Alaric stared at the boy with a look full of meaning. He didn't want to leave any room for doubt. "Alright," he said quietly but firmly. "If that's the case, let's move forward with your next step. Do you want to take this evidence to the local police?"

The question seemed simple, but it carried a heavy weight for the child. Fery paused for a moment before nodding. His head moved slowly, but it was enough to show his resolve. "Yes… I want my little brother to be found as soon as possible. And I want that syndicate to be brought to justice," he said softly.

But by the end of his sentence, his face changed. There was a brief pause, a shadow of despair creeping into his eyes. "But…" He stopped, his lips trembling slightly. "I'm not sure anymore."

Alaric furrowed his brow, looking at the boy intently as though searching for the answer in the depths of his gaze. "Why?" he thought to himself. "Wasn't this what he's been wanting all along? Why does he look so uncertain now?"

Alaric's hand, which had been holding the evidence, slowly began tapping rhythmically on the wooden floor of the small hut where they sat. The soft sound echoed faintly, almost as though it mirrored his own thoughts as they tried to make sense of the situation. He didn't rush Fery with another question, instead giving the boy the space to breathe and collect his thoughts.

Finally, Alaric spoke again, this time in a deeper voice. "Alright. And I'll be with you."

The boy was taken aback. His eyes widened in disbelief, reflecting the fading light of the evening. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. An outsider, someone he had only just met, was willing to go this far to help him. Something his own parents hadn't fully grasped, now shared by a person with no blood relation.

His mouth opened, ready to speak, but before a word could escape, Alaric cut him off with another line.

"But I can't help you carry out this plan if you're not sure, Fery. And now…" Alaric paused for a moment, placing emphasis on the silence that followed, "What's making you afraid or... uneasy about this plan?"

The words hung heavily in the air, creating a thick silence. Fery lowered his gaze, both hands tightly clutching his pants. There was something he was clearly hiding. Not just a typical fear, but a deep uncertainty that could change the course of everything.

Finally, Fery lifted his head, staring directly at Alaric. His body trembled, but there was something different in his eyes. His voice was quiet but clear as he answered, "I can." That short sentence, though simple, felt like a vow emerging from the depths of his soul.

Alaric, who had been waiting for this turning point, suddenly stood up. His movement was almost instinctive, causing the boy to flinch slightly. His eyes now burned with a renewed energy. "Then why wait any longer? Let's do this now!" he said, his voice loud and certain.

Fery froze for a moment, still taken aback by the sudden decisiveness. He hadn't expected things to start so quickly. But he knew, there was no turning back. With a deep breath, he stood and followed Alaric.

Without further words, the two left the old hut. This time, Alaric took a different route. Not the narrow path they had used before, but a wider, winding road.

On the side of the road, Alaric quickly flagged down two motorcycle taxis. "We need to get to my campus, my car's parked there," he explained briefly to Fery.

The boy nodded and climbed onto the back of one of the motorcycles, feeling the cold wind against his skin. The sound of the exhaust and the hustle and bustle of the street made his heart race faster. Everything felt so real, pulling him closer to a reality that couldn't be avoided.

Once they arrived at the campus, they quickly disembarked. The parking lot was almost empty, only a few cars remained. Alaric hurried toward his car, unlocked it, and motioned for Fery to get in. The boy sat in the passenger seat, glancing at Alaric, who had already started the engine with a focused expression.

"To the police station," Alaric said without asking for Fery's approval.

Fery swallowed hard. His heart was pounding, caught between anxiety and relief. They were finally going to take action, to report everything to the authorities. They were going to expose the criminal syndicate operating in the outskirts of the city.

Inside the car, as it began to drive, there was a heavy silence between them. The police station, cold and filled with the smell of paper, loomed ahead. Fery sat, his hands tightly clasped in his lap, occasionally glancing at the folder of evidence that lay open on the wooden desk in front of them.

The blurry photos he had risked so much to capture were now exposed, ready to be scrutinized by anyone in the room. But the reaction he had been hoping for never came.

The officer sitting across the desk leaned back in his chair, looking like he was weighing something difficult. He sighed deeply before finally speaking to Alaric. "This kid's done his part. But… a case like this isn't as simple as you think. Even with evidence like this, a syndicate this deep-rooted knows how to cover their tracks. We can't act rashly."

Those words hit Fery like a blunt knife. He snapped his gaze up, locking eyes with the officer, his eyes red. "Can't? Or… won't?" His voice cracked, trembling as the rising frustration built inside him.

The officer stayed silent, staring with a blank expression. It was as though Fery's words were nothing more than a breeze, or perhaps too dangerous to respond to.

Fery bit his lip hard, his fists clenched. The veins in his hands stood out as tension ran through his body. His hope, which had still lingered just moments ago, now gave way to a crushing disappointment. "I knew this would happen... I knew it," he muttered, hurt.

Alaric, who had been observing him, could feel the weight of the boy's heart breaking. He knew how fragile Fery's sense of justice was at this moment, how it had crumbled before him. Without saying a word, Alaric gently patted Fery's shoulder. The touch was simple and warm, like a small anchor keeping the boy from sinking into the sea of his disappointment.

"Don't worry," Alaric said, his gaze shifting toward the window, looking out at the streets of the city bathed in the glow of streetlights. "I still have another way."

His tone left no room for doubt, making Fery turn his head despite his emotional turmoil. The boy let out a long sigh, trying to hold his feelings at bay. He didn't want to give up. He still believed there was a solution, that he would find a way to save his brother. But now, that belief had been shattered. The police weren't the institution that was supposed to protect the people; instead, it was this stranger who, for reasons he didn't fully understand, stood by his side.

Alaric locked eyes with the boy, not with force, but with a calmness that seemed to make anyone who met his gaze feel a little lighter. He extended his hand, palm open, then spoke in a deep, controlled voice.

"Leave the evidence with me, Fery. I'll take care of the rest."

Fery hesitated. His face showed a mixture of exhaustion and resignation, but there was also a small flicker of something more. He stared at the evidence folder, as if giving it up was like handing over half of his heart. But Alaric knew… this boy wasn't one to give up easily. What looked like resignation was actually trust beginning to form.

Slowly, Alaric placed his hands on Fery's shoulders. He bent down until their faces were level, speaking softly, yet with certainty.

"I'll take you with me when I've figured out how to bring down that syndicate. And you'll bring your brother home. I promise it won't take long."

The words resonated deeply with Fery. He bit his lip, caught between doubt and faith. Without another word, Alaric extended his pinky, offering a silent vow.

For a moment, Fery just stared at it, unsure. But then, slowly, his own pinky reached out and locked with Alaric's, their promise sealed in a simple gesture. There was no grand oath, just a pact made between two souls.

Alaric gave a small smile, though inside, he knew the promise could lead them into dangerous waters. He wasn't just helping this boy; something inside him thrummed with anticipation, a new challenge beckoning. Experimentation, risk, adrenaline. All of it merged into one. His hands itched to start planning. Creating weapons, strategies... anything that could take down the syndicate. But without anything in his hands. it seemed impossible. Yet, with his mind and the courage he now had, the odds could shift in their favor.

Once the promise was sealed, Alaric gave Fery's shoulder another reassuring pat. "Trust me."

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