It had been almost ten minutes since they'd left the restaurant. Both of them had finished eating, now sipping their drinks, kicking back, and chatting casually under the warm sky.
"Hey, Mister..." Aron said, leaning back with a thoughtful expression.
Canis was lazily picking his teeth with a needle. "Yeah?"
"I just realized... I don't even know your name."
Canis blinked. "Seriously? After all that?"
"You never told me!" Aron said defensively.
They'd been too busy fighting, running, and nearly dying to make formal introductions. Canis already knew Aron's name—he'd overheard it—but Aron had no clue what to call the guy who just saved his life.
"Fair point," Canis said, pausing to glance up at the ceiling of the nearby building, lost in thought for a second. Then he turned back with a half-hearted smile.
"My name's Canis. Canis Majoris. Nice to meet you, Aron Telsa."
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Canis Majoris—but I think I'll just stick with 'Big bro,' if that's cool with you."
"Whatever. Doesn't matter to me."
There was a beat of silence, then Aron suddenly squinted suspiciously.
"Wait… did I ever tell you my name?"
Canis smirked. "Not directly. But your dad mentioned it—and I'm guessing you're Yudish's only son."
"Ah. Yeah, that checks out."
The awkward tension lifted a bit now that names were finally exchanged. But Aron's curiosity wasn't done yet.
"So… what now?"
Canis shrugged. "No idea. Haven't really thought about it."
"Well, I have. I'm sticking with you."
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
They both blinked at each other, surprised by the double confusion.
"You're following me?" Canis asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Why… uh… I—hey, don't throw the question back at me!"
Truth was, Aron didn't really have a concrete reason. It just felt right. Even though their mission was technically done—his father had only told him to meet Canis, not tag along afterward.
"My dad didn't say what to do after meeting you," Aron admitted. "So I'll decide for myself. I want to follow you."
Canis leaned back, arms crossed. "There's no point. I don't have a plan. No mission. No goal."
"You've been chained up for who knows how long. There's nothing you want now that you're free?"
Canis looked down at his drink, swirling it slowly.
"I don't know. Whatever I was chasing before… it's gone."
Aron paused, then shifted gears.
"Who are you really, Big bro? I mean, how'd you end up locked away in some cave like that?"
Canis looked away.
"Told you already. I'm nobody."
"Yeah, and I don't buy that." Aron leaned in. "You took down professional killers. Those guys were elite AIA agents, not rent-a-cops. And they were scared of you. No way you're just a 'nobody'."
Canis sighed. He could feel Aron's curiosity pressing like a weight.
"You're overthinking it. Those agents were just weak."
"C'mon. That doesn't explain why someone like you was kept in chains, in a place no one would ever find."
Aron kept pushing, but Canis wasn't ready to spill. Not yet.
"Sorry, kid. I can't tell you. Maybe someday."
"Tch. Lame." Aron pouted but let it go.
Even so, the mystery only made Canis more fascinating in his eyes.
Then Canis leaned forward.
"Alright, my turn to ask something."
"Shoot."
"Tell me about the world. About Aigis. You mentioned it before—what's their deal?"
Aron blinked, thrown off by the shift.
"The world? That's kind of a heavy topic, don't you think?"
"I want to know everything. Start with Aigis."
Aron sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"Alright, fine. But fair warning—it's a long story."
He gathered his thoughts, took a breath, and began.
"A hundred years ago, three days after the fall of the so-called 'King of the World'—also known as the Divine Emperor—a revolution sparked by the people brought everything down. Most of the revolutionaries were from the Eastern Continent."
"Let me guess. That's where Aigis comes in."
"Exactly. They claimed the old Swarga Empire's land and founded a new nation: The People's Republic of Aigis."
"Charming name," Canis muttered.
"They built themselves up fast. Strongest military on both land and sea. In time, surrounding countries started pledging loyalty—figuring it was safer under Aigis's flag than trying to survive alone against the 'monsters' out there."
"So those bastards built an empire out of revolution," Canis said, voice bitter.
"Pretty much. Nowadays, Aigis is ruled by The Trisula—a coalition of three major political parties. They run everything: economy, military, diplomacy, all of it."
"And who's the real power behind the curtain?"
"The Supreme Leader. Alexander France."
The name hit Canis like a slap.
"France…?" His tone darkened.
"Yeah. Alexander France. Grandson of Castrol France—the 'Great Hero' of the Revolution. He's the guy who helped take down the Divine Emperor."
Canis stared into the distance, eyes narrowing.
A familiar, poisonous name from the past.
{Chapter 7 End}