Saturday, March 7, 20XX
Sunset
"Hah...another day with no wine!"
Venti was walking on the street after a day of performing, no one paid him money or donate him an apple or wine (of course, only someone out of their mind would donate wine to a street performer).
*Rumble*
"I'm so hungry...those apples look delicious...no, no, they are private properties...awww."
- - -
"Hey, kid!"
Venti turned around and saw three burly guys.
"Um...do I know you guys?"
"Of course you don't know us!"
"Oh, you have been mesmerized by my voice, so you want to find me to hear more and give me food and wine, that must be the case, right!?"
"Follow us!"
Venti followed them, thinking he would have wine to drink that day.
- - -
In a lonely alley,
The burly man in the middle grabbed Venti's T-shirt.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
"Listen carefully. This neighborhood is the area that belongs to our gang. If you want to look for a living, give us 2/3 of what you earn daily."
"Given my current situation, that's a little bit difficult...can I postpone the payment until...when I can pay it?"
"Not even in your dream!"
The burly man released Venti.
"Listen up, kid! If I see you around this neighborhood once again, it won't be just a warning like today!"
After finishing his word, the burly man threw a punch into Venti's belly.
"Remember, kid!" the three men turned around and left.
Suddenly, the wind around them became stronger. It was so strong that the three man couldn't go forward.
"Hey, muscle-head!"
"Huh?" the three men turned their heads back.
"I will still perform here because it's my Freedom to do so!"
"Hah...you want to fight???"
"And I won't forgive those who trample on others' Freedom!"
The three men ran at Venti, prepared to beat him up.
Venti's eyes and hair shone up with an aqua green color. Skyward Harp appeared in his right hand.
"Time for takeoff!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
===
The Seven's Room
The six Archons were sitting together at a big table, the face of the table worked like a screen and showed what was happening. And on the screen now was the scene of three man lying on the ground of an alley after being treated like clothes in a washing machine, but in this case, Wind's Grand Ode was used instead.
"Isn't that too much for human?" Ei
"What a fool!" Dendro Archon said and pointed at a corner of the screen.
"Oh...a camera...they have it here in this world also?" Hydro Archon
===
After the three men fell down to the ground, a bottle of wine fell out from one of the three's clothes.
Venti took the bottle in a split second with Anemo power. He opened the bottle and took a sip.
"Ah, I'm alive again! Thank Barbatos!"
===
The Seven's Room
"..."
Speechless...just speechless...The Six had nothing to say...
===
"Brother Simon, why did Father suddenly dispatch you to take us home from school?" Alexy asked when he and Ivan were sitting in a black car with a red license plate, which is exclusive to military's vehicles.
"Ah...your Father wants us to spend more time together just like when we were small." Lieutenant Simon Barnaby answered.
"Really?"
"Yes, of course! What else could the reason be?" the Lietenant said but he dared not to look at the mirror inside the car because he knew Alexy's eyes were reflected in there.
(This brat is truly the General's son! He's so sharp! He probably has figured out I lied!)
Suddenly, the Lieutenant stopped the car.
"Brother Simon, do you want to have your license confiscated?"
Lieutenant Barnaby did not answer but pressed his hand on the car horn. That was when Alexy noticed a man was standing in front of the car. This man had his hat covered his eyes and a thick beard, which covered half of his face.
Simon stepped out of the car.
"Sir, you can't stand in the road like this."
PEW PEW PEW
The bearded man took out the gun he had been hiding in his sleeve and shot Simon thrice without any hesitation.
Hearing the gunshots, the people on the two sides of the street immediately became scared, they either hurriedly left the scene or crouched down and covered their heads.
Ignoring all of them, the bearded man got on the car and sat on the driver seat.
"Get off!" he pointed the gun at Alexy and shouted.
"But..."
Pew
Alexy got off the car after seeing the gun shot at the middle of the back seats
"You stay up here, close the door!" the bearded man shouted at Ivan.
Ivan was scared and did as what he had been told.
VROOM
The bearded man drove the car and left the scene.
===
That evening,
Alexy's home became so depressed. His father had returned home after hearing about the incident, and now both his parents were sitting beside their phones, waiting for a call from the kidnapper, not even one word was said between them. The police and some military officers were with them. They were talking to his father about how they found the car under a bridge to the East of the city when Alexy said he wanted to be alone in his room.
Alexy kept lying on his bed and thought about what happened in the afternoon.
(Damn it! I didn't do anything and just got off the car, scared sh*tless!)
"Aw...Alexy, please don't blame yourself! After all, if you do anything, you or Ivan will be shot like Simon, now he's still in critical condition!" Paimon
"I know you're right, but..."
"No 'but', the past has passed and can't be changed and you can do nothing about it. So right now, let's concentrate in rescuing your brother!"
"...Yeah, you're right, Paimon! Thanks!"
"Paimon is always right! Hehe!"
"Not sure about that!"
"HEY!"
"Shhhh"
"Oof..."
===
Ring...ring...ring
"This is General Tsarivich!"
"General, it has been 20 years since you sent me to that prison and never visited me! But now I'm out, miss me?"
"Balthasar, go into the main issue, what do you want in exchange for my son?"
"Bring $25,000,000 and meet me at...ah, why don't you just tell your subordinates to track the call. Just remember to come ALONE! My gun will be always beside your precious baby boy's head!
"..."
"You have it until dawn...tut...tut...tut..."
"General, it's from warehouse 22 at the port!"
"Alright, prepare the money!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Paimon left the top of the refrigerator, returned to Alexy's room and reported what she had heard.
***
AR: 8 (1625/4000 EXP)
Primogem count: 695
Mora count: 84,275