Chapter 1082: The President’s Daughter (8)


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    Erik nced at the unconscious president''s daughter, her body limp and unmoving, as two of his Chimaeric Demons carried her.


    They had to act swiftly, since time was a scarcemodity at that point. The anesthetic wouldn''tst forever, and they needed to be well away from the airport before she regained consciousness.


    Their destination was a safe house, far from prying eyes and potential interference. Erik knew that once they arrived, Erik would interrogate her.


    He hoped that in her groggy state, she might be more susceptible to revealing information about her mother''s whereabouts.


    As they moved, Erik kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, alert for any signs of pursuit or unexpectedplications. The sess of their mission hinged on their ability to disappear without a trace, leaving no clues for those who would inevitablye looking for the president''s daughter.


    "Get her into the car," Erik said while wondering what the woman would say, or rather think, once she woke up.


    Did she know where her mother was? If yes, would there be defenses?


    <Well, that is a simple question, and the answer is even easier. It is clear there will be defenses...>


    The Chimaeric Demons lifted the unconscious woman and ced her in the back seat. Erik then climbed in beside her.


    "Is the area secure?" he asked, turning to one of his clones.


    "Yes, sir," the Chimaeric Demon said. "We''ve swept the perimeter, and there are no immediate threats. The people in the airport are still unaware of our presence."


    "What about the ckguards? Any news about them?" Erik asked.


    "They should be in the dark as everybody else."


    Erik nodded, a slight sense of relief washing over him. "Good. Let''s keep it that way. We can''t afford any slip-ups at this stage. We are almost there."


    The car pulled away from the terminal while Erik watched as the rest of his team shapeshifted.


    Their bodies contorted, their bones melted, and they reformed until they were indistinguishable from the people they had just killed.


    Then the Chimaeric Demons, under disguise, moved out of thending site.


    "How long until the anesthetic wears off?" Erik asked his driver, ncing at the unconscious woman beside him.


    "Approximately 20 minutes, sir," the Chimaeric Demon said.


    "Go faster, then. We''ll need to have her secured and ready for questioning by then."


    The Chimaeric Demon nodded and sped into the sky.


    The journey to the safe house would not be long. The problem was that this time they had to bring an unconscious person with them, and if they didn''t pay attention, they would be found out.


    For this reason, and to ensure maximum security, Erik decided to bring the woman to a safe house they had upied in the past months.


    This location was chosen for its proximity to the walls, which would allow them to send Chimaeric Demons quickly if the need arose.


    Erik wanted to keep her there until the situation stabilized and they could extract the information they needed.


    The safe house was equipped with all the essentials for a prolonged stay, including provisions, medical supplies, andmunication equipment.


    Erik had also made sure that every precaution was taken to maintain the ce hidden and prevent any potential rescue attempts.


    In truth, Erik hoped this would have been a temporary arrangement. However, as he considered the state of global affairs, he realized the woman''s captivity might extend far longer than anticipated.


    Given how things were, she might never be released, and that weighed on his mind. However, Erik didn''t like that for many reasons. Yes, it was morally wrong and all of that, but that wasn''t Erik''s main thought. It was the fact that she was going to be a burden.


    To keep the president''s daughter prisoner would require resources and attention, but most importantly, guards.


    The Chimaeric Demons would need to monitor her day and night, ensure she was fed, and provide for all her basic needs. But, of course, they would also need to prevent her escape or for her to call for help.


    This would be a responsibility that could distract from other important tasks and keep the Chimaeric Demons away from other tasks.


    Erik kept in mind the long-term implications of her captivity. He wondered what would happen after the war ended.


    If they kept her indefinitely, it would require resources and pose risks. The longer she remained a prisoner, the moreplicated the situation could be politically and


    ethically.


    If they released her, she could reveal information about Erik and the Chimaeric Demons to the authorities. One of those things might be that he kidnapped her and killed her entourage. Another would be that his agents could shapeshift.


    It was an open secret at that point, but there were still some uncertainties around it.


    This would make the situation much worse, not just for Erik, but for everyone in the world.


    If people found out about the Chimaeric Demons'' ability to shapeshift, people might suspect that anyone around them could be a Chimaeric Demon in disguise.


    It wasn''t that people who could shapeshift didn''t exist, but they weren''t as powerful as Erik''s clones, and hence, their ability to infiltrate the top levels of society was severely hindered.


    This wasn''t true for the Chimaeric Demons. They were not only powerful, but even smart. Not much was known about them by Erik''s enemy-not even they were his clones-but it was clear that his army was strong and that the soldiers had a bunch of useful brain crystal powers.


    Damn, all the clones had healing powers; just that made the army insanely resilient and hard to kill.


    Fear and suspicion could spread quickly, leading to mistrust between friends, family members, and even strangers on the street.


    It might cause panic inmunities and make people feel unsafe in their daily lives.


    The government and police would likely have to deal with many false reports and usations, which would waste time and resources.


    Overall, it would create a tense and fearful atmosphere that would be hard to calm down, and


    the result was going to be hate and unrest.


    <That would for sure be redirected to me.>


    While Erik didn''t really care about what the world did or what happened, it was going to create problems in the long run that would have been caused by him, and he didn''t like that either, especially considering he might meet resistance from the citizens.


    <Maybe I should just kill her.>


    Erik paused, thinking about the idea. He wasn''t sure if it was the right thing to do, or better, he knew what it was-just a barbarous act that would put him in the same ce as the ckguards—and yet he couldn''t stop contemting it.


    The idea of killing the president''s daughter wasn''t something he took lightly, but he couldn''t deny its practicality. It would solve many problems in one fell swoop-no loose ends, no risk of exposure, no long-termplications.


    But as he considered it further, Erik felt a heaviness settle in his chest. Erik killed. That was true, but only in two situations.


    <When I risked people finding out about my powers, or in self-defense... Basically.> His thoughts went back to when Nathaniel tried to kill him back in Frant.


    But this woman''s case was different. <Here it''s me who attacked her; it''s me who killed her entire entourage, all her bodyguards...>


    This woman was basically just a pawn in arger game her mother threw her in, with the older woman being another pawn herself, in the ckguards'' hands.


    She was an innocent caught in the crossfire between him and the ckguards. Did she deserve to die simply because of who her parents were or because of who they served?


    <No. She doesn''t.>


    Erik closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the decision. He had taken lives before, but this felt


    different.


    <I''m not sure I''m ready to cross this line. I don''t even know if I will be able toe back from it.>


    Yet, the pragmatic part of his mind kept circling back to the potential consequences of letting


    her live.


    While Erik was lost in his dilemma, time slipped away. The twenty-minute window he had was rapidly closing, and the anesthetic''s effects were wearing off.


    Without Erik noticing, the president''s daughter woke up.


    Her eyes fluttered open and closed, and her fingers twitched, showing she wasing back to


    consciousness.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her vision cleared a little. At first, everything was blurry, but then she saw someone sitting across from her. Soon, she realized it was Erik Romano, and that she was in a car.


    Fear gripped her heart again, but she could not move. The drugs that knocked her out were


    still affecting her body.


    She couldn''t talk either, but that was thest of her thoughts. The unfamiliar surroundings made her mind race. She was trying to understand what happened and where she was. In a car,


    yes, but where?


    At that point, Erik noticed she had her eyes open.


    "Ah... Hello, you woke up... Good."


    But he realized she was unable to talk or move.


    "Ah, that''s even better... A clouded mind will be easier to pry open.


    The woman stared at him, silently asking questions he would not answer.