She turned at the sound of his voice, her movements graceful as she wiped her wet hands on a towel. Her gaze fell on me, her expression both warm and composed, a perfect blend of motherly affection and refined elegance.
"Neon? Is this the friend you mentioned yesterday?" she asked, her tone smooth and welcoming.
"Yes! This is him, Mom," Josh answered eagerly. He repeated the same story he had told the housemaid, Aunty Deth about how my family had moved in next door. She listened attentively, her expression shifting between mild surprise and intrigue.
"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Neon," she said, her tone warm yet elegant.
"Uh, nice to meet you too," I answered, attempting to avoid stumbling. It wasn't often that I met someone's parents, much less one who appeared to belong in a magazine, so my nerves were starting to get the better of me.
Following that, as Josh and his mother talked, I couldn't help but feel out of place. This was a world so different from mine, and I wasn't sure how to fit into it. But for now, I decided to go along with it. After all, it was just one afternoon.
Josh's mother served us some food before excusing herself, saying she had somewhere else to be. I could tell she was probably busy.
Josh and I didn't really do much; we just ate and talked, even though I wouldn't really call it a conversation. It felt more like I was just listening to him ramble on, not that I wasn't interested. Well, maybe half-interested. I just didn't have much to say.
Then something caught my attention.
"Wait, can you repeat what you said?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.
"The food was tasty?" Josh guessed, looking confused.
"No, not that. The other thing," I clarified.
"Oh, the underground arena?" he said casually.
"Yeah, that one. Where is it?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant, though my curiosity was written all over my face.
"I don't know exactly, but I know someone who does," Josh replied. He must have sensed where this was heading because he gave me a sly look. "Wait, do you want to go?"
"Yeah," I admitted, grinning like a kid heading to a toy store. Then a thought hit me, and my excitement dipped. "But wait, isn't there an age limit or something?"
"There is," Josh said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "But I think we can get in."
"I should keep this a secret from Uncle," I thought, as I suddenly remembered him.
"By the way, don't tell Uncle, okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, of course," Josh said, then lowered his voice slightly. "Don't tell Aunty Deth or my mom about this either."
Even though he wasn't physically gesturing, I could see his face subtly shift in the direction of his mom, as if to make sure I understood the seriousness of the request.
"Yeah, I won't."
After that, we made our way upstairs to his room. The door had a huge sticker of some martial arts character on it. I didn't recognize it, but it looked like something from a game.
Josh's room was surprisingly spacious. It wasn't even the master bedroom, yet it rivaled the size of one in our new house. What stood out most was a dedicated space showcasing his vast collection of figurines, meticulously displayed like treasures in a museum. Each one was unique, vibrant, and undeniably cool.
He boasted proudly that most of them were from Japan, a detail that added an air of exclusivity to the collection. They all looked ridiculously expensive. Yet I couldn't place a single one. They didn't look anything like Superman, Batman, or the other heroes I knew. Still, they were undeniably cool.
"What's that?" I asked, squinting at a figure with an elaborate outfit and what appeared to be glowing eyes.
Josh froze mid-motion, his jaw dropping as if I'd just committed some unspeakable sin.
"What? You don't know what these are?" His eyes widened, his expression hovering somewhere between disbelief and betrayal. "But you look like the type who watches anime!"
"Yeah, no," I replied casually, shrugging off his dramatic reaction without a care.
Josh squinted at me, as if trying to solve a puzzle.
"Hold up. Let me show you something," he said, his excitement building.
He grabbed his phone and began scrolling through his gallery, muttering something about finding the perfect clips. His brows knitted together in deep concentration, the glow of the screen reflecting off his face.
While he was preoccupied, my gaze shifted to the figurine shelf behind him. Their intricate designs piqued my interest, but what really stood out was the gleaming gold key between them. It was
This wasn't just any key. It was slightly larger than usual, with an ornate, almost otherworldly design that made it appear more like a prop than a functional item.
"What's this?" I murmured, reaching out to pick it up. The cool metal felt smooth against my fingertips, but its weight startled me, it was much heavier than it looked, almost as if it were made of solid gold.
"I swear this wasn't here earlier," I muttered under my breath, turning it over in my hands.
There was something unsettling about it, a strange energy that prickled at the back of my neck. Unease crept in, and I decided not to take any chances. Carefully, I moved to place it back where I'd found it.
But just as my fingers released the key, a blinding light erupted from it, flooding the room with an intensity so overwhelming that my vision went white.
"Argh!"
Startled, I stumbled backward and hit the floor with a thud.
The next thing I knew, Josh was shouting.
"Hoy! Neon, wake up! Bruh, don't mess with me like this!"
His voice pulled me back to reality, and I blinked rapidly as the haze in my mind began to clear. I was lying on the floor, my body stiff, with Josh shaking me as though his life depended on it. His face was paler than usual, and his wide eyes were filled with worry.
"What happened?"
"You tell me!" he said, his voice trembling. "You collapsed out of nowhere! Are you okay?"
That's when it hit me.
"The key!" I exclaimed, scrambling to my feet.
Josh's brow furrowed. "Key? What key?"
"That one!" I spun around and pointed to the space between the figurines. But as my finger stopped, I froze. The key was gone. Not even a trace.
"What are you talking about?" Josh asked, utterly baffled.
"I… I swear it was right here," I stammered. Frantic, I scanned the shelf again, my heart pounding like a drum. I crouched to search the floor, hoping it had fallen, but there was no sign of it.
Josh's sharp intake of breath made me pause.
"Wait, Neon. Look at me." His voice was tight, tinged with something close to disbelief.
"What?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at him.
"Your eyes," he said, pointing at me with a shaky hand. "They're… gold."
"What are you talking about?" My stomach dropped. I bolted to the wall-mounted mirror, gripping its edges as I stared at my reflection.
My eyes remained as blue as the summer sky, just as they had always been. I blinked rapidly, even rubbed them for good measure, but nothing changed.
"No, I swear they were gold just seconds ago," Josh insisted, his voice cracking slightly.
I stared at him, then back at the mirror. My reflection stared back, unchanged. Josh looked at me as if he was trying to convince me that he wasn't going crazy.
"I wasn't lying!"
Ignoring him, I resumed my search for the key, my mind racing.
"Weren't you blinded by the light earlier?" I asked absently, crouching down to peer beneath the shelf.
"What light? What are you even talking about?" Josh's voice rose, tinged with confusion and a hint of frustration, his brows furrowing as he tried to make sense of the situation.