Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Axel paused for a moment, then asked with calm, “If this is true, why aren’t you arresting him right now?”

”Axel, you’ve got a lot to learn. Investigations take time. I can’t just march into a big-shot like Wolfe’s office without solid evidence.”

”Hell, even if I had evidence, I’d need the Bureau’s approval to move on him.”

“Look, since you didn’t see anything directly, don’t worry about it. Focus on your exams and stay safe.”

Axel scrolled through the list on his phone, his eyes narrowing as he hit a name.

“Ashford, 72 years old, address: Block 2, C District, Slums Outside the Wall, Building 37. Reject.”

That address… it was close to where he lived. The two names that had been marked as “Accepted” before had turned into infected, so what about the one marked “Reject”?

If he could figure out what had happened to them and post the info online anonymously, Wolfe would have nowhere to hide.

But there was a problem. These were all awakened people. Even the youngest was over 50, and Axel wasn’t about to risk it.

As Axel weighed his options, Skye’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“Forget it, I’m hanging up. Don’t overthink this..”

“Wait,” Axel cut in, “Actually, I’ve got something. It’s in my hands.”

Axel smirked. “Come get it yourself.” Then he hung up.

Annabelle, who had been sitting quietly beside him, noticed Axel’s tense posture. Over the years, she had come to recognize this expression on her brother—something big was coming.

“Annabelle,” Axel whispered, leaning close to her. He shared his plan with her, and though she wasn’t happy about it, she reluctantly agreed.

......

At the Law Enforcement Bureau, Skye gathered a few of his key subordinates within minutes.

”Captain, it’s late. Still have a meeting?”

”We just have a good time.....” Another team member, saw the serious look on Skye’s face and immediately stood at attention.

Skye scanned the room. “In the past six months, we’ve had six separate cases of infected. That’s way more than a city with a million people should be seeing....”

“Usually, it’s younger awakened people, or those in their bottleneck phase.... But these recent ones? They’re all older, primary-level awakeners, most of them in their twilight years. It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’ve got a suspect,” Skye continued. “His name is Wolfe.”

“Here’s the plan. The six of you will pair up and monitor Wolfe’s casino, his black-market boxing ring, and his so-called entertainment complex. Report back to me with anything unusual. Immediately.”

Skye’s eyes flicked to each member of his team. If Wolfe was behind this mess, the fewer people who knew, the better.

“Freya, I’m leaving the dispatch to you. I’ve got other business to take care of.”

Skye arrived at Slum Area C just outside the city. It was already well past ten o’clock in the evening, and the streets were quiet, the narrow alleys dark and empty.

A figure stood a short distance away, leaning against a wall in a black shirt.

”Where’s the thing?”

Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black memory card, handing it over quickly before stepping back into the shadows.

Skye didn’t notice Axel’s subtle retreat. After taking the card, he immediately pulled out a small device with an LCD screen and slid the card into it.

Axel exhaled in relief. It seemed like things weren’t going sideways. Skye didn’t appear to be working for Wolfe.

The device’s screen remained blank. Skye frowned, confused.

“Uh… actually, this is the wrong card.” Axel said casually, stretching out his hand to retrieve the memory card.

Skye looked at him with confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?” He scratched the rough stubble on his chin.

Without answering, Axel gave a sharp whistle.

The whistle cut through the night like a blade, sharp and clear in the otherwise silent street.

A moment later, a little girl in a worn-out linen dress appeared cautiously from around the corner, handing Axel a black memory card.

“Here, it’s this one,” Axel said, offering the card again.

Skye chuckled, he slapped his waist and shook his head. ”Seriously? Play these games with me?” He stopped mid-sentence.

This guy was smart—way too smart for his age. Skye’s eyes softened as he watched the two siblings. Before their meeting, Axel had already prepared for the worst, a dangerous gamble.

He gave Annabelle a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Annabelle blinked, nodded.

Skye inserted the memory card into the device again. The table appeared on the screen, and Skye’s eyes immediately narrowed. When he saw the two infected, his expression darkened.

“The two ‘Accepted’… those are the infected from Area C, right?” Skye asked.

Axel nodded. “Yeah. Is this enough to convict him?”

“The evidence chain has to be solid. This only can link his men to the infected, but won’t be enough to lock him down for good.”

“But don’t worry. No one who dares mess with taboos like this will get away.”

”This is enough to get him arrested. Once he’s in custody, I’ll make sure he confesses one way or another.”

It wasn’t about torture. In the Awakener era, making someone talk wasn’t as difficult, especially someone like Wolfe, who wasn’t an Awakened.

What Skye needed to do now was figure out what “accepted” and “rejected” really meant. Maybe all of them would be died by the time they found them.

”Freya,” Skye said as he sent the list to her, ”I need you to find these people. Protect them. Then dig up any connections to Wolfe.”

As his eyes scanned the list again, he caught sight of a name—a person living in Slum C.

He turned to Axel and Annabelle. ”You two...should stay out of this. It’s too dangerous.”

”We’ll follow you, might be able to help.”

The three of them made their way to the address on the list. When they arrived, the building stood out. It was completely different from the rest of the slums—an elegant two-story house with a small courtyard in front, though it was dark and lifeless at the moment.

”I think we’re too late.”

The door was clean—no cobwebs, no dust—and the plants in the yard looked well-kept.

Axel looked around. This area was at the edge of the slums, and beyond it, the woods stretched out, their shadows deep in the dark. The view wasn’t bad, if you ignored the ever-present threat of wild beasts that lurked outside the walls.

But it wasn’t the view that caught Axel’s attention. A faint flicker of light was visible. It wasn’t the usual eerie green glow of infected—it was red.

As Skye entered the house, Axel moved quietly toward the spot where he’d seen the strange flickering lights. When he got closer, he realized it wasn’t just one ball of red light, but also a small green one the size of a melon seed, flickering beside it.

Axel picked both up, and as soon as he touched them, the lights transformed into two small crystals—one red, the other green. He didn’t rush to absorb them but instead took a moment to study the surroundings.

There were no signs of a struggle or any fight. The ground was solid, with no odd smells lingering in the air. It didn’t look like the person had been buried here after death.

However, something on the ground caught Axel’s attention—a faint black-and-red mark that seemed out of place.

“This is…” Axel remembered a similar mark from when Skye and his team dealt with the infected.

The mark was so small and nondescript, it didn’t have a distinct odor. If not for Axel’s awakening abilities, anyone else wouldn’t have noticed it.

”Died.” Skye’s voice broke the silence as he walked back outside, spitting and puffing on a cigarette. ”Fuck.”