Chapter 9

It seemed like time flew slowly as the class seemed to be deliberately refusing to end for the day. The school day had gone smoothly and Laiten had yet to see Draken as he sat at his seat skillfully spinning his black ballpoint pen between his fingers and wondered if anything might have happened to the Titan. He'd been so adamant about not leaving me alone for a minute and now he suddenly disappears, weird.

"Hey! Laiten Dude are you sleeping with your eyes open?" Laiten jolts from his thought looking to Killian who stood before him holding his bag in one hand while the other rested on his hips.

"Finally up from your daydream? Come on class is over" says Killian as he hands Laiten his bag while he does a once over of the class shocked to see it empty.

"oh...yeah sorry I guess I zoned out) he says getting up and stuffing his pen in his bag.

"zoned out? More like sleeping with your eyes open you gotta teach me how to do that" says Killian playfully bumping Laiten's shoulder earning a soft chuckle as they exit the class beginning the journey home together.

"Haa it's almost summer break I am so done with science classes," says Killian.

"yeah I second that but it also means Exams are coming up soon," says Laiten glancing over the little bit of snow that fell the night before.

"oh don't remind me I can already see the eye bags," says Killian releasing a light yawn.

(honestly, it wouldn't be such a pain if professors stopped pulling questions from their ass" mutters Laiten causing both boys to chuckle in amusement before falling into a comfortable silence as they walk down the slightly empty streets before going their separate ways.

As Laiten approached his apartment all the while wondering about Draken's whereabouts he was forced into suspicion as he met his front door open, warily and cautiously he walked into the house picking up the broom that lay at his front door using that as a makeshift weapon hr slowly approached the sounds coming from the kitchen, with a deep breath he turned the corner ready to attack if needed, but he is caught off guard as he meets a figure in the kitchen.

".....Grandpa?" the figure turns around at the sight of his dead Grandfather causing him to drop the broom he had in his hand.

"There you are I thought I said not to sneak up on me and is that a broom? Why do you have a broom in your hand I already cleaned?" says the elderly man, it all seemed too real.

"What are you talking about...Wh-what the hell is this?" says Laiten seeming to freeze in place

"what? What's wrong with you boy? I just got discharged from the hospital and you're already charging me with questions? That was a joke boy why aren't you laughing" Yeah, it was the same man, the same sense of humor the scrutiny in his eyes despite his age and signature oak wood cane on his hand.

"you- it can't be....you're- you can't be here, you're not supposed to be alive," says Laiten wondering if he was still asleep in class or if he hadn't even gotten out of bed and dreamt the whole day.

"well now I know I scolded you that one time but I didn't think you'd want me on the first train to the creator, that was the second joke boy why aren't you laughing are you okay? was I in the hospital for so long?" He asks LAIten placing a hand on the boy's head, the warmth of his grandfather's wrinkled hand making the reality of the situation a lot more jarring for the boy.

"But....but you died, I was sure of it...I didn't dream it" says Laiten trying to understand what's going on.

"that must've been a horrible dream goodness I guess I indeed was gone too long," says the old man with a light chuckle as he taps Laitens shoulder as he walks into the living room and sits on the couch his cane placed by his side.

"Anyway I ordered some food for us to use to celebrate my discharge so go ahead and take a shower i hope you still like Chinese food boy" Laiten coming out of his shock moves towards his room doing multiple double takes on the elderly man who raised him who's burial he attended now sat in his living room.

Laiten went into his bedroom dropping his bag as he washed his face and peeked out his door again to see if his grandfather would disappear but he was still there so it wasn't a dream it was all real, this all had his mind reeling, this was too real to be a prank, a dream maybe? I didn't seem so as he pinched himself regretting it immediately after, he sighed sitting down on his bed and running his fingers through his hair as he tried to wrap his mind around his current situation, maybe it was indeed real....maybe the death had been a dream...maybe everything was a dream....Draken...was he even real?

"Wonderfull, everything is going well"

"master! Please hear me!"

"shut up! let sleeping dogs lie"

"chosen one? I'll be seeing you soon...very soon hahahahahaha"