" you want me to be your friend? " Kilan asked
" yes" Sungon repiled, "i don't have any friends, and am sure my mother already told you".
Ah, yes, she did told me", Kilan repiled.
" do you have any friends?" Sungon asked.
"Well....i won't exactly call them friends" Kilan said .
Sungon looked at him for a moment, a thought flashed in his mind,
" oh.... you are a loner like me huh".
"No, Kilan frowned " it's not that i don't have any friends, i just.... not that close with them, I've got a lot going on ", Kilan repiled.
"Alright, alright, Sungon said,
" but the book said everyone needs a friend, don't you get lonely?" .
Suddenly, their was sadness in Kilan's eyes,
" i guess I'm okay," he repiled, glancing at the window. " I'm used to it now".
"Is being alone fun?" Sungon asked.
" i don't know, Kilan repiled, " how about you?".
Sungon paused for a moment, his eyes where deep in thought,
" sometimes it's peaceful and quite," he said " but sometimes, it felt empty, like am missing something, something very important " he said.
Kilan watched him for a moment then asked,
" your name was Sungon, right?"
Sungon nodded.
"Listen, he said, " being friends with someone means getting to know each other better, i guess.... I'm not sure if i want to get involved" Kilan said.
"Why not, you already knew that i was a manipulator won't that suffice " ? Sungon insisted, his black eyes searching Kilan's face, " or is there something you are scared of?".
" no I'm not, it's just that...." he trailed off, unsure of how to explain.
He too was not sure why, everytime he wanted to get close to people, he felt afraid and backs away not knowing exactly why.
"Is it because of my condition?". Sungon asked.
" what?".
" is it why you are hesitant?"
"No! It's not that"
Kilan said quickly," that's not your fault "
Kilan looked at him, he could tell in his eyes that he was lonely despite not showing it, or perhaps, Sungon himself doesn't know what he was experiencing.
In that moment, Kilan felt a mix of sympathy and concern.
He coughed slightly,
" my i ask a quick question " Kilan asked.
Sungon look up at him.
" how exactly does manipulation powers work"
Sungon was silent for a moment before he spoke,
" i don't know much about it to be honest, but i still understand the basic of it" Sungon repiled.
" can you help me with the basics " Kilan asked.
Sungon looked at him in suprise,
" you don't know anything, do you?"
" yes, i don't know much about it " Kilan answered honestly.
Sungon nodded, " Alright, let me ask you this, do you know about the stages of manipulation ?"
" no, never heard of it" Kilan shook is head.
Sungon let out a sigh, " then let's start with that", he said, " there are five stages you need to achieve before becoming a manipulator ",
" and the first stage is the slumber stage, a stage where you will sleep and let your mind wonder into a place called cosmonic realm, a realm of otherworldly transcended beings but people usually call them the ' onlookers",
He then got up, went to the table and brought back a bottle of water and handed it to Kilan who kindly accepted it, he then continued,
" the second one is the targeting stage, and this is where you reached out for the right being and it is very necessary to choose the one that took interest in humans, they usually reveal themselves in a form of an orb or crystals",
" once you attracted it's attention,that's when we move to the third stage,
the 'friendly stage' which is divided into two, the partnership marking and the sharing of powers",
" the fourth stage is the 'charm', which would be given to you by ' them' as a gift for their partnership and also their home, the charm could be in a form of jewery or a object " Sungon explained.
" i see..", Kilan nodded, " so, what's the final stage?" He asked.
" hmm... if i recall correctly, it should be the 'regression stage', Sungon said.
" regression stage ?" Kilan asked.
" yes, i don't know much about it, but from what i have understand is that the 'onlookers' would supress it's powers to your level and help you unlock them as you grow " Sungon explained.
" i see..." Kilan said, " so what's your charm?" He asked.
Sungon lifted his left hand revealing a white symbolic circle with a small grey crystal etched on the back.
The symbol swirled like a gentle mist.
" amazing...." Kilan exclaimed.
" it's called Dirvenus " Sungon explained, tracing the lines of the circle with his fingers,
" every manipulator has it, to show their connection with the 'onlookers' and the hidden society ", he said,
" but i can't sense anything from you ",
" what do you mean? Kilan asked.
" you don't seem to have any powers", Sungon pointed out,
" but you are able to see and feel the energy from the 'hidden society', i noticed that when you were fighting with the demonic wolves, the dagger you held... it seemed special and alive while you were fighting, i couldn't sense any spiritual presence or aura around you, it felt odd, you wield a powerful weapon yet, it's seems like you have no connection to the manipulator world "
As he spoke, Kilan leaned his head on the wall, contemplating.
Seeing him quite, Sungon asked,
" you knew you were not a manipulator didn't you?".
"...." Kilan remains silent, his brows furrowed.
".... did i say something wrong?, Sungon asked, puzzled by his behaviour.
Just as Kilan was about to repiled, someone knocked at the door
Knock knock knock
" come in " Sungon said.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing Mrs Bekna, her kind face peeked around the door frame and her blonde hair and neatly styled into a french twist.
She looked relieved when she saw Kilan sitting there,
" oh, Kilan you were here, i thought you had left", she said in a warm voice.
Kilan smiled, " not at all Mrs Bekna, i already agreed to stay, right now am enjoying some good company".
Hearing his words, Mrs Bekna looked between him and his son and smiled,
" am glad you too are getting along,
by the way, was i interrupting something?", she asked, steppingfully into the room, her apron tied snugly around her waist.
" reading", Sungon repiled, pointing at the spread out books infront of them.
" reading huh?" Mrs Bekna said with a chuckle, " you boys and your stories! That's great truly"
Then she looked at Kilan with a hint of expectation in her eyes, " actually Kilan, could you lend me a hand in the kitchen? I could use a little help"
Kilan gave her a nod, glad to assist, " no problem at all"
He stood up, stretching slightly before turning to Sungon.
" I'll be in the kitchen".
As Kilan left the room, Sungon stared at the closed door for a long moment.
The room was back to its quite state, he then shifted his gaze to the nameless book beside him.
---------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile in a bustling city,
Macus stepped out from an imposing office building, pulling at the collar of his suit.
Beside him walked an old man with white hair and a kind smile, dressed in a long coat that flapped gently in the wind.
Macus took a deep breath, his shoulders dropping as he released the tension from work,
" finally.." he sighed, looking up at the sky.
The old man beside him chuckled,
" finally free, eh?" He asked.
" yes, I'm exhausted as hell" Macus repiled, a grin spread across his face despite his weariness.
The old man's laughter rang like a bell, lightening the mood around them.
" then you should stay here for toay" the old man suggested, glancing at him, " you could head back to your mansion tomorrow ".
Macus shook his head with a smile,
" my dear nephew is expecting me home today" he explained.
The old man raised an eyebrow clearly curious.
" is it Kilan?" He asked softly .
Macus nodded, the name filling him with mix of warmth and worry,
" yes, i told him, i will be coming today".
" ah" the old said, his tone dropping low,
" how is he doing now?"
A moment of silence followed .
Macus looked back at the office building, lost in thought,
" he is doing well now", he finally repiled with a smile, " and i hope things continues that way".
The old man's face revealing a hint of concern and he nodded in understanding and patted his back,
" family is important, Macus, more than anything else " he said.
The city around them was alive with sounds of laughter filtering through the air, and the distant music from the street performer.
A few yards away, a child was laughing as he chased a careless pigeon.
The world continued on, but for Macus,time seemed to stand still in that moment.
Suddenly, a sleek car pulled up at the curb.
The driver, a serious looking man in suit and sunglasses, opened the back door and waited patiently.
Macus turned to the old man, his expression softened,
" i must go, i promise to visit some other time", he said warmly.
" Alright then " the old man nodded.
Macus tipped his head slightly in a gesture of respect and walked towards the car.
" wait" the old man called in a serious tone,
" stay out of trouble, Macus "
The statement caught Macus by suprise, he burst into laughter,
" me, trouble?, never" he exclaimed.
As the car drove away, Macus waved goodbye.
He could see the old man watching him with a smile, he leaned on the leather seat and stare out at the window.
************
Back to the apartment,
Kilan and Mrs Bekna had finished setting up the table, the plates were filled with colourful, delicious food and the sweet smell filled the air.
" Gon! " Mrs Bekna called, " lunch is ready!"
Moments later, Sungon walked into the dining room, he wore the same blue hoodie, and his hand were tucked inside the pockets.
He sat down next to Kilan with a blank look.
" doesn't the food look great" asked Mrs Bekna enthusiastically, looking at the dishes.
They could see the steam coming from the rice and chicken,
" yes, it does look delicious " Kilan repiled happily.
" yeah" Sungon repiled quietly, not looking at his meal.
Mrs Bekna noticed his response and placed a spoonful of salad on his plate,
" i made your favourite dear, please you two go ahead and eat"
Kilan looked at the food and praised its appetizing look in his mind, as he took his spoon , his eyes lit up as the flavours danced in his mouth,
' delicious ' he thought.
He glanced to his side and noticed something strange, Sungon hadn't taken a single bite of his meal, Kilan wondered why.
"Hey" Kilan said softly, "aren't you hungry ".
Suddenly, Kilan heard a gasps from Mrs Bekna.
" oh! Gon", she said, quickly reaching for his plate.
Sungon watched as his mother took his food away and replace it with the cool portion of the meal.
" here" she said, placing his plate.
' what was that all about' Kilan thought, astonished by the action.
He then gazed at Mrs Bekna for an explanation.
She smiled, " Gon is advised to avoid spicy and hot food, according to his physiologist, it makes him uncomfortable", she said,
" i should have remembered, but sometimes, i would completely forgot"
Hearing her explanation, Kilan nodded in understanding,
Today, he had come to admire Mrs Bekna for her caring demeanour and determination, women like her should have everything they desire.
Thinking about that, he thought of his mother and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
They resumed eating, and this time, Kilan watched closely as Sungon finally took a bite, chewing it very slowly.
" how's the food now Gon?" His mother asked.
" it's good" he repiled.
Both Kilan and Mrs Bekna smiled and they continued their meal and chat.