"Xain really just has the uncanny ability to pop up out of nowhere, doesn't he?" Tores remarked, sensing a pattern.
"Yes," Malvin muttered, clearly irritated as he crossed his arms. "But it feels like it's just with me."
"But who was that person he was with?" Clare asked, curiosity evident in her tone. From the way Malvin described the boy holding onto Xain, it sounded like they were close. Oddly enough, Clare had assumed Xain wouldn't have met anyone like that before leaving the city.
Malvin hesitated before answering, his voice flat, almost detached. "That... was Nori. Xain's friend. I... don't know where he is now." His expression remained unreadable, though the way his gaze briefly shifted downward suggested there was more to that admission than he let on.
Jos turned to Aeron. "Do you know who this Nori person is?"
Aeron shook his head. "No. This is the first time I'm hearing that name."
The response surprised everyone.
Everyone exchanged surprised glances before Loreen spoke up, her brow furrowed. "You know," She said, crossing her arms and tilting her head, "for someone who's Xain's brother, you seem to know surprisingly little about him."
Aeron shrugged, his expression as stoic as ever. "I was training at The Academy at the time. We couldn't stay in contact. And even after that, becoming a Specialist made it even harder. Add to that the fact that he was a criminal..."
Tores frowned, tilting his head. "Wait, so you knew Xain was a criminal the whole time? Even before you joined The Guard?"
Aeron nodded. "He didn't have anywhere else to go at the time. You can't blame him for that."
The way he said it wasn't a mere observation; it sounded like a direct order not to hold Xain's actions against him.
Sensing the brewing tension, Malvin cut in before anyone could push Aeron further. "Anyway, enough of this," he muttered, his tone sharp enough to shift the conversation. "Let me just tell you all what happened after that brat showed up..."
---
"Hi? The hell do you mean 'hi'!?" Malvin's shout echoed across the park as Xain flinched, and Nori shrank further behind him, gripping his sleeve tightly.
"Good goddess, what's wrong with you? I just said hi!" Xain shot back, his confusion clear.
Before Malvin could launch into another tirade, Silas stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, partner, calm down," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "This kid's helped us several times before, remember?"
Malvin clenched his teeth, his jaw tightening as he looked away from Xain in annoyance, his expression like that of a sulking child trying not to admit he was wrong.
While this was happening, Viktor bent forward slightly, his hands resting on his knees as he smiled at the two boys. "And who might you two adorable cuties be?" he asked in a tone that was far too saccharine to be taken seriously.
Xain grimaced immediately, his face scrunching in visible disgust. "Ew. Don't call us that, old man."
The words hit Viktor like a slap to the face, and he froze in place, his smile faltering. Silas stared at Xain in shock, while Malvin—despite his best efforts—let out a small snort of laughter before quickly stifling it.
Viktor quickly straightened up, his hand brushing his coat off as if shaking off the insult. "Old?" he echoed incredulously before jabbing a finger at Malvin. "I'm two years younger than he is!"
Nori tugged gently on Xain's sleeve, his wide magenta eyes filled with silent pleading as if urging him to stop, but Xain clearly wasn't in a merciful mood. He shrugged off Nori's attempt at restraint and smirked. "So what? He's old as well."
Viktor stood there for a moment, stunned, while Malvin finally gave in, letting out a bark of laughter that he quickly tried to cover with a cough.
Viktor spun around to face Malvin, pointing at him with exaggerated indignation. "You laughed at him calling you old? He called you old! And yet you never laugh at my jokes!" he said, his tone laced with jealousy.
Malvin raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing over his chest. "Yeah, because your so-called 'jokes,' which borderline on sexual harassment half the time, aren't funny," he deadpanned. Then, with a faint shrug, he added, "Besides, I have grayish-white hair. I can't blame anyone for thinking I'm old."
In truth, though, Malvin felt a smug satisfaction seeing someone casually take a jab at Viktor for once. Most people were far too intimidated by Viktor's status to even think about teasing him.
Viktor huffed and turned back toward Xain, jabbing a wagging finger at him. "Mark my words, kid. I'll get you back for this someday!"
Xain, unimpressed, stared at Viktor with the deadpan expression of someone who couldn't care less.
"Anyway, you two," Silas interrupted, finally recovering from his earlier shock. "Or rather, you..." he added, pointing squarely at Xain, who tilted his head before responding, "Xain."
"Okay, Xain," Silas continued, now finally knowing his name. "This just proves my point further—you're getting way too casual with us. Remember, even with all the help you've given, you're still a criminal. And we're still Guards at the end of the day."
Malvin nodded in agreement while Viktor, looking perplexed, turned to the two of them. "Wait. He's a what now?"
Xain shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, you're off duty today, aren't you? You can't arrest me, at least for a week or so. And besides..." He gestured toward Nori, motioning for him to step forward. "I've got proof I didn't commit any crimes."
*That you know of,* he thought to himself but decided to keep that detail unspoken. Xain nudged Nori. "Go on, tell—uh, I mean, write it to them!"
Nori blinked at him, confused for a moment, before quickly pulling out his notebook and pencil. He scribbled something and held it up for the three men to read:
"The chronoscope Xain got that day you chased him was something the thugs stole from me. Xain was just getting it back."
Malvin squinted at the neat, slanted handwriting on the page. "And how do we know you're telling—I mean, writing—the truth?" he asked suspiciously.
"You don't!" Xain shot back, crossing his arms with a triumphant grin. "But we are!"
There was a long, awkward pause as everyone stared at him, waiting for more. But that was it. That was his entire defense.
"...Wow," Viktor finally remarked, crossing his arms and shaking his head in disappointment. "I really thought there'd be more to that." Even though, he didn't really understand what exactly was going on.
Silas let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, whatever, kid. We do owe you for helping us, so why don't we all just go our separate ways and enjoy the park?"
Xain nodded, clearly satisfied with that resolution. "Sure, that's fine with me." He grabbed Nori's hand. "Come on, let's go, Nori."
The two boys walked past the three men, choosing to pass Viktor's side. As they moved farther away, Malvin, Viktor, and Silas all instinctively turned to watch them. Oddly enough, after they gained some distance, the boys began walking faster, eventually darting off toward the exit.
"Well, there they go," Silas remarked with a shrug. "I guess that's the end of that." He turned back to Viktor and Malvin as he rubbed the back of his head. "So... should I stick around, or do you two want to be left alone?"
Before Malvin could even begin to respond, Viktor clapped a hand on Silas's shoulder. "No, no, you're coming with us. I want to get to know you better," he said with a grin.
Malvin sighed, his irritation evident. "Great."
Silas, however, seemed delighted by the invitation. "Well then, let's get those sweets we were about to grab before all this happened." said Malvin, his tone sharp but resigned as he gestured toward the cart.
Malvin jabbed a finger at Viktor as they started walking. "You're paying, by the way."
"Yes, yes, don't worry, I'll—" Viktor suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his brows furrowing as he patted his coat and pants pockets.
Malvin and Silas glanced at him, confused. "What's wrong?" asked Malvin.
Viktor looked up at him, his face pale with disbelief. "...It seems like that I've just been robbed."