Nine Tales [BL]

6.7

The man's eyes lifted to meet Renshu's gaze, reflecting a depth that seemed to hold an entire ocean within them. His braided brown hair was pinned to the back of his head, and he wore a pristine white apron, its cleanliness stark against the bakery's colorful decor.

"Karim Metin?" His eyes widened.

Before Renshu could react further, a voice called out, and he turned to see a little girl standing near the counter. She wore a frilly Lolita outfit. Her cheeks puffed out in mild annoyance. "Excuse me!" Her voice rang with suppressed irritation.

Renshu blinked, disoriented for a moment.

Renshu stepped aside, allowing the little girl to approach the counter. He watched intently as Rani cast a fleeting, apologetic glance in his direction before turning his attention to the girl. Rani's smile was warm and patient as he took her order, his movements smooth and practiced.

Returning to the kitchen, Rani emerged moments later with a small golden pill resting on a plate. The pill was mesmerizing, swirling with red smoke inside, and projected a holographic image of a delicate three-tier cake adorned with white frosting. The little girl's eyes lit up with delight as she took the pill from the plate. With a swift, practiced

Rani's gaze followed her throat as she swallowed, his eyes flashing briefly with an unreadable emotion. He then turned to converse with the burly ox man beside him, who gave Renshu a gruff glance, snorting and exhaling hot air from his nostrils. As the bell over the door jingled with the girl's departure, Rani approached Renshu from behind the counter. He thumped his fist on his chest in a respectful gesture and bowed his head. On his wrist was a console, similar to the ones worn by other systems.

"Karim," Rani said, his voice steady.

Renshu waved him off dismissively. "I'm surprised you recognize me."

Rani straightened, his demeanor serious. "I've seen you in many forms throughout your countless lives. The Virus revealed your original form to us, and Idan—well, he was always eager to showcase the life you shared."

At the mention of Idan, Renshu's expression tightened. "Do you know where the others are?"

Rani hesitated, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I saw a few of us heading towards a labyrinthine structure. I'm not sure which of us they were, though."

"A labyrinthine structure..." Renshu repeated, his mind racing. "Can you show me where it is?"

"Of course. However, it will have to be after my shift." Rani said.

Renshu scoffed, eyeing him up and down. "You sure have made yourself comfortable."

Rani's smile widened, though he shook his head slightly. "I needed to blend in. My boss, System 2H479, was kind enough to take me in. I told him my console was lost and my avatar damaged."

"Damaged?" Renshu's eyes scanned Rani's appearance, but he saw no signs of injury, as pristine as the day they met. Considering the Virus's effects on Idan, shouldn't Rani show signs of damage as well? Yet, Rani appeared perfectly normal.

Rani's smile remained fixed, but his posture stiffened. He waved off Renshu's concern. "Just some minor damage from a fall. Nothing to worry about."

Renshu's heart sank. Could Idan have been wrong? Or was Rani lying? And why?

"Why don't you wait here, Karim? My shift ends soon and we can catch up properly." Rani said, removing the console from his wrist and handing it to Renshu. "There are games and other features on there. Explore while you wait."

Renshu nodded, taking a seat at a small table. He examined the console: a sleek device covering a quarter of his forearm, with a large black screen and several buttons on the side. Curiosity piqued, he clasped it onto his arm. A soft light glowed in the center of the screen, followed by a flurry of scrolling data that made Renshu's head throb.