Ghost Billionaire

"It's confirmed. Ghost is in the old buildings of Lindberg School. This might be a trap. Be careful," Mendez said through the comm as he adjusted his grip on the motorbike throttle. The engine hummed beneath him as he took a hard turn. The rusted gates of the school loomed ahead.

Teenagers. Always thinking they're smarter than everyone else. He's probably planning to pick them off one by one. Naive, Mendez thought.

That boy surprised them the first time they met. But how could they let that happen again?

The bike skidded to a stop near the courtyard. He dismounted quickly. The place was quiet, but the pressure in the air told him something wasn't right. He gestured to two of the others who had arrived before him.

"Fan out. Keep your senses sharp. He's sneaky. Don't let your guard down."

They nodded and disappeared into opposite ends of the structure.

Mendez stepped through the broken main doors. Inside, the school's hallway was choked with dust and debris. The air felt heavier than it should. He took a step forward.

The moment he entered the basement, he stopped.

Candles.

Salt-streaked wax melted down in steady drips. A circle drawn in chalk held its shape at the center. His eyes landed on the body near it.

A teenager, unconscious.

"Someone did a ritual," Mendez muttered under his breath. But it looked like it was interrupted by Ghost. He eyed the motorbike that Ghost used. It was near the unconscious teenager. Ghost was nowhere to be found.

He stepped forward carefully. The energy here didn't feel natural. His instincts buzzed. However, he couldn't see anything else. Despite his excellent eyesight, he couldn't see anything suspicious around them.

Soon enough, footsteps echoed behind him.

Kray entered first, his eyes narrowing at the scene.

"What is this?"

"Something we don't touch until we figure it out," Mendez said. He walked around the edge of the chalk circle. His boots scuffed the floor, but he was careful not to disturb the lines.

Another person arrived. Then another. Soon, five of them stood inside the basement, eyes locked on the circle.

Then they heard it.

A sound from above. The vent shaft creaked.

"Above," Kray said, already drawing a blade.

Two of the men started moving. One to the left, the other to the side stairwell.

Suddenly, the unconscious boy stirred.

Suddenly, Mendez frowned.

"Down!" he shouted.

A shockwave burst out from the circle. Spiritual pressure surged. The candles flared. Something invisible screeched from the space above. Everyone staggered back.

"Careful. He's not trying to run. He wants us here," Mendez said as he thought about the Tian Family. They have records of rituals, scripts, and tomes. Was he using one of those rituals to fight against them? Impossible. The Tian Family would never get involved with something like this!

He gritted his teeth. "We need to move out!"

Kray cursed as he immediately jumped back. One of the others got thrown into the wall.

"Hostile entity!" someone yelled.

Mendez drew his weapon. His hand sparked with Nexian energy as he braced for impact. He turned toward the boy in the center.

A distraction.

Mendez moved.

But it was too late.

The floor cracked open.

A shape pulled itself from the circle's edge—thin, wiry limbs, eyes that didn't reflect light. It didn't belong in their world.

The creature lunged.

Kray struck first. His blade met flesh or what looked like it. Sadly, it wasn't enough to slow the creature down. Instead, it slammed him against the pillar. The sound of bones cracking echoed.

Mendez went low, moving past the circle, dragging the boy away. They needed to know what kind of ritual this was. That's the only way for them to break it.

"Secure him!" he barked.

Another operative moved in, grabbing the teen's arm. But Dean twisted, pulled a blade from his sleeve, and slashed. The man stumbled back, bleeding.

"He's not Ghost!" someone shouted.

"Doesn't matter. Knock him out again!" Mendez replied.

The creature roared. Tentacles lashed out. One caught another operative by the leg and dragged him across the room.

"Contain it!" Mendez ordered just as they started feeling nausea. No. The blood moon!

He knew the others felt it too, because two of the men moved to the right flank, activating their anchor stones. Their energy stabilized immediately.

"Leave this place!" Mendez said. They would worry about Ghost later. For now, their priority is leaving this place.

But the creature was fast.

It struck one down with a backhand. Another tried to pierce its chest, only for the blade to slide off like it hit rubber.

Mendez swore. This wasn't working.

What the hell is that thing? The fact that it would suddenly vanish and just reappear when it's about to attack was enough to make their spines tingle.

"Damnit!" Mendez cursed. That boy must have known about this, he thought. Shapers cannot see the entity, but Readers can. This was their ability.

"Where the hell is Ghost?"

Then he heard it.

The front doors slammed open.

Boots pounded against the broken tiles.

Viper stormed in with two others, face hidden beneath a sleek black mask. His eyes locked on Mendez.

"What's going on?" he demanded. "Is it Ghost?"

Before Mendez could speak, a tentacle shot out from the shadows and slammed into Viper's chest. He flew across the basement, crashing into the far wall. The sound of cracking stone followed.

"Viper!" someone shouted.

His body twitched once.

His mask cracked down the center and shattered. What it revealed wasn't what anyone expected.

A teenager.

Younger than most of them.

Viper hissed, blood dripping from the side of his mouth. He sat up slowly, eyes burning with fury.

"What… was that?" he asked, wiping the blood with the back of his hand.

Before anyone could answer, a scream echoed.

One of the men standing by the chalk circle fell forward, clutching his face. His skin blistered and peeled. His mouth opened in agony as his flesh began to collapse in on itself, as if it was sucked in by something invisible.

Another operative screamed next. His fingers twisted and broke in unnatural directions as his body crumpled like paper.

Kray turned toward the others. "It's absorbing them!"

Then he, too, vanished from sight.

A wet sound echoed where he once stood.

Mendez's eyes widened. He grabbed Viper by the arm and pulled him back.

"We need to go!"

But then he felt it.

Cold. Heavy. Like something pulling at his chest.

His legs froze.

His breath caught.

The spiritual pressure wrapped around his neck, pressing in like a vacuum.

He could feel the core inside his body reacting, pulling outward.

His knees buckled.

"Viper—!"

But Viper was already pushing him back, struggling to stand as more tendrils flickered into view.

They were surrounded.

One by one, his men were being taken apart by something they couldn't see or fight.

"Fall back!" Viper barked. "Leave this fucking place!"

Sadly, he knew that it was already too late…