A Night Stroll

"Eira, I need you to make some changes for the future iterations of these guns." we need to maximize our profits, "Firstly," I began, leaning back in her chair, "I want the runes on the gun and bullets to be inverted. It's a strategic move to prevent competitors from copying our work."

Eira's eyebrows furrowed, a look of annoyance crossing her face. "Inverted runes? But that would mean altering the entire design."

I shrugged. "It's necessary, Eira. It'll provide an extra layer of security for our invention. Plus if it's you it shouldn't be a problem,"

She grumbled under her breath, reluctantly jotting down the instruction. "Fine, fine, inverted runes it is."

I continued, pushing on despite her growing irritation. "Additionally, I want the guns to be coated with Zephyrium, it's known for its resistance to magical alteration. This would deter anyone from adding any unauthorized runes."

Her eyes narrowed in my direction. "Zephyrium, Kael? Really? That stuff is a pain in the ass, you know."

"I'm aware, Eira. But it's a necessary precaution," I calmly replied, refusing to back down.

She huffed in frustration but nodded. "Okay, Zephyrium it is then."

The next instruction I gave her caught her completely off guard. "The silence feature on the gun, remove it. We want the option for customers to purchase additional attachments."

Her mouth fell open. "But the silence feature was the most complex part of the design!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest.

I offered a sympathetic smile. "I understand, Eira. But trust me, it's a smart marketing move."

She sighed heavily, a grumbled 'fine' being her only response. As she jotted down the instruction, I turned towards Zeke. "Zeke, we need a manufacturing plant for mass production. Your connections could be useful here. Make sure it's secure and make sure the workers cant yap about it."

Zeke, who had been amusing himself by fiddling with the prototype gun, perked up at my request. "You got it, so I'm assuming you'll visit that old man right? As for the workers, we could buy some slaves."

I then glanced back at Eira, grinning mischievously. "And Eira, I don't want you to skimp on the rune diagrams. I know you hate spending your own money, but we need them to be long-lasting, we don't want our weapons to be faulty in the long run"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and I could see her nostrils flaring. "You're really pushing your luck today, aren't you?"

Just when I thought she might explode, I hastily added, "We're all going to invest in this project, Eira. It's not just you."

Eira looked at me incredulously. "All of us? You're asking me to share my profits?"

Trying to pacify her, I replied, "Consider it a group investment, Eira. The returns are going to be tremendous."

Still fuming, she responded with a curt nod, her eyes filled with skepticism. Meanwhile, Zeke, who had been watching the exchange with interest, held up the prototype gun.

"Hey Hotcake," he began, grinning cheekily, "Can I keep this one?"

Eira snapped her gaze towards Zeke, her eyes blazing. "No!" she exclaimed, almost leaping across the room to snatch the gun from Zeke's hands.

As she returned to her side of the room, clutching the prototype protectively, Zeke burst into laughter. "Worth a try," he chuckled, earning a glare from Eira.

"Kael," Zeke began, a hint of seriousness replacing his previous cheerfulness, "Desolara has been acting... strange lately."

Raising an eyebrow, I looked at him quizzically. "Strange how?"

Zeke ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. "She's been really jumpy and panicky. If it continues her mana will end up getting more chaotic. And ever since she found out that you're heading to the academy, she's been even more nervous."

I sighed inwardly. Desolara, Her recent behavior was worrisome, but It's to be expected, however, I wasn't about to voice my concerns out loud. Instead, I shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "I'll talk to her. Thanks for letting me know, Zeke."

Before we could continue our conversation, Eira's voice cut through the room. "Okay, enough. Both of you, out! I've got work to do."

We complied, rising from our seats. Zeke, ever the joker, gave a dramatic bow as he exited. I, however, was a little slower, noticing something covered in a corner of Eira's workspace. A spark of curiosity flashed in my eyes as I pointed towards the object.

"What's that, Eira?" I asked.

Eira's eyes darted towards the corner, and a smirk graced her lips. "Oh, that's just a personal project of mine," she said nonchalantly.

Intrigued, I took a step closer, but Eira quickly held out a hand to stop me. "Don't even think about touching it, Kael," she warned, her eyes hard.

"Alright, alright," I relented, holding my hands up in surrender. Her stern gaze didn't leave me until I had completely exited her workspace.

Once outside, I leaned against the wall, the information Zeke had given me about Desolara weighing on my mind.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

As I approached the counter, Desolara offered me a smile. It was practiced and perfected, but her eyes were a stark contradiction. Her stormy blue orbs, laced with red flecks, were as still and vacant as a pond frozen over in winter. She'd clearly been putting up a façade, and it pained me to see it, she looks just like my sister did...

"It's fine, Kael," she said, though her voice was as hollow as her gaze. Something was eating at her, I could tell, but she was trying her best to conceal it, to seem okay.

Deciding to give her a change of scenery, I proposed a walk to the nearby park. She was quiet, merely nodding at my suggestion. We ventured out into the evening, under a sky dotted with stars. We found a bench and sat there, and silence fell between us. I studied her for a moment before breaking the silence, "Desolara, you've been remarkably strong. Stronger than anyone should be at your age. But remember, it's okay to ask for help. You're a child. You don't have to bear it all alone. I understand you're scared but please try to rely on those around you. I know you were planning to run off, however, you're a kid, if you need help ask us."

Her eyes glistened under the starlight, becoming watery as she held back the torrent of emotion I knew was threatening to burst. I paused, It must be difficult for a kid to run away from everyone.

"But Kael, I'm scared," she finally whispered. "I...I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me, I...If I don't leave someone will get hurt."

Her voice cracked on the last word, a testament to the sheer terror that had been silently haunting her. It was the breaking point. Tears finally spilled from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks in a heartbreaking display of her pent-up fear and despair.

"My life... it's been so unfair," she choked out between sobs. Her voice began to rise in pitch, the mask of strength she'd been wearing all this time crumbling away to reveal the scared child beneath. "Why does this always happen? Why does everyone around me end up..."

Her words trailed off, drowned in the tide of her sobs. She began to tremble, her small body convulsing with every shuddering breath. Her cries pierced the tranquil night air, echoing her sorrow. I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her in a comforting embrace.

She continued to sob, her cries muffling into my shirt. Her words became incoherent, morphing into a singular mantra of 'it's not fair'. The park was silent, save for her crying. Even the bugs gave her a moment of silence.

Eventually, her sobs lessened, and her grip on my shirt slackened. Exhausted from her emotional outburst, she fell asleep, her tear-streaked face burrowing into my chest. I kept my arms around her, my heart heavy with the burden she'd been carrying all alone.

As I sat there, under the night sky, holding a twelve-year-old who'd just cried her heart out, I resolved to protect her. No one, especially not a child, should have to go through what Desolara was going through. She'd been strong, but she didn't have to be strong alone anymore. I won't make the same mistake twice...

I laid Desolara gently on the side of the bench, her sobs now reduced to gentle whimpers. She was still asleep, exhaustion taking a toll on her. I stood up, glaring into the darkness of the park, my gaze hardened with resolve.

"Get your ass out here," I commanded, my voice echoing in the silent night.

Almost immediately, a creature appeared from behind one of the trees. It had a magical ability similar to a chameleon, blending seamlessly with its surroundings. The size of a large dog, it resembled a rat with mammal-like arms and legs covered in a tough hide. It had an unusually wide jaw and large, amphibian-like eyes. I never described this creature in my novel but based on its behavior it is not a high-ranking monster.

And it radiated a slightly corrupted mana pattern. A demonic creature.

It turned its head towards me, its eyes wide with surprise and confusion. It must've wondered how I'd seen through its disguise.

"You bastard, did you have fun terrorizing Des? Did you enjoy scaring her all this time?" I growled, my voice filled with fury and bitterness. "You must've been busy with terrorizing Des and hiding from Zeke to care about the others, huh?"

Without a warning, the creature lunged at me. I didn't flinch, didn't move. Just an inch away from ripping off my face, my black shirt suddenly deformed, lunging at the monster and binding it in thick black ropes. The monster struggled, emitting a guttural sound, but the ropes held strong. thankfully dark out, if it hadn't underestimated me I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

"Good thing I managed to snatch this from Eira," I said, retrieving the prototype gun from my pocket. I pointed the barrel towards the restrained creature. "This is the perfect time to test it, don't you agree?"

The creature continued to wriggle and make distressed noises, but it was no use. I doubt anyone below master's rank will be able to break free unless they have holy power.

"Hey, hey, don't make too much noise or you'll wake Des up. You won't be able to break out of that bind regardless," I warned, a sinister smirk playing on my lips.

I crouched down behind the creature, the barrel of the gun pressed against the back of its head. "I wonder how deep it will penetrate?" I murmured, tapping my temple with my free hand. Without giving it another thought, I pulled the trigger.

The sound of the shot was silent, the second it penetrated the noises stopped. The bullet had drilled a clean hole through the creature's skull, its body going limp almost instantly.

I whistled in awe, looking at the prototype gun in my hand. "Damn, it's better than I thought," I muttered, impressed with the power of the gun. I'll ask Eira to lower the firepower and make people pay an extra sum for more power. But I better return the gun to Eira or she'll kill me.

With a wave of my hand, the ropes that bound the creature dissolved, merging back into my shirt. The creature's lifeless body fell to the ground, I walked back to the bench and picked up Des. I should let her sleep, I better take her back though.