NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Noah Murray
It was only two or three hours later that Lane finally made his way down, ready to approach his target. By then, the young man he picked seemed pretty drunk, and even Lane himself was a little buzzed - although not to the point that it would affect him in any significant way.
Based on what Lane observed so far, the young man was quite shy and introverted, definitely not used to partying. He came to the club with his friend… But said friend had no patience to babysit the man, and left him alone to flirt with some girls. Thus, the young man downed drink after drink, trying to loosen up and act as if he was having fun.
He was such a pitiful existence.
Keeping an eye on his target, Lane joined the crowd on the dance floor, waiting for his chance. And, as expected, not long after the young man stumbled out, directing his unsteady steps toward the toilets - with the amount of drinks he downed, frequent trips were inevitable. Lane waited for a moment longer, before casually following after him.
When he entered the men's toilet, the young man was already done with his business, and was leaning against the sink, splashing his face with cold water. He didn't even react when someone entered. Only when Lane was merely a step away from him did he finally lift his head.
He was even cuter up closer, with his round face and soft pink lips. His big blue eyes were hazy from all the buzz. His supple porcelain skin looked so alluring, dripping with water. His frame was rather petite, with the top of his head, covered in chestnut brown locks, barely reaching to Lane's chin.
Lane smiled with satisfaction. Yes, it was an acceptable body. Although he very much preferred his own looks, the young man was beautiful enough to be worth possessing. Not to mention, his cute looks were quite suitable for being a bottom…
Of course, Lane wasn't a bottom. He was a definite, indisputable top, and had absolutely zero intentions of ever letting anyone top him. However…
He had this peculiar hobby. He enjoyed acting as a bottom, seducing powerful Espers who were obvious tops, and then making them go down under him! It was such a thrill to make them all submit to him!
Since he had to hide his Esper abilities and pretend to be a Guide, then it was only fair that he has some fun along the way, right? He deserved at least this much compensation for all the guiding he provided!
"Um… Can I help you?" The young man tilted his head, his words barely comprehensible because of his heavy slurring.
"Hmm…" Lane quickly swept his gaze around the toilet, ensuring they were alone. As his eyes returned to the young man, they were no longer grey. Instead, they turned into mesmerizing red…
"Come with me," he muttered, his voice low and seductive.
"Mn." The young man nodded obediently. As Lane turned around and walked out, he tottered closely behind, lightly swaying from side to side, but still significantly steadier than when he entered the toilet. If anyone were to gaze into his eyes, however, they would see the blankest expression they had ever seen - at the moment, his eyes were more akin to a porcelain doll than a human being.
But in the club full of drunken people, nobody paid any attention. Besides, the young man followed Lane willingly - he wasn't dragged away or anything, Lane didn't even hold his hand - so why would anyone care to interfere?
Without a word, Lane left the club and walked down the street at a leisurely pace, with the young man trailing behind him obediently like a little duckling. They didn't wander around too long - it wasn't the first time, so Lane knew exactly where to go. A pricey but very private love hotel just around the corner, where you could get a comfy, soundproofed room without any need to provide your ID. Using one of the self-service machines, Lane quickly made a transaction, booking one of the premium rooms for the rest of the night.
Of course, he had no intentions of having sex - it would feel too weird to fuck a body that he might possess soon! And Lane most certainly didn't want to start a new life with a pain in the ass. The only reason he picked a love hotel was because of the high level of privacy it provided.
Not wasting any more time, Lane sat his target down on the sofa, taking place right next to him, and lifted his chin, meeting his gaze. His grey eyes now took a deep lilac shade, as he activated yet another one of his abilities - Memory Scan.
Memory Scan was a type of mind-reading ability. It allowed Lane to watch all of the target memories, as if he was watching a movie. Everything that person had heard or seen, even details that they themselves had long forgotten. He could rewind, going back and forth, pause at any moment, or watch any given fragment at a regular speed, viewing the world from the target's perspective. All that was necessary was to maintain the eye contact. Naturally, the target could try to resist, but… The young man, as a non-Awakened, would have never stood a chance, not even if he was in the right state of mind.
Using the ability, Lane quickly rewound through the target's - whose name he found out to be Noah Murray - last few years' worth of memories.
"No bad at all."
Noah Murray came from a fairly well-off family - not wealthy enough to be called rich, but still good enough to be able to easily pay for Noah's education, live in a good neighborhood, afford brand clothes, etc. It was convenient - although Lane didn't need any money, with a background like that, being able to afford the Awakened's equipment right from the start wouldn't raise any questions.
There was no mother in sight - it seems she died when Noah was still a child - and no siblings either. The father was present, but… His relationship with Noah was rather distant. He worked long hours, and they mostly passed each other by, merely exchanging a few words.
When it came to friends, the only person Noah was somewhat close with was the same guy whom he came to the club with - that is, the guy who ditched him to flirt with girls.
He was a university student, majoring in economics. His grades were slightly below the average.
No special hobbies or any other abilities worth mentioning.
No luck when it came to finding romantic partners either - although Noah had a crush on a girl from his major, he was way too shy to even talk to her, let alone make a move.
Overall…
"Pretty pathetic."
A life like that… Surely wasn't worth much. Honestly, it was the guy's good luck to be replaced by Lane. He would make a much better use of his body.
Satisfied with the background check, Lane withdrew the ability. He didn't let go of Noah's chin, though. Maintaining eye contact, he activated his hypnotizing ability again.
"You will go home now. When you return, you will create a folder on your laptop, named 'Guide'. Inside, you will put every information a person who would want to impersonate you should know. All the passwords, subscriptions, people you know - with names, photos, and all the basic information about their connection with you, any habits you might have, allergies, or any medical conditions… Then, you will lie down on your bed and wait. If you need to go to the toilet or whatever, you can go. But no matter what, tomorrow at 12 PM you need to be calmly lying down on your bed. Understood?"
"Yes."
"That's great." Lane smiled. He pulled out a spacial bag from the small spacial pocket hidden underneath his clothes, pushing it into Noah's hands. "Take this, and put it under your bed. Make sure no one sees it."
Now, there was only the last thing left.
Lane took a deep breath, and bit his wrist. Then, he pressed his wound against Noah's mouth, who, still under hypnosis, didn't resist at all, obediently swallowing. As Lane's blood tricked down his throat, Lane's wavelengths swept through his whole body, before comfortably settling in.
The connection has been formed. From now on, Lane would be able to possess Noah Murray whenever he wanted - at least as long as they were not too far apart…