If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
Right now, for Zane, nothing was in control.
He wasn't even the one who was going fast.
It was someone else who was making him do that.
Draxus.
The man wanted to reach Hena as soon as possible and for that, he would go through anything.
But Zane, his brain and eyes couldn't comprehend his current situation.
He had never faced something like this.
Dizziness, acidity and what not. Everything attacked him at once.
And when his recent feast was again right at his throat…
"We are here."
They arrived.
Draxus let go of Zane and Zane fell right outside the door of the Emberlord's office.
There were no Enforcers at the door and Zane saw the sky dancing in circles.
He inhaled heavy breaths and felt the ground with both his hands.
Draxus watched Zane wiggling like a worm and shook his head.
"You are leading thousands of people and this is how you behave?"
His words didn't fall on Zane's ears and Draxus waited for a few seconds.
He walked towards the gutterborn and held his hand.
He yanked him to his feet and held his shoulders.
"You alright?"
Zane nodded.
Draxus jerked Zane back and forth, slapped him a few times and before he knew it, Zane arrived in the moment.
He inhaled a deep breath and then…
"You nanny fucker!"
He cursed Draxus.
Draxus laughed.
He patted Zane's shoulder.
"I might have gone a little too fast."
Zane's anger vanished with Draxus' laugh as he shook his head.
He turned towards the door but before entering, he removed the Key of Oblivion from his finger.
He wouldn't want the Emberlord to see it. Questions might arise.
But Draxus saw it.
"That wasn't the ring he gave you." He said.
Zane nodded.
"Yes. I modified it a bit. Don't mind it."
Draxus shrugged.
Before putting the ring inside his pants, he took out Herring's lunch box.
Now both of his hands were full.
In his right hand, he held the lunch.
On his left, he held something else. Hidden.
Draxus couldn't care less.
He only came because Hena said so.
Zane also didn't force Draxus to come with him.
He alone knocked on the door with his left hand.
And just after one knock…
"About time you arrive-Zane Atlas?"
The Emberlord opened the door with a jerk and his expressions of anger turned normal after seeing it was Zane.
Draxus and Zane both frowned.
"Why did you return? Did you find it?" Coin asked.
Zane shook his head and extended the lunch box.
"This is for Herring. Give it to him. His mother made it for him."
"Who is Herring?"
"The one who is training. The one with the Ember tier."
"Oh. Right."
Zane nodded and tried to enter the office.
But the Emberlord didn't move from the door.
"Give it to me. I will take it." He said.
Zane's brows shot up.
"You will touch it?"
"Why, yes. I am not classist or racist."
Zane's lips twitched but he gave the green plastic lunch box to Coin anyway.
Coin held it and asked:
"Anything else?"
"Not really. Where is Kairon though?"
Coin shrugged. "I don't know. He must be roaming here and there. Alright. Take care then."
THUD!
Coin shut the door.
Zane was left standing outside.
"Is it just me or was he really in a hurry to end the talk?" Draxus said.
"No one is really interested in talking to us anyway." Zane replied and turned around.
He looked left and right, searching for the Enforcer.
They were behind the Cathedral and Zane took a few steps ahead.
Draxus followed him and as they turned right, they saw Kairon coming towards them.
Zane's fists clenched on their own even more so after seeing Kairon all healed up and walking again.
The Enforcer also saw Zane and Draxus and his face instantly turned uglier than before.
He had no weapons on him.
But he believed his fists were enough for Zane.
However, he said nothing.
Zane said nothing.
Draxus said nothing.
Zane simply walked towards Kairon.
Kairon didn't stop.
Draxus followed Zane.
Zane looked over his shoulder and whispered:
"When I say run, run."
"Sure."
Draxus didn't understand but entertained Zane anyway.
Both Kairon and Zane kept moving towards each other. Not one man changed their way.
The distance between them shortened at a rapid pace and before they knew it…
THAP!
Zane collided with Kairon's shoulder.
Deliberately.
Nothing happened to Kairon but Zane sure stumbled backwards.
But not before emptying his left hand.
However, he had bumped into Kairon.
Not by mistake.
By choice.
The Enforcer was already in a bad mood and now a gutterborn dared to do something like this to him.
"You are dead!"
Kairon jumped on Zane.
But Zane was already prepared.
"Run!"
He gave the command and as Draxus was a good listener, he knew what to do.
He held Zane from the back of his neck and…
WHOOSH!
They vanished.
Kairon fell on the ground, hitting nothing but air.
"Hnghhh! I will kill you, filth!"
He cursed at the top of his lungs and stood on his feet again.
He patted his pants and armor but he didn't pat hard enough to feel something in his pants' pocket.
Something concrete.
Something of red color.
Something square.
Something that Zane held in his left hand long enough to place it inside Kairon's pocket.
The family heirloom of Cynthia.
The Misfortune Harbinger.
———
"What the hell was that?" Draxus yelled.
Zane laughed.
His empty left hand felt lighter than ever.
Draxus' speed didn't even bother him this time.
He enjoyed the flashing images in front of his eyes.
Though, his neck hurt as Draxus held it a little too tight.
However, as more seconds passed, Zane's enjoyment took a u-turn.
The enjoyment died.
His brain turned drunk, his stomach felt funny and before he could return what he ate to the soil…
Draxus stopped.
In front of Hena.
He let Zane go and since he was at high speed, Zane crashed into something.
A door.
He barged through the door and stopped on a sofa.
Everyone watched it with their mouths agape as their heads turned to Xavier.
Xavier stared at the destroyed door with a blank face and in the end…
"Make yourself at home, I guess."
