Chapter 9

"How come you're alive without a heartbeat?!"

Leo already lowered his jaw to counter whatever accusation this weird woman would say to him, upon hearing her words he felt his heart clench.

Or did he?

"Wait... hold on a second..." Leo's lowered lip quivered in skepticism, and his eyes enlarged at the sudden realization that his chest felt...lighter?

Taking advantage of her stun he shook off her grip on his right hand and then he pressed his palm against his chest, dispelling all negative thoughts hovering at the back of his mind. Leo resolved that even if he had seen manipulations and atrocities against reality, there simply was no maneuvering around biology.

"Then why? Why am I still alive?" His voice came out in whispers, Leatrix raised her nose to him, tossing him a disgusted glare.

"You can thank the Philosopher's Stone for that." Her unimpressed voice rang, her body still hovering over the young man.

Leo blinked twice, 'again with that.' he cursed at the back of his mind, tired of this weird position he opted to shake off her other grip and maybe even counter. Being the one to top the voluptuous woman, and demand answers.

Unfortunately, the door pushed open, revealing Kael who had returned with a tray of clothes. "The clothes we ordered have just arrived..." He was saying, till his listless gaze shifted from the tray to Leatrix who was topping a shirtless Leo.

"Oh?" His lips formed an 'O' shape, "are you doing more grown-up things again? I'll come at a later time then." Kael announced in a flat tone and serious eyes.

"Then, there'll be no need for these." He added, locking his gaze on the freshly delivered clothes, he let out a heavy sigh, turning swiftly to make his retreat.

"Come back!" Leo and Leatrix desperately cried out with outstretched hands, pulling away from each other before they tainted the kid's innocence.

*Five minutes later*

Leo straightened his white shirt and sat at the edge of the bed with elbows resting on his knees and his face buried in his palms. "Why did I swallow that frickin stone? No...why did I even try to swerve around that kid? In the first place, why was he on the road? Better yet, why didn't I just decline that job offer and wait out the storm? All this started when I left my parent's home, mom is that basement still there?"

Kael and Leatrix cluelessly watched the young man reflect on his life choices for almost five minutes, and the more he spoke, the more painful it became to watch.

Thankfully, they didn't need to for much longer, their saving grace took the form of the innkeeper, who walked in using his master key. Balancing on his palm was a smooth white pearl and on his face a grim expression.

"I'm afraid I have to ask you, guests, to leave." He announced, taking calculated steps into the bare room with hollow floors and unremovable stains on the walls. Nothing a little elbow grease and plunging on his purse couldn't fix.

"Is there a problem?" Leatrix asked, defensively standing in front of Kael with outstretched hands.

Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, Leo raised his head, casting his eyes on a man in his late fifties wearing an ash button-down coat, with grey hairs sparsely sticking out of the sides of his bald head.

Who was he? And what was that thing in his palm?

Answering Leo's question, the innkeeper brandished the pearl in front of Kael, and almost immediately it lit up, displaying a holographic picture of Kael, slapped on a wanted poster. Although Leo couldn't understand the language written on it, he could take a swing from Leatrix's defensive stance and the old man's glare, that this kid was trouble.

"That kid is an assassin! If you three don't leave now, I'm calling the task force!" He threatened, looking at Kael with contempt in his eyes.

"Wait for a second, what's he saying? Are you both criminals?" Leo spat out, Leatrix and Kael sent him a questioning stare.

"That surprises you?" She blurted out, pulling out her stiletto knife from the strap around her thigh that kept it in place.

From the corner of his eyes, Leo looked out the only window next to the bed and noticed some men in pairs, surrounding self-driven carriages.

"Um...not to meddle but who are those men surrounding the inn?" He piped up, drawing their attention to the men in navy blue and silver uniforms.

Leatrix hissed under her breath, without wasting a second she raised her foot and sent a roundhouse kick to the innkeeper, sending his body crashing through the wall!

Leo let out a whistle.

"They've surrounded the inn, do we open fire?" Kael asked, already baring his magic circle.

"Are you crazy? Aren't they like the police? If you do that it'll implicate you even further!" Leo argued, looking outside the window.

"See, they're not even wielding guns, if you both just turn yourself..."

"Kael!" Leatrix called out, the young boy nodded as though he could read the woman's mind and knew exactly what to do.

Leo who had seen too much knew he was going to get caught up in something dangerous. "Just forget it, you're both insane!" He sighed in defeat, picking up his black cloak from on top of the bed, and hastily draping it over his shoulders.

First, it was pirates, and now criminals, Leo pitied himself as all this was happening while he was on an empty stomach!

"Let's go-!" Leatrix charged, running up to the window and smashing it into tiny pieces with her foot, Leo shielded his gaze with his elbow against the glass particles that flew in his general direction.

"Are you suicidal?" His voice came out in a high-pitched screech, the lady had just frickin jumped out the window into a sea of enemies.

"You're next" Leo heard Kael say from behind him, his face turned pale as a sense of Deja Vu came over him, giving him a hint of what would happen next.

As if he was stealing glances into a future that already happened.

Just like he predicted, one kick from the kid sent him flying out the window and then jumped out himself.

Leo didn't have the time to focus on where he would land, because whilst he was in mid-air, the men underneath them simultaneously raised their palms over their heads. And just like Warwick had done, a black magic circle encircled their palms.

Only this time, in place of daggers cylindrical light blue crystal-like projectiles fired at Leo, Kael, and Leatrix. Traveling at a speed faster than bullets shot out of a machine gun!