CHAPTER ONE

THE ENFORCER

“Am I a good person?”

This is a question Elair asked herself everyday.

She asked herself this question now, as she sat on her stool in the Everyman’s cafe, as she sipped on her morning latte and listened to the sound of the boy getting his face pushed against the glass counter, not a few steps away from her.

The boy’s name was Stephen.

At least that’s what Elair assumed after listening in on his conversation with the other boy who was shoving his face on the table. That other boy’s name was Tarham. Tarham Rosters, specifically. The fact that he had a last name implied that the boy was part of the lower nobility. The fact that he was a member of the lower elite explained why no one in the cafe was paying any attention to what he was doing.

“Don’t talk to her again,” Tarham whispered to Stephen’s ear, but in a voice that was loud enough for everyone to hear. His two lackeys flanked him and were doing their best to look intimidating for their friend.

Elair spared them a brief glance before turning away, her attention falling back to her phone.

It’s none of my business, she thought to herself.

She wasn’t surprise that the boys were arguing over some girl. What else did teenagers fight about these days?

Stephen, Tarham, and the two idiots, all wore the black-and-blue uniforms of Holiaran Thao Academy. It was the biggest school in this part of the fourth ring. A melting-pot campus for the rich and powerful, and students whose parents came from more humble origins.

It was clear from the interaction between the four boys that Stephen was the latter, while Tarham was the former. Elair could tell, not because of how different the two boys carried themselves, but because only a rich prick would give their son a name like ‘Tarham.’

“Do you understand, Stephen?” Tarham said, still loud enough for everyone in the cafe to hear. “Because I will make your life a living hell if you keep talking to Ana.”

Stephen, with his nose shoved against the table, could only mumble a yes and manage a weak nod.

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Tarham, satisfied with what he’s done, smiled and finally released his grip on Stephen’s head. But even with the pressure of Tarham’s hand off his head, Stephen still didn’t move.

Tarham puffed his chest like a gorilla as his eyes scanned the room. He looked at each of the other patrons of the cafe, as if expecting someone to speak up. No one did. He was the son of a member of the lower nobility. He knew that he was powerful and he wanted everyone else in the cafe to know the same thing.

He eyed each and every customer and each and every customer looked away.

Except for Elair.

Elair simply stared at him.

Neither one broke the gaze for what felt like hours.

She could feel a rage building up behind Tarham’s gaze. He took one sudden step toward her, to no doubt attempt to intimidate her up close. But he stopped. The doors to the cafe swung open, accompanied by the jingle of the door chimes.

Three men had entered the cafe.

These men didn’t look like the everyday patrons of the Everyman’s cafe. They were rugged and huge, each one built like a tank. Thugs. One of the thugs made a beeline for the owner, who was busy wiping some glass displays near the counter.

“Good morning, old man,” he greeted jovially, raising his hand up.

Kurt the owner looked at the thug and his eyes widened. After a brief moment of panic, he lowered the glass he was polishing and offered a smile to his visitor.

“Of course. I… didn’t expect you today.”

The thug, though he didn’t have the aura of one, gave Kurt a smile.

“We were busy yesterday, old man. Sorry about that.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright,” Kurt said in that overly-friendly accent of his. “I’ve had the money prepared since yesterday. Shall you join me?”

The thug smiled and gestured for Kurt to lead the way. Before following the owner however, the thug gave a slow look around the cafe.

The patrons knew better than to stare, of course. What they were witnessing was extortion, plain and simple. The three were part of a local gang who offered protection money to the cafe. They were confident enough to collect in the morning and that meant that they were powerful, that they had absolute control over this part of the city.

Extortion deals like this were a common part of life in the fourth ring. Everyone knew this. Everyone including Tarham and Stephen, who had both fallen silent.

The thug was about to leave when his eyes fell on Elair.

She smiled at the thug.

The thug stared at her for a few moments, before his eyes widened in recognition.

“I know you.”

He said before walking toward her.

“What was your— what was your name again?” he pulled up a chair for himself and sat on it.

“It’s Elair now,” she said with a smile and a forward tilt of her head.

“Of course,” the thug held up his hands. He pointed at his chest. “My name is Arus. I have uh… I have heard of you.” He leaned forward and whispered. “It is an honor to talk to you like this.”

Elair sipped her coffee. “Pleasure’s all mine.”

There was a lull in their conversation.

“I’m sorry,” Arus eventually said. “I had heard that you were… retired.”

“I am,” Elair said briskly.

“Ah.” He nodded, understanding. “I am sorry for bothering.”

Elair grimaced. “It’s okay.”

She said nothing else as Arus stood up and gave her a slight, respectful bow. His two companions did the same, though their heads did not dip as low.

They left, soon after, following Kurt to his office.

The other patrons glanced at her, but no one stared for too long. She and Arus spoke with voices that were too low for everyone to hear. She hoped that they only thought that Arus was hitting on her, and not that he was her fan.

Tarham stared at her, then scoffed.

He lead his friends out of the cafe not a moment later, but not before giving Stephen one last smack on his head.

Elair shook her head in disapproval as the three boys walked away.

Stephen fixed the collar on his blazer and attempted to recover whatever semblance of confidence he had left. He hunched over his books and kept his eyes on the pages. He looked like a child, trying to lose himself in his own world to forget about the harsh realities of the real one.

Elair watched him for a moment.

She didn’t want to involve herself in the trifles of teenage love triangles, but she also didn’t want to leave the boy alone.

And so she picked up her phone, drank the last of her coffee, and left. But not before summoning a barista and ordering the boy a slice of chocolate cake.

After all, she was going to be a teacher at his school this year.