“Huh?”
Isla froze in place as she stared up at the sky, unable to completely wrap her head around what she just witnessed. Arthur, who was about to land on the ground, suddenly vanished from sight as if he was never there.
Everything happened so quickly that she didn’t even have time to blink her eyes beforehand. “Arthur?” she called for his name.
However, she naturally had no response. That was when it dawned on her… Arthur had vanished into thin air.
“Arthur!”
Sora snapped out of her daze and looked up. “Where is he…? What happened, Isla?” She asked confusedly. Looking at her friend’s expression, she saw a very deep frown, a terrifying one.
Isla looked over her shoulder. ‘What happened? Did he get teleported? How? I didn’t see anything.’ She thought to herself as a thousand questions popped into her mind. She was already aware of the possibility that someone in that building could use teleportation and what just happened instantly reminded her of that eerie detail.
However, what made it terrifying was the fact that it happened so quickly, and at such a crucial moment, when Arthur was about to land and make his escape.
Isla found herself completely lost in that moment. She didn’t know what to do: Whether to stick to the plan and run away or go back in to find Arthur.
‘Dammit, when we were so close.’ She clenched her teeth.
“Isla… Is… Is Arthur going to be ok? What happened?” Sora felt extremely worried as she read all the subtle shifts in her expression.
“He’s going to be fine… Don’t worry.” She patted the girl. ‘I can’t go back in with the girl in my arms. I have to get her out of here first.’
At the same time, Isla could hear the footsteps of the guards surrounding the building. There was no time to think and Isla had to make her decision at that moment. So, she bit her lip and turned around.
Deep down, she was worried about Arthur as being caught in such a situation was a disaster. However, she knew it would be a bigger disaster if she was also caught. Whether she liked it or not, she had to leave and believe that Arthur would be able to somehow do something, wherever he was at that moment.
But, the difference was… Isla wasn’t forced to do that.
‘You better come out alive, Arthur. I know you will.’
As she ran away, she didn’t dare to look back as she had one purpose at that moment. Find the rest of her group, and go after the two dwarves before they leave the city. There was no time at all and the clock was ticking down.
***
“Goddamit, that hurts!!” Arthur growled as he tapped the back of his head. He had hit it when he fell to the ground. He didn’t understand what had just happened as he looked around him. He was now in a completely different place than he expected.
‘Where the hell am I? And why the hell am I here?!’ He blinked in confusion. He was with Isla and Sora just a few seconds ago.
Now, he was inside what he could only describe as a normal office room. It was dim and quiet, with the curtains covering the windows so as not to let anyone see in or out of the room.
“…” Slowly, Arthur stood up as he looked around him. ‘Fuck, where was I transported?’
“When I heard about the ‘Gifted Ones’ and how they have arrived at the capital. I expected to see something different.”
*Click*
At that moment, Arthur a clicking sound followed by a very cold and deep voice. Looking to the side again, he realized that the lamp on the office’s desk had been turned on by a man, revealing their appearance.
The man was clad in dark clothes with a rather long hair that reached his nape. He had a large scar across his terrifying face that moved from his upper lip to his left eye. He had a large cigar in the side of his mouth that was slowly burning.
This entire time, Arthur couldn’t feel his presence at all. He could swear that there was no one with him inside that room and that idea alone made Arthur extremely wary of this man. That is of course if he ignored the sheer pressure being exuded from the man’s body.
Arthur could feel the atmosphere around him feeling heavier than ever before. This man was… a threat.
“…”
“But, to think you are all but a bunch of kids. I must admit that I was truly disappointed.” The man continued as he pulled the cigar from his mouth. “A bunch of kids trying to get into my business.”
“… What can I say? We are young but can still ruin your little, totally legal business. That says more about how weak you are than about us.” Arthur shrugged. “But, I have to admit that you definitely look your role very well. A bad guy.”
His response made the man stare at him coldly for a few seconds as if he was trying to pressure him. However, Arthur had seen far worse. The giant’s eyes were still engraved in his mind and compared to them, this man was basically harmless.
“Being mischievous even though you don’t even understand what situation you are in currently… I must compliment your mental strength.”
“Can we get over with compliments? I’m trying to leave this place. But, before that, I need to ask you a question.” Then, the smile and playful tone vanished as he Arthur pointed his finger at the man. His expression had turned into that of extreme anger.
“Are you the one that abducted my friend?” He asked coldly.
“…” The man squinted his eyes for a moment as if he was quite surprised by what he was seeing. But, in the end, he closed his eyes and replied.
“Indeed, I am-“
*Swish*
Before he could even finish the sentence, he opened his eyes to Arthur’s punch swinging toward his face.
*BOOOOOOM*
Arthur slammed his fist into the chair, blasting it to pieces. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he slowly peeled his hand out of the wood. Looking up, he realized that the man had moved to the side almost instantaneously.
‘Fast…’ He clenched his teeth.
Meanwhile, the man himself was coldly eyeing Arthur back. He didn’t expect the boy to instantly attack like that and if it wasn’t for his reaction speed, that attack would’ve most definitely hit its target.
‘Kids or not… They are not an enemy to be underestimated. It seems the rumors are true… They are a bunch of monsters with no limit for their potential.’ Reaching that conclusion, the man exhaled a breath as he slowly released the cigar from his hand, letting it drop to the ground before he stomped it with his leather shoe.
“Say… What is your name, kid?”
“Shut the hell up!” Arthur cursed. “The pain you inflicted on those innocent kids. I’m going to pay it back with interest.”
Slowly unsheathing his sword, Arthur aimed it at the man. All his anger from the scenes he witnessed came back to him as he channeled his mana.
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3