BXBX NOVEL Chapter 58 Aftermath
An ear-shattering explosion shook the entire underground basement, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The force of the blast was so intense that it obliterated everything in its path, reducing everything to rubble and dust.
Even Vincent, who had joined forces with Denise to take down Celeste\'s clone, was swallowed whole by the vortex of destruction.
Denise had to shield her face with her arms, struggling to keep her balance as the explosion raged on. For a moment, she thought that she too would be consumed by the blast.
Fortunately, everything began to slowly settle down but the place was still covered with smoke.
"You can thank me later.hehehe " Denise chuckled with a malicious glint.
Then, she exhaled a long breath, feeling her alter ego recede back into the depths of her being. The battle had been intense, and she had used all her power in that final spell. As much as she disliked her alter ego\'s malicious nature, she couldn\'t deny that her dark persona possessed a power that surpassed her own.
"It\'s finally over," she muttered, her voice echoing in the empty, destroyed basement. She looked around at the destruction, feeling a sense of relief that it was over.
As the dust cleared out the whole view finally presented itself.
But she couldn\'t believe what she saw. Celeste lay on the ground, her body riddled with wounds. It seemed she had retracted all her black blood to shield herself .
"Her body was more resilient than I thought " Denise spoke with a hint of amusement.
But as she looked closer, she noticed something that surprised her even more. Celeste\'s lifeless body was hugging Vincent, who had now returned to his human form.
"Don\'t tell me she saved him in her final moments?" She couldn\'t wrap her head around the fact that the clone had saved a person. She had always considered her to be pure evil, so the idea of sacrificing herself to save him was difficult to comprehend.
"It\'s no use thinking about this stuff" she shook her head, snapping out of her daze and removing the swarm of insects that had formed a barrier around her little sister.
"You\'re safe now " She greeted Debbie with a smile filled with love and concern , but her beloved little sister didn\'t even stop to answer back.
Debbie directly sprinted toward Vincent, relieved to see that he was still alive. However, as she approached, her eyes caught sight of Celeste\'s clone lying on the ground with a serene expression on her face. She couldn\'t help but feel a sense of pity for her , despite everything that had happened.
She never once attacked her during the battle for some reason.
"This is the harsh reality of the supernatural world. It\'s why I never wanted you to be a part of it" Denise spoke.
"Is she really evil ?" Debbie asked
"Evil is a subjective term," Denise replied, her voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.
"People are complex and can be driven to do terrible things, but that doesn\'t necessarily make them irredeemable."
Debbie nodded, taking in her sister\'s words. She couldn\'t help but feel conflicted about her aunt\'s clone. She had always been taught to fear and avoid the supernatural, but seeing the woman who had once been one of the most powerful witch in such condition made her realized how superficial her thinking was.
"Right, we need to take care of that little friend of yours," Denise said, breaking the silence.
"We can\'t stay here any longer. Let\'s get out of this place and find a safe place to rest." She added.
Debbie nodded and helped Vincent up, her mind still reeling from the events that had just unfolded.
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The empty, destroyed basement was silent except for the sound of footsteps that echoed off the walls. With each step, the person drew closer to the lifeless body of the dead clone.
"I\'m sorry, it\'s my fault for abandoning you," a woman\'s voice spoke with guilt. It was the real Celeste. She knelt down to touch the corpse, and the moment she did, it began to wither and finally turned to dust.
As she absorbed her other half, memories surged through her mind. She couldn\'t help but smile as she realized something amazing. Her clone, whom she had believed to be evil, had developed love for another, something she had believed to be impossible.
"So, I really did fall in love with that boy," she said to herself, marveling at the capacity for love and kindness even in the darkest parts of her soul.
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Outside, the two sisters waited for rescue as two helicopters descended from the sky.
As James approached them, he immediately inquired about Celeste\'s fate. Denise informed him of her death, but James was distracted by something else.
"What about him?" he asked, pointing at Vincent. "My device indicates that he\'s at least a Late Stage B-Rank. That\'s quite rare and valuable."
B to S rank supernaturals were considered valuable assets by the government, and James couldn\'t believe he had stumbled upon one.
He looked at Vincent with a mixture of awe and suspicion.
"What kind of supernatural being are you?" He asked, but Vincent remained unconscious, oblivious to the conversation around him.
"He\'s a mutated werewolf. But I don\'t know much about his origin." Denise spoke up
"We need to bring him back to headquarters and run some tests. He could be a valuable asset to the agency." James spoke with authority. He was finaly acting like a government lapdogs.
Debbie on the other hand was conflicted. On one hand, she knew that the supernatural world needed protection and regulation. On the other hand, she didn\'t want Vincent to be exploited and used for the agency\'s own gain like what happened to her sister.
"We need to make sure he\'s treated fairly," Debbie said firmly.
"Don\'t worry, we have protocols in place to ensure that all supernaturals are treated with respect and given the opportunity to use their powers for good." James explained.
Debbie reluctantly agreed to let Vincent be taken by them, knowing that it was for the greater good.
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Inside a spacious contemporary office room.
The young man leaned forward, his striking features twisted in frustration.
"Are you telling me that you\'ve come up with nothing?" Nathan demanded some answers.
"I\'m afraid so, " the detective replied, his voice even. "We\'ve combed through every lead, turned over every stone, but there\'s no sign of your friend. It\'s as if he vanished into thin air."
"That\'s impossible, Vincent wouldn\'t just disappear without a trace. You have to find him." He exclaimed in frustration.
He had recently emerged from an accident that left him with a spotty memory of the past few weeks. And now, he was faced with the news that his best friend had been missing for a month?
"I don\'t care how much it costs," he declared, slamming his fist onto the desk. "Find Vincent, and find him now." With that, he rose from his seat and stormed out of the room, leaving the detective to ponder the daunting task before him.
[Ring Ring Ring ]
The detective\'s phone rang, interrupting the silence that filled the room after Nathan\'s departure.
"Inspector John Holme speaking," he answered, his tone professional.
Suddenly, his face lit up with excitement.
"Have you found a lead?" he exclaimed into the phone.
"Portland? That\'s great. I\'ll be there as soon as possible," he said before hanging up.
Holme\'s heart raced as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door. This was it. After weeks of searching, he finally had a solid lead on his client missing friend, Vincent.
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Department of Supernatural Affair and Security -HQ
"Is he still out cold?" Denise\'s voice carried a hint of irritation as she addressed James.
"You\'re worried about him, aren\'t you?" James teased, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
"Don\'t be ridiculous," Denise shot back.
"Debbie is the one pestering me for information. So, what\'s the issue?"
"The doctors say he\'s physically healthy, but he\'s simply refusing to wake up," James replied with a perplexed expression.
"Is that even possible?" Denise\'s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
"Says the witch who can transform into a swarm of flies." He chuckled.
"I don\'t have time for jokes right now." Denise simply shrugged her shoulders and left the room, ignoring his snarky comment.
"Wait up, Denise! You have another mission," he called out, his voice echoing off the sterile white walls.
"What is it this time, James?" She stopped and turned to face him, the look of annoyance was evident on her face.
"It\'s a rogue dryad. We received a report that it\'s been attacking innocent people in the city," he explained
"Can\'t someone else handle it? I\'ve had enough of this supernatural nonsense for this month" Denise sighed.
"I\'m afraid not, We need someone with your abilities to take care of it quickly before it causes any more damage."
"Fine, but I\'ll make it quick. I have better things to do than deal with crazy dryads." she said before heading off to prepare for the mission.