NOVEL WEB Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Billy's grip tightened on his wheelchair, frustration and fear churning inside him. His gaze flicked between his children—Rachel, standing stood still against the wall, and Jacob, unnervingly still, his face completely unreadable.
Raizel, ever perceptive, offered a simple reassurance.
"They are fine."
Billy's gaze return back to him.
There was zero reason to trust this stranger, but the confidence in his tone made Billy hesitate.
"There is no trouble, Billy," Raizel added casually.
Billy very much disagreed.
Summoning what little courage he had left, he forced out a question, his voice harder than before.
"Who are you?"
Raizel smiled.
"Nobody."
Silence.
Well, that was unhelpful.
Billy clenched his jaw, frustration rising. "What do you want from me?"
Raizel's response was immediate.
"Nothing."
Billy's eye twitched.
Oh, come on.
The man was toying with him. That much was clear. But before Billy could press further, Raizel shifted his gaze back to Jacob, still under his control.
One of the few characters Raizel actually liked in Twilight.
But seriously. What the heck.
The kid wasn't even sixteen and somehow still looked like he was pushing twenty-five—just like in the movie. If Raizel had been their age, Jacob would've looked like a adult compared to him.
But alas, he was Raizel. He was noble. He couldn't complain.
…Well, he could, but he wouldn't.
With that thought, Raizel finally released his control over Jacob.
The moment Jacob regained his senses, his body tensed. His eyes darted to Raizel—
And immediate fear flashed across his face.
But then—
Oh, wonderful.
The brilliant mind of a reckless teenager kicked in, overriding all rational thought. Instead of stepping back and assessing the situation like a sane person, Jacob did the next best thing.
He lunged at Raizel.
Ah, youth. So eager. So painfully unaware of what fear was.
Raizel didn't even try. He effortlessly avoided the punch, snatched Jacob by the neck, and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing.
"Why so hurry?" Raizel mused.
Jacob choked, struggling against the grip, his hands clawing at Raizel's arm.
Billy, on the other hand, felt completely useless.
A lifetime of helplessness crashed over him all at once. No matter how much he wanted to protect his children, he couldn't. He never could.
Desperation won over pride.
"Please—let my son go!" Billy begged.
Raizel glanced at him. Then, with an almost lazy sigh, he let go.
Jacob dropped to the floor, gasping for breath, hands gripping his throat.
But it didn't end there.
Even while struggling to breathe, Jacob glared up at Raizel, anger burning through the pain.
Raizel raised an eyebrow.
Interesting.
More interestingly, he felt something—Jacob's body temperature was rising.
Phasing.
Ah. So that's how it is.
No other explanation.
Raizel smirked. As expected.
Since things had come to this point—he might as well help him along.
Slowly, he reached for his earring.
Removing it would drastically increase his presence—just enough to push Jacob into fully phasing.
As soon as the earring came off—
BOOM.
A massive presence descended upon the room like a tidal wave.
Jacob, already on edge, was hit hardest. His whole body convulsed, shaking violently as the transformation began.
But then—
Raizel noticed something new.
Oh?
His gaze shifted.
Billy.
The father.
Raizel's eyes narrowed.
Billy was also reacting.
No, he was entering the phasing stage too.
For real?
Raizel had not expected that.
And—oh.
His daughter too.
Rachel, who had been under Raizel's mental control, was now fighting against it. Her body trembled, her breath ragged, her entire being pushing against his influence.
This was…
A miracle.
Raizel let out a quiet chuckle, watching as Billy, shaking and in visible pain, struggled to stand up from his wheelchair.
This was a first.
The impossible was happening right before his eyes.
Well, no need to overdo it.
He casually slipped his earring back on.
The oppressive pressure instantly vanished.
Billy's body gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor.
Rachel, no longer under his control, gasped and rushed to his side, ignoring her own rising temperature as she frantically helped him up.
She turned—
But Raizel was already gone.
His voice, however, lingered in the air.
"You can thank me later, Billy."
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By the time Raizel returned to the mansion, Frankenstein was already outside, waiting.
Not casually waiting.
Not oh, you're back, Master, welcome home waiting.
No.
This was arms crossed, staring like a disappointed parent about to question their child who snuck out at night waiting.
Raizel sighed.
This was bound to happen.
He could feel Frankenstein's concern—no surprise, considering the moment he had loosened his seal, their master-servant bond had alerted him like a warning bell.
And Frankenstein, being Frankenstein, had instantly tried to talk to him through their connection—
Master! What happened?!
Raizel, being Raizel, had responded in his usual way:
"I'm okay, Frankenstein."
And that was it.
Frankenstein, of course, had not been satisfied with that answer.
Now, standing in front of him, looking him over like he expected to find a missing arm or something (as if that would even matter), he let out a deep sigh but said nothing.
Raizel gave him a small, knowing smile before heading inside.
To his surprise, Frankenstein still didn't ask questions.
Impressive.
Very not human of him.
Raizel took his usual seat on the sofa while Frankenstein, still clearly worried, did what he always did in times of stress—made tea.
Tea was his answer to everything.
A bad day? Tea.
Someone else got ass kicked? Tea.
Master momentarily unleashing his power in the middle of the night for no clear reason? Tea.
As Frankenstein placed the cup in front of him, Raizel's eyes wandered to the side table, where a file lay slightly out of place. Clearly meant to be noticed.
Hmm.
He reached for it and flipped through the pages.
His lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.
"I'm not late then."
Frankenstein, who had definitely been sneaking glances at him the entire time, immediately focused on those words.
And Raizel could feel the unspoken question—
What is it? What did you find? Master, don't leave me hanging.
But Raizel?
Raizel simply sipped his tea, still smiling, and said nothing.
Because some things, Frankenstein, were best left unsaid.