Zachary and Cole waited in the cell for hours.
Time passed slowly.
Too slowly.
Zachary sat on the ground, his back against the wall, letting out quiet sighs every now and then.
Not loud.
Just enough to hear.
Cole stayed standing.
His arms rested between the cold metal bars, fingers loosely gripping them as he stared outside the cell.
Watching.
Waiting.
No one came.
"…Man," Cole muttered under his breath.
Zachary didn't respond.
Silence again.
Then—
"That's it!" Zachary suddenly exclaimed.
Cole flinched slightly, turning his head.
"…?"
Zachary stood up.
Quickly.
…Very quickly.
"Cole…" he said.
Cole looked at him properly now.
"…Yeah?"
"Let's get outta here."
Cole's eyes widened.
"…What?"
Zachary walked toward the bars.
Step.
Step.
Step.
He stopped right in front of them.
Then—
He gripped the metal bars tightly.
"Wait," Cole said quickly.
"Are you gonna do what I think you're gonna do?"
Zachary didn't answer.
"Zachary," Cole continued, a bit more serious now, "those bars are pure titani—"
Zachary pulled.
Hard.
The bars didn't move.
His muscles tensed.
His grip tightened.
Then—
Slam!
The door to the holding area burst open.
The sound echoed across the entire station.
Officers nearby flinched, immediately turning their heads toward the noise.
"Zachary!"
A woman's voice.
Clear.
Sharp.
It cut through the noise instantly.
Zachary froze.
"…?"
He turned his head.
A woman stood near the entrance.
Tall.
Confident.
Her presence alone made the officers straighten slightly without even realizing it.
"How much is the bail!?" she asked.
Her tone wasn't loud.
But it carried.
One officer blinked.
"1—15,00—"
Before he could finish—
Slap!
Two thick stacks of bills hit the desk.
"Keep the change," she said.
The officer stared.
"…That's twenty thousand."
Zachary's eyes widened slightly.
He stared at her.
Processing.
Then—
"Mom!?" he exclaimed.
Cole's head snapped toward him.
"…Huh?"
Then he looked at the woman.
Really looked at her.
His eyes widened.
His mouth slowly opened.
"I-I-I—"
He pointed.
Shaking.
"Is she—"
"Mackenzie Quinn!?" he blurted out.
The name hung in the air.
A few officers nearby turned their heads again.
Whispers started.
"…Wait, THAT Mackenzie Quinn?"
"…No way…"
—Mackenzie Quinn.
One of the first people to ever enter the first ever dungeon to appear
A name known worldwide.
A Hidden Combat class user.
Level 58—
Cole slowly looked back at Zachary.
Then back at her.
"…You're her son?" he muttered.
Zachary scratched the side of his head.
"…Yeah."
Cole stared at him.
"…What."
Mackenzie glanced at Zachary.
Her eyes scanned him quickly.
Head to toe.
"…You're fine," she said.
Zachary nodded.
"…Yeah."
She turned to the officers.
"Release him."
No hesitation this time.
Keys jingled.
The cell door opened.
Cole stepped back slightly as Zachary walked out.
Mackenzie crossed her arms.
Looking at him.
"…You get into trouble this fast?" she asked.
Zachary shrugged.
"…Wasn't really my fault."
Cole stepped out slowly.
Still staring.
"…This is insane," he whispered.
Mackenzie glanced at him.
"…And you are?"
Cole straightened immediately.
"C-Cole, ma'am! Adrian Cole"
A short pause.
"…Friend?" she asked.
Zachary nodded.
"…Yeah."
She looked at Cole for a second longer.
Then—
"…Good."
Cole blinked.
"…Huh?"
Zachary started walking.
"…Let's go."
Back at the police station—
The officers let out a breath almost at the same time.
"Phew!" one of them exclaimed, leaning back slightly.
"Man… that woman…" another muttered, shaking his head.
"Did you see how fast she paid?" one officer said.
"Didn't even hesitate," another replied.
Silence settled again.
Then—
One of the officers glanced toward the cell.
"…Huh?"
He squinted slightly.
"…Wait."
He stood up.
Slowly at first.
Then a bit quicker.
"…No way…"
He walked toward the cell bars.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The closer he got—
The more his expression changed.
"…Oi," he called out.
Another officer looked over.
"What?"
"Come here."
The second officer sighed.
"Man, what now—"
"Just come here."
The second officer walked over.
A bit annoyed.
"What is i—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Both of them stared.
The metal bars.
One of them—
Was bent.
Not by a lot.
But enough.
"…That wasn't like that before," the first officer said quietly.
The second officer stepped closer.
Leaning in.
"…Is this a trick of light?" he muttered.
He reached out.
Touched it.
Cold.
Solid.
And definitely real.
"…No."
He swallowed.
"It's actually bent."