Chapter 13

The man's tone lost its teasing edge, his golden eyes radiating danger. His fingers trembled but stayed firm on the trigger as he was ready to kill the bastard creature before him. But just then, the armor on Bonewarden began to flake away, piece by piece. The man, still seething with rage, froze in astonishment as he saw a young man beneath the bones. He was shocked. "What the hell are you?" Hudson's armor completely disintegrated, leaving him in his human form. The instant he returned to normal, exhaustion consumed him, surging through his entire body. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground. The man glared down at him and asked coldly, "I don't care what kind of freak you are. Did you kill her?" From the moment he laid eyes on Winona, he knew she was no longer alive. Either this freakish creature was going to die by the man's hands to vent his fury, or he would talk first—and then die. Hudson slowly raised his head, his tired eyes meeting the man's. "Who are you?" The man's fury only deepened. He grabbed Hudson by the collar and hissed, "I'm the one asking questions here. If you don't answer me right now, I'll blow your head off!" Hudson glanced at Winona. A sharp pain stabbed through his head. He remembered everything from before but couldn't fathom his final action. He had placed his core inside Winona's shattered heart. "She... isn't dead." His voice carried an unsteady conviction as if he didn't quite believe his own words. "What did you say?" The man tightened his grip on Hudson's collar, making it hard for Hudson to breathe. "I don't know how to explain it, but... she's alive." Hudson forced the words out. "She doesn't even have a pulse!" But just as the man roared, he saw and heard something profound. He saw her chest rising and falling. He heard her heart beginning to beat again, slowly but unmistakably. "What did you do to her?" His voice wavered between anger and awe. Hudson could no longer hold on. It felt as though he were sinking deeper into a swamp, every movement dragging him down further. He finally raised his head and looked the man in the eye. "I won't let her die." And then he collapsed into the man's arms. The cold moonlight illuminated Hudson's and Winona's pale faces. The man noticed something unnerving. Their breathing was synchronized, and their heartbeats mirrored each other. A terrifying thought crossed his mind. Was his young apprentice still human? ... The clinking of chains stirred Hudson from his dreams, pulling him back to awareness. He found himself once again in that office. This time, he didn't hesitate. He walked directly to the filing cabinet and pulled out the file from drawer 001. Bonewarden. If he was right... And there it was on the photograph he hadn't managed to see last time. He froze. The picture depicted a beast completely covered in bones. It was the exact same beast he had transformed into in the alleyway. "What the hell is going on here?" A faint sound of a lock turning drew his attention. He slowly turned toward the door. The office's old wooden door was opening inch by inch. His heart raced. For over a decade, he had been dreaming of this place since he was five years old. The door finally opened for the first time. Swallowing hard, he clutched the file on Bonewarden and cautiously approached the door. He peeked outside. What lay beyond was a brightly lit room—nothing sinister at all. It appeared to be some kind of facility, with rows of orderly desks. But there were no documents or personal belongings in sight. He stepped outside and found that the faint hum of ceiling fans above was the only sound in the stillness. Navigating carefully through the rows of desks, he approached another door. Large letters were boldly written on the door: "Restricted Prison Area – No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel." He expected the door to be just as heavy and stubborn as the office door. But to his surprise, it swung open with a light push. What lay beyond was darkness. The air was damp and suffocating, thick with the musty stench of decay, as though every breath inhaled centuries of forgotten history. The oppressive darkness clung to the space like a living entity, making his chest tighten. Taking a step forward, Hudson plunged into the black void—but the darkness didn't last long. With each step he took, small flames flickered to life on either side of the corridor, lighting his path forward. The flames were a ghostly blue, and their glow was cold and eerie. The light revealed water droplets clinging to the stone walls, their icy gleam reflecting the unsettling flames. The sound of chains echoed again, louder now, pulling him forward. He quickened his pace and passed massive cells. He could feel it—whatever resided in these cells weren't human. And they were watching him. For a fleeting moment, Hudson couldn't tell who the real prisoners were—the monsters behind the bars or himself. Stopping at one cell, he noticed a heavy lock on the door. Deep, labored breaths reached his ears from the shadows within. He tried his key, but it didn't fit. The sound of chains clinking rang out again, like a beacon calling to him. He ignored the eyes that seemed to pierce his back and pressed onward. The corridor ended with a massive crimson iron door. The paint was peeling, and viscous red liquid dripped down its surface, like thick, congealed blood. Leaning in, Hudson was hit by an overpowering scent of iron, sharp and suffocating. This wasn't possible. He couldn't smell or taste anything in dreams. Unless... this wasn't a dream. What kind of place had he been visiting in his sleep all these years? Next to the door was a plaque. Inmate: Bonewarden Level: Abyssal Sentence: Indefinite Evolution Method: Core Consumption Loyalty: Bonewarden is a unique beast and will never submit to anyone. To gain its recognition, allow it to consume more cores. Hudson extended a trembling hand toward the door. When his palm touched the sticky liquid on its surface, he felt a strange energy coursing through him. He steadied himself and pushed only after taking a deep breath. The door creaked open, its sound shrill and piercing in the silent corridor. The crimson iron gate slowly gave way to reveal more darkness beyond. The air inside was damp, stale, and suffocatingly oppressive. Hudson saw it after his eyes adjusted to the gloom. In the corner of the room, a towering figure stood. The monster was over three meters tall, its entire body encased in bone. It turned its head slowly with twin blue flames flickering in its sockets. Hudson took a deep breath and felt his organs tremble at the sight. And then, a girl's soft sobbing echoed in his mind, pulling him out of the nightmare. When he opened his eyes, he was staring at a cracked, unfamiliar ceiling. The hard surface beneath him was a wooden plank bed, and the air smelled faintly of instant noodles. He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. The room was small and old but immaculately clean. There was nothing of value except for an old television, making the place seem almost barren. Then, he noticed someone by his bedside. When he saw her face, his heart skipped a beat. "Winona?" Winona lifted her head, and her tear-streaked face lit up with relief. She quickly wiped her eyes, trying to sound calm as she said, "You're awake. How are you feeling?" Before he could answer, she continued, "It was my fault last night. I failed my duty. I couldn't protect you and ended up putting you in danger. I'm so sorry. Are you feeling—" Her words faltered when he suddenly pulled her into a hug. "Thank goodness..." His voice shook. "You're okay..." Winona froze but then hesitantly returned the embrace. "Thank you for protecting me." It took a long time before he released her, and he was suddenly aware of how flushed her face was. That was odd. Didn't she usually enjoy teasing him? "Hudson," Winona called seriously, her eyes locked onto his. "I need to ask you something. Did I die last night?" Hudson didn't know how to answer her. The events of last night were so bizarre that he still couldn't wrap his head around what had happened. Just then, the sound of a key turning in its lock came from the door. Moments later, the man in the cowboy hat walked in. "Hey, you're awake. You bounce back fast," the man said, carrying a brown paper bag in one arm and a plastic bag with three cups of hot cocoa in the other. "Since you're up, eat something for breakfast." The man approached and snorted derisively upon seeing Winona kneeling by Hudson's bedside. "He's not dead, you know. Did you have to keep vigil by his bed all night?" "It's my job," Winona replied, turning to look at the man with an expressionless face. "24-hour surveillance. I had to stay with him." "Wow, seriously? Already taking his side, huh? You're hard to raise now that you've grown up!" He placed the hot cocoa and the bag of cinnamon rolls on the table before grabbing a cup of instant noodles. "So that was where the smell of instant noodles came from," Hudson thought. Winona stuck her tongue out at the man, making a playful face. "Can I ask you something?" Hudson seized the chance to interject. "Where am I right now?" "My house," Winona replied without hesitation. Hudson froze for a moment. It was hard to reconcile this run-down, shabby little apartment with the glamorous image of Winona he had in school. Still, he quickly nodded and asked, "Is he your mentor?" "Yeah. This is my mentor, Owen Jennings. He's an A-rank Awakened in the organization. Very powerful." "You might as well give out my ID number while you're at it," Owen muttered between bites of noodles, sounding both annoyed and amused. Watching Owen wolf down his noodles made Hudson's stomach cramp with hunger. A loud rumbling sound escaped from his abdomen. "Have some breakfast," Winona said to Hudson. She started to help him up, but he waved her off, insisting he'd recovered enough to move on his own. Owen glanced at Hudson, then casually pushed the brown paper bag toward him. "Thanks... Mr. Jennings," Hudson said awkwardly. Owen ignored him, continuing to slurp his noodles without a word. At that moment, Winona recalled what had happened the night before. "Owen, did I really die last night? If so, how am I still alive?" "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Owen shot her an irritated look. "If you're dead, then what's sitting here eating breakfast with me—a ghost?" Winona rolled her eyes at him before turning her gaze to Hudson. "I remember it clearly. That beast killed me, so why don't I have a single injury on me now?" Hudson almost choked on her question after taking a bite of the cinnamon roll. He quickly glanced at Owen, who was glaring at him as if saying, "Young man, if you spill anything, I'll shoot you on the spot." He had never realized just how expressive a glare could be. Winona seemed to pick up on the fact that neither of them was willing to answer her. She frowned slightly, placing a hand over her chest. Her heartbeat felt normal—no irregularities. Everything that had happened last night seemed like a dream. "Thank you, Mr. Jennings, for taking me to your place last night," Hudson said, hastily changing the subject. "I don't know where your house is," Owen replied gruffly. "I was going to leave you there, but since you're still under surveillance, I couldn't risk you getting into trouble. Otherwise, my apprentice here wouldn't get her bonus." Hudson chuckled, and Winona seemed to let the topic drop—for now. She wasn't the type to pester for answers. Besides, her body felt fine. She figured she'd learn the truth when the time was right. "Hey, Wina," Owen suddenly called out to Winona as he took a cinnamon roll out of the bag. "Go buy me a pack of cigarettes." He tossed a 20-dollar bill onto the table. "No, I have to monitor Hudson for 24 hours," Winona retorted. "I'm your supervisor. I have the authority to take over your task. Now, go." Winona glared at him in silent protest. Owen sighed and pulled out another 20 dollars. "Here, take this as a service fee. Go." "But this task was specifically assigned by—" Owen cut her off, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. "Hey, Kevin? Yeah, I just wanted to talk about the task you assigned to my apprentice. I think it's a bit too—" "I'll go!" Winona snapped, snatching up the money. She stomped toward the door, puffing her cheeks in frustration. Just before leaving, she grabbed another cinnamon roll and bit into it angrily. "Yeah, Kevin. I was saying the bonus for that task seems way too low. Hahaha, nah, I'm not joking. Alright, later!" Owen ended the call, laughing to himself. Watching Winona storm out, muttering under her breath as she put on her shoes, Hudson couldn't help but chuckle. Those two truly looked like father and daughter.