Freed moved quickly toward the door, while Eugene, Reem, Rin, and Melissa hurried away from the line of sight of the person who had entered.
Their backs pressed against the wall adjacent to the door of Freed's room.
Freed stood in front of the man in a fleeting moment.
The man raised one eyebrow and made a light sound of surprise.
"Ha… Freed, what's wrong? Why did you come this fast, and why do you look worried or confused?" His tone carried a sarcastic sound that quickly slipped into his voice.
Melissa raised her eyebrows as her eyes widened for a moment.
She stretched her neck, trying to steal a look.
Reem extended his arms, quickly grabbed her, then pulled her toward him.
"What are you doing?"
Eugene muttered in a low voice, "Why are we hiding in the first place? Isn't it better if we—"
"Shhhhh, be quiet before he hears us," Rin whispered into Eugene's ear in warning.
The man turned his head toward Freed's room.
Freed's heartbeat quickened.
The man placed his foot inside the apartment.
Before he could take another step,
Freed quickly placed his hand on the wall, directly in front of the man.
Freed looked confused and somewhat disturbed. "Idius, I told you more than once not to open the door and enter like this. It's not your room in the end."
Idius smiled slightly from the side, with his quick tone. "Haha, what's wrong? You seem more nervous today. Are you hiding something inside?"
—His tone became slower—
"And also, we've been friends for years. My apartment is your apartment and vice versa. Your apartment is my apartment."
Freed sighed for a moment, then took a deep breath and said calmly, "Anyway, what brought you here?"
Idius stepped back, crossing his arms.
"Noor told me you're sick, so I wanted to check on you."
He was about to speak… before he was interrupted by Idius' voice—speaking in a sarcastic and arrogant tone—
"Please tell me she's lying because she's jealous that I'm your favorite friend more than her."
"Idius…"
Freed wanted to continue speaking, but Idius interrupted him again.
He placed the backs of his hands on his forehead, leaning the upper part of his body slightly backward.
"Who am I going to train with now?" He charged his voice with a childish sadness, with a sprinkle of brotherly sarcasm.
"Idius…"
"And who will help me escape from Alex's punishment?"
Freed's face turned red and his voice suddenly rose. "Idius, be quiet and let me speak!"
"Oh, right, continue talking." He clasped his hands behind his neck.
"Haha, it seems Freed has another Eugene." Reem looked at Eugene from the corner of her eye while slightly tilting her mouth to the side.
"I feel sorry for him, he's suffering in his first and second year haha." Rin placed his hand on Eugene's shoulder, whose eyebrows intertwined and forehead frowned, and his mouth tightened slightly.
"Ha! It's like I hear a voice coming from your room."
Rin and Reem froze in their place, afraid someone might hear them.
Freed said, trying to deny it, "Why would there be someone in my room while I'm sick?"
"Cough… cough… cough." Freed coughed.
Idius shrugged indifferently. "Well, anyway, I wish you a speedy recovery. See you later."
Freed watched him as he walked in the hallway whistling.
Click.
Reem stood up quickly and went to get the egg and the bag.
Rin, Eugene, and Melissa stood up.
Melissa looked at her clothes to make sure they weren't dirty.
She found them clean as they were, as if she had not been sitting on the ground.
Behind her, Eugene was holding Rin from under his arm, lightly choking him.
"So you're making fun of me…"
"Hahaha, I didn't say you wouldn't get angry for a week." Rin raised one eyebrow with one eye closed.
Eugene released Rin and clasped his hands. "We survived this time."
Melissa went out heading toward Freed…
"Hey, Reem, what are you doing?" Eugene looked at Reem in surprise.
She was touching the egg with the tip of her tongue.
—Reem looked at them—
"I'm trying to know its taste…"
Rin raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. "And why are you doing this?"
Reem hugged the egg as she headed outside, with Rin and Eugene behind her.
"Because different types of dragons, each type needs a special environment and care. And when any dragon lays an egg, its shell contains a substance with a certain flavor that distinguishes the eggs due to the similarity of their shapes and sizes."
"And how did you get to know Idius?" Melissa asked, her eyes filled with astonishment and curiosity.
Freed said while leaning on the wall, "He was the one who talked to me and stayed by my side until we became friends."
"Cough… cough… cough." Freed coughed strongly, and cough droplets scattered from him.
Melissa moved her body backward, and so did Rin.
"Aaah-chooo, I think you should leave before you get infected by me, aaachooo."
Everyone quickly moved toward the exit.
"Alright, see you later." Rin waved his hand.
While Melissa and Reem wished him recovery.
Eugene put his hands behind his head, giving his back to the door, then turned his head toward Freed.
With clear sarcasm on his face, "Send my regards to your girlfriend."
Freed raised an eyebrow as he turned inside. "She's not my girlfriend."
"Yes, yes, clearly she's not."
Click. Freed closed the door.
Then silence slipped into the surroundings, except for the voices of Rin and Melissa who were in front of Eugene and Reem.
Eugene glanced from the corner of his eye at Reem for a moment, then Reem looked at him as well.
Eugene returned his gaze while whistling.
His eyes met hers, and she raised her eyebrows. "Is there something on my face?"
Eugene turned his head toward her. "No, there's nothing on your face."
Reem quickly opened the bag with her left hand, then put the egg inside and closed it.
"Then what's wrong? Why are you staring at me as if you're… an undercover journalist?"
Eugene ran his hand through his hair, and inside him there was a violent mental struggle.
"Should I apologize… no, there's no need. She's talking to me normally, so there's no need to apologize. But if I don't apologize, her look at me won't change. She'll see me as someone avoiding responsibility."
Reem snapped her fingers near his face, tilting her head slightly forward. "Hello, from Earth to Eugene."
Eugene's eyes widened as he looked at her again.
Then he said in a low and quick tone, "Okay, you know…"
Reem looked at the bag calmly. "No, I don't know… what do you want to say directly?"
Eugene was silent for a moment, then said while avoiding looking directly into her eyes, "I'm… sorry."
—Reem tilted her head toward him, raising an eyebrow, waiting—
"Sorry."
Reem smiled slightly from the side and straightened her back again.
Then she placed her fingertips behind her ear while leaning toward him. "What did you say? I didn't hear."
Eugene's face turned red and he felt the tone of sarcasm and provocation in her voice.
"I'm sorry." His voice became slightly louder.
"What? I didn't hear."
His eyebrows intertwined and he slightly clenched his jaw.
"Aaah." He smiled in a silly and wide way while closing his eyes and looking in another direction.
"I'm sorry." His tone changed to a steady and composed tone.
"I don't know why you make it difficult, it's just a word." Reem maintained her side sarcastic smile.
Then he said in a slow heavy voice, "And I'm also sorry because I overreacted even though you had nothing to do with it."
Then her tone became high and quick, "See? It's easy."
They went down the stairs and left the complex.
Eugene kicked a small stone on the ground, with his hands in his pants pockets.
A strong breeze moved his hair, and the grass made a rustling sound.
…
On the other side, in an area between houses and markets,
The sound of a steam train filled the sky, as well as the sounds of leather hooves hitting the ground, mixed with the voices of many journalists.
The magical cameras were directed toward one man.
"Mr. Iron, it seems from your appearance that you did not make much effort in capturing that criminal." A fast and confident tone.
"Mr. Iron, is this criminal responsible for the murders?" A soft light tone.
"Mr. Iron, what was this criminal doing in Adil district?" A heavy hoarse voice.
Questions poured over Iron.
He raised his hands trying to push them away and calm them, while smiling with his usual smile.
In the back, there was a group of no less than fifteen individuals, carrying out repairs and searching the place.
Among them, Alex stood lighting his cigarette.
Contemplating the calm sky, with tired and gloomy expressions.
"Ahhh, another boring day…"
End of chapter.