Sahar opened his eyes with difficulty. He had always had trouble waking up. He would fall asleep again or lie on his bed for long minutes. What's more, he'd gone to bed late the night before. He and Nyara had visited the capital until one in the morning. His eyelids were heavy, but Sahar managed to get out of bed on the first try. He yawned and stretched before brushing his teeth. Fortunately, there were ways of brushing them here too. Unfortunately, it was all manual, nothing electrical. And yet, electricity existed in this World…

After washing up, Sahar had lunch with Az. The latter didn't seem to be in a talkative mood, but at the end of the meal, he spoke.

- How was yesterday?" asked Az.

Sahar nodded as he put his plate away.

- We visited the multicolored lake, and I must say it was magnificent! replied the boy. Then we went into the forest, and... Well, we visited a few other things, and it really is a magical city!

- I must admit that visiting Provinäh in the evening is magical… Anyway, what happened in the forest?

Sahar didn't want to talk about it, but since it was Az, he didn't see the problem in summarizing the story without giving any details.

- We were attacked by a woman who wanted to kill us to sell our bodies, but Nyara killed her.

Az didn't speak for a few seconds before rising from his chair.

- Did she cry?

- ... Yes.

Az sighed and put his hand on Sahar's shoulder.

- She's afraid you'll judge her.

- I understood..." Sahar blurted out.

- Sahar, Nyara is a hyper-sensitive girl, but when she fights, she's ruthless. I just want you to know—

- No matter.

Sahar nodded. It was none of his business that Nyara abandoned all humanity when she fought. He knew Nyara as sensitive, excited and pretty. The Nyara in combat didn't interest him yet. In any case, wasn't keeping one's cool in combat the best way to stack the odds in one's favor? Sahar really believed it could determine the outcome of a fight. If Nyara could keep her emotions in check, then she must be really dangerous in real combat.

Az opened the bathroom door and gave Sahar a smile.

- Be a good friend, Sahar…

The boy hadn't heard what the man had said, but he suspected he would.

Sahar had really enjoyed the ride with Nyara. Apart from the fact that they'd been attacked, it had been a lot of fun and he wouldn't say no to doing it again sometime. He would have been even happier to see Nyara's techniques in combat, but that had been quick for him... Sahar still intended to ask her to teach him how to handle the katana so he could defend himself - and fight at the same time - but he didn't think the time was right. Sahar left the room and went to Nyara and Creel's: the girl had asked him to come and talk about the killer called "Virus".

- Anyway, we need to do some research.

Nyara nodded at Creel's proposal. Sahar hadn't spoken during the whole conversation, but he agreed with the girl's brother. They had almost no information on him, so it would be useful to learn more from the people of the capital, the victims of this serial killer. Sahar was still shocked that nobody did anything when he had over a thousand deaths to his credit... How was justice done in this World?!! Az hadn't come to this "little meeting" for a reason they didn't know. It was he himself who had told Creel that he wouldn't be coming and that he would do some research of his own another day, as he had "something" to do today. Creel didn't reply, but he was curious. It wasn't the first time he'd gone away for a few hours without explaining himself. Nyara could ask him more, but she didn't like to pry into Azgoria's private life.

- How does this work?" asked Sahar, speaking for the first time about the meeting.

Creel placed his cup of blue liquid on the table and took a few seconds before answering Sahar.

- There's no point in asking the same people, I think splitting up into fo—, well, THREE, since your little Az isn't coming, is the best solution.

Creel had given Nyara a dark, mocking look when he'd mentioned Az. She sighed, making no attempt to defend herself.

- I think it's the only solution if we want to move forward, anyway," she says. To move forward properly, hm.

Sahar agreed with them and showed it by nodding weakly. He already knew what he was going to do.

- I'd like to go to the address we were given to see the intermediary," Sahar said.

Nyara turned her gaze to the boy and sighed, smiling.

- You've already told us that this is what you wanted to do, but I don't know if it's the best solution, you know?” she says. If it's a trap, we're more certain of getting out of it than you are. Not to be mean, but there's no way you'll get out alive…

- I bet you'll be fine.

It wasn't Sahar who had said that, but Creel. He rose from his chair and set his cup down beside the dirty cutlery. He looked at his sister.

- If it's a godforsaken place, you will have nothing to worry about," Creel said.

- Just because it's a crowded place doesn't mean there aren't any traps!!” shouted Nyara, irritated.

- Well, Sahar only has to check if it's a trap.

- But...!

- They don't know that Sahar is with us, and what's more, helpless as he is, there's no chance of them unmasking him. If Sahar doesn't discover any traps, he'll just have to talk to the intermediary," Creel concluded.

Nyara opened her mouth to contradict him, but remained silent before turning to the boy. After all, if it really was a trap, Sahar would have a hard time getting out of it alive, but all he had to do was analyze the place. If he thought it was too risky, he'd just have to leave and let Az or Creel take care of it. It was a good idea.

- I'm not very confident…” Nyara admitted, lowering her head.

- He's got to make himself useful, right, Sahar?

Creel placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, smiling. Sahar, adorned with determined twilight eyes, nodded, returning the smile.

- I wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable asking strangers questions, anyway, I think this task suits me best!

- I'm still not very confident. But do as you please, Sahar…

The boy showed him his thumb and winked. - Count me in!

In her right hand, Sahar held a piece of paper indicating the place where she was to meet the intermediary. Creel had written precisely where and how to get there. He hadn't wanted to give out the official letter they'd received in case things went wrong, which was understandable. While he went to see the intermediary — In any case, let him judge whether it was a trap or not — Nyara and Creel would get some information about this Virus from the locals. Too bad they didn't know any more... They had so little information, how could they expect us to find this killer? If only they knew this killer's murderous signature…

When Sahar arrived at the place indicated, he raised his head and looked around. In front of him was a small bar with brown wooden walls. The insignia was old fashioned but well-made, bathed in Etholys light. The windows showed a rather crowded interior, encouraging passers-by to enter. The bar stood near a crossroads. The glass doors were open and reflected Etholys' joy, causing the bar to glow in a shower of rays. Sahar couldn't believe it was a trap. He had the name of the intermediary, but now he just had to find him. Given the person's first name, it was probably a man. He moved towards the bar and checked again to see if it was the right place. "Provibar" was the name of the place he had to go to.

It was really the name of the bar. Sahar tucked the paper away in his back pocket and entered the bar, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The boy began to feel the stress gradually gripping his gut and tried to calm himself down as best he could.

The sound of conversation was strangely pleasant. Nobody was shouting or screaming, everyone was quiet. The children themselves were rather quiet. The smell of coffee and other morning dishes came to flatter the boy's nostrils with sweetness and freshness. Sahar took a big bowl of the sweet air and smiled. Having eaten just a few minutes earlier, Sahar's belly began to growl with pleasure. The problem was, he hadn't taken any money with him. He obviously didn't have any, but he could have asked Nyara for some... He sat down in a solitary chair and placed his hands on the table opposite. He'd always hated to be alone at a table, but he felt like he had no other choice. Before looking for the intermediary, he was going to analyze the place a little and see if there might be some kind of trap. Of course, he knew he probably wouldn't find anything. If there really was a trap, he'd find out when he got caught in the middleman's net. If Sahar wanted to push his paranoia to the limit, he could say that everyone here was part of this trap.

- If I think like that though, I'll never get ahead in life…

To think that everyone was against you, alone against the world, was not a correct way of thinking. In any case, Sahar didn't think this "rendezvous" was a trap. It was only natural that they should want to know when they would arrive in Provinäh.

- You can't be too careful, though…” said Sahar to himself.

Waiters and waitresses wandered between the tables to serve customers' orders. Small pieces of cake, cookies, coffee, drinks unknown to Sahar, etc... Everything looked so good and the smells they gave off proved Sahar right. It was such a pity he couldn't taste anything.

- Good afternoon, sir.

Sahar raised his head and looked the beautiful woman in the eye. In her thirties, she was dressed as a waitress. She placed the card in front of him and smiled. Sahar shook his hands.

- I have nothing to pay, sorry...!

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

- It's your first time in this bar, isn't it?

Sahar remained motionless for a few seconds before nodding.

- Hihi, I thought you didn't look familiar. If it's your first time, then you can choose a drink and a small dessert from the menu, and it's free!” the woman tells him.

She left when she was called and promised to return soon. Sahar now had the opportunity to choose from the card... He was happy. He opened it and looked at everything inside. He wasn't sure what to have, since three-quarters of the dishes were unfamiliar to him. It's a good thing they were briefly explained below each name!

After looking at the menu for a good five minutes, the woman came back and took his order. She promised he'd be served in the next ten minutes: the place was packed. Sahar nodded and waited impatiently. He had chosen a kind of hot chocolate with whipped cream and a cocoa mousse scented with almond and blueberry. There were certain things he'd wanted, but not knowing the ingredients, he hadn't dared to order any of them. When he'd been here five minutes, he still hadn't heard anyone raising their voice, anyone shouting. No toddler had thrown a tantrum and no baby had screamed or cried. It was a peaceful place and Sahar already loved this bar. Still, this World had big advantages. On Earth, it just wasn't like this... What's more, the atmosphere really stood out, with the subdued lighting setting a truly unique mood. The smell of the food was mouth-watering and the view outside was pleasant. Sahar was enjoying himself, and would tell the others about it.

However, Sahar shouldn't forget why he was here. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was a rather marvelous bar in which joy and tranquility seemed to reign. After that, it didn't mean a thing. The bar may not have been booby-trapped, but the appointment might have been. He was still going to wait, but wouldn't it be better to look for the middleman now? As long as there were plenty of people around... Wouldn't now be a good time to find him? If this was a trap to lure Nyara and the others, maybe he wouldn't do anything in the presence of so many people! Sahar stood up and saw an old bartender preparing drinks at the bar. He walked over to him and swallowed. Why was he so stressed... ? He'd already nearly died last night, he wasn't going to not fall into a trap and nearly die again! God wasn't so bad, was he? Well, here it was "Ovo" for their Goddess. Sahar sat back and waited for the bartender to come to him. He kept a constant eye on the empty table where he'd sat seconds before, in case the woman brought him his order. It was very nice of them to serve people free of charge for their first time in this restaurant. You had to have a good memory, though.

The bartender approached Sahar and the latter greeted him. The old man reciprocated and asked what he wanted.

- At the moment, I'm looking for someone..." said Sahar.

The man made an ‘O’ with his mouth and nodded up and down.

- Who are you looking for?" asked the man politely.

If Sahar could know in advance who this intermediary was, then it would be easier for him to judge whether it was a trap or not. Besides, he had to know who this intermediary was! Sahar told him the first and last names of the person he was looking for. The man remained silent for a few seconds. Just as he was about to reply, Sahar noticed that his order had arrived. He apologized to the man and went to his table to take his drink and dessert.

- Ah, there you are! Here's your order, I hope you enjoy it!” smiles the woman.

- Thank you, I'm already enjoying the smell!" Sahar admitted, returning her beautiful smile.

The woman left on the opposite side and the boy took his tray to the bar. He sat back down on the seat and apologized to the man who had been waiting nicely. The latter shook his head and told him it was nothing.

- So, do you know where this person is...?" asked Sahar again.

The man nodded, but…

- After.

- ...?

Sahar was speechless. What was he trying to say? That he would answer... after? The boy's heart began to beat faster. If the man wanted to answer afterwards... That didn't reassure Sahar. As long as the bar was crowded, he was reassured... So if the man didn't want to say who this person was before they all left, it smelled like trouble...! What was "reassuring" was the fact that this bartender knew who the middleman was. Sahar insisted.

- Can't you tell me who it is now...?

- You already know their first and last names, does that mean you're part of Nyara's gang?" asked the man, avoiding Sahar's question.

The boy squinted, but tried to hide his emotions. If he knew Nyara's first name and knew that the person he was looking for was the middleman... This man could be the one who had sent the letter! He might be the one he was looking for, in fact!!! In any case, he'd stumbled on the right person the first time. Sahar wondered whether he should lie to the man or not. If he told him that he was indeed part of Nyara's gang, then he'd have no chance of "escaping": if it was a trap, he'd get caught in it.

But he wouldn't run.

- Yes, that's right. I have to meet him since he's the intermediary.

- He... Mph.

The old man smiled and took the dirty glass that a waitress had just passed him. As he washed the glass, his eyes closed, he spoke to the waiter.

- Don't be so stressed, we didn't give you this address to set a trap for you.

Sahar opened his mouth in astonishment. This man...! The boy pursed his lips in shame. He was being read like an open book, it would seem... He was going to have to learn to hide his emotions if he was to become useful to Nyara and the others. The man smiled.

- I didn't know they'd recruited anyone.

- How well do you know Nyara and the others?" asked Sahar, hoping for an answer.

- It has to be said that they're not so unknown to people either. They haven't missed a single task they've been given, no matter how difficult. What's more, they're not afraid to show off their appearance, which proves that they're confident. Only this "Azgoria" never showed his face afterwards. I wonder what he looks like.

The man touched his chin and finished washing his glass. He passed it to a waiter, who filled it with a soft drink that looked strangely like champagne, but was green in color. The man continued talking.

- Since nobody wants to deal with this Virus, we thought you'd be the best people to rid us of this disease that's eating away at the capital. The inhabitants are starting to get really scared, and the leaders aren't doing anything about it. Almost a thousand deaths to their credit and nothing is put in place, that's going to leave a mark on society, I tell you.

The man shook his head, as if disappointed and disgusted. Sahar understood him completely. How could such a killer be allowed to go free...? On Earth, a single death was enough for the police to hunt down the killer. Here, it was almost a thousand.

- I'm glad you're already here. However, the intermediary you are looking for has not yet arrived.

- Will he arrive soon?

- I suppose so. Oh, also... No, nothing. You'll see when they arrive.

Sahar questioned him with his eyes, but the man said nothing. The boy sighed and began to eat his meal.

- I'm worried about Sahar…

Nyara looked up at the blue sky with her red eyes and pouted. She hadn't got any interesting or useful information yet. What she had really learned was that the inhabitants were really starting to fear this "Virus". She had to find it quickly and eliminate him... However, how could she do that, with so little information?! She hoped with all her heart that Sahar or Creel had gathered a ton of important information.

Nyara rose from the bench to see Azgoria coming towards her. The girl smiled at him and walked towards him, hoping he had something interesting to say.

The bar was getting less and less crowded. When Sahar had arrived, there had been almost sixty people. Now there were only about twenty. The boy was alone in his chair, waiting for the middleman to arrive. He must have been waiting for an hour. After making the most of his wonderful drink and exciting dessert, Sahar had tried to learn more by listening in on a few conversations, but nothing useful; nobody was talking about Virus.

The boy sighed and turned his gaze to the old bartender. He was talking to a girl with long hair. When was this intermediary going to arrive?!!!! He rested his forehead on the table and closed his eyes. He was getting impatient. He had to try to gather information too!!! Sahar had remembered that this Virus killed with blade-like blows: he'd forgotten that on the way here. Sahar felt a hand on his shoulder. He was about to look up when…

He noticed that he was no longer touching the ground?!!

- Aauugh... OaaaAAAHHHH?!!!

He was placed on the floor and rubbed his head. The floor beneath him was rather pleasant... That was because he was on a sofa and not on the floor!!! It was true that he'd noticed that at the back of the bar were three old-fashioned sofas, but given that people had already sat on them, he'd preferred to wait on his rather pleasant chair. He swallowed and looked up, meeting the amused gaze of a woman.

It was she who had spoken with the bartender.

- From what I've heard, they're looking for me!

With a smile on her face, she spoke to Sahar in a friendly tone. Seeing that the boy didn't react, she blew out her nose and pointed a finger at herself.

- The old man told me you thought I was a guy? I admit I'm strong like a muscular guy, but that's not very nice!

Sahar, who had been unable to utter a single word, was now able to speak.

- You're our intermediary...?

- Yep! You're lucky to have a chick as beautiful as me!

- You're the one…

The girl struck a proud pose while letting her finger aim at her chest.

- .......Bahama Reyram??