As Erik made his way through the deserted part of the eastern district, his heart was thumping violently against his chest.
He was worn out, injured, and in a chaotic state of mind. The secret he had guarded with his life had been exposed to his friends and enemies.
The only thing he could wish for now was that Caiden's soldiers would successfully kill the criminals.
Obviously, his buddies would hide what had taken place, even if he had no idea what Jacob, Enya, or Stella would say about it. Erik took in his surroundings while continuing to run.
The marks of destruction were still visible in the eastern district, serving as a spooky reminder of the Thaids' ruthless assault that had wreaked havoc on the area.
Buildings stood in various states of disrepair, their shattered windows and deteriorating facades bearing witness to the mayhem that had taken place.
The once-bustling streets now lay deserted, their calm only broken by the infrequent gust of wind that mumbled through the desolate landscape.
The tires of the heavy-duty construction equipment stood caked in dust and rubble as they guarded the perimeter in silence.
Cranes stood tall over the skeleton frames of buildings that were in the process of being partially rebuilt, reaching up into the sky with unwavering determination.
The atmosphere was thick with the tangy aroma of steel that had just been freshly placed, and the sound of hammers striking nails resounded in the back of Erik's mind as if people were working at night.
The neighborhood streets were used as makeshift warehouses for all building supplies.
The sidewalks were lined with heaps of lumber, metal beams, and stacks of bricks, all ready to be repurposed as the structural components of a regenerated neighborhood.
The areas that were off-limits or unsafe were marked with tattered caution tape, which fluttered and flapped in the wind.
Erik was so intent on evading Simone, his dogged pursuer, that he searched fruitlessly for a path out of the maze of twisting passageways and dark nooks.
Erik's footfall bounced off the walls as he walked through an alley with only minimal lighting.
The voice of Simone could be heard echoing from behind, full of unrelenting determination. "There is no place to hide, Erik! I'll get to you!"
Erik chose not to give in to hopelessness and instead pushed himself forward, taking advantage of the fact that he was familiar with the neighborhood.
However, his objective was to make it back to the northern area as quickly as possible because it was where there were more people and where he could hide himself better.
However, getting there wasn't going to be simple because he had to steer clear of any roads that would make it easy for the thug to find and attack him.
The good news was that the system was assisting Erik in replenishing his mana, and he was gradually gaining more of it. However, the bad news was that this was taking a while.
Venturing farther into the deserted district, Erik's senses heightened. Every groan and rustle heightened his anxiety, and his nerves were on edge the entire time. Despite that, the awakener was calm enough to think straight.
He stepped backward after being startled by a stray cat that darted across his path, colliding with a stack of crates that fell to the ground. The resultant commotion broke the stillness, a jarring illustration of his precarious situation.
As Erik began to make momentary headway, the increasingly agitated yells that Simone was emitting became less audible. Despite this, he was still able to hear the man screaming.
His comments were oozing with self-assurance and danger as he snarled at Erik, "You can run, but remember this: I'll always be one step behind you!" Erik could not help but feel threatened by his words.
He was urged to move by the man's voice, and he did so by sprinting forward while navigating through abandoned buildings and streets littered with trash. Erik was engulfed in darkness, but he welcomed it as an ally and used it to propel him forward in his frantic search for freedom.
"Erik, you're not doing anything but postponing the inevitable by doing this. No matter how far you go, I'll find you. You can bank on it."
As the young man rounded the corner, a sliver of moonlight revealed the alleyway leading to the district's outskirts. As Erik raced toward his goal, pushing himself beyond his physical capabilities, his hope began to grow.
The steady beat of his footsteps echoed around the room, driving him forward and encouraging him to stay one step ahead of Simone's grip.
Erik observed a gradual change in the surroundings around him as he continued his escape from Simone.
This change occurred when Erik turned another bend and continued his escape. The desolation that had settled over the deserted neighborhood started to dissipate as indications of life and activity appeared in its place.
As he got closer to the northern area, the streets grew larger and were ornamented with various unique shops and boutiques.
Previously, there had been vacant, dilapidated buildings, but now they had been replaced with streets that were crowded with people and lined with colorful storefronts.
The cacophony of voices grew increasingly louder, with each word conveying its own particular narrative and each laugh contributing to the colorful texture of the city's fabric.
"I made it!" Erik exclaimed to himself once he had arrived.
The atmosphere was filled with the enticing smells of exotic foods and cocktails and the sounds of discussion and laughter that filled the area.
Erik did his best to blend in with the thronging crowd in order to find some solace in the sea of unknown faces.
His presence was obscured momentarily inside the urban tapestry due to the cacophony of voices and the symphony of footsteps that created a momentary shroud for him.
He took one step at a time, hoping to blend in with the crowd and appear as a bystander in the lively theater that was the metropolis.
Simone arrived on the scene a few moments later, his eyes analytically darting across the crowd.
His eagerness to find Erik and extract the secret behind his multiple powers from him drove his eyes to dart quickly from one person's face to the next as he scanned the place.
After giving it some quick consideration, he realized that if the Crystal Cross Gang found out what the young man was capable of, he would no longer have the chance to acquire that power. As a result, he decided against asking them for assistance.
Erik went quickly, navigating deftly through the congested area while simultaneously assimilating himself to the undulating motion of the city's rhythm.
But this aroused the curiosity of the onlookers, and they began casting curious glances in his direction, their eyes lingering on the unkempt figure in the middle of them all.
Simone persisted in his search while maintaining an air of resolve and eager anticipation.
His pupils contracted as he narrowly focused his attention on each of the individuals' faces.
He methodically went around the gathering, approaching people unaware of his presence and examining them with an intensity that caused the crowd to feel uneasy.
Erik's attention wandered for a split second during the turmoil, and as a result, he made accidental contact with a large, hulking man who let out a shocked grunt.
The man's features creased into an angry frown, and his brows knitted together in annoyance. He yelled at the person, cutting through the background noise of the crowd with a voice that warned, "Watch where you're going, you idiot!"
He stared into Erik's eyes with blazing intensity, demanding that Erik apologize. Simone swung around to look and quickly started walking toward Erik, but it wasn't easy to make her way through the crowd because there were so many people.
As Erik realized his error, his stomach dropped, but he knew he couldn't afford to linger there any longer. As the seconds passed by like a ticking time bomb, he turned his head to look behind him and saw Simone's face looking at him while he tried to make his way through the crowd of people to get to him.
He didn't utter a word as he abruptly spun around and dashed away, his legs propelling him through the tangled mass of people.
Behind him, the dissatisfied guy yelled in rage, his voice becoming lost in the city's din as it roared.
Erik was sprinting through the crowd, and his mind was racing as he tried to figure out the quickest paths to take and how to avoid any obstructions that could be in his way.
The expression on Simone's face was one of both exasperation and determination.
Every time someone tried to get Erik and failed, it fueled his already-burning desire to solve the mystery surrounding his powers. The unexplained origin of Erik's multiple abilities tore at his very being like an unquenchable thirst that insisted on being sated.
But despite his rage, Simone did not lose his composure. He was an expert hunter in his way, and he carried himself with the utmost professionalism. His training and instincts guided every step he took, and his concentration was unwavering the entire time.
When Erik turned around to take one last look in that direction, he discovered that Simone's outstretched hand was only a few centimeters away from seizing him.
The thug appeared to be on the verge of achieving victory. But just as his fingers were about to make contact with him, a wave of ecstatic excitement raced through the streets.
Football fans swarmed the street from the opposite direction, their voices blending to create a loud roar that could be heard for blocks.
The commotion caused by the large group of people engulfing Erik caused Simone's attention to wander instantly as he became hidden from view.
The awakener vanished into thin air amidst all of the merriment, getting sucked into the sea of happy fans surrounding him.
Simone's anger level rose to an all-time high as he watched his hand limp in stunned astonishment.
He muttered obscenity beneath his breath, his voice obliterated by the thunderous applause and cries filling the space around him.
Erik's protection had come in the form of the celebration, which had become a good shield for him. Simone's eyes flew furiously over the crowd, searching for any sign of his prey, but a wall of joyful faces faced him, each engrossed in the bliss of the moment they found themselves.
He pushed through the crowd of people, pushing past the supporters, in an attempt to catch sight of Erik's unmistakable form amidst the mayhem.
He pushed through the crowd of people, pushing past the fans. However, it seemed as though the crowd was working together to sabotage him, as their combined vitality and size created an impassable barrier between them.
The tension continued to build, and Simone's ire was on the verge of erupting. The man yelled, "ERIK ROMANOOOOOO!" to attract the attention of the people around him.
After waiting five minutes, the man made his way through the mob and exited, only to see Erik dash into an alleyway up ahead.
The man laughed to himself and yelled, "GOTCHA!" This time, he got lucky since if he had waited even a few seconds longer, he would have permanently lost the youngster. After hearing it, Simone resumed his pursuit by beginning to run in the opposite direction.
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