3 days later...
Arthur was sleeping soundly in his bed. He groaned and sat up. He opened the curtains of his window away and looked outside. The sky was filled with dark clouds and fog covered the streets. He heaved a sigh of dread.
'Once in a while I wish there was sunlight…'
He moved his blanket and placed his legs on the carpet. He was in his pajamas which were different shades of blue. He stood up, feeling the cold atmosphere. Shivering, he walked to the bathroom and cleaned himself up. After a few minutes, he came out. He walked to his closet and picked out a set of clothes. He put on a black hoodie, black trousers and black sneakers. He exited his room and headed downstairs. He passed the living room and into the backyard.
The backyard had an entire running track, pool and others. Arthur went to the calisthenics park. He started by warming up, stretching and jumping jacks. He cycled through his routine — one-arm pushups, lever holds, and upside-down sit-ups — before stopping to catch his breath.
He exited the park and went into the changing room, switching to his swimsuit. He lined up at the edge of the pool and then jumped in. He swam like a fish in the water, completing nine laps' laps in seven minutes. After he went to the changing room and put on his clothes, he put weights on his wrists and ankles. He put on a weighted vest as well.
Then, he lined up on the track and started to run. He zoomed past the finish line five times in eight minutes. After the intense running, he dropped down to the ground, his chest rising and dropping. His breath was ragged and he was breathing profusely. A few minutes later, he sat up straight. He stood up and lifted his head, looking at the cold sky. He stayed like that for a few moments before going inside his house once again.
He placed his hands on his hips. He rotated his head and looked at the clock. The time was 7 am. He sighed and went up to his room. A few minutes later, he had changed into his clothes. He left his house and unlocked his supercar. He entered and closed the door as the guards opened the gates of the mansion. He pressed on the accelerator and his car sped past the guards, heading towards HQ.
***
A few minutes later, he arrived at the special op's division HQ. He stepped out of his car and strolled towards HQ. He entered the building and immediately went to his office. After entering and closing the door, he sighed and turned. He darted towards his desk and sat down in his chair. Then, he leaned back and heaved a sigh.
'Tomorrow…we go the eastern wall…'
He thought with dread but quickly composed himself. He saw there were no documents on his table. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank god…the only thing harder than sealing fragments is this paperwork." He muttered.
He gripped his armrest and stared at the ceiling for a while. Then, the door creaked open. Arthur silently face-palmed.
"Matthew…" He scowled.
"Yes?" Matthew stepped inside the office.
"What do you want?" Arthur nudged his chair forward.
"Can I…check your recent fragment containments? The one the Apex forces sealed." Matthew asked.
"…Fine, ask Professor Sterling. He's in the control room." Arthur pointed in the direction of the control room.
"Thank you!" Matthew left his office.
Arthur groaned and leaned back in his chair. Matthew – Lieutenant general of the UEOC's special ops division was a…an introverted type. He didn't talk much, but with her closest friends that was a completely different story. The thing that annoyed Arthur the most was the way he gave respect to everyone in the building. It was a common tradition in the AEOC to give respect to the person based on their title.
If the person was higher ranked, then treat them with the utmost respect. If the person's rank was lower, then treat them like your little brother or sister. If the person was equal in rank, then you'd treat them like family or a close friend. He was also a great admirer of the Apex forces. Everyone was an admirer of the Apex forces no matter which nation you were from, but Matthew took it to another level.
But he was also quite cunning. He didn't show many emotions, nor did he ask for anything. He was quite independent in Arthur's own words, but he felt that Matthew was doing this out of strategy but rather out of habit which made Arthur's frown grow even more.
"This fool…" Arthur muttered.
He set his hands on the table. His head fell onto his hands which made a sort of pillow. Another day of work was going to bombard him because this was the last day before they would go the great eastern wall. They would stay there for one night then embark on their journey across the gatekeeper's sea.
***
At 6o'clock Arthur checked out. He finished his paperwork, said goodbye to his friends and sat in his electric supercar. He drove back home as the sun dipped past the horizon. The starry night sky, taking over the skies. He parked his supercar in the Ashking's mansion. The mansion was primarily white with a red interior. He went to his room and changed into his black attire once more. He headed to the backyard where Chris was waiting for him in the dueling ring.
He was also wearing the same outfit as Arthur. He had his hands tucked in his pockets. Arthur stepped inside and instantly locked eyes with his brother.
"Ready?" Chris asked.
"Yes." Arthur replied.
Arthur rushed at his brother and curled his hand into a fist. He attacked swiftly, closing the distance between him and Chris in seconds. Then, he punched as Chris, but it was blocked by him with ease. He had pulled out one of his hands from his pocket. Arthur scowled and launched into a flurry of attacks which pushed Chris back. Chris was dodging most of Arthur's blows but had to block a few of them.
Then, Arthur made a surprising sweep kick that knocked Chris off his feet.
'Nice! Now…'
Arthur adjusted his stance and tried to attack with his knee. Chris focused and leaned a little to the side, avoiding Arthur's attack. He stood up on one hand and kicked Arthur in the chin. Arthur's eyes rolled back, and he felt pain shoot throughout his body. He crashed into the side of the ring, his head spinning. His body felt heavy, and he was covered with bruises.
"That's enough training for today, Arthur." Chris sat down beside him.
"Yes…I agree." Arthur groaned in pain.
They sat in silence for a while, admiring the beauty of the night sky.
"Are you prepared for the forbidden continent?" Chris asked.
Arthur didn't respond immediately. He contemplated for a while, remembering his friends, training and accomplishments.
'Even though I became a master in the final exam…even though I became the lieutenant general in two years…even though I'm almost equal to Lancelot in strength…'
Then, he opened his mouth.
"No, I'm not."
Chris lowered his head and smirked. "I'm glad you know your limits."
He stood up and reached his hand out. Arthur looked at it for a moment then took it. Chris helped Arthur up and smiled.
"But you better come back stronger and better than before."
Arthur grinned. "I will no matter what."
(End of Volume 1 – Enforcers of Chaos.)