Eugene walked down the street, sighing, remembering Emily's words.
"Big bro, I wanna eat cake with lots of Choco." She had said tugging at his sleeves.
"Seriously... why does she like chocolate so much?" he muttered to himself.
As he turned a corner, he spotted Leah striding toward the woods, a determined look on her face.
"Huh? Leah? What is she doing? Going to the woods... at this hour? Must be saving world again?" Eugene muttered under his breath shaking his head.
He turned to leave for the bakery, but a mischievous smile tugged at his lips as he glanced back at Leah.
"But I'm curious... okay, today I'm going to find out which world she's saving."
He followed her, careful to stay hidden among the trees and hedges, curiosity mixing with a sense of apprehension. The woods were quiet, the moonlight filtering through the canopy, casting dappled shadows along the path.
Eugene ducked behind the bushes as he saw three cloaked men. Leah stood in front of them, radiating confidence.
"A girl? Just a young girl? Do you really think you can take us down?" one of them sneered.
"What's there to think about? Just three early-stage D ranks," she said calmly, with a hint of annoyance.
Leah's blade blazed to life, fire dancing around her as she charged forward. Her movements sharp and graceful as she clashed with the cloaked figures. Sparks flew with every strike.
Eugene gasped in shock, crouching down to hide behind the bushes. Leah ? Flames?.... andD ranks? What does that even mean?
Suddenly, a dark wave of energy slammed into Leah from behind. Her stance faltered . Above a tree, another dark-cloaked figure loomed, descending with a graceful leap.
Leah's eyes widened with shock and she blurted out, "A C rank?"
A menacing smirk tugged at the man's lips, reaching his eyes. "Did you really think there were only three D ranks?"
Meanwhile, still hidden behind the bushes, Eugene's muscles tensed. okay... I still don't understand what's happening, but Leah... she's in danger.
Suddenly, his vision blurred and the world itself seemed to slow down, the same feeling he'd had in the alley. Without thinking, leaving the safety of the bushes behind.
The cloaked man continued, "It was a trap to lure you..."
Before he could complete his sentence, Eugene arrived with lightning speed, grabbing Leah's hand. In a blink, the two them were gone.
They finally stopped at a quiet park, both panting hard. Eugene leaned against s lamppost, chest heaving, while Leah leaned on her blade for support.
Eugene broke the silence first.
"What was that? The woods, those guys in cloaks.... and you... with a flaming sword! Just what the hell was that?"
Leah whipped her head toward him, eyes sharp.
"Excuse me? That's my question! What was that just now? That ridiculous speed-you moved like a blur! And what were you even doing there, idiot? Do you wanna die?"
Eugene shot back, "That's not the point right now! Why would you go into the woods and confront those men like some hero? If they seemed suspicious, you should have report them."
"No it is! You've awakened and maybe you're some kind of speed type." She paused for a moment, then added in a low voice, almost to herself, "Though I've never heard of speed types before."
Eugene tilted his his head in confusion. "Awakened? Speed type?" he repeated, trying to make sense of her words.
"Big news! Gotta tell Dad right away." She moved quickly to leave. "I'm going first. You go back too." Without another word, she disappeared, leaving Eugene standing there, confused.
Nevertheless, Eugene started walking home, his mind still tangled in the events from earlier. The memory of the woods flashed before him, how he had saved Leah from those cloaked men.
"Awakened? I wouldn't lie... but what really happened back there... it clearly wasn't normal... Speed type? I don't think so. That feeling...."
He snapped out of his thoughts at a squeaky voice.
"Big bro, my cake!" Emily stood in front of him, tiny hands stretched out, waiting for her treat.
Eugene froze at the realization—he had forgotten to bring her treat amidst all that chaos.
"Shoot... I forgot."