"Something's coming," she said, her voice dripping with menace.
Her words rang true.
A sense of foreboding hung over me, heavy and thick. I could feel it pressing against my skin, weighing down on my shoulders.
My heart beat faster and harder. My muscles tensed, preparing myself for whatever might come next.
But then I realized I had nothing to be afraid of. I wouldn't need to be forced to engage and cause more chaos or scandal than I intended.
As long as I was not seen as a threat and more of a jovial idiot, they would leave me alone. They had no idea who we really were, not with our disguises anyway.
But I couldn't be so sure, not with the possibility of them finding out where we came from.
They might just be some crazy fans of my show who wanted a glimpse of their idol. Or worse yet, they might be some deranged fanatics trying to get close enough to steal from me.
And while the last possibility scared the hell out of me, they weren't real. There was nothing to fear here.
All I needed to worry about was finishing my meal and getting home safely.
So I relaxed.
Relaxed my jaw. Relaxed my muscles. I allowed my body to settle into a posture that was naturally relaxed. One where I sat lazily but alert. Not tense. No need to fight off potential enemies when there was nothing to fight.
I glanced at Ravus. His expression remained stoic, but his hand was trembling ever so slightly.
Wyn stared at me for a second, then back at the door. The rage in her eyes burned hot and bright. Her fingers morphed into claws, ready to shred anyone who dared cross us.
And yet, she remained calm, collected.
Not a single bead of sweat broke on her brow.
"Wyn, you're slipping again." I whispered.
And then...
Her claws retracted, her eyes softened again, and she appeared to be the same lady we all knew and adored.
The door flew open.
Two men walked in. One was large and muscular, and the other was small and thin. Both were wearing black suits with white collars and ties. They both wore sunglasses.
Agents? Security guards, maybe?
Their hands were tucked behind their backs, and they walked in slow motion. As if they didn't want anyone to notice their approach.
And yet, I noticed every little thing about them. Their footsteps. The way they carried themselves. How they moved. Everything.
Because I was used to being watched. Used to being monitored. By my audience. By my team. And by my enemies.
I noticed everything about these two because I knew exactly how to read people if I wanted to.
It was something I'd been trained to do since I first started hosting. To know what people are thinking before they say anything.
To anticipate actions before they happen.
I've always had this uncanny ability to sense things. A gift or a curse, depending on your perspective.
Whatever the case may have been, it worked great in my favor today.
I kept an eye on them as they approached. Watched them closely as they passed by the tables. I even gave one a quick once over, taking note of the shape of his face and his height.
His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, but I saw the flash of green within the lenses. He must have been an agent of some sort.
He wore his hair short and neat and slicked back away from his face. He had a clean-shaven head with a strong chin and high cheekbones. His lips were full, and his nose was sharp and angular.
There wasn't much else that stood out about him. At least, nothing worth noting.
Except he seemed familiar somehow. But I couldn't place why. Maybe it was because of his features. Or maybe it was because he reminded me of someone during my childhood.
Ravus caught sight of them, too, and straightened up in his seat. His mouth opened, ready to speak, but I held up a finger.
"Just wait," I said, giving him a stern look. "Let's see what happens."
I could feel Ravus' glare burning into my skin.
For a moment, I thought he would challenge them. Call out to them and demand answers as to why one of them had used their ability on civilians.
Then the man in front spoke up.
"...Dream Master Dare? He asked, "Are you really the 'Dare'?"
"That depends on who asks the question," I replied calmly.
I took another sip of my drink. It was still cold. Perfectly chilled. Just the way I liked it.
"Who are you?"
"We're looking for someone. Someone called the Dream Master Dare. We believe he is hiding somewhere around here."
Hiding?
Since when have I had to hide? I'm merely blending in. That's all.
They can't find me if I don't want them to.
But I played along anyway.
"You don't think he's already gone home?"
"No," the smaller one answered. "We know he's here."
"What makes you think so?"
I caught a glimpse of Ravus's uneasy expression as he glanced between me and the agents. He clearly wanted to say something. But he kept quiet. Probably afraid of getting involved.
"Dream Master, Dare, I think it's high time we cut the act," the larger agent said, breaking the silence. "This whole charade has gone on long enough."
He stepped forward and reached for the glass of water beside me.
"Do you have any idea what had happened to all within a five-meter radius of me?" he asked.
I raised an eyebrow. "Could you order your glass of water like everyone else does? You're making quite the show here."
The large agent turned red at the comment. Then he snapped.
He lunged forward, grabbing hold of the glass of water, and threw it right across the room.
I could feel Wyn's body tense next to me. The suppressed rage inside her was rising rapidly. Her fingers tightened against the hem of the tablecloth beneath her hands. She stared at the agent as though she was going to pounce on him the second he moved.
And then... she froze, the moment our eyes met.
She dropped her hand and leaned back into her chair.
The large agent looked down at his feet, feeling embarrassed.
"Sorry," he muttered sheepishly. "It slipped."
Wyn let out a heavy sigh. Her shoulders relaxed, and she returned to her normal calm demeanor.
"Don't worry about it," I told him. "I'll be sure to add it to your performance review."
He cringed.
The two men exchanged looks again, this time without the awkwardness.
"Look," the smaller one said, "what my partner meant to say was anyone who is frozen in time within his five-meter radius is considered his property."
His words sounded rehearsed. As though he'd been practicing how to talk to us for hours before today.
He paused and continued, "Only those stronger than him may free themselves from his spell, or in your cases, not be affected by it in the first place."
I smiled. This was probably what Ravus was trying to warn me about earlier. These guys were strong. Really strong to trigger a reaction from Wyn. And they knew exactly where I was hiding.
"So what brings you all the way over here?" I asked.
"We need your help," the smaller one replied. "Someone has stolen something very important from us. Something that belongs only to us. And we need it back."
Something that belonged to them. Only to them? They didn't sound too worried about sharing.
I frowned.
"And what makes you think I am able to help you with this matter?"
"Because of who you are," the larger agent explained. "And because we know you have connections with the REAL great protector himself."
Damn!
Now this made things complicated.
How did they even learn about my connection to Obsidian? Did they get a tip from someone? Or did they come up with some crazy story just to catch me off guard? Either way, they needed to look elsewhere for their information.
The protector—Obsidian was a mage myth. A legend. He existed in books, movies, and as a prop for my shows. In fairy tales. Nothing more to the masses.
My eyebrows shot up.
"Really now?"
I tried to keep my tone casual. Nothing threatening. Just curious.
The agent nodded.
"Yes, really. And we would greatly appreciate your help if you could serve as our mediator."
I leaned forward. My head was starting to hurt.
"All I want to do is get some rest tonight. If you could just give us a few more minutes to finish our drinks..."
"We urgently need your assistance!" the small one said.
Still, there was no harm in playing along. Maybe this would buy me some time while I tried to figure out another way to escape this awkward situation.
"Tell me," I began, "who stole this thing that only you two have?"
"That is not for you to know," the large agent interjected. "If you agree to help us, we will tell you everything."
This was getting annoying.
"Why can't you tell me anything?"
"You must understand," the larger agent began, but the smaller one cut him off.
"We'll pay you handsomely!" he exclaimed. "A lot more than you make right now!"