[Core Region - Tranquil City - Evening]
The restaurant stood in the heart of Tranquil City’s most affluent district, its elegant facade speaking to decades of serving the wealthy and powerful.
Damian pushed open the door, Ariana and Zavier following behind him, Kuro perched invisibly on his shoulder.
The mont they entered, the manager – Robert Wells, a middle-aged man with greying hair and sharp eyes – looked up from his podium.
Recognition flashed across his face imdiately.
’That’s... that’s the boy who brought the beggar child months ago. The one I tried to throw out. The one who threatened into giving them a private room.’
Then the second realization hit harder.
’Wait... That’s Damian Valcor! The leader of the Mafia! The organization that now controls this entire city!’
Robert’s professional composure shattered, his face going pale.
He snapped his fingers at the waiters with desperate urgency.
"Clear the restaurant. Now! Empty every table. Apologize to the guests and offer them complintary als tomorrow."
The staff scrambled to comply, confused but well-trained enough not to question direct orders.
Within minutes, the dining room was empty except for Damian’s group.
Robert approached with a deep bow, his hands trembling slightly.
"Sir Damian! Welco! Please, allow to escort you to our finest private room."
Damian just nodded, following without comnt, Ariana and Zavier exchanging glances behind him.
The private room was exquisite – dark wood paneling, elegant lighting and a table set for intimate dining rather than business etings.
And already placed prominently: three bottles of Phoenix Reserve, the sa premium alcohol Mike and Brian had shared with him.
Robert bowed again and retreated quickly, closing the door behind him.
Damian looked at the bottles and smiled slightly.
"Today I don’t want to be a Mafia Boss. I’ll just be a normal teenager having dinner and drinks with friends. That’s all."
Ariana and Zavier smiled, the tension in their shoulders easing at his words.
Damian placed three glasses on the table and filled each one to the brim with the amber liquid.
Then he imdiately downed his own in one smooth motion.
He looked at Ariana and Zavier, both of whom were staring at their full glasses without touching them.
"..."
"What? You’ve never drunk before?"
Both shook their heads.
Damian’s face beca completely serious, his tone instructional.
"You know, it’s really simple. Just lift the cup, place it against your lips, tilt the glass, and let the alcohol flow into your mouth. Then gulp it down. It’s easy... I’ve tried it before."
Silence!
"..."
Ariana and Zavier stared at him speechlessly.
Finally, Ariana broke the silence.
"Boss... is this supposed to be a joke?"
Damian’s expression didn’t change.
"What do you an ’supposed to be’? Isn’t it a good joke?"
Pft—
Zavier couldn’t control himself, laughter bursting out despite the serious atmosphere.
Then, with mock seriousness, he did exactly what Damian had described, downing the entire glass in one go.
He set the glass down with exaggerated precision.
"You’re right, Boss. It’s easy."
Ariana sighed, shaking her head with exasperation, and downed her own glass.
Cough Cough
Imdiately she started coughing, her face turning bright red, her hand coming up to her throat.
Kuro suddenly materialized on the table, pecking Damian’s head with visible irritation.
’Give one!’
"What the – you want to drink too? You’re a fucking bird!"
Kuro released a pulse of his Death Aura, his feathers fluffing with offense.
Damian raised his hands in surrender.
"Fine! Fine! Sigh..."
He grabbed another glass, filled it, and placed it in front of the raven.
Kuro shifted his size slightly, grabbed the glass with his beak in a surprisingly dexterous manner, and tilted his head back, downing the entire thing.
"!!!"
And... his feathers imdiately stood on end like he’d been electrocuted.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed one of the full bottles and started drinking directly from it, his small body sohow containing far more alcohol than seed physically possible.
"..."
Damian, Ariana, and Zavier just stared in amazent as Kuro beca progressively more drunk, swaying on the table like a tiny feathered alcoholic.
Knock Knock
A knock at the door, and Robert returned with an army of waiters carrying dishes.
Roasted ats. Fresh vegetables. Exotic fruits. Delicate pastries... Everything arranged with artistic precision.
They served in silence and retreated, leaving the three teenagers and one drunk raven surrounded by enough food for a banquet.
They ate, drank and talked about nothing important – Academy gossip, training mishaps and Kuro’s increasing drunkenness.
"Hahaha."
Laughter filled the room, genuine and unreserved.
But Damian noticed Zavier wasn’t eating much, just pushing food around his plate, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"You should eat more, fatty. Look at you – you’re losing weight."
The words ca out casual and teasing.
But... as if he couldn’t act anymore, Zavier’s face crumpled imdiately, tears appearing in his eyes without warning.
His voice ca out as a broken whisper.
"You know... that’s what my mother used to say... Always."
The atmosphere shifted instantly, joy replaced by sothing heavy and suffocating.
Damian felt the weight of his mistake, but said nothing, letting Zavier process.
Ariana’s voice was gentle.
"Tell about your parents. Tell us about them."
Zavier started talking, tears flowing freely now, words spilling out between sobs.
Stories about his mother’s cooking. His father’s terrible jokes. Family dinners where they’d laugh until their stomachs hurt. Small and precious mories that would never happen again.
Then his voice broke completely.
"You know, Boss... I say I want to make Nobles pay. I say I want revenge. But the truth is..."
He looked up, his eyes hollow.
"I don’t want to live anymore. What do I even have to live for? My mother and father were the reason I wanted to get stronger. Now they’re gone... I just... I feel this emptiness inside that won’t go away."
His hands clenched into fists.
"I hear their voices. That video the Kestrel Family sent – my father being forced to eat my mother alive while both of them were conscious and aware. Whenever I close my eyes at night, those images co back. Every single night!"
Tears dripped onto the table.
"I feel hate! So much hate that it’s burning from inside! But I also hate being alive! I feel like I should have died instead of them! I feel like... like killing myself would be easier than living with this..."
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