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Evan’s heart stuttered.

Conduit of destruction? Were they still talking about him?

Just then, as if sensing his trouble, something soft brushed his nose. Evan stilled. He cracked open one eye and peeked at what had bumped him.

A tiny ball of black smoke the size of a baby’s fist floated in front of his face, swaying giddily. When it saw his eye open, it bounced with a familiarity Evan couldn’t reciprocate. He stared at it for a while, a bit wary. It was so tiny, perhaps a child spirit. But what was it doing here? And why was it sticking to Evan like he was its mother?

The two voices were still talking shit about Evan while he was busy wiggling his nose and trying to shoo away the child spirit when a third voice chirped up.

“You shouldn’t talk about people behind their backs.”

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Evan stilled.

Oh, no.

One of the men scoffed, “We’re not talking behind his back. He’s lying right here. And even if we were, what the hell can you do about it?”

The chirpy guy didn’t take it to heart. A smile was evident in his voice as he replied, “Talking about someone while they’re unconscious is even more shameful.”

“Shut up!” The annoyed guy snapped. Footsteps crunched across the floor as the man approached the chirpy guy. “Shut your mouth, or I’ll pull your tongue out and shove it down your throat.”

Evan closed his eyes tight, mentally chanting.Don’t say anything else. Please shut up.

But Delos, being himself, simply chuckled. “My, my, aren’t you a bit too young for such a temper?”

That stumped the other guy into silence.

By his outward appearance, this silver-haired dude was barely an adult, but he spoke as if he was already sixty. Being addressed as “young man” by a guy who was evidently younger infuriated the already pissed man.

Before he possibly acted on his threat of pulling out Delos’s tongue, Evan shifted from his place, coughing out loud to draw attention. Flipping onto his back, he groaned, “Too fucking loud.”

Everyone froze. Silence descended.

Evan opened his eyes to the night sky scattered with innumerable stars, a few storm clouds hovering in their midst. He was lying on a stone bed built between four slender trees likea four-poster bed. He turned his head, glancing at the two men dressed in rich purple cloaks.

There were torches perched along the trees, high enough that they didn’t shed light onto their cloaked faces, but low enough that the path was lit and visible. Their bodies were stone still, in defense mode, as if Evan was a wild animal who’d pounce on them at the slightest shuffle.

To add to their dread, Evan cracked a dark smile. “Hi.”

Like a key being turned in their system, the men turned and marched away from the stone bed, steps hurried. They disappeared towards the direction where the gongs were still booming between brief pauses.

Evan dropped his smile and sat up, staring at his bound hands in his lap, the dark rope thick, oozing a faint scent of foreign energy. The ball of black smoke sat on his shoulder, snuggling against his shirt collar.

Without paying it any mind, Evan turned to Delos, who was grinning at him. Even sitting cross-legged on a stone bed, ropes binding his upper body to one of the four slender tree trunks, his silver hair and bright face didn’t lack a bit of the usual glow.

“You scared them away, Evan. I was trying to make friends,” Delos shook his head, enjoying a private joke.

“You were trying to get your ass kicked,” Evan scooted on his butt to lean back against one of the trees adjacent to Delos’s. “Why are you smiling? How did you even end up here?”

Aaron had brought Evan here, no doubt, under the influence of that thing that was controlling him. But he couldn’t have taken Evan out of the house because Xen was lurking outside the front door. Maybe Aaron had opened a portal and transported them here. It would have been impossible before because of the talisman hanging above the front door of the house. But that was ripped away, probably by Aaron himself.

Delos shrugged. “I was just taking a stroll through the woods. And these people captured me out of nowhere, saying I was suspicious. I still don’t understand the logic.”

“Who takes a stroll in a forest in the middle of the night? Of course you seemed suspicious.”

“Oh,” Delos blinked thoughtfully, then chuckled. “Well, at least you have company now.”

And what wasthatlogic?