When the child woke up again, he blinks in daze, he was under a blanket. Feeling feverish and weakened, he scans his surroundings. The sky was already bright, the opposite of what he saw the last time he woke up. The whole room can be seen in just one glance, it was dimmed but at the same time warm. Then he notices golden particles floating around, illuminating the whole room. It was beautiful and calming.
He looks for the source of it and found it was coming from the stranger. He sitting on the floor at the corner and talking to the hologram from his watch in a hushed voice. Out of curiosity, he touches a golden particle that floating around him. Using his forefinger he touches it and burst into minuscule pieces.
His eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
The small hands that are about to reach the magic particles freezes. The tiny human gave Al a surprise look and changes to a guarded look. The mage. Even though he followed him, this person is still a stranger and can harm him. He knew that this person is a mage and dangerous. From the dumpster, he saw how this person from the bruised and bleeding body, healed himself within seconds.
Only mages could do that. There's no doubt that this is the Mage in the Slums.
Al softly smiled at the tiny human.
When Al woke up from exhaustion, it was already morning and this tiny human was sleeping comfortably within his arms. He didn't notice how much magic he used that he fell asleep. Maybe from his pre-estrus and his magic was erratic, he felt worn out. He consumed too much magic and fell asleep.
He put the tiny human at his bed and call his boss and friend, Anica. To inform her that he's okay and won't be coming to work for the time being. Al thought it would be brief but after half an hour of screaming and scolding, Anica didn't stop.
😠I said I'm sorry!
Actually, he was awakened by the non-stop ringing of his watch. When he looks at the name, after seeing it he immediately felt his sleepiness vanish. He folded his limbs and virtually kowtow three times to her and then bowed his head as Anica continuously admonish him.
He was tired! After what happened last night and his pre-estrus experience, he's lucky that he's still alive, and then when he's energy rejuvenate a dying child suddenly appears in front of his apartment! The next thing he knew is that he woke up the following day.
"I-" left a note at the bar... He wants to explain his case only to be cut off by Anica again.
Anica fired her words without breathing "I've been calling you since last night!! I didn't sleep all night looking for you! And now you're just sleeping!? I didn't even open the bar last night to look for you!" She shouts at him so loud that he felt his eardrums trembled.
She didn't stop just there and continue to scold him. She talks so much that Al can't even slip a word. He just let her vent her worries to him. He knows that she's mad only because she cares. Anica is the only person who stays with him no matter what.
They know each other since they were children. Anica is the reason why Al is still alive today, the reason why he has a job and eating. No matter how much he cast her away she kept her loyalty to him. Anica and her daughter Yda is the only people he treasure.
"But are you sure you're okay?" she asks again for the nth time. And Al answers her patiently, "I'm okay."
"Good." Al could hear her sighed in relief. "I thought something happened to you and I went to your place in the morning but you weren't there. Where were you?" She looks at him full of concern. Al could see the tiredness in her eyes and the mild swelling and darker tone underneath it. Her hair was disheveled and she seems outside. She didn't really sleep. She was worried that something must have happened to him.
Anica was really worried at Al. The last time she saw him was the night before yesterday and that time he was in a weakened state because of his estrus. She wants to escort him back to his apartment but no one will tend the bar so she settles on calling a carpool. But she didn't know that Al was already taken by Toke before the carpool arrives at the bar.
Then the next morning she looks for him as soon as the bar closes at daybreak. She first goes to his apartment but no one is there. Then contact him again but it only keeps ringing. She searches and probes but she never finds him.
Now for the last time, she called him again, and fortunately, he answered. She was readying herself to flip the whole Slums just to find him.
She's protective of him. No one can harm him as long as she's alive. She scans him up and down and another relief was heard by Al.
"You seem okay. No visible cuts or bruises." He probably healed himself. And that already says that he's okay, she can't nitpick anything aside from his hoarse voice. "Your voice sounds rough but at least you can talk."
"Ahem" Al cleared his throat and unconsciously rubbed his nape. He moves away from the child so that he won't hear anything. Anica knew he experienced pre-estrus that's the main reason why he got home early last night but unfortunately, Toke happened. Now he felt embarrassed to tell her what happened last night, he doesn't know how to tell her.
But Anica misunderstood his behavior, her eyes blaze again as anger omits from her.
"YOU! Did someone mark you!? Who is it!? Where!? How dare that useless alpha marked you!? I should have accompanied you home!"
"No no no! I'm okay I just met Toke." He said lying through his teeth.
"Oh." she remains silent. She wants to lecture him but she's too tired to start a useless argument to this stubborn Al. He won't listen at all.
"I'm alright. My body is fine, just that..." then he started to tell her what happened last night and the tiny human inside his apartment. She was surprised to hear that he pick up a child.
"That... Al that child might be trouble..."
Then she told him what happened last night at the bar, and why the bar is not opening for now.
"Okay, I understand."
"Please, do take care of yourself." She said in a serious tone.
"Mmhm"
He then ended the call as he felt the movement from the tiny human. He saw him sitting and looking at the magic particles around his apartment in amazement. Al frown as he discovers something about the boy.
He approaches the boy silently, "Beautiful isn't it?" He smiled softly and the child was bewildered. Al thought, the tiny human can actually see it.