What became of the Novel's agenda?

24-3

Carrielle Town.

Safely making it back into the Inn, they went to their respective rooms to settle in for the night.

Because of the expedition, business for Carrielle Town was booming and the owners were grinning from ear to ear, serving their customers with their best service available.

Ryan hadn't washed up yet, he ordered a glass of warm water yet hardly touched it after taking a sip. It was sweet, he didn't like sweet things. It was contradictory when he so loved desserts but he just didn't like the water for some reason.

Unable to calm his restlessness, he left the Inn without alerting his teachers and snuck out. It didn't matter where his legs took him, he just wanted some peace and quiet.

He finally stopped in place after a while, realising he had strayed outside of the town and closer to the borders of Waterpalace. Ryan paused, his expression strange, like he was mulling over something.

Ultimately, he tredded forwards until he saw a white building in the distance. It was far away.

Yes... Very far away... Ryan could see it thanks to his heightened vision. As he approached closer and closer, he stretched out his hand unconsciously.

The tips of his fingers seemed to grasp something, a ripple fluctuated in mid-air, focusing around the touch. Ryan didn't seem to notice this disparency and continued to walk in unaware.

Suddenly, his arm was grabbed startling him awake. His vigilance sharply rose, heart jumping out of his throat in shock as he turned his head to hear a cold voice dipped in ice pierce his ears.

"What are you doing?"

Ryan's heart chilled. He felt like a boulder had smashed his lungs that he could barely breathe. His lips trembled intermittently, finding it difficult to even utter a word, let alone a sentence.

He decisively shook his arm out of his grasp and distanced himself from the tall, ice sculpture who's beauty shimmered in the darkness of the night like an ethereal goddess. But in Lukas' case, he was a man with the crown of a moon. A halo of midnight.

Calming his racing heartbeat, Ryan managed to bring out some words with difficulty. "Why are you here? No-"

"How did you know I was here? Did you stalk me?" Ryan's tone was just as cold, if not, added with ruthlessness, he was like a hawk with talons sharpened.

Hearing his unfriendly use of vocabulardy to despise him, Lukas' brows furrowed somewhat, making him appear upset and somewhat angry. He was mainly expressionless and ignored Ryan's questions, repeating his own instead. "What are you doing here?"

Ryan 'tsk-ed'. Why did he have to meet the protagonist now of all times?

"Would you answer my questions if I answered yours?" He shot back, unwilling to do what the protagonist wanted.

Instantly, Ryan's eyes shot to the hand on the hilt of the sword and scoffed, it sounded mocking, or maybe exasperation, or maybe both-

Ryan didn't even know himself at this point. 'Right... What was I doing here again? I can't seem to remember myself.'

Lukas followed Ryan's line of sight, understanding the meaning behind the scoff and frowned, expression caught between conflcition and hesitation.

The two remained silent in the forest.

It didn't take long before Lukas took his hand off the hilt. Ryan didn't know what went over the protagonist's head but he himself, was the opposite, he regained his cool and thought, 'He isn't try to lower my guard is he?'