"Okay, we all understand," they said in unison.

Shortly thereafter, the waiter arrived carrying five bowls of noodles on a brown tray in his hands. "Sorry for the long wait," said the waiter as she placed the bowls in front of them. "Here's your food. Enjoy your meal," said the waiter before leaving them.

"Oh, wow… This is—this is actually really good."

Chelsie smiled as she slurped the ramen. "I'm impressed. I never thought a place like the Dark Realm would have food this tasty."

"You're right," Nalira said, slurping her noodles eagerly.

"It tastes just like ramen—savory and rich."

"Ah, ramen, is it?" Dr. Marshall smiled upon hearing this. "It's been so long since I've heard that name. I've even forgotten what ramen tastes like now."

Shaan stopped chewing for a moment after hearing that. "Dr. Marshal, how long have you been staying in Twilight Sanctum?"

"Hm… if I think about it, maybe around six or seven years."

"Huh?" Chelsie immediately furrowed her brow. "Uhm… but what about your family? Didn't they try to look for you at all?"

Dr. Marshal fell silent for a moment. "No… I don't have a family anymore," he said quietly. "Both of my parents passed away, and I divorced my wife two years ago because of… certain things."

He took a slow sip of the warm tea that came with the meal. "So… yeah, I guess no one's looking for me now."

"But what about your child?" Nalira asked curiously. "Do you—"

"No. I don't have any children."

"Oh...okay." Nalira fell silent and looked shocked. "I'm sorry for asking you such a question."

"Don't worry, it's no problem at all. Besides, I'm used to things like that."

'God, I had no idea Dr. Marshal went through something so painful, Shaan thought.'

"Sir Marshal," the courier said, glancing toward the entrance, "we should probably finish our meal soon. The line's getting longer, and the owner might throw us out if we stay too long."

"Ah, yes, yes. You're right, courier 020." Dr. Marshal nodded quickly. "Then we should finish this food quickly."

***

"Ah, finally." Shaan smiled contentedly as he rubbed his stomach. "I never thought I'd be this full—"

"Burp— Oh, sorry."

Nalira quickly bowed her head, her cheeks turning red. "I sincerely apologize. That was completely unintentional. I just got too full and it slipped out."

"It's fine, Nalira," Shaan said with a grin. "It's perfectly normal. Honestly, the portions were way bigger than I expected."

"Of course," Dr. Marshal laughed heartily. "That noodle shop is famous for its massive servings and cheap prices. It's no wonder you're all stuffed."

"Sir Marshal," Mr. Courier said with a respectful tone, "I'm truly honored that you invited me there. You've treated me far too kindly—I really don't know what to say."

"Haha, don't be so formal, Courier 020," Dr. Marshal replied, patting the courier's shoulder. "You've been with me for quite some time. You've earned this much."

"R-right… understood," Mr courier said, a little flustered.

However, as they walked down the hallway in front of them, two people suddenly appeared. At first, Shaan thought they might be people having a conversation. However, strangely enough, their voices did not sound friendly at all, and he could clearly hear curses and insults mixed in with their conversation.

"Hey! Sh*tty heir." The silver-haired man shoved the hooded stranger hard. "Your noble status means nothing here in Twilight Sanctum. Don't act like you're someone special, you defective heir!"

"Just shut your fu*king mouth," the hooded man snapped back, pushing him in return. "Don't make me use—"

"Use what?" The muscular man smirked. "You can't use any of your power here anyway." He threw a punch straight into the hooded man's face. The impact echoed through the empty corridor.

"Trash!" he spat out. "You're nothing but trash in this place."

The hooded man fell hard to the ground. Seeing that, Shaan stopped in his tracks for a moment. "Dr. Marshal, we should—"

"Don't you dare," Dr. Marshal interrupted him sharply. His eyes scanned the dim corridor. "This place may look quiet, but it's not safe. Even with guards around, Twilight Sanctum is massive. Criminals could be watching from anywhere."

"B-but he sounds like he needs help…" Chelsei's voice trembled as she glanced at the man on the ground.

"I agree with Sir Marshal," Mr courier said, nodding quickly. "It's getting dark. That could easily be a setup to lure us in. We should pass through before they notice us."

"Uhmmm... okay. I... I understand," said Chelsie, looking at Shaan. "Shaan, come on, we should get out of here."

"I understand."

They quickened their pace, trying to slip past the fight. But the clash grew fiercer—one heavy punch sent the hooded man stumbling backward, crashing straight into Shaan.

'Crash!'

"Oh, no. Shaan!" Chelsie screamed in panic when she saw Shaan fall to the ground.

"Agh… what the—"

Shaan started to rise, but his eyes widened the moment the stranger's hood fell away. It was Theo. His face looked angry, and there was a bruise on one of his cheeks from a punch that had landed right on his face.

"Th-Theo?" Chelsie furrowed her brow. "What are you doing?"

However, Theo completely ignored Chelsie's words. Full of anger, Theo stood up again and launched a counterattack at the man. However, because the man's body was much bigger than Theo's, the man easily blocked Theo's attack.

"Holy sh*t! What the—"

The muscular man gripped Theo's neck tightly, choking him until he began to struggle for breath. He effortlessly lifted Theo's body off the ground, making it even harder for Theo to breathe.

"D-Damn it, let me go!" Theo gasped, punching the man's arm again and again. "L-let… go…"

"Gods…" Chelsei's eyes widened. "We have to help him! He's—"

"No. We don't." Nalira's voice cut sharply through the tension. She glared coldly at Theo, then turned away. "He doesn't deserve our help. He's done enough damage already—especially to me."

"B-but we can't just—"

"Elsie, listen to me." Nalira patted Chelsie's shoulder, looking at her seriously. "Remember what this man did to you," said Nalira. "He bullied and tortured you. Are you sure you want to help someone who tortured you to the point of isolating you from the human world?"

"Uhm... but..."

Mr courier crossed his arms and spoke in a low, steady voice. "She's right. Getting involved will only drag you into another mess. And this one could spiral out of control fast."

"Uhm... That... that..."

"Leave him to his own business and don't let yourself get involved with him."

"...."

Shaan stood frozen, his thoughts tangled. He knew Nalira had a point—every word made sense. But something deep inside him refused to agree. It wasn't pity. It wasn't logic either. It was… instinct. Something inside him whispered that walking away would be wrong. If I step in, he thought, I'll have to fight that muscular guy… and I'm nowhere near his level. His pulse quickened.

'Damn it… What should I do now?'

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