"Heh, as if he'd slip away quietly," Karan scoffed, his grip tightening on the mace, knuckles whitening.

Grrr... The creature growled, still wary of Karan's presence, circling him slowly. Its blood-red eyes glinted, adjusting to its enhanced form. Then—Swoosh—it vanished, dissolving into the shadows like a phantom.

Karan's lips curled faintly. He firmly planted the mace on the floor, both hands resting upon its hilt and closed his eyes, standing still and relaxed. Spark—Spark—the fizzle of shattered lights. Fwish—the sprinklers' dying spray, the moisture in the air. Every sound sharpened in his senses, mapping the darkened club.

Just then—

Wong—Wong—the space rippled behind him and, like a skilled assassin, the creature lunged from the shadows with its scythe-like claws aimed at his back. Catching to the strange fluctuation in the space, Karan's eyes snapped open, swinging his mace with brutal force.

Clang! Sparks flared, a high-pitched ring echoing as their clash lit the gloom. The creature, realising its failed attempt, thwarted, melting back into the shadows.

It tried again, Clang!—twice, Clang! Clang!—thrice, Clang! Clang! Clang!—each ambush met with Karan's unflinching and precise counter, the sparks born from their collision danced in the darkness, matching every beat of their clash, briefly illuminating the club's wreckage.

"I thought that strange power-up would make this more fun and enjoyable," Karan said, his cold eyes glinting with boredom. Yawn~ "You disappointed me." He clashed again, toying with the creature like a child at play before,

Snap! He clicked his fingers, and the club's shadows thickened, alive with intent.

Pitch-black tendrils erupted, Fwish! Fwish!, surging toward a dark corner like strikes from venomous vipers. Shriek! Following the guttural roar, the creature's form reappeared, thrashing against the tendrils that pinned it tight in that corner.

The calm and clear footsteps pierced though the horrific and ear-deafening screeches of the creature as Karan approached it. Woong—his shadowy mace rippling in his hands, morphing into a sharp dagger.

Screech!! The creature's wild screams laced with palpable horror and panic, resonated across the club as it wriggled in every position possible to escape from the tight grasp of the shadows.

Bringing the dagger close to the creature's face, Karan leaned close. "Hmm, you really remind me of a cockroach—skittering in the dark, clinging to life even when beaten to death. But, you picked the wrong territory to play in because," bringing the dagger close to its neck, it's sharp edges scratching against the creature's tough skin, "Shadows and darkness are my personal playground." A menacing smile crept across his face.

The creature broke into a cold sweat, its frenzied eyes wide as it struggled more and more frantically. It could feel it... Death was standing right before it.

"But before I send you to where you belong," the dagger in Karan's hand dissolved into shadows, "Let me see what you are actually hiding behind this mask of insanity," saying so, Karan's gaze shifted, glowing crimson. A translucent red thread shimmered near the creature's crown of head*, unraveling its essence.

Before the deep, crimson eyes of Karan, the creature slowly ceased its futile struggle, mindlessly staring into the depthless crimson abyss with its maw wide open. At this moment, Karan's figure appeared as a majestic entity that it cannot struggle against, that it cannot deify, something absolute. Its wild heart started to calm down and its limbs dangled powerless in the grasp of the shadowy tendrils.

It was difficult to comprehend, yet to the mindless creature, it felt awe-inspiring.

But, in Karan's eyes, every facet of its being was exposed to him—the bald man's life, his family, his friends, all of his struggle and the connections that he made. The corruption and crimes he did, from countless murders and rape to how he became something far beyond human, all thanks to a small syringe—everything laid bare before Karan.

Slowly, the creature's whole body went limp, its heart beat steadily dying before coming to a complete halt, its fanatic eyes losing the glow of life.

The crimson glow in Karan's eyes subsided as he looked at the lifeless carcass of the monstrosity that dangled before him. He raised his hand and looked in the pocket of the tattered pants that barely clung to the creature's bottom half, pulling out a leather wallet.

Putting the wallet away, he snapped his fingers and the shadowy tendrils vanished in thin air, Thud! Making the airborne corpse crash into the floor.

With the water tank completely drained, the water sprinklers stopped spraying the water and silence found its way in. The once rowdy atmosphere was now dead still with corpses filling the ground.

Karan looked around the corpse-strewn club, '2, 5, 8...' a vivid black smoke coiled from his aura, consuming the unconscious bodies that laid mixed with the dead.

After confirming no more life remained inside the dead enclosure, Karan gave a final glance towards the lifeless carcass of the creature. It's eyes rolled back as foam escaped from its mouth, 'What should I do about this thing,' while observing the carcass, the bar counter came into his focus.

The only thing that was, somehow, least damaged among the ruined surroundings. And on the shelves, varieties of luxurious liquor trapped inside clear glass cases that shimmered in the faint neon of the bar.

Outside Angel's Garden—

Amid a group of people, a particular blonde figure rushed back and forth, biting on her nails as she worriedly glanced towards the tightly shut gate.

"Sasha, enough! We won't get any solution by you just pacing around." Sitting on the concrete, it was Julie who snapped at Sasha, handing her a piece of cloth. "Here, dry yourself or you'll catch cold."

"How do you expect me to stay calm, Julie!? God knows what the hell is that thing and what's going on in there! What if! What if something bad happens to him?!" Sasha's voice cracked as negative thoughts and dread clouded her mind. "No, no, no, no!" She rushed towards the gate, "Sasha?" Julie frowned.

Appearing before the club's entrance, Sasha placed her hands over the doors and pushed hard with all her might, "Humph!" But the doors, like an immovable boulder, did not budge even an inch.

"Haangh!" After her futile attempt to push the door open, she backed off from the doors, braced her shoulder and slammed against them, Baam! 

"Sasha!" Looking at her idiotic actions, Julie quickly got up from the ground and rushed towards her.

"Miss, what are you doing!" The burly bouncer, a recent hire oblivious to the club's deeper secrets and tending to the injureds, dashed to her side and grabbed her as she thrashed, trying to calm Sasha who was fiercely tussling under his grip, "Miss, stop and calm yourself!"

"We need to rescue him!" Sasha shouted as she continued her struggle.

"Sasha! What do you think you are doing?!" Julie joined the bouncer to subdue Sasha.

"Julie he—!"

"He stayed behind on his own accord!"

"He stayed behind so we could leave, Julie—!"

"He stayed behind fully aware that he could die!" Julie's blunt statement overshadowed Sasha's persistent arguments. "He stayed behind with a sane mind! Fully aware of the risk that followed his choice!" She continued, "He stayed behind so you could escape and live, so we can live!" She gestured to the crowd—faces etched with despair.

Most patrons, their suits and secrets vanishing into the night, had fled from the scene in fear of authorities' retaliation, leaving only the wounded and desperate huddled outside the tightly shut gates. Some clutching injuries—lucky ones with scratches while others with broken bones, some tending to the wounded and others staring blankly.

"Do you think we are just sitting here because we want to?! You come here!" Taking her by the hand, Julie brought Sasha before the gates. "Here! Do whatever you were doing! Break the door open and go save him!"

Even though she was finally free from the grip that restrained her, and the doors that distanced her and Karan were right before her eyes, she remained silent, lowering her gaze.

In fact, deep inside, she was very well aware of just how powerless she was and the stupidity she was doing. "I... I am sorry," she whispered, head bowed, realising just how unreasonable she was acting under the influence of her raw emotions.

Looking at her friend's sorry figure, Sigh~ Julie let out a tired sigh and pulled Sasha in a tight hug, "It's okay, Sasha. Right now, all we can do is pray sincerely so that the lord could have mercy and keep him safe from that monstrosity."

Despite her sympathizing words, Julie was very skeptical of Karan. No matter how much she tried, she was not able to shake off the uneasy feeling that kept creeping inside her, sensing tonight's events and the dark secrets clung to that mysterious man.

"He disappeared." "I didn't! Just like I said, he disappeared! In the literal sense, he just—vanished into thin air!" "Julie! I know it's hard to believe, but I am telling you the truth!" The strange conversation she had with Sasha kept on echoing in her mind, her eyes drifted to her feet, towards the broken stilettos, 'Just when and how...?'

While Julie pondered over her thoughts, a dry and smoky odour, laced with a sharp whiff of accelerant, invaded Sasha's nostrils. "Hmm?" Sasha looked towards the entrance.

Her eyes widened as she saw black smoke seeping through the gate's gaps, a terrible possibility flashed in her mind. "No.. It can't be!" She pushed Julie to the side, "H-huh?" And rushed towards the door.

"Haangh!" Her cold, moist hands pressed firmly against the burning hot doors, pushing them. "Hey!" Sasha yelled to the bouncer, "Help me! The club is on fire!"

"What?!" The bouncer appeared beside her and let out a curse as he noticed dark smoke coming through the gaps between the doors, "Shit!" His jaw tightened, wary of police but driven by duty to the patrons he'd sworn to protect, "Did anyone call the cops and the ambulance?" He asked the crowd.

"I did call 911 but they ended the call, thinking they're being pranked!" Someone shouted.

"Very good! Now call for the fire brigade! Tell them that there is a huge fire and many are still trapped inside!" Giving out the instructions, the bouncer joined Sasha in her attempt to open the gates and rescue Karan. But, Swoosh! Fiery flames burst forth, devouring the doors, their extreme heat making it impossible to even approach them.

"No, this can't be..." Sasha covered her mouth as she looked at the scene before her in horror. She dropped to the ground, her legs heavy like lead, tears glistening in her eyes.

Julie silently approached her, "It's okay, everything will be alright. The lord is with us." Continuing to console her as Sasha trembled in her arms, breaking in tears.

Tonight's events have left an indelible trauma in the hearts of many.

On the other hand, a few buildings away from Angel's Garden,

Atop another skyscraper—

Karan stood on the edge of a towering skyscraper. His soaked black shirt tightly clinging to his frame, his wet hair a glossy mess.

Looking below, he observed the fire brigades and ambulance finally arriving at the scene and began their rescue, roaring into action, their sirens cutting the night.

Satisfied that the rescue was going smoothly, he slid his hand in his pocket and took out the leather purse he got from the creature, before setting the whole place on fire.

He opened the purse and sifted through its contents—useless visiting cards and credit cards, few bucks and pennies, and—a very distinct looking black card with golden engraving on it—Wild Gold VVIP.

Sigh~ letting out a tired sigh, "It is going to be a very long night," he dissolved into the shadows and vanished from the scene.