When the door opened, Dion saw Ella holding his clothes with a snack's wrap held with her mouth.
As Ella struggled with the door, juggling Dion's clothes in her hands, her eyes unexpectedly locked with his. Time seemed to freeze, and Ella's movements came to an abrupt halt. Her jaw dropped in astonishment, causing the snacks she had been attempting to carry to tumble from her mouth, landing with a resounding thud on the floor.
"Yo–You are awake," she blurted with a blush slowly creeping onto her cheeks.
Ella laughed nervously under Dion's piercing gaze. "I washed and dried your clothes with the washing machine since we would be going to school and there's no spare clothes for you. Hehe, hehe. Cool, right? Who would have thought you would wake up? Early morning riser. Hehehe. Here are your clothes and the bathroom is behind you." Ella threw his clothes at him and quickly ran out of the room while shutting the door to save herself from the embarrassment.
"I hate strangers touching my stuff without my permission," Dion mumbled under his breath and quickly walked into the bathroom for a quick shower.
But Dion quickly checked the back of his palm for the rune. Just as he had read, there was no rune. The body rune on his Earth body is not visible because of the lack of mana.
After getting dressed, he joined Ella at the dining table. As he sat down, he couldn't help but notice the flush of color on her face, as if it were about to burst with blood. Ella quickly averted her gaze, focusing on her food, trying to conceal her embarrassment.
Karen just returned and came in with Dion's food. "Ella, what's wrong with you? You have been acting strange since I woke up," Karen couldn't help but ask as she placed Dion's food in front of him.
Ella stuttered anxiously with her eyes sneakily looking at Dion, "I–I–He… nothing." Her burning face swiftly returned to her food as she continued digging in.
Dion just dug into his food like he wasn't the person involved in the embarrassing moment; he behaved like an audience the whole time.
Karen's face turned from Ella to Dion and back to Ella so many times. She could only shake her head and sat to eat.
Dion's heart couldn't help but beat faster as he ate because the food felt like he was consuming air. His hunger level remained unsatisfied. In Aeon, Mrs. Arwen heaped the food like a little mountain on the plate.
Dion couldn't imagine how much he was going to spend to eat good food. Yesterday, when he ate at Karen's house, it wasn't bad. But now that he has a rune, it was like he had turned into a gluttonous god.
"Are you joining for the operation?" Karen's voice jolted him.
Dion stared at her in silence, his mind racing with suspicion. 'Did she intentionally put in a regular quantity of food to show me my hunger state?' he wondered. His gaze lingered on the plate before him, contemplating Karen's intentions.
"Sure," he agreed, as there doesn't seem to be any better choice for now.
Feeding from other people's pockets isn't an option. Live by the charity of others? He has his pride and ego as a man.
Karen turned to Ella, thinking she would volunteer to explain. But Ella concentrated on her food. Karen's brows creased up in confusion as Ella always rushed to talk.
"I will explain in the car," Karen finally said.
They continued their breakfast in silence.
***
Ella was driving while Karen was sitting in the passenger's seat. Dion sat at the back like the boss. Karen wore a blue, knee-length gown while Ella was dressed in a pink crop top and jean trousers.
Ella's eyes darted to the rear mirror but always met Dion's eyes which seemed to be focused on the mirror. She would quickly avert her gaze.
Karen focused on the road. "So, the person we are going to make a move on is Rocky Peters, a drug dealer from Italy. The transaction will be done in a secret place behind One Time Club. Three million dollars. It happens in fifteen days," she aptly explained and passed Dion a picture.
"That's Rocky Peters," she said.
Dion studied the picture, his eyes drawn to the man's friendly smile and well-groomed appearance. Rocky Peters had a short, neatly trimmed beard that accentuated his rugged features. His straightened brown hair, arranged with precision, gave him an air of sophistication. Clad in a sleek black suit, he exuded an aura of confidence and elegance that belied his criminal activities
'The real bad men love suits,' Dion thought.
He snapped out of his thoughts as Karen spoke, "As for who would deliver the money, we don't know. The medium of transaction? That's still unknown. All we know is that the drug lord is coming in person to supervise the transaction."
Dion nodded. "Hey, stop me at the gate."
Karen fondled her blonde hair while nodding.
If he alighted from the car with the girls, he would become popular. Karen is the cool and beautiful girl who is the face of the department. Ella, ahh… she participates in almost all the activities and is hyperactive in school. His life would be disrupted and uncomfortable.
Ella stopped him a distance from the college's gate. Dion alighted from the car.
"And you should get used to your body and stop walking like you got poop in your pants," Ella's voice with her laugh echoed as she zoomed off.
Dion could only shake his head as he didn't understand her character.
He arranged his hood and began making his way towards the campus.
As he walked, Dion noticed the enthusiasm in the students. Although not everybody was smiling, most were smiling and talking with their friends.
'Beneath their smiles are tons of trouble like Karen and Ella. But some have their lives set straight; after school, a 9 to 5 job is guaranteed. They would still grumble about life being difficult while I have to manage two worlds. Sigh, now I know the meaning of life isn't fair. At least, the power increase is a compensation and if this operation is successful, I would become bastardly rich. No more 9 to 5 job where I would smile happily and behave politely to please my boss.'
Even though he's a shut-in individual, living a regular life where he has to save money like his life depends on it to buy the things he loves isn't enjoyable. He likes good things like other college students.
Soon, Dion arrived in his class. The class went smoothly. In the afternoon, he went to his part-time job. Maya pestered him to tell her what transpired when she left but he ignored her. Dion could feel his headache accumulating; he hadn't slept regular sleep apart from void shuttling.
'I need sleep before I start running naked on the street.' Dion chuckled when he imagined himself running naked on the street. It was already 4 PM.
When Dion came out of his workplace, ready to go home, he saw Ivy in her BMW. She waved at him from inside the car.
Dion walked to her car.
"It has been a long time. You didn't bother ringing my phone." Ivy pouted.
"Long time?" Dion blurted in confusion as his brain seemed to be failing. "We literally saw each other–"
"I know you wouldn't accept your crimes. Get in," Ivy interrupted him.
Dion shook his head and entered the car passenger's seat. She drove him to the gym.
'Ops! She doesn't know I have escaped the shackle.' Dion thought as she led him to the gym.
When he entered the gym room, Dion halted in shock.
The gym room has been customized with only black equipment and has become more of a war training center.
"What the heck?!" Dion exclaimed.
"Surprise, right?" Ivy smiled and began introducing everything in the room. "We will start the serious training section tomorrow."
Dion couldn't help but give her a long stare. 'And I owe another person a favor. Since I became a realm wanderer, I'm becoming indebted to other people.'
"Don't think about paying me with money. I know that's what you're thinking. I will tell you what I need from you," Ivy interrupted his thoughts.
"Am I so predictable?" Dion couldn't help but question.
"You are unreadable and unpredictable to strangers but as your friend, I can pretty much predict your thought processes from your facial expressions," Ivy said as she led him out.
"Take the train home. I have something to do tonight. We will start tomorrow by 4 PM," Ivy said.
Dion nodded and left but he could feel Ivy's gaze on his back.
–––
When Dion got home, it was already 8 PM.
'I need to travel or those people will notice that I'm a realm wanderer when they try to wake me and I refuse to wake up despite being alive and well,' Dion thought when he unlocked the door to his house.
He does not know how the time system works in both realms but any time he sleeps at night on Earth, it's already morning on Aeon.
After entering his room, Dion closed the door behind him. He was about to go to the bathroom when he stepped on a book. He immediately halted in his tracks. He slowly bent his head and saw his jotter.
Dion was about to bend and pick it up when he stopped as he thought of something. 'I'm pretty sure I kept it in the wardrobe. No amount of breeze will blow it to my living room and there's no rat in my house.'
His eyes turned vigilant.
He walked slowly and quietly, his eyes checking for any irregularities on every piece of furniture in the dark. His bloodline ability to see a bit in the dark came in handy.