The Infinite Story Volume 1

19. He tried

"So this is your house, huh?" Ema observed, scanning the surroundings.

"Y-yes! Feel free to sit wherever you like, um, miss!" Oliver stuttered, stepping back. "I'll go get you something to eat. You can explore the house if you want!"

"It's okay, you can call me Ema," she replied, offering a warm smile.

"Y-yeah, of course, Ema!" Oliver nodded hastily, then scurried off to the kitchen.

Ema chuckled lightly at the exchange. The front door creaked open, revealing Albi assisting Oliver's father, Roland, in his wheelchair.

"You can both make yourselves at home, after all, you saved my boy," Roland said, his gratitude evident.

"It was nothing, we would have done the same for anyone," Albi replied modestly.

"The world needs more good people like you these days... if it wasn't for you, who knows what would have happened to my son. He is the last thing I have left... I'll head to the basement to get my prosthetic legs. You two can wait here for Oliver to get you some snacks."

"Dont worry, you shouldn't trouble yourself with such a task; let me help," Albi offered, heading towards the kitchen.

"Thank you, young man, you have done so much for us," Roland expressed his gratitude sincerely.

"No problem," Albi replied with a smile, pausing before adding, "I'll ask Oliver for where the basement is!"

 Ema settled onto the sofa, feeling a bit awkward as she waited.

"I'm so grateful to you two. I don't know how to pay you back," Roland expressed, his emotions near the surface. "I'll help in any way I can for as long as you are staying in the city."

"It's okay, you don't need to worry about us. We're just travelers, and we helped you both because that was the right thing to do!" Ema reassured him with a warm smile.

"May I ask you a question?" Roland inquired politely.

"Yeah, sure, I don't see why not," Ema responded.

"What was the purpose of your visit here? The capital is a big place for you two. Are you sure it was the right choice?" Roland asked with a furrowed brow, a tinge of concern in his voice.

Ema paused for a moment, considering her response. "Well, we're on a bit of a journey, you could say. There are things we're seeking, and sometimes the path takes us to unexpected places."

As Roland pondered to himself, he couldn't shake off a growing sense of unease. "Now that I think about it, two strange people appearing so suddenly in a time of crisis? They didn't enter through the gate. Oliver must have gotten them inside the walls through somewhere else. At first glance, they look like they have no magic but..." Roland's face turned into a worried one, his thoughts trailing off into uncertainty.

The room fell into a tense silence, their expressions frozen in place.

Ema noticed the sudden shift in Roland's face and swiftly extended a small diamond shard from her hand, right to his throat. "Was that all?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the stillness like a blade.

Roland felt the pressure of the situation bearing down on him and reluctantly nodded. "Yes..."

As the words left his lips, the entire room began to tremble, and an eerie green light suffused the atmosphere, casting ominous shadows across the walls.

"Mar?" Ema muttered, her voice tense with concern, as she shifted slightly, her movement almost severing Roland's head by accident. "Shit! Old man, don't move!"