.... Her eyes glared at Anchis in fury. The room was thick with silence. He smirked, but she stayed quiet, her eyes filled with displeasure. Meanwhile, Bakvik stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall.
" Why would you do that?"
"Just listen to me... it's just... uhm," Anchis sat stiffly on the old sofa, his left hand on the back of his head, avoiding her gaze.
"How many times do I have to tell you? You shouldn't have stolen it. What if it causes trouble for the people around here?"
Willow looked flustered and didn't know what to do.
"But Serenum... it's a component for a powerful weapon!" Anchis held his head with both hands, getting up and pacing around the room.
"Oh my god, I was right, it really exists! I love to fantasize about futuristic novels in my head. Damn it!" Anchis quickly turned to look at Bakvik who gave him a slight side-eye. Bakvik remained cold, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"What should we do?"
Bakvik looked at Willow. She noticed his gaze and was slightly taken aback.
"Stealing it... yeah, it's crazy, but it's the best way."
"Oh my god, this is a huge deal... but you're from the university..." Anchis paced back and forth, feeling helpless about facing the situation.
"No way, you're a university person!" Willow was shocked, looking at Bakvik with suspicion.
"What are your abilities? What's your level?!" She grabbed Bakvik's hands and cheeks, leaning in close until he felt pressured.
"Uh, calm down a bit,"
Bakvik gently pushed her away.
"I'm just a regular person. I don't answer to anyone... not to a professor or to any secret university organization."
Bakvik looked at both of them. Willow was slightly shocked and let go of his hands. Anchis gave a sly grin.
"Oh, that's great. I've never met anyone as crazy as you,"
Anchis said. Willow quickly turned to look at Anchis. His eyes were full of cunning but also a hidden sense of ambition.
"You're like me... someone who doesn't like to live by anyone's rules."
Bakvik clapped his hands with a small smile.
"Yeah, of course." Bakvik sat down on the sofa.
"Are you sure, brother?" Willow asked, feeling the pressure. She looked at Anchis.
"You don't have to go. Just stay here,"
Anchis smiled brightly with a hint of slyness.
"I'm going with you!" She turned her face away slightly, avoiding eye contact with Anchis. Suddenly, his smile vanished.
"You stay here... Stop. Just stop and listen to me first,"
Anchis said calmly. Willow was like a beautiful woman, but with a personality that seemed out of control.
Anchis
"You stay here. Look after our things and guard the Serenum."
"I'm not going to listen to you! I'm 18 years old, and I've been through as many near-death experiences as you have!"
She slammed her hands on the table, making a loud noise. Even the cold Bakvik flinched slightly. Her eyes trembled a little, as if something was hidden deep within her heart.
Anchis, who was standing, turned away.
"...What you say is meaningless. I am too."
Anchis walked back into the other room. Her brother's words pierced her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears. Bakvik saw everything. He was sitting on the sofa near her, but he didn't dare to cross the line of their sibling relationship. She looked at Bakvik and gave a small, faint smile. He looked back and gave a slight smile of his own. It was as if, even though she was at odds with her brother, Bakvik was an outsider who deserved respect, and so she treated him well.
Then she walked away.
A Glimmer of Warmth in the Shadows
...Time passed within the dark corners of Vese. A small city appeared within a narrow alley. The front was bright, but the interior was gray. Bakvik left Anchis's old house and walked around, observing the lives of the people there. Though their eyes didn't meet, it felt warm. Children were still playing.
People sold simple goods along the way. There weren't just a few people here; there were a lot of them. Their clothes weren't fancy, but they had pure hearts.
"Hmph... hmph..."
...The sound of a child came from a small alley. Bakvik heard it and decided to follow the sound. He saw Willow, who had walked away earlier. She was with a little boy. Her hand was stroking the young boy's head, and she was smiling gently. Bakvik stood and watched from a hidden spot.
"It's okay, little one," Willow said tenderly. It
was warm. The little boy's eyes welled up with tears.
She brushed the dirt that covered the young boy's body.
"...Look at you... you're all filthy now."
The young boy cried, his eyes full of tears. Despair had taken over this child, but Willow, who had been so short-tempered, was a ray of light for him.
"I..."
"I want to be stronger. I don't want you, big sister Willow, to have to protect me all the time,"
the little boy said in a weak, hoarse voice. Willow held both of the boy's shoulders and smiled gently.
"Yeah, that's right... a man has to fight!" Bakvik smiled a little and slowly walked towards them. Willow smiled slightly, and the little boy looked at Bakvik with a hint of surprise.
Bakvik slowly approached.
"Do you see the blade of grass by your feet?"
The boy looked at the small blade of grass growing in the cracks of the old stone floor.
" If time passes, it will get bigger."
"You are the same."
Bakvik walked closer to the boy, his hand gently touching the little one's shoulder. The boy's eyes trembled. He clenched his teeth and wiped away his tears. It was as if a little boy had found the courage to face what he feared.
[At Ichivor City]
The area was empty of people. Many students had left, including the professors. The calm was waiting for the sound of those people. In Sector 4 of Ichivor, there was a training ground for students, a field for practicing... with mannequins for training their powers.
Asman, a young man who looked cheerful and stood out from everyone else, was now sitting alone in the deserted Sector 4. Next to him was a large bag.
...Suddenly, he smiled. A group of girls and two boys—three girls and two boys—ran towards Asman, struggling to get there. One of the girls was out of breath and said,
"Sorry... we were late today."
...The group of teenagers felt bad for not being on time. They tensed up with pressure and guilt. Asman's eyes were sharp, as if he were angry. The pressure on the teenagers grew even more.
One of the boys said,
"It was me, sir... I was just playing around, and they had to look for me, so everyone was late!"
The young man's heart trembled as he admitted the truth. But Asman, who was sitting, smiled. He looked confused.
"...What's wrong with you guys? I haven't done anything yet."
The atmosphere changed. From feeling pressured and tense, the teenagers now looked away from Asman. They smiled faintly, as if they knew this man well.
Asman jumped down and walked towards them slowly. Another young man quickly walked close to him. In his hand, he held a document. He slowly handed it to Asman, as if he were feeling some pressure.
"This is... the confirmation document, sir. I'm a new member of the team!?!?"
Asman looked at the document. He slowly looked at the young man, who was also feeling pressured. He was bracing himself for what Asman would say next. Asman handed the document back to the young man. Everyone was surprised and felt strange.
"It's not important. All you have to do is say it." Asman's face was calm and cool.
The young man smiled. He smiled after Asman said that. He put the document back in his bag.
"Yes, sir!! I'm in your care!"
Suddenly, Asman gave a small, genuine smile, like a kind-hearted adult, even though he was just a university student. Sometime later, Asman trained the young man, with the rest of the group watching from outside the field.
The young man kicked at him without holding back, but Asman dodged him every time until he lost his balance. In the middle of it, Asman said,
"I'll tell you... my arms aren't as strong as yours, though I don't know why."
The young man knew he was trying to distract him, but he still tried to find a weakness to make him fall to the ground. Suddenly, his foot almost touched the top of Asman's head, but Asman dodged it quickly, sliding across the grass to stand on the other side. The young man lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Asman, standing far away, smiled slyly.
"I have two choices for you: either you pass out from kicking at air until you're exhausted, or you lose your balance and fall to the ground."
The young man tried to get up slowly. He was exhausted. He put his left hand on his right shoulder and slowly got up.
The girls sitting outside the field were chatting with their friends.
Henle, a girl who seemed curious, said,
"Hey, Pin, is the coach really like this? I heard the seniors say he's so charming that women fall for him... but he looks so different from what they said."
She glanced at Asman's muscles, face, and personality. Pin, another girl next to her, said,
"...At the university, not many people get to talk to him personally. He likes to be mysterious and alone. The people I think are closest to him are Mr. Resway and Ms. Zela... but those two aren't ordinary people..."
Henle smiled faintly, her face flushed. Looking on the bright side, she said,
"I was right to choose Sector 10... In other sectors, you don't get to see a star like this."
She slowly closed one eye and breathed in the passing wind.
Pin turned and smiled slightly.
"That's true."