Hellhound

Chapter 3

A droplet of rain fell on his face and slid down his cheek like a tear. The sun was ready to rise at the end of the horizon, but it was blurred by the constant rain that poured. Raven hadn't slept at all, he was tired. He knew it was his job, he knew it was normal for them to require him to work extra hours, but that had been enough. What it was all for, he wondered. After some thought, he decided he shouldn't care. He didn't need to care. He just needed to carry out his mission and secure one more day with a roof above his head.

"So I have to resort to that, huh?" He muttered and his face contorted with annoyance. He tried feverishly to think who he would call. There was a need for one more if he was going to go with that. He cursed under his breath, reminding himself he had no choice but to seek help, then called Kai. He wasn't surprised when he didn't answer; after all it was too early in the morning for anyone to be awake.

Raven sighed and closed his eyes. He tried to gather all the energy from the spirits around him, he needed as much as he could get. He also tried to muster all of his physical strength, his power required it. His power was one of the rarest abilities, and for a good reason. He was a spirits user, which meant he could have any power he wanted, from mind reading which was one of the simplest, to healing abilities, one of the most complex ones. But there was a catch. He had to be physically able to support them all; the toll on his body from using them was sometimes too much. So, he had trained. Even before the scientists had taken him in, he used to train every day. Even when he could barely stand from the lack of food he still ran in hopes of strengthening his body. And he had succeeded. He had succeeded in making himself strong, stronger than anyone else. Strong enough to handle each and every one of the powers in existence.

Raven took a deep breath, and could feel his body numbing. His field of view extended everywhere; he was like a crow, a vulture that flied on top of a forest keeping an eye on his prey. And a while afterwards his prey was found. The girl he had been ordered to kill was in a dead-end alley, about 25 blocks away. He opened his eyes, and a surge of nausea hit him, making him kneel down and fold in two. He placed his hands on the cold cement, and took a few deep shaky breaths. A ray of sunlight entered the alley he was at, shining directly down on him. His body was heavy; he couldn't even move his limbs the slightest. He let his body drop to the ground. There were cold droplets of sweat rolling down his forehead but they would immediately intertwine with the rain that had ceased just a bit. With trembling hands, he grabbed his phone. Just as he was about to call him, he froze.

With a newfound power, he dragged himself towards the wall of the building next to him, and used it to help him get up. His legs were shaking; his knees were hitting each other at times. He doubted he would be able to reach his apartment or the Headquarters in time before he collapsed. He shoved his phone back into his pocket, and started to cough. Once he took his hand away from his mouth, there was blood on it. Raven cursed under his breath and took a deep shaky breath. The filthy air of the nearby sewers filled his lungs making him cough even more blood, regretting his decision. He balled his trembling hands into fists and banged the wall with his left fist. He stayed silent, with his eyebrows furrowed and a murderous smile on his face.

"It's all his fault. That old man... I want to kill him." He inquired with a low voice. A dangerous aura was emanating from around him, something only ability users and animals could feel. There was a dead silence all around him but his mind was so loud everything else mattered not.

He fell to his knees once again, leaning his head on the moldy and wet wall. The rain had ceased completely, only the aftermath of it remained. Wet roads and cars, a scent that would mix with the filthiness of the place and the feeling of insecurity that crept along the shadows reaching him. Because he was part of them, he was just one more shadow, born to never see the light. It was the fate of a butterfly born in darkness to die desperately once the sun appeared.

Raven's eyes half-closed, he could no longer keep them open. He had reached his limits, and he had even used his last drop of power to punch that wall. He collapsed onto the wet cement, scratching his face and hands from the sudden impact. He didn't care. The wall above him was cracked.

A small light blue butterfly born in the night as well, but familiar with the light of day approached him, her sweet scent filling his nostrils. Her feet tapping on the ground was the only sound echoing around him. As the sun started to rise onto the sky, slowly burning the skin of the collapsed night butterfly, she smiled a bit and raised him on her hands. He fought the drowsiness and half-opened his eyes. The only thing he saw before the night enveloped him again, was a silver necklace with the number zero and a butterfly resting on it.