One by one, after exchanging brief words with the lanky man stationed beside the rift, the people gathered inside the warehouse began filing into it. Itsuki and Adrien's friend followed, eventually merging with the crowd forming in front of the swirling tear.
A unit of Awakeners… eight of them. And that man seemed to be the captain. They must go in first to clear whatever danger is inside. After that, the second group go in to excavate whatever resources remain.
It's an efficient and balanced structure where everyone gets to play their part and get paid.
A faint frown pulled at his lips,
Adrien lives like a rat in the shitty districts of this city… barely scraping by, the same way most of these men do. So why did that man's gaze linger on me like that? That wasn't coincidence. It wasn't recognition either. So then… what was it?
Before he could chase the thought any further, an arm suddenly hooked around his shoulders, jostling him forward.
"Kid, you're actually alive…" a soft gravelly voice teased behind him.
He stumbled, recovering with a small exhale.
"Of course I am…"
He turned his head—and saw her.
A young woman with dark eyes and short, shaggy hair that brushed her cheeks. Her expression carried the same weary dullness etched into every face in this district, yet something in her features refused to dim—sharp lines, clean symmetry, a natural presence that didn't need grooming to stand out.
A woman? His girl— no, impossible. She just called him 'kid.' Even though they seem to be the same age…
"That was a pretty heavy fall you had yesterday," she added, eyeing him up and down. "So? How're you feeling?"
Dupont… That's all that's in Adrien's memory fragment about her. No first name. He must've really thought of her strictly as a friend, even though she's… well, more than just fairly attractive—especially for someone working in a place like this.
"I'm good. Surprisingly, I completely recovered that same day."
Her eyes widened.
"Huh? That same day? What are you, some kind of S-Rank combatant?"
"As if. Even the True Light himself would laugh at a joke like that, idiot."
She snapped her head toward Adrien's friend. He already had a smile tugging across his face, clearly entertained by their interaction.
"No way you didn't think the same thing the moment you saw him,"
He let out a quiet chuckle, hands still buried in his pockets.
"Of course I did. I even asked him to get his limit checked cause of it, which he finally agreed to."
She turned back to Itsuki, surprise and disbelief flickering across her face.
"You finally want to get your limit checked?"
Itsuki let out a small, awkward laugh as he ran his hand through his hair.
"I mean… it didn't seem like a bad idea at the time."
"Who are you and what have you done with Adrien" she added before letting out a light chuckle
She held his gaze for a moment before dropping her hand from his shoulder. The crowd thinned little by little as the supervisor cleared groups into the rift. Dupont glanced his way again, this time with a smile struggling to remain casual—barely containing an excitement that didn't quite fit the dreary warehouse.
"Maybe… we could both go together?"
Crap…
"You want to get your limit checked too?" Adrien's friend asked.
She shifted her gaze to him. "I've been thinking about it for a while, but I never had the guts to actually go. I mean… being a woman, I didn't want to embarrass myself at the Council if I ended up not having one."
The Council? Must be where limits are checked.
Now that I think of it, if I do go, what happens if they somehow manage to notice the system?
A place like that must have a hundred guards ready to swarm someone the second something seems off…
Crap...
Adrien's friend sighed, placing a reassuring hand on her head, a soft smile easing across his face.
"If that's what you're worried about, you'll be fine. Just pick a date and go with Adrien. The worst that could happen is a little embarrassment, nothing more."
Not really helpful advice for my situation… but well said.
He took his hand off her head and turned to Itsuki.
"Then it's settled. Adrien, you two go get checked together. I wouldn't mind having two close friends who end up working for famous guilds as S-Rank Awakeners you know…"
Itsuki hesitated for a moment, watching the sincerity of his smile spread across his face.
For someone whose features are so rough, the smiles he puts out are surprisingly pure—almost refreshing.
Geez…
"No problem. We'll go together sometime this week or the next. Whenever we're free."
Dupont bumped her shoulder against his, light but firm.
"I don't appreciate you talking like you're the one calling the shots, kid."
Again with the kid? I'm pretty sure we're the same age…
He let out a soft chuckle, steadying himself as he rubbed the spot she'd hit.
"Whatever you say."
Their turn finally came in the slow-moving crowd. The supervisor handed out a battered pickaxe and dented helmet to the man before them, scratching his name onto a board to mark the equipment price deduction.
Itsuki's expression hardened again, the thought he'd been avoiding earlier resurfacing.
It's obvious now why that leader from the first unit stared at me like that. Word must have spread that Adrien died… or maybe he saw it happen. Same as Dupont. Maybe even same as a few others here.
He glanced at the supervisor as the man rummaged for equipment sturdy enough to hand to Dupont.
But perhaps not him? Guess that makes sense. Someone who's held a job like this for years must've seen more than lips could tell and more than eyes should ever witness.
Dupont stepped into the rift entrance after collecting her gear. Itsuki followed behind, pickaxe in one hand, helmet tucked under his arm, Adrien's friend trailing behind him as he too was given a pickaxe and helmet.
A subtle sheepish smile tugged across his lips,
Guess it's time to get back into the pit....