Ghost Billionaire

Mendez's boots splashed through a puddle as he rounded the corner. The dim construction lights threw broken shadows across the crumpled bodies of Gamariel and Troy.

"What the hell happened to you two?" he barked.

Troy tried to answer, but only a wet rattle escaped his throat. His right leg lay at a sick angle. Matthew's nerve strike had shut the limb down like a tripped breaker. Gamariel clutched his useless arm, crimson energy still leaking out in sputters that looked disturbingly like smoke.

Mendez swore under his breath. A moment later, the sedan's rear door opened, and the Conduit stepped out.

Everyone in Nexian circles knew him only as Bleu—a lean figure in a slate-gray coat, eyes glowing faint electric blue even in the gloom. Static danced across his knuckles in lazy arcs.

Bleu surveyed the scene, lips curling.

"Two Shapers flattened by a Reader?" His voice was calm, almost curious. "What did I tell you about underestimating intel?"

"He read us," Gamariel hissed. "Saw straight into the flow—he… he cut the stream of Energy."

Bleu knelt, pressed two glowing fingers to Gamariel's injured elbow. Energy snapped, cauterizing the ruptured channels in one crackling pulse. Gamariel screamed as the glow dimmed. Bleu could use his electricity to heal a core. Not exactly heal the injury, but since Nexians have faster healing abilities, healing their core should be enough.

"Stay put. Your cores will stabilize." Bleu straightened and turned to Mendez. "Where'd the kid go?"

"Up," Mendez said, pointing to the fire escape ladder. "Scaled it like a cat."

Bleu's gaze tracked up the brick wall. The rungs still vibrated from Matthew's ascent.

"Reader or not," Bleu murmured, "he's carrying something the Viper wants. We retrieve him. Now."

….

Matthew vaulted onto the rooftop and sprinted, lungs burning cold night air.

"How long can you maintain this speed? You need to leave this place and go back to the mansion to avoid complications," the ghost girl said. "You just awakened and yet you—" She hovered after him. "If you faint here, you're done. You won't be able to help me with my body!"

Matthew said nothing as he cleared the last rooftop and dropped onto a corrugated-steel awning. The sheet flexed with a groan. He let the bounce bleed momentum before slipping off the edge and landing in a narrow service alley. Neon glare from the avenue beyond painted slick puddles pink.

Heartbeat steady, he told himself, forcing his lungs to cycle slow and deep. His Reader-sight still burned behind his eyes—static ghosts of amber and cobalt afterimages danced over everything. There was no nausea, but a sharp, throbbing ache pulsed at his temples, as if the vision itself were gnawing on the inside of his skull.

He drew a breath and pulled.

A faint, sweet cold seeped into him—like mint on his tongue, yet rooted somewhere in the center of his chest. The ghost girl gasped as wisps of translucent light drifted from her form, curling into Matthew's skin before she could stop them.

"Hey!" she squeaked, half-startled. "What—what are you doing?"

Matthew opened his eyes. "Sorry." He was thinking of absorbing a ghost but accidentally absorbed some parts of the girl instead.

"What—did you just absorb—what was that?"

"I don't know," Matthew said. He ignored the ghost as he stepped from the alley into a choked night-market street.

He raised his hand and flagged down the nearest taxi.

As the taxi pulled away from the curb, Matthew closed his eyes, sending his Reader threads outward, searching for any sign of pursuit. The streets behind were empty—good. They hadn't followed him.

He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart finally slowing. Tonight was the first time he'd truly fought and actually faced people who could have easily ended his life. Not just ordinary people, but Nexians trained to kill.

"Now tell me… how did you do that?" The ghost girl hovered anxiously by his ear, talking nonstop. "You're just a Reader—how can you shut down two Shapers? That's impossible. You know that's impossible, right?"

Matthew said nothing. Instead, he pulled out his phone, pretending to answer a call. He held it to his ear. "Yeah… I don't know," he said. It's better to pretend to talk to someone on the phone than just talking to the air. "I just did."

"What? What do you mean, you just did?" The ghost girl paused mid-sentence, frowning. "How could someone just defeat Shapers without knowing why? Also… what happened back there, when you… absorbed my energy? You can't do that. Nobody absorbs ghost energy. It—it felt strange, cold, like something was pulling me apart."

Matthew kept his face neutral. "I don't know. Let's talk when I get home." With that, he placed his phone back in his pocket. His head throbbed with a steady, rhythmic ache that refused to ease.

After all that, he knew that his core was drained, unstable after that brief, violent surge. He'd need Spirit Stones, or perhaps more ghost energy, to settle it.

"Listen, Matthew, those people… this must be because of the blood moon. That's the only reason why they would suddenly come after you. That old man… that Veined Nexian. It must be him."

Matthew shook his head. Dr. Muni could easily take his core away if he wanted to. What's the purpose of sending three Shapers and a Conduit after him?

It must be someone else. Could it be the Tian Family?

He narrowed.

No. Rick Tian might be careless and impulsive, but he isn't the type to try and kidnap him. If Rick wanted to talk, he would just show up in front of him after investigating his real identity. That was the Rick that he knew.

Then… who could it be?

Duke? No. He didn't have any other interaction with that man aside from that auction.

Argent? No. He's probably in prison somewhere after everything.

Viper?

Matthew froze. He recalled Rick's warning about Viper recruiting Nexians. Not just any Nexians, but Readers.

Could it be him?

His thoughts were interrupted when the car stopped. He had just arrived home. After paying for the taxi, he immediately entered, and that was when he noticed that his car wasn't there yet.

"Cristoff…" Matthew said.

"Young Master?" Cristoff looked confused when he didn't see Ottep behind Matthew. "You're already here? Where's Ottep?"

Matthew's heart went cold. "He's not here yet?"