Exterminate [BoyxBoy]

[Part 1] I: The Third Eye

[A/N] This book contains slavery, violence, threats of sexual violence, and heavy themes centered around race.

I: The Third Eye

Cassius reached with his right hand and touched the black liquid swirling on the hotel floor. It clung to his fingers, grasping him like a fitted glove. He held still as it crept over his skin.

As it made its way up his arm, he conjured enough of his magic to connect with the Third Eye. It was an overseeing being and he was able to see all its memories. Including everything it had seen in the last week in this very room.

A vision fluttered through his mind. He saw the room reflected in front of him but different. The bed was unmade and a bag of items was strewn across the floor. A dark-skinned man came out from the bathroom. Cassius couldn't make out his face, but he could tell right away this was the Mekiah he was looking for.

Cassius was a Tracker. They bred him to become the ultimate "dog" for tracing escaped prisoners and slaves.

He was here on a mission. To find a Mekiah who'd escaped from the largest slave facility in Xtavia: Faymort. With only a sample of the Mekiah's magic, he was instructed to track the Mekiah's location.

The Third Eye acted as a filter. He was able to see the traces of the Mekiah's magic and the residue of his body. His touch and scent were everywhere in the hotel. Outside of that, Cassius could sense him in the Veil.

The Veil was the magic realm beyond the earth. It's what gave Cassius his power and all other magic-wielding beings such as the Mekiah and the Exterus. Though he was restricted to only a sliver of his magical abilities, it was far more than he needed to contact the Veil. And use it to find traces of other magical beings.

The liquid on his hand had turned to tar. His skin broke into hives, turning red with irritation. He pushed his mind away from his body, forcing himself to stay inside the walls of the Veil. He grabbed ahold of the Mekiah's magic.

He cursed when his connection snapped.

Scrambling to grab on, he sent out a wave of his own magic. It wrapped around the Mekiah's trail, lighting up the Veil with hues of purple. He could see the Mekiah's path more easily. But he now faced a bigger obstacle.

Though he could see the Mekiah's magic, it meant he only had a limited time before the magic evaporated. If he didn't find the Mekiah now, he wouldn't have another chance.

A shock of pain rippled up his arm. Cassius hissed as the pain traveled down his body. This wasn't the black liquid. It was his warning sign from the Shadows—members of his SWARM—telling him to get the hell out of there.

The Veil was closing in on him. He only had five minutes before it shut down and trapped him inside it forever.

Cassius ran through his options. Either he could connect himself to the Third Eye, revealing an ability no one should have, or he could die inside the Veil.

He sucked in a breath, rolled his eyes, and said fuck it to make himself feel better.

The Third Eye clawed at his brain. The phantom hands twisted and squirmed as they tried to find a way in. He slowly lowered the barrier around his mind.

It slithered in and grasped onto his thoughts and emotions. It ate up every detail, every memory, and every thought it could reach. The feeling wasn't even slightly pleasant. It was as if someone had stuck a nail up his nose and was trying to reach his brain.

He endured the painful sensation until the Third Eye was finished. It latched onto him as he granted it access. After it was satisfied he wasn't going anywhere, it pulled him inside.