Capítulo 18: Victoria
As Aren prepared to sling his bag over his shoulder, he felt a weight. Rolling his eyes, he glanced at the spider sticking out of the side of his pack. With a slight sigh, he muttered, "What happened to you? You used to fit in here just fine."
The spider, upon hearing Aren's words, turned its head away, as if sulking.
Aren froze for a moment. Normally, he wouldn't have noticed such a reaction. He studied the spider's behavior, and without realizing it, his brow furrowed slightly. Why was it acting like that? Some instinct urged him to think for a few seconds before he spoke again, his voice colder now: "Well, since you're growing so fast, I guess it's time to give you a name."
He hesitated, feeling as though it was more of an obligation than anything else. "How about Joseph… What do you think?"
The spider suddenly wriggled its legs and lightly tapped Aren's arm. For a brief moment, Aren stared at it in surprise. Then, almost unconsciously, the corner of his lips curled up. It was a new feeling. Something like a smile…
"Hmm... You don't like it, huh? Is it because it's a boy's name?" His tone had a hint of sarcasm, though it wasn't as sharp as it once was. "Alright then, how about Victoria?"
The spider froze, and its eyes seemed to sparkle slightly. Aren noticed the reaction, but it didn't strike him as strange. Normally, he wouldn't have cared about such small details, but now, oddly, he felt a sense of satisfaction. A warmth he couldn't quite explain.
"Looks like you like that name," he muttered, the faintest hint of a smile forming on his face, though he didn't even realize it. The coldness in his voice had softened slightly. This warmth, unfamiliar even to himself, briefly enveloped him.
"Okay, Victoria, climb onto my back. Don't move. Everyone will think you're a toy," he said, as if giving an order, though this time with less harshness in his voice.
The spider, as if understanding, nodded and slowly climbed up onto Aren's shoulder. For a brief moment, Aren felt its light touch. In the past, it would have seemed nothing more than a burden, but now he realized it had become a strange source of comfort. Its presence on his shoulder felt different—closer, somehow.
But then, he quickly shook off those thoughts. He shook his head and forced his face back into its usual stern expression. Still, the small spark inside him hadn't entirely faded. The spider made him feel closer than even his own family, and this thought, however faint, had begun to take root in the corners of his mind.
Aren left the forest and started walking through the crowded city streets. He noticed everyone staring at him. His tall frame, handsome face, shoulder-length hair, and unusual clothing were all eye-catching. But what drew the most attention was the large spider on his back.
A young woman walking on the sidewalk leaned over to whisper to her friend. "Look at that guy! Isn't he really handsome?"
Her friend smiled in reply. "The spider on his back looks like a plush toy. So cute!"
Aren, ignoring what he heard, kept walking. His mind was entirely focused elsewhere. Finally, he found the internet café he was looking for and walked inside. In the dimly lit space filled with rows of computers, he sat at computer number 13. Pulling the keyboard closer, he typed "Genetic Control Office" into the search bar. But no results appeared on the screen. The information seemed to be hidden.
Suddenly, he remembered the card in his pocket. Quickly, he pulled it out and carefully examined it, looking for anything written on it. Finally, he found a code. He inserted the card into the scanner on the computer and scanned the code. A message appeared on the screen:
"You have been selected to serve on the thirteenth ship, departing in one month."
Below the message were details like the departure time and location. A sly grin spread across Aren's face. "Found you, Genetic Control."
He stood up quickly and left the internet café. There was still a month left before the ship would depart. He had plenty of time to prepare.
Aren used his remaining money to buy a phone. Immediately after, he quickened his pace and headed toward his building. But when he arrived, the building housing the Genetic Control Office was sealed off. People were gathered around, whispering to one another.
"Did you hear? There was some kind of poisonous gas leak in this building," an old man said. "Everyone inside is dead. It's horrible."
Aren frowned as he silently observed the building. Sneaking in through the back, he made his way inside. He headed straight for his apartment, number 6, and forced the door open. When he entered, he realized everything had been cleared out. Furniture, belongings—everything was gone. The room was cold and empty. Aren carefully examined the space, but there were no clues. It seemed the place had been abandoned.
After wandering around the apartment for a while, he left, surprised at how quickly things had fallen apart. There was still a month before the ship would depart, and the long wait was starting to frustrate him. He didn't want to stay in the city. He decided to return to the forest, where he could focus on understanding his abilities better.
But as he walked toward the forest, something caught his eye. In the distance, in an open area, a large group of about fifty people had surrounded someone. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed that the person being cornered was familiar. Memories came flooding back as he recognized the figure. The pink-haired guy… He'd seen him before, once on the street.
This person facing such a huge group was Kieran. And, of course, as always, he had a lollipop in his mouth. Aren couldn't help but smile to himself when he saw the scene. Even in the middle of danger, Kieran wore a carefree grin, casually enjoying his candy.
Before heading to the forest, Aren decided to stop and watch. He didn't want to miss this fight. He quickly ducked behind a tree and observed the events unfold.
Kieran, seemingly unbothered by the crowd around him, lazily shrugged his shoulders. "Hey hey, so all of you are gonna gang up on me? How polite of you!" he said with a grin. His voice had a slightly mocking tone but was playful at the same time.
One of the men in the crowd shouted angrily and lunged at Kieran. Kieran simply stepped aside, easily dodging the attack. As he did, he pulled the lollipop out of his mouth and taunted the man, "Come on, come on, you're too slow. Let's pick up the pace."
That was the signal for the fight to begin. A few more men rushed at Kieran. Kieran moved with sudden speed. The first man was kicked so fast that it was almost impossible to see. He lost his balance and crumpled to the ground. Kieran, still grinning, put the lollipop back in his mouth and glanced at the rest of the men.
In no time, the crowd had swarmed him. Aren narrowed his eyes, studying Kieran's fighting style. It wasn't like a fight; it was more like a performance. As he knocked down each man, he kept smiling, occasionally pulling out his lollipop to enjoy it. His movements were fluid and light, as if fighting off so many people was nothing but a game to him.
As he dodged an attack, Kieran lightly spun his hips and tossed another man over his shoulder. Then he landed a single punch on another, but there was no excessive force. Kieran watched with amusement as the men stumbled over each other from the weight of their own bodies, laughing to himself.
"This is child's play! Come on, you can do better," he teased in a mocking tone.
Within minutes, half the men were down. A few lay unconscious on the ground, having already felt Kieran's blows. One of them tried to come at him with a knife, but Kieran lazily lifted his arms and caught the blade with his bare hands.
"Oooh, dangerous!" Kieran said, pulling the lollipop from his mouth and tossing it at another man, momentarily distracting him. Then, with a swift motion, he disarmed the man. "Dangerous, but still sweet!" he said, bursting into laughter.
At last, only one or two men were left standing in front of Kieran. They hesitated, unsure of what to do. Kieran, confident in his victory, clasped his hands behind his head and stretched his shoulders, whistling as he strolled through the group.
"Well, kids, that was fun, but I've gotta go," he said, grinning. He glanced back at the men lying on the ground, then looked over his shoulder with a chuckle. "Hopefully, you'll do better next time."
The last man, in a desperate final attempt, rushed at Kieran. But before he could even get close, Kieran delivered a swift elbow, knocking the man out cold. As the man collapsed to the ground, Kieran bent down and chuckled as he picked up his lollipop and popped it back into his mouth.
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