Emily's heart almost leapt straight out of her chest. She stared at the young boy standing in her doorway as her breath hitched, completely thrown off.
"D-Dame…?" she stuttered, her voice trembling faintly. "H-How did you get in?"
The boy—Dame—didn't answer immediately. Instead, a smug, self-satisfied smirk stretched across his lips.
Slowly, dramatically, he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled something out.
A small metallic glint caught Emily's eye.
He dangled it in front of her face, swaying it back and forth with an infuriating amount of pride.
Emily's eyes widened in shock. "Is that… my room key?" she whispered.
Dame nodded proudly, puffing out his tiny chest as if he had just returned victorious from a grand battle.
"I always had a spare," he announced. "I knew it would become useful someday."
He didn't stop there. He stepped deeper into the room, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he scanned the space like a detective.
"What are you hiding, sis…" he said slowly, dragging his words out as if savoring them. "I can tell you're hiding something… I know it…"
Emily's jaw clenched. She was trembling—not from fear, but from pure, simmering anger.
"Give me that key back," she snapped, the sharpness in her tone surprising even herself. "And get out of my room! I'm not hiding anything!"
She lunged forward, and Dame tried to jerk the key away, but he was tiny—no match for her at all. She easily overpowered him, snatching the key right out of his hand.
"Hey!" Dame yelped, stumbling back as his face crumpled into an annoyed frown. He hated losing—especially when he thought he was winning.
He glared up at her, his small fists balling at his sides.
"Someone was here, right?" he accused boldly. "Don't tell me it's that loser you like following around?!"
Emily froze.
Just for a moment.
But she quickly forced her expression back under control. "No…" she said sharply. "It's not him. And he's not a loser! Now leave my room!"
Dame scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes in exaggerated circles as he stepped back toward the door. "Whatever…" he muttered. "Just make sure you don't go near him again… or else, I'll report you."
He flashed a smug, almost sinister smirk over his shoulder before finally stepping out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Emily stood frozen, staring at the wooden door for several seconds, her brows knitted deeply together in a furious frown.
After a moment, she spun around and rushed toward the window. She pushed it open and leaned out, her eyes darting across the yard below.
But except for the grasses, there was nothing there.
Her fingers curled around the window frame, and she clutched her chest gently.
"Noah…" she muttered.
Noah, meanwhile, had already sprinted far from the house.
He finally slowed to a stop, staggering slightly as he panted heavily. His breath came out in harsh bursts. Sweat trailed faintly down his forehead.
"That… was close," he muttered, still trying to steady his breathing.
He turned his head slightly, glancing back in the direction of Emily's home. His expression softened—concern flickering in his eyes.
He wondered if she was okay… if she got into trouble because of him… if her parents said anything… or if that little brother of hers caused a scene.
He surely didn't want her to suffer or get punished all because she helped him.
Not after everything he had just put her through.
Suddenly, a familiar set of tabs appeared before him.
[Quests]
[Daily Quests: Jog for 5 minutes (0/5)]
[Reward: 20EXP]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
[Channel your mana through your mana veins.]
[Reward: 20EXP]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
[Read 10 books (0/10)]
[Reward: 20EXP]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
[Weekly Quests: Hunt 5 mana beasts (0/5)]
[Reward: 50EXP, 5 Supreme Points]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
A small frown tugged at his lips as he muttered to himself, 'Perhaps… this is the best time to complete one of these quests.'
His body was already warm, his blood pumping harder than usual. He wiped the faint sweat forming on his forehead, letting his gaze linger on the first quest.
Jog for 5 minutes.
He eyed the path ahead of him. His legs felt a bit heavy from how hard he ran when he almost got caught, but they were not fully tired yet.
'My house isn't too far…' he thought. 'Maybe I'll just jog it… get it over with.'
He clenched his fists lightly, took a breath, and without overthinking it, he started jogging.
The cold, night air brushed against his cheeks gently as he moved, his footsteps rhythmically tapping against the quiet road.
Even as he jogged, his mind kept drifting back to Emily, hoping she was okay.
Minutes passed, and by the time he slowed down, the familiar sight of the small, worn-out house appeared in the distance.
A small exhale escaped him, and he rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped closer.
The area around the house was almost completely deserted, as usual.
Only a handful of other buildings stood scattered around the dusty open space, but their house was the last one—sitting right at the edge of the settlement like an abandoned thought.
The wooden walls looked a little worse than before, cracked in some places.
The roof sagged unevenly, and the tiny fenced area beside the house had long since begun to rot away.
Still, despite everything… it was home.
Noah slowed his steps, panting slightly as he approached the weak-looking wooden door.
It leaned inward a little, as though a single strong push might send it collapsing entirely.
"That should be enough to complete the quest…" he muttered.
He placed his hand on the doorknob and slowly, carefully pushed the door open.
The hinges creaked loudly, almost painfully, announcing his presence whether he wanted it to or not.
He stepped inside—
And immediately a panicked, trembling voice shouted:
"N-Noah!"
Before he could react, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him, pulling him into a warm, desperate embrace.
His eyes widened in surprise, and for a second, he froze completely.