Sorrin moved swiftly between the tables in the bustling restaurant of Bastionspire city, his apron slightly stained from the long hours of work. "Have your meal, sir," he said with a polite smile, offering a steaming plate to a customer.
But just as he turned to head back to the kitchen, a loud, irate voice rang out from behind him.
"Hey, waiter! This chicken is uncooked!" the customer barked angrily, his face contorted in disgust.
Sorrin's eyes widened slightly, and he paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Go tell the one who cooked it," he replied, trying to keep his tone neutral.
"What did you say?" The customer's voice raised even further, now filled with rage.
"Sorry, sorry!" Sorrin quickly stammered, his face flushing with embarrassment. "I mean, let me talk to the person who cooked the chicken." He could feel the tension building, the weight of the customer's anger pressing down on him.
Suddenly, something strange happened—Sorrin froze. His mind seemed to go completely still, a sensation of being *watched* creeping up his spine. His pulse quickened. Someone was trying to contact him.
The thought sent a cold shiver through him, and for a moment, he forgot all about the disgruntled customer. His focus was entirely on the unknown presence tugging at his consciousness.
Sorrin quickly moved toward the kitchen, feeling the growing sense of urgency inside him. He approached the cook, who was busy at the stove, stirring a large pot of broth.
"Hey, I need to go to the bathroom, it's urgent," Sorrin said, trying to keep his tone casual.
The cook barely looked up, nodding as he adjusted the heat on the stove. "O-okay, sure. You alright?"
Sorrin gave a small, reassuring smile, though his mind was elsewhere. "I'm fine, but you won't be," he said, his voice laced with quiet amusement as he began to head toward the back hallway leading to the bathroom. "You just served half-cooked chicken."
"What?!" The cook's voice shot up in surprise, his eyes wide with shock. He turned quickly, his face filled with panic. "You're kidding, right?"
Sorrin didn't stop, his footsteps growing faint as he disappeared around the corner. "Wouldn't joke about something like that," he called back, leaving the cook to scramble for the unfortunate customer.
"Hey, are you there?" came a soft, almost ghostly voice inside Sorrin's mind.
It was Touka — reaching out to him through one of their secret Kendra energy communication techniques.
Sorrin, now settled on the bathroom floor with his back against the wall, let out a sharp breath.
"Gods, stop giving me heart attacks," he muttered, clutching his chest dramatically.
"Your Kendra energy vibes are way too creepy sometimes," he added, shaking his head.
Touka's voice echoed back, laced with teasing amusement.
"Why are you so scared of me?"
"You kidding, right?" Sorrin replied confidently, adjusting his jacket with a smirk.
"I'm not scared. Now stop messing around — just get to the point. Why did you contact me?"
"Everything's screwed. The guy we left alive... he's at the training grounds," said Touka, her voice tense through the Kendra link.
"What?!" Sorrin nearly shouted, his face turning red with anger.
"I told you to finish him off! You've completely screwed everything!"
"Hey, I already warned you — putting me inside the fortress was a bad idea," Touka shot back, her tone sharp. "So don't start yelling at me now."
Sorrin ran a frustrated hand through his hair, practically seething.
"You're ruining everything! Why did you even come with us, huh? Ohhh gods, why did I get stuck with partners like this..." he muttered under his breath.
"One who's obsessed with messing everything up — and the other one's completely useless."
"What?now" Touka asked calmly.
"It's so easy for you to just ask that, huh?" Sorrin snapped, frustration boiling in his voice.
"Hey, you're the one who came up with the plan and started acting like some big leader," Touka replied, her tone sharp.
"Ugh, shut up and listen!" Sorrin growled. "Try to avoid him. Stay away from him as much as possible. He already knows your voice!"
"Actually... I'm with him right now," Touka said casually.
"WHAT?!?!" Sorrin shouted through the Kendra link, nearly falling over.
"Why? Did he hear your voice?"
Touka sighed. "That's the whole reason I'm contacting you. He already heard me speak... and honestly, I think he's starting to suspect something."
"That's just great," Sorrin muttered sarcastically, rubbing his forehead. "Now tell me—what do you think? Can you handle it? Can you keep playing along?"
"Of course," Touka said without hesitation. "It'll be a drag... but I can manage. If I get the chance, I'll kill him off — and make sure it looks like an accident."
"Heheheh... that's what I wanted to hear," Sorrin chuckled darkly, his voice full of twisted satisfaction. "Don't worry, I've already set a few things in motion. There's someone inside the fortress who's going to help you."
"You know who I'm talking about," said Sorrin.
"Yeah," Touka replied calmly.
"Good. Is there anything else giving you trouble?" Sorrin asked.
"There are nobles in the training grounds too," Touka said, her voice slightly tense. "They're sharp... and strong."
"Nobles, huh?" Sorrin muttered. "They're dangerous. They helped the King conquer almost the entire continent..." He clicked his tongue in frustration. "Will they be a problem?"
"They won't be a problem for me," Touka said, her voice cold and confident.
"Only one is a bit too sharp though," Touka thought, thinking about Kairoz but I can manage.
Someone was banging on the washroom door.
"My stomach hurts! Hurry up!" a voice screamed from outside.
"Ugh, I need to go. Contact me again later," said Sorin quickly.
"Yeah, sure," replied Touka, and the connection was cut off.
Touka slowly opened her eyes.
Touka closed the washroom door and quietly moved toward Duke's room. She finally reached it.
Taking a small breath, she entered — only to see Duke already awake, sitting on the bed.
"He's already awake... crap," Touka thought, freezing for a moment.
Duke's fists were clenched tightly, his head bowed low. His voice cracked with emotion.
"Damn it..." Duke muttered, his eyes filled with tears.
"Why am I always losing... whyyy..." His voice trembled with frustration and pain.
"I hate myself..." he whispered, the words heavy with self-loathing.
Touka stood silently near the door, watching Duke with an unreadable expression.
"He's crying again..." she thought, sighing inwardly.
"What am I supposed to do? If I say something, he'll get suspicious. If I stay quiet, he'll get suspicious anyway."
Touka leaned casually against the doorframe, her mind racing.
"Tch... what a pain."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, calculating her next move carefully.
"Hey, Duke... why are you crying?" Touka asked casually.
Duke lifted his head and looked at her. His eyes were red and tired.
"Isn't it obvious?" he muttered. "I lost."
"Lost?" Touka tilted her head slightly. "Didn't you beat him in the previous exam?"
Duke blinked at her, confused.
Touka continued calmly, "Instead of crying because you lost once, look at the good part — you beat him before. Who scored the highest in the first exam? You. And you still did decently in the second."
Duke stared at her, the frustration in his face slowly shifting to realization.
"I just need to work more on my techniques..." Duke said, his voice a little steadier now.
Touka shrugged lightly. "Yeah. You're right. Don't compare yourself to someone else. Both of you lived completely different lives."
She walked a few steps closer, her voice calm but firm.
"You seem stronger in raw strength — probably because
you grew up in a village. Meanwhile, he's a noble. Of course swords were handed to them since they were born."
Duke lowered his head, thinking deeply about her words.
"Thank you so much... I really needed this," Duke said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
Touka watched him blankly, hiding her true thoughts.
"Such a crybaby," she thought to herself, sighing inwardly.
She forced a small, fake smile. "It's okay," she said softly. "Just remember... no one else will be you. Always keep that in mind."
Without giving him time to respond, she pulled out a small pouch and placed it on the table beside his bed.
"Now, stop talking and take these medicines," Touka added, her voice shifting back to its usual coldness.
Duke gave a small, grateful nod
Duke watched her quietly as she prepared the medicines, pouring water into a small cup.
"She's so nice..." he thought, his heart feeling a little lighter.
But then, a small seed of doubt crept into his mind.
Her voice... the way she said those words... it sounded exactly like the masked girl. Even the way she leaned closer just now — it was the same.
But why would the masked girl say something so kind...? It doesn't make sense.
Duke shook the thought away, forcing a small smile.
"I really hope... she's not the masked girl," he thought, his eyes lingering on her.
Without thinking, the words slipped out of his mouth.
"Your eyes are pretty," Duke said softly.
Touka blinked, caught off guard for just a moment.
Her cold, violet eyes met his — unreadable, as always.
"What the hell does he mean by that?" Touka thought, feeling a little caught off guard.
Out loud, she forced a small, awkward laugh.
"Ahh—hh... thank you," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Some people like them... others think these eyes are kind of creepy."
She tried to sound casual, but inside, her mind was racing.
You have different eyes... unique," Duke said. "They're pretty."
Well, of course they are pretty, Touka thought to herself, but apart from him, no one in this country has ever said that to me.
She gave a small, genuine smile for once.
"Really, thanks," she said. "Now, eat these medicines. I'm going to get some fresh air outside."
"Sure," Duke replied with a soft smile.
Touka turned and left the room, her footsteps light against the floor.
Duke let out a long sigh, leaning back against his pillow.
"I feel so much better now... only my head is still spinning a little," he muttered to himself.
He gazed out the window, worry flickering across his face.
"I hope Jack and Samaira are doing well..."
Back at the training grounds, the final match was about to begin.
"The final match will be between Drex and Vairan!" the soldier announced loudly.
The crowd immediately buzzed with excitement.
"First place versus a noble... This is going to be tough," someone murmured in the stands.
Vairan bounced on his feet, his excitement clear for everyone to see.
"Finally, it's time, baby!" he said with a huge grin, cracking his knuckles.