Ruigh raised an eyebrow as Aren stormed out.
"What's with him?" he asked Uhra with interest.
Uhra glared after Aren indignantly.
"He's just an idiot; he just interrupts me."
Ruigh nodded and asked instead, "Where do you know each other from?"
Uhra made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "We were in training together. Nothing special. He was always stiff, and I was always loose, and his enemy," he said. "But it's okay, we have a deep respect for each other, you just can't see it."
"I get it, so something like a friend of yours," Ruigh said, grinning and crossing his arms. "How do we proceed?"
Uhra shook his head.
"We're not friends."
His face became more serious. "To answer your question, we act as a group, no rash decisions." He smiled. "It could take five days or five years, it depends."
Ruigh let out a sharp breath.
"I don't have that much time."
Uhra laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, are you dying tomorrow?" he asked. "Besides, you've got me if you get bored, kid."
Ruigh rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, unfortunately."
Aren collapsed in front of the door.
He fell to his knees, his hand clenched at the place where his heart was.
Beating loudly.
While panic consumed him.
Left him numb.
With trembling hands, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He was almost exposed.
That couldn't happen.
For her sake.
Slowly, he got to his feet.
He straightened his suit and smoothed his hair.
His phone rang, and his heart stopped.
Slowly, he reached out his hand, knowing full well who was on the line.
His tension made him tremble as he took the phone and answered.
A cool voice was heard.
"Aren, is everything going according to plan?"
He answered with a shaky voice.
"Yes, Master, they took the bait."
"Good," answered the voice. "Give them information, lure them to me."
"Yes, as you wish."
Aren was filled with nervousness.
One wrong word, and everything would be over.
"Yes, that's good. Do what I tell you, otherwise it won't go very well for your daughter," the voice giggled.
"Let's put it this way: she's hanging from a cliff. You're about to pull her up, but you could break away."
Aren's breathing quickened, his torso tensed under his suppressed rage that raged in him like a storm.
The voice asked, amused, "Hello, still there? Or did you step on a giant? I want to hear it."
"Yes," Aren brought out with a trembling body.
"Yes, Master."
The voice laughed loudly.
"Really unbelievable how much you do for this worthless girl, but they say birds of a feather flock together."
It laughed again.
"Well then, goodbye, Aren. Don't disappoint me and certainly not them."
The caller hung up.
And left him behind.
In blind rage.
And despair.
His body trembled.
Under other circumstances, he would have cried.
Shed a tear.
But he had to stay strong.
For the one person who meant something to him.
For his world.