Chapter 2:
Downtown City Tea
There was a particular story that circulated within the office culture of Singapore. Legend had it that in a certain office building, a terrible tragedy had occurred many years ago. On a Sunday where the elevators were out of order, a woman had to climb the stairs to get to the upper floors. However, due to her limp leg, she had slipped and fallen all the way down. With a broken body, she had cried for help, but nobody came. It was a Sunday, and nobody was at work. Helpless and alone, she had died a gruesome death.
Now, some said her tormented spirit still haunted the building, and on the holy day of rest, the sound of her tormented wails echoed through the stairwell. Those who had been brave enough to investigate reported feeling an icy chill in the air and sensing a malevolent presence watching them from just around a corner.
But most people who worked in the building simply avoided the stairwell altogether or stopped coming to work on Sundays, fearing that they too might fall victim to the vengeful ghost's wrath.
…
…
"Sorry, I didn't know the elevator was going to be out of order," Edmond apologized to Canaria as he helped her up the stairs. "I normally go straight to the stairs," he added.
"Of course you would," Canaria said bitterly, feeling tears welling up in her eyes with each step she climbed. She cursed the man and his level of athleticism. He only exercised "here and there?" Bah! What a bad joke. "Ach! Ow ow ow!" she howled in pain. On one leg, her thigh hurt because the rift had lashed out at her; on the other, she sprained her ankle when she landed after taking the fire escape to get down from the roof. Walking hurt badly, whether she hopped on one leg or hobbled with both.
"My office is on the seventh floor, the topmost floor. Are you sure you don't want me to carry you up?" Edmond asked.
Canaria's face was drained of color. "S-Seventh floor—" she gasped, before shaking her head vehemently. "No, I can do this— ow ow ow!" Her outright refusal to be carried was stubborn. However, it was one thing for her to be carried while her life was in danger, but right now, she would die of embarrassment if she had to be picked up and carried over a flight of stairs because of a sprained ankle and a limp leg. Still, she agreed to hold his arm for support.
Thirty minutes had passed by the time they finally reached the top floor. Ample time had been taken for Canaria to rest up, dread, and prepare for each step, but she felt proud of herself for reaching her goal. "See, what did I tell you?" she announced with a victorious smile as she opened the door that separated the stairwell from the hallway. Edmond merely raised his hands in defeat. He could not tell if this was strength or sheer stubbornness, however he did acknowledge the strength she exhibited to be stubborn. Although, he had a feeling that her expression would change when she eventually had to make her way back down.
As they walked towards Edmond's office, Canaria could not help but notice the building's old architecture. Actually, she had noticed it on her way up, but she could not spare her mind to think about it then. The building was quaintly charming, lacking the shiny reflective tiles, automatic doors, and glass walls of the usual places of business. The wooden floors creaked beneath their feet, and the brick walls had a certain organic warmth emanating from them when the rays of sunlight shone onto them. It made her wonder about the people who used to work in the building, before the rift era.
Edmond noticed the expression on Canaria's face and guessed what she was thinking. "This building has been around for over a hundred years," he shared. "While I can't tell you exactly what people did for a living back then, I imagine it wasn't too different from what we do now."
Nodding, Canaria said, "I suppose. So how long have you been working here?"
Edmond took a moment to reflect on his past before indulging in her question. Though many years had passed, he still remembered his early days vividly. "I've considered this place a second home for a good twenty years now," he replied, reminiscing not only the good and great memories but also the bad and awful ones equally.
Canaria was honestly surprised. One, because he had been working here for almost as long as she had been alive. Two, because he was still doing the same thing after so long. "Then you must really love your job," she remarked.
"Hmph," Edmond looked away and huffed, but she could see a little smile forming on his face.
As they approached a specific door, Edmond said, "We've arrived." The door had a neat, slightly decorated, and old placard hanging from it. It read:
[Arca Archa]
"Arca Archa." The words bounced off Canaria's tongue playfully as she read them. "Like Arcanians and Archa Astra?" she confirmed, being rather intrigued by the combination of terms.
"Good guess," Edmond nodded. "Welcome to the main office of Arca Archa. Here, we provide help to Arcanians who don't know where to turn to. Whether you need us for conflict resolution, investigation, therapy, or simply emotional support, we will do our best to meet your needs, so long as it's not illegal, of course. Many immigrant Arcanians have a difficult time wrapping their minds around Earth's laws and customs. To put it shortly, we're in the Arcanian solutions business," he said, placing his hand on the door handle. Then, before turning it, he added as an afterthought, "Though that isn't to say we'll turn away non-Arcanians who need help. We're just a lot more geared towards helping Arcanians."
Edmond opened the door. It was unlocked, as businesses should be during operating hours. A little bell jingled as they entered, signaling that someone had entered the office space, and a little gust of nice air-conditioned air washed over them. Edmond took Canaria to the lounging area couch and helped her to sit there. Once she took off her shoes, he helped her prop her injured leg up on a cushion. "Phew…" she sighed. The relief on her face was evident as the pressure on her legs was instantly alleviated.
"Thank you," Canaria said gratefully.
"Do you want some tea?" Edmond asked.
"Ah, okay, sure," Canaria replied. She was about to say no, as she was already imposing enough as she was, but the man was offering. It was only polite to accept. Maybe he would even bring out some cookies too! She grew a little excited.
"I'll be right back with some tea," he said before disappearing into the small kitchen adjacent to the lounging area. The room was dimly lit, and the furniture was old-fashioned, with a few potted plants adding some life to the space. At this moment, Canaria felt like she was a child again, being left alone in a doctor's office. She even momentarily forgot about everything else as curiosity took over and she decided to take a look around while he was gone. From the comfort of the couch, of course. She was sure he would not mind her simply looking.
On the walls hung various diagrams and maps, some of which Canaria recognized as celestial charts. Next to a globe of Archa Astra was a bookshelf filled with books of all shapes and sizes. She could not make out all the titles from where she was sitting, but she had a feeling that they were not your average self-help or cheesy romance novels. "Encyclopedia of Archa Astra Vol.3" and "Divine Emperor's Grand Crusade: A Record of Arcanian History Told In Blood" were a couple of the titles she could make out. There were also many physical copies of movies on that shelf. It was mostly old kung fu ones, but there were also a couple of thriller titles, a comedy, and a few romance ones too. She then noticed an opened pack of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter next to a potted plant, which made her wonder if he smoked. She did not like the smoke, but the smell of the nicotine was somewhat pleasant.
She also eyed the stray pieces of clothes lying around. Canaria liked to keep her living space somewhat neatly organized, but it was out of necessity rather than obligation. She did not have much space to live with, so she had to make do with what she had. While most of what she saw did not make her bat an eye, there were some pretty eye-catching articles simply laying there. In one of the corners, there was clearly a lady's hat, opera gloves, and something that looked like a bra strap. It was a touch unprofessional to have things like that lying around the office, but it really set her imagination off. Did Edmond invite ladies to his office?
Despite how the man enjoyed making jokes at another's expense, which some people could find to be rude or unappealing, he was a kind person and quite gentlemanly too. His fitness was also nothing to joke about either. Coupling that with his "middle-aged handsome man" aesthetic, and the fact he ran his own business, Canaria had to admit he fit the bill that would make him very popular with the ladies. Though, she did not believe he was the kind of man to fool around like that. She would be surprised if he was not already married.
"Oh," she let out. Covering her mouth, she realized what she was doing. She felt rather ashamed of trying to play detective around Edmond's personal life. She wanted to change her train of thought, so she quickly looked around for more to inspect.
It was at that moment Canaria noticed the little bulletin board of photos right behind the couch. She turned her head to look at it and saw photos of Edmond with people she didn't recognize, most of whom seemed to be Arcanians. Out of them all, one photo stood out the most. It was a portrait of two, dated back to 1 AR, with a version of Edmond, the youngest by far, with his hair still all black. He looked to be in his mid 20s, around the same age as herself, and he wore something that looked to be a cross between a military officer's uniform and a suit.
"If he was in his mid 20's back in 1 AR… wouldn't that make him about 50 now?!" Canaria felt a piece of her world crumble at the realization. How could a man who was 50 move like that? She had to take a closer look at the photo. He looked very good and the suit fitted him precisely. However, it was then the other person in the photo caught her attention completely.
It was a strikingly beautiful woman with long hair like threads of Alabaster Gold. She wore a similar suit as Edmond, however, she also had many rings and earrings that clashed with the formal attire. Still, these details were not what caught Canaria's eye; instead, it was the kind of horns the woman had. They were like obsidian glass, dark and inorganic, the polar opposite of the animalistic horns that all horn-bearing Arcanians possessed. Perhaps it was caused by some sort of hyper-rare mutation she had never heard about, Canaria considered, or it may even have been charred from some sort of accident. However, a particular thought surfaced amidst her doubts. "Draconian…?" she murmured, shuffling over to the photo to get a closer look.
Before Canaria could get close, though, Edmond came back. "I got the painkillers and ice pack," he said, holding a first aid kit in his hand. Canaria snapped back into position like a rubber band when she heard his voice. Somehow, she felt like she had just been caught doing something she was not supposed to.
Her back was stiff against the backrest as she turned to face him. "T-Thank you," she stuttered as she told him.
Edmond opened the kit and quickly took out a disposable gel ice pack from a corner, then he sifted through the medication bottles and individually packaged pills to find some painkillers. There were a few kinds, and Canaria most definitely saw a few names in there corresponding to serious prescriptions: morphine, oxycodone, and tramadol, to name a few. However, what he ended up settling on was something anyone could get over the counter at a common drugstore, and Canaria took two tablets, with a paper cup of water from the dispenser.
Afterwards, Edmond activated the ice pack. "Which ankle?" he asked her. She pointed to the left one, at the same time pulling down her sock to reveal the swollen ankle. He put it on and then used some gauze tape to keep it in place. He also took the opportunity to treat the minor scratches she got from her two falls as well.
"Ah… that feels good," Canaria sighed out when she felt the relieving coolness of the ice pack touch her skin. "Hey, Mr. Edmond, do you think—" Canaria started to ask, but Edmond stopped her.
"Don't call me that. Just Edmond is fine. This isn't a business setting and you're not a kid; you said it yourself, right? You'll make me feel old if you start going around calling me 'Mr. Edmond.'" He laughed it off. But, at the same time, he subconsciously grabbed a strand of hair from his bangs and looked at it through the ceiling light. It was very gray.
Seeing him do that, Canaria really wanted to know how old he was, but she felt like it would be rude to ask. "Okay, Ed…mond," she tried, hesitating. Maybe it was just the impression the man left on her, but it felt weird to have only his name roll off her tongue without an accompanying title. It felt wrong, the same way it did when everyone started calling their university professors by just their given names instead of "Mr." or "Ms." something or another.
"Yes, Ca…naria?" he replied, mimicking her earlier hesitation, which caused her to be flustered.
"Hey!" Canaria objected to Edmond's mimicry with an annoyed scowl, but he merely laughed it off like always, at her own expense like always. Now, she had completely forgotten about her earlier train of thought and what she wanted to bring up.
*———!*
"Ah, there's the kettle," Edmond said, hearing the whistle, before quickly disappearing into the kitchen. "Oh, do you want milk tea?" he asked from the other room.
Canaria went along with it. "Sure," she told him. Now that she had been left alone again, she quickly and sneakily returned her attention back to the photos on the bulletin board, to the Draconian woman she saw.
"Is this what a Draconian looks like?" she whispered, drinking in the details and committing them to memory, while also appreciating the woman's splendor and grace. As a people-watcher, it was not that she felt physically attracted to the woman; rather, she viewed her like a work of art, something to admire and celebrate. Beauty took many forms, whether it was a scene from nature, a painting, a story, a song, or even a person. That was the beautiful nature of it. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, and being in the presence of such beautiful things often evoked emotions of awe, fascination, and even peace. This was no different. Canaria felt like her spirits had lifted a little, and her pain had reduced simply by admiring the woman in the photo.
As her eyes wandered over to the other photos, Canaria began to ponder over what relation the woman had with Edmond. It was only just the one photo where the woman appeared. Slowly, an idea formed in her mind and she began to wonder what had happened between the two of them. Had things gone badly at some point after that photo was taken? "Hm…" she mused, realizing she might simply be overthinking it. Was it really so strange to only have one photo taken with another person? On second thought, it seemed there were only a few people who were constants throughout the spread of photos.
Still, those two seemed awfully close in that portrait, even wearing matching suits to boot, for there to be absolutely nothing going on between them. Her curiosity was piqued, and she reminded herself to research about Draconians online later. She knew from her Archa Astra history and Arcanian Studies classes during university that the Draconians were a fairly important bunch, but she did not know much else about them.
*Clack*
Just then, Canaria heard the sound of a door opening. However, it could not have been Edmond; he was in the kitchen making tea. This sound came from the opposite direction. When Canaria turned to see who it was, she was met with an Alf man clutching a large paper bag in his arm. She noticed he had long hair even for a woman, and it appeared to be taken care of quite well too. He was quite lanky and tall, and his overall composition made him look like a stick. She had a thought just then, he would probably fit a horror film if he covered his face with his hair and wore appropriate rags. "A client?" he spoke, meeting Canaria's eyes through the rectangular lenses of his glasses. His tone was rather succinct. "Do you have an appointment?"
Canaria was flustered and asked, "Appointment?" not knowing what he was talking about. Then it clicked in her brain and she realized where she was sitting. "N-No," she continued, trying to say she was not a customer at all, but the man took her denial to mean that she did not have an appointment instead.
He nodded but still reassured her, "We only do appointments on weekends, but I can still listen to what's going on and figure out if you want to make an appointment to come back another day. Give me one second," he said, setting his things down.
One second passed.
Canaria took the opportunity to clarify the situation once and for all. "Wait, I'm not here for that. Mr… Edmond brought me here," she said, and the Alf's thought process visibly shifted as he responded with a simple "Oh." Canaria was relieved that she had gotten through to him because she really did not want to imagine how awkward it would have been had she failed to speak up. It was here that Edmond also appeared from the kitchen to back up her claim.
"She got hurt after being caught up in a rift event, Skarvig. I just gave her some painkillers and an ice pack," Edmond explained, holding a cup of blondish-brown milk tea in each hand. They were steaming in his hand and made a satisfying clatter as he placed them on the table.
Skarvig lost interest upon hearing the explanation. "That so?" he said before walking away. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned around. "Right, that bothersome Sophie Lee came by yesterday. I told her you were off."
"I know. I heard. Oh, but speaking of her…" Edmond trailed off before dipping back into the kitchen for a moment and emerging with a cake box. "She had this delivered to my place last night, but I can't eat it by myself. You two should have some. If you don't, Ioan and Ianthi will probably finish it all without leaving a crumb."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Skarvig took a quick look at the selection before saying, "I'll pass," and leaving for good. Once he left, Edmond sat down and gave Canaria some reassuring words. "Don't worry about him. He might come off as a little unfriendly at first, but he's actually a pretty decent guy, just as long as you can separate how he is professionally and what he likes to do in his spare time."
"Uh…" Canaria expressed some doubt. Edmond's last words were quite ominous, but she knew he was just joking around, probably. Then she tried the milk tea and, to her pleasant surprise, it was very good. Her eyes shone at the taste. "It's… delicious…! It's not overly sweet, very rich, and has a lovely aroma of tea perfuming it," she critiqued, sipping and aerating the milk tea little by little to get the most out of the flavors. She was very impressed. "It doesn't have the overpowering sweetness that the milk tea at cafes would have. Rather, the highlight is something else entirely. I can't put my finger on it, but it comes along with the richness of the milk and how the flavors linger even after it goes down. It's nothing like what the cafes would serve. How did you make this? What kind of tea leaves did you use?"
Edmond grinned at Canaria's genuine show of praise. He made Hong Kong style milk tea, but with his own substitutions based on personal preference. He explained to her, "It's nothing special. It's just your run of the mill black tea bags. Though, I used an oat milk substitution of my own making instead of the typical condensed milk and evaporated milk combo. It's nice, and I especially like it because it reminds me of the taste of malt."
"That's what it is!" Canaria's eyes shone as she finally realized the trick. "Thank you! I think I know what to do. I'll have to try it when I get home!"
Edmond added, "Oh, and don't forget the salt. I added salt to it."
"Salt?" Canaria reacted incredulously. "Salt? In the milk tea?"
"In the milk tea, yeah," he confirmed. "Salt is a bitterness suppressor. In the right quantities, it makes sweet things taste sweeter, sour things more sour, and whatnot. I added just the tiniest pinch of salt to the cups when I made it. It's not enough to notice it's there, but when I tested it out on people, they would always pick the cup with the salt added over the cup without."
"Huh, neat. How interesting. I never knew that," Canaria mused. She was certainly learning something new here. Unexpected, but new, and she added this to her growing mental list of things to do later.
…
A bell rang. The clock struck twelve. Noon had arrived, with two empty cups and a plate lingering on a table.
Canaria fidgeted with her hands with a worried expression on her face. "I hope everything is alright out there," she said. Ever since she got separated from Angelica, things had been nonstop and hectic for her. She had been in a constant state of fear and pain. However, the cozy safety of the office, coupled with painkillers, the ice pack, and the milk tea that Edmond had served her, had helped her relax. But now that she was calm, her most pressing concerns resurfaced.
Instead of giving an answer right away, Edmond reached for a remote and turned on the television, which was already on the news by default. To her surprise, the news was covering the rift that had opened. "Live: Drone footage," it said. She leaned forward, hoping to get a better look. She was immediately searching for her friend, but it was like finding a needle in a tumbling haystack, difficult to say the least.
Canaria's worry deepened as she watched the news coverage. Being unable to shake the feeling of dread about Angelica's safety, she turned to Edmond, hoping for some reassurance. However, he seemed to be more focused on the footage than her concerns. "It looks like the guild's already wrapping up. A bit sloppy on the execution of the barrier, but it gets the job done," he commented with a critical eye.
"Then, is it over?" Canaria asked, seeking clarification.
"More or less," Edmond shrugged. "When the guild responds to a spontaneous rift event, they follow a fairly simple protocol. Their first priority is to handle the rift itself, secure it by setting up a network of FBDS— Ah, that's Field Barrier Deployment Systems in case you didn't know. These generate a barrier when fed Aether, and it's what you always see set up around the rifts. Once the rift has been secured, it means no more new threats will emerge. And if there's no more new threats, then they just have to take care of any preexisting problems. The elementals, in this case."
Canaria took in his explanation before asking, "Do you think Anny is okay?"
Edmond briefly glanced at her before returning his attention to the TV screen. "Your friend? She'll be fine," he stated matter-of-factly. However, instead of alleviating Canaria's growing worries, his lack of concern only served to frustrate her instead.
"How can you be so sure?" Canaria choked out, her emotions overwhelming her more by the second. "But how can you be so sure?" she repeated, voice now cracking under the strain of her frustration. "You don't even know her, so how can you be so sure she'll be fine?"
Canaria's chest tightened painfully, and a lump formed in her throat. She felt faint, as if the world was closing in on her, squeezing her, and crushing her. All she wanted was for Angelica to be safe. It did not seem like too much to ask. She was not asking for a miracle, just for her friend to be unharmed. So why was it so difficult?
"Canaria." Edmond held in a sigh before suddenly turning off the TV. "Let's change the subject," he said, sensing her frustration. Canaria was confused. He took her silence as agreement and began to speak. "Maybe it will come off as a big surprise, but I used to work in the guild long ago, before I started up Arca Archa. Back in those days, operations were rough, as if we were in a constant state of war. We would be up for days at a time, constantly moving and watching our backs to see what would pop up to try to kill us. A simple mistake could endanger not just one's own life but also everyone around them. Believe me when I tell you that there were lots of things working together to try to constantly tear us apart, both from the inside and on the outside. But do you know what kept us going during these moments? Do you know what kept us sane staring into the face of insanity?"
Canaria tensed up, not knowing where this conversation was going or how this related to her situation. "What…?" she asked, not knowing the answer to his question.
"Simple trust," he replied quickly, giving her an answer which was not at all what she expected. She thought he would tell her something like "hope," or "family," or even "money." Instead, his answer was this. He elaborated, "Trust that our companions could do what they set out to do, trust that they would not fail in their mission, and trust that we were on the right path and that our actions were not misplaced. It was 'trust,' not 'hope,' that got us through those nightmarish days."
"So you're telling me to trust that Anny will be safe?" Canaria asked doubtfully.
Edmond nodded. "That's right," he affirmed solemnly. "It's better to trust than it is to hope. Trust that your friend will be able to take care of herself, rather than to hope that she will be safe. She is her own person, and she is Arcanian. She is capable of protecting herself against the elementals, more so than either you or I. It is in her blood. So, can you do that, trust in her?"
"I…" Canaria hesitated. It was true what he told her. She had seen Angelica fighting alongside Ioan right before they turned into that alleyway. She knew that Angelica was indeed capable of fighting. A part of her just did not want to fully accept it. "I think I can," Canaria said, nodding at Edmond, but her heart ached saying it.
While she knew the man spoke from a place of experience, she remained resilient to his words, not because what he said was necessarily wrong, but because she could not fully agree with his worldview. She felt that hope was essential in life as it gave people something to strive for and kept them moving forward. Without hope, people would easily give up and lose sight of their goals. Trust was important, yes, but it was not always the solution to every problem. Sometimes one needed to have hope that things would work out in the end, even if they lacked anyone they could trust to help them get there.
"I understand what you mean, Ed...mond," Canaria said, struggling to say his name normally still. "But I think hope still has a place next to trust in life. I don't want to lose hope in my life. That would be far too painful for me to bear."
Edmond's face softened as he realized Canaria's internal struggles. "I understand," he told her. He knew what he said was something that could be taken as controversial, but he felt he had to tell her anyway. To make up for it, he decided to impart another piece of wisdom. "Next time something happens to you and you find yourself struggling, ask yourself this: 'Is whatever's happening to me within my control?' Separate the things that are up to us from things that aren't. Fact is, if something is not within your control, don't even bother wasting your energy thinking about it. See that plant over there?" he said, pointing to the windowsill. "If I accidentally knock it over and it breaks, should you worry about it?"
"I would feel bad about it." Canaria told him.
"Why? It has nothing to do with you," Edmond rebutted.
"I don't know," she struggled to form her thoughts into words. "Maybe because it would be a shocking thing to experience."
Edmond nodded. "That's fair. But once you are able to take a step back and assess the situation, then what?"
"If I could walk over, I'd probably help you clean it up, I suppose."
"Good, so you just separated what is under your control, and what isn't. You can't do anything about what's already happened, but what you can do is to address the issue and perhaps remedy what was wrong."
Canaria nodded slowly. "No use crying over spilled milk," she said. But she still did not fully understand the point Edmond was trying to make.
Edmond continued, "Don't worry about what's already done. Focus your energy on what you can do now that it's been done. Say it starts raining. Should you waste your energy worrying over it, frustrating yourself, or pulling out your hair because your plans are ruined? The answer is no, by the way. It's not something you need to have an opinion on. Why? Because it's not within your control. What you can do, however, is change your plans moving forward and make the best of the situation. Instead of moping over your canceled outing, you can invite them over or go to their place. Instead of worrying about your friend's safety, perhaps you can find something better to put your energy towards?"
Canaria let out an "Ah…" as she finally understood what Edmond was trying to tell her. "I should focus on what I can do instead. But what can I do?" she asked, looking to Edmond for more guidance like a child to an adult.
"Prepare for when they eventually make it out of there. Get them first aid, take them to a hospital, or call an ambulance if necessary. If they're not hurt, then check up on them anyways. See how they're doing mentally. Maybe they just really need to rest, so leave them alone in that case," Edmond listed off many things. "There are plenty of things you can do, so take some time to figure it out. And if worse comes to worst, you can prepare for a funeral: Send them off with dignity. That would be the least you could do in that situation," Edmond told her solemnly, his expression having aged decades in a single moment.
*Btzz.*
Suddenly, Edmond's phone buzzed and he sat up straight while checking it. He had just received a text notification. "Well, looks like you're in luck," he said cryptically.
"What do you mean?" confused, Canaria asked, but she could only tilt her head and look cute as the man simply refused to elaborate any further.
…
…
"Anny!"
"Aria!"
Canaria's voice echoed through the room as she pushed aside her pain and limped over to embrace Angelica. "Thank god you're okay! I was so worried you'd get hurt!" she told her friend through the snot and tears streaming down her face.
As soon as the two had seen each other, the Felid also ran forward to return the embrace with equal fervor. "Hehe, I'm doing just fine," Angelica grinned. Despite being covered in dirt, grime, and scratches, she appeared otherwise unharmed. "I told you I would catch up once I finished playing with those elementals," she reminded her. She had kept true to her promise to Canaria, however long it took.
As the two friends wiped away their tears, Canaria asked, "But, Anny, how did you know I was here?" As fate would have it, she ended up losing her phone sometime during the chase and had been unable to notify Angelica of her whereabouts. It was unfortunate, but as Edmond had taught her, there was no point in crying over spilled milk.
"Ah… About that… Ahahaa…" Angelica trailed off, chuckling nervously. She continued, "So you're not going to believe this, but…"
…
Canaria closed her eyes as she tried to wrap her mind around what Angelica had just shared. "So you're telling me that six months ago, you came to Arca Archa with a request for help to get into the guild. And to achieve that, you have been practicing with Ioan to master your artes," she summarized.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh," Angelica nodded enthusiastically.
"However, because it's a big commitment to train someone from scratch, and you didn't have the money to pay off such a large request, you struck a deal to work for Arca Archa for a year with reduced wages to pay it off," Canaria continued, still processing the information.
"Yep! That's right. In actuality, I didn't know you were here. I only came to wind down and to lick my wounds, so I'm way more curious why you're here, Aria. What happened after you left?" Angelica asked, changing the subject.
Canaria shot a nasty glance towards Edmond, her eyes completely betraying her inner annoyance. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew Anny?" her eyes seemed to say. Edmond quickly averted his gaze, feigning innocence. She would definitely remember this.
"Let me go get the first aid kit," Edmond said, rising from his seat and handing it to Ioan, who took it gladly without complaint. The exhausted Ursid took off his sunglasses, revealing a large scar running through his left eye. Canaria gasped in surprise. It revealed just how incredible of a fighter Ioan was to be able to fight despite the lack of depth perception.
"Aria?" Angelica's voice snapped Canaria back to the present.
"R-Right. I'm ashamed of it, but not long after I ran away, I got jumped by one of the elementals you risked so much to hold back. Luckily, I was saved by Edmond and he brought me over here to rest afterwards," she admitted, hanging her head in shame.
Angelica was glad to hear that Canaria was safe. "Oh, don't say that, Aria. I'm just glad you're okay. There's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, trying to comfort her friend.
Edmond returned with the first aid kit, which he quickly opened to take out disinfectant, ointment, and gauze. Though the wounds of Ioan and Angelica were not severe, it was crucial to take care of them anyway to prevent possible infection later. For the most part, the two Arcanians were self-servicing of their injuries, but they had to get help with a few remaining ones. Edmond said nothing as he worked on Ioan, while Canaria felt slightly dizzy seeing all the blood on Angelica. However, she pressed through, doing what she had to do to help.
Once the two had been treated, Edmond spoke up. "I suppose a brief explanation is in order," he said, addressing Canaria specifically. "Ioan is a retired guild operator. He used to train recruits out in the field, but he was forced to retire after receiving an injury he could not recover from," saying this, Edmond motioned with his head towards Ioan's missing eye. "Still, the fact remains that the man is very good at what he does. Angelica has been making leaps and bounds ever since she started learning under him."
"I see…" Canaria mumbled. It all made sense now, why Edmond told her that maybe she did not know her friend as well as she thought. She felt her mood improve a little, and subconsciously, a giggle bubbled up to the surface. "I guess you were worried about her too! That's why you told me to trust in her, hehe."
Edmond did not take kindly to her reaction, however. "Oi," he growled with displeasure, yet Canaria only broke out into melodious laughter. Now, with no more worries weighing her heart down, she felt too much joy and happiness to do anything but to laugh.
And laugh, she most certainly did.
…
"Thank you again!" Canaria expressed, bowing gratefully. The time for her to leave had come. Now that she had been rested, medicated, and alleviated, she realized she could not continue to bother Edmond all day. After all, the man had his own life and work to attend to. But before she left, she made sure to ask for his contact information. "Let's continue being friends," she told him straightforwardly. She felt she had made a good friend in Edmond and hoped that their relationship would continue long into the future. For that kind of friendship, there was no need for her to beat around the bush.
"Sure," Edmond said nonchalantly before taking out his phone to exchange contacts with her. He did find Canaria's company quite pleasant, not that he would admit it so openly. She was a good kid… adult, he corrected himself, but she felt like a kid to him, the kind that made him want to spoil a little. "This is my personal number. Feel free to call or text. I might be busy sometimes and not able to respond, but I do read all my messages."
Canaria nodded. "Okay," she said, before reaching for her phone, only to remember that she had lost it earlier. Dejected, she asked the man if he could write his number down instead. He laughed, before then taking a shiny metal card holder from his pocket to pull out a business card. He grabbed a pen from a nearby table and quickly wrote his information on the back.
"Here," Edmond said, handing the card over to her. "Arca Archa," the card displayed. It was frosted dark blue, had a few stars, and Archa Astra was showing up on the corner of it. She was impressed. It was a very aesthetically pleasing card. "Call the number on the front if you ever need help. You know our motto. Someone's usually in the office to pick up," he explained.
"Got it," Canaria said, carefully putting the card away. Then she turned to leave.
"Oh, one more thing before you leave," Edmond said suddenly, having just remembered something.
She turned around, limping slightly. "What's that?" she asked.
"The elevator is still broken, by the way," Edmond reminded her.
Canaria froze. She had completely forgotten about having to climb stairs to go back down. All the memories of her struggles while getting up to the office flooded her mind like a tsunami, and she immediately felt cold sweat gathering on her back. "Urk," she croaked. "I-It's okay. I g-got this," she stuttered, holding in a tear.
Edmond held in a little laugh; it ended up being just as he had predicted when coming up. Of course, he would not let Canaria go down by herself. "Angelica, go help your friend down," he said.
Hearing him with ears perked, Angelica quickly jumped off the couch. "I'm already on it!" she said energetically.
Edmond went on further to say, "Go ahead and take the rest of today off as well. Rest up. You did well today."
Angelica's eyes shone. "Really?" she asked to confirm. "You're being generous today, aren't you, Boss. Are you in a good mood?"
Annoyed, Edmond waved her off. "Go, before you make me change my mind."
"Yikes!" Angelica scrambled, causing Canaria to giggle. Not wasting another moment, the Felid dove under Canaria's arm and pulled it over her shoulders to support her friend.
"I'll see you again," Canaria waved goodbye, leaving the office.
Edmond did the same. "Yeah," he told her.
…
After Canaria and Angelica left the office, Edmond slumped into the couch and let out a heavy sigh. He looked around the office, seeing some of the things laid around. He saw the lady's hat and clothing laying in a pile and groaned. "Ianthi needs to stop treating the office like it's her damn home."
"I heard the culprit has finally been caught, Boss," Ioan, who had been mostly quiet, said. "The authorities ended up getting involved, but no one was harmed. Ms. Peh was very thankful and has promised free tickets for the VIP box at the opera house the next time you come by."
Edmond raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then I suppose I could cut her some slack," he said. "So, how do you think Angelica did fighting at the rift?"
Ioan smiled. "She did great, Boss. She's more than ready to make a name for herself in the guild. She has good talent and her eagerness automatically puts her in good standing in my eyes."
"That's good to hear," Edmond nodded. "But we still have half a year left on our contract with her. You'll still continue training her, won't you?"
"Of course, Boss, to the best of my abilities," Ioan confirmed. "I plan on forwarding a recommendation to Quies about her talents as a Scout when that happens."
Edmond agreed. "Quies would put her talents to good use, rather than have her talents be wasted with the Sentinels run by that stubborn old monk Sanders," he said before changing the subject. His hunger was starting to annoy him. Due to what happened with the rift, he only had coffee and milk tea all day. "Anyway, you hungry? Let's go get lunch. I'm feeling skewers."
Ioan grinned. "Always hungry as long as you're paying, Boss."
…
*Clack*
Skarvig's door opened shortly after Edmond and Ioan left the office. He held his phone in hand as he called out to his boss, "Hey, Boss? You're going to want to see this."
Titled "Person Closes Spontaneous Rift," footage from a security camera played on an anonymous image board site. In the video, there was somebody standing in front of a rift. While the face of the person was obscured, what they did was clear. Holding out a hand, they closed a spontaneous rift. "Unbelievable," the comments seemed to agree. But there was also a consensus of "Fake" making the rounds. After all, the footage of the rift was found in Singapore, and in Singapore, said rift was still being handled by the guild.
However, no response came. Skarvig was alone in the office. He shrugged before returning to his room. "Oh well," he said simply.
…
…