Encounter

As Zaeir gazed up at the dark, thundering cloud above, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The storm seemed to be growing more destructive by the minute, with lightning bolts streaking across the sky and deafening claps of thunder echoing through the streets.

With no choices left, Zaeir scanned the area for shelter.

His eyes landed on an abandoned church situated just a few feet away in the desolate alley.

Without hesitation, he darted towards the entrance, hoping to seek refuge from the approaching storm.

He approached the church and noticed that the rusty double doors were wide open, creaking back and forth in the howling wind.

Zaeir hesitated for a moment, wondering how long it had been since anyone had set foot inside the decrepit building.

The damp smell of mold and mildew wafted toward him, making him cover his nose in disgust.

Despite his reservations, he knew he had no other choice but to enter the ruined church.

Stepping inside, he was greeted by the sight of devastation.

The pews were overturned and splintered, the altar was in ruins, and the stained-glass windows were shattered, letting in the howling wind and rain.

As he made his way further into the church, Zaeir couldn't help but wonder what could have caused such destruction.

Was it the storm, or was something else responsible for the abandoned church's current state?

Nevertheless, he found a corner of the church and hunkered down, hoping to wait out the storm in the relative safety of the abandoned building.

The once orderly rows of seats were now in complete shambles, and even the podium itself was filled with cracks, leaving no doubt as to the extent of the building's neglect.

In search of a place to sit, he made his way towards one of the few remaining tables and seated himself, taking note of the damage that had befallen the rest of the church.

He looked out towards the storm raging outside and sighed, "It seems like the storm won't die down anytime soon."

Growing bored with his temporary refuge, he rose from his seat and began to explore the rest of the church.

Everywhere he looked, he saw evidence of the building's decay.

The walls and floors were rigid and cracked, and even the bookshelves looked as though they had been raided and left in disarray.

There wasn't much to be seen except the poor state of the building.

'Even a single blow can destroy the majority of these things.'

It was then that something caught his attention.

Resting atop the pulpit, the sacred space where the pope would deliver his sermons, was a weathered tome.

Its cover was coated in a thick layer of dust, indicating it had been left untouched for some time.

The title of the book, 'Kaeris Descent', was written in bold letters, and the image on the cover depicted a fierce two-winged creature with a lizard-like body.

Zaeir's eyes were fixed on the cover of the ancient tome.

The image of the two-winged beast with a lizard-like body was intricately detailed, and although the cover was small, he could sense that the creature's size was absurdly huge.

He was so engrossed in the picture that he didn't notice the sound of footsteps creeping up behind him.

The silence was shattered by a sudden command that came from behind Zaeir. "Don't move," the voice said in a tone that brooked no argument, "If you want to leave here alive, then shut up and answer my questions."

'Sh*t, why's everyone trying to kill me today?!' Zaeir thought to himself in frustration.

Despite his fear, he knew he had to stay calm and not give the stranger any reason to harm him.

Slowly and deliberately, he raised both his hands in a gesture of compliance, signaling that he was willing to do as he was told.

"I don't mean any harm," he said in a measured tone, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

The silence was shattered by a sudden command that came from behind Zaeir. "Don't move," the voice said in a tone that brooked no argument, "If you want to leave here alive, then shut up and answer my questions."

"I don't mean any harm," he said in a measured tone, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

Seeing that Zaeir had no intention to resist, the stranger calmly started to question him.

"First, why are you here?"

"I was attending the festival until it suddenly started pouring down on me, so I had no choice but to take shelter."

The voice was quiet for a moment before continuing, "Alright, then who are you?"

"Zaeir Vagne."

The stranger seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding, "...Okay, you're free to go."

The stranger quickly reholstered his gun and pushed Zaeir away lightly.

As he stepped back, Zaeir couldn't help but wonder why the interrogation had been so brief.

'Was that it?

'Isn't he supposed to interrogate me more?

'Why would he believe that someone randomly found an abandoned place like this while attending the festival?'

Many thoughts raced through his mind, but Zaeir quickly dispelled them and turned to face the stranger who had held him at gunpoint.

His eyes widened as he took in the stranger's appearance.

It was a young boy.

He couldn't have been more than 16 years old, with dark brown hair and piercing, ocean-like irises.

Zaeir noticed a long scar that ran from the boy's chin to his neck, adding to the air of danger that surrounded him.

Despite the rain that had soaked the boy from head to toe, he stood tall and seemed completely unfazed by the storm raging outside.

Zaeir couldn't help but ask, "Why did you let me go?"

He was genuinely curious, not just about the reason for his release, but also about the young boy himself.

'A young teen with a gun and a scar that's obviously resulted from a fierce fight…

'In this empire, only police and special agents were allowed to carry one, yet this little boy has gotten his hands on one of them.

'This isn't so simple.'

The boy coldly looked at him and quietly said, "Because I can always subdue you anytime I like, so don't try anything stupid."

Zaeir wore a surprised face, as he didn't expect such an answer.

'This kid is quite arrogant but... He seems to know a lot as well.

'Since he won't leave during this period of time. Should I trick him into spitting out information?

'No, that won't do.

'Currently, he has no intentions of harming me, but this might not be the case if I keep pestering him.'

With a light cough, Zaeir wore a light smile and tried to strike up a conversation with him before diving in for the main course.

"So what's your name?"

"Ren."

"Your hobby?"

"None."

"Your friends?"

"None."

"..."

"Your parents must be bored all the time talking to you." Zaeir leaned back and sighed.

Ren, unamused, stared coldly at him as he replied, "I'm an orphan."

"Oh."