Six months had passed in the blink of an eye, and Fir lay still on the farmhouse floor, his breathing slow and controlled.
But suddenly, a gunshot rang out, aimed directly at his head.
Bang!
With lightning-fast reflexes, he managed to dodge the bullet with ease. He may not be as fast as before, but he was already calculating the bullet's trajectory before it even left the gun's barrel.
"Excellent job, Fir," William praised with a smile, a clear sign that he had come to respect his student abilities. It was a far cry from the condescending tone he had once used, no longer referring to him as "young blood."
Fir had made incredible progress in just half a year. He had managed to control 20% of his adrenaline, a feat that took even William, a gifted hunter, three years to achieve.
"Thank you, William," Fir responded with a hint of respect in his voice. He learned a lot from William.
"Are you planning to leave now?" William asked.
"Yes," Fir nodded. He had already reached his limit by training. His control over his adrenaline can only be honed by facing stronger opponents and near-death battles.
"How about a beer before you go?" William chuckled, growing fond of his student during their time together.
"Sure," Fir laughed back, and they headed to the living room to share a beer. It was the first time they watched TV together since William had prevented him from doing so, citing it as a distraction.
The television droned on, its news reports full of the usual tragedies and political strife. But then, a story caught Fir's attention and his heart began to ache.
The Wayne Corporation had been bought by Hummer Technology, and Jonathan Wayne was forced to resign.
As the head of the Wayne family gave his speech, Fir noticed a young man with striking blue eyes and blonde hair standing in the background.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
"Why are you crying?" William asked, his brow furrowed in concern as he noticed tears streaming down Fir's face.
"Nathan," He whispered, the name feeling familiar yet distant on his lips. He recalled that Nathan had been his best friend, his brother in arms, but the memory was incomplete and hazy.
The sudden realization that he couldn't remember his own best friend hit him like a ton of bricks. His heart raced, and for a moment, his eyes turned gold before something inside him suppressed it.
"Are you okay, Fir?" William's voice cut through the fog in Fir's mind.
Fir closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing thoughts and make sense of the memories that had suddenly surfaced.
Then he stood up, his mind made up.
"I have to go now, William. Thank you for all your help."
"Where are you going?" William frowned.
"To Evangeline, to get some answers." Fir walked towards the exit with a resolute mind, ready to know the truth.
William followed him to the door with a concerned expression.
"Be careful, Fir. The world out there is not kind to supernaturals these days. While there have been some improvements in the current status quo, you still need to be cautious,"
Fir nodded, then opened the door and stepped out into the bright sunshine. He shielded his eyes against the glare and took a deep breath.
.
.
.
.
Along the highway.
He focused on steadying his breathing as he drove down the highway, the sound of the engine soothing his racing thoughts. His mind was consumed with the need to calm himself, to be level-headed and in control.
As he approached Evangeline's mansion, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. The sight of the grand estate brought back memories - some pleasant, some not so much. He parked his car and took a deep breath before walking towards the entrance.
The mansion's imposing facade was as he remembered it, but something felt different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the air seemed charged with a sense of unease after his lost memories started to resurface.
As soon as he stepped into the mansion, he was met with the eager greeting of one of the maids. He barely even acknowledged her presence, his mind already fixated on finding Evangeline.
"Welcome back, Master Fir," the maid repeated, her voice trembling with fear.
He didn't have time for pleasantries. His eyes blazed with a fierce intensity as he demanded,
"Where is Evangeline?"
The maid hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She's in her underground chamber."
His jaw clenched, his anger evident. It was clear that something had riled him up, and the maid didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath.
He stormed into Evangeline's underground chamber; his anger was at its peak. The metal door slammed behind him as he approached the throne where Evangeline sat.
She looked up from her book and greeted him with open arms and a smile on her face.
"Welcome back, Fir," she said, her voice warm and inviting.
"Stop lying. My name is Vincent, not Fir," he bellowed, his frustration boiling over.
Evangeline's smile vanished as she slowly closed her book.
"So, you're starting to remember everything," she said with a hint of resignation in her voice.
Vincent's memory had been lost for so long, but now it was slowly returning.
"What have you done to me?" Vincent demanded, his eyes blazing with fury.
"I did what was necessary to protect you, Vincent. You are the most important person to me, but your memory had to be erased so you can wake up from your coma." Evangeline sighed,
Vincent's mind raced as he tried to piece together the fragments of his past. He knew he had been involved in something terrible that almost killed him, but the memories were still blurry.
"Why did you lie to me? about my name? about my true Identity? Why did you hide me?" he asked, his voice trembling with emotion.
She hesitated for a moment before answering. She knew that Vincent was quite unstable right now.
"You know deep inside you why you can't reveal yourself to the world just yet," Evangeline said, her voice gentle but firm.
"There are countless enemies out there who would stop at nothing to see you dead if they discovered your existence. We must be vigilant, we must be strong, and we must protect one another at all costs." her voice quivered as she spoke, her eyes filled with a deep sense of sorrow and despair, not for herself, but for the person she loved the most.
Vincent was torn between anger and confusion. He didn't know who to trust or what to believe anymore. All he knew was that he had to find the truth.
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