Warning
The sun rose slowly. Its light spread across the horizon, covering the world bit by bit.
Eylan had woken up before dawn. Already packed, he waited in front of the station.
Soon, the train would arrive.
Rrrrrmmm!
His stomach growled like a beast waking from a long sleep. He glanced around to see if anyone had heard it.
There was one person…
The weird soldier.
The man turned to look at him with a strange expression. Eylan returned the gaze, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.
Then the soldier laughed—loudly.
Luckily, there were only the two of them there at that hour, but that didn't stop Eylan from feeling a mix of anger and indignation.
"Could you laugh a little quieter?" he complained, offended.
"I-I can't… hahaha!" the man replied between laughs, which slowly began to fade.
"You didn't eat anything, kid? Didn't you know an empty stomach can't stand up straight? Hahaha!" he laughed again, full and spontaneous.
Eylan got annoyed. How could he not? A stranger hears his stomach growl and starts laughing like it's the funniest joke in the world. And to make it worse, it was the same weirdo who had approached him before.
"I didn't have breakfast. Is that a problem?" he shot back, trying to understand why the guy was making fun of him.
Holding his stomach and catching his breath between laughs, the agent said,
"N-no, it's nothing… it's just that… for someone who tries so hard to look serious… you're pretty funny."
After the last chuckles, he held out his hand for a handshake.
"My name's Antony, but everyone calls me Tony. I'm an official member of the government.
To make it up to you, I'd like to buy you some coffee. How about it?"
He smiled as he made the offer.
Eylan studied the officer. A lot of thoughts ran through his head.
'Should I accept? He's a stranger… who knows what he wants.
But I'm also starving… my stomach is eating itself alive!
And once the train leaves, I'll be stuck for hours traveling on an empty stomach…'
In the end, he shook the man's hand.
"Fine… but just coffee, and nothing else," he grumbled.
"Great. Let's go—there's a good place nearby," Antony said, guiding him.
The café was tucked away in a forgotten corner. Small, painted blue, with white stains along the interior walls. It looked like a modest little lodge.
An elderly couple greeted them warmly and led them to a table near the window.
"What's this café called, anyway?" Eylan asked.
The atmosphere, combined with Antony's unexpectedly pleasant presence, made him feel strangely comfortable.
"It's called Blue Sky Café," the officer explained.
While they waited, Eylan watched Antony more closely.
His black hair covered his ears, and an eyepatch shielded the left side of his face—as if hiding a terrible wound.
His skin was pale as snow, and his emerald-green eye seemed to pierce straight through Eylan's thoughts.
His clothes were eccentric: a top hat, an elegant suit, and at his side, a black wooden cane with a silver-inlaid tip.
He looked like he'd stepped out of the Victorian era, dressed like a gentleman.
"Why do you wear an eyepatch?" Eylan asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to use the government to find a good healer?"
Antony sighed.
"There are some things that stay with us for the rest of our lives…" he said, as if reflecting on the past.
His expression grew serious.
"But that doesn't matter right now." He leaned in slightly. "The reason I brought you here is to warn you."
'Warn me? About what?'
Eylan waited.
"Go on," he said.
"We in the government have been watching you for some time. We'd already noticed your connection to the descendants of the House of Night. But after a preliminary investigation, we confirmed that you don't belong to the Clan."
He said it completely casually.
As if it were normal to inform someone that they were under investigation.
Eylan was shocked. How had they found out so much?
But he knew better—the government might not play a big role in the original story, but that didn't mean they were weak. On the contrary, the very fact that a functional government existed in this world said a lot.
He had underestimated them.
"But why were you investigating me?" he asked.
Antony explained:
"I think you know how important the House of Night is. They move and protect ships, keeping the economy and society running."
"But that comes at a cost. And they're not always available. So people like you—those who carry the lineage of the Goddess of the Storm but don't belong to any Clan—are very valuable to the government."
"I see… so I'd be some kind of asset to you? But how do you know all this? I haven't told anyone about my Aspect!"
"When someone faces their First Nightmare, basic information is recorded. Even in this chaotic world, there's still a minimum level of order.
Besides, we had several agents aboard the ship you were on. The rumor about your encounter with Saint Bloodwave spread quickly."
Antony paused, watching Eylan.
"Alright… but what about the warning?"
Tony smiled faintly.
"First: if you survive the winter solstice, we'd like you to join the government. That comes with several benefits. I'm guessing you don't have any offensive Memories, right?"
Eylan simply nodded.
"We can arrange some for you before the solstice. That way, you'll have a better chance of making it back. All you have to do is join the government."
The offer was tempting.
"And the second thing?"
"A warning. We observed that there was a disagreement between you and the young legacy Willian Lupus."
Eylan blinked.
"Who?"
"A young man you spoke with on the ship. He's a legacy—and they're vindictive. I recommend that as soon as you set foot in NQSC, you go straight to the Awakened Academy. There, they can't do anything to you."
"Alright…" Eylan replied, understanding the seriousness of it.
Antony then stood up.
"Feel free to enjoy the coffee. This place is a meeting point for government members.
I hope you've made your decision by November. It's March now—so think carefully."
He waved and started to leave.
"How can I contact you?" Eylan asked.
Opening the door under the morning light, Antony smiled.
"Just go to the police station and ask to speak with Master Antony."
And then he was gone.
Eylan's heart almost stopped.
He had been alone with a Master…
'Ascended… He's a Master!'
Shock washed over him. How could that annoying guy be a Master?
Masters were the elite—only those who chose to keep fighting made it that far.
'If a Master warned me to be careful… then it really is dangerous.'
The coffee arrived, interrupting his thoughts.
His eyes lit up at the sight of it.
'I'll deal with that later.'
After finishing his meal, he returned to the front of the station. The train was almost there.
When the locomotive emerged between the walls, his heart began to race.
"Here we go…"
The future felt mysterious.