Rebirth Of The Sealed Core: The Rise Of Billy Howell

Chapter 9 – The Chase Begins

Billy’s legs nearly gave out.

“Run? As in right now!?”

“Yes,” Elias replied sharply. “Unless you want to be dragged into a van and experimented on.”

Billy’s stomach twisted so fast he almost threw up.

“Nope. Running sounds great.”

Elias grabbed Billy by the wrist and pulled him toward the rooftop door.

Behind them, Billy could already hear faint sounds—car doors shutting, footsteps approaching the building entrance. The men moved with the cold precision of trained hunters.

“Why are they here so fast?” Billy hissed.

“Your awakening sent out a pulse of energy,” Elias said while speeding down the stairs. “Anyone with the right detection tools felt it. And Nightshade has the most advanced sensors.”

Billy’s heart hammered against his ribs. “Who the hell are they!?”

“People you don’t want as enemies,” Elias replied. “Government-backed, but not the good kind. They capture anyone with supernatural abilities, label them as ‘possible threats,’ and use them.”

Billy gulped. “Use them for what?”

Elias didn’t answer.

They reached the third floor—the hallway outside Billy’s apartment. Elias slowed suddenly and raised a hand.

Billy froze.

“What?” he whispered.

Elias pointed at the stairwell railing.

A black drone the size of a fist hovered quietly in the corner, camera glowing faint red.

Billy’s breath caught.

“A drone? Inside the building!?”

“They got here faster than expected,” Elias murmured. “Stay behind me.”

Elias flicked his fingers.

A thin ripple of blue energy shot from his hand.

Zap!

The drone sparked, spun twice, and crashed to the floor.

Billy blinked. “You… fried it.”

“We’ve got 20 seconds before the signal cut alerts them,” Elias said. “Move!”

They sprinted down the stairs.

Second floor.

First floor.

Footsteps echoed from below.

Elias stopped suddenly and pushed Billy against the wall.

“Quiet.”

Billy held his breath as heavy steps climbed toward them. A chilling voice drifted upward.

“Drone Three offline. The target is inside. Sweep the floors.”

Billy’s heart almost burst.

Another voice responded, “Orders from Command: bring the boy in alive.”

The boy.

They meant him.

Billy swallowed, panic rising like a tidal wave.

Elias whispered, “We can’t go down. They’re closing in from below. We go up.”

“Back to the rooftop!?” Billy whispered harshly.

“No. Higher.”

Billy blinked. “There is no higher.”

Elias smirked.

“There is.”

He walked to a small maintenance door beside the stairs, kicked it open, and revealed a narrow ladder leading upward.

Billy stared at it in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Elias gestured impatiently. “Climb.”

Billy didn’t argue. He grabbed the ladder and climbed as fast as he could. The metal clanked under his shoes. Elias climbed behind him and shut the maintenance door quietly just as more footsteps entered the stairwell.

When Billy pushed open the top hatch, cold wind blasted his face.

They weren’t on the main rooftop—they were on a small upper service deck where the water tanks and generators were stored.

Billy crawled out and gasped for air. Elias climbed up after him and closed the hatch.

“Okay,” Billy said, panting. “We’re stuck on top of a twenty-story building, and Nightshade wants to kidnap me. Genius plan. What next?”

Elias scanned the rooftops.

“Next…”

He pointed across the gap between buildings.

“We jump.”

Billy’s eyes nearly exploded out of his skull.

The opposite building was at least three meters away.

And lower by maybe one floor—but still far enough that missing meant instant death.

Billy shook his head violently.

“No. Nope. Absolutely not. I can barely jump over a puddle! How am I supposed to—”

“Use your Inner Pulse,” Elias said calmly.

Billy froze.

“My… what?”

“Your new skill. Inner Pulse. It enhances your physical ability. Use it at the exact moment you jump.”

Billy looked at the edge of the building again.

His palms got sweaty.

His throat dried.

His legs trembled.

“Elias… if I die, I’m haunting you.”

“Then don’t die,” Elias replied.

He placed a firm hand on Billy’s shoulder.

“Billy. You’re not weak anymore. Trust your body.”

Billy took a deep breath and stepped closer to the edge.

His heart raced. His knees wobbled. But something warm pulsed inside his chest.

Inner Pulse.

The skill he had just gained.

He focused.

“System,” he whispered. “Activate Inner Pulse.”

---

【 INNER PULSE – ACTIVATED 】

Strength +30%

Speed +30%

Senses +20%

Duration: 3 seconds

---

Billy gasped as energy shot through his veins like lightning. His muscles tightened, his body felt lighter—almost springy.

Elias called out from behind him, “Go!”

Billy ran.

One step.

Two steps.

Three—

He launched himself off the edge.

For a moment, he felt like he was floating.

Like gravity let go of him.

The wind whipped past his face.

The rooftop rushed toward him.

He didn’t fall short.

He landed—hard, but safely—rolling on the opposite rooftop and coming to a breathless stop.

Billy stared up at the sky, stunned.

“I… I actually made it…”

He laughed shakily.

Elias landed beside him a moment later, perfectly graceful.

Billy sat up, heart pounding with a mix of shock and pride.

“That was crazy,” he breathed. “I can’t believe—”

A gunshot cracked through the air.

BANG!

The bullet struck the concrete just inches from Billy’s foot.

Billy froze.

Elias grabbed him and pulled him behind a vent.

Across the gap, three Nightshade agents had reached the upper service deck. One of them lowered a smoking pistol.

Billy’s skin went cold.

Elias whispered, “They’re armed. And fast.”

Billy peeked for a second.

The agents had strange black wristbands that flickered with energy.

“Ability suppressors,” Elias muttered. “Modified tech.”

Billy’s chest tightened.

“We’re dead, aren’t we?”

Elias shook his head.

“No. But you’re about to see something important.”

He stood.

Billy’s eyes widened.

“Elias, are you crazy!?”

Elias raised his hand toward the agents.

His eyes glowed bright blue.

“Billy,” he said calmly, “watch closely.”

A ripple of energy exploded around Elias like a shockwave.

The rooftop trembled.

Wind spiraled upward.

And then—

Everything behind Elias turned blue.

A dome of shimmering energy formed, crackling with power.

Billy stared in awe.

Elias whispered one word:

“Barrier.”

The Nightshade agents opened fire—

But the bullets evaporated the moment they touched the blue light.

Billy felt chills run down his spine.

Elias wasn’t just strong.

He was something else entirely.

He lowered his hand and turned to Billy.

“All right. Time to leave.”

Billy blinked. “Leave? How? The building ends here!”

Elias pointed behind him.

Billy turned—

And his jaw dropped.

A glowing blue doorway hovered above the rooftop, swirling like a mini vortex.

Billy’s voice broke.

“What… what is THAT!?”

Elias grabbed his arm.

“A way out.”

Billy gulped.

“And where does it go?”

Elias smirked.

“A safer place.”

He pulled Billy forward—

just as the barrier behind them cracked under the agents’ attacks.

Billy stumbled toward the glowing blue doorway—

—and stepped into the unknown.