“So, what are you doing here?” Damian asked as he glanced at Lance who's following them.

“To watch the two of you.”

“You sure have lot of free time. Its not like I am going to teach him something bad or anything.”

After having their dinner Damian called for Alexis to go with him planning to teach him about the so called 'adult world'.

As he was curious about what that means the young man was eager to and immediately followed him with no questions asked, meanwhile Lance was worried that this person would led him astray so he too tagged along.

And now here they are walking on the streets covered by the night's mantle, their destination is where there are a lot of pubs and shady shops.

“I am the one that will determine if they are good or bad.” Lance gave his ultimatum.

“Sigh, you're still as troublesome as always.”

Alexis just watched the two bicker from the side not uttering any words as he tailed them. He was currently out at night which was something forbidden by his parents before because its dangerous, now that he was out here he felt both excited and frightened, excitement from strolling the starlit street and fear from the darkness where the unknown creeps.

However when they turned towards a different corner the frightful darkness was drove away by the blinding lights from afar they are like the glittering stars that left the obsidian sky for the ground.

“Welcome to Red District!” Damian grandly introduced savoring the bumpkin stupefied face.

“There are still lights...”

Alexis was amazed by the scenery in front of him as his common sense told him that night should be dark and lightless.

“Of course it would be! This is a place that never sleeps!”

When they entered and got closer to the bounded stars he first noticed the number of people on the streets, they are all wide awake entering and leaving different buildings where the brightness came from, if he could not check that the sun is still not around he is sure that he would think that the day already came.

“Almost all city in this continent has this kind of district, and its a great place to buy things that are considered by many dangerous or just plain forbidden ones.”

Alexis whose been looking around at the people and brightly lit shops that they are passing by stopped and turned to look at Damian in puzzlement when he heard that.

“Why would I need to buy illegal items?”

His current morals are strictly cultivated by his hometown's priest so he would not buy anything that others considered dangerous.

Seeing through his naive thoughts which was clear from his expression Damian laughed, he wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes before giving Alexis a look of person who've asked the same thing in the past.

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“That's what I thought too, but sometimes doing what others consider as bad is hundred times better than doing good in certain situations.”

Alexis just nodded, and even though he did not understand half of what he meant he still labeled those words as something important before he once again started glancing at the colorful stores and passing drunkards.

The trio then continued the rest of their walk in silence and then they stopped at a store that is three stories tall, its large front door was guarded by two muscular men.

“You—”

“I know, I know, and I am not taking him there but there.” Damian pointed towards the ground while giving Lance a knowing smile who gazed around the place before he gave an approving nod.

Alexis did not understand why the captain was not so keen on entering the mansion, it was not until he got closer to it and heard the alluring sounds coming inside the place that he realized his reason.

When Damian saw his blushing cheeks he couldn't help but shake his head and patted the boy's shoulder.

“If not for this guy you might become a man tonight, but there's still some chance before we depart.” he whispered the second part to him still it is loud enough for Lance to hear it who just let it pass.

Alexis was so ashamed that he stopped, he raised his gaze towards one of the many windows of the building before he hurriedly run towards them with his redden earlobes.

Damian climbed the stairs and walked closer to one of the guards, he tapped his left shoulder three times in a slow pace, when the guard lowered his head and offered his ears Damian whispered something to the man which was not audible to the two.

After that the guard talked to his colleague before guiding the trio towards the back of the shop, when Alexis turned to look at the entrance he saw another person went out of the front door and started guarding it like what the one guiding them previously did.

They circled around the shop and arrived at an unlit storehouse, the guard then gave a series of knocks that seemed follows a pattern, after he completed that he stood at the side like a statue before long a gap appeared on the door then a heavy voice came from the inside.

“How did your father die?”

Alexis was bewildered by the weird question he just heard, he did not thought that it is something a stranger should asked to a person he just met but his confusion faded when Damian also gave a strange reply.

“Crushed by the boulder.”

The question is the keyhole and the answer is the key, when Damian answered it right the door of the storage opened and a man in a black hooded robe welcomed them, when the guard saw that the process ended his taut muscles relaxes he then gave a courteous bow before leaving them.

“You should really change your password.” Damian filed a complaint as he entered inside.

“We will do that only after it failed, but for now there's no need for it.” The man said his gazed lingered towards the two.

“Any 'attraction' today?”

The man bent forward as he opened the trapdoor before looking back to answer his question.

“The Colosseum are opened as always but the ones that are fighting for tonight are a little bit special, meanwhile there's an auction too, I heard they're selling some 'goods'”

When the man lifted the door the three are greeted by a spiraling stairs, he guided them first and they followed him on the staircase that leads them downward.

“What type of auction would it be?” Damian continued to ask, different from the quiet Lance and curious Alexis.

“It was promoted to be a mixed one.”

He nodded and did not throw any more questions, the dim staircase went somber with only four pair of footsteps making their noises as they descend deeper.

After a while they reached the end of the steps and beyond that was an Underground City but even though it was called city it was not bigger than a a town, it was filled with lights much brighter than the flames make it was coming from the crystals hanging up the 'ceiling' of this city.

Alexis was mesmerized by the scene laid in front of him, the small suns above and the haphazard buildings below, this city was chaotic yet there's beauty in the chaos.

“So beautiful.” he uttered.

Damian looked at his bright eyes, it was so pure and fragile, he had a smile of a devil who is planning to break the illusion that was casted in front of them.

They left the man's care leaving them on their own to descend the wide stairs made of glossy rocks, when they took their last step off the stairs they finally set a foot on the city that is hidden from the celestials above.