I’ve had some talks with one of the local professors here at the Academy. Quaint little school it may be, but I don’t think I would be suited to giving a lecture there. He did provide some insight into the different Eihkand, and the location of an ancient people with similar practices. Regrettably, those ruins are far away, and reaching them may be out of my reach yet. I still believe that there is much to discover here.

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 17th Entry

The sun shined overhead in one of the warmest days of the season. Near the field kept by Barksight Academy, a raucous bunch of teenagers were enjoying the hot day with a simple game. AxEl cocked his gun a few times, feeling the ice cubes shake around in the water pouch he had attached to it.

He ran towards his classmates, brandishing the weapon with a smile of pure glee.

“Ah!” they shouted as he sprayed them with water that was cold as ice before running away cackling. He then felt a stream hit him in the back of the head and wet his dreadlocks, so he looked behind. Finn stood there with a smug grin as well, and AxEl turned to him with his cocked water gun.

He sprayed the man and Finn let out an embarrassing scream, causing a round of laughter from everyone on the field.

“Okay! Okay! I give!” he shouted as he dropped his own gun. AxEl picked it up and used it to spray at the nearest man, but missed. Around him, a group gathered, with the traitor Nook and HinEn in their midst.

“You wouldn’t…” He said, but they were already beginning to pump it. Before AxEl could spray them, he felt his entire body being drenched in the same ice-cold liquid that he had employed.

Nook, being one to not be outdone, grabbed him by the back of his collar and slid something down it. AxEl only had a few moments to guess as the chill of the little pouch hit him. He jumped around in the field, moving it around to get rid of it, but the thing wouldn’t budge.

Nook, in trying to keep his composure, broke down into a laugh and started rolling around on the floor while the rest of them watched AxEl with amusement on their face. He eventually got the pouch out and threw it away, glaring at Nook on the ground instead.

“Oh, you’ll get yours!” he said, before unscrewing the plastic cannister and dumping the cold water onto Nook’s face. That seemed to set off a reaction, however, as the rest of the playground also emptied their guns and started just splashing each other around with water until they were finished. AxEl sat down on the ground, feeling the wetness seep into his clothing as he took deep breaths.

“Oh...that was fun…” Nook said from on the ground. AxEl brushed his wet locks out of his face and stared ahead as his classmates began to wind down one by one. They sat on the grass, on the pavement, wherever they could and tried hopelessly to wring out the water and sweat that had accumulated on their clothes.

“You said it. I can’t remember the last time I got to use one of these,” he said, holding up the colourful plastic piece that he had bought. AxEl grinned and sat it down on his lap as he watched the crowd slowly shift out of the field. And just when he was beginning to take in the sights, enjoy his time and take a deep breath, his phone began to ring.

He let out his breath abruptly and then fished the device out of his pant pockets. Opening the lid, he read the name of the person on the other end and groaned, but accepted the call nonetheless.

“AxEl, are you free?” asked Anagen from the other side.

“Hello to you too. And today’s Sports day, what do you want?” Axel replied.

“Sports day ends just as normally as one of your other days. You said I could call after.”

AxEl stared at the time on his phone and winced. It was a minute past when school would end.

“Okay, fine. Is this important?”

“Yes, it is. I need you to attend a meeting today,” Anagen replied.

“Another one?” AxEl asked.

“It’s not just any other kind of meeting. Come to the entrance and I’ll tell you more about it,” Anagen said. AxEl begrudgingly obeyed, moving towards the open lot in front of his school. There she sat impatiently in her vehicle.

Anagen was tapping against the wheel and AxEl felt himself drawn to her features. Does she…always wear makeup? He thought to himself but discarded that thought once her piercing gaze settled upon him.

“So, what’s this about?” he asked, while opening the door to the passenger side and settling himself inside the vehicle.

“Remember that buyout that I told you about?”

“From Dox Transport Vehicles?” AxEl replied. He vaguely recalled some mention of agreeing to such a thing, but he didn’t think that Anagen would have it prepared so soon after she suggested it.

“Why do you need me there for that?” AxEl asked, suddenly eager to leave. As if Anagen had sensed it, she started the car, and they were soon cruising down the cramped streets of Barksight.

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“Because you’re going to be the one attending it,” she replied nonchalantly.

“No, I’m not,” AxEl replied almost too quickly. Good, she doesn’t control you. Take the better road, a part of him said. Anagen didn’t turn away from the road however, instead staying silent to gather her words.

“AxEl. I won’t be the one conducting your business for you all the time,” she said. “Someday you’re going to have to learn to do it yourself. It undermines your authority if I’m the one actually running things behind your back. Or have you forgotten why I left my previous occupation?” She iterated the last point with a glance in his direction, which made AxEl feel small.

Green Reaper take you, woman, you know why I don’t want to do this. AxEl clutched at his legs, but let them go and sighed. I took on DoxEn. I took him on and won, in fact. Why do I need to fear something so small, then? He kept repeating the line to himself, as motivation and for the coming days, when further challenges would no doubt arise.

Turning another street, he watched the location come into view. It was a simple office building, something that he had passed a million times. Another smaller, dingier looking vehicle stood outside near the lot. Anagen parked her car and gestured for AxEl to go, which he did hesitantly.

Out on the pavement, he looked back at Anagen. “You’re not even going to join me?” he asked her.

She simply shook her head and drove off, presumably so that AxEl couldn’t barter for more time. He craned his neck upwards and looked through the windows to catch a glimpse of anyone, but found the glass hard to pierce. If they’re the holders, they might have known about his dealings. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the office complex, ready for whoever confronted him.

After some deliberation about timings and names, the receptionist let AxEl through and into the office where the lawyer was waiting. He looked sharp, with short cut hair and dark skin held together in a professional dark grey suit. His forehead was wrinkled as he stared away from AxEl towards a second group.

A…woman and her child? The woman looked to be old, with greying hair and a tiredness about her that reminded AxEl all too much about his own mother. Next to her sat a boy of small stature. He looked to be a simple child, but unlike those he had normally seen, this one didn’t have the energy those little tykes did.

AxEl cleared his throat in order to garner attention and the people sat within the room turned to face him. “Ah, AxEl, is it?” the lawyer asked with a smile.

“Y-yes. I’ve been tol-I mean I’m here, in order to negotiate a deal,” AxEl replied. The lawyer nodded and gestured over to a free seat on the opposite end of the table from the woman, where AxEl took his seat.

“We were just discussing about that same topic. Mrs. En here was telling me about the numerous resources she’s willing to give to you for a reasonable price!” The man played it up, but AxEl only focused on one thing.

Mrs. En….?

He swallowed, then spoke. “Are you perhaps…DoxEn’s sister, or?” AxEl asked.

“His wife,” she replied simply. The expression on her face betrayed her emotions.

“Oh….I’m sorry for your loss, then,” AxEl said. Faceless forgive me. The fear of being found out plagued his every being.

She waved him away with a hand, looking more annoyed than anything. “Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. We should return to the topic at hand, however,” she replied, and AxEl nodded in affirmation. The little boy next to her grabbed onto her sleeve and she rubbed at his head idly.

“Ah, yes, we should,” the lawyer replied. “What we have here is…”

AxEl listened, paying only half attention as the man listed the various assets that Mrs. En was giving up to him. It was painful listening to every little thing, especially when it got to the reason.

“I simply can’t support my own job, my children, and Dox Transport vehicles at the same time. It’s funny, it might be why he never put the ‘En’ into the title,” she chuckled, and the lawyer went along with her awkwardly. AxEl didn’t join in however, glancing between her and her child every so often.

“I don’t understand how my late husband operated the company so well, but I’m sure experienced businessmen would know better than me. That’s the gist of it,” she added. Wait….does she not know what he really did? AxEl thought to himself, feeling a bit lighter for it.

“We’ve negotiated on a price of one million and two hundred thousand Laros for all of Dox Transport Company’s assets, Mr. El,” the lawyer said, turning to him. I can do that… he thought to himself but looked over to the kid clutching onto his mother even tighter.

“That seems a bit low for what I’m buying, though,” AxEl said. Mrs. En looked at him, confused.

“You think you’re paying too…little?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah. I’d like to extend it to two million Laros instead. I-if you would have that, Mrs. En,” he replied.

“KenEn, please. Just call me KenEn. Are you sure you want to go through with that, AxEl?”

“It must be tough on you…to have to go through the loss of someone so close. So, let me do this for you, Ma’am,” AxEl said, stuttering at points. The corner of KenEn’s lips curled up in a smile. She looked over to the lawyer, who looked confused in his own right.

He placed his hands on his chin and scratched. “If you’re both agreeable to those conditions, I don’t see why not.”

“So, where do I sign?” AxEl asked. The lawyer chuckled.

“Not any day soon. We’ll have to write up a contract for this, after which the deal will be finalized.”

KenEn nodded and looked down to find that her son had fallen asleep. AxEl tried not to stare as she shook him awake. The lawyer stood up, and AxEl followed when he waved him over.

“I can see you’re new to this, so I should warn you that not every deal will go so smoothly.”

AxEl recoiled. Was I really that gullible?

“No worries. But if you need someone to handle further talks, I’m always open,” he asked shrewdly as he held out a business card. The smile on his face never left, so AxEl took the card with reluctance and stuffed it into his pockets.

KenEn stood up as well while her son rubbed at his eyes. “He’s been awake for too long. I couldn’t leave him at home by himself after school, so I had to take him instead. My apologies,” she said as she pushed past the both of them and towards the door. The boy looked back at AxEl and his hand shook for a moment. Those eyes, the same as DoxEn…

The resemblance was uncanny, even in his young age. AxEl looked away before he gave away his true feelings on the matter. After that, it didn’t take him long to leave the office himself and stand on the curb once more.

He had a wife and child. Do they even know how he died? Do they know who it could be? He saw them further away on the road. KenEn still had that exhaustion that she displayed in every movement. It hadn’t been long since DoxEn’s death. It must still be fresh on her mind.

But what could I have done? He was trying to kill me. I…I was just defending myself! He thought to himself but found no comfort in his own mind. A single death is a tragedy. You can stop any more from happening, a piece of him reprimanded.

And then what? Leave? Forget what I’m doing this for?

“I can’t do that, sorry,” he whispered out loud, his being the only ears that could hear it. Anagen arrived soon after, taking him away from the office but not his own thoughts.