Chapter 421 Changes
Khan stomped his foot on the bloody puddle a few times before taking a step back and fixing his eyes on that gory scene. The disaster had finally ended, but he couldn't find the strength to celebrate.
As for Jenna, she continued to hold Khan's wrist to show her support. She knew how important the moment was for him, so she remained silent while he stared at the puddle, but her worries eventually took over.
Jenna hesitated for a few seconds before reaching for Khan's chest. She placed her hand at its center to feel his beating heart and closed her eyes to study the flow of mana inside his body.
Anyone could guess that Khan had changed. His long, azure hair was too flashy to ignore, but a lot had happened inside him too, and Jenna was set on finding out what.
"[I know]," Khan announced while Jenna's expression flickered. "[Not now]."
Jenna opened her eyes to study Khan's serious face. She wanted to say many things, but Khan had been clear. Moreover, he didn't need her to be aware of the issue.
Khan tried to ignore the matter, but his senses prevented that. Even looking at the bloody puddle revealed some of the changes that happened after his interaction with the Nak's hand. He wasn't ready to face them now, but they didn't care about him.
The world appeared brighter in Khan's vision. The dome's light reached the intermediate floor since most of the city had crumbled, but that wasn't enough to explain what Khan was seeing.
The faint reflections on the rubble resembled proper artificial lamps, and the same went for the various illuminated areas. Even the puddle of blue blood somehow shone in ways Khan couldn't explain.
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The brightness of the area wasn't the only odd feature. Khan also noticed new details and colors. He could see more, even when it came to the rubble, and faint shades covered all of that.
The area was slowly regaining synthetic mana, so the symphony returned, and Khan could see it without closing his eyes. The same went for his surroundings. He could sense the various colors in the back of his mind. He only needed to focus on them to learn more details.
Khan quickly realized that his sensitivity to mana didn't only improve. It had gone through a proper evolution, becoming something closer to his vision or hearing. He had completely added it to his senses, and he couldn't silence it even if he wanted to.
That constant awareness of the symphony of mana could be overwhelming, but Khan strangely found it completely normal. It was a core part of his being, or, at least, the new being he had become.
The new sensitivity made Khan unable to ignore the changes in his body. His breath felt smoother, his muscles brimmed with strength, and a strange vitality filled his whole being. Moreover, his mana was restless, as if it couldn't wait to be unleashed.
Reasonable people would visit a doctor or lock themselves inside a training hall until they made sure that everything was okay. Khan had also already seen how dangerous sudden improvements could be. Yet, he couldn't bear to face those changes now.
Khan eventually forced himself to stop looking at the puddle and inspect the area. Many gazes were on him, but a big part of the audience had resumed helping the injured. The disaster was over, but the salvaging operation had begun, and no one knew how long it would take for Milia 222 to recover.
The disaster didn't only involve buildings and lives. The fourth asteroid was the true center of Milia 222 due to its dock, but everything was gone now. It would probably take months to restore the various illegal delivery channels, and Khan didn't know how things would evolve because of that.
One exception existed inside that mess. The Nele had stashed many resources after Jenna's prediction. They could probably assert some financial dominance in the following period, and Khan rejoiced when he understood that.
Of course, no happiness appeared on Khan's face. His expression remained stern and distant. He could only muster a nod toward Jenna to reassure her before keeping his mind busy with different tasks.
The area was a mess, but Khan understood his general location when he inspected his surroundings. The streets past the hole in the ceiling gave vague directions that Khan could apply to the disaster. He knew where Monica had gone, so he could guess where she had fallen.
Khan began to march through the debris, with Jenna still holding his wrist. Gazes followed him, with Raymond's being the most intense of them. Many were interested in Khan's next move, and that attention slowly wore him off.
The long strands of azure hair didn't help. They kept falling in front of Khan's eyes, and moving them away didn't solve the problem. Khan's patience eventually ran out, so he let go of Jenna and drew his knife to cut that nuisance.
Jenna could only watch as Khan made a mess out of his hair. He didn't follow any pattern or style. He simply cut anything that could cover his vision.
Khan glanced at the azure strands among the rubble after sheathing his knife. He pointed his palm at them before closing his hand into a fist and voicing a suppressed snort. He wanted to destroy any trace of his hair, but he had already left some behind. Besides, Khan preferred not to use his mana before making sure that everything was okay.
Caja came out of the debris in the meantime, and she didn't take long to find Khan and Jenna. Surprise inevitably appeared on her expression at the sight of the azure hair, but Jenna shook her head, and that was enough to leave the two on their own.
Jenna tried her best not to reveal her concern, but Khan could sense it far too clearly. He didn't even need to look at her to feel the emotions that enveloped her. He was aware of everything, but he pretended not to notice it.
Faint traces of familiar mana entered the range of Khan's senses once he resumed his march. The area only had a thin layer of synthetic mana, but that was enough to give him precise directions that he didn't hesitate to follow.
Those sensations grew stronger until a peculiar scene unfolded in the distance. Khan hurried when he noticed Monica lying on a small pile of rubble. She was awake, but her left hand was on a dark-red spot on the right side of her waist.
As Khan got closer, he saw a metal spike stabbed at the center of the dark-red spot, which made him hurry even more. Monica wasn't in critical condition, but seeing her in that state made a mess out of Khan's emotions.
Khan reached Monica in no time and promptly fell to his knees to check her condition. Her mana flowed decently, and the blood loss had stopped, but she still needed to see a doctor.
"What happened to your hair?" Monica weakly muttered as she began to stretch her free arm toward Khan before retracting it.
Khan felt guilty seeing that gesture. Monica was keeping up with the pretenses even in that state, but he was past caring about them.
"Hey," Khan warmly called while seizing Monica's free hand and holding it tightly. "Don't worry about me while you are like this. Why aren't you meditating?"
"I wanted to see if you were okay first," Monica smiled.
The guilt inside Khan grew stronger. He needed to talk to Monica, but that wasn't the right time. Moreover, he had to deal with the other familiar presence standing only a few meters from them.
"I'm fine," Khan reassured while caressing Monica's curls. "Rest now. I'll come back in a second."
"Don't leave me with her," Monica complained.
"She'll take good care of you," Khan promised before turning toward her companion, "Right, Jenna?"
"Leave her to me," Jenna announced while crouching at Monica's side. Luckily for her, the disaster didn't remove her spray, so she could assist Monica without triggering any unwanted reaction.
Khan softly pinched Monica's cheek before beginning to stand up. Yet, she squeezed his hand and pulled it to make him get closer to her again.
"He helped," Monica revealed when Khan put his ear near her mouth. "I might have died if he didn't."
Khan retracted his head to show a confused face, and Monica nodded to double down on her statement. The matter was surprising, but Khan ended up thinking about different topics. That long look at Monica reaffirmed his choice. He wanted to be with her.
"[Go]," Jenna exclaimed before Khan could decide to discuss that troublesome matter now. "[I'll stay with her]."
Khan suppressed the desire to kiss Monica and stood up. He shot one last glance at her before turning toward the second familiar presence. Rodney was sitting among a pile of debris, and his ragged breath hinted at his exhaustion.
The new sensitivity made Khan aware of Rodney's state. He barely had any mana left inside him, and blood had covered the tattoos on his mouth. He appeared on the verge of fainting, but his resolve kept him awake.
Khan walked toward Rodney while studying his options. Many eyes were still on him, but no one would stand in his way. If Khan wanted to, he could kill Rodney and solve that problem once and for all, but he had helped Monica for some reason.
"I know what you are thinking," Rodney laughed as he tried to stabilize his breath. "I can read it in your eyes. So, why don't we get it done already?"
"Why did you help Miss Solodrey?" Khan asked while stopping right before Rodney.
"Miss Solodrey," Rodney scoffed while mustering his remaining strength to stand up and face Khan. "Why don't you drop the act?"
"I won't let you involve her in your politics," Khan wondered.
"Always so emotional," Rodney snickered. "How stupid do you think I am?"
"I'm not the one exhausted in the middle of rubbles," Khan pointed out.
"Exactly," Rodney exclaimed. "I would have never left myself so exposed with you around."
Khan knew that Rodney was telling the truth, but the issue remained, and he promptly voiced it. "Why then? What's your grand plan?"
"There is no plan," Rodney revealed. "I simply happened to be in the area when everything started to fall."
The honest statement left Khan confused. He would expect that behavior from an ally, but Rodney had no reason to help him or Monica.
"Oh, don't look so surprised," Rodney cursed. "I only wanted to make us even. We can go back to hating each other now."
"We aren't even," Khan declared.
"Right," Rodney voiced while reaching for something under his loose hoodie. The gesture alerted Khan since he knew about the gun, but Rodney promptly reassured him. "Easy soldier. We both know that there is no point in doing that."
Khan let Rodney continue until he pulled out a familiar device from under the hoodie. Rodney really had the letter with him, but showing it only worsened his situation.
"You were talking about this, right?" Rodney asked before holding the letter with both hands and slamming it on his rising knee. The attack split the device in half, and Rodney even threw it on the floor afterward.
"I don't have anything on you now," Rodney announced. "Go ahead. Do as you wish."
"What are you even doing?" Khan questioned.
"I've watched you during the fall," Rodney revealed. "I was hopeless, while you were as confident as ever. I hated it."
"We both know how poorly you handle crises," Khan mocked.
"I won't deny it," Rodney shrugged his shoulders. "Still, you showed me that I wasn't so hopeless. I learnt something from you for the second time."
"Get to the point," Khan pressed.
"You are an idiot who can't appreciate his species," Rodney exclaimed. "I won't even talk about your background. You had every right to fail and die, but here you are, and here I am."
Rodney lowered his gaze and fell silent. A lot happened in his mind, and Khan gave him the time to sort it out. He wanted to know where that conversation would go.
"I blamed you for my failures," Rodney admitted, "And I planned to use you to regain my status. I'm not so weak. I'll get to the peak of the Global Army through my own strength and make you regret turning your back on humanity."
"Bold words from someone who should be begging for his life," Khan threatened.
"I don't do begging," Rodney chuckled.
"The peak of the Global Army," Khan repeated. "You don't even know how to get out of here with your life."
"That's not so different from where you started," Rodney uttered.
Khan knew that Rodney had changed. He had seen that after the crash, and looking at his eyes now only confirmed that sensation. A burning resolve had been born inside Rodney, and Khan was the reason behind it.
In theory, Rodney had grown more dangerous. Killing him remained the best option. Khan would prevent potential future problems if he ended things now.
However, Khan's sensitivity showed nothing but death. The Nak's hand and the disaster had already killed so many people. He was tired of that scene, and he didn't want to be the one taking another life.
Memories appeared in Khan's vision. His grudge against Rodney was quite deep, but only due to circumstances. Sure, Rodney had tried to kill him twice, but he could justify the first time with panic, and the second had actually been a smart move.
Moreover, Khan ended up improving after the disaster. The audience had paid the price for his growth. Sparing a life wouldn't only be a human act of forgiveness. It would also appease his guilty conscience since part of him felt to deserve problems.
"Go before I change my mind," Khan eventually sighed.
"I knew it," Rodney sneered. "Some honest words, and you get all teary."
"Don't push your luck," Khan threatened.
"Please," Rodney smirked. "You have already made your decision, and letting me leave won't change anything between us."
"You really don't know when to shut up," Khan cursed.
"I was just gloating," Rodney explained. "I finally get a victory out of you."
"You are still stranded here," Khan pointed out.
"Watch me outrank you in a few years," Rodney claimed.
"As if I cared about that," Khan replied before voicing a potential issue. "Wait, how do I know the letter wasn't a copy?"
"You'll have to trust me on that," Rodney joked as he turned to leave. "Goodbye, alien lover."
Khan watched Rodney leave and disappear behind a tall pile of rubble. The latter sat down as soon as he found a hiding spot, but Khan pretended not to sense that. The recent conversation had drained Rodney completely, but that only added value to his words.
The two halves of the letter claimed Khan's attention afterward. He studied them for a bit before stomping his foot a few times to turn everything into unreadable shards. That matter was finally over, but Khan continued to feel guilty.
"You did what?!" Monica suddenly shouted, forcing Khan out of his thoughts. He wanted to turn in her direction, but another familiar presence entered his senses' range and approached him.
That wasn't the end of it. A dozen masses of mana flew through the hole and filled the destroyed intermediate floor with whooshing noises. Khan only had to glance at the ceiling to see multiple spaceships descending into the area, and the smiling figure walking toward him seemed to be the reason behind their arrival.
"I called for help," Raymond announced when he reached Khan. "Luckily, my name can get many things done. They'll set up a medical bay here while the rest of the asteroid undergoes reparations."
"You even want to come out as the savior," Khan commented.
"Not at all," Raymond exclaimed. "Everyone knows you solved the crisis."
"Your crisis," Khan whispered.
"Who's going to believe you?" Raymond chuckled. "Anyway, a piece of the reinforced fabric will magically appear during the reparations, so Luke's mission will end in success. I advise you to stay put and let things calm down. It's better for everyone."
"Better for you," Khan replied.
"Lieutenant Khan," Raymond called, "I must say, the new look suits you. I'd only go for a different hairstyle."
Anger filled Khan, but a loud groan from Monica attracted his attention and prevented any reckless action. The spaceships landed in the meantime, and doctors left them to start assisting the injured.
"I told Luke to stay on the first floor," Raymond revealed while glancing at Monica. "You'll have some privacy."
"Do you expect me to thank you?" Khan asked.
"You have no idea what I expect from you," Raymond chuckled before turning to leave without adding anything else. Khan wanted to say something, but he limited himself to looking at his back.
Eventually, Khan put the matter in the back of his mind and approached Monica, but she welcomed him with harsh words. "I was even worried about you."
"Monica, please," Khan almost begged.
"I need to be alone for a bit," Monica coldly responded. "Jenna will tell you when I'm ready to talk."
"Jenna?" Khan asked while glancing at Jenna crouched next to Monica.
"[I'll stay with her]," Jenna reassured. "[You deal with your condition]."
That odd pair left Khan speechless, but far worse had happened that day, and he wasn't in the mood to argue. He nodded as he turned to leave and ignored the concerned gazes that the two women fixed on his back.
Doctors ran left and right while Khan roamed through the debris. He knew what he had to do but couldn't find the strength to face it. He was afraid of what he would find, but he couldn't delay it any further, especially with Jenna and Monica worried about him.
Khan walked until he found an isolated spot that hid him from the audience. He sat down while a helpless sigh left his mouth. He had too much to think about, but the universe didn't let him focus on that just yet.
Someone approached Khan's isolated location, and he didn't show any surprise when Caja peeked past the debris. Her face expressed motherly concern, and her words carried similar feelings.
"[Do you mind if I sit]?" Caja asked before reaching for a spot next to Khan when he shook his head.
"[What you did was quite brave]," Caja exclaimed as she placed a hand on Khan's chest. "[My species owes you a lot]."
"[What if I told you I caused all of this]?" Khan wondered while his eyes remained on the rubble under him.
"[Young man, you don't have the power to cause such a mess]," Caja reassured.
"[I did something alright]," Khan responded. "[And now people are dead, and my hair is blue]."
"[The color does suit you]," Caja commented while retracting her arm.
"[Because I'm a Nak]?" Khan wondered.
"[Would it be so bad]?" Caja asked.
"[Yes]," Khan stated. "[Yes, it would]."
"[You almost gave your life trying to protect everyone]," Caja declared. "[No matter what you are, you should be proud of yourself]."
"[I'm just happy Jenna is fine]," Khan sighed. "[I'm always the same. If there's death, I improve]."
"[Is that a problem]?" Caja questioned.
"[No]," Khan admitted. "[I simply hate it came from a Nak]."
"[Khan, we often can't choose how to obtain power]," Caja explained, "[But we can decide how to use it]."
"[I know]," Khan replied. "[It's just-]."
"[You aren't a Nak]," Caja interrupted. "[You aren't a human either. You are just you]."
Khan couldn't say anything when he looked at Caja's earnest expression. He eventually mustered a nod, and Caja replied with a smile.
"[I came to check on you]," Caja revealed as she stood up. "[You are stable, but you should face your monsters before returning to Jenna. She'll worry otherwise]."
"[I will]," Khan promised.
"[Also, make sure to get somewhere in the Global Army]," Caja added. "[The Nele need a strong ally]."
Some warmth spread inside Khan. He knew Caja was doing her best to reassure him, and she succeeded. That official acceptance from a Nele's leader meant a lot to him, especially in his state.
When Caja left the hidden spot, Khan slapped his cheeks a few times before taking a deep breath. He could still feel the sensations inherited from the nightmare, but he put them aside for now. He needed to check his condition first.
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