I’m loathe to admit that I’ve grown a certain…dependency on Prophecy. I never thought I’d fall to such base instincts, but it seems in my haste to discover every bit and piece of information I could wrench from Prophecy, I’ve neglected my own health. I need time to recover. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to take some time away from my work.

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 15th Entry

Nook bobbed his knee up and down. The teacher said something, probably related to their coursework, but Nook didn’t make it through half the sentence before his mind wandered. He kept looking out the window to the road, looking at each car passing by.

AxEl said that he was ushered into a car. A suspicious looking one too, Nook thought as he rubbed at his smooth head. Which begs the question why he would ever even enter the damn thing. Nook sometimes wondered if the big oaf thought his moves through, or if he just did as he pleased, shunting him with the consequences.

“Finn!” the teacher said, his voice deep and authoritative. Finn was sitting in front of Nook, so he saw the boy stand up and face the teacher with his awkward posture.

“Yes, sir?” Finn asked sheepishly.

“What would be the value of x for this equation, then?” the teacher replied.

“W-well, uh…that would be…” he mumbled the words out as he looked over to the board. Nook faked a cough and covered his mouth.

“Fifteen,” he whispered.

“Fifteen, sir!” Finn reiterated. The professor looked at Finn for a moment before dismissing him. Finn slumped down into his seat and edged his face backwards a bit.

“Thanks for that, Nook,” he said appreciatively.

“That’ll be fifteen hundred Laros, by the way,” Nook remarked. Finn turned his face around in surprise. Nook greeted him with a grin and the other boy just sighed before returning to whatever had consumed him before.

****

Nook walked towards AxEl’s classroom, waiting outside until the bell rang, signaling the end of his class. Though he’d hoped, the first person to leave wasn’t AxEl, but someone else.

The heavy built man was a shade lighter than Nook, with bright grey eyes and tall stature. He looked over at Nook and smiled, in a way that Nook didn’t appreciate much at all. He pulled his hands into his pockets as his friends followed.

“Hey there, shorty. What are you doing here?” he asked. Nook wasn’t in the mood to converse, so he kept quiet.

“Oh come on, didn’t lose the ability to talk, did you?” he added, poking Nook.

“…Please stop that,” Nook said.

“Oh, so you can. Come on, Nook, why don’t we hang out, for old times’ sake?” he asked, though Nook could see his entourage giggling behind him.

Hanging with you was torture, and you know that, Nook thought.

“I’m not feeling up to it, VexIk.” Nook said, voice low. He’d only hoped that AxEl would come out and help. He was always more confident in these scenarios. Nook had all the confidence in the world, but around someone like VexIk? It felt as though that confidence was stifled and quieted.

VexIk put a hand around Nook’s shoulder, bringing himself closer. “Nook, I won’t bite, okay? I talked with the guys, they won’t pull anything with you anymore. Still sure you don’t want to be around?” he said with such a convincing voice that Nook almost listened. It would be easier than resisting for so long, at least.

You weren’t a good friend, VexIk, Nook wanted to say, but his lips quivered. Thankfully, in that moment, AxEl walked out of the classroom and noticed Nook. His eyes lit up, but darkened a bit when he saw who was around him. Nook shuffled away from VexIk faster than he’d like to admit.

“Maybe some other time,” Nook said, and lead the both of them away from VexIk. AxEl glanced back a few times to make sure they weren’t being followed through the halls. Then, in an awkward moment, he spoke up.

“He’s not bullying you into doing something again, is he?” AxEl asked.

“Nah. Just being his annoying self,” Nook said, devoid of his usual humour. AxEl and he walked out of the doors of the school. AxEl froze as he saw the same car from before. Luxurious, black colouring, with a polished exterior.

Some of the other students stared at the vehicle, admiring it. AxEl recovered, moving towards it just in time to see the window rolling down and DoxEn sitting on the front seat. He opened his seat and walked out, a bouquet in one hand and a gift in another.

“Good evening. AxEl, was it?” DoxEn said.

“What are you playing at?” AxEl asked. DoxEn looked surprised as he heard it.

“I’ve no clue what you’re talking about. I just wanted to see the lovely professor EnnA again. I had a delightful time when I was last invited here. Now, if you don’t mind,” DoxEn replied, gesturing AxEl aside as he entered the school.

AxEl looked back at the car, seeing only his Archivist still sitting. “Didn’t you get my messa-”

“Neither I nor my boss know anything about that. You’d best get home, AxEl, you stand out too much in the open,” Anagen, the Archivist replied. AxEl, in his confusion, didn’t bother any further.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Come on, Nook,” AxEl said. He and Nook took off, away from the car and the weird way DoxEn and his Archivist were acting. Striding down the street, he and Nook wandered, until eventually, the same vehicle pulled up next to them and slid down its windows once more.

“Now, that’s a much more appropriate location,” DoxEn said from within the vehicle. “Get in,” he ordered, though AxEl didn’t obey.

“And how would I know you’re not trying to pull anything?” AxEl asked.

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to talk to the Sir?” Anagen retorted. They both stood for a moment while a man exited the vehicle and opened up a door for AxEl to walk into. After some hesitation, AxEl relented and entered, though he kept one hand in his pockets just in case something occurred.

Nook still stood outside, so AxEl shuffled around on his seats to make room for his friend. But when Nook moved towards the car, the guard put a hand to his chest and stopped him.

“I only want to talk to AxEl, sadly. This has nothing of importance to you,” DoxEn said. AxEl ground his teeth.

“Stop the act. You probably already know,” he said. DoxEn smiled and waved at his guard to step aside. He did so and Nook was allowed in the vehicle, though he looked uncomfortable. Despite that, AxEl was glad that his friend was close by in case of trouble. Nook was reliable like that.

When the car started again, AxEl felt his trepidation rise.

“Aren’t you going to talk?” AxEl barked at DoxEn.

“In such a dour location? No thank you. I’d like to conduct business in a more…professional setting,” DoxEn said. AxEl put a hand to the door of the vehicle, but the locks on it closed as he did.

“Oh, don’t be so worried. It’ll only take a few moments to arrive where we need to. And if you’re still not convinced,” DoxEn waved his arms around, showing him empty of any weaponry.

Nook stared at the man silently, assessing him top to bottom. DoxEn caught his eye and raised a brow, but Nook didn’t look the man in the eye.

“Odd friend you’ve got there,” DoxEn noted.

“Don’t call him odd,” AxEl replied.

“Whatever you wish,” DoxEn said offhandedly. The buildings of Barksight passed in a blink, dimmed in colour by the dark windows that covered the car. The car stopped in front of an expensive looking restaurant. From his position, AxEl couldn’t make out the name on the front of the restaurant, so instead he looked around for any recognizable landmarks.

“We’re here,” DoxEn proclaimed, then exited the vechicle with his Archivist in tow. AxEl and Nook followed, trailing a few feet behind them. DoxEn strode into the building with the utmost confidence, waving towards the staff that greeted him.

AxEl was loathe to admit that he was impressed by the display. They walked to the front of the reception desk, where the clerk manning it beamed up.

“Oh, Sir! You’re here for your reservation, I assume?” he asked with a smirk.

“That would be it, yes,” DoxEn replied, smiling back. AxEl looked around the area and noticed that everyone had a shawl on. The people sat in yellowish lighting, on plush chairs over a crimson carpet. Lamps hung from the walls and a giant chandelier was present in the middle of the room.

All in all, it made him and Nook feel as though they stood out in the setting.

“Sir, yours,” Anagen said, and took out a long piece of cloth from her bag. DoxEn took it and wrapped it around his shoulders. Then he turned to face AxEl and Nook.

“Come on, no time to gawk,” he told them. They were led towards a free table, set into the corner of the room. AxEl saw that the nearby tables were also evacuated, putting him on edge. They sat down in the sofa, and AxEl straightened his back to face DoxEn.

“What’s the point of bringing us here?” AxEl asked. DoxEn scoffed.

“It seems you don’t even understand the basics of etiquette. Business needs to be conducted somewhere professional. Meeting at a fast food place or wherever you do with your employees doesn’t do well for morale,” he scolded.

AxEl was about to speak up, refuting his claims, but Nook put a hand in front of him. He could read the expression all too well.

Don’t give him anything to go off of. AxEl turned towards the table, eyeing the cutlery and glasses that were laid around. He glanced over at Anagen when he thought the woman wasn’t looking, but found her catching his gaze. He then turned away and focused elsewhere.

“Axel, are you going to order or not?” DoxEn said.

“AxEl,” he corrected, though the waiter did not look so pleased. He hastily picked out something on the menu and Nook did as well, then they went back to the awkward silence that plagued their table once the waiter had left.

“Are you just trying to scare me?” AxEl asked out of the blue.

“Do you believe that?” DoxEn replied.

“That’s not the point. If you’re really just here to treat me to a meal, then I’m in no mood to take it,” AxEl said.

“Are we really past pleasantries at this point, AxEl?” DoxEn asked. Nook grabbed at the edge of the table cloth.

“You sent men after us!” he said, a bit loud by AxEl’s estimates.

“Keep your voice down,” Anagen said without any indication of her true feelings. She kept herself composed at all times, and it was beginning to grind on both of them.

“I admit fault in that. I only asked them to tail you, you see,” DoxEn said, though AxEl found it hard to believe.

“You still did, DoxEn. I’ve already told you once before, and I’ll tell you once again, I’m not going to hand over Prophecy to you,” AxEl told him, his eyes set on the man.

“Hmph,” DoxEn grunted.

“I don’t intend for you to. I’ve been misjudging you, AxEl, you’ve a real talent for this business.” DoxEn said. “That’s why I’ve revised my offer,” he added.

The food arrived soon after and AxEl barely took a bite, sitting in anticipation of what DoxEn would say next. What? I can walk away with twice as much money as before?

DoxEn, instead, cut into his food with all the leisure of a wealthy man. He looked barely concerned with what he himself had said.

“You attacked my workers. I can’t overlook that,” AxEl said.

“I understand that. Which is why I won’t ask you to give up the business. Tell me, why did you begin to sell Prophecy? A young man like you has many opportunities in his life, why take something so dangerous?” DoxEn asked of him.

AxEl hesitated for a moment to answer. Was it really for the money? DoxEn was correct in assuming that he could have gotten a much safer job. Something that wouldn’t worry his mother, at least.

“That’s none of your business,” Nook told him.

“I know, but I ask anyway. If you’re in no mood to answer that, at least listen to my new offer. I’ll take over the production and proliferation of Prophecy. In Barksight and the other cities. But in exchange, you’ll get a cut of all the profits that are made.”

He took another bite of his steak. “I’ll set up a bank account for you. You’d never have to risk your life ever again, and you’d earn enough to never work another day in your life.”

AxEl listened for a bit, but the more he heard, the surer he became. A life free from crime, from the fighting, from the drugs.

DoxEn put down his cutlery, then looked at AxEl with what he believed to be the first honest expression that he had ever shown. “Listen, this world isn’t for someone like you. I understand how…hard it must be to deal with poverty. But take this deal, and you can live as lavish a lifestyle you want. You and your family. What do you think?”

Nook looked towards him, and when AxEl looked back, he saw that his friend was seriously considering it. In those eyes, he found someone who could never understand. It was never about the money.

“No,” AxEl replied.

DoxEn breathed out a sigh. He left his cutlery on the table and seemed to leave a bit of his attitude behind, revealing someone much more tired than before.

“I guess there’s nothing more that I can offer you to change your mind?” DoxEn asked.

“No, you can’t,” AxEl answered. He stood up from his seat and walked out of the restaurant by himself. He looked behind him and saw a hesitant Nook follow after a few moments. He also saw Anagen once more staring after him, an unreadable expression on her face.