The Beginning of the End. III

Shania and Leelam were seated, faced each other, on the opposite sides of their wooden table. Archer walked in with two plates of food, and placed them on the table on the both sides.

Shania rushed at the food, and took a spoon full of it.

"Mhm..." She chewed with her eyes closed.

''So, how is it?" Archer asked.

"Its... it's... so good..." She said, and Archer smiled.

"So, do you still want me to quit and stay home with you?" Archer asked Shania teasingly.

"No! ... Or yes" She fumbled.

Archer chuckled and patted her head softly before he walked back inside. He came out a few minutes later, and walked outside the house. He sat on a stool at the veranda, watching the Herptertine children play, and the adults who indulged in different activities when something caught his attention. From afar, he spotted the bushes behind the village border move.

Ordinarily, he should consider it normal, owning to the fact that his lair was a forest, and animals could be in it, but he was sure he had seen a being.

He got up, and walked out of the border. He approached the bushes carefully, and quietly. He wasn't in his usual dress up; the cloak and gloves, so his grey skin was out in the open.

He got closer, and realized that the movement had stopped. He parted the tall grasses slightly, but no one was there. He took a few steps forward and still found nothing. He turned to leave, but stepped on something. He moved his legs aside, and tilted his head, staring at the object. He picked it up, scanning it with his eyes. It was a wristwatch. He looked around one more time, seeing no one around, he decided to take it home.

* * * * * *

Dylan hummed a song as he walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, and a blue towel in his hands, drying his wet hair. He was walking towards the wardrobe when he heard his phone which lay on the bed ring. He stopped on his tracks and went for the phone, narrowing his sight as to why he would receive a call at an odd hour. Picking it up from the bed, he checked the caller.

It was from an unknown number. He hesitated before he answered the call.

"Hello..."

"Hey, Dylan, it's me"

"Jaden?! For Goodness' sake, why would you call me at this time of the night?" Dylan cried out, sighing of relief.

"Man..., I'm sorry if I woke you up, but I'm really bothered about something" Jaden said.

"Well, I'm not your mom..." Dylan teased.

"...be serious bro, cos I am" Jaden said, sounding serious.

"Oka...y, I'm listening" Dylan said.

"It's about that boy you said works for your family"

"And what about him?" Dylan questioned, narrowing his gaze.

"I saw something today Dylan, he is not what you think he is"

"What do you mean by that?" Dylan asked, trying his best to believe that Jaden wasn't playing any pranks on him.

"I think he is..."

"...Jaden!" a voice came from the caller's end. Dylan went quiet, waiting for Jaden to return for the conversation to continue.

"I'll talk to you later Dylan" and with that, Jaden hung up.

Dylan stood, staring at his phone's screen for some seconds, before he shrugged and placed his phone back where it had earlier been, and headed back for the wardrobe.