A Lumen Ripple | An Elemental Story

Chapter 21 - In the Way

"Ahh-- much better."

After a forgiving trip to the toilet, Ember emerged fulfilled, stronger even, for the Kol-nuts had provided her sustenance. She gently sat back at her desk and got comfy, spinning on her chair to face it.

Something felt a bit off, however. Like something or someone made it feel a bit more 'work-ish' in there. She looked about the table, scanning for whatever it was that changed. 

That was when it hit her; her exam draft laid afront her once again. Her eyes widened in embarrassed realization, quickly reaching to grab her phone and check the time...

11:59 am

"Already?!" she exclaimed.

She put her phone face down on the desk, utterly dreading looking her marked exam draft over. She slowly looked down and began looking it over from afar with a daunted pursing of the lips, scanning every inch.

Her eye was caught by a marking on the bottom right of the design;

"Come see me in my office ASAP. - Phil," it read.

Alas, the time was nigh. She had to face her fear; her fear of the fast-coming examination. With nerves renewed and sustenance slaughtered, she sharply got up off her chair like a soldier with orders, marching her way over to Phil's office with fear itself on her back.

-----

"I came as fast as I could!"

Speaking about fear itself, Wade didn't have too much more to look forward to in comparison. Sat across from him at the EBID HQ office, Mutrick swung around on his chair like an evil supervillain, with a tenting of the fingers to boot. He looked over at the time;

11:59 am

Surprised he could make it to Pebblebrook and back on foot, Mutrick and his three-preferred workers shot Wade a discomforting smile each.

"Just in time. Sit." Mutrick ordered.

With an air of tension already present among the five, Wade sat at a vacant seat - careless to the fact that Dusty could very well whip it from underneath him again.

Resuming superior mode, Mutrick leaned forward authoritatively at the four.

"The Elementus case just got a bit more intense. Thanks to you lot, Police have got something more than word-of-mouth--" Mutrick opened.

"Would've had even more if you didn't burn the picture I took--" Wade opined in a mutter.

"Care to add anything, Ripple?" Mutrick sternly queried.

Wade remained silent, arms folded and body language lacking much respect.

"That's what I thought. Now, they'll be here soon enough to gather everything they can, so any extra information you have, the better." Mutrick notified.

Wanting most to put Wade in the spotlight again, Mutrick shot him a prodding stare. Wade remained to avert his gaze at his disrespectful superior like a child to a parent denying them candy.

"That means you too," Mutrick stated.

Wade slowly looked over at him with an Ember-esque stare of head strength.

"I thought you wanted me quiet," he retorted.

"Forget him. How long's this gonna take?" Rocky interjected without care.

"With any hope, we'll be wrapped before midnight," Mutrick told.

Just like that, as if the world around had slowed to a halt, Wade and his cohort leaned forward. Wade let out a chuckle in disbelief, leaning forward and framing his face with a hand.