Kairos stood on the balcony of his mid-spire apartment, staring at the glowing city lights. Tomorrow was the day he and Aria were supposed to start preparing for the crystal hunt. He needed to discuss the details — route, equipment, possible dangers, and how they would work together.
Before heading out, he decided to call Reck first.
He dialed the number Reck had given him. After two rings, Reck picked up, his voice already sounding cheerful.
"Hey bro! What's up?"
Kairos smiled slightly. "Hey Reck. I wanted to ask — is Aria free right now? I need to meet her to discuss the hunt. Planning and all."
Reck's voice instantly became excited and mischievous.
"Free? Of course she's free! Actually, why don't you come over to our place right now? We're at home. I'll tell her you're coming."
Kairos raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I don't want to disturb—"
"Nah nah, come straight away!" Reck laughed. "Big sister will be happy to see you. Trust me."
"Alright. I'm on my way."
Thirty minutes later, Kairos reached the Elysium Veil's private residential spire — a luxurious tower reserved for high-ranking members. He took the private lift to the floor Reck had mentioned.
The moment the doors opened, Reck was already standing there at the entrance, leaning against the wall with a big, suspicious grin on his face.
"Welcome, bro!" Reck said cheerfully. "Big sister is not in the living room right now. She's… busy. You can wait for her in her room. Come, I'll show you."
Kairos nodded, a bit confused but following him. "Okay."
Reck led him through the elegant hallway and opened a door on the left.
"Here. Her room. Make yourself comfortable. She'll be out soon."
As Kairos stepped inside, Reck closed the door behind him. Kairos could swear he heard Reck chuckling softly in the hallway.
Aria's room was beautiful — clean, elegant, and surprisingly warm.
The walls were soft cream with subtle silver patterns. A large bed with crisp white sheets sat against one wall. On the bedside table was a fluffy white teddy bear with a small silver ribbon around its neck — looking soft and well-loved. Books on illusions and aether theory were neatly arranged on a shelf. The room smelled faintly of jasmine.
Kairos walked slowly, taking it all in. He noticed the bathroom door on the right side of the room was slightly ajar.
Then he heard it.
Soft humming. A gentle, melodic song coming from the bathroom.
The door opened.
Aria stepped out, wrapped only in a white towel.
Her raven-black hair was wet, water droplets still sliding down her shoulders. The towel was wrapped tightly around her body, but it left her shoulders, arms, and a good portion of her legs bare. Her skin glowed from the recent shower. She hadn't noticed him yet.
For two full seconds, they just stared at each other.
Aria's violet eyes widened in shock.
Kairos's face turned bright red.
He immediately spun around, heart pounding.
"I'm sorry— I didn't— Reck said—"
Before he could finish, he practically ran out of the room, face burning with embarrassment. He rushed into the living hall and dropped onto the nearest sofa, covering his face with both hands.
Reck was already sitting there, trying (and failing) to hold back his laughter.
"So… how was the surprise?" Reck asked, barely able to speak through his grin.
Kairos looked up, still red-faced.
"You did that on purpose!"
Reck burst out laughing. "Of course I did! You should have seen your face, Jija Ji!"
Kairos froze.
"Brother-in-law?!" he repeated, shocked. "Why are you calling me that? We've only known each other for a few days!"
Reck leaned back on the sofa, still chuckling.
"You don't remember, do you?"
Kairos frowned. "Remember what?"
Reck's expression softened a little as old memories surfaced.
"Ten years ago… I was just five years old. A hybrid monster attacked our old neighborhood. It was one of those rare land-dwelling hybrids that had absorbed a crystal. Most powerful crystals fell into the ocean, so the land monsters that survived were the weaker ones… or the ones smart enough to hide or change their form."
He paused.
"That monster was huge — part wolf, part serpent, with crystal shards growing out of its spine. It had already killed three people. I was hiding behind some rubble, about to be eaten. Everyone else ran. But you… you were just a kid yourself, maybe 9 or 10. You had no crystal power. No weapons. Still, you picked up a metal rod and distracted the monster. You got hurt pretty bad, but you kept it away from me long enough for the older Crystos to arrive."
Reck looked at Kairos with genuine respect.
"You could have run. You didn't know me. But you stayed. You even gave me half your food later when I was crying. That's why I remember you. And that's why I call you Brother-in-law now."
Kairos sat there, stunned, processing the memory.
Before he could reply, the bedroom door opened again.
Aria stepped out, now fully dressed in a simple but elegant light blue top and black pants. Her hair was still slightly damp. She looked embarrassed but composed.
"Reck," she said firmly, "get out. I need to talk to Kairos alone."
Reck stood up with a dramatic sigh.
"Fine, fine. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."
He winked at Kairos and walked out, still grinning.
Aria turned to Kairos, her cheeks still faintly pink.
Inside Kairos's head, only one thought was spinning:
She's definitely going to kill me for seeing her like that…
To be continued...