Zigh closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair to steady himself. He looked into Rhea's peridot eyes, which mirrored the sharp green of his own.
"I'll have to discuss it with Lian first," Zigh said. "I am his bodyguard now, after all."
Rhea exhaled. "Very well. I hope you choose wisely."
Knock, knock, knock.
The sudden sound shattered the tension between them.
"Come in," Rhea called out.
The door opened, and Lena stepped inside.
Zigh's hands tightened into fists to hide a sudden tremor; he forced himself to take a slow, steadying breath. It can't be... how is this possible? Mother?
Rhea noticed his sudden change. "Mr. Zigh?"
"Ah... yes? My apologies, Miss Edelweiss."
"If you wish to meet Sir Nox and Ron, my maid, Lena, can escort you."
Zigh forced a thin, strained smile. "I see. Thank you very much."
Rhea walked over to Lena, who had been waiting politely ten paces away. "Lena, what is it?"
"Lady Rhea, the construction workers are asking for you," Lena reported.
"Understood. Wait here for a moment."
Rhea turned back to Zigh one last time. "Mr. Zigh, please bear with this for a second."
Zigh arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Rhea's peridot eyes suddenly glowed with an ethereal light.
"Urgh..." Zigh winced, clutching his face. "Why does my nose hurt so much?"
"It's done," Rhea said calmly.
Zigh pressed his fingers against his nose, blinking in surprise. The pain... it's duller than before. Don't tell me Miss Edelweiss just...
"Mr. Zigh, if you would follow me? I'd like to introduce you to Lena."
Zigh nodded. "Of course."
They approached the maid. "Lena, this is Mr. Zigh Eosvile."
Lena performed a graceful curtsy, lifting her skirt slightly. "I am Lena Delion. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Eosvile."
Zigh fell into silence. Delion? No... this has to be a dream.
Rhea and Lena exchanged a concerned glance. "Mr. Zigh? Are you alright?"
"I... Delion..."
Lena tilted her head with a kind smile. "Yes? That's me."
Zigh closed his eyes again, once more running his hand through his hair. He took a long, steadying breath before looking up with a gentle smile. Rhea and Lena watched him in silence, sensing the shift in his energy.
"May I call you Lena?"
"Certainly, Mr. Eosvile."
Zigh's gaze softened. "Just Zigh is fine."
Lena beamed, her smile wide enough to show her bright, white teeth. "Alright then, Zigh!"
Rhea sighed. "Lena, please escort Mr. Zigh to see Sir Nox and Ron."
"With pleasure, My Lady."
"Mr. Zigh, please excuse me. I must attend to the workers," Rhea said.
"I understand. Thank you."
***
The trio walked out of the manor. Once they reached the courtyard, Rhea split off toward the construction site. Lena waved energetically. "Goodbye, Lady Rhea!"
Rhea offered a small smile in return.
Zigh couldn't take his eyes off Lena as they walked toward his car. Lena... how do I even say it?
When they reached the vehicle, Lena's eyes sparked with excitement. "Whoa! The latest edition sports car! This is so cool!"
Zigh suppressed a chuckle. "Please, after you." He opened the passenger door for her.
"Oh my, this is my first time riding in a sports car," she admitted, sliding into the seat. Zigh closed the door, hopped into the driver's side, and brought the engine to life with a powerful roar.
As they pulled away from the estate, Zigh asked, "Lena, what's the address of the hospital?"
"Orchid Street, Number 80."
"Got it. We're on our way."
Throughout the drive, Zigh found his gaze drifting toward her every few seconds.
"Zigh, is there something wrong with my face?"
"Ah, no. It's... it's nothing."
"But you've been staring at me since we left Lady Rhea's house."
Zigh's grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "Lena... do you have any siblings?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You look so familiar... like someone I knew."
Lena let out a light giggle. "You're quite the flirt, aren't you?"
Zigh flinched, his face flushing a deep crimson. "N-no! That's not—I meant, your name. Delion..."
Lena turned to him, her bright green eyes searching his. "What about my name?"
"It's... never mind. You just remind me of someone precious. Someone I can never meet again."
"I see..." Lena softened. "Do I really look like her?"
"Yes. Exactly like her."
The atmosphere in the car fell into a heavy, thoughtful silence until they pulled up at the hospital.
"Well, Zigh, good luck in there!"
Zigh gave a small, weary laugh.
***
They reached Room 404. Lena knocked briskly.
"Come in," a calm voice answered from within.
Lena stepped inside, a mischievous grin on her face.
"Lena, why are you smiling like that?" Ron asked from his chair.
Nox sat up in his bed. "She probably has a new joke to tell us, Ron."
Lena crossed her arms. "Actually, I've brought someone very famous to see you."
Behind the door, Zigh let out a long breath. Lena...
Nox narrowed his eyes. "Huh?"
Ron folded his arms, curious. "Who is it?"
Lena swung the door wide. "Meet Zigh Eosvile!"
Both Ron and Nox froze, their eyes widening in shock. Zigh stood there, the tips of his ears turning red. He offered a diplomatic smile. "I am Zigh Eosvile. It's... a pleasure to meet you both, Nox and Ron Eosvile."
Nox's expression instantly soured. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Ron reached out, patting Nox's shoulder. "Nox... calm down."
Lena looked between the three men, her gaze lingering on their bruised faces. "Now that I'm looking at you all... you guys are really beat up, aren't you?"
Nox snorted. "And?"
Lena tilted her head. "And... try not to add any more bruises, okay? Hehe."
Ron chuckled. "You can stay here and keep an eye on us if you want, Lena."
"No, you guys clearly have 'family business' to discuss. I'll go grab some food."
"Much appreciated," Ron said.
Lena stepped out, clicking the door shut behind her.
Ron approached Zigh and extended his hand. "Ron Eosvile."
Zigh took it, their grip firm. "Just Zigh is fine. Can I call you Ron?"
"Sure."
Nox continued to glare at Zigh. Ron released the handshake and nudged Nox, a pointed smile on his face.
Nox clicked his tongue. "Nox Eosvile."
Zigh stared at Nox for a long moment. So, this is the champion...
"Zigh?" Ron's voice broke his trance.
"Yes? Sorry, Ron."
"Do you have something to do with the incident at the Game Center?"
Nox let out a cynical smirk.
Zigh met it with a cold, piercing gaze. "And if I do?"
Ron's smile vanished. "Lian... was it Lian who caused that mess?"
Zigh crossed his arms, letting out a dry laugh. "A Lieutenant Colonel and a Major speaking to a Colonel like that? Is that how things work in your world?"
Ron flinched, his hands balling into fists. Nox stood up, walking over until he was toe-to-toe with Zigh.
"Oh, so you're a 'Colonel.' Then what happened to your nose, Colonel?"
Zigh brushed his hair back casually. "Tell me, Champion—how did it feel to get hit by Lian?"
Nox lunged forward, grabbing Zigh by the collar. "You looking for a fight?"
Zigh didn't flinch. He grabbed the front of Nox's hospital gown with equal force. "You think I'm afraid of you, Champion?"
Ron stepped between them, shoving them apart. "Nox! Enough! You're still recovering." He turned to Zigh. "Zigh Eosvile, did you come here just to start a riot?"
Nox ground his teeth, while Zigh looked away, adjusting his clothes.
Ron took a deep breath. "Zigh, let's get straight to it. Why are you here?"
"You're Lian's bodyguards, right?"
Ron nodded. Nox remained silent, his fists still clenched.
"Has Lian ever... eliminated someone? With his power?"
Nox burst into a dark laugh. "You don't know? He wiped out an entire city. Left nothing but dust."
Zigh recoiled, taking a sharp step back. "Lian... he couldn't have..."
Ron stepped closer to Zigh, his voice low. "It wasn't Lian. It was Outer."
Zigh clutched his hand. Outer... huh…
Ron gripped Zigh's shoulders. "Zigh?"
Zigh slowly brushed Ron's hands away. "Why did he do it?"
Ron looked at the floor. "Our military..."
Nox moved to stand beside Ron. "Who are you, anyway? Coming here to dig into Lian's past!"
Zigh rubbed his nose, his voice quiet. "I'm... I'm the same as you two. A bodyguard."
Ron shook his head. "Did Lian threaten you?"
Zigh's expression softened. "I... I lost a bet."
Nox's eyes narrowed. "A bet?"
"You're telling us you're a bodyguard because you lost a bet to Lian?" Ron asked.
Zigh remained silent.
Nox started to grin. "And he made you his bodyguard as payment?"
Zigh clicked his tongue. "What about you two? Why are you guarding him?"
Nox stiffened. "That's..."
Ron rubbed his temples. "We..."
Zigh smirked. "See? We all have our 'history' with Lian, yet here we are, all serving as his bodyguards. Shouldn't we be working together?"
"You're pretty good at finding loopholes, Colonel," Nox muttered.
"If you don't like it, I'm not forcing you, Champion."
"Both of you, stop it," Ron commanded. "Zigh, what is it you want?"
"Lian mentioned you could help me. I want to take down an organization called Orleander."
Nox tilted his head. "Orleander?"
"They deal in illegal weapons smuggling and narcotics," Zigh explained.
Ron folded his arms. "And you tried to use Lian to crush them, but you failed, didn't you?"
Zigh ran his hand through his hair again. "Your deduction is sharp, Lt. Colonel Ron. It wasn't exactly a failure... I'm just worried about the scale of Outer's power."
Ron fell silent, contemplating the weight of that statement.
Nox, however, wasn't looking at Zigh. His eyes were fixed on the space right behind the Colonel. So, you're the reason, he thought.
There, standing directly behind Zigh, was Outer.
Outer was smiling, his hollow white eyes staring straight back at Nox.
To be continued...