Chapter 22: A Warm Dinner
Knock!
Knock!
The loud, annoying knocking echoed through the silent room, reaching Sollivan’s ears as he lay unconscious. His eyelids trembled slowly before he opened his foggy eyes. He shook his hand and rubbed his aching temple, muttering sarcastically, ’What a busy week.’
Knock!
’What does this annoying warrior want now?’ He wanted to stand and head to the door, but he stumbled due to his lifeless legs. It was then that clarity returned, and he remembered he was back in his own world.
His thoughts raced as he recalled his long absence. The neighbors must have noticed something was wrong. Quickly, he ordered Noctis to wheel him to the door. As soon as he reached it, he grabbed the handle but froze when he saw the blue bloodstains on the back of his hand. He hesitated, staring at the door for a few seconds before shouting, "Who’s there?"
"Mr. Sollivan, are you alright?" A familiar voice, filled with relief, came from the other side, making him pause for a moment. "Devlin, is that you?"
"Yes, sir. I was really worried about you."
"Wait a moment," Sollivan said hurriedly. He glanced around, then quickly moved to the water basin, washing his hands and wiping the blood off his face. When he was done, he pulled out a cracked, fragmented mirror and examined his face carefully. His eyes scanned every part of his face, and when he saw his forehead free of the fine scales, he relaxed a little. However, the change in his eye color bothered him slightly. Still, it didn’t concern him much. He frowned again when he noticed dark spots on his clothes. He sighed in disappointment but felt no fear, confident that people wouldn’t connect the stains to his blood. He adjusted his posture, feigning laziness and exhaustion, before ordering Noctis to disappear into the shadows of the room.
He slowly pushed his wheelchair forward and opened the door to greet the familiar face filled with worry and anticipation. As soon as their eyes met, he noticed a faint sigh of relief from Devlin.
Without speaking, Sollivan first scanned the narrow alley and noticed several pairs of eyes watching them silently, which annoyed him slightly.
Devlin noticed his discomfort and apologized sincerely, "Sorry, Mr. Sollivan. I was in a hurry and drew too much attention."