On the floating island, there was a large blue tower. A spiral. Its nickname was ‘Spiral of Trends’.
Apparently, a very famous clothing brand.
‘How come I’m hearing it only today?’ Varian thought, but didn’t say it out loud.
Then Varian experienced the most excruciating three hours of his life.
Now, he was trying desperately to not extend those three hours into four.
“This is good already.” Varian said in protest.
“No. Change!” Sarah shook her head and said in an irrefutable tone. She sounded like an instructor deciding to ignore the cadets’ pleas.
In a way, it was the same situation.
He was enthusiastic in the first ten minutes. Then everything felt like hell.
‘Ah! Just let this end!’
Varian sighed and tapped on his comm.
The white shirt, black vest and pants on his body were instantly replaced by a another white shirt, black vest and pants.
“What’s the difference? It’s the same thing!” He cried out, looking at the mirror.
“Of course, there’s difference!” Sarah shook her head vehemently.
She compared the last combination to the current one. Then she did the heartbreaking move.
She said.
“Change!”
“Argh!” Varian hung his head in frustration and tapped on his comm again.
The hologram covering him changed and Sarah’s eyes widened.
“Yes!”
A white blazer above a black v neck T-shirt, and black pants.
“There’s no difference.” Varian said numbly.
Ok. The color changed. But does it really matter?
“…I pity your wife.” Sarah said in genuine exasperation. “Your aesthetic sense might really kill her.”
Varian shot back. “And I pity your husband. Mark my words, you’ll kill him with this shopping.”
Sarah puffed her cheeks and looked at him. “Wanna fight?”
Varian stepped closer to her, and looked into her eyes aggressively. “No way.”
“The-…eh? W-Wait, I thought you were going to fight!” Sarah’s voice sounded, mixed with confusion and surprise.
After asking the store employee to pack the dress, he smirked at the pouting Sarah. “Did you really think I’d pick a fight? Heh. Jokes on you.”
Then he tapped on his comm again and the hologram clothes were gone, leaving him in his camouflages.
Varian ignored any further ‘advice’ of Sarah to buy another set and checked out.
It was fricking 60,000 karma points for the dress!
That was the income of an average person for a year!
Even though he was rich, Varian wondered if he was splurging.
“You should actually a buy a few more sets. 10 would be enough.”
“I don’t want to die. Besides, where is yo—” Varian suddenly turned out and looked at the twenty third floor of the glass building.
However, it was a glass that prevented others from seeing what was inside. So, Varian could see nothing.
But he didn’t care and dashed to the twenty third floor on stairs in a few seconds.
He focused his senses and searched the vast floor, spanning a mile.
Yet…
Was it just an illusion?
Varian’s shoulders slumped.
Looking at Sarah’s worried face, he felt guilt. “I’m sorry, I…”
“Are you aright?” She was already wielding her sword, and looked around for enemies.
“I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you.” He smiled wryly. “I felt that there was…someone watching.”
It felt like her.
No. He was sure it was her.
But Sia was nowhere to be found.
She must have escaped.
Sarah raised her brow. “You too?”
“Hm?” Varian looked at Sarah in surprise as the latter closed her eyes and pointed her sword in a direction. A heavy pressure descended on the floor as her sword started shining.
“Argh!”
“Kyaa!”
“Terrorists!”
“Shadow Order!”
The store was soon in mayhem
“It was very, very faint. So, I thought I was mistaken.” As Sarah finished, she slashed down her sword at one of the escaping members, an old lady.
Varian’s eyes widened but he trusted Sarah and held back his impulse to interfere.
Boom!
The old lady disappeared and a dagger shot at Sarah’s slender neck at breakneck speed.
“Hmph! Bunch of rats!” Sarah said in contempt and dodged the dagger. But it cut off a strand of her hair, and broke the wall behind her.
Varian’s breath halted as he the old lady, who was now a man in all black.
“Who the heck is this guy?” Varian mumbled.
There was an oppressive pressure from him.
The pressure from a peak level 6!
Boom!
Boom!
The building suddenly shook and Varian saw tens of thousands of hover cars flying out.
The ones which didn’t make in time were caught up in the explosion that destroyed the foundation of the building.
Sarah appeared in front of Varian and said. “I’ve informed Aunt Anna. She’ll be here in 30 seconds.”
30 seconds sounded nice on paper. But 30 seconds of level 6 fighters might as well be an hour of fight for unawakened.
‘Still how did they find me?’
It was her who insisted that only two of them go shopping. But technically, no one should know it’s her.
And she was wearing a mask, disguising her identity.
But regardless…
“Varian, that guy is Space Awakener. So if you stay away from me—” Sarah stopped abruptly and lashed out her sword.
Kacha!
Her sword broke through the dagger that suddenly appeared behind Varian. The man disappeared from behind and Varian felt the space tighten.
“Hmph!” With a snort, Sarah’s water mana followed by a brutal punch broke through solid space.
Sarah stood guiding him, her face pale and blood flowing from the corner of her lips.
Varian looked at the ground and sighed.
If things proceeded properly, Sarah would be able to hold off the man for 30 seconds.
Even though their battle would raze the floating estate to ashes, everyone on the island already left, save for the dead.
So all he needed was to wait.
Or so he thought.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two more people in all black appeared.
Shadow Order…
Fuck!
Snakes of lightning, a devastating punch and an unstable space swarmed them.
“V-Varian…” Sarah grabbed him tightly. “They came for me, you…teleport.”
Varian shook his head, his eyes turning cold.
He looked at the three assassins and a bright light flashed.