Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Splash! Splash! Splash!
On the peak of the mountain, wind blew endlessly and birds chirped below with their annoying squeaks. The rivers danced gently together, shining crimson under the sun.
Kmkmkposh!
A man, seating quietly on the mountain's edge tossed a stone into the valley below. He wore a blue-black robe and the wind blowing, on his slightly long black hair.
Sighing, he stood up, as his gaze were still fixed on the horizon. "Huh, my dad once told me about Leochi." Chuckling softly he added. "Oh dear! Seems like I've already forgotten the story... what was it again?"
He paused, rubbing his chin with a smile. "Ah, right. Leochi was a place blessed by the mystic king and the true creator, where mortals, anointed,and gods fate are intertwined. On the day of the apex, the gods shall appear again chasing thier ambitions and fleeing the wrath of the true creator."
He slipped his hands into his robe pockets and smiled at the sun. "How ironic... I'm talking shit about the gods, while doing the same foolish things myself, hehe."
From his pocket, he pulled out a silver coin and flipped it into the air. Watching it spin, he smiled when it landed. "Seems like I'm going to Leochi."
---
In the land of Betyl, the wind blew endlessly, strong enough to blow away a man's hat, and send it tumbling down the streets. People moved around in coats and hats, shivering and muttering under their breaths.
But one man was different. He wore a black long coat, a dark scarf around his neck, and a black hat on his head. It was Lumian Ward.
He moved with pace and precision, avoiding the shenanigans from passerbys. He couldn't care the slightest for the cold, because he had more important things to do, which was, getting a bank to accept his money!
"No time to lose." He said inwardly. "I have to find a bank that hasn't heard about the new currency yet. God, just imagine if Kelvin hadn't told me about the new currency produced as a result of the massive inflation, I would have just lost all my savings. That's the benefit of having a brother who's an accountant."
He sighed and came to a stop, looking at the bank across the street. Weighing his options he said inwardly. "Should I go with this bank? They usually take a 0.6% processing fee... No, that sounds way too much."
He looked at the building, his hands in his pockets, staring at it like he was debating a war plan. "Or maybe... I should first get the money for the fee before going in and depositing the cash. But withdrawing just two pounds would be embarrassing — imagine taking out the same amount of money as the price of bottle water..."
Just the thought alone, stung his ego deeply.
Finally, after debating internally, Lumian made up his mind and entered the bank, with a white briefcase on his right hand.
---
Entering the bank, it was filled with people in casual business suits typing frantically on their computers. The place carried that kind of ethical silence that somehow made Lumian nervous—he could practically feel everyone's gaze on him. He sighed and adjusted his glasses, trying to look formal and responsible.
He walked up to the receptionist and flashed a friendly smile.
"Good morning, dear lady."
The lady behind the counter looked up from her laptop.
"Good morning sir, how may I help you?"
Lumian placed the briefcase on the counter and said with a bright smile, "I'd like to make a deposit of five hundred pounds."
The receptionist, who wore yellow-and-black dress, stood up with a smile. "500 pounds? That's not small money! Please follow me—we'll go meet Mr Hayes to further clarify the transaction. He might even offer you some extra bonuses for such a large deposit."
"Bless the Skywalker! Lumian said internally, they don't seem to know about the new currency, hehehe. My money hasn't lost its value yet. As long as everything goes to plan, I'm still rich!"
On the outside, he kept an indifferent expression and nodded. Taking the briefcase, he smiled politely. "Alright, lead the way."
They made thier way through the lighted corridor. To the left were bank tellers behind glass cubicles, and to the right were waiting areas and managerial offices. After walking a short distance, they finally reached a door that read:
"Mr. Hayes' Office."
Upon opening the door, they were met with a man wearing a blue shirt and sporting yellow hair, calmly stirring his tea. The receptionist stepped up with a smile.
"Sir, we have a very important customer here. He wants to make a deposit of 500 pounds, which we need to clarify with you before processing."
Mr Hayes sipped his tea like a gentleman and raised his head slightly with a smile. "Ah, come sit down, come sit down."
Lumian approached and sat to the left of Mr Hayes. The man then gestured to the receptionist. "Bella, make some tea for our dear guest."
Bella smiled and nodded. "Yes sir, it'll be ready in ten minutes."
Hayes set his cup down and said, "Good. We shouldn't keep our valuable customer waiting."
"Understood, sir," Bella replied before leaving the room.
As soon as she closed the door, the room fell into silence. "This is weird... Should I start a conversation, or let him talk first, people like him are quite social." Lumian thought.
"Hmm." Hayes let out a small grunt before asking, "Mr., if you don't mind, can I get your name and contact info?"
Lumian ignored the second question and answered, "My name is Lumian Ward. I don't actually have a phone at the moment."
No way I'm giving them my contact. That'd be foolish!
Hayes smiled and looked at him. Strange... He carries 500 pounds but doesn't have a phone? Perhaps he isn't the real owner of the money. Maybe he's sent by a more powerful figure."
"Well," Hayes said aloud, there's no problem at all." He then gestured for Lumian to hand over the briefcase.
Lumian stood up, and passed him the case. He adjusted his coat and said. "That'll be all sir. Thank you for your service."
"Ah, your not waiting for Bella to bring the tea?"
Lumian smiled awkwardly and stepped towards the door. "Sir, thank for your generosity, but I'm sorry I have to decline, I'm already full."
Hayes still looked skeptical, but waved his hand in acceptance. Lumian opened the door and quietly left.
Hayes stared at the door for a while. Slowly, his shadow stretched across the floor, outlining the shape of a human. The corners of his lips curved upward. "I don't trust him one bit."
---
Outside the bank, Lumian walked like a man who had just pulled of a flawless heist. He cautiously scanned the street, before heading down "Metropyl."
Considering the distance to his home in "Cornerstone," he decided to first visit the market to restock supplies. As he walked, taking in the cold humid breeze. Lumain couldn't help but feel thrilled and sad at the same time.
After all, he'd just scammed an old man out of 200 pounds and left him with a heavy debt. The thought stung him deeply.
When he arrived at the market, he bought three kilos of chicken for 15 pounds, then stopped by Mrs. Ruth's stall for tomatoes, onions, and peppers—which took twenty five pounds. Lastly, he picked up radish, peas and cooking oil from Mr. Xian's shop.
After he was done, he strolled from "Metropyl" all the way to "Blackhead." On the way, he couldn't shake the strange feeling of being watched. But with the street full of people, he dismissed the thought and continued walking.
---
Evening fell, and the crimson sun had gone down the horizon. Lumain reached home and found Kelvin counting money on the brown chair.
"Oh, you're back," Kelvin said, not looking up. "Did you find a bank willing to accept the money?"
Lumain smiled as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Kelvin, I did. If not for you warning me about the inflation, I would've lost a fortune."
Kelvin raised his brows up slightly, jotting something in his notebook. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. " I really don't understand our government anymore. I recently heard from work, that the inflation was 'purposely' caused by them.
Lumain leaned forward, interlocking his fingers under his chin. "What do you mean by 'purposely'?"
Kelvin sighed again and set the notes aside. "King Leo Lewyin allocated massive resources to Mr. Shadow, which caused scarcity in some goods and financial instability, leading to the creation of the new currency. Now all the banks are trying to adjust, and it's really tiring.
Lumain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why would a king allocate such resources to one man... how strange."
"Where's Laura?" Lumain asked.
"She slept three hours ago," Kelvin replied.
"Oh, that's good," Lumain said, standing up from the chair. "I'll be heading to work for the night shift."
Kelvin waved his hand. "Alright, just be home by ten."
"Don't worry," Lumian replied stepping out the door.
---
Knock! Knock!
Alice tapped on a door twice, eventually footsteps echoed, and the door opened. Captain Hargreaves stood there, his eyes now a ghostly white color.
"Seems his order, 'Night crosser,' is finally kicking in, he's probably more stronger in the night." She thought to herself.
"What does my little sister want this time?" Hargreaves asked with mild irritation.
Alice smiled and held up the paperwork in her hands. "I wanted to ask—when Lumian resumes his shift, can I borrow him to help with the files?"
Hargreaves scratched his head and sighed. "No problem. It's not the first time you've borrowed something from me."
"Thank you, brother!" She smiled. I'd hug you, but my hands are full, hehe."
He turned to leave. "Alright, alright. Your brother's busy right now."
"Okay!" She said cheerfully as she turned away. A faint smile appeared on her lips.