"Man, this is the life isn't it?" I throw myself into the limo's comfy passenger seat, letting my body sink into the expensive leather. The car's engine gently purrs and we're off, travelling in stately luxury.

Paul still looks a little out of it as he speaks, "We're just glad you're fine, Robbie. We had assumed the worst when we arrived at the school last night."

Sara nods mutely along, playing with the long sleeves of her blouse and trying to hold back tears. I idly note that Paul's chauffeur had packed up the entire memorial dedicated to me before our party left in the limo. Good thing too, I don't know how comfortable I would be about other people seeing a memorial to someone who is very obviously still alive.

But I caught sight of something else in the limo's boot while the chauffeur was cleaning up. Several bags of luggage and cardboard boxes. The type you use to move stuff about.

"Hey, come to think of it, where's the rest of the gang?" I ask my friends while checking out the limo's mini bar.

"What gang?" Sara asks, somewhat bewildered at my question.

"Y'know, the rest of the gang that hangs out with me and Paul." I shrug, pulling out a bottle from the shelf, "The guys we go to fight club with?"

"Its just us, Robbie." Sara settles back in her seat. "Paul and I planned the memorial by ourselves."

"Those dicks." I growl, feeling a pang of disappointment, "They forget about me so quickly? And how long has it been? Barely a single day?"

"I was never close to the other gang members." Paul consoles, "And as for Sara, I doubt she qualifies as a member of the gang in the first place."

"That only makes it more insulting." I grumble, checking out the bottle of sparkling fruit juice.

"Let it go, Robbie." Sara pulls out a couple of glasses from the minibar, "You're alive and well, that's all that matters. Right?"

"Why isn't there any alcohol in this minibar?" I point out as Sara begins pouring out glasses of fruit juice for the three of us.

"We're all minors." Paul raises an eyebrow, "We can't drink."

"And what's going on with you, Paul?" I demand, "You're talking differently now. More high class. Then there's this limo bearing the insignia of the same group that attacked Rutger's."

"Long story." Paul sighs in defeat, "I really wanted to avoid things turning out this way."

"Fate had other ideas for Paul." Sara confirms, "And I guess for me as well."

Its just an innocuous comment but what Sara says sends an electric trill up my spine. Fate. In other words the invisible will of this world. Maus's words come back to me with a churning sense of unease. Then there's this meeting with Paul and Sara. I don't doubt their goodwill towards me. Still this meeting seems really convenient. I literally could not have walked away from it thanks to the memorial taking place at the park near my apartment.

I accept the drink Sara pours out and try to relax. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Surviving a terror attack has probably done a number on my nerves. And Maus's antics weren't helping either.

"It all ties back why I approached you yesterday after school." Paul purses his lips as he speaks to me, "I was going to cut ties with my family for good."

"Huh?" I boggle, nearly choking on my drink. Out of all the reasons Paul could have given me, I certainly wasn't expecting this one.

"You're right, Robbie." Paul shuts his eyes with an expression of sadness, "I'm talking differently now. Or rather I was dumbing down my speech in your presence previously. This high class person in front of you, its the real me you're seeing."

Sara rubs Paul's arm reassuringly with a worried frown on her face. Paul rallies and his eyes open, flashing with determination.

"I'm a terrible person. Hiding my true self away." Paul murmurs, "But my feelings for the both of you as friends, those are real. I know that now."

I sip my drink in silence, trying to absorb all of this at once. I really didn't know him at the end of the day. Calling him boss feels absolutely wrong now.

"Seeing your ripped up blazer at the school really got both of us thinking, Robbie." Sara picks up the thread, "About how things could have been different."

"What were you doing last night anyway?" I ask, "That seems to be the crux of the whole issue."

"Like I said, going to cut ties with my family." Paul remarks before sinking into morose silence.

"We went to Wyvern's office in the city." Sara explains, "Paul knew someone there, a representative from his family."

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"Hold up, how is Paul related to Wyvern anyway?" I shoot back, "And why are we riding about in a car owned by them?"

"Isn't it obvious Robbie?" Paul smiles bitterly, "My family owns Wyvern. My allowance and living expenses are routed through Wyvern's accounts."

An urbane cough comes from the chauffeur as he smoothly navigates the traffic.

"The young master is the heir of the Wyvern Conglomerate. His family does not reside in the city, having business interests worldwide."

"Yes. Thank you." Paul interrupts the driver, his mouth a thin, annoyed line, "That is enough."

"It was really overwhelming, what happened when we entered Wyvern's office." Sara gushes, "Everyone was bowing and scraping at Paul. And there was also a kind of pressure, hard to describe."

"That's the sting of disappointment." Paul folds his arms, "The staff there could guess why I wanted to meet Burke. The heir of the family throwing everything away."

"That was why you needed someone to accompany you there?" I recall Paul's earlier request to me.

"Paul needed moral support." Sara continues, "The atmosphere in the office was crazy. I don't think I would have dared enter without someone by my side."

"You want to throw all this away?" I gesture at the luxury all around us, "Sorry Paul, but I'm siding with your family on this one. You are acting crazy."

"All this is just a cage, Robbie." Paul answers grimly, "The Wyvern Conglomerate has controlled my life from the day I was born."

"So what happened next?" I personally disagree with Paul's sentiment, though not enough to provoke an argument with him.

"The staff told me that Burke, the man who handles my affairs wasn't in." Paul clenches his fists, "It took me sometime to get the actual story out of them."

"Burke. Wait, are you talking about the fat man who attacked the school?" I blink at this latest revelation.

"Good guess, Robbie." Sara nods, "We didn't know it then of course but Paul's family is in some kind of feud with Carl's parents. Burke was ordered to make Carl disappear."

Of course I knew the identity of Burke all along, thanks to Maus. Though this added bit of context is helpful. Though what kind of feud could motivate someone to send out a hit squad?

"I don't know the why behind the kill order," Paul shakes his head in defeat, "since I was never close to my family. But I can make a fair guess."

"And that would be?" I pour myself another drink and chug it down thirstily.

"The alwar." Paul says something completely incomprehensible. Sara recognizes the look of confusion all over my face and quickly steps in with an explanation.

"The aluminum wars. It was reported on the net a few months back. Remember, Robbie?"

"Not really?" I scratch my head in embarrassment, feeling pretty stupid right now.

"Some failed state had its government collapse a few years ago and sold off their industry for breadcrumbs." Paul thinks back, "Wyvern became a big owner of aluminum smelters thanks to that. But failed states aren't known for being safe or secure."

"The Kuats also own a large stake in the aluminum trade. Conflict was inevitable." the driver pipes in.

"Yes. Thank. You." Paul makes an irritated noise at the unwanted commentary. The driver falls silent once more.

"Being involved in a failed state's affairs got us in a world of trouble." Paul sighs, "There were other bidders interested in the aluminum smelters. And they weren't willing to take no for an answer."

"Wyvern Security Consultancy was set up for this reason -" the chauffeur starts speaking again and Paul jabs a button on his hand rest, causing a partition to lower, separating us from the driver's compartment.

"He was just trying to be nice." Sara meekly protests, "There was no need to get so irritated."

"See what I have to put up with?" Paul suddenly hisses, "No one in my family respects me. Not even the employees. You think that guy would dare talk over the head of my father? Fuck him. Seriously, fuck him."

"Dude, calm down." I mutter, taken aback with how angry Paul is. This is the most upset I've seen him ever.

"I can protect myself. I don't need Wyvern Security." Paul hunches over in frustration.

"Paul's a soul mage. Imagine, at our age, someone with a fully awakened soul." Sara whispers in admiration. I wordlessly agree, having known this already.

"Of course, Carl fucking Kuat is a soul mage as well." Paul grits out, "It never ends doesn't it? Whatever I do is never good enough."

"Why did you bring Sara along to see such dangerous people in the first place?" I protest, "Burke's obviously a killer."

"It was fine, Robbie." Sara speaks up, "No one hurt me last night."

"I would have rather had your company, Robbie." Paul says drily, "I said as much before we left school."

"Still ..." I mutter, not fully mollified.

"Burke is overbearing, smells of grease and is generally disagreeable." Paul finally takes a swig of his own drink, "He's also incredibly loyal to my family. That was the reason why my parents trusted him to manage my financial affairs in the city. He wouldn't hurt any of my friends."

"You do seem pretty confident in that." I observe.

"I've interacted with Burke for years." Paul deflates, "He's like a leashed dog. Barks plenty but can't bite. Its just that the barking is really intimidating on its own."

"And after we found out what Burke was up to last night," Sara shrinks into herself, "we rushed to the school, just in time to see Carl kill Burke."

"Yeah." Paul looks down as well, "The war between our families is on. There's no way I can leave now."

"We spent the whole night searching the rubble for you alongside the police, Robbie." Sara concludes, "The only thing we found was your blazer. So we feared the worst. And now you know."

"How did you survive anyway?" Paul interjects, "The floor detention was held in was destroyed."

"No idea." I lie, "Got knocked out in an explosion. Only came to in the morning."

"You're incredibly lucky." Sara stares wide eyed at me.

"Luck does favor the bold and the foolish." Paul grins.

"I somehow feel that I'm being put down at the moment." my face scowls without any real heat, "And there's still one more unanswered question."

"Which is?" Paul asks.

"Where are we going now?" I finish off the last of the bottle.

"Sara can't stay by herself anymore. She's seen too much last night." Paul glumly states, "You too. Part of the reason we held the memorial near the apartment was so that I could load up Sara's belongings at the same time."

"We're going to be staying at Paul's home." Sara says, "At least for the near future."

The limo finally pulls to a stop and I realize that we're right in the central business district, parked before a towering skyscraper.

"Its a penthouse." Paul pats my shoulder, "You'll like it."

"Holy shit." I grunt, watching the driver disembark and begin to unload the assorted luggage stored in the boot. Things are really moving very fast right now, aren't they?

"I'm just glad the three of us are together again." Sara coos softly to herself.

And as the sun shines down on the city, I realize that even if this is some predestined will of the world, I would be happy to play along with it.