Chapter 200: Goodbye

Chapter 200: Goodbye

A convoy of armored, blacked-out SUV’s raced towards Shadow Manor as evening approached. The engines roared until they all simultaneously slammed on the brakes coming to a screeching halt at the gates of the manor property.

Six SUV’s surrounded a central SUV. A man stepped out of the central SUV and angrily barked, “Stay put! This won’t be long.”

The man drew his sword and kicked in the gates to the property making way towards the front door. Guards promptly raised their weapons in preparation to fire; however, they all hesitated.

“That- That’s St. Michael...”

Guards one after another lowered their weapons and bowed their heads as St. Michael stormed through the front doors.

Once inside, a guard jumped in surprise raising an assault rifle at St. Michael, firing it at him. The spray of bullets made impact with Michael; however, they all fell to the ground leaving him unharmed as they met his aura of intense ki layering his body.

Michael sneered at the guard and approached him, “Where is First General Ulysses Curtis?”

The guard hesitated in shock and Michael grabbed him by his shirt collar, “WHERE IS HE?!”

The guard finally managed to squeeze out an answer, “Upstairs, 2nd floor conference room. He said to allow nobody entry. He wants no interruptions.”

Michael threw the guard to the ground and yelled as he began his ascension up the staircase, “Does it look like I take orders from General Curtis?!”

Michael briskly walked along a second-floor corridor until coming to a set of double doors leading into the conference room.

Seconds later, the doors to the conference room burst into pieces flung asunder as Michael ki blasted the door to smithereens.

The attendees of the meeting within all jumped and turned to see what was going on.

General Curtis turned with a charged ki blast in his hand aiming it at the door, “I said NO interruptions!”N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

As the debris from the door cleared, a hand reached out grabbing Curtis’s wrist nullifying his ki blast with ki interference.

General Curtis grit his teeth in anger until he finally realized who was paying him a visit, “St. Michael. I apologize. Had I known you were coming, I would have-“

“SHUT UP!” Michael cut Curtis off and stared him down, “I allow you to run the necessary evils within this empire. Gun trafficking, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, tax evasion... I turn a blind eye to it all so that we may coexist in peace while also allowing this empire to prosper. And this! THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME!!?”

Eric frowned, “I would hardly call that a bank robbery. That was a serial killer on a spree. That was a sadistic woman who enjoys killing and humiliating.” Erik maintained his scowl at John, “And I don’t think it was by miracle that I survived.”

John and Eric looked each other in the eye for a few moments before Eric finally said, “Miss Sareena Night told me she favored you. Do I even want to know what business you two have together?”

John sighed, “You may want to know before you arrive at your briefing with St. Michael.”

Erik shook his head, “Don’t tell me anymore. I do not want to be involved in whatever deal you have made with devils.”

John raised his hands and said, “Look around. This level of nauseating wealth and privilege we enjoy didn’t just land in our laps. It came from deals with devils.”

“I will be telling the truth, uncle!” Erik glared back at his uncle.

John leaned forward, “The truth has a cost. A heavy cost. This is much more than a bank robbery. Much more than a killing spree. Much more than a mere sadistic woman who enjoys killing and humiliating. If you think she’s an after thought for St. Michael to rid his empire of, you’re wrong!”

John’s voice echoed within the large room, and he stood up leaning over the desk towards his nephew, “Family is important to me, Erik. So allow me to tell you the truth. The time has come to pick a side. The wrong side will die a painful death.”

Erik had a look of confusion on his face, “And you have chosen your side? You have chosen Sareena Night over the great St. Michael? A war hero of our empire who helped vanquish a bonified heir of the BloodStar Empire? Have you gone mad?”

John walked around the side of the desk and leaned on the front of the desk looking down at Erik who remained seated, “I tell you this next part knowing that if you ever mention it to anyone including St. Michael, the information will not propagate far before you meet your demise.”

Erik took a large gulp and looked up expectantly at his uncle.

John then folded his arms and sighed, “Sareena Night is Xenia BloodStar.”

Erik stood from his chair and began to slowly back away from his uncle, “You’ve either gone mad, or you’ve lost your morals in the pursuit of even more riches.” He shook his head, “Xenia BloodStar? That is impossible. But even if it were true, you would choose a side that has lost to the same opponents already? She lost once, she will lose again.”

John took a step closer towards his nephew, and Erik yelled, “Don’t come near me!”

“I am telling you this to protect you, Erik! I don’t choose sides based on morals. I choose sides based on who allows me to live. I have been doing this for a very long time and believe me when I say that Xenia is alive, and she is winning. She has learned her lessons. And she we will be winning this final round.”

Erik shook his head, and John continued, “I understand that you have a debriefing with St. Michael. I am telling you that if you walk out of this house with the intent of relaying what I have told you here to Michael, we will never see each other again. Not because I don’t love you, but because you will be dead. Trust me, I know.”

“I knew you had strayed from doing the right thing, but I had no idea how far.” Erik turned and opened the office door before turning his head to the side, “Goodbye, Uncle.”

Erik walked out softly closing the door behind him, and John leaned back against the front aspect of his desk with a big sigh and softly said to himself as a tear rolled down his cheek, “Goodbye, Erik.”