Vlad looked up at the man, studying his features that seemed to make him look slightly older than usual.
White hair flowed down his neck, as if fine strands of silk were going behind his back and ending up tied with some sort of rubber. His face was rough, with some cuts at the edge of his chin and around his nose that stood in between two little crystal shards of emerald, or simply green eyes.
Vlad's gaze slid lower, capturing the strange man's clothes that looked old and used, probably bought from some nearby store for a couple of hundred credits. His plain white t-shirt and grey baggy pants made the young master frown.
Because the intruder that stood in his freshly cleaned room had no sense of hygiene and was standing with his bare feet covered in whatever trash the floors could bring them.
- Ekhem.
"I just cleaned up." He looked down at the man's feet, making sure he noticed the long look and maybe cleaned up after himself.
Then, with a light push, he pulled the pommel away from his chest, patting the place where it was with his hand.
"And as much as I want to train, I don't have time now."
The man's face cracked slightly, his previous grin crumpling instantly.
He wanted to retort, but it was clear that he knew all too well what Vlad meant when he said he didn't have time to spare. His head, which was starting to hang low, suddenly shot up, a strange spark seemingly ignited in his crystal eyes.
"You need to go to the dining room, right?" He asked excitedly, even though he knew the answer.
Not waiting for an answer, he continued.
"Since your father's dining room is on the lower floors, I could simply bring you there in seconds, and we would have some time to spare..."
The longer he spoke, the wider the smirk on his face grew. He wasn't some kind of saint that would help whenever someone was in need; it was obvious that the man was up to no good.
Vlad placed his hand on his shoulder, gripping it tight so the man would snap out of his rambling. Then, locking eyes with him, he answered, his voice unnaturally low and cold.
"Not now." The man froze, alongside his expression that would look great if captured in a photo. "And I don't need your help; the elevators are fast enough for me."
Vlad gave him a tap on the shoulder, turning around and facing the door, which he grabbed by the handle.
"Fine." The man said from behind, his carefree voice sounding as if he had accepted such an outcome from the start of their conversation.
He pulled his shortsword back, holding it at his side.
"Just tell him to bring me too."
He let go of the handle, which miraculously stayed in the air for a moment.
"That is, if you actually meet him."
The sword he held was frozen in the air like a broken image flickering in the space, its surface became riddled with countless cracks that broke and popped all over the now dull blade. It didn't take long for the sword to vanish out of sight, turning into a flurry of sparks which were nothing but passing ash in Vlad's eyes.
The man was now gone as well.
As if the very sparks that made up his sword were the lingering trace of him being in the room.
Vlad pulled at the door's handle, taking a last look at the dirty floor, and then muttered under his breath quietly.
'Maniac.'
***
"Good morning, everyone-"
"Today on the-"
"We predict that tonight's weather will be-"
'Delete.'
Vlad's fingers swiped the countless little windows that featured recent news channels and live broadcasts. Even as they floated in front of his eyes, he leisurely walked through the unending corridors of the citadel, almost like he didn't care about not seeing anything in front of him.
His mind, which was occupied with the trashy news channels, couldn't help but bring up Gabriel's words, the short request echoing in his mind over and over again like some kind of curse he couldn't get rid of with a move of his hand.
It was unbelievable. His father, who had never dared to leave his study and spent over half of his life under piles of paperwork, was now inviting him to enjoy a meager breakfast?
'Really now...'
He couldn't even remember the last time they ate something together. Not a snack on a bench, not a little piece of bagel from the chefs, and definitely not breakfast.
Even then, it wasn't like he actually wanted to meet him. He viewed him as a cold person who never cared about others, not even when they would have been torn apart in front of his eyes, eaten slowly from head to toe, and watch from the sidelines without even blinking...
With a sigh, he swiped another channel to his right, which immediately deleted it from his PulseBand.
'Can't they just play something interesting?'
With an annoyed flick of his wrist, the multiple little screens of Flux vanished into thin air like some sort of dust. All that was left was a simple iron bracelet which clung to his wrist like a part of his body... Which it was, in a way.
A few years ago, one of the delvers who gained abilities to create new technology started to mass-produce products that would either help people get stronger or make the little things that would have been annoying in day-to-day life completely gone!
It's a version of a device that would have been called a smartwatch a few decades ago; it was something that each and every person would have installed on their bodies at birth. With functions such as making calls, being a wallet, and many more than a person could name in a single sentence, it was perfect.
'I should re-size it soon, better be safe than sorry.'
He grumbled and looked up from his wrist, peering far into the distant corridor that seemingly had no end to it.
And then a dot appeared in the distance.
A strange black figure that seemed to approach Vlad with considerable speed.
He tensed, but relaxed soon after. His eyes settled on the butler uniform the running boy wore.
"Y-young master!" The worker shouted, to which Vlad responded by raising his hand.
The worker's sweat-covered face lit up upon noticing it really was Vlad, whom he found in these corridors. After running up to him with uneven steps, his body hunched over with hands placed on his knees, grabbing onto them and panting with saliva dripping down the now-stained, red carpets.
He wanted to say something, but his words came out slurred and incomprehensible.
Vlad didn't help the worker, but he waited in front of him patiently, his leg tapping the floor.
Finally, through his wet lips, he managed to mumble some words.
"I-hah, I wanted to find y-Hah... please wait a moment."
He took a long, deep breath, which seemed to help him, albeit barely.
"I wanted to find you... Young master." After a loud gulp, he wiped his lips with a shaky handkerchief from his pocket.
Vlad's eyes narrowed. Something seemed off about the boy.
'He didn't use his pulseband.'
With its wide network, you could easily make a call or at least send a message.
His brows furrowed.
"Why do you want to look for me?"
Boy's eyes lit up.
"Right, I needed to tell you!" The butler shook his head enthusiastically like an obedient dog, then he straightened up.
He coughed a few times, covering it with his already wet and disgusting hand.
"About that request from your father..." He paused and took another deep breath, the sweat from his face dropping on the pristine carpet alongside the remains of his saliva.
"He asked you to resume your training since he wouldn't be at the citadel for a while."
"Why?" Vlad's voice came out dry.
The worker looked him in the eyes and dejectedly shook his head sideways.
"Sorry, I'm only here to deliver the news. The reason for which he's gone is none of my concern."
'.'
***
- Whush
A gust of wind brushed past Vlad's face, making his hair flutter weakly.
The empty corridor he wandered through was quiet and desolate, yet no matter where he was, a faint presence accompanied his every little move, like a shadow that hid behind him; it didn't need to be seen to be felt standing behind his back with hands in his pockets.
Vlad didn't bother to look up, nor did he want to watch the smug grin of the bastard who kept nagging him about what happened.
"Tsk." A sound came right next to his ear, something like clicking a tongue that made him turn and see no one standing there, just a wall of sick marble.
The man was already standing at the other side, right where his eyes couldn't reach.
"So would you like a spar or..." His voice trailed off, replaced by a stupid grin that made Vlad's blood boil.
He stared at the man, at his hair that flew to the side even though there was no wind, at his boring face that screamed to be struck, and the cheap clothes which he still didn't change for some reason.
"Fuck you."
A wide smile blossomed on the man's face as he puffed into the air and appeared behind Vlad, his hand already tightening on the collar of his fresh suit.