Zenix remained in his bed for a while, momentarily stunned. He could recall watching a horror movie after coming home the previous night, but nothing else.
He finally let the ominous feeling fade, after minutes of contemplating, and bolted into the toilet to clean up.
He quickly speed ran the entire course of preparation and dashed down the stairs. The moment he got to the living room, he was stunned in place, by the sight of the unexpected face in their house.
The visitor's gaze fell on Zenix, and immediately, a luminous smile was contoured on his face.
Zenix then withdrew and turned to the kitchen, were his mom was currently making breakfast.
"Mom, are you aware that Xavion is in the living room?".
"Yes sweetie. He came in about 20 minutes ago".
He turned back to Xavion, meeting a sour expresion.
"You make it look like I broke in". He sighed in dissatisfaction.
"Have you forgotten that yesterday, we agreed to accompany each other to work today?".
"Right!", Zenix exclaimed, scratching the back of his head. "We did, didn't we?".
"Breakfast, before we leave? It'll be quick".
After that, they headed to work, weaving through the morning's bustling traffic.
The hours slipped by like the wind, customers flowing in and out of the restaurant in an endless stream.
The day was more or less tranquil, until noon, when an occurrence interrupted the day's routine.
Zenix and Duan were both behind the counter. Zenix was taking the order of a young woman and her daughter, while Duan was preoccupied with cleaning cups.
"Thank you ma'am, please come again", Zenix said with a smile. The woman and her daughter happily walked out the door.
As they exited, at the same time, the door swong open, letting in a gentle breeze, and a tall man stepped through them.
He was on all black, from head to toe. He wore a face mask that told stories of a hardened mercenary, that radiated awe.
He calmly walked up to the counter and looked at the too attendants with dark glee.
"Speak, where is the one named Ryna?".
Shaken by his domineering voice, Zenix and Duan turned to each other, not wanting to be the one to answer.
Silent tension rose in the restaurant, plaguing the samll crowd present. Their muffled murmurs followed after.
Vexed by their misconcepted insolence, the tall man slammed his hand on the counter.
Panic spread, and then the staff door opened and Ryna came out, accompanied by Xavion. The moment Ryna saw the man, she went up to him and locked eyes.
"Who are you and why are you harassing my employees?". She looked stern, and remained calm as she confronted him.
The man grinned maniacally, and he suddenly had a delightful expression.
"Well If it isn't the one and only Ryna of the Hajun clan. Been a while".
"I won't ask again", she said, pulling out the lollipop in her mouth. Looking at him with dead eyes, she asked, "Who are you?".
The man chuckled softly. He turned around and glanced at the customers. Apprehension was itched on their faces.
"Of course you wouldn't remember me, it was at least ten years ago". He sighed deeply and continued. "I like what you've done with yourself, putting this... Dine and Dash together must have taken dedication and time".
He paused looking at Zenix, Duan and Xavion with pity, "You should have considered all this".
After a moment, her eyes shown with dark realization. "Get out of my restaurant".
"No need to be feisty", he said as he walked towards the door. He stopped and glance over his shoulders, but he wasn't looking at Ryna, "I'll be back".
The moment he left, everyone exhaled in relief, like a heavenly burden had been lifted. Duan had a perplexed look, as he realized a net of cracks on the counter, where the man had slammed.
Later on, it was 8:00pm and They were closing up. After Duan locked the doors from inside, out of the Usual, Ryna went to Zenix and Xavion and insisted on walking them home.
Ryna led them down an unfamiliar path, insisting it was safer, despite the way the lonely road stretched ahead in uneasy silence.
"So, are you going to tell us about that guy or what?".
Zenix was the first to break the silence. Xavion then followed suit.
"That man wasn't some random thug, he cracked the counter with a simple slam. And did you see the look in his eyes?".
After a long pause, without ever stopping or looking back, she replied in a distressed tone, "It's very complicated, simply having knowledge of it isn't safe".
Something about That last Statement didn't sit right with any of them. But it was the bitter reality of what they had gotten mixed up in.
Looking ahead, gloomy lights tore through the shadows, meaning they had finally made it out of the alley and, arriving at a bus stop.
Dim streetlights flickered weakly above them, spreading a dull, uneasy glow across the dry pavement. The streets were empty... too empty. Not a single person in sight.
Then, Xavion looked again. "Over there".
A dark figure stood in the shadows, barely visible, as if it had been watching them the entire time.