"Gained a superpower...?" Arthur slowly frowned, his neutral expression betraying only a hint of curiosity — though the sharp gleam in his eyes showed he had already pieced things together.
Leaning back on the couch, he crossed his arms and spoke in a calm, analytical tone — though inwardly, he was laughing at her.
"So what you're saying is that your friend is feeling a bit lost after gaining powers... doesn't know what to do with them... and at the same time, she's afraid those powers might hurt her — or the people around her?"
Arthur deliberately emphasized the word friend, dragging it out just enough to make it clear he wasn't buying the story. Gwen's "friend" was obviously Gwen herself.
But Gwen didn't catch the teasing undertone in his voice. She straightened up eagerly, eyes wide and sparkling with nervous excitement.
"That's right! Exactly!"
She nodded so fast it was almost comical — Arthur had practically read her mind. Every word he spoke seemed to strike at the core of what she'd been feeling since the previous night: the confusion, the doubt, the quiet fear.
Arthur sighed softly, got up, and walked toward the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a glass of water, setting it gently on the table in front of her.
"Gwen," he said with a faint, knowing smile, "if I were you... I'd show your friend this glass of water."
"Huh?" Gwen blinked in confusion. "A glass of water?"
She tilted her head, frowning slightly as she stared at the glass — as if expecting something magical to appear inside it. When she glanced back at Arthur, his expression was serious. Too serious for this to be a joke.
"The answer your friend is looking for," he said quietly, tapping the glass with his index finger, "is in there. Take a good look. Do you understand what I mean?"
Gwen stared at the water, searching for meaning — for something beyond her own reflection rippling softly across the surface.
But there was nothing. No message. No sign. Just water.
And yet... she somehow knew Arthur wasn't joking.
He rarely spoke in riddles, but when he did, his words always carried some hidden truth — even if he himself wasn't fully aware of it.
That glass of water made her think about control — something simple, transparent, but capable of changing completely depending on who held it.
Silence filled the room. Gwen's gaze softened; her eyelids grew heavier with every passing second. She hadn't slept properly the night before, and exhaustion was finally catching up to her.
Arthur noticed the slowing rhythm of her breathing — and before he could say anything, Gwen's head gently dropped onto his shoulder as she drifted into sleep.
"This girl..." Arthur murmured with a small, tired smile. He ran his hand gently through her blonde hair, brushing the strands aside in quiet affection.
For a brief moment, the calm of the scene made him forget everything — until the sharp vibration of his phone broke the silence.
Suppressing a sigh, he carefully pulled the phone from his pocket, trying not to wake her. The screen displayed his editor's name.
He answered.
"Arthur," the man's voice came through in a rush — hurried, but oddly excited. "You told me a while back that you wanted to adapt your books into films, right?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I did. Why?"
There was a strange tone in the editor's voice — something that made Arthur instantly alert.
"A studio reached out to me," the editor continued quickly. "They want to discuss a direct partnership with you. They sound really interested — said the proposal is promising."
Arthur straightened up slightly, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
"I see. And what else did they say?"
"They'd like to send a representative to your house for an informal meeting — just to exchange ideas."
Arthur's expression darkened. His gaze shifted briefly toward Gwen, still sleeping peacefully beside him.
"No," he said firmly. "I'm not letting some random stranger know where I live." He paused. "Send me their address and contact instead. I'll go there myself."
There was silence on the other end — followed by a resigned sigh.
"...Alright," the editor replied. "I'll text you the details right now."
A few moments later, the call ended. Then came the soft ping of a new message.
Arthur unlocked his phone. The name of the studio appeared on the screen.
He read it aloud under his breath, one eyebrow arching as a faint, curious smile crossed his lips.
"Silverline Studios...?"
The name echoed in his thoughts.
Elegant. Professional. Harmless — at least on the surface. Yet something about it felt... off.
Arthur stared at the glowing text on the screen, a familiar unease stirring in the back of his mind.
He glanced down at Gwen, still asleep against his shoulder, and murmured quietly,
"Silverline Studios, huh...? Let's see who's really behind that silver line."
Another vibration — another message. This time, the address and the representative's contact information.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he read it carefully.
Then came that subtle, familiar smirk — the kind that carried equal parts curiosity and caution.
Nothing in his life ever happened by coincidence. And if a mysterious, previously unknown studio suddenly wanted to buy the rights to his work... there was definitely more going on beneath the surface.
Tilting his head thoughtfully, Arthur exhaled through his nose, already planning his next move.
He could feel it in his bones — something interesting was about to happen.
(End of Chapter)
Whenever an update needs to be made to the auxiliary chapter, let me know — I might have forgotten to do it.
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."