THE REN UPGRADE: MONSTERS WITHIN

The Blood Debt

“I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong person.”

But the strange men seemed adamant. “We've waited for this moment for a long time, young Master. And we're prepared to explain it all to—”

“Gentlemen,” Ren’s escort was not having anymore of the theater play, “we'll kindly ask you to leave before this gets ugly. As you can see, Mr. Carter is on his way to an important appointment.”

Ren cleared his throat. “Once more, I'm sorry. I really think you have the wrong person. I'm just an intern.”

He got into the Maybach and the door slammed shut after him. The car left the premises, and he looked back to see the cloaked men still staring hard after the departing vehicle. 

A chill washed down his spine. What was with the weird vibe? Why did all these people develop a sudden interest in him?

An hour later, the Maybach pulled into the driveway of a top-class, exclusive restaurant. 

Ren wasn't prepared for the surprise waiting for him in a private suite upstairs. 

Dominic Reeves in flesh and blood, flashing him a polite grin like they were friends.

Rage surged in Ren’s chest at the sight of the hospital director. Another man sat in the room, but Ren barely looked at him. 

“What is this?” 

Dominic chuckled and rose to his feet. “Ren Carter, allow me to congratulate you on your freedom from confinement—”

“Cut the bull and head straight to the point.”

Dominic winced and heaved a sigh. “Let me introduce you to the head of our organization. Richard Zen. Managing director of the Blackthorn group.”

Richard Zen lifted his hand in a polite wave and smiled at Ren. “Please, join us,” he urged. 

Wary and bouncing with rage, Ren pulled out the seat and sank into it. 

He entwined his hands atop the table and watched Dominic with malice in his eyes.

“Mr. Carter, it's a pleasure to have you join us. Mr. Reeves here spoke very highly of you and—”

Ren scoffed. “Surprising. Did he also tell you he framed me and sent me off to jail wit—”

“Ren, that's enough.” Dominic’s voice was the same menacing hum that Ren despised so much. It was the same voice that scolded and deceived him. “You can't disrespect our gue—”

Ren slammed his fists on the table. “Tell me what you did, Mr. Reeves. Everything, from how you made me kill my own sister to how you framed me.”

Dominic's eyes hardened. The air around the table shifted. “This is not the time for this, Ren.”

Ren heard a voice in his head, cunning and deep. >>There’s always a time for reckoning, Ren. Let's not let this one get away with what he did to you…to your sister..<<

Ren slapped his hands over his ears and bolted to his feet. “No! Explain it to me. What happened? How did a drug that passed simulation tests end up killing every one of them!?”

He couldn't admit it out loud, but Ren was haunted till this day. By the souls he took without meaning to. His hands were stained with their blood. 

Dominic appeared calm, but the twitch of his nostrils was a detail that slipped away. He was losing control. 

Richard Zen cleared his throat and leaned forward. His voice did not break the tension. “Gentlemen, why don't we—”

“You killed my sister,” Ren intoned, slowly making his way to Dominic. His eyes were giving way to a bright red. Veins thickened across his arms. “You took her from me. She didn't deserve to die.”

Without warning, he snatched the table and flung it out of the way. CRASH! It connected with the walls and shattered. 

Dominic's eyes bulged from their sockets. Ren was unrecognizable at the moment. It made him wonder…so, it was true. The rumours had reached him. The ordinary inmate had transformed to a beast after the fire. His skin had miraculously healed in one night. He prepared the cure himself. 

Zara Meadows had reported that last part to him. Since then, Dominic thought he had a chance to fight the evil that targeted his hospital.

Ren reached for him but Dominic slapped his hand away and scrambled backwards on his ass. “Stay away from me.”

He had seen the CCTV footage of Ren beating up that big guy in the chapel. He was still in awe of such strength. 

Ren chuckled. “No chance.” His voice was thicker when he spoke, more controlled. “Ren wants to know what you did to the drugs he developed.” He cocked a brow. “Did you contaminate his creation?”

Dominic blinked up at him, wondering why he kept speaking in third person. He heaved a sigh. “This is more complicated than it appears, Ren. There's an evil mastermind behind that incident, but trust me, it wasn't us.”

“You had the chance to say the truth, and you bailed on it.”

“There was nothing else I could do,” Dominic shot back, his eyes flashing with unremorse. “The hospital’s reputation was already at risk.”

“So it doesn't matter how my sister died?!” Ren lifted his foot and crashed it into the wall next to Dominic's head. The man almost wet his pants. 

“Calm your horses, Ren. Let's- -NO! PLEASE! WAIT, I’M SORRY!”

Ren grabbed the director by his throat and smashed him into the wall repeatedly. 

Richard Zen was horrified. He couldn't believe the innocent lad who stepped into the room a few moments ago could become such a ferocious monster. With trembling hands, he reached for his phone. Before he could dial the police, the phone was snatched from his fingers. 

Ren tossed it to the floor and crushed it beneath his foot. He glared at the man. “Stay out of this.”

He stormed back to the shattered wall and grabbed a bloody Dominic. “Unless you want to end up like him.”

He dragged Dominic to the center of the room and tossed him like he was a bag of trash. 

“So, tell me.” He squatted and observed the blubbering Dominic with blazing eyes. “Who's this evil mastermind you speak of?”

Dominic shook his head, instantly looking more terrified than he was a second ago. “N-No, you c-can't. I can't tell you, if you want to remain safe.”

Ren chuckled and patted his cheek roughly. “Now you're worried about me. Do you want to pay the debt in the bastard’s stead?”

Dominic's bloody brows furrowed in confusion. “W-What debt?”

Ren exhaled in a chilling sigh. “Someone has to pay for the death of my sweet Rei.” He grabbed Dominic’s jaw in a death grip. He almost crushed his bones. “You spilled her blood, so you owe me yours.”

“NO! PLEASE!” Dominic cried. “It wasn't me! I swear!”

Ren crashed his feet into the floor. “So tell me who it is or I swear I'm taking your life!”

Dominic was startled and terrified. He was desperate to get out of this situation. He could not spill that mastermind because he knew it would ruin everything he had ever worked hard to build. 

“H-How about this?”

Ren arched his brows. 

“I'll give you the resources to find this mastermind.” 

Ren weaved his fingers through his hair and released a long breath. 

“It’s actually connected to the reason for this meeting!” Dominic scrambled to his knees. He rubbed his palms together fervently. “Please, just hear me out.”

Ren urged him on with a nod. 

Dominic licked his bloody lips and swallowed hard. “I-I'll yield my position to you, so you can find out who contaminated the drugs. I-I'll provide—”

Ren did not let him finish. He grabbed the man's hair and slammed his fists repeatedly into Dominic’s already broken face. CRACK! CRACK! BANG! WHACK!

“Die, you bastard. You think I want your fucking position?!”

Strong arms went around Ren’s shoulders. He turned, teeth bared. Richard Zen was trying with all his might to pull him off the unconscious Dominic. 

“Enough! You'll kill him!”

Ren shrugged him off and sent him flying across the room with a rough slam of iron fists. SMACK! THUD!

He returned to Dominic and lifted his fist to finish him off. He never got to. 

Someone jumped in from nowhere, and put a bag over his face. 

Before Ren could react, something sharp and hot jammed into his neck. 

In the next second, he passed out cold.