New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

This led him to Jack's private hospital instead of his penthouse. Flying above the clouds until he got over Montreal, Alex curved his flight toward the northern shore and landed in the parking lot directly underground after flying into the entrance.

Surprisingly, as he entered, he felt something shatter. Almost like a thin layer of glass had just blocked him and gave out instantly.

'A barrier?' he wondered.

'Nah. It can't be.'

He landed in front of the service elevator and suddenly noticed a red light flashing above the door.

"Hm?"

His head tilted to the side as the wings on his back furled, taking the least space.

"Put your hands in the air where I can see them!" a voice shouted from behind him.

Alex was about to snap around and look at who was yelling at him when he also felt a surge of mana behind him.

"You heard the man! Hands where we can see them!" Another voice chimed in.

This made Alexander pause, as mages weren't common, and this was clearly a spell activation.

"I'm not a threat," Alex calmly replied, raising his hands to the side.

Putting them up would have been useless, as the top of the wings would have hidden them, anyway.

"Turn around slowly. We'll decide if you're a threat," the first voice commanded.

Alex turned toward them as slowly as possible, keeping his hands visible. He had a cocky smile on his face, wondering what idiot thought they could challenge him in a magic-slinging contest, even on this side.

But when his face came into view of the guards, one of them recognized him.

"You?" he asked, confused.

Alex also recognized him and smirked.

In his hands, instead of his usual automatic rifle, the man was holding a naginata, which contained only a faint amount of mana that he hadn't noticed until now.

"You let go of the gun?" Alex asked, taunting him.

The man recognized Alexander's snide comment and understood he was still himself.

"Alright, stand down. He's not an enemy," the merc said, sighing in annoyance.

Alex took this as his signal to lower his arms, and he crossed them over his chest.

The other man beside him grabbed the daggers floating in the air before him and stowed them in their sheaths.

'Telekinesis. Low-level magic, but still nifty,' Alex mused.

"I take it what I shattered coming in was a barrier?" Alex asked, his eyebrow rising.

"Yes. And it'll take us a week to put back in place. Thank you," the merc spat, his tone sarcastic.

"No need. I'll put it right back up. You can have whoever, or whatever, was maintaining it take it from there," Alex said, walking toward the underground parking entrance.

He slapped his hand on the wall next to it and waved his hand to the left, projecting it across the opening.

A golden film flashed in the open space before going transparent. And with this, Alexander spun around, walking back to the elevator.

"There. Done. Now, I need to see the white coats. Something about me changed, and I need to figure out how much."

The merc looked at him with wide eyes.

He had thrown up a barrier like it was nothing when it took their mages, a team of three and a week, to do the same. And by the look of the barrier when it came to life, he wasn't sure their mages could make one as solid…

But even if he hadn't done that, the massive white wings curled behind him would have cued it away.

"I'm not sure you'll fit in the elevator," the man said, pointing behind Alex.

Alex looked confused for a second before realizing what he meant.

"Oh, yes. Pardon me. Let me put those away," Alex replied, shrugging his shoulders.

The wings melted away into his back like they had never been there, and the man shuddered.

He had heard through the branches that the kid might have become some kind of monster.

This was why a barrier was now at the entrance to the parking lot and many others around the compound. This was also why they had been forced to play at least six hours a night in New Eden to develop awakened abilities.

Jack wasn't afraid of Alexander losing to the beast in his body. But he was a cautious man.

It never hurt to be prepared for the worst.

But the mercenary believed they had prepared for nothing.

The kid had passed through the barrier without so much as slowing down. And he conjured it back up like it was nothing.

Plus, the speed at which he flew in was not something any of them could match.

This led to a serious question.

Was there even someone here who could keep him from entering the compound if he had been a monster?

'Maybe them… But would they get here in time?' he wondered, the image of two kids and two adults, two boys and two girls, popping into his head.

Pressing his keycard to the elevator's command panel, the merc kept a wary eye on Alexander.

He didn't fail to notice this. But what could he do?

Even he was afraid of what he might do. Was there a reason to lie to the man and say he didn't bite?

As his patchy memories had proven him, he did indeed bite.

As they climbed aboard the elevator, Alex opened his mouth to speak.

"I would also like you to tell Mr. Gu I am here. And Mr. Boudreau, if you can. They'll know who to call. Can I ask this of you?"

The merc looked at Alex with an incredulous face.

"Kid. Who do you think directs this compound? Mr. Gu knows you're here already. And on the remote chance he didn't, I still have to report to him since you set off our silent alarm."

Alex nodded his head.

'Cautious, as always. They don't disappoint,' Alex thought as he fell silent.

Now, all he had to do was go through testing again. Although, this time would be different.

He refused to leave the facilities as long as he wasn't sure the demon wouldn't claw his way out during his sleep again.

'I'm not letting anyone get in danger because of me again. Never again.'