moved towards Reese, ready to carry out their orders.
The men roughly grabbed Reese, dragging him to a metal chair and tying him down. One of them produced a set of cruel-looking tools, and they began their work, trying to break his spirit with every method they knew.
Chloe felt like crying even more as she listened to the men prepare to torture Reese. 'Why isn't he afraid? What is he planning?' She couldn't understand his calmness.