Emily and Udit weren’t happy when Nil declared his decision to move in with Andrew temporarily.

“No son of mine is going to live in a bloody junkyard.”

“Doesn’t Andrew sell weed?” Emily demanded. “What are you thinking? What about your apartment?”

“Breathe,” Nil said, keeping his tone calm and voice low. He placed his hands on his sister’s shoulders. She had inherited their mother’s quick temper. “Andrew stopped dealing weed a long time ago. He got a decent inheritance when his mum died. Maybe it was life insurance. I don’t know. He used it to start his own business, recycling scrap metal and chopping up aethertech. I know he’s rough around the edges, but he’s doing well for himself.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you’ll be living in a junkyard.” Udit didn’t get agitated like Emily. He remained calm but cold. “That’s not the life I want for you. You can’t spend all your damned money on us and then live like a hobo.”

“I won’t, Baba.” Nil struggled to contain a chuckle. “I don’t know what you’re imagining, but Andrew lives adjacent to his junkyard, not in it. Besides, there is no better place for me to train until I get into a ludus. It’s isolated. The noise of his crusher and electromagnet will cover all of my chaos, and I have a ton of stuff to destroy as I test. It’s perfect.”

“I don’t understand why you can’t just stay here or in your own place and just visit him like you’re doing now.” Emily pushed. She still appeared unconvinced.

“One. This place is too small for four of us. Sleeping on the air mattress is killing my back and—”

“We could get a sofabed,” Sam said.

“Wouldn’t change the fact that this place is too small for four people, buddy,” Nil said, ruffling his cousin’s hair. “My apartment is too far away and too expensive. Crashing at Andrew’s will help me save a bunch, and then I can join a ludus.” He glanced at his father, continuing before the man could get a word in or protest. “There are plenty that won’t force me into a government job or Apocalypse Arena. Residency in a regulated ludus and separation from civilian populations will win family tax breaks and several perks as well. Cheaper fuel and groceries. Subsidized, private medical care. Emmy and Sam will get priority admission to better sixth forms, colleges, and universities. It is worth it, Baba, and I’ve already made my mind up in that regard.”

“The government doesn’t really want Summoned living at home, do they?” Udit sighed.

“It makes sense when an accidental Expend could kill an ordinary person and then some. At least it's an option and not compulsory. It will be better this way. It's not like I’ll be in prison. I’ll have the freedom to go out, visit, and hang around here all I want. As long as I spend most of my nights at the ludus and train there, I’ll be in compliance, and you’ll get your benefits. It will be nice being around Summoneds, too. At higher realms, when quests allow multiple people to join up together, I can do it with friends instead of random. That’s a higher chance of me coming back alive.”

Udit glared at his son for an uncomfortably long time before his shoulders slumped. “Fine.”

“What about your current tenancy?” Emily asked. “Your asshole landlord—”

“Language.” Udit cleared his throat and got a laugh out of Sam.

“Sorry. Your landlord can’t be willing to release you from your contract just like that, can he?”

“We’ve been on a rolling deal for the past six months,” Nil replied. “He’s being a bit of an ass—” He hesitated, glancing at Sam and got an eye roll in response. “Not particularly nice. I cleaned out the apartment, left everything spick and span, and sent him photos, too. He dodged my request to do an inventory walkthrough and now is trying to take half the deposit.”

Udit frowned. “Did he not store the deposit with a regulated body?”

Nil shook his head. “Even though I’ve been with him for close to two years, he claims it's more like a holiday letting. After getting the job, I was in a hurry and desperate for a nearby place to stay, so I probably didn’t read the contract well enough. Either way, I told him he was living up to the stereotype and proving to be a crook through and through. So, he told me only to contact him through his lawyer and blocked my number.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Emily shot their father a concerned look.

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“It did the job,” Nil shrugged. "The lawyer emailed me, and I threatened to take the matter to the Citizens Advice Bureau and Summoned Rights Board. Atif sent me an email within the hour requesting to forget the matter and only took a hundred from the two thousand. Technically, he owes me that, too, but fighting him for it didn’t feel like the trouble.”

“It doesn’t pay to be nice to people like him,” Udit grumbled. “People like Atif give Indian landlords a bad name. I don’t support your below-the-belt statement, son, but it got the job done.”

Andrew arrived not long after with a truck and a couple of friends. The unannounced visit caught Udit, Emily, and Sam by surprise. Nil had told them to move their clothes into suitcases so he could clean out their bedrooms and fix some damage but hadn’t elaborated much regarding his plans.

“Are we getting burgled?” Sam asked, getting a laugh from the visitors.

Nil and the three worked together to empty Emily and Sam's bedroom. They ripped up the old carpet before, scraping off mold and patching holes, and then applied a fresh coat of paint to the walls. Then, they put in new wooden flooring and replaced the old furniture with refurbished, better-quality replacements. Their replacement decks had new air screens and swivel chairs.

“I've rigged them for work only,” Andrew said. “Social media is disgusting and rots the brain.” He later took Udit aside and gave him a similar handheld device. “You have parental controls. The internet is full of extra scary shots nowadays. Best if Sam stays away from them.”

The exchange left Udit’s mouth hanging agape. Andrew’s responsible behavior surprised everyone, unsurprisingly. Nil hoped the experience would put his folks at ease about the decision to stay with him for a while. The knowledge that Andrew hooked him up with good, local, affordable tradesmen certainly helped. It took them most of the Saturday, but they dealt with all problem areas and replaced a few major kitchen appliances, too. Nil regretted not relying on Andrew for his previous spending spree because the man would’ve cut his costs in half.

By the end of the day, everybody was happy but tired. He treated everyone to dim sum from the local Chinese takeaway. It wasn’t as great as the offerings of Chinatown near Picadilly Circus, but still satisfactory.

They were in the middle of a cheerful dinner in the back garden when Nil received a call from an unknown number.

“Mr Sunil Roy?”

“Speaking.”

“It’s Katherine Park. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

Nil racked his brain, trying to place the name. Unfortunately, his memory came up short.

“Korean police officer? I drove you to the registration center following your first Summoning.”

“Of course!” Nil remembered taking the woman's card but didn't recall reading it or where he put it. “How can I help you, Officer Park?”

“I just wanted to check in on you,” Katherine said. “How are you settling into Summoned life?”

“It doesn't feel any different, to be honest. I lost my job but, apparently, that's a natural part of Summoned life.”

“I'm sorry to hear that. But, yes. The stats say most Summoned go through a change of employment not long after their ascension.” She sighed. “Have you given joining a ludus much thought?”

“I have. Unfortunately, it's currently beyond my means. I'm taking things slow right now, but I will have the necessary funds after another summoning or two.”

“That's great. It's good to have a plan.” Katherine Park paused for a moment, and an awkward silence followed. Nil was about to ask her if she had any other questions before ending the call. “Are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon?”

“No. Why do you ask, Officer—”

“Just Katherine or Katie is fine,” she interrupted. “I was wondering if you'd like to meet me for lunch. My treat, of course."

“Oh.”

Nil’s eyes immediately drifted to Aisha’s visage. Like always, she hovered nearby while he went about his life. The visage had become such a natural part of his existence that he almost forgot that it was there. Now, he could look nowhere but at her. She smiled and waved at him as the uncomfortable silence dragged on. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked him on a date since Aisha’s passing. He mostly said no. The few times he had gone out with someone, the visage’s presence soured the experience. Even on the rare occasions he had a good time, no entanglement lasted for more than a few weeks.

It wasn’t that Nil didn’t want a regular life and a relationship. A hovering dead girlfriend made committing someone extremely difficult. He did his best to ignore Aisha if a date led to sex, but then seeing her afterward filled him with guilt.

“Hello? Are you still there, Mr Roy?”

“Yes. I am. Sorry, Katie. I spaced out for a moment there.” He tore his eyes away from Aisha’s smiling face. “Just Nil is fine. And yes. I’d love to meet you for lunch.”

“Great. Are you still in your Foley Street apartment?”

“No. I’m living with a friend near South Harrow station.”

“That’s convenient!” Katherine exclaimed. “Are you familiar with Harrow-on-the-Hill station?”

“I grew up around there,” Nil answered.

“Perfect. How about we meet by the pretzel kiosk in St George’s Mall tomorrow at noon?”

“That sounds great.” Andrew and Emily grinned at him. The pair made no attempts to conceal their eavesdropping. “I look forward to it.”

“Did Sunny-boi just agree to a date?” Andrew asked as soon as the call ended.

“Oh my god, Nil,” Emily gushed, bouncing out of her chair. “Who is she?! Tell me everything.”

Everyone in the room, including Aisha’s visage, looked at him expectantly. Nil excused himself and fled, citing his need for the toilet.