Chapter 2: Awakening part 2
Aiden woke up with a start, and felt a cold and sticky sensation on his skin. He opened his eyes, and saw blood. Blood everywhere. Blood on his body, blood on his clothes, blood on the floor, blood on the walls. He was in his bathtub, covered in blood.
He panicked, and jumped out of the tub. He looked around, and saw no one else in the bathroom. He was alone, with the blood. He felt a surge of fear, and confusion. He didn't know what was happening. He didn't know where the blood came from. He didn't know why he was alive.
He remembered the night before. He remembered the meeting, the limousine, the mansion. He remembered the window, the sky, the smile. He remembered the shot, the pain, the fall. He remembered dying.
But he was alive. Somehow, he was alive.
He ran to the mirror, and looked at himself. He expected to see a corpse, a hole in his head, a pool of blood. But he saw none of that. He saw himself, but different.
He was still Aiden Knight, but he had changed. He had grown taller, by a few inches. His muscles were leaner and more streamlined, like those of a Greek god. His skin was paler and smoother, like porcelain. His hair was darker and shinier, like ebony. His face was sharper and more handsome, like a model.
But his eyes were different. His eyes were not his own.
His eyes were still deep blue, but they had a hint of red in them. A tiny mass of blood red that looked like it was spreading, barely noticeable. A sign of something else.
A sign of what he had become.
Aiden heard his phone ringing, and picked it up. He saw the caller ID, and recognized it as his secretary, Lisa. He answered the call, and heard her voice.
"Mr. Knight, thank God you're alive! Where are you? Are you okay?" Lisa asked, sounding relieved and worried.
"Lisa, calm down. What's going on?" Aiden asked, trying to sound normal.
"Mr. Knight, there's a rumor going around that you're dead. Someone leaked a photo of your bedroom, with blood on the wall and the floor. They said you were shot in the head by an assassin. The media is going crazy, and so are your clients and investors. They're calling me non-stop, asking for confirmation. What should I tell them?" Lisa asked, sounding frantic.
Aiden felt a surge of anger, and suspicion. He realized that someone was trying to ruin him, and his company. He wondered who it was, and why they did it. He wondered if it was related to his assassination attempt, and his resurrection.
He decided to deal with it later. He had more urgent matters to attend to.
"Lisa, listen to me. Tell them it's a hoax. Tell them I'm alive and well, and that I'll be at the office soon. Tell them to ignore the rumors, and to trust me. Tell them everything is under control," Aiden said, firmly.
"Yes, Mr. Knight. I'll do that right away. But please hurry, Mr. Knight. We need you here," Lisa said, sounding grateful and hopeful.
"I'll be there soon, Lisa. Don't worry," Aiden said, and hung up the phone.
He needed to shower, and get dressed. He needed to go to ExoTech, and fix this mess.
He went to his closet, and looked for a suit. He tried on several of them, but none of them fit him anymore. They were all too small for his new body.
He cursed under his breath, and threw them on the floor.
He looked for something else to wear, something casual and comfortable.
He found a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and put them on.
He looked at himself in the mirror, and felt out of place.
He had never worn such clothes before, not in public.
He had always been a suit guy, a professional guy.
But he had no choice now.
He grabbed an expensive sneaker from his collection, one that he hardly ever wore on a normal day.
He had always been more of a collector than a wearer.
But he had no choice now.
He put on the sneaker, and left his room.
He called in his butler, James, and gave him instructions to clean up the mess in the bedroom and bathroom.
James was surprised by the presence of blood, but asked no questions.
He was a loyal and discreet employee.
He nodded his head, and said he would do it right away.
Aiden thanked him, and headed down to the garage.
His guards and chauffeur were waiting for him there.
ραndαsnοvεl.cοm They were surprised to see Aiden in sweatpants and not a suit.
His guard, Max, noticed the difference in Aiden's physique, but asked no questions.
He assumed in his head that the boss probably acquired one of those super rare,
elusive and expensive super soldier serums.
He shrugged his shoulders, and followed him closely.
Aiden told his chauffeur, John, to head to ExoTech.
John nodded his head, and started the car.
Aiden got in the back seat, and closed his eyes.
He needed to prepare himself for what was coming next.
Aiden was in his car, heading to ExoTech. He could see his guard, Max, looking at him curiously. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do, but he didn't want to do it now. He turned to him, and said:
"Max, I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise I'll answer them later. But right now, I need you to trust me, and follow my lead. Can you do that?"
Max nodded his head, and said:
"Of course, boss. I'm with you all the way."
Aiden smiled, and said:
"Thank you, Max. You're a good friend."
They continued on their way, passing through the busy streets of Aravon. They saw many people and cars, going about their normal lives. They saw many buildings and shops, displaying their products and services. They saw many signs and billboards, advertising their brands and messages.
They also saw something else.
They saw an alley closed off by the cops, with yellow tapes and all. They saw a crowd of curious bystanders, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. They saw a news van, with a reporter and a camera crew, trying to get a scoop.
Aiden looked at the alley, and felt a chill down his spine. He had a bad feeling about it.
He looked at the top of the building next to the alley, and saw something that made his blood run cold.
He saw a small shadowy imp-like creature, perched on the edge of the roof. It had red skin, black horns, yellow eyes, and sharp teeth. It had wings, claws, and a tail. It looked like something out of a nightmare.
It looked like something that shouldn't exist.
It looked like something that he had become.
The creature turned to look at Aiden, and he panicked a little bit. He felt a connection with it, a bond that he didn't understand. He felt its hunger, its malice, its curiosity.
He felt its recognition.
The creature smiled wickedly at him, and winked.
Aiden gasped in shock, and looked away.
Max noticed his reaction, and asked him:
"Boss, what happened? Are you okay?"
Aiden shook his head, and said:
"Nothing, Max. Nothing happened. I'm fine."
He lied.
He wasn't fine.
He was scared.
They reached the gate of the HQ of ExoTech, his car was recognized by the guards,
and the massive gates were opened. They drove to the entrance of the massive structure where Aiden's office was located. Aiden's secretary, Lisa, was waiting at the entrance.
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