After showing Lian the ropes of his new smartphone, Zigh immediately shared his contact information.
"Lian, here's my number. Just scan the screen," Zigh instructed.
Lian complied, his eyes tracking the digital interface. "Hmm. It's not that different from the devices in Syntax."
Zigh tilted his head, an eyebrow arching in curiosity. "Then why were you so confused earlier?"
"The phones in Syntax still have physical buttons and ports," Lian explained. "This one is completely seamless."
Zigh settled back into his seat. "I see... Well, what are you in the mood to eat, Lian?"
"What about you?"
Zigh pulled up a food delivery app, scrolling through the options. "How about something with broth? Warm and filling?"
A faint smile touched Lian's lips. "Just not that soup again."
"Definitely not," Zigh promised.
As Zigh focused on the menu, Lian began exploring his new device, tapping through various features and applications.
"Noodles... rice vermicelli... ah, let's just go with noodles," Zigh murmured to himself. He glanced up. "Lian, noodles it is. Sound good?"
Without looking away from his screen, Lian gave a distracted, "Mm-hmm..."
Zigh ran a hand through his hair, a small smirk playing on his face. He's like a child with a brand-new toy.
He finalized the order with a quick tap.
Taking a steady breath, Zigh broke the silence. "Lian, do you know Lena?"
"Yes."
Zigh set his phone on the table, his gaze narrowing as he focused entirely on the young man across from him. "What kind of girl is she?"
Lian remained engrossed in his screen, the blue light reflecting in his eyes. His pupils constricted slightly. "Lena is... loud."
Zigh stifled a chuckle. I can't argue with that, he thought.
"And? Anything else?"
Lian tilted his head, though his eyes never wavered from the phone. "She's like you."
Zigh blanched. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well... her hair color is similar to yours. And your eyes—they're the same shade of green."
The revelation hit Zigh like a physical blow. Her name is Delion... she has the same physical traits as my mother... is it possible?
He tightened his resolve. I'll have to investigate this when I handle the documents for Lian, Ron, and Nox at the civil registry.
"Lian," Zigh started again, his voice dropping an octave. "What about Serenity? What kind of girl is she?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Lian stopped scrolling. He looked up, his gaze piercing through Zigh with an intensity that made the air in the living room turn frigid. Zigh felt the hair on his arms stand up.
Did I overstep? Zigh wondered, a bead of sweat forming at his temple.
"Zigh... why are you asking about Serenity?"
Zigh forced a smile. "I'm just... curious. Since you're planning to go see her..."
Lian set the phone down and stood up, closing the distance between them. His eyes were cold. "You really enjoy digging into my privacy, don't you?"
Zigh lowered his head, unable to maintain eye contact. "That's not what I intended..."
"Then what is it?"
Zigh remained silent, his head bowed. His fists were clenched, trembling slightly. "I... my mother... she sacrificed her life... just so I could be born into this world."
Lian took a slow, measured breath. The oppressive pressure in the air began to dissipate as he returned to his seat.
"No wonder you treat your father the way you do," Lian remarked.
Zigh bit his lip, offering no rebuttal.
Leaning back into the sofa, Lian stared up at the ceiling. "Serenity... she gave me a gift. An octagonal symbol."
Zigh looked up, his attention fully captured once more. Lian let out a weary sigh. "I want..."
The chime of the doorbell cut through the heavy silence.
Ding-dong... Ding-dong... The sound shattered the tension.
Zigh stood up. "Lian, that must be the food."
Lian nodded.
Zigh went out immediately and opened the gate.
"A delivery for Zigh Eosvile," the courier said.
"Yes, thank you."
The courier left straight away after handing over Zigh's order.
Zigh went back inside, carrying the bag of his noodle order.
"Come on, let's eat."
"Yes," Lian replied.
Zigh unpacked the containers, handing a bowl of noodles to Lian before settling down with his own. The rich aroma of beef broth filled the room, thick and savory.
"The scent is very potent," Lian whispered.
Zigh stirred his noodles. "You don't like it?"
"It's not that..." Lian said, observing his bowl, which was heaped with mushrooms, shredded chicken, greens, and a perfectly boiled egg.
He watched as Zigh continued to swirl his spoon through the broth.
"You really like mixing everything together. You did the same thing at the ice cream shop."
"Oh, this?" Zigh grinned. "It's so the flavors meld into one. Every bite becomes a symphony for the taste buds."
"Whatever you say."
They ate in relative silence until only a bit of broth remained.
"Ah... not a bad meal, right?" Zigh said, patting his stomach.
Lian leaned back. "The portion was quite generous." He then squinted at Zigh's face. "Your nose... the swelling seems to have gone down."
Zigh instinctively touched his nose. "Rhea handled it."
Lian offered a faint smile. "I see."
As Zigh began clearing the table, Lian stood up to leave. "About earlier... I'm sorry."
Zigh paused, then smiled. "Me too."
Lian headed toward the bedroom, leaving Zigh to take the trash out. He's actually a bit like Nox, Zigh mused with a sigh.
Well, at least I learned something new about him today.
When Zigh entered the bedroom, he found Lian standing still, staring out of the large bay window. Zigh walked over to join him.
"Lian? What are you doing?"
"Looking at the stars."
Zigh peered up at the overcast night sky. "Lian... I think the clouds are covering them tonight."
"Even so... the stars are still there, aren't they?"
Zigh patted Lian's shoulder. "Want to learn about Elfinder?"
Lian turned to him. "What are you planning?"
"Think of it as preparation before your mission."
Zigh moved to his desk and pulled out a chair. "Come here."
Lian sat beside him as Zigh powered on the computer. After entering his password, the monitor filled with various files and shortcuts. He opened a browser and searched for the name. An image of a man appeared on the home page.
"This is Elfinder," Zigh said, pointing.
"Hmm... he looks ordinary."
Zigh blinked. "Ordinary?"
Lian crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the screen. "He's a famous actor, right? But looking at his face... Ron is much more handsome."
Zigh choked on a laugh, his shoulders shaking. "Hahaha! I thought you were going to analyze his threat level, but you're just judging his looks!"
"Am I wrong? You've met Ron. Just compare them."
Zigh wiped a tear from his eye. "Fair point. Now that I think about it, Ron definitely has him beat in the looks department."
Lian stood up. "Fine. I've memorized his face."
Zigh glanced at the clock in the corner of the screen: 08:00 PM. "Going to sleep already?"
"No," Lian replied without looking back, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
Zigh followed him over. "Then what do you want to do?"
"Wait until I'm sleepy."
Zigh let out a soft laugh.
"Is something funny?"
"You just have a very... unique way of thinking."
Lian looked away. "And what about you? What are you going to do?"
Zigh glanced toward the small gym area in the corner of the room. "Want to do some light exercise?"
"I just got better. Do you want me to get sick again?"
Zigh forced a smile. Just got better? You hit me hard enough to break my nose.
He sat down next to Lian. "Just a little bit. Think of it as training for our big mission," he coaxed.
Lian clicked his tongue. "And end up smelling like you?"
Zigh's smile remained plastered on his face, but a vein throbbed at his temple and his fists tightened. Damn it... he's so incredibly irritating.
Zigh stood up. "Are you angry?" Lian asked.
"I'm going to do some light training. You go ahead and sleep," Zigh said.
He stormed over to the gym area, Lian's eyes following him. Zigh donned his boxing gloves and threw a punch at the heavy bag so hard it nearly flew off its hinges, the chains rattling.
Damn it! The guy has absolutely no filter! Zigh screamed in his head.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Outer whispered into Lian's ear. "That Eosvile is furious."
"Let him be. I only spoke the truth," Lian replied.
Minutes passed, and Zigh was drenched in sweat, but his strikes remained powerful and rhythmic.
Lian eventually stood up and approached him. "Zigh."
Zigh stopped, catching the bag with his arms. His chest heaved, and sweat dripped from his chin. "What? Keep your distance."
"Can I try hitting the bag?"
Zigh turned around. "Unstrap my gloves first."
Lian undid the Velcro straps. "Done."
Zigh exhaled. "I thought you didn't like my smell?"
"Do you want another reality check?"
Zigh chuckled dryly. Lian, you really are a piece of work.
"Should I hit it with my bare hands?" Lian asked.
Zigh sighed and began fitting the gloves onto Lian's hands. "If you hit it barehanded, you'll scrape your knuckles. The gloves absorb the impact."
Lian nodded.
"First, you need to warm up," Zigh added.
"But you didn't warm up."
"I was already heated enough. Now come on, let's do some light stretching."
"Fine..."
After a brief session of stretches, Lian stood before the heavy bag. He drew back and delivered a punch.
Thwack.
The bag swayed only slightly.
Lian's brows drew together, carving deep lines into his forehead. "Why was it so different?"
Zigh began to tremble, his shoulders shaking as he fought with every fiber of his being to keep his mouth shut. If I laugh, he'll get mad... and then Outer will come for me.
To be continued...