The boy and the old man left the bar and walked toward the narrow, seemingly endless alleyway beside it. The old man paused and started to whistle a deep, distorted tune. After a moment, he looked at the boy with a slight smile and said, "He will come and take you."
"Who is it, and where can I find them?" asked the boy, puzzlement filling his face. The old man scratched his neck and said, "Listen, kid, I can't tell you who will train you or how the training will happen, but I can tell you this: the person is the most skilled individual I have ever met in my entire life."
The boy heard the old man say, "Fine... whatever... but at least I'm going to meet him, right?"
HAHAHAHAHAH
The old man grimaced and said, "Oh, you don't have to arrange a meeting with him. He'll come to you on his own. After all, he's not the type to prepare times, so be prepared for him to show up at any moment."
The boy sighed and walked away from the old man. The old man watched as the boy exited the alleyway, then spoke, "So, what do you think?" A small gust of wind brushed past him, carrying a whispering voice that said, "Let's see if he is interesting."
Ray was reflecting on what had happened to him during the days he was lost in thought about last night's events. He didn't dwell on them too much after he reached the house he lived in, unsure of what to say or how they would react. As he slowly opened the door, someone abruptly pushed it open from the inside.
He flinched when he saw Aleyas staring at him with a death glare. Before he could say anything, Aleyas punched him in the stomach. Ray had experienced many things during those days, but this was the first time he found himself on his knees, overwhelmed by pain.
She grabbed his hair, angered looking appearing on her face and said, " So can you tell me where we're you? ...Ray!"
He swallowed hard and replied with a weak but casual tone, "Well, I was just hanging out with my friends." She released his hair and slapped him, saying, "Don't lie to me. I know you don't have any friends."
Ray stood frozen in place. He knew she wasn't lying, but hearing it now made him feel gloomy. She softened her expression and knelt down slightly, patting his head. "At least you're safe, so don't worry. Just change your clothes and relax because you are home."
Ray felt a sense of safety at her words, but also a feeling of distance as she walked away. In front of him stood someone who resembled Aleyas but was not her.
When she turned back to look at him, all he could see was Aleyas.
He gritted his teeth, unsure of what to feel. Aleyas looked at him with puzzlement and asked, "Are you okay?" After a moment, he nodded in response.
Later, Ray greeted his family and his brother, who had been worried about him. Claiming he was fine, he entered his room in a tired and weakened state. Lying in his bed, he reflected on everything that had happened from yesterday up until now.
His body was consumed by thoughts of Felix's words, which felt like venom in his mind. He began to question himself: why hadn't he asked Aleyas about the castle? How was he able to kill those soldiers—he knew they could easily kill someone, but against those people, it was different after all. They weren't just ordinary individuals; they were professional fighters. As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he felt as if something was missing. Then it hit him: everything that had happened to him seemed to follow a script, almost as if it had all been plotted out beforehand.
He disliked the idea of being forced into something, but he didn't mind as long as he achieved his goal. After settling his thoughts, he gradually fell asleep.
At the top of the castle stood a man in a full white cloak. He was gazing at a book that seemed to be writing itself. After a while, the writing ceased, the book closed, and then vanished. He muttered to himself, "So, he slept that... boring." Raising his left hand, he glanced at an object covered in red cloth, smiled, and said to himself, "Let's see what you can do."