The sky had begun to turn red by the time they finally stepped out of Velmont's main building. The evening breeze brushed against Alvano's still-pale face, though his breathing was slowly returning to normal. Theo walked beside him, occasionally glancing at his friend with worry that had yet to subside.
In the parking lot, a sleek black sports bike awaited them. The elegant vehicle seemed to radiate a different kind of aura under the golden dusk light. It was a gift from Arwen—a present Theo had always cherished like a divine blessing. Even when his mind was heavy, just seeing that bike brought him a strange sense of comfort.
But tonight, his thoughts were still filled with the strange conversation and psychological pressure they had just endured in the student council room. Amelia's cold gaze, Nathaniel's thin smile, and the mental force that had nearly brought Alvano to his knees—all of it still spun in his head, piling up like a weight he couldn't process.
Theo exhaled softly, trying to push aside his unease for a moment. He patted the back seat of his bike, signaling Alvano to get on.
"Come on, I'll take you home."
Alvano nodded weakly and slowly climbed onto the bike, doing his best to keep his balance. Theo put on his helmet, started the engine, and the deep rumble of the exhaust filled the quiet evening.
A few meters away, Joshua stood waiting near a luxurious black car that had just pulled up. His chauffeur promptly opened the door for him.
Before getting in, Joshua waved, his voice cutting through the silence.
"Hey! You guys free tonight?" he called from a distance.
Theo turned, frowning slightly. "Why?"
"I want to treat you two to dinner." Joshua gave a small smile, his tone lighter than the tension that had filled the air earlier. "After a day as exhausting as this, I think we need something to clear our heads."
Theo looked at Alvano for a moment, gauging his friend's condition. Alvano, though clearly drained, gave a faint nod, signaling he didn't mind.
"Alright," Theo finally replied. "Just send the time and location."
"Got it," Joshua said with a wider smile. "I'll handle everything."
With that, Joshua got into his car, and the luxurious vehicle slowly drove out of the parking lot, slicing through the fading light of dusk.
Theo turned back to Alvano. "Let's head home first. You need rest before tonight."
Alvano only responded with a small nod. Without another word, Theo gently twisted the throttle. The sound of the engine filled the air as they left the school grounds, gliding down a road now cloaked in the growing shadow of night.
As the wind brushed against their faces during the ride, Theo's thoughts began to spiral again. The conversation with Nathaniel and Amelia, the powers they had shown, and the offer from the Velmont Student Council—all of it still refused to make sense. There were too many questions left unanswered.
Throughout the ride, Theo occasionally glanced at his rearview mirror, watching Alvano's expression. The lines of worry etched on his friend's face were unmistakable. He knew very well that Alvano was battling his own thoughts, and the mental strain from earlier had only worsened things.
Theo couldn't stop thinking about it. He knew Nathaniel's power didn't just cause temporary discomfort. There could be deeper psychological effects—especially if it triggered memories that were better left buried. He was terrified, truly terrified, that Alvano's trauma from middle school might resurface. The memory of that incident they had long tried to suppress together.
That was why he deliberately didn't speed up. He kept the bike at a steady pace, cruising down the evening road in a soothing rhythm, as if giving Alvano space to breathe.
Meanwhile, Alvano was lost in his own storm of thoughts. Everything felt chaotic. Fear, confusion, anger, and regret all tangled together in a blur. Without realizing it, his mind slipped back to the past—to the moment Theo lay unconscious in front of him after that brutal fight with the man in the black jacket. The emotional wound from that day had never fully healed, and now, a similar shadow was haunting him again.
Eventually, Theo slowly eased off the throttle and stopped in front of a small convenience store by the roadside. The motion was enough to snap Alvano out of his spiral of thoughts, bringing him back to reality.
Theo turned around, taking off his helmet slowly. "Wait here. I'll grab something," he said in a calm voice.
He stepped into the convenience store, the automatic door sliding open with a soft chime. A female clerk greeted him with a polite smile, speaking in a standard service tone.
"Good evening, welcome."
Theo gave her a brief nod and walked straight to the ice cream freezer in the corner. Cold air greeted him as he opened the door. His eyes scanned the rows of ice creams of different brands and flavors. He looked through them one by one, trying to remember which flavor Alvano liked—but nothing came to mind. There wasn't a single flavor he could recall as his friend's favorite.
After standing there for a while, Theo made a simple decision—to buy one of each flavor available. Carefully, he arranged several cups and sticks of ice cream into the small basket.
When he brought his haul to the counter, the clerk looked slightly surprised at the amount. Her expression suggested she wanted to ask why he was buying so many, but she held back, maintaining her professionalism.
Before the transaction started, Theo spoke up.
"Excuse me, miss," he said quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. "If I may ask… what's the cure for a messy heart?"
The clerk paused, momentarily stunned. "Well… I'm not a doctor, sir. Or a psychologist," she replied with an awkward smile. "But… if I can give a simple suggestion, usually people forget their bad feelings when someone smiles at them."
Theo froze for a moment at her answer. A simple saying—but for some reason, it felt deeply profound.
He smiled faintly, bowing his head slightly in gratitude. "Thank you for the advice, miss."
After completing the payment, he carried the bag of ice cream out of the store. The cool evening air greeted him again as he walked toward his bike, where Alvano still sat with his head lowered, staring blankly at the pavement.
Without saying much, Theo stood in front of him. With a warm, genuine smile, he opened the plastic bag and showed the assortment of ice creams he had just bought.
"I didn't know which one you liked," he said softly. "So I bought every flavor. Pick whichever you want."
His gentle smile carried a quiet sincerity, echoing the clerk's simple advice from earlier. Unexpectedly, when Alvano lifted his head and looked at Theo, his eyes widened slightly. Something inside him felt illuminated. All the confusion, anxiety, and weight in his chest seemed to dissolve in an instant, like shadows fading under a bright light.
In Alvano's eyes, Theo looked like a lantern shining through the darkness of his soul. His gaze was deep, full of meaning. Theo was a little startled by the way his friend looked at him, as if Alvano were staring straight into his heart.
After a few seconds, Alvano snapped out of it, quickly averting his gaze before quietly taking a vanilla ice cream from the bag.