It was a deathly silent world over the course of the next couple days to come.
Ever since Jin woke up in the infirmary, he hadn't been able to eat well. He couldn't stomach it. Everything felt so wrong right now.
In the next two weeks, he'll be gone. He won't be in Osvain. He'll need to abandon his home.
All because karma finally struck him.
There was no telling if he could return or not. His father never did. What hope did he?
Would this all have happened if he just left everything to his mother why he attended like a normal kid? He could only wonder.
"Jin... honey... here, I made you your favourite."
Jin and Nozomi both lived in Arael's mansion. According to Arael, Jin is required to "prepare" himself for the day of departure.
It was a strange feeling for Jin. For the first time ever, he didn't need to worry about financial problems. His mother would be fine. Yet...
He felt beyond sick.
He couldn't leave the bed.
"Thanks mum," Jin said, grabbing the bowl of rabbit stew. He smelt the pleasent aroma which steamed up. "It looks delicious as always."
He gave a meek smile. His eyes slightly swollened. But he continued to eat every bite.
Nozomi's expression softened as she smiled. "You need to eat more than this. You'll be moving to Halcendre after all."
Jin winced at the reminder.
"I'm sure you'll be well fed up there. Much better than the meals you get here. But I wouldn't want to have my handsome boy not look his best before he attends his fancy school."
He swallowed slowly. The taste finally reached him. The warmth spreading throughout his body. From his chest, a comforting warmth hugged his heart.
"I can see you two there," Jin sighed, faintly looking towards the door. The eyes of Taro and Isis slipped inside. "Not like anyone's going to stop you."
Given that they were Jin's closests friend's, along with their persistence, these two were allowed to come by the mansion as special guests whenever they want.
"Look at you, living all lavishly like a Vassari," Taro said, then facing Nozomi. "Heya Ms. Amakusa! Hope you don't mind us barging in here."
Nozomi warmly greeted the. "It's fine, Taro. You've always been a wonderful help. It'd be rude of me to simply monopolise all of Jin's time. How has your mother been?"
"She's doing great!"
Isis plopped down on the edge of the bed, sitting next to Nozomi, and nudging on the tray of rabbit stew. "Is this it? The famouse 'stew' you've always drooled over?"
Jin placeed his spoon down before speaking.
"Could you not touch my food?"
"Yup, that's definitely it. No doubt," Taro laughed into his fist.
"How's school going out for you guys? Am I missing out on anything important?"
"Ahhh, you know. Usual stuff. Though, we had to lie through our stinkin' teeth to the teacher! Isis was being too loud again about this whole thing in the midst of class."
"That's because YOU brought it up!" Isis countered. "Hmph, not my fault it's such an important topic."
"Come to think of it, how did you two get to me so quickly?" Jin brought up, remembering when Arael held the two hostage in his office. "That guy mentioned that you had rushed to the scene immediately."
"Ohhh, you see? It's a complicated story," Taro described, patting Isis's head. "But she started running off to your house out of nowhere while we were walking back home. Gauntless still at hand. Which you still haven't explained how you knew Jin was being tracked!"
Ahhh, so it really was being tracked, Jin thought, recalling the pen in the enforcer leader's hand.
Isis scoffed. "Jin kept a device for himself. I'm not stupid enough to not put two and two together!"
"Must've been a hard battle."
If they really did arrive at the scene directly after, Jin was sure they had to fight the enforcer leader. And he was strong, beyond belief.
"Tough? Heh, he only won because he took me off guard!" Isis proudly stated.
"You missed an open shot and got ribbed. Wouldn't call that getting 'taken off guard'."
"Hey! Too far!"
"Goodness me, are you okay?" Since Taro and Isis went out of there way to be here, Nozomi took the role as their guardian for now. "If you were going to get hurt, you musn't just fight! You should've ran away."
"Hahaha, I'm fine, Ms. Amakusa! Just a few scratched and bruises here and there," Isis soothed. "Besides, if my friend was in danger, I wouldn't hesitate to go save him. Doesn't matter if it's the enforcers."
"Even still, we got beaten and ended up getting captured. But yeah, he was tough," Taro admitted. "I used all the gadgets I could against him and still lost."
His homemade bombs and even some of the Vassari tech were ineffective against the enforcer.
"I've never even seen an enforcer like him before. Don't they all usually use guns?"
"From what I know, he could produce fire out of thin air."
"Like a magician?" Taro blurted out. "Could it be like how you can warp?"
"Maybe. There's one idea I had in mind."
That enforcer leader was able to see Jin's two set points which he placed in that office before. It meant that the man could also use that all-seeing state.
"You still gave him a run for his money. Smacked the hell out of his head! Rarely see that mentality from you!" Taro grinned, elbowing Jin's side. "Did much better than me and the soaring Isis."
"I did alright, okay?! You don't have to bring that up every time now, Brother Taro!" Isis snapped, not liking the jabs that Taro gave her.
Jin laughed softly, the sound foreign to his own ears. "You two never change."
He looked down at his spoonm, then at his friends, then at his mother, and for the first time since waking in this mansion, the knot of dread loosened.
Two weeks... I'll just have to make the most of this time. For now...
Jin let himself savour the taste of stew, the laughter, and the mess of his life.
***
In his office, Arael skimped through his paper work, pen gliding across each page.
The dead of night whispered with the vague caws of crows and ravens.
A young girl bulldozed her way through multiple enforcers and into the office. Turbulent golden eyes marred her features.
"Father, I heard what happened!"
Arael looked up from his work at his daughter with a smile.
"Ahh, you're here, Elise. Shouldn't you be back at home?"
"I would've..." she slammed her palms over Arael's desk with a frown. "If I hadn't heard you were robbed, father! By an Ordinary. Do you realise how humilating that is? For the Vaen family name? I'm here to help capture him. I wouldn't mind punishing another Ordinary scrub anyways."
Arael waved a dismissive hand. "The matter has already been settled, Elise. There isn't any point in worrying."
Vaen Elise, first daughter of the Vaen family, still looked unhappy.
"Did you already capture them?"
"Whether I did is none of your concern."
So father is hiding something from me. Elise knew her father like she knew her own mind yet there was still many things she felt she couldn't understand about him. A hidden side she couldn't quite describe.
"Then I should take it as you captured the criminal? Good. I'll deal with the execution and—"
"No."
Arael's voice was quiet.
But it stopped her cold.
She straightened slowly. "....No?"
"No," he repeated himself. "You will not press further in this agenda you're trying to do."
Elise blinked, confusion carving across her face. "Father, are you... protecting them?"
Arael leaned back in his chair, folding his hands.
"There are circumstances which you are not permitted to looking into. Your focus should be on the academy. You'll be enrolling within the next three months."
"I don't need three whole months of studying for the academy, father," Elise scoffed. "That's ridiculous—and an insult to my competence. I've already surpassed the standard metric and have your recommendation."
"Yes, you do," he cut in gently. "However, It could take you by surprise when you least expect it."
She hated when he spoke like that. Calm. Knowing.
"Ugh, don't go changing the subject on me father! Who was it?"
Arael returned to his paperwork. "Go home."
Elise stared at him. Searching his face for answers. A crack. Whoever this thief was her father was hiding—they were important.
She turned sharply on her heels, cloak snapping behind her as she stormed toward the doors.
Just before she stepped out:
"Father."
Arael looked up.
"Whoever they are... I'll find out."
Her golden eyes burned and then she was gone. The ravens outside cried again—echoeing against the night.
"I'm sure you will, my sweet daughter," he murmured to the empty room, glancing towards the letter he was writing. "I'm sure you will."
Special Admission Request.