The place looked great but wasn’t what I was looking for. I needed something a little more modest, not so flashy.

“Damian, I don’t know about this place. Maybe if it weren’t in such an affluent place, I would give it more thought,” I said.

Damian looked at me, a sly grin playing on his lips. He seemed to hold a different perspective, one that piqued my curiosity.

“Kid, I’m sorry. I mean Prime, it's not as bad as you think. I said it before: people here keep to themselves all the time. I don’t see you sticking out any more than I would.”

“Also, don’t you need to impress a certain someone, and if I’m guessing correctly, the young lady is probably from an affluent family? What better way than to live here?” said Damian, raising an eyebrow.

I looked at him with an annoyed face.

“I’ve said this before; I have no idea what you're referring to. So, let's keep this conversation to us and nothing more.”

Damian grinned one last time before walking out of the apartment. I followed, and we exited the building and got back in the car.

It was already 20 minutes past 8 pm, so it was late.

“Let's head back,” I said.

Damian nodded in agreement. He pressed on the accelerator of the vehicle, and it took off. The sun had already set on the horizon, and the moon was starting to shine wonderfully like a giant spotlight in the night.

“Find us a different housing district tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be as snarky as this one; it just has to be nice,” I said as we headed back to the city.

“Well, that might be a little difficult right now,” said Damian with a stone face.

“Really? Why is that?” I asked.

“You might not be aware, but this big auction will happen at Heritage Auctions' leading site in a few months. Since the island is restricted to almost everyone except very important VIPs, many people are rushing to the capital cities to catch a glimpse of it at the local auction houses.

“This is creating a shortage of rented spaces, so finding a more suitable location might have to wait,” he said.

Shit, I didn’t think my little enchanted charm would cause all this commotion. If I had known it would cause such a stir, I would have been more prudent in revealing it.

“What I recommend, prime, is what I have been saying all along. Stay in Mt. Ethos, and when the time comes, if you still want to move, I’ll find you a place more catered to your taste,” said Damian.

If I had any other choice, I would take it, but space was limited, and I needed to leave the Richie Estate before things got worse.

“It seems Mt. Ethos and I are fated to spend some time together,” I thought.

“Okay, I can agree to this for now, but as soon as the situation returns to normal, let's look for a different place,” I told Damian, sighing in resignation.

Damian nodded.

We continued to drive back to Richie Estate. I had told Damian to park a few blocks away so as not to raise suspicions, which probably would be the case if he dropped me off right in front of the house.

As I exited the car, I turned back around to talk to Damian one last time before he left.

“Alright, come pick me up on Saturday around noon,” I told him before walking into the estate.

Mr. Richie and his family usually leave around 10 a.m. and don’t return until after 5 p.m., so noon was probably the best time to move out.

“Alright, prime, I’ll be here at noon on Saturday,” were the last words I heard from Damian as he sped off in his vehicle.

As I returned to the guesthouse, a voice called out from one of the side pathways that led to the main house.

“Khyrum, where have you been?” asked Ethian.

Not expecting him to be out here at this hour caught me off guard. I was startled like a dog in a thunderstorm.

“Mr. Ethian, hi. I’m a little surprised to see you out here at this hour,” I said, startled.

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He looked at me as if trying to ascertain something.

“Yeah, it does look like I startled you a bit; I apologize, as that was not my intention,” he said.

“I’m good, Mr. Richie. I was returning from a friend's house. What can I do for you?” I said, trying to remain as calm as possible.

“I wanted to ask you a few questions if you have a minute.”

“Questions? Sure, ask away.”

“OK, but let’s walk back to the guesthouse. I’d like to have this chat in a more private setting,” he said as he led the way.

As we walked back to the guesthouse, Mr. Richie kept telling me how he spent his time at the Gravitaz main office. He also told me he hoped Brandon and I could work for him at the main office once we awoke. He wanted Brandon and me to go back to acting like brothers.

He had no clue of what had happened over the last few days. After yesterday, Brandon and I were unreconcilable.

Once we arrived at the guesthouse, we walked in and sat at the living room table.

“Mr. Richie, what can I help you with?” I asked again.

He looked at me as if reminding himself of something. He seemed to be caught in a nostalgic flashback.

“Khyrum, I’ve never said this to you before, but you remind me a lot of your dad. You have his eyes and ears and your mother's nose and mouth," he said, reflecting on the past.

“You’re what, 15 already?”

I nodded in acknowledgment. I was more surprised than startled as I had never heard Mr. Richie talk like this.

“I hadn’t paid attention to how much you have changed over the last few years; you are the spitting image of Viktor,” he told me.

“You have the same build he had when he was your age; he was a scrawny thing like you at 5’7”, only about 145 pounds. He had looks like you but I’ll tell you this: he was loyal. He didn’t go around dating girl after girl like many other alphas then.”

“He met your mom, Piri, and they fell in love. It was a beautiful story that we can discuss at another time,” he said with a nostalgic look.

I had memories of my dad and mom, but they seemed distant. Many were of me and my father hunting or of me and my mother doing regular stuff at home.

“Thank you for your words about my mom and dad. I would be happy to discuss them with you later,” I said politely to Mr. Richie.

Mr. Richie realized he had strayed from the reason he came here, so he quickly composed himself and asked.

“Khyrum, I wanted to ask if you had noticed anything different or out of place at your school,” he said with a questioning stare.

“Different or out of place? I’m not sure I’m following you, Mr. Richie,” I said, a little confused.

“We have had some intriguing developments out of Elite High School over the last two months. I wanted to see if you had noticed anything,” he said.

“I can’t say I have Mr. Richie, but if you could tell me what I’m looking for, maybe I can try to recall something,” I said, puzzled.

“I can’t go into detail, but I can say that we are looking for displays of great power or unique skills,” he said excitedly.

“Hmm… could they be on to me? Is that why he is asking me?”

“Is it because of that stupid test result I left in the testing room a few weeks back? Shit, I knew that fucking result would come back to bite me in the ass,” I said in thought.

Mr. Richie mistook my thinking face for one of worry.

“Don’t fret it too much, Khyrum; if you remember something, great, let me or Daisy know, ok?”

“The Second thing I wanted to ask is, do you know what's happening with Eva at the school?” he asked curiously.

I wasn’t sure if he was testing me or what.

“I’m unsure of how to answer that, Mr. Richie. Wouldn’t Brandon be better positioned to answer that question?” I asked.

Ethian just shook his head in denial and proceeded to explain.

“I guess you’re right. Unfortunately, my son is not the brightest, so he has gotten into a jam with this girl. I thought maybe you knew something,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I don’t, Mr. Richie, but I’ll keep an eye out for anything that does not seem right,” I said, knowing well that I would not.

Ethian nodded and got up from the table. He walked up to the door and was about to leave when he stopped.

“Thank you, Khyrum, for listening to me tonight; I’ll make sure to make more time to talk to you about your family,” he said as he opened the door.

“Not a problem, sir,” I said.

“Mr. Richie, I need to ask you something,” I said a second before he left.

“If you were to find out one day, I had left the estate to start my life in the real world. Would you see me in a negative light because I didn’t stay as you hoped, or would you hope that I succeed?” I said thoughtfully so as not to cause any alarm.

Ethian stopped right outside the door and half-turned to look at me.

“If this is hypothetical, I would say you are too young to go out alone. I would hope that you would wait until after you awaken. Then we can discuss the possible options.”

“If this is not hypothetical and there is some truth to what you say, I hope you will come to me before you leave. If I can’t convince you to stay, I would help you as long as it won't affect my family in any way,” he said calmly before turning around and leaving.

I did not expect him to say that, but it wasn’t bad either, so I felt better.

“Alright, well, at least I can move out peacefully on Saturday,” I thought.

After Ethain left, it was almost 10 p.m.

“Man, I haven’t eaten dinner yet, but it's 10 p.m. Let's see if I can wrangle something up in the kitchen.”

I went to the main kitchen and got a plate with finger foods and fruit. I returned to the guesthouse, where I gobbled up the food. After finishing, I changed my clothes, went to the bathroom, and washed my teeth and face. Finally, it was time to sleep.

The next morning, after waking up, I followed my usual routine: I showered, changed, went and got some food, and then went to school.

Nothing strange or alarming happened that day or the following. Other than me avoiding some of the traps the twins had set for me every morning and at lunch, everything was smooth sailing.

I talked to Eva daily, exchanging messages every morning and evening.

The rest of the week flew by with little problems.

Saturday morning came around, and I woke up around 9 a.m. I got up, got dressed, and washed my face and teeth.

I packed all my belongings and put them next to the front door. I didn’t have much; I had only two bags. It was already 10 minutes past 10, so I decided to get some breakfast since I was done.

“Man, I’m hungry from all the packing,” I said.

I walked to the main kitchen and entered. The chef was already hard at work preparing lunch and the dinner menu.

“Hey, Chef, I’m going to get some breakfast,” I said.

She nodded and continued with her work.

I got my food and was leaving when I heard the chef’s voice from behind.

“Leaving without saying Goodbye.”