CH 9🎀

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Luvaric stepped outside, a warning and a business card for the compensation had been enough to silence the crowd, overworked businessmen, underpaid reporters, jobless rich spoiled brats who had taken pictures and videos of the event, had gone quite on realizing the identity of people involved. Duniac wasn't a label to be taken lightly. The walk outside was brisk, his eyes searching for Hyrt's car, in which he had arrived.

"Come hither, you" Osvane waved from his car, the door open on his side, one leg on the pavement while the other was inside the vehicle. His phone screen was the only thing making his face visible in the darkness; through it, Luvaric caught a hint of a smile.

"Where is Hyrt and Glasle?", Luvaric asked, looking around again.

"What are you waiting for, hop in Luvaric! " he heard Osvane say from inside his car. Ignoring what he had just been asked.

"Why?"

"I need you to accompany me, there is this property I have been keeping an eye on for a while now, right after I had got my hands on that, I had put it up for bidding. Guess, to whom it went?" Osvane asked putting his legs inside as Luvaric stared down at him, resisting his urge to roll his eyes.

"That wasn't even my question, why do you need me?"

"The owner of the company is visiting today, I know for a fact that his father and your father were acquaintances." he paused "Though I think I heard something about them going separate ways because of some wrong footing...." he mumbled.

"I have no clue, who you are even talking about" Luvaric looked at Osvane distastefully yet walked over to the back of the car, making his place in the backseat. 'What could I expect from him? He won't take me somewhere without reason, would he?' he sneered in his mind, leaning further into the seat. It wasn't the first time, he realized, Osvane was sensitive, avoidant, whenever it came to Glasle and Hyrt separately or together, there seemed to be the presence of an invisible bulwark that was impossible to invade. He had learned about the marriage through tabloids and had laughed out loud, matter of fact he had hoped such a rumour would spread about him and Glasle, and then he might try and prove it right. There were several chances, he knew. Glasle didn't like Hyrt and neither did he. 'That apprehensive brat won't even say no to the marriage'. "Why did you buy it? " Luvaric asked mindlessly.

There was a long pause, "It's a present" Osvane stated. "The building is about two hundred years old and needs heavy repair and reconstruction at several places. The furniture is quite good, up to my taste, and goes well with the mansion so I am still thinking of what to do with those, there is a small library upstairs which is locked for now. After the last landlord died without any heir, no one wanted to buy it so it became a government property." he paused again. "I had to pull some strings to have it. He is coming to inspect the house. And probably they will start working on it tomorrow. When he heard my name, he said he wanted to lead this project." Osvane continued.

'Of course, he will come, if it's the all-perfect Mr Floink's property they will run, swim, and fly over to Vilower.' Lavaric rolled his eyes, quite aware of the fact that he couldn't see his face.

Looking over to his side, he saw nothing but darkness, his eyes on the Moon as he did in his childhood, wondering why it only followed him. There was a sense of satisfaction and warmth in that fact, while in reality, it was contrary. He was pulled and pushed around, he had to look up at his brother because he was not competent enough, half of the life he had lived, was as a disappointment, like a white scar on a tanned forehead, a lone dark cloud on a sunny blue sky. With age, he realized the Moon followed everyone as it did him, his pride was hurt, the little light that brightened him faded, and he had stopped looking for the Moon for a long time. He desired a Moon, only for him, his Moon only belonging to him.

Osvane took two turns to the left on repeat. The road was deserted and on both sides, the trees cascaded with darkness reaching their arms far and wide. The only light from the headlight ignited the asphalt road ahead.

"Can you smell it? It might rain! " Osvane uttered.

"Oh !" he replied nonchalantly. 'Meeting someone, being at a party, putting forward someone who doesn't exist, is exhausting.' he sighed.

Osvane took a turn, and a trail of car tyres went ahead surrounded by quite long grass and weeds. He drove through them, the ocean of grasses getting smashed under his car, some hitting the side of the car. The harsh rustling sound, the darkness at every side, an eerie atmosphere that no one would want to visit voluntarily.

"Man, do you want to befriend some ghost or start a cult? Luvaric asked frowning at Osvane. "Why would you buy something here, there are road lights."

"It's under process, only four kilometres need to be covered by road lights which will be done in the next one or two months," Osvane uttered, stopping the car suddenly. The headlights, allowed them to see the twenty-foot-tall door. A humanoid shadow lingering close to it.

"A spirit, an apparition", Luvaric shrieked making Osvane chuckle.

"You are doing that purposely, right?" He asked showing the flashlight from his phone on Luvaric's face. "Oh okay, not purposely. That's Monvean, the guy I was talking about."

They walked on small round concrete plates, Osvane in front of Luvaric. As they walked further, Luvaric tried to make out what the other guy looked like yet failed. The absence of light only made his silhouette visible, he is tall that's for sure.

"What is his company's name? " he asked Osvane, in a hush and hurried tone as the distance between them closed.

"Movean Constructions!" he replied with a similar hurried hushed tone.

"His name? " I asked again.

"Monvean !" He replied, looking at Luvaric for a while. " You are making me rethink my choice of bringing you here, do you know that?" He paced further ahead, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Movean !" Luvaric heard Osvane say.

The man now almost clearly visible greeted Osvane with a bright smile.

"This is Luvaric Duniac, the person I was telling you about over the phone. I heard his dad and your dad were acquaintances. It's such a pleasure that you came here yourself!" Osvane uttered, smiling his business smile.

"It's fine, after all, it's one of our biggest projects. I thought it would be nice to examine it myself. A change of environment for me too." he paused looking at Luvaric, "It's been a few hours here but I am already in love !" he smiled.

" Indeed. " Luvaric implied, looking around, trying to brush away the feeling of being watched by some apparitions. He gazed back at Monvean, his glittering eyes and warm smile, sincere and comforting in an unsettling way.

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Author Note - This was an important chapter and I wanted to edit it with a particular fineness. I hope you love it. (hint - Luvaric is my favourite). Lots of Love from me to the readers. Do comment and vote.

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