CHAPTER 2 — "Five Minutes Ago"
The restaurant hadn't changed.
Same quiet atmosphere.
Same soft clatter of plates.
Same window seat.
Leo was already there.
Sitting by the window.
Looking outside.
Like always.
The door opened.
The bell rang.
Lily stepped in.
Her eyes moved out of habit—scanning, observing, calculating.
Then—
She saw him.
And stopped.
Something about this felt… familiar.
Too familiar.
She frowned slightly, walked forward, and ordered something.
But her attention never left him.
Why does this feel like I've been here before…?
She took a step closer.
Then another.
And just as she reached his table—
It hit her.
🔁 Five Minutes Ago
The sky had cracked.
Space had bent.
Power had clashed so violently that even the stars seemed to shift.
And then—
Silence.
She had followed the disturbance.
Tracked it.
Found him.
Sitting.
Right here.
By the window.
"…Do I know you?" she had asked back then.
"You look familiar."
He looked up.
Slightly surprised.
Then he smiled.
"Yeah," he said.
"I'm the guy you met five minutes ago."
That was the first time.
🔙 Present
Lily's eyes sharpened.
Now she remembered everything.
"…You."
Leo glanced at her.
Not surprised this time.
"You're late," he said casually.
She pulled the chair and sat down.
Harder than necessary.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
No hesitation.
No confusion anymore.
Leo leaned back slightly.
Relaxed.
"Eating."
Her expression didn't change.
"You put a bounty on yourself."
Leo smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
Silence.
Heavy.
"…Do you think this is a game?" Lily asked.
Leo tilted his head slightly.
"Isn't it?"
Her hand tightened.
"If someone kills you…"
"They'll take your power."
Leo didn't blink.
"I'd like to see them try."
That answer—
That tone—
That carelessness—
It irritated her more than anything else.
"…What is wrong with you?"
Leo chuckled.
"Plenty."
But then—
For just a second—
He looked serious.
Thinking.
Then it was gone.
Lily noticed.
She always noticed.
"You act like nothing matters," she said quietly.
"But somehow…"
"You always find a way to fix everything."
Leo didn't respond.
Instead—
He stood up.
Conversation over.
Just like that.
"You know," he said casually,
"school starts next week."
Lily blinked.
"…What?"
He looked back at her.
Grinning.
"What position are you taking?"
"Low profile… or high rank?"
Her confusion returned.
"You're going there too?"
Leo laughed.
"You'll see."
He walked away.
The bell rang.
The door closed.
Lily stayed seated.
Staring at the empty chair.
Her mind replayed everything.
The fight.
The memory.
The present.
"…What you're doing…"
She whispered.
"…is going to affect everything."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"…and this…"
She exhaled slowly.
"…is going to take a while."