The three of them sprinted through the street, breathless.
"I think we caused too much chaos," Serin said, looking over her shoulder.
Vaelor nodded. "Yeah… if they come after us again"
"They won't," Perun cut in. "If we didn't meet them again. Anyway, it's already eight. We should head home."
They reached the library first. As they approached, Serin's mother was preparing to close for the night. Serin waved goodbye to the boys, slipped inside, and got busy helping her mother.
Vaelor and Perun continued walking home.
"Why were you so angry at the bar?" Vaelor asked.
"There are… a lot of things," Perun muttered. "But you don't need to know. Not now."
After a few moments of silence, Vaelor smirked. "Hey, what were you drinking at the bar?"
"Mocktail. Roy Rogers."
"Yeah, I saw it."
Perun frowned. "Where?"
"In your mind," Vaelor replied casually. "I also made an excuse for you to Serin."
Perun narrowed his eyes. "Excuse? What excuse?"
"That you had gas and… you blow pretty loud shots while sleeping."
Perun stopped walking.He stared at Vaelor.
"What the fuck did you say?! You dumbass! Now what will she think of me?"
"Well," Vaelor shrugged, "it's true. She'll think you're a horn blower."
"Vaelor, you fucker," Perun growled.
Vaelor bolted down the street. "Catch me if you can!"
Perun chased him all the way home, yelling, "You did this and don't even regret it!"
Across the city, Ricardo stepped into a dimly lit room. Governor Adolf Benjamin sat on a wide black couch, surrounded by security guards in sharp suits with surveillance earpieces. Their hands were clasped behind them.
Ricardo's tall sword tattoo men carried the unconscious man on his shoulder and keep him in the corner.
"Wake him," tatooed guy ordered, and another man stepped forward to do so.
Ricardo moved to the couch, and the guard stood beside him like a shadow.
"So," Governor Adolf began, "what happened to him?"
"Nothing big. He got into a fight," Ricardo replied.
Adolf slid a card toward him. "If your security isn't reliable, we can assign men from our company."
Ricardo pushed the card back. "They're not my bodyguards. They're family. And you don't have to worry about my security."
He nodded toward the tattooed man beside him. "This is James from the Arcane."
Adolf's brows rose. "Ah… the only survivor. And now a family member. Interesting."
Ricardo ignored the comment. "Now tell me the plan."
"What plan?" Adolf said coolly. "You're wasting too much money buying properties. That is not part of our plan."
Ricardo leaned back. "I have more than enough money. And I'm doing it for profit. Controlling Norus will benefit both of us."
Adolf explained the real plan.
Ricardo's expression changes."You seriously think if this fails, we won't be destroyed?"
"Are you scared?" Adolf asked.
Ricardo smirked."Never."
Perun chased Vaelor all the way to the apartment. Just as they reached the door, Vaelor stopped abruptly.
"It's locked," he said.
Perun slowed to a halt a few steps behind him, bending forward slightly, hands on his knees. He was breathing hard.
"Stop it," he said between breaths, lowering his head. "This is already home. And I have the key."
He walked closer, Just as he reached the door, the landline inside the apartment suddenly rang.
Perun froze for a second.He remembered instantly.It could be Mr. Elane.
He unlocked the door, stepped inside, and switched on the light. The ringing continued. Perun hurried to the cupboard and lifted the receiver, putting it on speaker. Vaelor stood nearby, listening.
"Hello," Perun said.
"Hey, Perun," Elane's voice came through clearly. "I've got work for both of you."
Perun straightened. "Thank you so much, Mr. Elane. By the way… what kind of job is it?"
"They're different roles," Elane replied. "Tell me between the two of you, who is better in physical work and who is better in mind work?"
Perun hesitated. "Uh… can you hold on for a moment? I need to ask my cousin."
"Oh, sure," Elane said. "But be quick."
Perun covered the mic and turned to Vaelor. "What do you have?"
Vaelor tilted his head, thinking deeply. "I think… magic."
Perun's face tightened. He whispered sharply, "What are you even saying? Leave it. I'll answer."
He uncovered the mic. "I have some better mental capability. And my cousin don't have any."
There was a short pause on the other end.
"What?" Elane asked.
"I mean," Perun corrected quickly, "he has better physical strength."
"Alright," Elane said, scribbling something down. "What's your cousin's name?"
"Vaelor."
"Okay," Elane replied. "I'll contact you again at this time after two days."
"Thank you again, Mr. Elane," Perun said sincerely.The call ended.
Perun turned toward Vaelor with a glare. "Hey, you asshole. I haven't forgotten about earlier."
Before Vaelor could reply, a low growl echoed.
Both of their stomachs.Vaelor rubbed his belly. "Man… I'm hungry. Let's eat. I'll help this time."
Perun sighed. "Fine. Let's put everything aside. I'm going to the kitchen. If you want, wash and cut some vegetables."
Vaelor followed him. "What are you cooking?"
"Vegetable soup. Maybe rice."
Some time later, they were sitting on the floor in the living room, cushions under them. A short wooden dining table stood between them, plates filled with steaming food.
They began eating quietly.
Mid-chew, Vaelor asked, "So… what will you do tomorrow?"
"Kill time," Perun replied casually.
"You don't work out or train?" Vaelor asked.
Perun shrugged. "A long time ago, I borrowed a boxing book from Serin. Never returned it. I learned a few punches from it, that's all."
Vaelor frowned slightly. "You've never trained your body properly. Exercise feels good. It makes you stronger."
Perun looked at him. "Why do you work out? You don't even need it. You already have abilities."
Vaelor shook his head. "As a Herald, training is necessary. We don't have many offensive spells. We can't always rely on phasing through walls or turning invisible. Sometimes… we have to fight."
Perun nodded slowly. "Let's finish eating."
After the meal, Perun washed the dishes and turned off all the lights except the living room. He went to his room and returned with the old boxing book.
Near the dining table, Vaelor had already spread the mattress. They both sat down on it.
Perun handed him the book. Vaelor flipped through the pages slowly.
"I learned a few moves," Perun said. "But they're slow. No real speed."
Vaelor studied the Pictures. "It seems like I've seen these techniques before. They're well-built. Your problem is core strength."
Perun looked surprised. "You can teach me?"
Vaelor nodded. "Yeah."
"Thanks," Vaelor said honestly. "But in exchange… you have to listen to the story of that novel."
Perun blinked. "Instewl Hollander?"
"Yeah."
"Alright," perun said. "But I sleep in my bedroom."After some request.
Perun hesitated for a moment… then shook his head. "It's fine. I'll sleep here."
He opened the lower cupboard and took out another mattress, pillow, and blanket. He spread them neatly, keeping some distance between the two.
Sitting down comfortably, he said, "I already gave you the overview. Let's start from Chapter Three."
Time passed quietly as Perun spoke and Vaelor listened.
Eventually, their voices faded.Both of them fell asleep.