Chapter 176 : An Unwelcome Guest
The day's events—the shocking tournament battle, the weight of their undercover roles—had left a heavy atmosphere in their wake. As the twin moons of Elora City cast their pale light through the window, Moon and Kai finally entered their apartment, the door sighing shut behind them with the sound of exhaustion. They expected the familiar, weary silence of their safehouse.
Instead, they were met with the faint, buttery scent of popcorn.
Their bodies went rigid, instincts screaming before their minds could even process the scene. There, lounging on their sofa as if he owned the place, was Rivan. He was the picture of casual ease, dressed in simple, dark casualwear, one arm draped over the back of the couch. In his other hand was a half-empty packet of gourmet popcorn. He looked utterly at home.
Seeing them frozen in the doorway, a slow, infuriatingly familiar smile spread across his face. He uncoiled himself from the sofa and stood up, brushing a few stray kernels from his shirt.
"And how are we doing today?" he asked, his voice a smooth, conversational baritone that dripped with mockery. "How's the new job treating you? Having fun, I hope? With the lovely Ms. Lisa Mingrui?" He let the name hang in the air, his smile sharpening. "I certainly hope so."
A wave of pure, unadulterated rage washed over both Kai and Moon. It was a physical force, tightening their chests and clenching their fists. Images of Aria they had to turn away, the forced cruelty, the shattered trust—all of it had Rivan's face. But years of discipline, took over. Their faces became impassive masks, their breathing controlled. They let the fury burn cold inside them, giving him nothing.
Rivan's smile didn't falter. He tilted his head, feigning a hurt expression. "Oh, my two brothers are angry with me? Come now, let it go."
He waved a dismissive hand, the popcorn packet crinkling. "Let's talk business instead. Lisa has landed a very big job. I won't bore you with the details, but since you're her dedicated bodyguards, you'll be accompanying her." His eyes glinted with a calculated light. "And if this job is completed successfully... I'll see to it that you're both promoted. Quickly. Moved right to the place I need you to be. The whole operation will be wrapped up nice and neat."
Kai didn't hesitate. His voice was low and sharp, cutting through Rivan's glib monologue. "What is the job, Rivan? Why did you plant us as debt collectors and bodyguards at the Mountbatten Bank? What is your motive? What do you want that the Mountbatten Bank has, that you, with all your power, cannot simply take for yourself?"
Instead of answering, Rivan's smile widened. He ignored the questions as if they were trivial. "Ah, almost forgot," he said, as if remembering a minor errand. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned an object from his storage ring.
It was a small, transparent container. Inside was a substance that seemed to pulse with a faint, internal light. It was a jelly-like, slimy mass, vaguely organic and unsettlingly alive. He tossed it casually to Kai.
Kai caught it on reflex, his brow furrowed in deep confusion. He stared at the strange, gelatinous substance in his palm, then back at Rivan's unnervingly calm face. The answer to his questions was not a statement, but this... this thing.
The air in the apartment was thick enough to choke on. Kai and Moon stood like statues, the weight of Rivan's presence and their own suppressed fury pressing down on them. The casual mention of Lisa Mingrui had been a deliberate needle, and they had felt it pierce deep.
Rivan watched their controlled stillness, his smile never wavering. He seemed to feed on their tension.
"Look," he began, his tone shifting to one of mock resignation, as if he were the one being put upon. "I have to follow the contract, you know? It's very clear. And it clearly states that you two get one billion credits for each mission you complete." He let the astronomical figure hang in the air, a blatant attempt to dangle a carrot in front of them.
Then, his eyes flicked to the strange, translucent jelly in Kai's hand. "And this… well, I made it myself. Haven't bothered to check the market price, to be honest. But I'd value it at around… let's say, two billion credits." He gestured magnanimously. "Consider it a bonus. A token of my… brotherly affection."
Kai stared down at the pulsing, slimy mass in his palm. The absurdity of the situation finally broke through his stoic control. His head snapped up, confusion and disbelief warring on his face.
"What?" The word was less a question and more a burst of pure, unadulterated incredulity. "What even is this? You can't just pick up a piece of… of garbage… and decide it's worth two billion credits! That's insane!"
A wider, more genuine smile spread across Rivan's face, as if Kai's outburst was the exact reaction he'd been hoping for. He took a step closer, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial, almost playful whisper.
"Don't be so angry, brother," he chided softly. "This 'garbage'… has a very special property. It can perfectly replicate any treasure, any artifact, any single object you desire." He paused for maximum effect, his eyes gleaming. "Of course, it's only a one-time use. A perfect, undetectable copy."
Kai's anger vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp understanding that made the blood drain from his face. The implications were staggering. He could barely form the words. "What? But… this… this could be worth… multi-hundred trillions of cred…"
Before he could finish, Rivan leaned in and pressed a finger to Kai's lips, shushing him gently. The gesture was intimate and condescending all at once.
"Shhh," Rivan murmured, his eyes locked on Kai's. "One should only bite off as much as they can chew. Speaking of sums that large can attract… the wrong kind of attention."
With that, he pulled his hand back, gave them both a final, infuriatingly friendly salute, and turned. He strode across the living room and, without a moment's hesitation, stepped over the railing of their balcony and dropped out of sight.
The spell broken, Moon and Kai rushed to the balcony, leaning over the edge to see his fate. They expected a crater, or at least the sound of a bone-jarring impact. Instead, they saw Rivan descend as lightly as a feather, his form slowing unnaturally just before his boots kissed the pavement with impossible gentleness. It was a display of control that was both breathtaking and terrifying. He didn't even look back up. He simply straightened his jacket, flagged down a passing automated taxi, slid inside, and was whisked away into the neon river of Elora City's traffic.
Moon and Kai remained at the railing, the night wind cooling their heated skin. The confrontation was over, but it had left them more unsettled than before.
Moon was the first to speak, his voice a low grumble. "He's lost his mind."
Kai didn't answer immediately. He was still staring at the spot where the taxi had vanished, the cold, gelatinous weight of the replication jelly feeling like a live bomb in his hand. "No," Kai finally said, his voice quiet and grim. "He hasn't. He's just started playing a different game. And he just handed us a piece without telling us the rules."
The silence that fell between them was no longer just angry; it was deeply, profoundly troubled.
To be continued….