Chapter 247

In an alleyway between two towering buildings where the sun’s rays barely dared to reach, a blonde-haired figure stood with his back to the entrance.

He remained perfectly still, staring into the oppressive darkness where someone else leaned against the damp brick wall.

Their features were completely swallowed by the heavy shadows.

"Hm. You actually contacted me? That’s insane, bro. Aren’t you terrified that he will discover we’re in communication and come to retrieve you?" a feminine voice asked, echoing slightly against the narrow walls.

The blonde figure remained silent for several long seconds, his gaze fixed on the uneven earth beneath his boots.

"It’s remarkable how you managed to sneak in here the moment I called without a single soul spotting you. How did you pull that off?" Kai asked, his voice low.

His amethyst eyes were fixed on the shadows, which seemed to be growing unnaturally heavier by the second.

"Oh, little bro, haha... have you truly forgotten exactly who you called over?" The voice, belonging to a woman, carried a distinct hint of dark amusement.

After a brief pause, she added,

"Besides, I happened to be in the sector for a job when your message arrived. I decided to drop by and see what you could possibly need. So tell me, Kai, what do you want?"

Kai hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the darkness.

"The Big Four Legacies... Do you have any idea what they are currently planning?"

A deep, heavy silence followed before the girl let out a short chuckle.

"What happened? I thought you weren’t interested in the family politics? I thought you were done with the Larson ’shenanigans’? Isn’t that precisely why you fled to the Corps?"

Kai twisted his foot against the ground, a small pout forming on his lips.

"Yeah, well, something strange is happening here."

"Hm? Like what?" the girl demanded, her curiosity piqued.

Kai sighed and shook his head, dismissing the thought for now. "Forget that for a moment. I need to know something far more important..."

"Well? That is why I’m here."

Kai inhaled deeply, then released the breath in a sharp gust.

"If I were to kill a Legacy—one clearly related to the Big Four—would the family back me?"

"...."

The ensuing silence seemed to stretch into eternity.

Kai felt his pulse quicken, his nerves fraying as he awaited his sister’s response.

When it finally came, it was slow, thoughtful, and chillingly deliberate.

"Hm. It would certainly cause a massive hassle. A civil war could erupt between the Big Four, which would likely result in humanity’s total collapse—a situation the Aberrants would be all too happy to exploit."

She paused for a beat before adding,

"So, I would strongly advise against it. And if He gets a whiff of this after you’ve done the deed, he will undoubtedly be delighted. That is exactly why he has been grooming us, after all. And we both know that is the reason you are currently in hiding."

Kai mumbled something inaudible under his breath, his expression twisting into a mask of suppressed anger.

He wanted to smash his fist into the brickwork but restrained himself, knowing it would draw unwanted attention.

"Which Legacy do you even want to eliminate? And why?" the girl asked, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity.

Kai’s hands tightened into white-knuckled fists, his teeth grinding together.

"That Legacy almost took someone I care about. My first real friend in this damned world."

"Huh? First friend?" The girl’s eyes widened in the shadows.

"Wait. I thought I was always your first friend! Are you telling me you’ve been cheating on me, Kai?!"

There was an awkward, stifling moment of silence as Kai stared into the darkness with a completely stupefied expression.

"Uh, chill, sis. That’s not... uhm... I can explain."

"Explain? Fine, I’m all ears," the girl replied, sounding mock-exasperated.

However, Kai struggled to find the right words, nervously scratching his blonde hair.

"Uh... uhm... It’s definitely not a girl..."

"Huh? So you swing that way now?"

Kai’s cheeks heated up instantly.

"No, no, no, no! Definitely not. He is just someone who I... uhm... whom I’ve taken a certain interest in. Someone different."

The girl narrowed her eyes at him for several seconds before exhaling sharply and pinching the bridge of her nose. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Look, I’m happy for you. I was just pulling your leg. I’m truly glad you found someone you can call a friend. But I want you to think your decisions through. We are Larsons."

She paused, her voice turning more serious.

".... You know who and what we are. Forming bonds and making friends is definitely not what we were built for.

At the end of the day, people tend to leave once they find out the truth about us. So, think things through. And definitely don’t go murdering anyone because of your friend. Okay?"

Kai blinked a few times before rubbing the back of his head with a nervous, uneasy look.

"Ah... okay. I hear you, sis."

"Good." The girl nodded, her voice softening just a fraction.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I need to depart immediately. I don’t want him tracking my signature and discovering that I visited this place. He could find your location."

Kai nodded solemnly. "Thanks for coming."

"Anytime."

Then, the presence in the alleyway to which he had been speaking suddenly vanished from view.

It dissolved into the thick shadows and disappeared as if it had never existed to begin with.

Lingering for a few moments to collect his thoughts, Kai exhaled a heavy breath.

He turned around to return to the Corps, but his heart suddenly lurched into his throat.

His eyes widened in alarm; standing right at the exit of the alleyway was a girl staring at him with a confused expression.

"Chloe?" Kai uttered in shock, his mind racing as he recognized her features in the dim light.

Tak. Tak. Tak.

Chloe stepped forward, her boots clicking against the pavement.

"Uh, Kai? Why do you look so flustered? And,"

she paused, turning her head to peer into the darkness behind the boy before returning her gaze to him.

"What are you doing here? I don’t think I’m mistaken, but it sounded like you were speaking to someone just a moment ago."

Kai almost broke out in a cold, nervous sweat.

However, he swiftly regained his composure, forcing a mask of indifference over his face, and began walking toward her.

"It’s nothing. I was just singing to myself," he lied smoothly, briskly walking past her before he could be pulled into a prolonged question-and-answer segment.

Chloe lingered for a few more seconds, turning around one last time to scan the empty, silent alleyway.

Kai had already vanished from her sight.

"Weird," she whispered to herself. "I could have sworn I heard him speaking and not singing."