"Hello, Tabitha," I greet Lucas's aunt when Zane and I arrive at the training center. "How are you doing?"

She looks extremely stressed, with bags under her eyes and her hair slightly messy, not quite fitting into her ponytail cleanly. Even if she's only the aunt, it's understandable that the entire family is likely affected by this. The Lusvarises are all pretty close judging by the way Lucas talks about them, when we do get him to talk about them.

With the youngest member kidnapped, I'm surprised any of them even showed up for work. Lucas won't even respond to our calls or texts, and we've seen a couple of news reports about Lumilxal's mysterious hunt this afternoon. Tabitha might be attempting to anchor herself by going about the day as normal.

"I've been better," she answers as she checks us in.

"Is there any news?" I ask.

"No," she answers. "And none on Lucas, either. We're left to news reports on him."

"So you know?" I ask.

"Yeah," she answers. "It wasn't something he could really hide from us, since we know his power set. Do you want someone to come help you in his place?"

"No, thanks," I tell her. "I think Todd's the only one I'd be comfortable running around naked with here other than Lucas when it's not for an assessment or something, and I can go today without having a coach."

"Okay," she says. "Let us know if you need anything."

"Actually," I say. "Since my power does kind of require me getting naked repeatedly, would there be a way to lock the door? Just for this one session? Or would that require me having a staff member in the room?"

While I know Zane has no issues if someone does actually walk in on him while he's training nude, it does make me a little uncomfortable to do that. What if a kid enters? The risk of that is low if I'm just changing, but it's much higher if someone shows up who wants to use a blocks room and picks that one and I'm in there for two hours.

"Normally, I'd say you need a staff member," Tabitha holds out a hand. "But we trust you a bit and given the circumstances, I can do a temporary permission. May I see your card?"

I hand her my keycard, and she inserts it into something on her desk, then does something on her computer. About a minute passes before she hands me the card back.

"Until eight tonight," she tells me. "Your usual finish time, you'll be able to lock the doors to a training room where that's allowed. The door will unlock if someone leaves the room, just as a warning. And while I'm giving you trust on this, don't abuse it or you'll feel the punishment."

"Thanks," I slip the card into my pocket. "We won't abuse this trust, Tabitha. We'll see you later, and I hope he's found safe."

"Thanks," she says. "We're all hoping it happens."

Zane and I make our way down to the blocks room I use, and I drop my bag on the bench. Zane is probably going to change, then leave.

"Since Lucas isn't here today," Zane says. "Want me to help you with your training today? I don't really know what he does, but I can probably make my best effort."

"He mostly just coaches me and gives me encouragement if I need it," I tell him. "At least, for the Tuesday and Thursday sessions."

"What do you normally do for them?" He asks.

"As many five-foot shadow-steps as possible," I answer. "Followed by running back and forth across the arena. Once my magic is recovered all the way, I do that again and continue until eight, when I do as many as I can, then use up the rest of my magic stepping as far as I can go."

"That's… rather basic."

"It's how to improve," I say.

"Wait," he says. "You run around the entire time?"

"Just like on the weekends," I confirm. "I do take short breaks. It's helping build up stamina and my agility. The only difference is these two days are just running, rather than running with targets to go after."

Lucas told me we'll stick with this for these two days for awhile, to continue to help me build up speed and stamina without extras. Once I have a fair bit more magic and can do a fair bit more shadow-steps, we'll probably switch one or both of these to doing more than this.

By that point, my body will be conditioned enough that I won't get much improvement from that and would only need to do it as a warmup.

"Can I run with you?" Zane asks. "In stone form?"

"Not with me," I roll my eyes. "Considering how slow you'll be compared to me, but yeah, you can join me."

It will be nice to not be alone while doing this, even if Zane and I will be moving at different paces. Being left alone with my thoughts, especially with Lucas's situation right now, won't be good for my mental health.

I swipe my card in the door as Zane pulls off his bag, and as Tabitha promised, the door locks in response to that. Zane and I then undress and put our clothes on our bags, then we begin to warm up in silence.

Once we've warmed up, Zane and I climb over the barrier, entering the arena. Zane shifts into his stone form, his extra weight causing him to sink down into the mats a little. While that form is significantly heavier, Lucas has mentioned in the past that the mats and blocks can handle the weight.

I perform my shadow-steps, then the two of us begin running back and forth across the arena. As always, I adjust where I'm running across after a full lap, so that I'm not doing the same run more than once every five or six laps. Zane picks up on that and does the same, though he ends up several laps behind me.

His stone form really is slower, and I can see why it's recommended to train running in it. What's more, it's heavy enough that he can't really jump over the blocks, so after his first few falls when attempting that, Zane goes around them instead.

Our training passes mostly in silence, only the sounds of us moving around the blocks arena filling the air. Even though Zane doesn't give me the encouragement that Lucas normally does, just having him here supports me enough that I can push through. Without him joining me today, I probably would have given up on the runs.

Right at eight, the doors to the room open, and a peek over the blocks shows Todd entering. He looks as composed as always, but the fact that he showed up right at the end suggests he's not. As usual, he's dressed in his work uniform, his glasses in place as always.

Zane and I head over to him, Zane shifting out of stone form as he climbs over the barrier and I sit on it. Todd actually has a look of worry on his face, but one that he's trying to hide.

"Have you heard from him?" Todd asks. "Lucas, I mean. Tabitha said they haven't heard from him directly since he met with his parents."

"Not since he left," I answer. "Unless he messaged us while we were in here, but I doubt it."

"Let me check," Zane checks our phones, then shakes his head. "No contact. Damn idiot's going to get himself into trouble. I understand being worried, but the way he's going about it isn't healthy."

"It's not," Todd sighs. "I really hope they find Cyrus, the kid is a bundle of joy and energy, and is much more friendly than his big brother. No pun intended, but he really brings light to people when he's around."

"I want to meet him," I say. "What do you think of the Patron?"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"I'm neutral," Todd answers. "I've never really been sure of what to think about him. Why?"

"I know Lucas hates him," I say. "And is used to dealing with people who don't like him, up until he met Zane, Danny, and me. I don't know about the others, but I'm definitely hoping the Patron is able to do something."

Even if he seems to have been unable to so far, I hope something happens that lets him interfere, for Lucas's sake and for Cyrus's.

"I am, too," Zane says.

"I'm just hoping he's found," Todd says. "And that Lucas calms down before he gets himself into trouble with other vigilantes or the guardians."

"Yeah," I say. "So. You cleaning?"

"I'll clean," he nods. "You two ready?"

Zane switches back to stone form and I inhale deeply and hold my breath, then Todd releases his cleaning mist. Once it ends, I exhale and hop off the barrier, then walk over and begin to dress. Zane waits about a minute before shifting out of his stone form and dressing.

"What are your plans for the evening now?" Todd asks as I pick up my phone and send off a text asking Lucas if he has any leads.

"Head to my boyfriend's place," I answer. "Though I might be alone there for awhile. Eat dinner once I'm there, then just go to bed if he's not there, or cuddle with him if he is."

There's a good chance that Theo has extra work tonight due to Lucas's rampage in his attempt to find his brother. I can't imagine the Patron letting Lucas go too out of bounds over this, as it could cause major problems for the city. This is especially true because of how powerful Lucas is.

My first night staying at Todd's as his actual roommate, and I might end up doing it alone. I'm not going to fault him for that, though – his job has to come first with what it is. If I make the cut, then I'll be the same way at times, unable to spend the night or even a full day with him, possibly longer at times.

"Why not ask him if he's going to be there?" Zane asks. "And if he's not, I'll take you out to eat, my treat. That way, you're not alone and you get to eat something that's not, well, made by you."

"That's fair," I send off a text to Theo asking him what he's doing, and he responds almost immediately. "He says he's at the front desk, actually. I guess he's walking me home tonight."

"See you guys tomorrow, then," Todd tells us. "Enjoy your night as best you can, and remember that Lucas can take care of himself. He's one of the best, after all."

"Yeah," I say. "See you."

Zane and I grab our bags, then make our way down to the lobby, where Theo's waiting. As usual, he's dressed in sneakers, sweatpants, and a hoodie. That's also probably all he's wearing – I've learned this week that Theo doesn't like wearing underwear or socks, nor does he like wearing shirts under his hoodies. His hands are tucked into the pocket of his hoodie, and he's looking as hot as always.

He looks serious at the moment, his playfulness and energy subdued right now. That might mean he does have to work.

If this isn't a stop to to tell me he has to work tonight, then I really hope he's up for sex when we get to the apartment. Despite what's going on, I'm really horny after my training today and it's a good way to relieve myself and not feel alone and take my mind off other things. Like how stupid Lucas is being.

"Hey, Kier," Theo pulls me against him and gives me a kiss. "How'd your training go?"

"Good, thanks," I answer as we leave the center. I make sure to wave to Tabitha on the way out. "Do you have to work tonight?"

"Sort of," he answers. "Do you want to get a bite to eat first?"

"Do you have time for that?"

"Yeah," he answers.

"Then sure," I say.

"How 'bout you, Zane?" Theo asks. "Want to join us? I promise we won't be all lovey-dovey during it. I'll pay."

"Not going to turn down free food," Zane says. "Where to? Sandy's?"

"She'll probably ask questions about where Lucas is," he shakes his head. "I know a better place, though we'll have to walk a bit, it's in the middle districts."

"Alright," Zane says. "Lead the way, Theo."

Theo takes my hand in his, then leads us down the street. Our walk into the middle districts is quiet, not a word spoken until we arrive at the restaurant. Theo sits beside me, Zane across from us, and a waiter greet us soon after we sit.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he greets us as he sets the menus down. "Would you like to order drinks now, or would you like a few minutes to peruse the menus?"

"Can you give us just a few minutes?" Theo asks.

"Can do," the waiter responds, then steps away to check on another customer.

We look at the drinks, all three of us ordering lemonade when the waiter returns, then we begin looking at the food. This place seems to do pasta as their main thing, and by the time the waiter returns with our drinks, we've all decided on what we want to eat. For an appetizer, we get a basket of buttery garlic breadsticks. Zane orders a macaroni-and-cheese with shrimp and chicken meal, Theo orders spaghetti and meatballs, and I order a lasagna. All three of us order salad on the side.

"I'll be back with your appetizers in just a few minutes," the waiter informs us, then leaves.

"So," Theo says as I take a sip of my drink. "You mentioned you had thirty days to decide if you wanted the security job, Zane. Are you still planning on accepting it?"

"I am," Zane answers. "As much as I love my family and our business, I really want this job."

"Okay," Theo says.

"Kieran told you about the offer, right?" Zane asks.

"The one he was told he might be getting?" Theo asks.

"I think he's referring to the one I told you about yesterday," I say.

"Ah, yeah," Theo says. "He did. It's a good offer. Are you still interested in the other job, Kier?"

Is Theo seriously asking me if I'm still interested in being a Sivalshi Guardian? Has he gone stupid?

"Yeah," I answer. "I am. It's basically a dream job for me. There's no way I'll turn it down if I get the offer tomorrow, even considering the stuff I'll end up having to do for the job."

"Alright," Theo chuckles. "Just wanted to check. Nervous?"

"A bit," I nod. "What if I don't make the cut? I mean, a month isn't really that much time to train my power up. I'm not like Lucas, who's trained that power for years. I can barely do anything."

Our waiter returns with the appetizer, which comes with dishes of marinara and some sort of buttery sauce. Our conversation turns towards the expectation of snow this weekend after that, then just various bits of news that Theo's caught that we haven't.

When our food comes, we all share a bit of it with each other, and I discover that I really don't like the shrimp in Zane's, my expression and attempt at not spitting it out causing Theo to laugh. I do manage to swallow it, though if we weren't in public, Theo might have tried to take it out of my mouth with his own. His expression definitely says he wanted to.

"You know, most people might have just thought it was a kiss," Zane adds, causing Theo to blush a little and me to shove a forkful of lasagna into my mouth. "Hey! Just saying, unless you get too obvious…"

There's a thump under the table, and I'm willing to bet that was Theo kicking Zane judging by the way Zane jumps, then sticks his tongue out. We continue eating, with me stealing some of Theo's spaghetti and him stealing some of Zane's dinner. The salads are all the same, so there's no real stealing there.

"I'm stuffed," Zane rubs his stomach after we finish eating. "That was a good meal, Theo. Thanks."

"No problem," Theo says as our waiter approaches with our check. Theo hands him some cash. "You can keep the change. Thanks for the service."

"You're welcome," the waiter responds. "Enjoy your evening, gentlemen, and have a good night."

Theo, Zane, and I leave the restaurant, and Zane stretches, then announces that he should be heading home.

"Actually," Theo says. "Why don't you walk with us?"

"Why?" Zane asks. "Want me to make sure Kieran's okay tonight while you're at work?"

"No," Theo answers. "Because for some reason, the Patron decided to move the offers and initiation up to tonight rather than doing it tomorrow, and you said you were accepting the offer."

Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"Uh," Zane frowns.

"You know my vigilante persona," Theo smiles. "I'm also Zignarl, Zane. One of the Sivalshi Guardians. And my first job tonight involves the orientation of the three of you, provided all three accept."

"The Patron must have kept us from realizing it," I shake my head. "The signs were all there. The same date, the similarities of the offers…"

"Probably," Theo says. "Normally, there's only one under consideration at a time, so we didn't have anything to go off of. But we did suspect he was keeping you from suspecting, especially since you had more than enough clues to have figured it out, Kieran."

I decide to ignore the fact that the Patron used his powers to affect my mind. It's not like it's the first time he's kept me from learning something, and I understand his reasons for it even if dwelling on it too long does actually scare me a little.

"You said three?" I say. "Zane, me, and… who?"

"Someone from the other side of the city," Theo answers. "Isaac is bringing him over to the meeting point if he accepts. The Patron said to make sure you two had rested a bit after training before bringing you there. The walk will take about half an hour, so let's get going."

Zane's power seems even less suited to being a guardian than mine without training does. Yet he got the offer, too? What sort of hidden power is inside of my friend that would catch the Patron's attention? And why didn't he get told to train like I was?

"You said your first job?" I ask as we begin walking.

"Yeah," Theo answers. "The Patron said I have another job after orientation is over. Don't worry, though – I shouldn't take more than an hour or two for it. Three at most. So we can still spend most of the night together."

"Alright," I say, then look at Zane and shake my head. "I can't believe Stoneboy got the offer, too."

"Hey!" Zane protests. "The Patron must have seen my awesome talent as being a heavyweight!"

"It's something else," Theo snorts. "You'll find out once we arrive and do orientation. There's always more to the decision than what's revealed to the one who talks to the offered at the halfway point."

"I'm curious to know what Zane's is," I say. "And nervous to know mine, after everything that I was told."

"I was the same way," Theo tells me. "Don't worry about it, Kier. The Patron doesn't make his decisions lightly. Every guardian is picked for a reason, and most enjoy it well enough that they choose to remain one for several years when he allows them to."

That's only a mild relief. But something tells me that the Patron wants me to assassinate someone once I'm more powerful. Not just the normal assassination jobs I'll no doubt get, but something much bigger.

At least tonight is just orientation.