Dominic’s eyelashes fluttered lightly.
The first thing he had glimpsed was that familiar smirk.
“Wakey, wakey, princess… Enjoyed your nap?”
Adrian…
His hair wasn’t styled as usual; his wavy hair looked fluffy, and the way it fell against his face softened his features, making him look quite….
young.
Plus, without the glasses covering, up his eyes, he was surprisingly…
Pretty…
He looks like he’s younger than me… Is that what his eyes look like?
“Admiring my beauty?” Adrian smirked.
Dominic scowled, shoving Adrian’s face away.
“Shut up…” He groaned, sitting up.
He studied Adrian, who wore casual clothes.
It felt strange.
It almost looked cursed…
Dominic was so used to seeing Adrian dressed formally, it was weird seeing him in a t-shirt with ‘F**k toy’ written in rhinestone on it, with baggy jeans.
He seems normal.
“What happened?” he asked as Adrian floated upside down, cross-legged next to him.
The last thing he recalled being conscious was the blights, flowers raining, and coughing blood, before falling unconscious, to the sight of Roxanne reaching out to him.
“Well, you suffered from resonance poisoning… Unfortunately, you weren’t warned of the dangers of showers of flowers… Roxanne’s specialty,” Adrian explained.
“It wouldn’t affect normal people with resonance, but you’re a special case because—”
“I have an unstable resonance…” Dominic said.
This marks the third time he’s rescued me from death…It’s more than I can bear.
Can’t I do anything right?
He looked at Adrian, gritting his teeth.
“What’s bothering you?” Adrian asked.
“Why are you helping me?” Dominic asked.
“Do I need a reason?”
Dominic frowns.
Adrian’s expression didn’t change.
Even with his eyes fully visible, there wasn’t a trace of emotion in them
It’s creepy.
The cracks around his irises only intensified that feeling.
“Well, yeah… Of all the people I’ve met, you’ve helped me the most.
It just feels weird.”
Adrian smiled.
“Is that so?”
He sat down on the bed, close to Dominic, but not so close to make him uncomfortable.
“I suppose I have a few reasons for helping you…”
Dominic frowned.
“People are watching you, Dominic…” Adrian said, his voice lowered, and his smile falling.
“Very powerful people.”
“My family?” Dominic asked, his shoulders tensed as he looked at Adrian.
“Far more powerful than your family,” he said.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“No reason,” Adrian replied, standing.
He began to walk towards the door, then stopped, turning around.
“And, Dominic, a little word of advice…”
What kind of advice does he have?
“You are far too trusting.”
He almost laughed.
“Too trusting?” he asked.
“In a world where less than half a percent of humanity can use resonance, trust is a luxury.
Not me.
Not Saron.
Not even the air you breathe.”
Dominic finally laughed, believing he was joking.
“Not even the air I breathe, that’s a little intense,” he said.
“I’m glad you find this amusing, but you don’t want to face betrayal again, considering your past before arriving in Saesburg.”
Adrian didn’t say anything else.
Dominic held his breath shortly, taking a few steps forward, then grabbed Adrian’s collar.
“How did you know?” Dominic asked, his voice rising slightly.
“A little background research on you… wanted to be sure of something.”
The room warped.
The bed lurched beneath him.
Dominic bounced on the bed while Adrian stood at the edge of it.
“Sure of what?” Dominic asked, sitting up immediately, fury blazing in his narrowed eyes, his jaw clenched tight, and his nostrils flaring with each sharp breath.
“No need to get hissy,” Adrian laughed lightly.
“I’ve known since the day we met.”
Dominic’s blood turned to ice.
“What—?”
For a moment, he saw several eyes behind Adrian, all of which bore the same cracked iris, and all staring at him.
He blinked a few times and saw nothing.
What was that?
Did I see that right?
“As for why I’m giving you this advice… You are about to be very popular.”
Adrian opened the door.
“By the way, when you report to Saron… I need to ask you for a favour from you,” he said.
A favour from you?
Dominic frowned.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Don’t tell her about the blight attack,” Adrian replied.
“Why?” Dominic was confused about why the favour was requested.
“Wouldn’t it be normal to report this kind of incident?”
“Well, yes,” Adrian replied, not too calmly.
“Roxy begged me not to report it, something about not wanting more guards around her.”
That makes no sense!
“I could do the report myself, but you could have this as a growing experience.”
Dominic wanted to refuse, but Adrian left the room, then peeked in again.
“Also, if she asks of me, just tell her I’m taking Roxanne shopping… ‘Kay?
Bye…”
He closed the door with Dominic’s mouth open in disbelief.
Dominic’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, his eyes on the screen.
Am I supposed to do it?
He did tell me not to trust him… but he also said not to trust Saron.
I don’t understand why he’d want me to lie on my report.
Would Adrian really ask me to lie for Roxanne because she doesn’t want more guards around her?
It doesn’t make sense… He’s a nice person… but would he really ask me to lie for something this small?
He looked at the screen once more and began to type.
“Incident Report.
At approximately 5:16 pm, while escorting our diplomat and her assistant to her hotel.
We encountered a blight that had escaped from the laminar zone at Kingsley Gracefield Street.
The encounter ended in a minor scuffle.
During the incident, I suffered a mild resonance reaction and lost consciousness after escorting our diplomat safely to her hotel.
No one suffered any injuries.”
He typed the final sentence, holding his breath.
“Do I have to do this?” He muttered, the cursor on the send button.
Of course, he didn’t have to do this.
It wasn’t like Adrian was on his shoulder telling him what to do.
But it’s a favour coming from someone who saved his life.
“I mean, I have a lot to lose, also, wouldn’t it be a good idea to increase security around Roxanne since she’s the one being targeted?
”
Just this once and never again.
He sent it.
He covered his face and groaned lightly.
“I’m a pushover, aren’t I?”
The sent icon on the screen was loud and seemed to be mocking him.
I mean, I didn’t technically lie… Just downplayed the truth.
“What are you doing?”
Dominic jumps in surprise, clutching his chest.
To his left, a blonde woman looked at him with a kind smile.
“Writing a report…” he replied, subconsciously shifting away.
Why is she talking to me?
“Not much of a talker, huh?” she said, leaning against his desk.
“I haven’t seen you around very much.
Are you new here?”
“I guess so,” he responded, keeping eye contact as minimally as possible.
“I’ve been here for a month…”
“Really?” she said, her voice raised slightly in surprise.
“Wow, tha’s a long time for someone to stay unknown in this office… What’s your name?” she asked.
This is uncomfortable…
“Dominic,” he responds.
“Well, Dominic… I’m Mikeala.”
He nodded stiffly.
“Nice to meet you, Mikeala…”
She smiled at him.
“Would you like to join me and a few others for lunch?
It would be nice to get to know you and others while having lunch, right?”
No…
“Sure, I don’t see why not,” he said, his voice a bit high-pitched.
“Great, I’ll come get you…”