Ki followed Kenji silently, his senses heightened. They headed to the bar where they usually frequented. As he opened the door, Ki felt the tension inside. All eyes turned towards them as they entered, a palpable unfriendly aura surrounding them. Hannah, a 26-year-old lady, sat at the counter, smiling innocently at Ki. Kenji sat next to her, and Ki sat next to Kenji. The bartender glanced at Ki. "What is this boy doing here?" he asked Kenji. "I caught him being nosy about the king's business, so I brought him here. We have an addition to our plan," Kenji replied, accepting a beer from the bartender.
"What plan?" Ki demanded, his fist clenching as he remembered the face of the priest. "And you, why are you spying on the king? I thought you are one of his people."
"Or maybe you too want to use us," Ki retorted, as the bartender handed him a glass of milk. "Here, have a drink, and settle down, boy." Ki released the tension from his hand.
Hannah leaned in and whispered to Kenji, "His aura..."
Kenji interrupted her, taking a sip from his mug before speaking. "I know. When I saw him in that gap, he was emitting a dark aura. It was weak, but it has grown stronger now."
The bartender also noticed Ki's aura. "What is this addition to the plan you are talking about?" he asked Kenji.
Kenji placed his mug on the table. "For this, we will be enlisting his help," he said, glancing at Ki.
"What help can I offer that you need?" Ki asked, his tone unfriendly.
"You see, the three of you are individuals we need to eliminate before the king puts a leash on you. But we are commanded not to, so we let the three of you live. For now, you look like a dog, but if the king puts his hands on the three of you, he will turn you into Cerberus," Kenji explained.
The bartender and Hannah exchanged curious glances, unfamiliar with the term "Cerberus."
Ki stared at Kenji. "You are planning to eliminate us?" His fists clenched once again.
"I know you are angry, but that's how this world is. We have to sabotage others to ensure our victory."
"Victory? Against what, the king?" Ki stood up, ready to leave. "Sorry, but I can't trust those people who turn their backs on their leader."
One of the men drinking at the back laughed loudly at Ki's statement. Ki looked at him. "Leader? Who? That king? We never treat him as a leader," the man said. He was bearded, wearing rugged clothes. He put his arm around Ki's shoulder. "Listen here, kid. We follow a different leader. Kenji here and Hannah, they are not his followers." The man scratched his head, thinking. "Just think of them as... spies! That's it, spies." Ki listened to his words but remained unfazed.
"So, boy, why don't you sit down and hear what they have to say?" the man urged. Ki stood there in silence, not responding. This irritated the man, who grabbed a small knife from his pocket. Hannah was about to intervene, but Kenji stopped her.
The man pressed the blade against Ki's throat. "You piss me off, boy. Don't be disrespectful," he growled, laughing. Suddenly, his vision flipped, and he found himself midair, crashing to the ground headfirst.
"Don't try me," Ki's voice was challenging and serious. "You see, I have a secret. I've watched how Kenji trained me." Ki disappeared and then reappeared behind Kenji. Kenji didn't flinch. Ki whispered in his ear, "I can learn things just by watching."
Ki stepped back and started to walk out of the room, leaving everyone staring, wondering what had just happened. Kenji took a sip of his beer and smiled to himself. "Good," he whispered.
Ki was walking in the middle of the dark street when Kenji reappeared in front of him. Kenji approached Ki, who was staring at him in an unfriendly way. "You want to save your friends, right? You want to leave this place?" Kenji's voice was low, almost a whisper. "Cooperate with us, and we will fulfill this wish."
"What if I don't want to?" Ki asked.
"Then that's where the problem occurs. We have no choice but to eliminate you. Of course, this would make the king angry, but we will simply say that you are planning to escape."
"And what will you do to us after we helped you?"
Kenji looked into Ki's eyes. There was a moment of silence, and then he laughed. "Relax. We will not do anything to you or to those two. We simply want one thing." Kenji's voice is playful and energetic.
"And what is it?" Ki's voice in the other hand was the opposite.
Kenji's face turned serious.
Zephyr was putting a blanket on Septh, who was sleeping at the table. "She must have been exhausted," he whispered to himself. "Why does she want to leave this place?"
A knock disrupted his thoughts. It was coming from the balcony. He opened it and found Ki standing there. "Can you stop that? You are acting like a stalker!" Kenji raised his voice at Ki. "How's Septh?" Ki asked Zephyr. "She just spent her time breaking down before she fell asleep." Ki glanced at Septh. "What did she tell you?" Ki asked Zephyr. "Just random stuff like 'we have to leave' repeatedly." Ki looked straight into his eyes. "What else?" He commanded Zephyr. Zephyr saw that Ki was serious. "Well, she kept saying stuff like 'Spade Kingdom,' 'summons,' 'manipulation,' etc. I don't understand. She is talking like there is no tomorrow, and I can't keep up." Ki let out a sigh. "What is happening, Ki?" Zephyr asked Ki. "Let Septh explain once she takes her rest. And also, tell her this. Act normal and don't act like you know something. I'm also informing you of this." Ki replied and walked out of Zephyr's room. Zephyr, who was confused, overwhelmed with thoughts. "Everyone is acting strange." He sighed and glanced at Septh. Her curly hair was messy now. Her confident eyes had become dull with all those dark spots around them. "I'm worried."