《The Ascendants》


 Ravens Burger

    Raven''s burger


    A decently popular medium-sized burger joint in the city of Mythrails. You would guess that such


    a popular joint, famous among the people of the city for its warm customer service, would have at


    least a handful of employees. But this joint has only three employees due to a certain eccentric


    owner....


    "Oh good, it''s busy as always. Why doesn''t the owner hire a few more employees?" a young girl in


    her early twenties, with medium-length short hair, wearing casual clothes along with gloves and an


    apron, complained as she tended to a customer.


    "Don''t bother complaining about him, Ruby," another girl, also in her early twenties, with jet-black


    flowing hair and dark eerie eyes, consoled Ruby.


    "Yeah, right," Ruby said in an exasperated tone as she stopped thinking about the unreliable


    owner, whom she hadn''t seen except for when he hired her. Her only sense of responsibility and


    reliability in this restaurant was her companion, Lyla.


    Anyone seeing Lyla for the first time would be intimidated by her dark, mysterious, and cold vibes.


    She always had an air of coldness and mystery, but once you got to know her, you''d find she was a


    kind, responsible, and thoughtful girl.


    "Order ready for table 12," a loud and energetic voice called out from the kitchen. It was the last


    employee in the burger joint.


    "You go take care of the kitchen for some time. I''m worried that Kael will mess something up


    again," Lyla reminded Ruby as she got busy tending to customers.


    Ruby laughed a bit as she walked toward the kitchen, thinking about Kael, who was the complete


    opposite of Lyla, but also surprisingly her twin.


    "Idiot, this order is for table 14, not 12," Ruby scolded him.


    "Oh, whatever," Kael responded in a carefree manner.


    Kael was an energetic and carefree person blessed with good looks and a good physique. The


    only oddity you''d notice about him was his pure white hair, which gave him a contrasting


    appearance.


    "So, how are the patties coming along?" Ruby asked as she smelled something weird.


    "Yeah, they''re coming along very well, um... the only thing is they''re a bit burned," Kael responded


    with a sheepish smile.


    "Dear Kael, please go and handle the tables with your sister. I''ll take care of things here in the


    kitchen. I''m sure your sister can''t handle all those customers alone," Ruby said, trying to push Kael


    out of the kitchen to stop him from making things worse.


    "You sure? I''ll attract the customers with my handsome face and kind smile," Kael responded with a


    smirk as he walked out of the kitchen confidently.


    "Also, take that order with you. Deliver it to table 14, not 12," Ruby reminded him with a sigh as she


    got busy cooking the patties.


    "Yo, sis, need a hand?" Kael asked in a loud voice, alerting all the customers. The regulars, used to


    their antics, ignored him with a smile and continued eating. Even though the restaurant and its employees were a bit weird, the customers liked the warm


    and lively atmosphere, even though the food was a bit average.


    "Yeah, Kael, I would very much appreciate it," Lyla responded casually as she was used to her


    brother''s antics.


    "Sigh, it''s almost closing time, but the crowd never slows down. Would it hurt for the boss to pay us


    extra for working overtime?" Kael complained with a sigh, though his actions were still energetic


    despite the late hour. It seemed like he stayed energetic all day long without tiring.


    "Yeah, I would also like that very much. But stop talking nonsense and get busy with work. We need


    to get ready for closing," Lyla chided him. Kael pouted a bit but stopped arguing and got busy


    working.


    With Kael''s energy, Lyla''s attentiveness, and Ruby''s efficiency in the kitchen, things started


    moving faster, and most of the customers left. Only a few people remained in the restaurant.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings."It sure is a long day, guys," Ruby walked out of the kitchen with a tired look after completing the


    preparation of all the orders.


    "Can''t argue with that," Lyla agreed.


    "Hey, sis, you sure you took all the orders?" Kael asked doubtfully, glancing toward a certain corner


    of the restaurant.


    "Yeah, I did," Lyla responded, following Kael''s line of sight to find a man lying dejectedly on a table.


    "You sure you got his order?" Kael asked with a smile, relishing his sister''s rare display of a


    mistake.


    "I don''t think so. I think he just got in," Lyla replied doubtfully.


    "Then let me go work my charms," Kael said with a laugh as he walked toward the man at table 13.


    "Where does he get all his energy from?" Ruby asked in a tired voice. Lyla just shrugged.


    "Yo, bud, sorry we didn''t come earlier to take your order. It was very busy, and my sis probably


    missed your arrival," Kael said with a warm smile, looking smugly at Lyla. Lyla just ignored his


    antics as always.


    "It''s okay, everyone ignores me anyway," the man replied to Kael''s warm smile in a dejected and


    gloomy manner.


    "Also, I just came in and sat down. So, don''t beat yourself up," the man said in a deadpan


    expression.


    Kael observed the man''s face. Well, specifically, it wasn''t a man but a boy who looked to be in his


    late teens. However, due to his dark circles, depressed face, and slouched posture, he looked


    older.


    "Come on, man, what''s with that face? Give me your order. I''m sure your day will get a lot better


    after eating our wonderful food," Kael replied with a proud expression.


    "No, I changed my mind. I don''t have much on me. I also have to save up money for rent since I got


    fired from the only job I had," the boy said with a depressed and pained expression as he got up


    from his chair to leave.


    "Yo, wait up, bud," Kael stopped him from leaving.


    "It''s okay. I''m gonna head home. Thanks for your concern," the boy replied with a pained smile.


    "Kael, go and make some burgers and fries for this poor guy. Since all the customers are gone,


    he''ll be our last customer," Ruby said with a sympathetic look while glancing at the boy.


    "I was gonna do that anyway. Alright, I''ve decided. I''m gonna make the best burger and fries you''ve


    ever had in your life!" Kael declared loudly as he walked toward the kitchen.


    "Kael, if he''s gonna have the best burger and fries he''s ever had in his life, I don''t think you should


    cook it," Lyla said with a blank expression.


    Kael stopped in his tracks, turning around with an embarrassed expression. Simultaneously,


    everyone cracked up, including the boy.


    "Haha.. maybe you are right. Ruby, you go and make the burger and fries for our customer" Kael


    replied in an awkward tone. Ruby looked at Kael with a laugh and entered the kitchen shaking her


    head.


    "So what is your name?" Kael asked the boy to shift the topic away from his embarrassment.


    "Arthur" the boy replied looking at them with a awkward expression. He sat back in his chair,


    unable to refuse their kindness.


    "Why are you guys being so kind?" Arthur asked with a pained smile.


    "Well, part of it is because of our past and the other thing is our boss instructed us that no one


    should leave the restaurant in an empty stomach" Lyra replied to the question with a slight smile.


    "It''s hard to meet people like this nowadays," Arthur said. In an era where everyone is focused


    solely on themselves, it''s hard to find people like these who help others without expecting anything.


    "That''s my brother for you," Lyra said glancing at Kael who had a smug expression.


    "Oh, is he your brother? Then you got a good brother" Arthur replied while taking glances at the


    siblings, noticing their similarities except for their contrasting hair colors.


    ''Maybe he died his hair white'' Arthur thought to himself.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting" Ruby returned from the kitchen holding a tray consisting of burger and


    fries.


    "Here is your order" She placed the tray at Arthur''s table with a warm smile.


    "There you go Arthur, on the house" Kael watched as Arthur hesitated for a second and started


    wolfing down the food.


    "T..thanks gg..uys," Arthur said while simultaneously chewing the food.


    "Bud slow down a bit, it''s not going anywhere" Kael laughed at Arthur who was stuffing the food


    with an embarrassed expression.


    "Thank you so much, guys. It''s been days since I had proper food" Arthur replied, tears building in


    his eyes maybe both because of their kindness or because of the hot food.


    "Chug it down, we''ll talk later," Ruby said with a smile.


    Within a few minutes, the plates were squeaky clean with no leftovers. Arthur let out a loud burp


    and thanked them again.


    "It was the best food I had maybe because I haven''t eaten in days"


    The group smiled at his words feeling a bit proud. Arthur looked at them, hesitating a bit and


    asked


    "U..mm I know you guys gave me free food and all but can I ask you something" "Sure bud, do you


    want another one?" Kael replied with a teasing expression.


    "No.. no, I am very full. I was just going to ask... do you guys have a job for me here?" Arthur asked


    with a hopeful expression. He was fired from his job today and he desperately needed a new job to


    make ends meet.


    The group was surprised a bit by his sudden question. After some thinking, Lyra replied


    "That''s not a big deal, but the owner left for vacation two weeks ago. Once he gets back we will


    talk to him. We need an extra hand anyway"


    "Thank you guys. Thank you so much. I promise I will pay back today''s kindness" Arthur replied,


    once again tears welling up in his eyes. The amount of kindness he received today exceeded the


    kindness he received in his life.


    As they were talking, Lyra noticed a few human silhouettes through the door. She instantly


    became extremely alert. Kael also looked at her at the same time with a look of seriousness that


    was rarely seen on his face.


    "Kael, take Arthur and Ruby through the backdoor. I think something bad is about to happen" Lyra


    exclaimed hastily.

 Dave and Mark

    "Are you sure, sis?" Kael glanced nervously at Lyra. She wore a serious expression as she looked intently at the entrance door. Even though his sister always seemed a bit serious, this time, she was serious for real.


    Meanwhile Arthur and Ruby glanced at each other feeling lost and confused.


    "Why are you so serious just because someone is at the door? It may be few customers as we haven''t closed anyway" Ruby said with some confusion. She didn''t understand why they were so serious about this.


    Arthur also shared similar feelings as Ruby. But since he wasn¡¯t very close with them, he didn¡¯t voice his opinions.


    "You guys, quickly go through the back door. I don''t have time to explain now. If possible, call for some help" Lyra seriously reminded them.


    "Bu¡­t" Before she could complain Ruby saw the dead serious look on Kael''s face. She has never seen him so serious. She swallowed her words, chose to trust them, and took Arthur''s hand to leave through the back exit.


    Before they moved a few steps, the door to the shop opened at two burly men walked in wearing casual winter clothes. One of them was a bald man with a long beard and another one with a man bun wearing glasses.


    "Mark, are you sure this is the place?" the bald guy asked his partner with the man bun.


    ¡°Yeah Dave, this is the place we were told to investigate¡± Mark replied while taking a glance through the people in the room and another glance at the photo in his hand.


    As the two men were conversing Kael walked toward them with  a smile and said


    "I am sorry guys we are closing, but I forgot to put the close sign outside. I am really sorry for the inconvenience. We will open again at 12''o clock at noon tomorrow"


    Dave didn¡¯t even bother listening to him and lifted him up his collar casually. Even though Kael was by no means skinny and had a fair amount of muscle on him, he was lifted so easily by Dave.


    ¡°Stop spouting bullshit and start answering my questions. We are looking for this man, is he here or not?¡± Dave asked in a harsh voice as Mark showed the photo in his hands to the kids.


    ¡°Hey put him down, that not the way to talk to someone¡± Arthur shouted at them in a nervous manner. His whole body was shaking in fear.


    Ruby wasn''t faring any better. She had a panicked expression as she glanced at her phone.


    ''Wow, what a cliche, my phone doesn''t have freaking at a time of emergency'' she thought in a helpless manner trying to calm down and call for help somehow.


    "Ha ha, look at the loser trying to act all tough while his whole body is shaking due to fear" Mark said with a mocking expression.


    ¡°I know where he is. First put him down¡± Lyra said while pointing at the photo Mark was holding.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Mark looked at Dave who was holding Kael. Dave just shrugged and threw Kael at a table without much thought. Kael crashed into a couple of tables and chairs.


    "C..ough cough. Arthur, and Ruby please leave guys. It''s not safe for you here. I know you guys won''t listen but at least go and call for some help" Kael said with a pained expression as he slowly got up from the debris of chairs and tables.


    Ruby knew too well that she was not an opponent for these two assailants and the only chance was to sneak out and call the cops for help. She tried to take Arthur''s hand and run out.


    ¡°Ah, where do you think you guys are running to¡± Mark said with his eyes glowing in a dangerous red as he looked at Ruby and Arthur.


    Arthur was struck with fear and froze on the spot. Seeing Arthur wasn¡¯t moving, Ruby ignored him and ran out through the back door.


    ¡°I should call for help.. I should call for help¡± she muttered, running away without turning back as tears streamed from her eyes.


    "Ah shit, one got away. What do we do?" Dave looked at his partner with an awkward expression.


    "Just ignore her" Mark replied without much thought. He looked at Lyra as if waiting for her to speak about the man in the photo.


    ¡°Lyra, I am gonna do it¡± Kael looked at Lyra in a serious manner.


    ¡°Nooo, absolutely not. Master specifically told us we are not ready and should not use it when he is not around¡± Lyla said hurriedly with no trace of her usual calm.


    ¡°C¡¯mon sis, what can we do in this situation¡± Kael said, looking at his sister in a helpless situation. His sister is so struck up even in emergency situations.


    ¡°He gave us strict orders¡± Lyla said no room for negotiation.


    ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± Arthur asked, desperately trying to shake off his fear. He felt so afraid and helpless.


    "You won''t get it, Arthur. Just focus on escaping like Ruby did" Lyra replied focusing her attention back on the intruders.


    ¡°Okay stop bickering among yourself and start spilling the beans. Don¡¯t make me lose my patience¡± Mark said in a dangerous tone, his patience already reaching the limit.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything as I don¡¯t know where he is currently¡± Lyra said in a serious expression.


    "This bitchhh. Dave, it''s useless to talk anymore. Just finish them off" Mark looked at his partner in anger. Dave just laughed and started punching Kael.


    He sent many punches continuously but to his surprise, he found that Kael dodged every one of his punches. He frowned a bit and started increasing the tempo of his punches. But Kael didn''t take a hit and hurriedly dodged the punches.


    ¡°Hahaha, you couldn¡¯t even hit a kid¡± Mark laughed loudly as he teased his partner.


    ¡°Shut up, he¡¯s already getting on my nerves. Don¡¯t test my patience¡± Dave said as his expression turned more ugly. He was humiliated both by this kid and Mark.


    ¡°Woah woah, all bark no bite¡± Mark further teased his partner.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, that does it¡± Dave declared as he pulled back and put little distance between them and Kael.


    Both Kael and Lyra sensed something wrong as Dave took out a small sickle-like weapon from his coat. It was not an ordinary sickle, it had a coating of crimson aura around it emitting hostility and rage.


    "Kael be careful. He has a coated weapon"


    "Yeah sis I''m not blind, I can see it" Kael said as he looked at the crimson-coated sickle in a serious manner.


    "What are you guys talking about, I don''t see shit" Arthur said. All he saw was a normal sickle. Sure it was sharp, but he didn''t see any kind of coating on it.


    "Of course, you can''t. Arthur, just go and hide somewhere" Kael replied.


    Arthur instantly shut his mouth. All he could feel at this moment was helplessness. He has never felt more helpless in his whole life. He really wished he could help these guys who were kind enough to give him a free meal and even agreed to give him a job here. He hated himself for being so powerless.


    ¡®I am so useless¡¯ Arthur thought as crouched under a table and shut his eyes.


    "Damn Mark, we got lucky. These two can see our coated weapons. We came here for a bigger fish but we got lucky and caught ourselves a few smaller fishes" Dave laughed as he menacingly moved toward Kael.


    Mark was also pleasantly surprised that these kids could see the coating around the weapon but this also increased his vigilance. Before he could react, Lyra ran to the counter, jumped over it and picked a steel pipe from under it and the pipe to Kael. She also took a crowbar and kept it to herself.


    "Haha,  what can you do brats do with these pieces of garbage metal" Dave laughed as he continued walking to Kael, who was now holding a steel pipe in an unhurried manner.


    The windows of the shop were opened due to a sudden gust of heavy wind.


    "The weather is nice and cool. C''mon, Dave just get this over with" Mark said to Dave, who was dragging this out forever. Dave just laughed in a calm manner and slashed down the sickle towards Kael.


    Kael tried to defend it with the pipe but the steel pipe was cleaved into two halves without much resistance. He immediately jumped back to put some distance between them and looked at pieces of steel pipe in his hand in a helpless manner.


    Suddenly Kael''s expression changed as he looked outside the window with doubt.


    "Haha kid, are you enjoying the winter night one last time?" Dave asked Kael with an amused smile.


    Kael just ignored him and looked at Lyra and said with a smile.


    ¡°Sis, guess what?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lyra replied with a doubt as she also gazed outside the window with a frown.


    ¡°I think he is coming back¡± Kael replied to Lyra with a smile. There was no trace of the previous seriousness.


    ¡°Ah finally, he does have a thing for being on time doesn¡¯t he¡± Lyra also smiled beautifully without any worry.


    The two men also sensed something wrong. They simultaneously looked outside with worry and a sense of unease.


    A gust of cold wind came through the opened window.


    ¡°Now now, I heard someone is looking for me¡±

 The Owner and The Manager

    ¡°Now now, I heard someone is looking for me¡± came a carefree voice out of nowhere.


    Before anyone could react another two men were standing near Kael and Lyra, but these two were not hostile like Mark and Dave.


    One of them was a tall man in his mid-twenties with a well-built physique, silver hair and short stubble wearing a casual shirt and pants. Another was a blonde man in his late twenties with a clean shave wearing a neat suit and looking tidy.


    ¡°Someone is looking for a death wish,¡± Mark said looking at the two newcomers. There was still a bit of unease in his heart.


    ¡°Hey isn¡¯t he the one in the photo¡± Dave said laughing at the newcomers feeling a bit lucky.


    ¡°Come to think of it, yeah he¡¯s the one we are searching for. I guess his name is Valentino or something¡± Mark replied as he got ready to make a move anytime. These two people gave him a dangerous feeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s Valerio, you muscle heads,¡± the tall said with a laugh, looking at Mark and Dave without much interest.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. If you come with us quietly, there won''t be any bloodshed¡± Dave said with a smirk.


    ¡°Haha, looks like someone doesn¡¯t know their place. Anyway, amateurs like you shouldn¡¯t even be swinging those weapons like that. Do you guys even know what those are?¡± Valerio asked with a smile.


    ¡°You bastard! Are you done talking?¡± Mark said in a dangerous tone as he got his sickle ready.


    ¡°Hey Mathew, why don¡¯t you teach our kids a lesson as the shop¡¯s new manager?¡± Valerio said as he placed his hands on the blonde man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What, that mister is our new manager?¡± Kael asked with a doubt. This unreliable owner just went god knows where and suddenly out of nowhere, he bought a new manager with him.


    ¡°I know right? Isn¡¯t he perfect? Also Kael, hand over that pipe to him and watch his actions very closely¡± Valerio replied feeling pretty proud about his selection.


    Kael handed over the small piece of pipe that was cleaved in the previous exchange to Mathew. He was very doubtful about what this new manager was going to do. Lyra also looked at Mathew with interest.


    Meanwhile, Arthur slowly opened his and looked at this scene with confusion. As he was looking, the tall man just glanced at him with a smirk.


    ¡°How does this count as something that a manager does?¡± Mathew asked with a serious expression as he got the small steel pipe from Kael.


    ¡°Ah, just get this over with. Anyway as a manager, you should do what this owner says¡± Valerio replied with a smile trying to shrug it off.


    ¡°Whatever¡± Mathew replied as he looked at Dave and Mark.


    While this was happening, Mark also took out a sharp knife from his coat and coated it with a dark red aura. Both of them charged towards Mathew with a shout.


    ¡°Ahhhhh, you''re dead meat ¡±


    ¡°Pipe down you two¡± Mathew said with an annoyed expression as he coated the steel pipe with his aura. It was a bright golden yellowish aura that felt both warm and dangerous.


    ¡°There you go, making puns again,¡± Valerio said with a laugh.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s a habit I cannot control¡± Mathew replied as slashed the pipe without much effort.


    There was a bright yellow flash. Kael, Lyra and Arthur instinctively closed their eyes as it was too bright. Meanwhile, a random guy passing outside looked at the shop and said


    ¡°Damn, why is it so bright in there. I think I would go blind if I looked at it any longer¡±


    There was no noise or any disturbance. After a while, Kael and Lyra opened their eyes. There weren¡¯t any changes.


    Everything was just as it was before the flash. Well, the only difference was there was no trace of Mark and Dave.


    ¡°Umm, where are those two?¡± Lyra asked curiously. She looked at her new manager in a new light.


    ¡°Yeah, I wonder where they are¡± Mathew chuckled as he looked at Lyra.


    ¡°Wowww! You are so awesome Mr Mathew¡± Kael exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Mathew in awe.


    ¡°Thank you¡± Mathew replied in a formal smile.


    Lyra tried to hide her shock when she suddenly thought of something as she looked at the table Arthur was hiding. Arthur was lying down with a pained expression.


    ¡°Hey Kael, lift him up. Looks like he passed out of fear¡± Lyra said with pity.


    ¡°I pity him, poor thing¡± Kael replied as he went to pick up Arthur from the floor.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s the kid?¡± Valerio asked with interest.


    ¡°He¡¯s Arthur. He just stopped by for a bit, but those two ruined his day¡± Lyra replied.


    ¡°Also, he was asking us if he could get a job here. That¡¯s okay with you right, Uncle Val?¡± Kael looked at Valerio with a hopeful expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we need an extra hand anyway¡± Valerio replied with a smile but suddenly he paused as he looked at Kael with a frown


    ¡°You brat.. how many times have I told you not to call me uncle. Do you need another beating¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll just put him in my room,¡± Kael said in a hurry as he took Arthur to his room.


    Lyra just laughed when she suddenly heard the siren sounds outside.


    ¡°It must be Ruby¡± Lyra said when Ruby ran inside the shop with two police officers.


    ¡°Are you okay guys?¡± Ruby asked in a panicked voice. She was shocked to find that those two attackers were gone but the owner Valerio was standing with another unfamiliar man. She also noticed Kael taking Arthur to his room.


    ¡°Let me handle the officers,¡± Valerio said as he went to talk with the police officers. Meanwhile Ruby ran to Lyra hoping for a


    Explanation. Lyra suddenly got a headache trying to cook up a lie to tell Ruby.


    ¡­


    After a while Kael came back from his room. He was surprised to find Ruby and a few police officers standing outside the shop.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kael asked her.


    ¡°Yeah, I am fine¡± Ruby replied absentminded. She left a sigh of relief after learning no one was hurt and Arthur just passed out due to fear and exhaustion.


    ¡°Good thinking Ruby¡± Valerio complimented her as he entered the shop again after finishing explaining things to the cops.


    Ruby just nodded at him with a smile. ¡°How¡¯s Arthur?¡± Ruby asked Kael.


    ¡°He¡¯s exhausted. I just let him sleep in my room¡± Kael explained.


    ¡°Looks like you get a temporary roommate Kael¡± Lyra teased with a smile.


    Kael also chuckled at her remark.


    ¡°Okay Ruby, you go home soon. It¡¯s already getting late¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I better get going. Bye, guys¡± Ruby left after taking her belongings. She was very tired and just wanted to go home and sleep.


    After Ruby left Valerio looked at the twins and said


    ¡°So let me introduce him again. He¡¯s Mathew, the new manager of the shop and as you would have already guessed¡±


    ¡°Please tell me he¡¯s-¡± Lyra intercepted him and looked at Valerio with a hopeful expression.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s one of the fragments we¡¯ve been searching for. Also, he will temporarily act as your trainer¡± Valerio looked at them with a smile.


    Kael and Lyra looked at Mathew with excitement and curiosity. They also felt their powerlessness today and wanted to learn those skills from Mathew.


    ¡°Mathew, these two are Kael and Lyra, they are twins,¡± Valerio said.


    ¡°Hope we get along¡± Mathew replied with a nod.


    ¡°Yeah, you guys get along as you like but clean up this mess of a place before you do that,¡± Valerio said getting a headache looking at the broken chairs and tables. His hard-earned money was ruined by those two bastards.


    ¡°Arghh, it¡¯s been a long day already. You can¡¯t do this to us¡± Kael and Lyra grumbled in unison.


    ¡°It''s okay guys, I will take care of things, You just get a good sleep¡± Mathew replied with a smile


    ¡°Thank you, mister. You are a lifesaver¡± Lyra replied happily.


    Kael and Lyra waved goodnight and they went to their respective rooms to sleep. They were also mentally exhausted. The only happy thing was tomorrow was Sunday and they didn¡¯t need to work.


    After the twins left, Mathew also got busy with cleaning the shop.


    ¡°Very well, I will also take my leave then,¡± Valerio said as he left the shop leaving Mathew alone to his work.


    Before leaving, he took a glance at Kael¡¯s room and thought


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why, I feel something off while looking at that Arthur kid. I just hope I am tired from the journey

 New Beginnings

    After Valerio left Mathew continued with his cleaning. After completing all his work, he just slept on one of the tables.


    ¡­


    The next morning Kael was sleeping soundly after a long night. In his dreams, he was very powerful like Mathew and fighting hoards of enemies with a smug expression, when suddenly.


    "Aahhhhh¡­ where am I?" came a panicked and confused voice.


    ''There goes my peaceful sleep and glorious dream'' Kael thought with a sigh as he opened his eyes groggily.


    "Calm down Arthur. You are safe and are currently in my room, so don''t worry and calm down" Kael explained.


    Arthur calmed down a bit after hearing Kael''s voice when he suddenly thought something and asked with a frown.


    "Y..yesterday¡­ what happened and is everyone safe?"


    "Yeah don''t worry about that, everyone is safe and sound. They were just street thugs looking for money, thankfully the owner came at the right time with the cops" Kael lied through his teeth with a smile.


    Even though Arthur didn''t believe his explanation, he kept his mouth shut and nodded. Since everyone was safe, that was the only thing that mattered.


    "That''s good news to wake up to" Arthur said with a smile.


    "And also that''s not the only good news" Kael teased with a smile.


    "What other news is there?" Arthur asked when suddenly he thought of something and looked at Kael with a hopeful expression.


    "Haha, we spoke to Uncle Val about your employment, and he agreed. He said you can begin tomorrow or even today" Kael replied.


    "Oh my god!! Really??" Arthur asked again doubting if he heard it wrong.


    "Yeah, I told him how you are struggling with your life and he was kind enough to understand and give you a job. Also, he said you can also crash here if you are struggling with your rent" Kael explained with a smile.


    Tears started welling up in Arthur''s eyes and started running down his cheeks.


    "Thank you¡­ thank you very much, guys. I will definitely repay this debt one way or another. You guys have done a lot for me even though we just met yesterday. I promise I''ll never forget this kindness" Arthur said, wiping the tears from his eyes.


    ''I will make sure I will turn around my life this time'' he thought with a newfound determination and resolve.


    "Thank Uncle Val, not me" Kael said with a laugh.


    "Uncle Val?" Arthur asked even though he had a sense of who he was.


    "Oh yeah, he is the owner of this place" Kael replied.


    After explaining everything Kael went back to his sleep. Arthur freshened up and went outside when he saw the tall man yesterday sitting at one of the tables, looking at his laptop. Valerio noticed Arthur and glanced at him with a smile.


    "Excuse me" Arthur said meeting the man''s gaze with a awkward smile.


    "Good morning, you must be Arthur. I am Valerio, the owner of this place. Did you have a good sleep?" Valerio asked with a smile. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Yes, I did sir. Thank you so much for everything sir, I am truly grateful" Arthur replied in a sincere tone with a bow.


    "Haha, don''t need to be so formal, afterall young guns like you are the future of marines" Valerio said with a laugh.


    "Future of marines??" Arthur asked in confusion.


    "Never mind it''s nothing. So, when you are starting?" Valerio asked.


    "I''ll start today itself" Arthur said in a loud voice.


    "Haha, I like your enthusiasm. But today is a holiday, so go home and come by 6pm for some initial training" Valerio said.


    Arthur nodded and left the shop to go. From today onwards he is going to start and new life.


    After Arthur left, Valerio worked on his laptop for a bit and got up to check in on Lyra and Kael. He found that both of them were still sleeping peacefully.


    "C''mon¡­c''mon wake up. It''s 8 am and you''re still sleeping. Get up and go down, today marks a new beginning with Mathew. You guys got 5 minutes" Valerio shouted as both of them got up with a sigh.


    ''Sigh, we can''t even wake up late on holiday'' they thought.


    They got up, brushed their teeth, and freshened up in a hurry. When they both came out of their respective rooms, Valerio had already left.


    ''Good morning sis" Kael said with a laugh. He was still not fully awake. Lyra just nodded at him with a smile. They both thought something and went into the closet that was in the storeroom.


    They entered the room and Kael moved a few boxes with familiarity. In the place of the box, there was a handle on the floor. Kael pulled the handle and a small portion of the floor was opened.


    It was a false bottom.


    There were a few steps in the hole of the opened floor. They entered the steps and stood on a metallic platform. They close back the opened floor above them.


    After a few seconds, the metallic platform moved down with a whir. They didn''t show any surprise as they were already used to this.


    Soon the lift came to a stop. The metallic door in front of them automatically and they stepped into a large room. The room was very large with a futuristic setting and the interior gave a metallic vibe.


    One part of the place was filled with number of computer monitors with a chair placed in front of them. Valerio was sitting in the chair.


    Another part of the room was filled with training equipment like weights, a few machines, and a boxing bag. There was also an empty space near the gym. Mathew was standing there looking at the twins.


    "No matter how many times I see, this place always amazes me" Kael said in amazement. Lyra also nodded, sharing his amazement.


    "Welcome guys, c''mon c''mon let''s start your training" Valerio said looking at the twins. The three of them went towards where Mathew was standing.


    "Morning guys, ready for some training?" Mathew asked.


    "Yeah manager, let''s do it" Kael said in excitement.


    "What kind of training are we going to do Manager?" Lyra asked with interest.


    "Combat training. Now, both of you come at me with all your might like you want to kill me" Mathew said with a smirk.


    Lyra and Kael looked at each other for a bit and charged towards Mathew. Seeing their charge, Mathew didn''t flinch and even folded one of his hands behind his back.


    "You are gonna regret this" Kael shouted as he sent several punches towards Mathew. But Mathew calmly dodged everything. Meanwhile, Lyra attacked him from the other side. But the result was the same. Mathew dodged everything.


    "Your punches are half-assed and predictive. Make sure you turn your waist in the direction you are punching and twist your shoulders a bit. Also, don''t look in the direction you are going to punch next" Mathew instructed them as he dodged their attacks without breaking a sweat. Occasionally he also sent a few punches their way.


    "Yes sir" they both replied as they incorporated his teaching. Lyra suddenly punched towards Mathew who just dodged Kael''s attack. It almost seemed to hit him but Mathew just stopped it with 2 fingers.


    "Good, now that your punches have some weight behind them, let''s take it up a notch. Both of you activate your eyes" Mathew said.


    "Are you sure manager?" they both asked as they looked at Valerio.


    "It''s ok. I am here, so everything should be fine" Valerio said with a smile.


    They both looked at each other and nodded. They moved back a few steps to put some distance and closed their eyes and took a deep breath.


    "Here goes nothing" Kael said as both of them opened their eyes simultaneously. There was a yin-yang symbol that replaced their pupils. It gave them a mysterious and eerie feel.


    A veil of black aura surrounded Lyra and a white aura surrounded Kael.


    "They are good compared to how I started" Mathew looked at them and with a tone of appreciation.


    "Yeah, they are both talented" Valerio also said with a nod.


    "Now come at me with all you''ve got" Mathew said.


    "You better take that hand from behind your back" Lyra said with a tone of confidence.


    "That''s right manager" Kael replied agreeing with his sister.


    "Haha, we will see about that" Mathew said with a laugh.

 The Tale

    "Kids before you start again, you remember the tale that I used to tell you right? You bear the eye, so you also bear the responsibility that comes with its power. Don''t ever forget that" Valerio reminded them in a serious tone.


    "Wait, what tale?? Why have I never heard of it?" Mathew asked in confusion.


    Kael and Lyra suddenly looked at Mathew with a weird expression. Since he was very powerful, they assumed that he knew everything about the eyes. They didn''t know how to react now that he didn''t even know the basic lore behind it.


    "Oh, Uncle Val didn''t tell you?" Lyra asked.


    "No, he did not¡­ Mr. Valerio, what''s this tale? You know I love hearing stories right" Mathew asked with interest. So, Valerio started his narration.


    Well, a long time ago, the gods of heaven decided that they couldn''t always oversee humanity against all the chaos, so the twelve chief gods carefully handpicked 12 worthy individuals to inherit the will of the gods.


    Each individual was granted the eye of their respective god which was a manifestation of their power. These twelve individuals protect humanity on behalf of the gods.


    "Woah, I never knew these things. Why didn''t you tell me this as soon as you found me?" Mathew asked, even though they guessed this tale was not so simple. He predicted that even Valerio didn''t know the full details of the story.


    ''Fools''


    Suddenly Mathew frowned.


    "Oh look who''s talking, as if you were in your right mind to listen to stories when I found you," Valerio said with a smile.


    "Oh, my bad" Mathew replied with an awkward expression.


    Kael and Lyra looked at their exchange with a curious expression. They wanted to know more about this mysterious manager of theirs.


    "Mathew, the tale not applies only to the twins but-" "It also applies to us, right?" Mathew asked.


    "Yeah, it does¡­Anyway, enough about this let''s continue your training" Valerio said with a smile.


    "Let''s go, sis," Kael said bringing his attention back to the task at hand.


    "Yeah," Lyra replied agreeing with him.


    "Make sure you both go all out" Mathew reminds them with a smile.


    Kael and Lyra, with their eyes activated charged at them with a newfound confidence. They were moving twice as fast now.


    Ever since they awakened their eye, Valerio always made them train their bodies to handle the eye''s power.


    "Wow, that''s some speed you guys got. I have to say, I''m impressed" Mathew complimented. The usually silent Mathew became a bit talkative when fighting.


    The twins started to coordinate better now as their attacks became more fluent and connected better.


    "Wow, you made to block with my hand. Congratulations" Mathew said with a smirk.


    The spar went on for a while as Mathew kept instructing them on areas they should improve and the things they should keep in mind while engaging with an enemy.


    The twins improved tremendously with his pointers. But they were still a bit frustrated as Mathew was still fighting with one hand. But at least he stopped dodging and engaged them with blocks and occasional attacks.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ''I wish I could bring out the eye''s power a bit more'' they both thought in unison.


    "Mathew, you know something?" Valerio asked as he kept observing their spar.


    Mathew looked at Valerio with confusion. This angered the twins a bit.


    ''Shit, it looks like he still has the time to look elsewhere'' they thought again in unison.


    "You are a good teacher," Valerio said with a smile.


    "Well I taught history to high school kids for a while, so I kinda knew" Mathew replied.


    "Ahh, forget it," Valerio said with a sigh.


    ''Hmm..I made the right decision to have him train those two. He made them improve so much in just a short period. Their attacks are faster, precise and also their movements are more coordinated. For a moment it even seemed like those two moved as if they were one. As expected of them'' Valerio thought to himself when he frowned suddenly.


    ''These fools, I could take them out in no time'' Mathew heard a vile and foul voice in his head.


    Mathew immediately pulled back as he went down to his knee clutching his head in pain.


    "Manager, are you not feeling well" Kael asked in a doubt as he looked at Mathew with concern.


    "No, it''s nothing," Mathew said forcing a smile.


    "It''s starting again, isn''t it?" Valerio asked with a serious look. He suddenly got an ache thinking about dealing with that thing again.


    "I hope not. Maybe I''m just tired from the training"


    "Tired? You didn''t even break a sweat the whole time" Lyra said. Mathew just looked at her without saying anything.


    "Ahh, whatever, I''m kinda exhausted too," Kael said. If Ruby was here, she would be very surprised as the words ''I am tired'' came out of Kael for the first time.


    "Me too," Lyra said agreeing with him.


    "Okay we will stop here," Mathew said as he got up. The pain was still evident in his eyes.


    Lyra and Kael immediately closed their eyes and opened them after a while. The yin-yang symbol faded as their eyes returned to normal.


    "Go and take some rest, you guys deserve it," Valerio said with a smile.


    "Hmm, it''s not like you to say these kind words Uncle Val," Kael said as he looked at Valerio with suspicion.


    "Maybe because you guys have been training so hard for 5 hours nonstop" Valerio replied.


    "What??? We have been going at it for 5 hours?" Kael and Lyra asked in shock.


    "Yeah, it looked like you three were completely locked in. So, I didn''t want to interrupt" Valerio said with a smile.


    "Damn, this has never happened before," Kael said in amusement. They have been training so hard that they even forgot to eat food.


    "Yeah, now that I think about it, you are right," Lyra said agreeing with her brother.


    "Thank you for training us today manager" Kael and Lyra said in unison as they bowed towards Mathew.


    "Sure thing," Mathew said with a smile. "Now, go get some rest," Valerio said.


    "Seems like he is in a good mood today," Lyra said to Kael as she looked at Valerio suspiciously.


    "Yeah, it seems kinda fishy at the same time," Kael said agreeing with his sister.


    ''I smell work coming'' Kael thought with a frown.


    "Haha, if you are not gonna get some rest for a few hours who do you think is gonna show the ins and outs to Arthur? He''s new right, so you guys should help him" Valerio said with a smirk.


    "Yeah keep piling us with work, here I thought you suddenly became a good human," Lyra said with a sigh.


    "Looks like my intuition was right," Kael said with a smile.


    Mathew and Valerio laughed at the twins as everyone started cleaning the place and left the underground facility together. When they reached the shop and loud grumble was heard from Kael''s stomach.


    "Haha, you guys go freshen up, I''ll cook something for you," Valerio said with a laugh.


    ¡­


    Time passed by and soon it became 6 pm.


    The shop door opened and Arthur entered. He greeted the twins who were looking at their phones.


    "Hi guys, so Mr Valerio said today marks my initial training" "Yeah, let''s get started," Kael said with a smile.


    "Good evening Arthur, good to see you are on time," Valerio said as he entered the shop, seeing Arthur with the twins.


    "Evening Mr Valerio, today''s my first day so of course I have to be on time¡­um it''s not like I will be late on other days," Arthur said scratching his head in awkwardness.


    "Haha looks like you are full of energy," Valerio said with a laugh.


    "Hey Arthur it''s a bit weird seeing you call him Mr Valerio, just call him Uncle Val. That''s okay with you right, Uncle Val?" Lyra said as she looked at Valerio with a smirk.


    "Well, I guess you guys won''t stop even if I told you to. Well, I guess I don''t mind him calling me that, I should get used to this" Valerio said with a sigh.


    ''I''m just 25'' he thought, feeling wronged.


    "Haha, you are a good guy, Uncle Val," Kael said with a loud laugh.


    "Arthur, now the twins will teach you everything you need to know, make sure you observe properly and learn from them. Good luck" Valerio said ignoring Kael''s remark. Nobody liked getting the good guy card.


    "Sure Mr. Valerio," Arthur said when he suddenly felt the glare from the twins.


    "Umm¡­I mean Uncle Val" Arthur corrected himself with a laugh. The twins just smiled in approval.


    "Yeah sure," Valerio said as he left Arthur with the twins.


    He left the shop as the twins started teaching the ropes to Arthur. Arthur attentively listened to everything they said. Everyone got busy and as time flowed by again.

 The Gathering

    After teaching Arthur the basics of working in the restaurant, the day soon came to an end. Arthur left home as he chose to refuse the offer of staying at the shop itself. He didn¡¯t want to overstay his welcome.


    After Arthur left Kael and Lyra finished cleaning up and went to sleep.


    ¡­


    The night passed by as the morning arrived. The twins completed their morning routine and opened the shop¡¯s door for business.


    ¡°Sis we still have 10 minutes, why are opening a bit early?¡± Kael asked with interest.


    Lyra didn¡¯t say anything and looked outside where she saw a silhouette running towards the shop with a bag hung across his shoulder.


    ¡°Got your answer?¡± Lyra looked at her brother with a smirk. ¡°Hey guys¡­am I late?¡± Arthur asked breathing heavily.


    ¡°No, you are 10 minutes early,¡± Kael said with a smile.


    ¡°I wonder where Ruby is?¡± Lyra said gazing at the empty road outside.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be here any minute now,¡± Kael said without any worry as Ruby was very responsible and rarely missed a day of work.


    As they were conversing Mathew came out of the storage room, adjusting his shirt collar.


    ¡°Arthur, this is Mr Mathew, our new manager¡± Lyra introduced.


    ¡°Oh hello Mr Manager, I am Arthur¡± Arthur introduced himself with a bow when he suddenly thought something and said in confusion


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere¡±


    ¡°Haha, he has got that face right?¡± Lyra said trying to shift the topic.


    ¡°Well anyway, I¡¯ve got something for you four¡­wait-¡± he stopped midway as he swept his gaze across the shop and continued


    ¡°Mr. Valerio said there are four of you¡­where¡¯s the other one?¡± Mathew asked.


    When suddenly as if on cue, Ruby entered the shop in a hurry.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late guys, got stuck in traffic¡± she explained hurriedly.


    ¡°Perfect timing Ruby¡± Kael said with a smile.


    ¡°Well, I am a perfectionist after all¡± Ruby replied with a smug.


    ¡°Ruby, this is Mr. Mathew, our new manager¡± Lyra introduced Mathew again.


    ¡°Oh.. a new manager, hello Mr. Mathew,¡± Ruby said with a warm smile. She had already seen this man with the owner that night but didn¡¯t think he would be the new manager.


    ¡°Hello, Ruby¡± Mathew replied, returning the greeting.


    ¡°Well, you said you got something for us?¡± Kael asked in anticipation.


    ¡°Wait let me grab something real quick¡±


    Mathew replied as he went back to the store again. The group looked at each other with confusion when they saw Mathew return with a box in his hand.


    ¡°What is it, manager?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Wait a second¡± Mathew replied with a smile.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What could it be? My brain¡¯s not even working¡± Kael said scratching his head.


    ¡°Well, he finally figured it out at last¡± Ruby teased with a smirk. The group laughed as they saw Mathew take out several pieces of clothing from the box.


    It was a black apron with their names written on them in golden color. At the top corner of the apron, two golden ravens were embroidered neatly.


    ¡°Wow, it looks so cool,¡± Kael said in amazement.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like we are professionals¡± Lyra replied sharing her brother¡¯s sentiment. Except for just being the owner in name, Valerio has not done anything for the shop so she was happy seeing Mathew put in the effort.


    ¡°It looks amazing Manager, I like it,¡± Arthur said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ruby said with a nod.


    The group immediately adorned their respective aprons, before they could admire it any further a group of customers walked into the shop.


    ¡°Time to work, team,¡± Mathew said clapping his hands.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Arthur said in excitement and nervousness. Today was his official first day so he wanted to not mess it up.


    ¡­


    Somewhere in another building


    It was a dimly lit office room with a sophisticated and sleek interior. A silhouette was sitting in a rolling chair behind a table.


    ¡°What happened to Mark and Dave, they haven¡¯t returned yet?¡± the silhouette asked in a cold voice.


    ¡°I will check it and report back to you, Mr. Piers¡± a female clad in a business suit replied. She left for a while and came back after a few minutes.


    ¡°Mr. Piers, it seems like they have completely disappeared without any trace, I can¡¯t trace their aura signatures¡± the female replied in a serious tone.


    ¡°Kate, what about the nova signatures from the weapons I gave them¡± Piers asked, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Our team tried to trace them but they can¡¯t find anything on that either¡± Kate replied.


    ¡°What else? Tell me more details¡± Piers asked, leaning forward a bit.


    ¡°Yes sir, even though we were not able to find Mark and Dave, we were able to sense the signatures of two other individuals. One of them had a very powerful signature¡± Kate replied with a hesitation.


    Piers narrowed his eyes as he heard this information. He nodded and replied with a grim smile


    ¡°Looks like Mark and Dave found him¡±


    ¡°Sir do you mean, they found-¡± Kate looked at Piers with hesitation.


    ¡°Yeah. At least someone of his caliber¡± Piers replied with a laugh.


    ¡°Are you sure about this sir?¡± Kate asked again. Piers looked at her with a dangerous expression as she got shivers. She immediately averted her eyes.


    ¡°Of course, Mark and Dave are our elites, they won¡¯t be taken down by a nobody¡± Piers replied with a laugh.


    ¡°Yes sir, you are right,¡± Kate said hurriedly.


    ¡°Report to me if you find anything else, and also alert the other heads to join in swiftly,¡± Piers said as he watched Kate leave hurriedly.


    " It¡¯s been a while since I went to the mind realm," Piers thought, fidgeting a pen. After a while, Kate entered the office again.


    ¡°All the preparations are complete sir,¡± Kate said.


    ¡°Thank you, Kate, make sure I am not disturbed,¡± Piers said with a nod.


    ¡°Yes sir¡± Kate replied as she left the room and stood in front of the room to make sure Piers was not disturbed.


    After watching her leave, Piers stood from his chair and pulled a lever below his table. Soon the wall behind him opened leading to a hidden room.


    The room didn¡¯t have any features. It just had a chair and table in the center and nothing else. After his entry, the room lit up automatically. Piers took a seat in the chair and closed his eyes.


    As he opened his eyes after a second, he was in a completely different place. He was in a huge dark space that only had a huge round table and large throne-like chairs surrounding the table.


    He swept his gaze as he noticed 11 other figures sitting on the chairs, each emitting a different color aura.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Piers, it¡¯s not like you to call these meetings¡± a silhouette with a green aura asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah. Normally, he doesn¡¯t even attend these meetings¡± another silhouette with ink blue aura scoffed.


    ¡°Haha, maybe he¡¯s possessed by someone¡­scary?¡± another silhouette with a bright orange aura laughed.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have time for mockery. I am here to tell you about something very important¡± Piers said in a harsh tone.


    ¡°Please proceed¡± a dark gold silhouette gestured.


    ¡°Well, recently I¡¯ve sent two of my pawns to go after ¡°that man¡±, but they seem to have disappeared without a trace along with the weapons I blessed them¡± Piers explained with a calm tone.


    ¡°Your pawns disappearing isn¡¯t that surprising but the weapons vanishing too? That doesn¡¯t sound very good to me. Are you suggesting-¡± the dark gold silhouette asked in doubt.


    ¡°Yes, I think they found Valerio¡± Piers replied dropping a bomb. Everyone present exclaimed something in shock when a yellow silhouette¡¯s aura fluctuated deeply.


    ¡°That bastard is still alive? I¡¯ve got a score to settle with him¡± the yellow silhouette said in rage, slamming his fists onto the table.


    ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from Orion but do you think he is still alone after all these years?¡± Piers asked calmly.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that he has companions now?¡± Orion asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like he is not capable of that. You, out of everyone should know his capabilities very well¡± Piers replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time that we made a move, Ascendants?¡± the ink-blue silhouette asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we are more powerful than before, so it should be alright,¡± Orion said with a proud laugh.


    ¡°Well, maybe you are right Orion. Also Piers, where did the aura of your men disappear?¡± the dark gold silhouette asked.


    ¡°I was informed that it was near a shop called Raven¡¯s Burgers¡± Piers replied.


    ¡°Haha, Ravens¡¯s burger, I see,¡± the dark gold silhouette said with amusement.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Valerio who was washing the dishes suddenly sneezed


    ¡°Eh, why do I feel like someone¡¯s talking about me?¡± he muttered in confusion.

 Nova

    It was early in the morning, and everyone was in the underground training facility. The twins were sparring with Mathew as usual, with Valerio monitoring them and occasionally guiding them.


    "You guys have shown a lot of improvement in this short period" Mathew commented as he evaded their attacks. He was using both hands.


    "Yeah, that''s undeniable" Valerio nodded, agreeing with Mathew.


    The twins stopped their attack and looked at each other, feeling proud of themselves.


    "However don''t let these words get into your head, pride is a devil" Mathew reminded them.


    "Of course we know that" Lyra replied.


    "Haha, we need to go a long way before we can hope to surpass you" Kael replied with a laugh.


    "Ah well, that''s quite the ambition you got there," Mathew said in amusement.


    "We are gonna surpass you and one day we''ll even surpass Uncle Val, isn''t that right" Lyra said as she looked at Valerio with a smirk.


    "Well not to discourage you but even I have trouble surpassing myself, haha" Valerio replied, looking upward with a proud expression.


    "There you go, classic Uncle Val" Kael said with a sigh.


    "Jokes aside, I''ve got something to tell you guys," Valerio said, his expression turning serious.


    "Me too?" Mathew asked in doubt.


    "Yeah," Valerio replied with a nod.


    The group fell into silence as everyone looked at Valerio with furrowed brows.


    "What is Uncle Val," Kael asked.


    "I''m not sure but¡­I think that we''re being spied on" Valerio said with some hesitation.


    "What? There is no way" Mathew said, his expression hardened.


    "Who might be spying on us?" Kael asked as he gazed around the room instinctively as if looking for someone.


    "Maybe someone from my past¡­. or someone new. I''m not sure yet" Valerio replied with a frown.


    "Are you doubting Arthur and Ruby?" Lyra asked with concern. She didn''t want to think about that scenario.


    "No, I would never. Me and Mathew did a complete background check on them, they come from a completely normal background" Valerio replied, assuring them.


    "Then, who else?" Kael asked in further confusion.


    "I don''t know¡­I''m just putting it out there" Valerio replied, shrugging his shoulders.


    "Anyway, we need to be careful from now" Valerio reminded them in a serious tone.


    "If I come across anything suspicious, I will let you guys know," Mathew said with a nod. Kael and Lyra also nodded, sharing his sentiment.


    "Thank you, Mathew, anyway let''s continue the training," Valerio said, as he clapped his hands with a laugh, no trace of the previous seriousness.


    "Yes manager, let''s continue," Kael said with a nod, ready to go for more.


    "Now that your combat has improved a lot and the time your eyes are active has also increased, I think it''s time for the next step," Mathew said with a laugh.


    "Woah, looks like we got promoted" Kael exclaimed loudly.


    "What will be our next step manager?" Lyra asked, anticipation evident in her voice.


    "Well, that''d be ''NOVA''" Valerio said with a smile, as a small wisp of energy twirled around his fingers.


    "Nova?" the twins asked looking at the wisp of energy with surprise and anticipation. They immediately thought of something.


    "Well, you guys have already seen it a few times" Valerio replied with a teasing smile as he looked at Mathew.


    Mathew extended his right hand, stiffening it as a bright, golden aura shaped itself into a glowing, pointy blade.


    "Woah, it looks like a sword, so cool" Kael exclaimed in amazement.


    "Oh this is what you used against that guys, right" Lyra asked.


    "Yeah, you are right" Mathew replied with a smile.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Can I touch it, manager, please?" Kael asked, his eyes sparkling.


    "Haha, sure. Make sure you don''t cut your hand" Mathew replied with a laugh. Kael didn''t stand on ceremony and immediately extended his hand as he touched the glowing sword.


    "Woah, it feels so warm and comforting" Kael exclaimed in surprise.


    "That''s the nature of my Nova, It directly reflects your nature and how you feel about others. In other words, it''s a manifestation of internal energy that each of us possess" Mathew explained calmly.


    "But not everyone can use it but only the ones who bear the eyes can use it" Valerio interjected.


    "Huh? Only the ones with the ''eyes'' can use it?" Kael asked in confusion.


    "I thought you were gonna ask something clever," Lyra said with a smile.


    "Huh¡­like what?" Kael asked, scratching his head.


    "Pfft¡­manager, you just told us only the ones who bear the eye can use it right?" Lyra asked.


    "Yeah?" Mathew asked, tilting his head in confusion.


    "Then why did the guys that attacked that night have weapons coated in nova?" Lyra asked with a frown.


    "You are a sharp one, aren''t you" Matthew said with a tone of appreciation.


    "That''s a good detection Lyra, but that''s not something you should worry about," Valerio said in a serious tone.


    "But Uncle Val-" before Lyra could complain, Valerio interjected again.


    "Look, your journey is just beginning, you guys are yet to bloom, so just enjoy your youth. Don''t burden yourself with these things. You''re gonna learn everything when the time comes" Valerio said in a serious tone with a soft look in his eyes.


    "Yes, Uncle Val" Kael and Lyra nodded faithfully.


    "Very well now, close your eyes and feel it, you have already used it unconsciously that night, try to feel it again, it can be anything" Mathew instructed them.


    "Anything?" Kael asked in doubt.


    "Yes, anything. For me, I imagined it as a blade for some reason, it could be anything for you guys" Mathew explained patiently.


    Kael and Lyra sat down cross-legged and closed their eyes, their faces scrunching up with concentration. After a while, they opened their eyes out of exhaustion.


    "Ahh, I can''t feel anything" Lyra said in disappointment.


    "Me too," Kael said, also nodding his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Well, it''s not something you can feel in your first attempt. Keep trying¡± Valerio said with a smile, encouraging the twins.


    The twins nodded their heads closed their eyes and concentrated again.


    ¡°Imagine as if all the energy around you is flowing into something through you. Your body is the medium, channel that energy into something that you desire¡± Mathew said in a calm voice.


    A few hours flew by when suddenly a black and white colored Nova fluctuated around the twins.


    In front of Kael was a white coloured gauntlet and in front of Lyra was a black coloured gauntlet.


    ¡°Congratulations you too,¡± Mathew said with a smile.


    The twins opened their eyes with happy expressions as they gazed curiously at the construct in front of them.


    ¡°We did it, sis¡± Kael looked at his sister with happiness evident in his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lyra replied, her gaze still on the black-colored gauntlet made of Nova.


    ¡°As I said earlier, you are a good teacher Mathew¡± Valerio looked at Mathew with appreciation.


    ¡°They are just talented, it took me nearly 2 months¡± Mathew replied, looking at the twins with appreciation.


    ¡°Woah, it took me 3 minutes¡­haha,¡± Valerio said with a laugh. A vein popped in Kael¡¯s head as he looked at Valerio with a helpless expression.


    ¡°May I ask you guys something?¡± Mathew asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah manager¡± Lyra replied.


    ¡°Why did you guys choose gloves out of everything?¡± Mathew asked. Valerio also looked at the twins with interest.


    ¡°Well, we''re used to working with our gloves on while serving, cooking and all that. So we kinda figured it out¡± Kael replied.


    ¡°Right on point¡± Lyra added with a thumbs up.


    ¡°Haha, interesting. Remember Nova can only be used by people who bear the eye or people who received a blessing, so be cautious¡± Mathew reminded them in a serious tone.


    ¡°Blessing?¡± Lyra asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah, those two guys. They might have received some kind of blessing from some being. Anyway don''t worry about it too much, just keep it in the back of your head¡± Mathew explained with a smile.


    ¡°Got it¡± Kael replied.


    They cleaned the basement and went upstairs to open the shop as usual.


    ¡­


    ¡°Wow, this Nova thing is so cool,¡± Kael said in excitement as he prepared the kitchen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep playing with Kael, it''s not safe¡± Lyra warned him.


    ¡°Yeah, as if someone could see it¡± Kael scoffed as he continued playing with the Nova. He manipulated it to make all sorts of weird things.


    ¡°It''s ok Lyra, don''t be too hard on your brother. Anyway, it''s a good thing to practice¡± Mathew said with a smile.


    ¡°Hey sis look, doesn''t it look like a barista?¡± Kael exclaimed in excitement as he made a weird barista-like shape.


    ¡°You call that thing a barista, that looks like a monkey¡± Lyra scoffed as she ignored her brother and continued with her work.


    ¡°You have no taste sis¡± Kael replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Wow, that looks so funny Kael¡± Valerio, who entered the kitchen remarked.


    ¡°Uncle Val?¡± Kael asked as he finally found a kindred soul who shared his taste.


    ¡°No¡± Valerio replied with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°Pfft¡± Lyra laughed at her brother with a mocking expression.


    ¡°Looks like you guys are full of energy¡± Ruby, who entered the kitchen remarked.


    ¡°Anyway let me pick up my apron and go clean the tables,¡± she said as she left as soon as she came.


    After a few minutes, Arthur also entered the kitchen.


    ¡°Hi guys, I¡¯m not late, am I?¡± he asked with a panicked expression.


    ¡°Haha no, you are right on time¡± Kael replied with a laugh as he kept playing with the Nova.


    ¡°Is Ruby here?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she went to clean the tables¡± Lyra replied immediately.


    ¡°Oh then I will go help her, Anyway Kael, nice monkey decoration you got there,¡± Arthur said, his gaze on the Nova constructs in Kael¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What?¡± Kael asked instinctively.


    ¡°Yeah the one in your hand,¡± Arthur said as he pointed at his hand, as if stating the obvious. He didn''t give any further explanation and left to help Ruby.¡°


    ".."


    ¡°..¡±


    ¡°.."


    ¡°What in the world just happened?¡± Valerio broke the silence as everyone looked at each other with confusion and surprise.

 Rumor

    ¡°What in the world just happened?¡± Valerio asked in a dumbfounded manner.


    ¡°Uncle Val, it''s usually us asking the question and you answering¡± Lyra mocked him with a smirk. But the look of confusion was till evident in her face.


    ¡°I don''t know. You got something to tell me, Mathew.¡± Valerio looked at Mathew absentmindedly.


    Mathew ignored him and looked at Ruby and Arthur who were cleaning the tables diligently.


    ¡°Well well, look how the tables have turned¡± Mathew replied as he looked at the group.


    ¡°Please Mathew, no more puns¡± Valerio said with a sigh. Seriously, sometimes he gets a headache trying to deal with this new manager whose personality is always fluctuating.


    ¡°I am dumbfounded too, Mr Valerio¡± Mathew replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Manager, you said other than us bearers, no one should be able to see it right?¡± Kael asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s usually like that¡± Mathew replied without much thought.


    ¡°Then¡­do you think he is one the ¡®eye¡¯ bearers¡± Kael asked, his tone dragging.


    ¡°I don''t think so. Usually, I get some sort of reaction from our kind even if they have not awakened their powers. But I didn''t sense anything from Arthur¡± Valerio replied as he looked at Arthur with a frown.


    ¡®I really don''t sense any abnormalities¡¯ he thought, his confusion deepening.


    ¡°Come to think of it, he couldn''t see the coated weapons that night right?¡± Lyra asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right sis¡± Kael replied with a nod.


    ¡°Should.. we confront him, Mr Valerio¡± Mathew asked in doubt.


    ¡°I don''t think that is a good idea¡± Valerio replied, his gaze still on Arthur.


    Before anyone could react, Kael immediately opened the kitchen door and hurriedly walked towards Arthur.


    ¡°He never thinks, does he?¡± Valerio remarked with a smile.


    ¡°Not for a second¡± Lyra replied with a sigh.


    As Kael neared Arthur, he manipulated his Nova into the shape of an amoeba-like creature.


    ¡°I wonder what he''s up to¡± Mathew said with interest.


    ¡°Hey Arthur, what do you see?¡± Kael asked Arthur who was still cleaning the tables. Arthur looked at him in confusion. Ruby also looked at Kael with confusion and interest.


    ¡°Your palm?¡± Arthur replied after some thought.


    ¡°Other than that¡± Kael asked with some irritation.


    ¡°Ahh, you are showing off your apron to me¡± Arthur replied with a smile.


    ¡°It does look good on you¡± Arthur said with a nod.


    Kael frowned as Arthur didn''t notice the Nova in his hand.


    ¡®Is he lying and trying to feign ignorance?¡¯ Kael thought.


    ¡°Haha, I kinda am. Anyway Arthur, are you feeling alright? You were saying some weird things earlier¡± Kael asked with some concern, pushing his doubts to the back of his mind.


    ¡°Oh, I did?¡± Arthur questioned with confusion.


    ¡°Yeah about the monkey, I didn''t have anything in my hand earlier¡± Kael replied.


    ¡°Ah really¡± Arthur replied with a sigh as he continued.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I think I am seeing things nowadays¡±


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ruby asked with concern as she noticed Mathew, Lyra, and Valerio coming towards them.


    ¡°Seeing things?¡± Lyra asked, tilting her head in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s kinda weird. Also, I am getting a lot of strange dreams about slaughtering, blood flying everywhere¡± Arthur replied, shivering as he recalled the recurring dream.


    ¡°Arthur, if you''re not feeling well, take a few days off. It''s fine, we can manage¡± Valerio suggested in a calm and reassuring tone.


    ¡°No no Uncle Val, it''s fine and it''s been just 2 weeks since I joined, I need to be consistent¡± Arthur replied nodding his head vigorously.


    ¡®I would make a bad impression if I took a few days off after working here for just 2 weeks¡¯ Arthur thought.


    ¡°Your health is more important, Arthur¡± Valerio replied with concern.


    ¡°It''s nothing serious Uncle Val. I''ll be okay, thank you, guys, for your concern. No one asks me these things¡± Arthur replied with a smile as his voice started to break a little at the end.


    ¡°We¡¯re here if you need any help Arthur¡± Ruby said with a warm smile as she patted his back.


    ¡°Thank you guys¡± Arthur replied earnestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. People are coming, so time to get to work¡± Mathew said as he clapped his hands.


    ¡°Yes manager¡± the group replied in unison as he started their daily chores of tending to customers.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s lying?¡± Mathew asked as he looked at Valerio. The kids dispersed as only the two of them were standing.


    ¡°I don''t think so. But I still feel like we¡¯re missing a part of the puzzle¡± Valerio replied absentmindedly, his mind seeming to be thinking about something.


    ¡­


    The day went by peacefully as there were no other hiccups. It neared closing time and the group finally got a bit of rest and sat at a table, talking about trivial things.


    ¡°Mathew, take care of the shop, I¡¯ll be back in a minute¡± Valerio said as he started to leave the shop.


    ¡°Is it an emergency?¡± Mathew asked.


    ¡°No no, it''s nothing like that. Anyway, I''ll be back soon¡± Valerio replied without even turning back as he left the shop.


    ¡°I wonder what he''s up to?¡± Kael muttered with confusion.


    ¡°It''s nothing new¡± Lyra said.


    Ruby and Arthur also didn''t sense anything amiss. He was just going out for a bit. Maybe to get some fresh air.


    ¡°Today went by in a rush¡± Ruby said with a sigh.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Arthur replied, his tone tired.


    ¡°Okay guys, I¡¯ll leave now. See you guys tomorrow¡± Ruby waved, taking her belongings to return home.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll also leave with you Ruby¡± Arthur said as he also packed his belongings.


    ¡°Okay, guys return safe¡± Lyra said as she waved them goodbye. She put up the ¡®Closed¡¯ sign and went back inside.


    The twins started to practice with their Nova while waiting for Valerio.


    ¡°Do you know something , manager?¡± Kael asked as he looked at Mathew.


    ¡°I am as clueless as you guys. Don''t worry he will be back soon¡± Mathew reassured them. He knew that the twins were on edge because of so many things happening simultaneously.


    The twins just nodded and continued with their training. After a while, the door opened and Valerio entered with a smile.


    ¡°What took you so long, Uncle Val?¡± Kael asked as he looked at Valerio with interest.


    ¡°Take a seat, everyone, I have some important information¡± Valerio replied with a smile. Everyone took their seats at a table.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lyra asked.


    ¡°There''s an interesting rumor going around the town¡± Valerio replied, his tone slow and dragged, as if he was trying to act mysterious.


    ¡°There are all sorts of weird rumors going around the town¡± Kael said, thinking it was not such a big deal.


    ¡®There are all sorts of rumors about celebrities, sportspeople, politicians¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°It may be related to the supernatural¡± Valerio replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Woah, is it about another fragment?¡± Kael asked hurriedly. Lyra and Mathew also looked at Valerio with expectations.


    ¡°I don''t know, I¡¯m not sure¡± Valerio replied with a shrug.


    ¡°We have 3 out of 12 here¡± Mathew said looking around the table.


    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s four of us here, manager¡± Kael replied as he pointed at each one, as if counting.


    ¡°Ah Kael, Uncle Val, and the manager each bear an eye, but we''re both part of the same eye, so I think he got confused¡± Lyra replied with a smile.


    ¡°Oh right¡± Kael nodded in enlightenment.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the rumour, Mr Valerio¡± Mathew asked.


    ¡°As I said earlier, there¡¯s a rumor going around the town-¡± Before Valerio could finish, Kael interrupted.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Do people know something about yen fragments? Did they find out about us??¡± Kael asked, his eyes widening in horror.


    ¡°Let him finish idiot¡± Lyra said as she gave a smack to his head.


    ¡°Oh sorry, Uncle Val¡± Kael said, rubbing his head as he glared at Lyra. Lyra just ignored him as usual.


    ¡°Anyway, the thing is, People are seeing weird things in the mirror¡± Valerio said.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Lyra asked with a frown.


    ¡°Like their reflection attacking them, hearing weird voices in the mirror, constantly feeling someone or something is inside the mirror¡± Valerio explained patiently.


    ¡°Woah, that''s straight outta a horror movie¡± Kael exclaimed in shock as he kept thinking about those things happening to him. He shivered.


    ¡°So, that''s the lead¡± Mathew said, nodding his head.


    ¡°There''s another thing that¡¯s bothering me¡± Valerio said, his tone turning serious.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lyra asked with a frown.


    ¡°Too many things are happening around us at once. It''s hard to believe there can be so many coincidences¡± Valerio explained with a frown.


    ¡°Yeah, I''ve been thinking about that too. Us being spied on, Arthur seeing Kael¡¯s nova, and now this. It''s like all the chess pieces are moving at the perfect time for a checkmate¡± Mathew voiced his concerns. Valerio looked at him with a deep look and nodded.


    ¡°I think we gotta keep an eye on Arthur¡± Valerio said as he looked at the twins.


    ¡°Leave it to us, Uncle Val¡± the twins nodded, clenching their fists.

 Conspiracy

    ¡°Uncle Val, I have a question,¡± Kael asked as he looked at Valerio with a curious gaze.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Valerio looked at him with a smile.


    ¡°Why don''t you use your powers, Uncle Val? I mean you are strong, so then everyt


    hing will be


    alright,¡± Kael asked he tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°I don''t think that¡¯s a bad idea¡± Lyra nodded, agreeing with her brother.


    ¡°Using my powers isn''t a problem but we¡¯re being constantly tailed and if I use my powers, it may give the enemies some intel and alert even stronger and terrifying enemies which not only puts me in danger but also everyone else¡± Valerio explained with a sigh.


    ¡®If I go all out, I may wipe out this entire city¡¯ he thought in amusement. Kael and Lyra nodded with an understanding look. Since Valerio is insanely powerful, using his powers may warrant some unwanted consequences.


    ¡°Anyways, you guys being safe is more important than anything else, including Arthur and Ruby,¡± Valerio said with a smile when he suddenly thought of something and his face morphed into a frown


    ¡°Hereafter if there is any fight, you are strictly not allowed to fight inside the shop. I don''t want to spend money on renovation again¡± he reminded them in a serious tone.


    ¡°Haha..for sure Mr Valerio. I will be responsible for the well-being of the shop¡± Mathew replied with a hollow laugh. Valerio looked at him with a deep gaze.


    ¡°Okay whatever, we''ll be careful. I am gonna sleep, I am very tired¡± Kael said as he got up from the table. Recently, he was feeling tired very frequently.


    ¡°Yeah me too. Good night guys¡± Lyra waved, as she went towards her room.


    Now only Valerio and Mathew were sitting at the table.


    ¡°Mr.Valerio, can I ask you something?¡± Mathew asked.


    ¡°I never refuse to answer questions¡± Valerio replied with a smile.


    ¡°So, I can ask?¡± Mathew asked again.


    ¡°Sure¡± Valerio nodded without much thought.


    ¡°How did you manage to get the intel about the mirror incidents that have been happening around the city? I mean I have been keeping an eye on everything since I started working here, but I didn''t find anything¡± Mathew asked as he looked at Valerio with interest.


    He was curious about Valerio¡¯s means and methods.


    ¡°Oh Mathew, don''t squeeze that precious brain of yours too much, you didn''t miss anything, it''s just that I''ve got something up my sleeve for these kinds of things¡± Valerio replied with a smile.


    ¡°You do? What is it?¡± Mathew questioned again with interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a pet, haha¡± Valerio laughed as he mysteriously looked at Mathew.


    ¡°Eh? Pet? Seriously?¡± Mathew asked in a dumbfounded manner. ¡®So you are saying an animal is better than me when collecting intel?¡¯ he thought in a depressed manner.


    Valerio didn''t reply and kept on laughing. Mathew got more depressed hearing him laugh.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡­


    In a dimly lit bar. The bar doesn''t seem to have a lot of customers, maybe because it was already late at night. There were only 5-6 people scattered across the bar.


    ¡°This is worth the money¡± an old man nodded his head in satisfaction.


    ¡°That''s enough Grandpa, you¡¯re already over the limit¡± the young bartender warned.


    ¡°Oh, am I?¡± The old man smirked as he kept sipping the drink.


    ¡°Ahh, whatever, just don''t pass out again like you did the other day¡± the young bartender replied with a sigh.


    ¡°Haha, alas my body can''t handle alcohol now that I am -¡± the old man replied with a laugh as he passed out midway.


    ¡°He did it again, what a pain¡± the bartender sighed.


    ¡°I haven''t been myself since you told us about that bastard¡± a loud, angry voice was heard throughout the silent bar.


    Everyone looked at the two men who were conversing. They seemed to be arguing with the guy who shouted and had an angry face.


    The patrons of the bar ignored this and went on with their business as such fights were common in bars.


    ¡°Excuse sirs, could you please keep your voice down? The other customers might complain¡± the bartender requested them.


    ¡°Annoying¡± the man who shouted earlier snorted as the young bartender¡¯s head rolled on the floor. The remaining people in the bar immediately sobered up. They looked at the headless bartender in horror and immediately ran outside. One of them was even kind enough to pick up the passed-out grandpa.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Orion? You had no reason to do this¡± Piers said with a frown.


    ¡°Oh, you, of all people, are saying such things to me? Since when do you care about lowly people like them?¡±


    Orion asked with a smirk. He didn''t even bat an eye towards the dead bartender whose body fell.


    ¡°I do not have any concerns or anything, it''s just that we¡¯ve been told to keep a low profile and do everything in the shadows¡± Piers replied in a calm voice.


    ¡°Oh, like how you sent your pawns to check on him? Sure we can do that¡± Orion asked in a mocking tone.


    ¡°Orion, keep your head clear. I don''t mind you chopping the heads of some nobodies. I am only telling you to lay low because ¡®he¡¯ told us explicitly. You know, I only respect ¡®him¡¯ right?¡± Piers explained as he looked at Orion with a deep gaze.


    ¡°Yeah fine¡± Orion replied, instantly gaining some sense of calmness after hearing about ¡®him¡¯.


    ¡°Anyway, why did you call me here? What is so important that you want to meet in the middle of the night?¡± Piers asked.


    ¡°I want to take my revenge on him¡± Orion replied in a serious tone.


    ¡°You mean Valerio?¡± Piers asked, already starting to get a headache.


    ¡°Yeah, who else¡± Orion weirdly looked at him. Everyone knows the only being in this world who he hates with every bone in his body is Valerio.


    ¡°Were you even listening to everything I just said?¡± Piers asked with a sigh, his headache increasing.


    ¡°Well, I kinda did, but I don''t care and you are gonna help me¡± Orion replied.


    ¡°You''re not the kind to be convinced. So, how many of my men do you need?¡± Piers asked.


    ¡°Ew, I got no business with weaklings" Orion replied, his face morphing in disgust.


    ¡°Do not mock my men. So, what else do you need?¡± Piers asked with a frown. He got a bad premonition.


    ¡°I want you to fight with me¡± Orion announced in a straight voice.


    ¡°Are you crazy?? No way, I am not doing it¡± Piers replied hurriedly, shaking his head. ¡°Oh yes, you are,¡± Orion said with a smirk.


    ¡°I won''t and that''s the end. Anyway, I¡¯ve had enough of your nonsense, so I am leaving¡± Piers replied as he got up, and kicked the body of the bartender out of the way.


    ¡°Tch, what a pain¡± ¡°If you don''t help me, I¡¯ll let your little secret out to the Ascendants,¡± Orion said in a calm town.


    ¡°Wait how did you..¡± Piers looked at Orion with a shock. ¡°I have my sources, now join me¡± Orion replied with a smirk.


    ¡°You can''t be serious¡± Piers''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Orion.


    ¡°Use your power¡± Orion replied as he looked at Piers in a teasing gaze.


    Piers looked at him for a while and replied with a sigh ¡°Fine, but give me your word that you won''t tell another soul about it¡±


    ¡°Fine, you have my word¡± Orion replied with a laugh.


    ¡°So, how do you plan on taking him down?¡± Piers asked curiously. He really couldn''t tell where Orion¡¯s confidence came from. Even if he joined Orion, they were not a match for Valerio.


    ¡°Just like how I did last time¡± Orion stated, as if it was obvious.


    ¡°Oh yeah? You mean just like how you got your ass whooped by him. Yeah, sure¡± Piers replied with a mocking tone.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be different this time. I¡¯ve got a plan. Also, I figured out his weakness¡± Orion replied with a smile as if he had calculated every possibility.


    ¡°Sure, that''s promising¡± Piers replied doubtfully.


    ¡°Yeah whatever, let''s leave this place already,¡± Orion said as they left the bar.


    The body of the bartender vanished mysteriously as if it was never there.

 Split

    It was early in the morning, and everyone was in the underground training facility. The twins were sparring with Mathew as usual, with Valerio monitoring them and occasionally guiding them.


    "You guys have shown a lot of improvement in this short period" Mathew commented as he evaded their attacks. He was using both hands.


    "Yeah, that''s undeniable" Valerio nodded, agreeing with Mathew.


    The twins stopped their attack and looked at each other, feeling proud of themselves.


    "However don''t let these words get into your head, pride is a devil" Mathew reminded them.


    "Of course we know that" Lyra replied.


    "Haha, we need to go a long way before we can hope to surpass you" Kael replied with a laugh.


    "Ah well, that''s quite the ambition you got there," Mathew said in amusement.


    "We are gonna surpass you and one day we''ll even surpass Uncle Val, isn''t that right" Lyra said as she looked at Valerio with a smirk.


    "Well not to discourage you but even I have trouble surpassing myself, haha" Valerio replied, looking upward with a proud expression.


    "There you go, classic Uncle Val" Kael said with a sigh.


    "Jokes aside, I''ve got something to tell you guys," Valerio said, his expression turning serious.


    "Me too?" Mathew asked in doubt.


    "Yeah," Valerio replied with a nod.


    The group fell into silence as everyone looked at Valerio with furrowed brows.


    "What is Uncle Val," Kael asked.


    "I''m not sure but¡­I think that we''re being spied on" Valerio said with some hesitation.


    "What? There is no way" Mathew said, his expression hardened.


    "Who might be spying on us?" Kael asked as he gazed around the room instinctively as if looking for someone.


    "Maybe someone from my past¡­. or someone new. I''m not sure yet" Valerio replied with a frown.


    "Are you doubting Arthur and Ruby?" Lyra asked with concern. She didn''t want to think about that scenario.


    "No, I would never. Me and Mathew did a complete background check on them, they come from a completely normal background" Valerio replied, assuring them.


    "Then, who else?" Kael asked in further confusion.


    "I don''t know¡­I''m just putting it out there" Valerio replied, shrugging his shoulders.


    "Anyway, we need to be careful from now" Valerio reminded them in a serious tone.


    "If I come across anything suspicious, I will let you guys know," Mathew said with a nod. Kael and Lyra also nodded, sharing his sentiment.


    "Thank you, Mathew, anyway let''s continue the training," Valerio said, as he clapped his hands with a laugh, no trace of the previous seriousness.


    "Yes manager, let''s continue," Kael said with a nod, ready to go for more.


    "Now that your combat has improved a lot and the time your eyes are active has also increased, I think it''s time for the next step," Mathew said with a laugh.


    "Woah, looks like we got promoted" Kael exclaimed loudly.


    "What will be our next step manager?" Lyra asked, anticipation evident in her voice.


    "Well, that''d be ''NOVA''" Valerio said with a smile, as a small wisp of energy twirled around his fingers.


    "Nova?" the twins asked looking at the wisp of energy with surprise and anticipation. They immediately thought of something.


    "Well, you guys have already seen it a few times" Valerio replied with a teasing smile as he looked at Mathew.


    Mathew extended his right hand, stiffening it as a bright, golden aura shaped itself into a glowing, pointy blade.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Woah, it looks like a sword, so cool" Kael exclaimed in amazement.


    "Oh this is what you used against that guys, right" Lyra asked.


    "Yeah, you are right" Mathew replied with a smile.


    "Can I touch it, manager, please?" Kael asked, his eyes sparkling.


    "Haha, sure. Make sure you don''t cut your hand" Mathew replied with a laugh. Kael didn''t stand on ceremony and immediately extended his hand as he touched the glowing sword.


    "Woah, it feels so warm and comforting" Kael exclaimed in surprise.


    "That''s the nature of my Nova, It directly reflects your nature and how you feel about others. In other words, it''s a manifestation of internal energy that each of us possess" Mathew explained calmly.


    "But not everyone can use it but only the ones who bear the eyes can use it" Valerio interjected.


    "Huh? Only the ones with the ''eyes'' can use it?" Kael asked in confusion.


    "I thought you were gonna ask something clever," Lyra said with a smile.


    "Huh¡­like what?" Kael asked, scratching his head.


    "Pfft¡­manager, you just told us only the ones who bear the eye can use it right?" Lyra asked.


    "Yeah?" Mathew asked, tilting his head in confusion.


    "Then why did the guys that attacked that night have weapons coated in nova?" Lyra asked with a frown.


    "You are a sharp one, aren''t you" Matthew said with a tone of appreciation.


    "That''s a good detection Lyra, but that''s not something you should worry about," Valerio said in a serious tone.


    "But Uncle Val-" before Lyra could complain, Valerio interjected again.


    "Look, your journey is just beginning, you guys are yet to bloom, so just enjoy your youth. Don''t burden yourself with these things. You''re gonna learn everything when the time comes" Valerio said in a serious tone with a soft look in his eyes.


    "Yes, Uncle Val" Kael and Lyra nodded faithfully.


    "Very well now, close your eyes and feel it, you have already used it unconsciously that night, try to feel it again, it can be anything" Mathew instructed them.l


    "Anything?" Kael asked in doubt.


    "Yes, anything. For me, I imagined it as a blade for some reason, it could be anything for you guys" Mathew explained patiently.


    Kael and Lyra sat down cross-legged and closed their eyes, their faces scrunching up with concentration. After a while, they opened their eyes out of exhaustion.


    "Ahh, I can''t feel anything," Lyra said in disappointment.


    "Me too," Kael said, also nodding his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Well, it''s not something you can feel in your first attempt. Keep trying¡± Valerio said with a smile, encouraging the twins.


    The twins nodded their heads closed their eyes and concentrated again.


    ¡°Imagine as if all the energy around you is flowing into something through you. Your body is the medium, channel that energy into something that you desire¡± Mathew said in a calm voice.


    A few hours flew by when suddenly a black and white colored Nova fluctuated around the twins.


    In front of Kael was a white coloured gauntlet and in front of Lyra was a black coloured gauntlet.


    ¡°Congratulations you too,¡± Mathew said with a smile.


    The twins opened their eyes with happy expressions as they gazed curiously at the construct in front of them.


    ¡°We did it, sis¡± Kael looked at his sister with happiness evident in his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lyra replied, her gaze still on the black-colored gauntlet made of Nova.


    ¡°As I said earlier, you are a good teacher Mathew¡± Valerio looked at Mathew with appreciation.


    ¡°They are just talented, it took me nearly 2 months¡± Mathew replied, looking at the twins with appreciation.


    ¡°Woah, it took me 3 minutes¡­haha,¡± Valerio said with a laugh. A vein popped in Kael¡¯s head as he looked at Valerio with a helpless expression.


    ¡°May I ask you guys something?¡± Mathew asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah manager¡± Lyra replied.


    ¡°Why did you guys choose gloves out of everything?¡± Mathew asked. Valerio also looked at the twins with interest.


    ¡°Well, we''re used to working with our gloves on while serving, cooking and all that. So we kinda figured it out¡± Kael replied.


    ¡°Right on point¡± Lyra added with a thumbs up.


    ¡°Haha, interesting. Remember Nova can only be used by people who bear the eye or people who received a blessing, so be cautious¡± Mathew reminded them in a serious tone.


    ¡°Blessing?¡± Lyra asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah, those two guys. They might have received some kind of blessing from some being. Anyway don''t worry about it too much, just keep it in the back of your head¡± Mathew explained with a smile.


    ¡°Got it¡± Kael replied.


    They cleaned the basement and went upstairs to open the shop as usual.


    ¡­


    ¡°Wow, this Nova thing is so cool,¡± Kael said in excitement as he prepared the kitchen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep playing with Kael, it''s not safe¡± Lyra warned him.


    ¡°Yeah, as if someone could see it¡± Kael scoffed as he continued playing with the Nova. He manipulated it to make all sorts of weird things.


    ¡°It''s ok Lyra, don''t be too hard on your brother. Anyway, it''s a good thing to practice¡± Mathew said with a smile.


    ¡°Hey sis look, doesn''t it look like a barista?¡± Kael exclaimed in excitement as he made a weird barista-like shape.


    ¡°You call that thing a barista, that looks like a monkey¡± Lyra scoffed as she ignored her brother and continued with her work.


    ¡°You have no taste sis¡± Kael replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Wow, that looks so funny Kael¡± Valerio, who entered the kitchen remarked.


    ¡°Uncle Val?¡± Kael asked as he finally found a kindred soul who shared his taste.


    ¡°No¡± Valerio replied with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°Pfft¡± Lyra laughed at her brother with a mocking expression.


    ¡°Looks like you guys are full of energy¡± Ruby, who entered the kitchen remarked.


    ¡°Anyway let me pick up my apron and go clean the tables,¡± she said as she left as soon as she came.


    After a few minutes, Arthur also entered the kitchen.


    ¡°Hi guys, I¡¯m not late, am I?¡± he asked with a panicked expression.


    ¡°Haha no, you are right on time¡± Kael replied with a laugh as he kept playing with the Nova.


    ¡°Is Ruby here?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she went to clean the tables¡± Lyra replied immediately.


    ¡°Oh then I will go help her, Anyway Kael, nice monkey decoration you got there,¡± Arthur said, his gaze on the Nova constructs in Kael¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What?¡± Kael asked instinctively.


    ¡°Yeah the one in your hand,¡± Arthur said as he pointed at his hand, as if stating the obvious. He didn''t give any further explanation and left to help Ruby.


    ¡°..¡±


    ¡°..¡±


    ¡°..¡±


    ¡°What in the world just happened?¡± Valerio broke the silence as everyone looked at each other with confusion and surprise.

 Fragment of ?

    "That''s flashy" Orion mocked as he looked at Mathew''s eyes and the golden yellow Nova that surrounded him, his yellow was like shit yellow next to his majestic yellow.


    "You''re gonna regret doing any of this" Mathew said calmly.


    "Oh, I''m gonna regret it? Don''t get cocky just because you inherited the fragment of some no-name minor god" Orion replied with a dark tone. This Mathew already got on his nerves since his presence shadowed even himself.


    "Some no-name god he says" Mathew muttered to himself in amusement.


    "Anyway, you''re now inside my ''Corridor''. All my attacks and my defense will be boosted, so just die quietly" Orion declared as he sent multiple Nova projections towards Mathew. All the projectiles swiftly and precisely aimed at Mathew''s vital points.


    There was a lot of smoke and debris where Mathew was standing. The smoke concealed his appearance.


    "Well kids, now that he is dead, it''s time for you to come with me obediently" Orion said with a smirk.


    "Hmm, it looks like you weren''t bluffing. This was faster and more powerful than last time." The smoke cleared, and Mathew''s amused voice came. He crushed one of the projectiles with his bare hand as he looked at Orion.


    "Hmm, I don''t know how you managed to pull that off but you''ve got some flashy stuff" Orion replied, still carefree.


    "Yeah it''s flashy, so try not to blink, you might miss it"


    "He''s even making jokes" Kael whispered to Lyra. They were looking at these exchanges dumbfounded.


    Mathew looked at the kids with a smile and pointed his fingers at them. A circle of fire surrounded the twins. The twins looked at the fire curiously, they didn''t feel any heat from it.


    "It seems like a barrier of protection" Lyra muttered.


    Mathew made a Nova sword and charged at Orion at a fast speed when Orion suddenly disappeared from his position and appeared in another place.


    Mathew suddenly slashed behind his back. Orion had teleported himself behind Mathew. Orion dodged it narrowly.


    "When I told you not to ''blink'', that''s not only for your eyes but also for your skills too, haha" Mathew looked at Orion with a laugh.


    "Stop making these jokes, you''re getting on my nerves. Also, it''s impossible for you to move like this with the eyes of some no-name god" Orion said, his face gradually frowning. He immediately became extra alert.


    "You''re also starting to get on my nerves, you know that?" Mathew said with a smirk.


    It looked like these two liked to trash-talk each other rather than fight. Orion also shaped his Nova into a sword. Both of them charged towards each other as they exchanged moves with their swords.


    The sounds of swords clashing were heard throughout the space as sparks flew from their exchanges. They moved all over the place as they exchanged moves.


    "Since we''ve fought with the manager a few times, I thought we could surpass him in a while but now, I can''t even keep up with his movements" Lyra said in a depressed tone.


    "Yeah, no kidding. Just..just how much was he holding back when fighting with us" Kael asked. He felt like crying.


    "You''re not half bad" Mathew complimented genuinely.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "To think you could wield Nova to this extent, also your swordsmanship. Just who are you" Orion asked with a frown. His wariness kept increasing as they fought.


    Mathew looked at Orion and smirked. There was a flash and Mathew disappeared. Orion looked around everywhere dumbfounded.


    "He ran away or something?" Orion muttered in confusion. The twins and Orion had no idea where Mathew left. One second he was in front of their eyes and the next, he suddenly disappeared.


    Before anyone could react, a figure from above came crashing at Orion at high speed. Orion couldn''t react in time and was crushed by the figure.


    There was dust and debris everywhere.


    "Shit, I can''t see anything" Kael said in dissatisfaction. Before he could say anymore he saw Mathew slowly fly out of the dust. The twins looked at him in stupidity.


    Mathew''s blonde hair shined even more brightly as he slowly flew upwards with the help of wings. Yes, wings!


    Behind Mathew''s back were pure white wings that had a divine yellow glow. It was as if God himself had descended.


    "Woah, just look at Manager, he''s almost like an Angel" Lyra said in admiration. She looked at Mathew without averting her gaze.


    "That''s him? No way" Kael replied in denial. His manager suddenly became an Angel? What sort of development was this?


    Orion slowly got up with difficulty and coughed a mouthful of blood. He looked at Mathew with a frown, there was a bit of fear in his eyes.


    "Okay, you''re not a no-name after all. Tell me, just who are you?" Orion yelled. There was no trace of his previous cockiness.


    "Since you are gonna die anyway, I''ll reveal it to you. I am the one who inherited the eyes of the Archangel Michael. Don''t you dare go calling me no name" Mathew replied calmly.


    ¡­


    "He has the eyes of the angel? What??" Piers asked again, not believing what his ears heard.


    "I thought your ears were in good condition" Valerio asked in confusion.


    "What has the idiot gotten himself into? Even though he''s an ascendant, it''s dangerous to confront one of the 12 fragments alone" Piers said with a sigh.


    "How much of a hypocrite are you? It''s dangerous for Onion to confront Mathew but is it safe for you to confront me?" Valerio asked with a laugh when suddenly his face turned serious


    "You''re going around and calling yourselves ''Ascendants'' now? If you use the title ''Ascendants'' to refer to scum like you guys again, that''d be the end of you" Valerio said in a dangerous tone.


    "We are the Ascendants. It''s the truth and always has been" Piers replied straightforwardly. Valerio ignored him and stared ahead blankly.


    "You''re trying to use your powers aren''t you? You know I can read minds right?" Piers asked with a frown.


    "So, he dragged you into this. You could''ve still refused" Valerio said in realisation. He knew Piers a little and Piers wasn''t stupid enough to confront him alone.


    "Well, it''s nice of you to use your powers and all but I don''t have a choice" Piers replied calmly.


    "Now you do" Valerio said with a smirk.


    "What?" Piers asked in confusion. He didn''t like where this was going.


    "I''ll give you a window to escape. After that I will attack you, so save yourself" Valerio replied with a smirk. There was a hint of playfulness in his eyes.


    Before waiting for Pier''s reply, he extended his right hand toward the sky and muttered.


    "Summon Shinki"


    ¡­


    There was blood everywhere.


    Mathew retracted his wings and released his Nova blade. He walked towards the twins slowly. There was no injury on him whatsoever.


    Behind him, Orion was lying down on the ground, with a huge bleeding slash mark near his chest. Blood was still flowing from it.


    "Hey kids, you are safe, right? This subspace should be undone any minute, now that he''s dead" Mathew asked the twins.


    "Yeah manager, we''re fine thanks to you. Anyway, that was awesome" Kael replied, his sparkling as he gazed at Mathew in admiration.


    "We have no words to describe what we saw. Manager, you are the best" Lyra said in admiration. Right now she felt Mathew was more powerful and cooler than Valerio.


    "Haha, thank you for your praises" Mathew replied with a laugh.


    "But why is this subspace still active" Kael asked in confusion. Suddenly he heard a growl.


    Orion slowly got up again and split some blood again. The stab wound that Mathew inflicted slowly mended itself.


    "The eyes of the Archangel eh? I really regret underestimating you" Orion said with difficulty.


    "Kids get back" Mathew said hurriedly. He looked at Orion with a serious gaze.


    "Your name was Mathew, right? I''ll make sure to remember it" Orion said with a laugh.


    Mathew immediately rushed forward and attacked Orion with the sword. Orion looked at him calmly when suddenly a hand extended from his back and stopped the sword. Mathew fell back immediately.


    "Why so hurry Mathew? We''ve got all day" Orion laughed.


    Before Mathew could process what was happening, a figure slowly separated itself from Odin''s back. Orion''s face showed some pain. The figure stood next to Orion


    It was another Orion. It was exactly identical to him except the left half of his face was mangled beyond recognition.


    "Pardon me, since I''m facing Mathew, the fragment of Archangel, it''s only right that I go all out" the Orion''s said in a deranged tone.

 Twin Gate

    "How are you still alive after taking that blow?" Mathew asked with a frown.


    "As I told you earlier, my attacks and defense are boosted insanely which also includes my regeneration" Orion replied.


    Mathew spread his wings again, ready to engage in the fight again


    "Woah woah, wait a sec," Orion said hurriedly as he pointed his palm toward the twins. Suddenly the twins were surrounded by a black layer of space and disappeared.


    "No...no no. Kael? Lyra? What did you do to them" Mathew asked in fury. There was no trace of his previous calmness.


    "Oh, so you can get angry too? Don''t worry, I just sent them out of the subspace since they''ll just get in our way" Orion laughed. He had already forgotten all about capturing the twins. Right now, he only wanted to fight with Mathew to his heart''s content.


    "What?" Mathew asked. There was still a trace of anger in his voice.


    "Yeah, we can''t fight properly, since you''ll be distracted protecting them. I haven''t had a good fight since ''that day''" Orion replied in a loud laugh.


    "That''s none of my concern. Anyway, I''m gonna finish this and get back to them quickly" Mathew said calmly as he rushed forward to attack Orion.


    Orion blocked the attack calmly but before Mathew could react and leg came out of nowhere and kicked Mathew in the stomach.


    Mathew flew back a bit to stabilize himself. He looked at Orion confusedly as he saw something unbelievable.


    A figure slowly separated itself from Orion''s back. Orion''s face showed some pain. The figure stood next to Orion.


    It was another Orion. It was identical to him except the left half of his face was mangled beyond recognition.


    "Pardon me, since I''m facing Mathew, the fragment of Archangel, it''s only right that I go all out," the Orions said in a deranged tone.


    Mathew took a step back involuntarily in confusion. He looked at Orion in confusion when suddenly he thought of something.


    "So, that''s how it is" Mathew nodded in understanding.


    "Haha, you did your introductions, now allow me to introduce ourselves. I''m Orion and he is Norio. We are one of the Gemini, one of the 12 Zodiacs" Orion introduced themselves calmly.


    "And we didn''t inherit anything. We represent the Gemini constellation itself as a whole" he stressed.


    "12 Zodiacs?" Mathew asked in confusion.


    "Looks like Valerio didn''t tell you everything," Orion said with a smirk.


    "He must''ve had his reasons" Mathew replied without much thought. He didn''t think it was that big of a deal.


    "Looks like you trust him huh" Orion muttered.


    "I do and also, why does the one next to you have a pizza face?" Mathew asked with a smile. Before Mathew could react, Norio rushed forward and kicked Mathew in the stomach again.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Mathew was sent flying and hit the wall of the subspace with a bang.


    "Just looking at your face makes me irritated," Norio said in a rough tone. It seemed like the injury on his face also affected his voice.


    Mathew stood back up with a calm smile.


    "Believe me, I have quite a lot of experience in this field" Mathew replied as he looked at the Gemini in a teasing manner.


    Norio charged at Mathew and Mathew also welcomed him. They both started exchanging moves.


    "One of them is noble while the other is shittier" Mathew continued talking even while exchanging moves with Norio. Orion just looked at them waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    "But in your case, it looks like both of you are shittier, haha" Mathew laughed loudly as he dodged Norio''s downward kick aimed at his head.


    Orion suddenly teleported behind Mathew''s back and sent several slashes of Nova''s blade. Mathew couldn''t dodge in time and there was a huge wound on his back.


    "Shit, that hurts" Mathew shouted as he flew back to put some distance.


    "You are no match for us now. It doesn''t matter if you have one of the 12 divine fragments, you will never be able to match the 12 Ascendants" Orion said calmly.


    "Now, I can''t fall off just like that. After all, Mr Valerio trusts me a lot, I''ve gotta live up to my expectations" Mathew replied as he slowly rose higher in the air.


    "Just hearing his name makes the scar ache. I''m gonna end you right here and now" Norio said in anger. It seemed like Valerio''s name triggered something.


    "Starfall" Mathew muttered as small orbs of light formed around him like little stars. He looked like a divine angel standing amidst a sea of stars.


    "I''m not gonna spoil the Archangel''s reputation by losing against you two," Mathew said calmly.


    ¡­


    "Summon Shinki" Valerio muttered as he extended his right arm towards the sky.


    "You''re crazy" Piers yelled, a look of horror covering his face.


    "The window Piers, get away or there won''t be next time" Valerio replied calmly. A huge horizontal pillar of light formed above his hand.


    ''Shit I don''t have time. I''ve gotta flee now or else even my corpse won''t be intact'' Piers thought as he immediately started to flee frantically.


    When Orion used his ability before, he teleported Piers and Valerio to some remote place before forming the subspace.


    Valerio casually flicked his fingers as the pillar of light flew towards Piers at insane speed. There was a huge noise. The pillar of light exploded as there was blinding light everywhere. It was as if it was noon even though it was already night.


    After a few moments, the blinding light disappeared and there was only a bloody and mangled arm left behind.


    "Looks like he managed to get away after all, good for him," Valerio said with a smirk.


    The mountains that surrounded Piers and Valerio before were now nowhere to be seen. It was like a flat plain without any mountains.


    "Looks like they''ve gotta redraw the map again. Haha, what a pain. Anyway, I''ve gotta get back quickly" Valerio muttered.


    ¡­


    "Fall" Mathew muttered in a calm town.


    The hundreds of light orbs surrounding him rained down on Orion and Norio instantly. The whole area was filled with smoke and dust.


    "Pathetic. Struggling so much against two weaklings. Looks like you''re the real weakling here" Mathew heard a foul and dark voice inside his head.


    "Shut up" Mathew held his head in pain. Mathew looked down as the dust cleared away slowly.


    Orion and Norio stood there with a few bloody holes in their bodies. It looked like their injury was not anything serious. The flat ground surrounding them was filled with holes and rubbles.


    "First, I am gonna kill you. Then I will hunt down those two brats and torture and kill them slowly" Norio said in an eerie tone. Earlier one of these light orbs injured his already mangled face.


    "Haha, that''s right" Orion laughed.


    "I won''t allow that-" Mathew suddenly experienced a severe headache. He tried to balance himself in the air with difficulty.


    "Orion, the gate. Now" Norio shouted, trying to grasp the opening.


    "Haha, what''s gotten into you today? You''re always moody but now you''re full of energy" Orion replied with a laugh.


    "Just do it," Norio said impatiently.


    "Yes, I got it," Orion said.


    "Twin gate" they both muttered simultaneously. They were automatically pulled towards each other as they warped and merged into one forcefully. It was a pretty ugly scene.


    "Can''t believe you just devoured your own" Mathew said in confusion.


    "Bullshit, we''re one now. Since we were separated before, we could only use half our strength. Now that we are whole again, let''s see how well you hold on" Norio''s voice replied.


    The current Orion looked similar to before but had the left half of his face mangled like Norio. One of his eyes had a yellow pupil, the other had a greenish-yellow pupil. When Norio replied earlier, only the left half of the mouth moved.


    It was a bizarre scene.

 The Other side of the Coin

    ¡°Bullshit, we¡¯re one now. Since we were separated before, we could only use half our strength. Now that we are whole again, let''s see how well you hold on¡± Norio¡¯s voice


    replied.


    Mathew looked at this bizarre scene gravely. He took out his Nova blade which was coated with divine fire.


    ¡°Starfall - Ring formation¡± Mathew muttered as eleven light orbs surrounded him. Unlike the previous hundreds of small orbs, these 11 orbs'' power was concentrated and it arranged itself according to a formation, which seemed to increase its effectiveness.


    ¡°As expected of one of the 12 fragments,¡± Orion said. ¡°I will not let him down,¡± Mathew said in a serious tone.


    ¡°You keep saying the same thing over and over again¡± Orion replied in an annoyed tone. He coated his hands in Nova and punched Mathew.


    The light orbs immediately started moving weirdly and repelled Orion¡¯s attack. ¡°Let me take over for a bit¡± the left half of Orion¡¯s mouth, Norio said.


    ¡°Sure¡± the right half replied.


    ¡°These orbs aren''t just arranged randomly, are they?¡± Norio asked in interest. Mathew just looked at him and smiled without any reply.


    ¡°Since I am very sensitive to space, I can sense that each of these orbs protects you from each direction, aren''t they? Or am I wrong?¡± Norio asked as he looked at these glowing orbs with a serious look.


    ¡°Bull¡¯s eye. Each orb takes each direction which occupies 8 out of 11. The other 3 watch out for attacks from above, below and center, which makes it absolute offense and defense. Of course, knowing these is one thing and penetrating these orbs is another¡± Mathew replied calmly.


    Norio ran towards Mathew at high speed and leaped to attack Mathew from above with his Nova sword. But he was deflected by the orb.


    He immediately changed and attacked from every direction but was deflected every time.


    But he wasn''t worried and continued with his onslaught. Mathew didn''t attack personally and only moved around. This was one of the disadvantages of this formation. He couldn''t attack personally and could only let the light orbs attack and defend.


    ¡®Ugh..now that they have combined their power, their attacks are harder to take on. Every attack is getting heavier than the last¡¯ Mathew thought with a frown. When suddenly the light orb in the centre vanished and Mathew was forced to block the last attack on his own.


    He was pushed back a bottle and coughed up a bit of blood.


    ¡°Hmm.. as I thought, even though you have the perfect defence you won''t be able to maintain it forever even if you have a large Nova pool. It''s just a contest of endurance now. Unfortunately for you, our attacks are boosted by the ¡®corridor¡¯. You have no chance to get out here alive¡± Orion said with a smirk.


    Since he couldn''t penetrate the formation, he chose to attack continuously tire out Mathew and break the formation bit by bit.


    Orion slashed with his sword again but was shocked to find that there was just a single light orb there. There was no Mathew.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Before he could react, a sharp pain came from his behind. He heard the annoying voice as he turned back in shock.


    ¡°Starfall-blink¡± Mathew muttered. ¡°You little rat¡± Orion groaned in pain.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to push past my limits and reach a new height,¡± Mathew said sincerely.


    ¡°Don''t tell me you just-¡± Norio asked in shock.


    ¡°Haha, yes I did. I was able to create something similar to your technique¡± Mathew replied with a smile.


    The cut behind Norio¡¯s back was too deep as Mathew imbued more than half of his Nova into that slash. The cut also burned silently as it interfered with Noiro''s regeneration.


    ¡°Ughh¡­so that''s where the orb went,¡± Norio said with a frown.


    ¡°Bull¡¯s eye again. I made it look like one of my orbs disappeared but I sneaked that orb behind your back and teleported behind you to switch places with it. Since it was my first time, I missed the timing a bit and couldn''t finish you off¡± Mathew said regrettably.


    Since he only managed to create the technique in the spur of the moment, he wasn''t sure if it would work. So he couldn''t finish off Orion in one hit.


    ¡°Enough playing, I''m taking over,¡± Orion said. ¡°Spirit ability - Split reality¡± Orion muttered.


    Nothing happened, there was complete silence.


    ¡°Was that the ¡°spirit ability¡± nothing happened. Haha, maybe you forgot how to use it-¡± Before he could complete he was hit by a sudden attack out of nowhere and fell to the ground, even though he had his orbs protecting him.


    ¡®He didn''t even budge an inch, so how¡¯ Mathew thought in shock. When he tried to get up again, he was once again met with a barrage of slashes from all directions.


    Mathew was bleeding heavily. His suit became almost unrecognizable, it lost its original color and looked like a red suit. He lay helplessly on the ground.


    ¡°Look at this, what a pity. Before you die, I''ll be generous enough to reveal my trump card to you¡± Orion said with a laugh as he looked at the helpless Mathew. It seemed like both Orion and Mathew liked to explain their techniques to the opponent.


    ¡°The skill I used creates another reality from which Norio can access this corridor but none of them in this corridor can touch the other side where Norio is,¡± Orion said with a smile.


    ¡°Looks like I''m in a bind now,¡± Mathew said helplessly.


    ¡°Finish him off for good. He¡¯ll become powerful if you let him do something¡± Norio warned Orion.


    ¡°Look at you groveling like a helpless worm. Looks like your life force is going to leave you, you know what that means right¡± Mathew once again heard the foul voice.


    ¡°Not, the seal-¡± Before Mathew could reply the voice laughed eerily.


    All of these conversions with their other halves were happening inside their respective heads.


    ¡­


    Valerio, who was on his way back, suddenly frowned.


    ¡°What is this uneasy feeling?¡± He muttered to himself when suddenly his eyes narrowed


    ¡°Oh no, Mathew. Trouble¡­at this rate, the seal will be undone. This is bad, I gotta get back quickly¡± Valerio muttered as he increased his pace.


    ¡®I hope nothing bad happens¡¯ he thought.


    ¡­


    Mathew suddenly shouted in pain. He clutched his head, his face morphing into severe pain.


    Orion who was about to behead him was pushed back by a thick and heavy dark purple Nova.


    The dark purple Nova surrounded Mathew like a cocoon as his hair colour started to slowly change it purple. The purple Nova was spreading throughout the subspace like strong currents.


    ¡°I feel a strong bloodlust. I¡¯ve never felt anything like this before¡± Norio said in horror. Only a devil can have such a thick bloodlust.


    ¡°I am not gonna wait for him to power up. I will destroy that damn cocoon and end this¡± Orion said as he rushed forward but as soon as he touched the cocoon he was repelled back and thrown away.


    Even his spirit ability came undone as Orion and Norio separated forcefully. Norio ran towards Orion and picked it up.


    ¡°What happened, even our spirit ability became undone?¡± Norio asked in horror. He got ready to disperse the subspace and run away when suddenly the cocoon burst open.


    A figure who looked like Mathew walked out calmly. He had dark purple hair and purple eyes bearing the ¡®X¡¯ mark which was red. The previous pure white wings were now pitch black like that of a devil.


    ¡°Mathew..??¡± Orion called out doubtfully. He felt no trace of Mathew from that ¡®Mathew¡¯ in front of him.


    ¡°Mathew huh? Don''t compare me to that worm¡± the figure replied mockingly. He casually flicked his fingers and sent a dark purple Nova slash towards Orion and Norio.


    They scrambled away hurriedly. Orion looked at his hands with a frown. He had lost two of his fingers.


    ¡°Call me Lucian, the one who inherited the eyes of the devil, Lucifer¡± the figure introduced himself calmly.

 14

    14th


    ¡°What?? Did he say Lucifer¡± Norio exclaimed in shock.


    Lucian sent another Nova slash that was bigger than the one before.


    ¡°This same thing won''t work on us again¡± Norio replied with a frown as both of them once


    again dodged the slash narrowly, but this time there were no fingers sacrificed.


    ¡°I don''t know how you disabled my spirit ability but the same thing won''t work out again¡±


    Orion said in a loud tone as he once again activated his spirit ability.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Lucian asked with a smirk.


    Norio immediately entered another dimension and got ready to attack Lucian but was


    shocked to find that Lucian was peering at him calmly.


    ¡®No. He can''t know where I am. He just looked randomly. He doesn''t know


    my location¡¯ Norio thought in panic, trying to calm himself.


    ¡°Well, I just came out and you guys are already boring me. So, I''m gonna make it quick.


    Starfall-ring formation¡± Lucian said in a calm tone.


    Unlike Mathew, Lucian was surrounded by 13 dark purple colored orbs which were


    enveloped by the dark flames.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same thing. There¡¯s just extra balls and the color is different, so what¡¯s the big deal¡±


    Orion said in a mocking tone.


    ¡°Kids these days¡± Lucian shook his head with a sigh.


    Before Orion could even react, he was shocked to find a burning sensation in his right arm.


    When he looked, there was no arm. Only purple flames burning silently in the stump.


    ¡°Arg¡± Orion shouted in pain. He looked at Lucian with red eyes. Norio, who was in


    another dimension, reappeared slowly near Orion, also with a missing arm.


    ¡°You devil, what did you just do?¡± Norio asked, in both fear and anger. There was no trace of


    blood anywhere due to the amputated arm. There was not even a trace of the arm.


    ¡°I just cut off your arms¡± Lucian replied, tilting his head.


    ¡°But-¡± before Norio could ask, Lucian replied.


    ¡°Oh, my flames won''t just inflict damage physically, they also inflict damage to the soul.


    Since you shitheads are in essence, a single soul, so whatever is experienced by one is


    experienced by another too¡± Lucian educated them calmly.


    ¡°But when you cut my fingers earlier, why were Orion''s fingers intact?¡± Norio asked in


    confusion.


    ¡°Ahh, why is that one of the two is always missing a brain? When I attacked you earlier, I


    didn''t even use my flames, I just used raw Nova¡± Once again, Lucian explained calmly.


    ¡°Orion, we are no match for him. Let''s just quickly escape¡± Norio sent a mental voice to


    Orion.


    ¡°You''re right, I find him even scarier than Valerio. Let''s just get out¡± Orion replied.


    ¡°Just buy me a few seconds, we need to remove the Gemini-corridor to teleport outside. So I


    will undo it¡± Orion said.


    Lucian sent forward another Orb to attack them as Norio slashed it.


    ¡°Quick¡± he shouted in a hurry.


    ¡°Gemini-Corridor disband¡± Orion muttered as the dark subspace covering them slowly


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.vanished. They teleported back to the outside of Raven¡¯s burger.


    The twins who were expelled from the corridor a while back noticed a bloody Orion and


    Norio with a missing arm, and a purple-haired man in a bloody suit who resembled Mathew


    slowly appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Kael..wait, something¡¯s off,¡± Lyra said, holding Kael''s arm.


    ¡°Is that¡­is that the manager?¡± Kael asked fearfully. Previously when Mathew transformed,


    he felt warmth and safety from him. Now, he only felt fear and malice.


    ¡°They look the same, but I don''t think that''s the manager¡± Lyra replied, also noticing


    Mathew¡¯s bizarreness.


    ¡°Then where¡¯s the manager?¡± Kael asked in confusion.


    ¡°Do it now Orion¡± Norio shouted hurriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, dimensional-¡±


    ¡°Too bad for you, Starfall-blink¡± Lucian muttered with a smirk.


    Slash.


    Lucian teleported behind them and beheaded both their heads with a single slash. Their


    shocked heads fell to the ground.


    ¡°Looks like Mathew isn''t that useless after all. This skill he created isn''t half bad¡± Lucian said


    with a nod. Lucian watched as Orion and Norio¡¯s bodies disappeared into light particles.


    Kael and Lyra who watched this scene from inside the shop were in awe and fear. Before


    they couldn''t react, they noticed Lucian standing in front of them with a creepy smile.


    ¡°Aghhhh¡± they shouted in fear.


    ¡°Who are you? Why do you like our manager?¡± Kael asked in a trembling voice, as he took a


    step back unconsciously in fear.


    ¡°I''m Lucian, and your manager isn''t coming back anytime soon¡± Lucian replied with a smirk.


    ¡°No, it can''t be. He''s very strong, nothing could''ve possibly happened to him¡± Lyra replied


    shaking her head in disbelief.


    ¡°Haha, believe whatever you want. Anyway, I''m bored..ready for a lesson kids?¡± Lucian


    asked with a laugh.


    ¡°What¡­how did you know that?¡± Kael asked in horror.


    ¡°He must be related to the manager somehow¡±, Lyra replied.


    ¡°So, you''re the one with the brain¡± Lucian nodded his head. He coated his right hand with the


    dark purple Nova. He slashed toward their neck when a mysterious finger suddenly


    stopped him.


    ¡°Well well, if it isn''t Lucian,¡± Valerio said calmly.


    ¡°You again, I won''t forgive you for what you did to me back then¡± Lucian replied in a dark


    tone. He got angry just thinking about it.


    ¡°And I am not gonna forgive you for attacking these 2 either¡± Valerio replied calmly.


    ¡°Sealing-bind¡± Valerio muttered as he pointed his fingers at Lucian. Streams of Runes


    surrounded him as Lucian instantly fell and fainted. Valerio coughed a bit of blood.


    The dark purple hair of Lucian faded away gradually as the blonde hair returned.


    ¡®Thankfully Lucian didn''t break the seal completely, or else it would have been a pain¡¯ Valerio


    thought.


    ¡°Uncle Val, are you okay?¡± Kael asked in concern.


    ¡°It''s nothing much¡± Valerio replied, wiping the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°What just happened? Also, where did you go Uncle Val? What''s wrong with the manager¡±


    Lyra asked a barrage of questions.


    ¡°Now now, let''s breathe a little¡± Valerio replied as he picked up Mathew and took the twins to


    the underground facility for first aid.


    ¡°So, what were you asking me earlier?¡± Valerio asked with a smile.


    ¡°About the manager? Who was the one that tried to kill us?¡± Lyra asked, significantly calming


    down.


    ¡°As I have told you guys earlier, anyone in the world can inherit the fragment of gods, whether it was a named god, or gods whose names were forgotten in history. In Mathew''s case, he has another personality in him, Lucian. Mathew inherited the eyes of the strongest angel, Archangel Michael and his other personality, Lucian, inherited the eyes of the strongest devil, Lucifer who was banished from heaven¡± Valerio explained calmly as the twins listened in awe.


    ¡°So, each of his personality inherited a fragment?¡± Lyra asked in confirmation.


    ¡°That''s correct¡± Valerio nodded.


    ¡°What?? So the manager is both Angel and Devil?¡± Kael asked in shock.


    ¡°Haha, he kinda is¡± Valerio replied.


    ¡°So, what did you to do that Lucian guy?¡± Lyra asked. She noticed previously that Valerio did


    something to him.


    ¡°I sealed him, but that''s just temporary, ultimately only Mathew can deal with that on his own¡±


    Valerio replied with a sigh. He was helpless in this matter.


    ¡°I think we should just let the manager rest for a bit,¡± Kael said as he looked at the still-unconscious Mathew. It was unknown if he was unconscious or asleep.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Let''s leave¡± Valerio said as everyone left the facility except for Mathew.


    As they were going up in the elevator.


    ¡°I''ll tell you another thing, the reason that I put Mathew in charge of your training was


    because of the very reason,¡± Valerio said suddenly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lyra asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°Just like you two, Mathew and Lucian are polar opposites, so I figured he could be a better


    teacher for you two and yield some interesting results¡± Valerio replied with a laugh.


    ¡°Woah, that makes a lot of sense,¡± Kael said in amazement.


    ¡°Anyways, go and rest, I''ll rest too. We had a long day¡± Valerio replied as they reached the


    shop.


    The twins waved him goodbye and went to rest.