The ride home was unusually quiet.
Rain clouds had gathered above Haven City, turning the late afternoon sky gray.
Inside the taxi, neither Benny nor Xavier spoke.
The terrifying images from the ambush replayed endlessly in their minds.
The deafening gunshots.
The terrified screams.
The masked men.
And the mysterious man in the black suit who had walked through bullets as though they meant nothing.
Xavier sat close to Benny, refusing to let go of his hand.
Every few minutes, he would glance at Benny as if making sure he was still there.
Only after seeing Benny smile would the little boy relax again.
Benny noticed it but said nothing.
Instead, he gently squeezed Xavier's small hand.
"We're almost home."
Xavier nodded quietly.
"...Okay."
A few minutes later...
The taxi stopped in front of Benny's apartment building.
Benny paid the driver before helping Xavier out of the car.
The little boy looked around nervously.
Only after entering the familiar apartment building did he finally seem to breathe easier.
They climbed the stairs in silence.
When Benny unlocked the apartment door, Xavier rushed inside first.
The little boy stood in the middle of the living room.
He looked around every corner.
The old sofa.
The tiny dining table.
The bookshelf.
The small kitchen.
Everything was exactly where they had left it that morning.
Only then did he whisper,
"...We're really home."
Benny smiled softly.
"Yeah."
"We're home."
Xavier suddenly turned around and hugged him tightly.
"So... we're safe?"
Benny gently hugged him back.
"We're safe."
The little boy finally broke down.
He cried quietly into Benny's shirt, releasing all the fear he had been holding back since the shooting.
"I thought..."
"I thought they were going to kill us..."
Benny closed his eyes.
"So did I."
He stroked Xavier's hair gently.
"But it's over."
"No one is going to hurt you here."
It took several minutes before Xavier finally calmed down.
After helping Xavier wash his face, Benny walked into the kitchen.
His body ached from head to toe.
His ankle was swollen.
His shoulder burned every time he moved it.
Even so...
He forced himself to prepare dinner.
A simple bowl of noodles.
Nothing fancy.
But warm enough to comfort them both.
Xavier quietly watched him.
"Brother Benny..."
"Hm?"
"Does it hurt?"
Benny knew exactly what he meant.
He smiled.
"Just a little."
The little boy lowered his head.
"...I'm sorry."
Benny immediately stopped what he was doing.
He knelt in front of Xavier.
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"If I wasn't there..."
"You wouldn't have been in danger."
Benny gently shook his head.
"No."
"The people who attacked weren't after us."
"We were just unlucky."
He smiled again.
"And besides..."
"I promised I'd protect you."
"So don't blame yourself."
Xavier nodded weakly.
"...Okay."
That evening...
The apartment was unusually quiet.
After dinner, Xavier had fallen asleep on the sofa.
The exhausting day had finally caught up with him.
Benny carefully carried the sleeping child to the bedroom before covering him with a blanket.
Looking at Xavier's peaceful sleeping face...
Benny smiled.
"I'll make sure you never sleep in an alley again."
Quietly closing the bedroom door, he returned to the living room.
His eyes landed on the television remote.
Perhaps watching the news would help distract him.
He switched on the TV.
The screen flickered to life.
A serious-looking female reporter appeared.
"Breaking News."
"A violent shooting occurred this afternoon near the Grand Meridian Hotel in downtown Haven City."
Benny froze.
The footage changed.
Police cars.
Ambulances.
Roads sealed with yellow tape.
Several damaged luxury vehicles.
Shattered glass covering the streets.
The reporter continued,
"According to police, unidentified armed men attacked a convoy outside the Grand Meridian Hotel shortly after two o'clock this afternoon."
"Authorities believe the incident was a carefully planned ambush."
"Several suspects escaped before law enforcement arrived."
Images of frightened civilians being evacuated filled the screen.
Fortunately...
The cameras had arrived after everything was over.
Nathan and his convoy were nowhere to be seen.
Only the aftermath remained.
The reporter spoke again.
"Witnesses claim one of the targeted vehicles belonged to a prominent businessman, though police have refused to confirm the individual's identity."
"Investigations are ongoing."
Benny unconsciously tightened his grip on the remote.
"A prominent businessman..."
He remembered Nathan's calm expression.
His perfect aim.
The disciplined bodyguards.
The armored convoy.
None of that belonged to an ordinary businessman.
Who... exactly was he?
Before Benny could think further, another image flashed across the television.
Security camera footage.
Although blurred...
It briefly showed a tall man in a black suit walking through the chaos with a pistol in his hand.
The image lasted less than two seconds before the station blurred his face.
The reporter continued,
"Authorities are asking anyone with information about today's incident to contact the Haven City Police Department."
Benny slowly turned off the television.
The apartment fell silent once again.
He leaned back against the sofa and let out a long breath.
Today...
He and Xavier had come frighteningly close to death.
And yet...
One question continued to linger in his mind.
Who was Nathan... really?
Outside, rain began to fall gently against the apartment window.
Far across the city...
Inside a black luxury sedan, Nathan looked out at the same rain-soaked skyline.
His phone vibrated.
Marcus' voice came through the speaker.
"Boss."
"We've confirmed it."
Nathan's eyes remained fixed on the rain.
"The young man..."
"He wasn't part of the ambush."
Nathan answered calmly.
"I already knew."
Marcus hesitated.
"Should we investigate him anyway?"
Nathan was silent for several seconds.
Then he replied,
"...Yes."
"I want everything."
"The university he attends."
"The people around him."
"And why..."
His cold blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"...someone like him was willing to risk his life for a child."
The call ended.
Nathan closed his eyes briefly.
For the first time in years...
Someone unrelated to his world had stepped into it.
And he had a feeling...
This wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed.