"Are you sure, sis?" Kael glanced nervously at Lyra. She wore a serious expression as she looked intently at the entrance door. Even though his sister always seemed a bit serious, this time, she was serious for real.

Meanwhile Arthur and Ruby glanced at each other feeling lost and confused.

"Why are you so serious just because someone is at the door? It may be few customers as we haven't closed anyway" Ruby said with some confusion. She didn't understand why they were so serious about this.

Arthur also shared similar feelings as Ruby. But since he wasn’t very close with them, he didn’t voice his opinions.

"You guys, quickly go through the back door. I don't have time to explain now. If possible, call for some help" Lyra seriously reminded them.

"Bu…t" Before she could complain Ruby saw the dead serious look on Kael's face. She has never seen him so serious. She swallowed her words, chose to trust them, and took Arthur's hand to leave through the back exit.

Before they moved a few steps, the door to the shop opened at two burly men walked in wearing casual winter clothes. One of them was a bald man with a long beard and another one with a man bun wearing glasses.

"Mark, are you sure this is the place?" the bald guy asked his partner with the man bun.

“Yeah Dave, this is the place we were told to investigate” Mark replied while taking a glance through the people in the room and another glance at the photo in his hand.

As the two men were conversing Kael walked toward them with a smile and said

"I am sorry guys we are closing, but I forgot to put the close sign outside. I am really sorry for the inconvenience. We will open again at 12'o clock at noon tomorrow"

Dave didn’t even bother listening to him and lifted him up his collar casually. Even though Kael was by no means skinny and had a fair amount of muscle on him, he was lifted so easily by Dave.

“Stop spouting bullshit and start answering my questions. We are looking for this man, is he here or not?” Dave asked in a harsh voice as Mark showed the photo in his hands to the kids.

“Hey put him down, that not the way to talk to someone” Arthur shouted at them in a nervous manner. His whole body was shaking in fear.

Ruby wasn't faring any better. She had a panicked expression as she glanced at her phone.

'Wow, what a cliche, my phone doesn't have freaking at a time of emergency' she thought in a helpless manner trying to calm down and call for help somehow.

"Ha ha, look at the loser trying to act all tough while his whole body is shaking due to fear" Mark said with a mocking expression.

“I know where he is. First put him down” Lyra said while pointing at the photo Mark was holding.

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Mark looked at Dave who was holding Kael. Dave just shrugged and threw Kael at a table without much thought. Kael crashed into a couple of tables and chairs.

"C..ough cough. Arthur, and Ruby please leave guys. It's not safe for you here. I know you guys won't listen but at least go and call for some help" Kael said with a pained expression as he slowly got up from the debris of chairs and tables.

Ruby knew too well that she was not an opponent for these two assailants and the only chance was to sneak out and call the cops for help. She tried to take Arthur's hand and run out.

“Ah, where do you think you guys are running to” Mark said with his eyes glowing in a dangerous red as he looked at Ruby and Arthur.

Arthur was struck with fear and froze on the spot. Seeing Arthur wasn’t moving, Ruby ignored him and ran out through the back door.

“I should call for help.. I should call for help” she muttered, running away without turning back as tears streamed from her eyes.

"Ah shit, one got away. What do we do?" Dave looked at his partner with an awkward expression.

"Just ignore her" Mark replied without much thought. He looked at Lyra as if waiting for her to speak about the man in the photo.

“Lyra, I am gonna do it” Kael looked at Lyra in a serious manner.

“Nooo, absolutely not. Master specifically told us we are not ready and should not use it when he is not around” Lyla said hurriedly with no trace of her usual calm.

“C’mon sis, what can we do in this situation” Kael said, looking at his sister in a helpless situation. His sister is so struck up even in emergency situations.

“He gave us strict orders” Lyla said no room for negotiation.

“What are you even talking about?” Arthur asked, desperately trying to shake off his fear. He felt so afraid and helpless.

"You won't get it, Arthur. Just focus on escaping like Ruby did" Lyra replied focusing her attention back on the intruders.

“Okay stop bickering among yourself and start spilling the beans. Don’t make me lose my patience” Mark said in a dangerous tone, his patience already reaching the limit.

“I can’t tell you anything as I don’t know where he is currently” Lyra said in a serious expression.

"This bitchhh. Dave, it's useless to talk anymore. Just finish them off" Mark looked at his partner in anger. Dave just laughed and started punching Kael.

He sent many punches continuously but to his surprise, he found that Kael dodged every one of his punches. He frowned a bit and started increasing the tempo of his punches. But Kael didn't take a hit and hurriedly dodged the punches.

“Hahaha, you couldn’t even hit a kid” Mark laughed loudly as he teased his partner.

“Shut up, he’s already getting on my nerves. Don’t test my patience” Dave said as his expression turned more ugly. He was humiliated both by this kid and Mark.

“Woah woah, all bark no bite” Mark further teased his partner.

“That’s it, that does it” Dave declared as he pulled back and put little distance between them and Kael.

Both Kael and Lyra sensed something wrong as Dave took out a small sickle-like weapon from his coat. It was not an ordinary sickle, it had a coating of crimson aura around it emitting hostility and rage.

"Kael be careful. He has a coated weapon"

"Yeah sis I'm not blind, I can see it" Kael said as he looked at the crimson-coated sickle in a serious manner.

"What are you guys talking about, I don't see shit" Arthur said. All he saw was a normal sickle. Sure it was sharp, but he didn't see any kind of coating on it.

"Of course, you can't. Arthur, just go and hide somewhere" Kael replied.

Arthur instantly shut his mouth. All he could feel at this moment was helplessness. He has never felt more helpless in his whole life. He really wished he could help these guys who were kind enough to give him a free meal and even agreed to give him a job here. He hated himself for being so powerless.

‘I am so useless’ Arthur thought as crouched under a table and shut his eyes.

"Damn Mark, we got lucky. These two can see our coated weapons. We came here for a bigger fish but we got lucky and caught ourselves a few smaller fishes" Dave laughed as he menacingly moved toward Kael.

Mark was also pleasantly surprised that these kids could see the coating around the weapon but this also increased his vigilance. Before he could react, Lyra ran to the counter, jumped over it and picked a steel pipe from under it and the pipe to Kael. She also took a crowbar and kept it to herself.

"Haha, what can you do brats do with these pieces of garbage metal" Dave laughed as he continued walking to Kael, who was now holding a steel pipe in an unhurried manner.

The windows of the shop were opened due to a sudden gust of heavy wind.

"The weather is nice and cool. C'mon, Dave just get this over with" Mark said to Dave, who was dragging this out forever. Dave just laughed in a calm manner and slashed down the sickle towards Kael.

Kael tried to defend it with the pipe but the steel pipe was cleaved into two halves without much resistance. He immediately jumped back to put some distance between them and looked at pieces of steel pipe in his hand in a helpless manner.

Suddenly Kael's expression changed as he looked outside the window with doubt.

"Haha kid, are you enjoying the winter night one last time?" Dave asked Kael with an amused smile.

Kael just ignored him and looked at Lyra and said with a smile.

“Sis, guess what?”

“What?” Lyra replied with a doubt as she also gazed outside the window with a frown.

“I think he is coming back” Kael replied to Lyra with a smile. There was no trace of the previous seriousness.

“Ah finally, he does have a thing for being on time doesn’t he” Lyra also smiled beautifully without any worry.

The two men also sensed something wrong. They simultaneously looked outside with worry and a sense of unease.

A gust of cold wind came through the opened window.

“Now now, I heard someone is looking for me”