"This is the place," Erevan muttered, eyes narrowing as he stepped up to the complex where, just an hour earlier, his colleague had fought against Nova.

His gaze swept from left to right, scanning the area for any sign Slade might've left behind, but there was none. It was too clean. Not a shard of debris, not a scorched mark. Nothing.

There's no way they fought Slade here, captured him, and left the place spotless, Erevan thought, suspicion welling up inside him. His eyes locked onto the building's entrance.

Something's different.

At first glance, the wall appeared ordinary, unremarkable concrete like the rest. But the longer he studied it, the more out of place it seemed. A patch of the wall was subtly brighter, the texture just slightly off.

"That section looks newer than the rest... is that just a coincidence?" he whispered, stepping closer. He reached out, fingertips hovering just above the surface when a sharp voice cut through the air.

"Who's there?"

Took them long enough to notice me, Erevan thought as he turned to his right. A young man, Garrik, stood there, alert and tense. The air around the building still felt heavy, the atmosphere still hadn't recovered from the confrontation that had occurred barely an hour ago.

Erevan gave him a once-over, noting the subtle stiffness in his posture. He shook his head slightly, then asked, "Did someone fight here earlier?"

Garrik's muscles tightened. His hand slipped into his pocket, fingers curling around the cool surface of the Distance Token. Outwardly, though, he remained composed. "No," he replied curtly. "Nothing happened."

Erevan tilted his head, eyes narrowing with quiet amusement. His voice was calm, almost playful. "Why are you lying to me?"

As he spoke, his fingers brushed the section of the wall that looked just a little too fresh, too cleanly patched compared to the weathered surface of the rest of the wall.

A flicker of uncertainty passed over Garrik's face. He gulped down a mouthful.

Slade had gone in alone, which made sense, those who came before him hadn't posed a serious threat to his Boss. But this man... this one had come alone knowing Slade had likely been captured.

That meant something else entirely.

He was, in all likelihood, far stronger than Slade.

Garrik's eyes stayed locked on Erevan, watching for the slightest movement. Slowly, deliberately, he drew the Distance Token from his pocket. As he held it near his mouth, prepared to summon Nova, Erevan merely raised an eyebrow—mild curiosity, nothing more.

That reaction alone told Garrik everything he needed to know.

This man didn't care who he called. In fact, Erevan almost looked he wanted him to call, as if Garrik might be doing him a favor by summoning Nova. But even knowing that, there was no other option.

Garrik whispered into the token, slipped it back into his pocket, and said aloud, "Wait here."

Erevan gave a relaxed nod. "Sure."

Expecting to wait a long time, the way one usually did with cheap criminal and self-important thugs, he shifted his weight, ready to sit. But then the door beside him opened.

He barely glanced at first. Then he looked again and his eyes widened.

Meanwhile, Nova hadn't even noticed Erevan, Garrik's presence at the entrance had made him the focus in his view. Approaching him, Nova asked bluntly, "Where is he?"

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But before Garrik could answer, a voice called out from the side.

"Nova? Is that you?"

Nova turned instinctively toward the sound. His eyes landed on Erevan, and for a moment, his mind stalled, recognition flickering behind his eyes before it finally clicked.

"Erevan? How did you know I lived here?" he asked, surprise filled his voice.

He hadn't expected to see Erevan, at least, not here. His confusion was genuine; the message Garrik had sent was vague and rushed: Someone's outside. Might be looking for you.

Nova couldn't blame him. Garrik had no way of knowing how quickly the stranger might act, and time was crucial.

Now, seeing that his Boss clearly knew the man, Garrik relaxed. He assumed this was nothing more than a casual meeting between acquaintances and didn't bother offering further explanation.

Erevan, on the other hand, knew exactly why he was here and exactly what was going on. That was what left him stunned for a few seconds.

Of all the people he could've crossed paths with... what were the odds that the stranger he'd casually met at a restaurant—simply because he hadn't wanted to wait in line—turned out to be the very same person who'd been giving him a headache for the past week?

Unbelievable.

Nova approached with a grin and gave Erevan a friendly pat on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

"What?" Nova said casually. "You know where I live so why are you acting so surprised?"

Erevan exhaled slowly, pulling himself together. He returned the smile. "You're right. Shall we head inside? I've got quite a few questions for you."

'And here I was, ready for a fight,' Nova mused as he gestured for Erevan to follow. 'Turns out, it's just someone I know.'

"Sure. Come with me," he said.

As they passed Garrik, Nova added over his shoulder, "Keep your eyes open. Let me know if anyone approaches."

Erevan caught every word.

As they walked through the halls, the two made light conversation—mostly Erevan asking casual questions while subtly surveying the building's layout. Nova answered calmly, while leading him through structure until they reached one of several unoccupied rooms.

Once inside, Erevan dropped the small talk.

"So," he began, turning to face Nova, "who are all these people in the complex? We passed at least twenty, and every one of them greeted you first with a bow."

Nova didn't even blink. "Oh, those are the captains under my generals."

He said it casually, like he was talking about office staff. The openness surprised Erevan, but then again, if anyone in the building saw Erevan walking alongside their Boss, they'd likely answer the same question without hesitation.

Still, the nonchalance caught him off guard. He took a beat to process before repeating, almost to himself, "Captains? Generals?"

Then, with a more focused stare, he asked, "Are you building an army?"

Nova smiled, unashamed. "Does that sound crazy to you?"

"Not at all," Erevan replied. "I'm just surprised you've managed to gather so many capable people who actually respect you. Trust me, earning that kind of loyalty isn't easy."

He offered a wry smile, as if speaking about his own experience.

Nova returned the smile, but didn't dwell on the compliment. To him, it sounded more like polite conversation than genuine praise.

Brushing the thought aside, Erevan pressed on. "So… what's your goal?"

'A guy I met by pure chance questions the people under my command and now he wants to know what I'm after? Strange' Nova raised an eyebrow, thoughts briefly flickering. 'Why is he so curious about this? Is he tied to the Federation? Or am I reading too much into this?'

"I don't have some grand ambition," Nova said evenly. "I just want to live in peace."

Erevan's lips twitched ever so slightly. Peace? You're the same man who kidnapped four of my colleagues and demanded a ransom.

Only now, as he began to take Nova more seriously, did he realize just how shameless the man truly was.

"By the way, what did you want to talk to me about?" Nova asked, casually shifting the conversation.

Erevan didn't answer right away. He stared into Nova's eyes, his entire demeanor shifting in an instant. The warmth vanished—replaced by an unwavering seriousness that caught Nova off guard.

Then, slowly and deliberately, Erevan spoke "How did you manage to capture Slade?"

Nova's eyes widened. Of all the things he expected, that wasn't one of them.

His mind kicked into overdrive.

'He's part of that group? And judging by how calm he is—how confidently he showed up alone—he must outrank the last guy. Otherwise, there's no way he'd come here by himself. But then… how did he get here so fast? Do they not trust the blond one? Just how many of them are there?'

'If each one is stronger than the last… then this guy he might be someone I can't beat in a straight fight.'

A wry chuckle slipped from Nova's lips. "Seriously? You're with them too?"

Erevan nodded once.

Nova studied him for a beat. "And you're stronger than Slade, aren't you?"

Another nod.

His expression hardened. "So… are you here to take the four back by force?"

If Erevan said yes, Nova was prepared to fight regardless of the odds. Even if he knew luck was the only thing that might tip the scale in his favor.

But Erevan surprisingly shook his head.

"I'm here to take them back," he said calmly, "but I'm not here to fight."

The response was so unexpected, Nova blinked. "Then… are you going to pay?"

"No." A small smile tugged at Erevan's lips for the first time in the conversation. "I want to make a deal with you."

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