Isak didn’t waste a second. The moment Anastasia turned to lead us out of the mansion, he sidled up next to her, putting on what he probably thought was his most charming smile.

“So, Anastasia,” he began, his voice dripping with confidence—or at least what he thought was confidence. “That’s a beautiful name, you know. Russian, right? What’s a stunning woman like you doing working for a guy like Narkul? You ever think about... branching out?”

Anastasia’s response was immediate, her tone flat and professional, without even a hint of amusement. “Thank you for the compliment, but I am quite content with my employment. Please, follow me to the car.”

Isak, undeterred, tried again, falling into step beside her as we headed toward the limo waiting outside. “Come on, you can’t be serious. I bet a lady like you has tons of hobbies—maybe we could, you know, hang out sometime. Get some coffee or something?”

Anastasia, with the patience of a saint and the demeanour of a stone wall, opened the limo door for us, completely ignoring the undertones of Isak’s attempt. “Please step inside, gentlemen. We will be arriving at Mr. Narkul’s office shortly.”

As we all slid into the limo, I caught a glimpse of Isak’s face—part determination, part frustration, but definitely not defeated. Abel shook his head as he climbed in, muttering under his breath about how Isak never knew when to quit.

Once inside, Isak made one last attempt. “Anastasia, you know, I’ve been told I’m pretty fun to be around. What do you say we grab dinner after this? I know a great place.”

She remained standing outside the limo, her expression unchanged, not even a flicker of interest or annoyance crossing her face. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Isak, but I am strictly here in a professional capacity. Please sit back and relax. We’ll be at Mr. Narkul’s office shortly.”

With that, she closed the door, leaving Isak sitting there, still looking hopeful despite the obvious lack of success. I couldn’t help but smirk, watching him lean back in his seat with a sigh, clearly not giving up, but definitely realizing that this was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

“She’s way out of your league, bro,” I muttered, trying to stifle a laugh.

“Yeah, well, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right?” Isak shot back, still grinning.

Abel snorted. “And you missed all of those shots.”

Jiho chuckled, shaking his head. “Man, she didn’t even blink.”

As the limo started moving, Anastasia’s stoic professionalism remained unshaken. Despite Isak’s failed attempts, we settled in for the ride, knowing this was just the beginning of another wild day in this new world.

As the limo glided through the city streets, Isak leaned in closer to us, keeping his voice low as he whispered, “Alright, guys, what am I doing wrong here? She’s not giving me anything to work with.”

Jiho smirked, his arms crossed. “That’s because you’re trying way too hard, man. You’re coming off like some wannabe player. Just be yourself.”

Abel nodded, still glancing out the window but clearly listening. “Yeah, stop acting like you’re in some bad rom-com. You’re better when you’re not faking it.”

I chimed in, leaning back in my seat. “Just keep it light. You’ve got your moments, Isak. You don’t need to be smooth, just... be you.”

Isak sat up a little straighter, nodding like he was absorbing our advice. “Alright, alright. No more fake smooth guy.”

He looked over at Anastasia, who was still seated with perfect posture, her face as unreadable as ever. Isak took a deep breath, then cleared his throat.

“So, Anastasia, I gotta say,” he began, a little more relaxed this time, “working for a guy like Narkul has to be pretty interesting, right? You ever get to do something cool like, I don’t know, fight dragons or stop an alien invasion?”

Anastasia’s gaze remained forward, but there was a subtle shift in her expression—almost as if she was processing the question, but still maintaining her stoic exterior. “I handle various tasks that Mr. Narkul requires. They vary from day to day.”

Isak grinned, feeling a little more at ease. “Right, right. Well, if you ever need help with those aliens or dragons, I’m your guy. I’ve played a lot of video games, so I think I’m pretty qualified.”

Jiho snorted beside me, trying to hold back a laugh, and even Abel cracked a smile.

Isak pressed on, clearly more comfortable now. “Also, gotta say, you’re really great at keeping a straight face. I’m not sure if that’s a skill you picked up from working with Narkul or if you’re just naturally good at ignoring dumb jokes, but respect.”

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Anastasia’s lips twitched, just the faintest hint of movement, and I swear I caught the briefest flicker of a smile before she composed herself again. “Thank you, Mr. Isak. I suppose both are useful in my line of work.”

Isak’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait, did I just see a smile? Was that—was that progress?”

Abel shook his head with a grin. “It was a twitch, not a smile, but sure, let’s call it progress.”

“Hey, I’ll take what I can get,” Isak said, leaning back in his seat with a triumphant look on his face. “You guys don’t understand the subtle art of chipping away at a wall of professionalism.”

Jiho laughed, slapping Isak on the back. “Yeah, well, let us know when you finally knock down that wall. You’ve got a long way to go.”

Isak grinned back, clearly not discouraged by the minimal success. “Patience, boys. I’ve got this.”

As the limo continued on its route, Anastasia remained composed, but I knew Isak had managed to at least crack through that professional armour—if only for a moment. And honestly, that was more than any of us had expected.

We pulled up to the main office building, and as the limo slowed to a stop, I couldn’t help but notice how similar Nark Industries’ headquarters was to the rest of the city’s traditional architecture. Despite being a massive corporation, Narkul’s office still fit into the cultural aesthetic—wooden beams, tiled rooftops, and intricate carvings. The only thing that stood out was the large, polished sign that read Nark Industries.

Anastasia stepped out first, guiding us through the main entrance and into the reception area. The lobby was spacious but modest compared to the luxury of the penthouse we’d been living in. The front desk was made of dark, lacquered wood, and the décor continued with the same traditional style—calm, clean, and efficient. The place had a certain gravitas, but nothing overly flashy.

As we walked in, Anastasia took her place behind the reception desk, apparently taking over the role of the receptionist as well. Isak, ever the opportunist, saw his chance and sidled up to the desk with a grin.

“So, Anastasia,” he began, leaning just a little too casually against the polished wood, “I’m thinking, after all this business is handled, you and me could grab dinner, maybe discuss the finer things in life. Like... you know, how great my jokes are.”

It was so cringe-worthy that I could feel secondhand embarrassment crawling up my spine, but at least this time, his delivery was honest—awkward, sure, but at least it wasn’t over-the-top fake like before.

Anastasia, still typing something into the computer, paused ever so slightly. I caught the briefest glint in her eye, and the corners of her mouth twitched. She didn’t give him a full smile, but it was clear she was fighting back the tiniest bit of amusement.

“Mr. Isak,” she replied, her voice steady, though her tone had the slightest hint of warmth, “I believe our schedules will remain quite full for the foreseeable future.”

Isak didn’t seem fazed at all by the polite rejection. “That’s alright. I’ve got time, you know. Patience is a virtue and all that.”

We couldn’t help but be silently proud of him. He wasn’t winning, sure, but he wasn’t backing down either, and there was something kind of endearing about his persistence.

Just as I was about to say something encouraging, we heard a deep, gravelly voice coming from the other room.

“If you want to play Casanova,” Narkul’s voice echoed through the hall, clearly amused, “you can always do it afterward—for as long as you want.”

The sound of his voice made us all freeze for a second. We’d gotten used to his presence by now, but something about the way he just chimed in out of nowhere was intimidating. Even Isak stood up straight, no longer leaning on the desk, as we all prepared ourselves to head into the meeting.

I caught Anastasia’s eyes, and this time there was no hiding the smile as she stepped out from behind the desk. “Mr. Narkul is ready to see you now,” she said, still maintaining her professionalism.

We nodded, and I shot Isak a quick look, raising my eyebrows as if to say, "Nice try." He shrugged, grinning like he’d just gotten the smallest victory, even though we both knew he’d been shot down.

“Alright, let’s do this,” I muttered, and we all followed Anastasia into Narkul’s office, ready for whatever was next.

We walked into Narkul’s office, the place just as intimidating and powerful as the man himself. Narkul stood straight, greeting each of us with a firm handshake, his eyes sharp and calculating, but with that usual warmth that came when he was in a good mood. After all, we were his new protégés, and that seemed to amuse him.

“From now on, you’re my protégés as you discover this new world,” Narkul said with a smile, his voice filled with an air of authority that none of us could question. We nodded, taking our seats in front of him. There was something about the way he said it that made it clear this was the start of something big—like we were no longer just guests in this world, but participants.

Narkul’s gaze shifted towards Anastasia, who had been standing by the door. “Anastasia, bring in the surprise.”

Anastasia walked in with the same calm, collected stride as always, carrying a small black box in her hands. Isak, predictably, couldn’t help but check her out, his eyes roaming up and down as if this was some kind of opportunity. Abel, noticing his younger brother’s wandering gaze, pinched him on the arm, causing Isak to jolt in his seat.

“Stop being a perv,” Abel whispered harshly, his usual no-nonsense tone making Isak huff in annoyance.

I had to bite back a smirk, but Jiho was the first to break the tension. “So, what’s the surprise?” Jiho asked, leaning forward in his seat as his eyes focused on the black box in Anastasia’s hands.

As if on cue, Anastasia placed the box on Narkul’s desk, her movements slow and deliberate. She removed the lid, and the moment she did, an all-consuming light spilled out of the box, illuminating the room in a soft, ethereal glow. It wasn’t just any light—it felt alive, pulsating, almost like it was reacting to us, drawing us in.

“What… what is that?” I asked, my curiosity piqued as I stared at the glowing orb inside the box.

Narkul leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying our reactions. “This,” he said, his voice low and filled with importance, “is an affinity ball.”

“A what?” Jiho asked, still staring at the glowing light as if he were in a trance.

Narkul’s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “It’s a magical artifact. It reveals your magical affinity—the type of magic that resonates with you most. Simply put your hand in, and the ball will tell you where your talents lie.”

The rest of us exchanged glances, a mixture of excitement and nervousness spreading through the room. I could feel the air change, the tension thickening as we realized this was going to be a defining moment for all of us. My pulse quickened. Magical affinity? This world just kept getting crazier by the second.

Narkul turned his attention to Jiho, the grin still playing on his lips. “You’ll be the first, Jiho. Let’s see where your talent lies.”

There was a moment of silence as Jiho glanced back at us, and I couldn’t help but feel a small spark of jealousy. Of course, Jiho had to go first. Lucky guy. Still, I was happy for him, though the anticipation of discovering my own magic was starting to gnaw at me.

Jiho gave a small, nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, let’s do this,” he said, standing up and approaching the box. The rest of us watched in a mixture of awe and impatience as he slowly reached out and placed his hand inside the glowing orb.

The light seemed to pulse around his hand, reacting to his touch in a way that was almost...alive. We all held our breaths, waiting for whatever would happen next.

I could feel it in the air—this was going to change everything. Our lives, our future, everything was about to shift again, and there was no turning back.