In a small cafe, somewhere inside the inner sector of the Acropolis. A young man was sitting at a table in the furthest corner. He elegantly sat with one leg over the other, cradling a cup of hot tea to warm his cold fingers. A deep scar peeked from under the sleeve of his uniform.
His hair reached his shoulder, tied together with a band of elastic he had forgotten the origin of. The navy strands adorning his head were a sharp contrast to his eyes, the iris covered in copper flakes.
A fragrant, curling mist rose from the mug, carrying the sharp, earthy notes of bergamot. Closing his eyes, he brought the cup to his nose and deeply inhaled.
'Ah… How long has it been…?'
Exhaling slowly, Gabriel finally took a sip. The sharp, zesty burst of citrus overtook his senses, leaving behind a refreshing yet faintly spicy aftertaste.
Gabriel didn't think of himself as a 'tea enthusiast', but this was the only method he knew to alleviate the stress he had accumulated over the past year. And it worked like a charm every single time. He felt his tense shoulders growing lighter, his mind emptier, as if he had never been to that god-forsaken place.
He opened his eyes, the memories of the past year flashing before them.
'... I have been scammed… big time.'
Being a young challenger, all he saw when he looked at a high-ranked challenger was the wealth, time, and strength to back it up. That was the only reason why he had struggled so much, more than anyone else, to reach where he was.
To become a fourth-ranker. Sure, he had the strength, enough to put him up there with the strongest individuals in the entire city. He was smart, had decent looks, and a tall physique. He had almost everything he had wished for when he was young.
However, before he could taste the sweet fruit of his success, the guildmaster sent him to hell. When he came back a year ago, he had thought that would be the start of his new life. He was going to leave the life of a challenger behind and reap the benefits of being a high-ranker.
That was before he was sent to a worse hell, again.
'... But not this time. I'd love to see them try, though.'
As he agonized over resigning from his job, a plate full of crusty pie slid toward him across the table. When he looked up to thank the person, what met his eyes was not the cafe owner but a frail woman.
He knew better than to judge her by her delicate features. Adjusting the plate's angle, she stared back at him, her hands clasped in front of her body.
"I have been looking for you, Commandant Gabriel."
Gabriel smiled awkwardly.
"To what do I owe the honor of your presence, Sabina?"
Sabina didn't seem thrilled in the least. Not only was she the same rank as him, but she was older than him, making him technically her junior. A senior looking for a junior didn't seem like the best image to maintain.
Staring daggers at him, she spoke in a low voice.
"Follow me. Mr. Nathaniel has summoned us."
Gabriel raised a brow and grasped the fork.
"Us? As in both of us? What does he want with me? I just got back from a major expedition."
Before he could take a bite, she pulled the plate back. She turned to the cafe owner, who was cleaning the counter.
"Excuse me, can we get this packed?"
Gabriel was devastated as he saw the owner take the pie back to the counter and pack it in a box.
Letting out an exhausted sigh, he spoke.
"Happy? Can't even eat in peace nowadays with everyone buzzing around me like flies."
Sabina plainly ignored him, irritating him more than he already was.
A few minutes later, the two were standing outside Nathaniel's office.
Sabina spoke firmly.
"What are you waiting for?"
Gabriel leaned forward, his hand stretched toward the door.
"Please. I can't possibly lead my senior, can I?"
She clicked her tongue and opened the door swiftly. As both of them entered the room, he noticed a significant change in the air. The environment inside was heavy, heavier than he had ever seen. Not to mention, it was the first time Nathaniel wasn't buried under paperwork. As far as he remembered, the only time he had seen Nathaniel out of his office was during a subjugation mission a few years ago.
A middle-aged woman was sitting on the other side of the table. Looking at her exquisite attire, he guessed her to be a rather influential figure. Analyzing her authoritative posture made him certain of his guess.
Gabriel wasn't a people person, especially when he had seen more monsters and beasts than humans in the past. However, the woman seemed quite distressed, no matter how much she tried to hide it.
Nathaniel looked at him, his gaze as blunt as ever. He inspected Gabriel from head to toe, as if looking for something. His gaze stopped at the bag that contained the pie.
"Has it been a year, Gabriel? You… haven't changed."
Gabriel was unsure if he meant it in a good way or the opposite. With a courteous nod, he lifted the bag.
"It sure has been, Mr. Nathaniel. Would you like to try some apple pie?"
The range of emotions Nathaniel had expressed over the years was limited. But Gabriel was certain that he wanted to bash his head into the wall for some reason. Nathaniel turned to Sabina, as if asking her about his condition. Looking at him, she shrugged and shook her head.
Massaging the bridge of his nose, retrieved his gaze back to the woman facing him.
"My apologies, Anna. He just returned to the city a few hours ago."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes.
'I don't remember reporting back to the guild. How does he know when I—'
It didn't take him long to realize that Sabina had lied about searching him. She had known of his return all along and had been tailing him ever since. He was unsure whether to be impressed by her competency or to fear that she could be stalking him from the shadows at any moment.
Anna smiled faintly and spoke in a subdued voice.
"It's fine. They wouldn't be here if they knew about it."
Gabriel cleared his throat, prompting them to turn to him.
"Can you please explain the situation?"
He was certain that Gabriel wouldn't call him for no reason. Similarly, he had also summoned Sabina alongside him. Most of the problems in this side of the city needed a third-ranker at best, so their involvement was akin to a final sentence.
Adjusting his glasses, Nathaniel glanced at Anna and spoke.
"A team of recruits was sent outside the barrier today. You must not know, but this year's new batch is quite… different. This new team comprised a few of these young challengers. One of them was personally selected by the guildmaster. So, I had sent Evelin and Elias with them to clear a horde of pincers as a test of skills."
His gaze turned harsher as he continued.
"Elias… he hasn't reported back to me yet. There is no record of them coming back."
Gabriel was a bit shaken. Primarily because the Elias he knew was a stringent soldier, someone who could never miss a report. Moreover, he was one of the oldest and most experienced third-rankers in the entire city. He was not the type to go down unless it was a fourth-ranked threat.
What caught his attention, though, was the name, Evelin.
'Isn't that the guildmaster's sister?'
Anna inhaled deeply.
"My sons, Sam and Dean, were also in this team. I sent out a few of my people to the second outpost. But all they found at the location were dead pincers. There was no sign of the team or anything that could threaten them."
Gabriel's ears perked up. It was then that he remembered who Anna was. Although he had only heard her name before, seeing his mentor's wife for the first time felt strange. It only became worse as he heard about the brothers.
He lifted a hand, prompting them to turn to him.
"I understand. I'll leave immediately."
Nathaniel shook his head as he replied sternly.
"That's not all. I had ignored it until now, but some of our teams had reported strange phenomena occurring lately, along with the disappearances of lower-ranked challengers."
Gabriel could see the anger welling inside Nathaniel's gaze as he spoke.
"This might be bigger than we've dealt with until now. I can't send just the two of you."
Knitting his brows, Gabriel asked, "What do you suppose we do then? It'll be midnight in an hour. The longer we wait…"
Gabriel couldn't continue the sentence. However, everyone in that room knew what he meant. There was a very small chance that the young challengers would still be alive—waiting would only worsen their odds.
Nathaniel shook his head.
"I'm not waiting, Gabriel. I'm preparing."
He turned to Sabina.
"I ordered Sabina to gather the best teams we have available right now. You're not going alone—you'll be leading a platoon with Sabina. Your objective is simple…"
As he spoke, the pressure on Gabriel's shoulders increased substantially.
"You are not to return without the team."
***
Back then, seeing Nathaniel display such seriousness, Gabriel wasn't expecting to find the team at all. They were just a bunch of inexperienced kids who had just become challengers a few weeks ago. As far as he was concerned, there was a chance they would not even find the cohort's remains.
However, when he saw the bloodied and battered figures of the team, there was only one thought in his head.
'What are they feeding the kids these days?'