Ding Dong!
Kuro got up and opened the door to let Eli and Lira in.
"Sup my homie!." Eli walked in as he tried to lift Kuro up.
Kuro stepped back from the door as Eli barged in, laughing, trying to lift him up in one of his usual playful moves. But Kuro was ready—he swiftly sidestepped, his reflexes honed from years of training and avoiding unnecessary chaos.
Eli stumbled forward but managed to catch himself, grinning as he straightened up. "Ah, come on! You're no fun, Kuro!" he teased.
Kuro raised an eyebrow, his expression dry as he crossed his arms. "You know I'm not exactly your 'lifting' type."
Lira entered next, her gaze flickering around the room as she tried to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. Kuro caught her gaze for a moment, and though his expression remained neutral, he couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort. He had grown used to Lira's occasional glances and the subtle warmth between them, but it all felt so out of place when he considered his appearance as a 7 year old boy.
Kuro gave her a nod, his voice soft yet deliberate. "Welcome, Lira."
She smiled faintly, still a little flustered by his presence, but quickly moved past the awkwardness, focusing instead on the clutter around the room. "Nice place, Kuro," she remarked, trying to distract herself.
Eli, however, was too wrapped up in his usual energy to notice the tension. "Alright, alright, enough with the awkward greetings!" he declared, clapping his hands together. "Let's go to Egypt!"
Kuro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Eli's declaration. "Going to Egypt? Didn't we decide to go to that new garden in London?"
Eli waved his hand dismissively, his grin never fading. "Yeah, but that's too calm for today! I mean, Egypt? Think about it—pyramids, ancient history, desert adventures... Now that sounds like something worth diving into!" He threw his arms wide, as if the very idea had just dawned on him like a spark of genius.
Kuro just stared at him for a long moment, unsure whether to laugh or roll his eyes. "You never think things through, do you?" he said dryly, crossing his arms. "You can't just... decide to go to Egypt on a whim. We don't exactly have a magic portal permission to go there."
Lira, standing nearby, chuckled softly, trying to ease the rising tension. "Well, I do admit Egypt sounds pretty exciting," she said, giving Eli an encouraging smile. "But, Kuro's right. We need a bit more planning than just 'let's go.'"
Eli, sensing the mood shift, raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Fine. London then," he said, still not ready to give up on the idea of a spontaneous adventure. "But only because Kuro's got a point about the whole 'not-magic-portal' situation."
Just then, the front door opened as Brian walked in. His clothes were wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes that made it clear he hadn't slept in days. He looks to see Kuro spending time with friends.
"I recommend you don't go to London right now." Brian walked toward the couch.
"Why?" Eli and Lira ask while Kuro gives a knowing nod.
"Just don't go. Instead, go to Egypt like this boy suggested." Brian sat down on the couch. "And don't worry about the permission, I will send a message to the portal advisor so that you would be able to use it. Now go out and have fun. Let this old man rest before he dies from overwork."
The room fell silent for a moment as Brian's words hung in the air, his tired eyes scanning the group. Eli blinked, clearly thrown off by the unexpected twist. "Wait, what? REALLY!? Like seriously!?" he asked, his excitement returning in an instant.
Brian slumped deeper into the couch, exhaustion evident in the way his shoulders sagged. "Yeah, I'm serious," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Now can you stop shouting and let me have my rest."
"Sure thing old man!" Eli got up. "Now let GO! To Egypt!"
"I SAY STOP SHOUTING!" Brian got fed up with the constant shouting. He grabs Eli and Kuro and throws them out of the house. He turns to Lira and shows her the door. Lira didn't wait and quickly headed out.
'Why me too.' Kuro thought as he landed on his bum.
Eli, still grinning from ear to ear, landed on the grass beside Kuro with a soft thud. He immediately rolled over onto his back, laughing. "I gotta say, that was a way more dramatic exit than I was expecting. I think the old man's got some serious strength in him."
Kuro, brushing himself off with a sigh, glanced at Eli with an eyebrow raised. "That's one way to get kicked out, I suppose." He stood up.
Lira, who had walked past the two of them while Brian showed her the door, was already standing by the sidewalk, looking back at them. She gave a small wave. "Come on, guys."
Eli jumped to his feet, still grinning. "You heard the lady! Egypt, here we come!" He started walking toward the nearest portal station, his steps almost bouncing with excitement.
Kuro rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. "As if you needed any more encouragement."
The trio walked together toward the portal station, their earlier uncertainty replaced by the thrill of the unexpected adventure ahead. The idea of Egypt—pyramids, ancient ruins, the unknown—was suddenly much more appealing than a quiet stroll through a garden in London.
And as the world around them began to blur with the hum of the portal energy, Kuro thought for the briefest moment: Maybe this will be exactly the kind of distraction I need.
***
Walking out of the portal, Eli squinted against the bright sun, his grin widening as he took in the vast desert landscape before them. The endless stretches of golden sand seemed to go on forever, interrupted only by the towering pyramids in the distance. The air was warm and dry, a stark contrast to the cool breeze they'd left behind.
"Well, I gotta say, this is way better than I imagined!" Eli declared, throwing his arms wide as if embracing the entire desert. "Pyramids! Sand!" He took a deep breath, savoring the unfamiliar scent of the air. "I feel like we're in a movie or something."
Kuro, stepping out of the portal right behind him, adjusted to the brightness more slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he surveyed the scene. The sand underfoot felt strange, the ground a little more unstable than the cobblestone streets he was used to. He wasn't one for excitement, but there was something about the ancient atmosphere here that made him pause.
"This place… feels different," Kuro muttered, almost to himself as his instinct kicked in. "Ancient and eerie. Like something is just waiting to be uncovered." His tone was filled with caution.
Lira, who had emerged from the portal with them, paused as well, her eyes scanning the horizon. "It's beautiful," she said.
'It seems that Eli and Lira as well as the people living here are not able to sense the eerie presence.' Kuro thought as he observed his surroundings.
Eli, oblivious to the unease Kuro felt, kicked a stone with his foot and broke into a wide grin. "This is incredible!" He stretched out his arms as if embracing the whole world. "I mean, we're standing in front of one of the Seven Wonders of the Old World! How often does that happen?"
Lira, still scanning the surroundings, smiled but her expression was more subdued. "It is incredible," she agreed, though her voice had a touch of uncertainty. She took a few cautious steps forward, drawn to the imposing sight of the pyramids. "I've read so much about this place... It's hard to believe we're really here."
Kuro couldn't help but notice how easily Eli and Lira seemed to fall into awe and excitement. It was normal for people to feel that way, especially with the allure of ancient mysteries surrounding them, but for Kuro, there was something off about the way everything felt.
His eyes flickered to the sky, his senses reaching out to the space around him, but he found nothing concrete—nothing he could explain. But that didn't stop the growing sense of danger crawling under his skin. He couldn't shake the feeling that the pyramids were watching them, as though the stone monuments were aware of their arrival.
Lira paused in her steps and glanced at Kuro. "Are you okay?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she noticed his distant gaze.
Kuro snapped out of his thoughts and met her eyes, offering her a faint nod. "Just... a feeling," he murmured, then quickly shook it off. "Nothing to worry about. Let's keep moving."
But as they walked toward the pyramids, Kuro's mind continued to churn. It's not just the pyramids, he thought, There's something else here. Something that doesn't want us to find out the truth.
Eli, with his usual infectious energy, was already darting ahead, eager to get closer to the massive structures. "Come on, guys! We're wasting daylight! The pyramids are calling us!" He gave an exaggerated beckoning gesture toward the far-off structures.
Kuro hesitated for a moment longer, his eyes scanning the ground beneath them. The sand shifted in strange ways, almost as though it was trying to conceal something buried deep beneath it. The air felt heavier, laden with a weight that was hard to place.
Sighing, Kuro followed after Eli and Lira, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword as he moved forward. He had learned long ago to trust his instincts, and right now, those instincts were telling him that something much bigger than a simple sightseeing adventure was about to unfold.
'Search the whole area.' Kuro gave the command and several shadow soldiers dashed away, ready to fulfill their liege command.