章 15: Attacked

Drexel was chasing and anxiously asked, "Arix, wait up, what's going on? Didn't we agree you'd stay at my place for a month?"

Just as Arix was about to step out of the Kering family's gate, she couldn't bear to leave and stopped. Turning around to face Drexel, she calmly said, "Drexel, you go back. I won't be staying at this place."

"Why?" Drexel was truly puzzled. Everything seemed fine before, but it all changed after Arix saw Raya. Arix turned into a spiky hedgehog all of a sudden.

"Is it because of Raya? You've been acting weird since you met her." Drexel wasn't sure, but then cautiously added, "Have you met her before? Did you hate her or something?"

Arix felt a twinge in her nose from Drexel's blind support, almost spilling all the truth. But the evidence she had was not enough to confront an admiral's granddaughter. So speaking out now might only hurt herself. Besides, that girl was Drexel's sister.

Seeing Arix didn't want to talk, Drexel considerately stopped pressing. "I have an apartment near the school. I've sent the address and the digital key to your opticomputer. It's very safe there. Stay there for now, here, take it, and don't refuse me again."

Arix wanted to refuse at first. Seeing Drexel's worried face, however, Arix softened and said, "Alright, you better go back and get treated. Your psychic power's drained."

Seeing Arix accept his help, Drexel finally relaxed and said, "Wait for me, Arix. I'll come to you once I'm healed."

"Okay." Arix couldn't help but smile. She said goodbye to Drexel and left the Kering family's door.

After Arix left, Drexel's expression turned grave. Now he wondered what Raya had done to Arix.

This series of reactions from Arix didn't seem like petty squabbles between teenagers, but more like a deep grudge between them.

Naturally, Drexel trusted Arix more. Arix had fought alongside him in the past few days, while this "sister" had just popped out of nowhere, and Drexel found her character questionable.

When Drexel returned to the living room, he didn't see Raya. So he curiously looked at Fleur.

"She's gone for a nap," said Fleur, her tone cold. The affection Fleur showed Raya in public was gone, replaced by disdain.

Drexel was confused.

Fleur, who seemed so caring a moment ago, had now reverted to her usual aloof self.

"Drexel, honey, let's talk in the study," Thaddeus sighed.

Once everyone was in the study, Thaddeus unleashed his Supergiant-Class psychic power, enveloping the room to prevent eavesdropping.

"Mom, Dad, what's going on? Is she really my sister?" Drexel went straight to the point.

"Just a fake," Fleur scoffed coldly. "How could we possibly mistake our own daughter?"

"Then why keep a fake around?" Drexel was confused, unable to grasp why his parents would tolerate an impostor in their home.

"Even though she's a fake, she had somehow got Raya's genes. If we want to uncover the mastermind behind this, we have to take this bait, and we have to do it willingly," Thaddeus explained tiredly. His temples seemed to have sprouted more white hairs at the moment.

Kellan tried to comfort the two and said, "Don't be upset, Mom, Dad. At least we have some news about Raya. I think our family reunion isn't far off."

"I think we should look into Arix, too. I think there's bad blood between her and this fake," Drexel suddenly said.

"I know about this. The matter has already caused a stir in the military. The fake took Arix's place to attend the entrance exam at the Koros Military Academy. The process of this substitution was somewhat disgraceful," Kellan said, careful not to upset Drexel too much.

Just hearing this was enough to infuriate Drexel. He clenched his teeth, ready to confront the impostor and avenge Arix.

Fleur shot a cold and warning glance to Drexel and said, "What are you planning to do? This should be a long haul, and we don't want to act harsh and alert the people behind the fake. You want to find the real Raya? Then just calm down the do as we say."

Although Drexel's eyes were bloodshot with anger, he eventually slumped back into his chair when he heard what Fleur said.

Thaddeus told him, "Drexel, she can't escape. Just keep it down for now. Once we find your sister, I promise you she'll pay for everything she had done."

"I understand," Drexel said hoarsely.

Meanwhile, Arix, had just left the Kering family. She wasn't in the mood to wander around aimlessly. She hailed a Lev with her opticomputer, and took the ride to Drexel's apartment.

As soon as she entered the address into the car's control panel, a gentle female voice sounded in the car:

"Thank you for choosing GalaTech's service. Please fasten your seatbelt. The Lev will start in 10 seconds. I wish you a pleasant ride."

As the Lev started, Arix rested her head and admired the bustling city outside.

Unlike the concrete and steel of modern cities, the Alliance's cities carried a hint of sci-tech flair.

Shops of various sizes lined the streets, selling mechas, potions, and even Psychic Ware, while many private Levs and spaceships flew in the sky.

Arix saw a speeding Lev pulled over by a police drone and issued a ticket.

Laughing at the thought that there were still tickets in this era, Arix turned her attention back inside the car to study the Lev's features.

Remembering how she had used her psychic power to "see" the internal structure of a mecha, Arix became intrigued when she looked at the Lev she was in.

She adjusted her seat and let her psychic power act like eyes, delving into the Lev's insides. Soon, a complete image of the car's structure formed in her mind.

"What's this?" Arix mumbled, puzzled as she looked towards the bottom of the car.

There, her psychic power detected something resembling a small package, and her psychic power was even blocked from probing inside it.

Just then, another Lev of the same model passed by. Arix quickly used her psychic power to scan its underside and was surprised to find it completely smooth with nothing attached.

Arix's heart raced. A strong sense of danger prompted her. She kicked the car door open violently and jumped out to a spot where she could cushion her fall.

The moment Arix landed, a loud explosion sounded above. Had she been a moment later, the outcome would have been disastrous.

"Help, there's a bomb!"

"Where are the patrol robots? Call the police!"

"Is Hecaris under a terrorist attack?"

Caught in the midst of the panicking crowd, Arix had no time to think further as parts of the destroyed car were rapidly falling from the sky.

Many pedestrians on the ground hadn't managed to escape yet.

In her anxiety, Arix unleashed all her psychic power from her psychic world, wrapping it around the pedestrians who couldn't escape in time. She lifted them and tossed them into the buildings on either side of the street.

After the danger had passed and Arix had caught her breath, she felt a chill of fear. Had she not jumped without hesitation, she might have been dead by now.

Arix's gaze turned coldly towards the direction of the Kering family. The old Arix and her current self hadn't offended anyone in this city.

The only person who would be so eager for her demise was Raya.

"Woo-woo-woo. Woo-woo-woo!"

Within five minutes of the incident, three police Levs stopped in front of Arix.

Six officers got out of the vehicles and aimed their energy guns at her, shouting, "Don't move!"

"Officer, I swear I had nothing to do with this," Arix said timidly, raising her hands. She died of gunshot in her last life, and now she couldn't help trembling when she saw the threatening muzzles.

Seeing Arix's hands in the air, one of the officers softened his approach. He holstered his energy gun and showed his badge to Arix, saying, "Young miss, you have the right to be silent. We need you to come with us to the station for an investigation. If you're innocent, we definitely won't wrong a good person."

"Okay, I understand," Arix complied.