One week had passed since the fire at the mansion. During that time, Adrian and Kenny had both played their parts in the silence, disappearing into the background of a city that was currently reeling from the sudden vacuum in the underworld.Adrian hadn't touched the situation directly, but he didn't leave things to chance. He had reached out to Mark, using the hacker’s skills to scrub every digital trace of that night. Every frame of footage from the docks, the street cameras near the car incident, and the security feeds from Kenny’s factory was purged. As far as the official record was concerned, those events were ghosts.Back in the present, Adrian walked through the lobby of a quiet, mid-range hotel. He moved with his usual lack of presence, drawing no eyes as he headed straight for the third floor. He reached room 306 and gave a sharp, rhythmic knock.The door opened almost immediately. Kenny stood there, looking much better than he had in the basement, though a few fading yellow

Adrian walked over to the food truck and stood in the back of the line. He watched the group work for a while. They looked like a real team now. After waiting for a few minutes, he finally reached the front of the window. Mira looked up from the cash register and her face lit up with a big grin."Look who finally decided to show up," Mira said happily. She wiped her hands on her apron and leaned against the counter.Adrian smiled back at her and shook his head. "It is good to see you guys. But I have a question. Why are you here right now? It is college time. The first lecture starts in about an hour. There is no way you can close this truck and get to class on time from here."Tristan was busy at the stove. He heard Adrian’s voice and turned around. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked over to the window to join the conversation."Well, about that," Tristan said with a proud look on his face. "We all decided to drop out of college. We talked about it for a long time. The b

The cool night air brushed against Adrian as he walked toward the college dorms. He had spent the last few hours thinking about his future, but all of those thoughts vanished the moment he saw her.Aira was standing beside her car, leaning slightly against the door. Adrian stopped in his tracks for a second. She looked prettier than he had ever seen her. She was wearing a simple, cream-colored dress that flowed perfectly, and her high heels matched the outfit exactly. She held a small purse in her hand, looking elegant and composed.It was her makeup that really got him, though. It was minimal and simple, but it worked so well that it seemed to boost her natural beauty to a whole new level. Adrian felt his brain actually stall for a moment. He had seen a lot of things in the past few weeks, but this was the first time he felt completely speechless."I only asked her if she wanted to hang out," Adrian thought to himself, a bit of a nervous flutter hitting his chest. "But looking at her

After the soup and dumplings, the petite woman returned with two more dishes that looked like art. She placed the first one in the center: Crispy Sea Bass Tacos with a Mango and Wasabi Fusion. The fish had been deep-fried in a light tempura batter until it was golden. It was tucked into small, purple corn tortillas and topped with a bright yellow mango salsa and a drizzle of pale green wasabi cream.Aira’s eyes lit up. "This is almost too pretty to eat," she said, leaning in to catch the scent. She picked one up, her fingers brushing against the delicate tortilla. "But I think I can make an exception."Adrian watched her take a bite. He noticed how her eyes closed for a second as she tasted the mix of sweet fruit and the spicy kick of the wasabi. He picked one up himself, took a generous bite, and immediately his face changed. His nose tingled, and a sharp, stinging heat rushed up toward his forehead."Whoa," Adrian muttered, reaching for his water immediately. He coughed a little, hi

“Gotcha,” Adrian whispered.With a sudden, sharp motion, he jerked the rod up to set the hook and began to reel. He expected a struggle, a fight that would test his grip, but the tension was light. As the line came up out of the dark water, a small, wriggling shape appeared. It was a fish, yes, but it was barely the size of his palm. It looked almost like a toy compared to the silver beauty Aira had pulled in.Adrian stared at the tiny creature as it dangled at the end of his line. He felt a wave of genuine disappointment. He had the strength of ten men and reflexes that could dodge bullets, yet he had pulled up a small one.The fisherman guy stepped forward, trying to be helpful. "Hey, don't worry about it, sir! That’s just a little one. It happens to the best of us. Besides, the fish that the lady caught is more than enough to prepare a main dish for both of you. We have plenty of meat there for a feast!"Aira leaned against the railing, her shoulder brushing against Adrian’s as she