The Villain Can't Lose

As I walked out of the school, I felt a sudden weight on my shoulders. I turned around to see Zuri, my annoying fairy companion, perched there with a smug grin on her face.

"What are you doing?" I grumbled, trying to shake her off.

Zuri just giggled and said, "Rowen, I have some important information for you."

I rolled my eyes. "What could possibly be so important that you had to land on my shoulders?"

Zuri's expression turned serious. "The guild who killed Nari's parents are going to have a meeting in the city's west side."

I stopped in my tracks, my mind racing. Could this finally be the lead we've been waiting for? But then I remembered something.

"Wait a minute," I said, "isn't that around the same time the hero saved Ace Hildon's sister?"

Zuri nodded. "Yes, but we don't know if it's the same guild. We need to investigate more."

I sighed. As much as I hated to admit it, Zuri was right. We couldn't jump to conclusions just yet. But at least we had a starting point.

"Fine," I said, "let's go check it out."

Zuri beamed. "I knew you'd come around! Let's go, Rowen!"

I rolled my eyes at Zuri's eagerness and said, "Okay, fine. Go and get as much information about it until midnight, that's when we'll set off."

Zuri nodded, then flew away from my shoulders and disappeared into the sky. I shook my head and turned back towards the school dormitory, ready to start preparing for our mission.

As I entered the dorm room, I saw Doru lying on his bed, groaning in pain. He growled at me as I walked past him, but I ignored him and began searching for dark clothes to wear.

Just as I was rummaging through my wardrobe, Dante walked into the room. We both looked at each other, but neither of us said anything. The tension between us was palpable, but I didn't want to be the one to break the silence.

So we just stood there, all three of us, in an awkward silence. I could feel the weight of the upcoming mission pressing down on me, and it only made the atmosphere even more tense.

I grabbed the black coat from the wardrobe next to my bed and continued searching for dark clothes. I could feel Dante's eyes on me, but I didn't turn to face him.

"Are you going somewhere?" Dante finally asked.

I didn't answer, instead picking out a pair of black pants and a dark shirt. I could feel Dante's frustration growing.

"Why are you ignoring us?" he asked, his voice rising.

I finally turned to face him, my expression cold. "Because we have nothing to talk about."

Dante's face fell, and for a moment, I wanted to make his blood stop circling inside his body for annoying questions, but I restrained myself from doing so.

I finished getting dressed in silence, then turned to leave the room. Doru was still lying on his bed, his breathing ragged. I felt a twinge of empathy for him, but I couldn't let it distract me from my mission.

I made my way to the dorms administration office, my mind racing with thoughts and possibilities. As much as I hated to admit it, I didn't entirely trust Zuri to come back with all the information I needed.

When I arrived at the office, I asked the receptionist for a map of the area. She looked at me quizzically, but handed one over without questioning me further.

I quickly scanned the map, searching for the west side of the city. When I found it, I pointed to a specific spot and knew that this was where we needed to explore in order to find the guild.

"Thank you," I said to the receptionist, then turned to leave.

"Be careful out there," she called after me.

I nodded in acknowledgement, then left the office. With the map in hand, I felt more confident in our mission. We were going to find the guild that killed Nari's parents, no matter what it took.

[Dante's POV: After Rowen Left Their Room]

I looked at lying Doru, who was growling in pain after being attacked by Rowen. I couldn't help but feel a sense of anger and frustration towards Rowen for hurting my friend. As I helped Doru to his feet, I asked him, "don't you think Rowen is really suspicious?"

Doru's response only was fuelled by anger. "I'm going to kill that bastard once my summoning power works better," he growled.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "Where do you think he went?" I asked Doru, hoping to find some clue as to Rowen's motives.

But Doru didn't answer, and I was left lost in my own thoughts. I couldn't understand why Rowen would feel this way about me and Doru. We were just trying to help him, and yet he had turned on us.

After a moment of silence, I made a decision. "Let's follow him," I said to Doru, determined to get to the bottom of this. We couldn't let Rowen get away with his actions, and I was willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth.

Doru nodded in agreement, and we set off to follow Rowen's trail.

As we followed Rowen's steps from his school to the kingdom's city, I made sure to keep my distance so as not to be noticed. Rowen seemed unaware of my presence, which was good, but Doru's occasional growls of pain were a concern. I tried to keep him quiet, but it was clear that he was suffering.

As we entered the city, I spotted Rowen walking cautiously, with a robe on his head, hiding his face. This immediately struck me as suspicious. Why would he be hiding his face like that? Was he trying to avoid being recognized? Was he up to something?

We continued to follow him, keeping my distance and observing his every move. Doru's pain was increasing, but I had to stay focused. As we walked through the crowded streets, Rowen's cautious behavior continued. He would stop and look around frequently, as if searching for something or someone.

My suspicions grew with each passing moment. What was Rowen up to? And why was he being so secretive about it? I had to find out.