Riley Ross
Chapter 42: The Illicit Lovers

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The Illicit Lovers

"What are you waiting for?! Release her, now!"

"No."

The man waved his gun around, threatening to shoot Riley if he didn’t do as he ordered. Riley, however, only stared at the gun’s nozzle before calmly looking around behind him. And after a few seconds, he sighed.

"I am assuming you do not have anyone else with you?" Riley narrowed his eyes as he watched the man inch closer. "After all, you are involved in an illicit relationship with a child."

"She’s sixteen!" The man snapped. "Now shut the fuck up! Release her, then put your hands behind your head and drop to the ground!"

"I am afraid I won’t do that, Mister," Riley sighed while shaking his head. "You will have to kill me. You are using a gun, so I will make a second assumption—you are not a super?"

"Why the fuck do you talk so much?! I said release her! You think I’m not serious?! I will shoot you, you fucking freak!" The man barked, slowly stepping forward until he was right in front of Riley. He raised his gun with one hand and pressed the barrel to his forehead, and then reached for a pair of handcuffs with the other.

"Why would you come close when you have a gun, Mister?" Riley blinked, tilting his head in genuine confusion.

"Because you mind-movers can’t do shit up close!" The man growled, glancing briefly at Steph to see if she was okay. "Now kneel!"

"That kind of assumption is dangerous," Riley murmured. "Because when I told Stephanie earlier that I broke Roman’s bones... I did not use my telekinetic abilities. I used my hands and feet."

"Wh—"

The man didn’t even get to finish his word.

In a blink, Riley struck the inside of his wrist while simultaneously chopping at his throat. The man quickly choked and stumbled back. He tried to keep his aim, but Riley spun and kicked the gun from his hand—then, while still maintaining the momentum, brought his leg down on the man’s knee, forcing it to bend completely the wrong way.

The crack it made wasn’t loud, but the sound felt like it pierced through Steph’s ears. Once again, she whimpered... that was the only thing she could do.

"I was wrong. You might not be a cop, Mister..." Riley exhaled calmly. He stepped forward as the man collapsed.

The man clutched his shattered knee and tried to scream—but all that escaped was a hoarse rasp that caused his throat to throb even more violently.

"...Or perhaps you are one. A new one, maybe. It does not matter now. I was only going to kill Stephanie, but I suppose the two of you can make noises together again. Poetic, I would say."

"P-please..." The man finally managed, though the words were garbled, torn from his throat as he writhed on the floor. "Let... let her go."

"Oh?" Riley blinked. He then glanced at Stephanie, whose face was flushed red. Her hair clung to her sweat and tears, creating a chaotic mess around her face.

"It would seem he truly loves you, Stephanie," Riley said softly. "How nice. I wish I knew it feels like to love."

Steph couldn’t scream anymore—her waist was still compressed, denying her full breaths. But even now, through the trembling of her frame and the stuttered huffing from her nose, muffled pleas still tried to desperately pull out.

"Oh, I apologize." Riley waved his hand, and as he did, Stephanie’s waist snapped back to normal, her lungs finally expanding again. Her lips unsealed—and of course, the first word that came out of her mouth was:

"Help! Anyone, he—"

"Shh," Riley gently hushed her, sealing her mouth once more with a flick of his fingers. "I thought you were going to say something lovely to him. I have to say... I’m a little disappointed, Stephanie."

He looked between her and the man, the disappointment on his face almost... exaggerated. Then, with a casual shrug, he flicked his finger.

"Grah!" The man screamed as his clothes were ripped clean off his body—along with large swaths of his skin, now hanging from his back like grotesque, tattered wings.

"Now then, Illicit Lovers," Riley placed his hands together and inhaled deeply, slowly, as if savoring the moment.

"Time to perform."

***

An hour had passed.

Riley now stood alone in the center of the ruined hospital, arms stretched wide as if awaiting an embrace.

He wasn’t. There was no one there to hug him.

He was simply imitating—imitating the art he had created.

Because now, the ruin had a roof.

"I hope you like my gift, Mr. Hospital," he whispered to himself. "I worked very hard for—"

A sudden warmth struck his sleeve before he could start another monologue again. He looked at the wet smear, and sighed.

He then lowered his arms and slowly turned his gaze upward. And there it was—the roof. Or rather... Stephanie.

Or what became of her, anyway

She was now fully unrecognizable. The only trace of her former self was the pale tone of her skin, stretched and splayed to its limit, woven grotesquely above like leather canvas.

But as Riley had promised... she wasn’t alone.

Above her, draped grotesquely like a second layer, was the man—his flesh flayed into strips, bones and tendons bared, his skin twisted and stretched like parchment to finish the ceiling.

And it was almost as if... they were hugging.

"I wonder if this will make the news..." Riley nodded to himself. "Stephanie and Mark. Hm. I suppose I have to head home now. I still have class tomorrow."

He smiled, but then a faint rustle suddenly whispered behind him.

Riley didn’t even turn. He quickly waved his hand, and the ground erupted, cracking and lashing upward like a whip aimed at the approaching shadow.

The figure, however, also raised a hand. A wall of translucent crystal burst forth, blocking the blast of debris and shattered stone.

Riley rushed immediately, preparing another wave of destruction—but then stopped abruptly and quickly lowered both his arms.

Because through the shimmering wall of crystal, the figure raised something toward him.

A phone. A phone playing a video of him flaying the man alive—standing atop the stretched Stephanie, who was still alive during that time.

"Uh oh..." Riley whispered, tilting his head as he watched himself in the footage.

And then his gaze drifted from the screen... to the figure behind the crystal. A familiar face.

"If you kill me, this video will be uploaded at a random time," the girl said calmly. "Do not try anything."

"I truly didn’t expect this...

...Ms. Tomoe."