As they walked through the facilities, Alan spotted a pool where a swimming competition was underway. Beyond it were the training grounds, where he witnessed someone magically summon a 32-foot-tall bipedal dinosaur that bowed to its master.

  “This way, Alan,” Tamara called, urging him to keep up. “Do you like what you see? Our headquarters has everything an adventurer could wish for. We have plenty of training areas for whatever field you’d like to master, and... Look over there. That’s the 'DC' gym. Say good morning to Karen and Faiza!”

  Alan glanced in the direction she pointed. Two girls were about to enter the gym. The tall, black-haired one noticed him and grimaced upon making eye contact. The shorter one, looking drowsy as if she had just woken up, faintly waved at Tamara before stepping inside and closing the door.

  “Where was I?” Tamara continued. “Oh, right! Tell me, Alan, is there any class you’d like to learn or perfect?”

  “You want the truth?”

  “Sure! Shoot!”

  “At first, I wanted to be a swordmaster, and Astrid always cheered me on about it, but I quickly realized I sucked at it. Maybe I should take a look at other available Classes and find something that actually fits—”

  What am I doing? I said too much. He shut his eyes, blushing. Tamara looked away, pretending not to notice.

  “We can visit the library after breakfast, then,” she said.

  This girl is too damn polite, Alan thought. Just then, the aroma of melted butter and coffee hit him, reminding him how hungry he was.

  Inside the cafeteria, about twenty people were chatting while enjoying scrambled eggs, bacon, orange juice, and tea.

  This reminds me of the lively recreational rooms at the Alvearium Enterprise HQ. The teens who would later become the Santa María’s passengers spent time there, getting to know each other before leaving Earth. So nostalgic. I met Astrid there, and it was the best week I…

  His smile faded as half the room stared at him. The rest noticed him once Tamara grabbed his hand to lead him to the food bar.

  “Come, Alan,” she said, oblivious to the fact that the whole place had gone silent.

  With Tamara’s help, Alan filled a tray with pancakes, coffee, and eggs, then returned to the tables. People were now whispering among themselves, sneaking glances at him.

  “Hey, Founder!” a familiar voice called out, waving him over. “Come sit with us!”

  Marissa.

  Beside her, a long-haired redhead hissed, “What the hell are you doing?”

  And that woman.

  Alan exhaled deeply and walked toward them, ignoring Tamara’s suggestion to sit somewhere else.

  “Hey, it’s the deadly ballerina,” he said as he approached.

  Marissa narrowed her eyes. “Huh? Where did that come from?” Then, she grinned. “Oh, I see! You were mesmerized by my sweet killing moves last night, huh? That was nothing, trust me. I might give you a quick demo in one of the training gyms later.”

  “Can’t wait,” he said with a mild smile before his gaze landed on Amelia, who was idly poking at her salad with a fork.

  “Mooorning, Tammie.” Marissa beamed.

  The petite girl sat reluctantly beside Alan. “Morning, Marissa… Amelia.”

  Amelia did not respond, instead opening her User Interface.

  “Yay! Let’s have breakfast together. The more, the merrier!” Marissa clapped. “Founder, have you met my sister yet?”

  “Who?” Alan frowned, glancing at Amelia. “Wait! You two are sisters?”

  “That’s right,” Marissa replied, stuffing her mouth with egg salad. “Best known as the Deadly Flowers of Carcella!”

  Alan kept staring at Amelia as she tapped her User Interface, changing her lipstick color from pink to blue to black.

  Marissa swallowed before giggling. “Do you like what you see?”

  Alan blinked repeatedly and shook his head. “I-I wasn’t—”

  “Tam’s showing you the facilities, right? Do you like what you’ve seen so far?”

  “R-Right! Very impressive place! I can’t imagine how much you’ve all inves—”

  After settling on a dark crimson shade of lipstick, Amelia snapped her fingers. Her breakfast instantly caught fire, burning to a crisp.

  “I’ve lost my appetite.” She stood up and walked past Alan without sparing him a glance. A second later, he felt a sharp pinch on the back of his neck.

  “Ouch!” he yelped, spinning around, but Amelia was already on her way out.

  Seriously, what’s her problem?!

  “Is something wrong, Alan?” Tamara asked.

  “N-Nothing.”

  With Amelia out of the frame, the guilders from the adjacent tables swarmed Alan in an instant.

  “Are you really ‘The’ Alan Warden? Where have you been all this time?”

  “Hey, is it true you’re going to be our new First Officer?”

  “Is it true your level is beyond 100, and that’s why it doesn’t display properly?”

  “Does that mean you’re stronger than Astrid?”

  “Woah, what is all this?!” Alan cried, overwhelmed.

  “What did you expect, Founder?” Marissa said with narrowed eyes. “You’re a legend here. Many stories have been told about you, and everyone just wants the truth.”

  “That’s understandable, but--!”

  Glancing at Alan’s distressed face, Tamara took a deep breath before rising from her seat and slamming her palms on the table. “YOU’RE TOO NOISY! There will be a time for Alan Warden to tell his story, but not while he’s trying to enjoy breakfast! So, everyone, back to your tables, now!”

  As the crowd dispersed reluctantly, Alan stared at the petite young woman beside him, a startled expression on his face. And here I thought she was nothing but a sweet, mild-mannered girl!

  “Well, that’s no fun. I also wanted to hear what’s going on with you,” Marissa said, resting her hand on her cheek.

  “Maybe we could talk about something nicer?” Tamara suggested, her attention back to her food.

  Alan thought for a moment before smiling shyly. “Maybe… You could talk to me about Astrid, please?”

  * * * * *

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  * * * *

  * * *

  * *

  *

  “Thanks for ruining my breakfast, you freak,” Amelia Laflamme mumbled, her fists clenched, crackling with sparks. Even her steps left burned footprints as she stormed toward the Damage Calculator Gym #3.

  As soon as she opened the door, she could hear someone crying inside: “DIE, YOU FREAK!”

  Amelia found Karen Svensson, casting balls of fire, blades of ice, and gusts of wind at rapid speed, targeting a spot 100 feet away. Her spells were erratic, resembling out-of-control machine gun fire. “I’M--SO--SICK--OF--HER!”

  The specialized white walls were designed to withstand the attacks, but outside the building, such magical firepower would have demolished half of the Headquarters.

  When the black-haired young woman ran out of mana and the smoke cleared, a system window appeared above a dancing, unscathed mannequin.

  “Yeah, that’ll show Astrid,” Amelia sneered, sitting on a black leather cushion in the spectator area. “So, what are you going to do about it? You’re badmouthing our great and valorous Guild Master! She might be a childish bitch, but let’s not forget that she could do the same amount of damage with just one punch.”

  Karen stomped out of the testing area. “Are you telling me you’re on her side now, Red?!”

  Amelia’s amber eyes gleamed with fiery intensity. “Don’t even joke about it, Karen.”

  A sonorous slurping sound made them turn toward Faiza, sitting beside them. The dark-skinned girl, wearing a panda-themed hoodie, was slurping ramen with vigor. She glanced back at them, blinking.

  “Sorry, did I interrupt something important?” she asked nonchalantly, mixing her food with her chopsticks. “But Amelia’s right. Astrid is just that amazing… Whether you like it or not.”

  Karen turned serious. “Hey, give me a bite of that.”

  “No way!” Faiza hugged her bowl protectively. “You were the one who said, ‘it’s too early to eat ramen!’”

  “Come ooon! Just a little—” Karen got close enough to snatch the bowl, but Faiza pushed her away with an elephant-headed spirit that manifested out of her body.

  “Do you see that?” Faiza pointed at a system window hovering above a coffee table. “That’s the menu! Order yours and leave me alone!”

  “Fine!” Karen stretched her arms out to her sides. “Someone doesn’t know what sharing means, huh?! Red, I’m starving, and since our Lord Marco is taking his sweet time, want to order something too? Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

  “I was going to, but…” Amelia sighed. “Just order black coffee for me, please.”

  Damn, Ghost. Who the hell does he think he is? Amelia thought, biting her lower lip. He thinks he can sit with us so casually? Seriously, Marissa, why did you invite him to our table? That was low, even for a prankster like you!

  Amelia stared at the end of the room, where the dancing mannequin taunted her, ready to test her power. ‘Are you guys sisters?’ he had asked, maintaining a dumb smile on his face. Makes me sick…

  “That was fast!” Karen beamed at the sight of the male NPC entering to deliver the food.

  Amelia did not glance at him. She was too busy checking her nail polish, deciding that the black color no longer suited her. With the help of her User Interface, she changed them to red, as if they were covered in blood.

  “Here’s your coffee, miss,” the NPC spoke, but Amelia didn’t respond.

  “Just leave it there, sweetheart,” Karen said from her seat. “Someone’s a little cranky today.”

  Amelia snickered. “Says the one who was about to pop a vein just minutes ago.” She then tapped the coffee mug to display a temperature slider, maxed it, and gulped it down immediately. “That hit the spot… Hey, don’t you think Ghost’s 'coma story' is bullshit?”

  “It’s too convenient,” Faiza pointed out quietly.

  “Exactly! So, what do you think the real story is?”

  Faiza shrugged, hiding her gaze under her hoodie as if ready to take a nap. “Maybe he was working outside with the rest of the ship’s staff.”

  Amelia frowned at her. “What makes you think that?”

  “Aren’t we just guessing?”

  “Yeah, and you suck at it!” Karen interjected, pointing at Faiza’s face with her chopsticks. “If one of the ship’s engines exploded or something serious like that, why would they choose him to help? He’s a teen, just like us. If he was some hotshot engineer, he would've boasted about it to Marco last night!”

  “I didn’t say they woke him up to do something important!” Faiza suddenly shouted. “Maybe they just needed a janitor or someone to rub the captain’s shoulders!”

  Karen vigorously shook her head. “Why are we talking like ‘working outside’ is the only theory that makes sense?”

  “What do you suggest, then?!”

  “Don’t ask me! I don’t even know why we’re talking about that piece of crap!”

  “Astrid just pissed off our dear First Officer because of him,” Amelia reminded Karen softly. “Don’t you want to know why she’d risk everything she’s built for a guy like him?”

  Karen shrugged. “Maybe they were ‘fuck-friends’! There! That’s my theory! She defended him because he was her little pumpkin.”

  “Astrid with a guy like that?” Faiza loudly sneered. “Please! And you said I sucked at guessing.”

  “Whatever, who cares? I don’t care! You?!” Karen shouted, furiously mixing her noodles, until noticing Amelia’s lost-in-thought expression. “‘Risk everything she’s built for a guy like him’, huh?” Karen quoted, smirking. “One can only hope—” The room’s door opened, prompting Karen to quickly wipe her mouth with her sleeve. “There it is! Welcome in!”

  Marco Souza entered at a calm pace, accompanied by three men. William, towering over the group, looked like Marco’s bodyguard. Matthew Bernstein, the young healer, locked eyes with Amelia before nervously looking away. And Jason Foreman, a lanky young man wearing a monocle and a green robe, quietly giggled as if he had heard a joke inside his head.

  “Sorry for keeping you waiting, ladies,” Marco said, slightly bowing and putting his right hand against his chest. “But as you know, organizing all this was quite a challenge.”

  “But you’re bringing us good news, right?” Karen beamed at him. “Are we finally free of that harpy’s claws?”

  Marco smiled warmly at her for a brief moment, holding the information for a little longer. “Kathleen Maher said yes.”

  “AT LAST!” Karen cried, ecstatic, dashing toward him to hug him. “I knew you could do it!”

  “She’ll even come personally to welcome us all,” Marco continued. “She’ll arrive in about three hours. That gives us plenty of time to deal with any… unfinished business.”

  “That’s our boss!” Karen squealed.

  Seeing her embrace Marco made Amelia frown.

  “‘For how long is she going to keep hugging him?’ Is that what you’re thinking?” Faiza asked in Amelia’s ear.

  Amelia snickered. “You don’t know me that well, Faiza.”

  “It’s so reassuring seeing you here, beautiful,” William, the seven-foot-tall hulking man, interrupted, sitting beside them. “You made the right choice.”

  “As if I had a choice,” Amelia sighed. “I couldn’t bear sharing the same roof as that bitch for another day, so…”

  “Which reminds me,” Marco turned to Amelia. “Did you get it?”

  “Right here.” Amelia pulled something out of her inventory and held it aloft. It was a reddish strand of hair.

  Jason Foreman’s cackling filled the room. “Oh, Marco, you fiend! Are you really going to use it?” Jason then dashed toward Amelia, snatching the hair and inspecting it closely with his monocle.

  Marco snickered. “As a matter of fact, I was expecting you’d take the role. You know Matthew couldn’t act, even if his life depended on it.”

  “I could do it if you ask me to,” Matthew said quietly from a corner.

  Marco smiled warmly at him. “No. We can’t afford any mistakes. This has to be perfect… Perfect enough for the rest of the guild to eat it without question, and even ask for seconds.”

  Jason looked at him, confused. “We’re still talking about the same thing, right? Anyway! Sure thing, boss. I’ll do it.”

  “Then why don’t you practice the script with William and prepare everything?” Marco suggested. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”

  William nodded. “Sure thing, Boss.” He then leaned toward Amelia before standing up, whispering, “Let’s have a drink later, yeah?”

  “Can’t wait,” she replied, not looking at him.

  “I-I’ll go with you guys,” Matthew said hurriedly, glancing at Amelia for the third time.

  She groaned. Stop looking at me like I’m going to scorch you, kid! It always happens when you and Marissa fight. Did you two have a fight? You, little…

  As the door closed, Amelia studied Marco’s expression. There was a gleam in his gaze that she had only seen a couple of times before. Although he’s in control of the situation, why do I feel like there’s something else?

  Marco locked eyes with her, making her flinch. “There’s still a spot available for your sister,” he said. “I hope she can join us.”

  “Thank you, Marco, I appreciate it,” Amelia replied, rising from her seat and strolling toward the test area, where the dancing mannequin had reset the score and was waiting. She stepped onto the designated spot and focused on the dummy. “Fire Crafting,” Amelia intoned, surrounded by a swirling fire, hoping the roar of the flames would drown out Karen’s annoying voice.

  “Did you really convince the ‘Snow Diamond’ to receive us?” Karen asked, hugging Marco tightly. “Only you could pull it off. This is like a dream come true!”

  “Thanks for your confidence in me, Karen,” Marco chuckled.

  Amelia’s spell intensified, giving birth to a flaming serpent that gradually morphed into a 10-foot-long dragon. She raised her hand aloft, commanding the beast to rise and channel a fiery breath.

  Her mind superimposed Alan’s stupid face onto the dummy. Your entire existence doesn’t matter to me. I couldn’t care less if you were really in a coma or working outside. The only good thing you’ve done for us is give us the little push we needed…

  She giggled and commanded the dragon to unleash an incandescent fire beam. The explosion startled Karen and made Marco purse his lips. Amelia then sent the monster forward, transforming its entire body into a long metallic projectile. The impact created a shockwave, blowing the caster’s hair away, along Karen’s bowl of ramen, off the coffee table.

  “I’ll go get my stuff,” Amelia said, walking past her companions.

  “Bitch…” Karen whispered, watching the test results.