NOVEL NEXT Chapter41 -A Talk
Hello, mister… do you know Auren Ryuki's house?"
A stranger scoffed, "That loser? He lives in Crimson Town, 5th Street, House No. 19."
Sunny's eyes narrowed. "Who are you calling a loser, you shithead?"Before Sunny could say more, the stranger went away.
Sunny stood there, fuming. "Why are people calling Auren a loser? He's a great boy…"
Wearing his oversized green t-shirt and white jeans, Sunny wandered the dazzling streets of Crimson Town. The roads were made of crystal, glowing softly under the sun. People wore fancy clothes, and colorful street food stalls lined the paths. The town sparkled like a dream.
"Alright, street number 5… should be straight up," Sunny said to himself.
Some streets were on ridges, others turned sharply around corners. Eventually, Sunny found it—Street 5. He stopped in front of House No. 19.
Knock knock…
The door creaked open.
Sunny blinked. His jaw nearly dropped.
Standing in front of him was a woman—stunning, elegant… beautiful.
Lisa.
Sunny's brain short-circuited.
Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
Sunny smiled nervously. "I don't know…"
Blackout. (He forgot what to say.)
Lisa tilted her head. "Do you want something, kid?"
Sunny stammered, "Y-Yes…"
Lisa crossed her arms. "What?"
Sunny whispered under his breath, "…you."
Lisa: "What?"
Sunny flailed. "OH! No, no! I mean, is Auren here?"
Lisa smirked, clearly amused. "Yes. Who are you?"
Sunny straightened up. "I'm his friend. My name's Sunny."
Lisa turned around and shouted, "Auren! Your friend's here—Sunny!"
From inside the house, Auren's voice called back: "Yeah, he's my friend."
Sunny stood there, still stunned."Wow… Auren's mom is so beautiful…"
Sunny walked up the stairs, then gently knocked on Auren's door.
Auren opened it with a smile. Auren: "Hey Sunny, how are you?"
Sunny stepped inside, looking around wide-eyed. Sunny: "Wow… your walls—they look just like Whirlpool Mountain!"
Auren chuckled. "Yeah, just a coincidence."
Sunny: "Are you rich, Auren?"
Auren: "Kind of. My father is the guardian of this city, so… yeah."
Sunny, surprised: "How many rooms are in your house?"
Auren thought for a second. "Maybe… fifteen?"
Sunny: "What the heck?! Really?!"
Sunny: "Do you have siblings?"
Auren: "Yeah, I've got two brothers. One older, one younger."
Sunny: "Where are they now?"
Auren: "They're both on the Mage March."
Sunny blinked. "Wait—you mean they're both mages of the city?"
Auren nodded. "Yeah. My big brother is an elite. The young's a sub-elite."He looked away for a moment."But me… I'm nothing."
Sunny frowned. "Auren, don't say that. You are something. Something more."
There was a pause.
Sunny brightened. "Wanna go somewhere?"
Auren raised an eyebrow. "Where?"
Sunny grinned. "I don't know. But let's go anyway.
They walked down the stairs.
Auren: "Mom, I'm leaving!"
Lisa: "Be safe, Auren."
Sunny: "Thank you, aunty."
Lisa smiled. "For what?"
Sunny (grinning): "For opening the gate, I guess."
Auren and Lisa laughed. Sunny joined them.
Outside the house…
Sunny: "Should we ride Cyber here?"
Auren: "Yes! That would be a great idea."
Sunny: "Cyber, arise!"
Cyber appeared.
Auren (petting him): "Hello, Cyber. How are you?"
Cyber licked Auren's face.
They sat on him, and Cyber took off running down the crystal roads. People in the streets stopped to look.
Bystanders whispered: "Wow, such a beautiful lion…"What a great summon…""Look at its aura…"
Everyone was amazed.
Cyber dashed through the streets, and Auren and Sunny laughed together, enjoying the ride.
Sunny: "Do you know where Rose's house is?"
Auren: "I never asked."
Sunny: "Then where did you find her?"
Auren (smiling): "I first met her on the cliff…"
He drifted into that memory silently.
Sunny: "Should we go to the cliff now?"
Auren (nodding): "Okay. Let's go."
As they crossed the main street, a mage parade was moving through. The air shifted—calm, respectful.
Auren: "Look at the parade… that one is my little brother, Kaen."
Everyone in the march held blue flags with carved flowers on them. A man at the front played a slow tune on a saxophone and drums.
The crowd on the streets went completely silent.
Sunny (softly): "This is a tribute… for those who died. But… I think I'm the reason they died."
Auren: "What happened, happened. We can't change it… But we can move forward."
The parade passed.
Now they were on the way to the cliff.
Sunny: "This mountain is amazing…"
Auren: "Yeah…"
They stood there in silence for a moment, overlooking the beauty below.
Auren (quietly): "Sunny… I still wonder why they're after you. I know you're someone from the past—someone they want to erase—but why?"
Sunny: "That mystery… It's still a mystery to me, too."
Auren: "You know… I want to become a mage one day. I want to travel the world. I want to be strong enough to face any challenge. That's why I want to go to Hollow Mountain."
Sunny: "Yeah… I know. You believe you'll find power there. And… that old man who called you? He's my brother's teacher. That means he's real."
Auren (nodding): "Yes. I hope… my life changes there.
Sunny: "So Auren… tell me about your brothers. What are they like?"
Auren: "They're fun. Respected… even at a young age. My big brother Veon just became a Hero recently."
Sunny: "How?"
Auren: "He defeated a high-class mage—a criminal who killed many people in Obara Town. After that… he was awarded the Hero title."
Sunny: "He sure is something…"
Auren: "And my little brother? He's Mom and Dad's favorite. He's just 12. His birthday is coming soon… he'll turn 13."
Sunny: "Sounds like a big day. Do they talk to you much?"
Auren (pausing): "…No. They don't talk to me at all."
Sunny (shocked): "Really? But why?"
Auren (quietly): "Because I'm a failure, Sunny.My brothers… my father… I don't think they even believe I exist. My father taught them not to talk to me."
Sunny (angry): "How can your father do that?!"
Auren (forcing a small smile): "Because I'm not good enough. I don't deserve to call myself a Ryuki…At least, that's what he probably thinks. Or… maybe there's a reason I just don't know yet."