"Hurry, before they see you!"
...
A man in his early twenties called out, his face wearing a panicked expression as he darted his head left and right. With wine in one hand and the door handle in the other, the man signaled for them to get in before the worst-case scenario happens. He seemed to be someone of great standing and that's what made Lev stop for a split second before diving into the door.
Before the Ashen Assembly could climb up the stairs, the man immediately locked the doors behind him. He sighed in relief while smiling at the two 'criminals' in front of him. "That was close, huh, you guys want some water?" The man asked.
Crimson hair and red irises in his eyes, Lev instantly concluded that he was of the Plasma Class even though he hasn't said anything. He had no idea why he thought that way though, but he knew nonetheless. And somehow, the man seemed familiar to him. Almost too familiar. "Who are you?" He asked in confusion, a memory resurfacing in his mind.
"Don't be like that, we've been through life and death together, Pietrus Lev, son of the Great King Cyril, Pietrus VII, and the son of the great Queen Sofia." The man twirled his hand, causing the wine on the glass to swish before he whiffed on top of it. With a satisfied exhale, he took a sip, then pointed an index finger to Lev. "And, who's the girl with you?"
"Ever the rude one, are you?" Titania crossed her arms as she heaved her chest up, emphasizing her proportions— or she was just connecting to her inner royal blood and showing authority. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
"Fine, I'm Dmitri Smirnoff, and no, I don't own the said alcohol brand. I do own a huge company called the 'Ionari', and I'm the CEO of that company. You could say I'm pretty rich." He continued, sipping on his wine a second time as he seated himself on one of the couches. "Why don't the two of you sit down?"
Guard up and ready to retaliate on the slightest suspicious movement, Lev held Titania's hand as they sat on the couch opposite Dmitri. Somehow, Lev's head started hurting for a second time as memories of his parents and vague memories of Dmitri came flooding in. The man was actually speaking the truth, they've previously met but Lev couldn't remember when or how... or maybe his mind is constructing false memories as they speak.
Hearing footsteps right outside, Lev stood up once again, ready to spring into action just in case someone breaks the door. "Don't worry about that, there are no cameras in this hallway since only VIP can stay here. Besides, the Council knows that you're still in here. They won't move unless you make a move first."
"Instead, why don't you explain what happened? I mean, I got the gist of it since I was watching the camera feeds by the reception hall... but I need you to help me on this one. Help me, help you."
Just when Lev was about to relax, a knock was heard on the door. This time, Dmitri put his index finger on his lips and proceeded to open the door.
Knock. Knock. Dmitri didn't hesitate to partly open the door, making sure that the chain lock was there so the people behind won't push him out of the way.
"Last time someone knocked in here, they were asking if they could hide inside." Dmitri continued. "If you're looking for them, they went that way." He continued, pointing his lips to the other end of the hallway.
"Mhmm, go on then, I have a wine to drink and a steak to order." Dmitri continued, shooing the men away. The men were actually part of the Council Headquarter's security and Dmitri just waved them out. Lev was flabbergasted, how could they not force themselves on a mere VIP even though it was an emergency?
"Not everyone's a fool, Lev," Dmitri muttered, just when he closed the door behind him. "They may be the security of this building, but they know not to mess with the CEO of the Ionari— the leading space cruise company on Main Earth. Of course, they have the authority to go inside my room and search every nook and cranny of it. But they also know that one word from me and they wouldn't be able to order a space cruiser nor spare parts in all my branches."
On top of being a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, Dmitri is also an arrogant one, or so that's what Lev thought but he didn't say it. Somehow he felt a connection with him as if he'd known the man for a long time. And right now, he's the only one who could help them. Even if it would mean kowtowing to him just so he could be of assistance, Lev was willing to do it. He's the only one who could help them, and that's the cold hard truth.
"Please, we need your help," Lev said, his inner carnage calming down since there was an absence of threat in the room.
"Quiet, Lev, you do know that we've been through hell and back together. You don't need to ask me for my help since I intend to help you in the first place." Dmitri said with a smile. "But before anything else... I just want to know... what were you doing the past few years? I thought you were dead? I mean, you know what happened with your parents, right? And your grandparents."
Right now, Dmitri was as befuddled as Lev. While he was confused as to why Lev suddenly appeared in front of him, alive and kicking, Lev was also confused about his identity. 'What is he talking about? I'm supposed to be dead? What happened to my parents? My grandparents? What happened to me these past few years? I know I met him before but I didn't know we were that close. What happened to my memories?' Lev asked himself, even though he knew that there was a possibility that being transmigrated messed with the memory of the actual Lev in this timeline, or world, or wherever he is at the moment.
"So um... you might find this strange but... I actually lost my memories a few days ago." Lev finally came clean. He had an inkling that he could trust Dmitri so he decided to tell him something he had been hiding from anyone else. "Aside from a handful of memories, I can't seem to remember everything about my past."