"Who are you?" Jarrad looked up at the pretty boy standing in front of him, his tone curious but guarded.
"Big fan," Vahn grinned, gesturing to the seat beside him. "May I?"
Jarrad didn't reply but gave a slow nod.
"I got two drinks. Would you like one?"
"Why?"
"You let me sit here."
Vahn didn't know how he was conversing so easily with a stranger, but he found himself enjoying it.
'Maybe I've got a knack for this kind of thing,' he thought with a slight smile, offering the second drink.
After a moment's hesitation, Jarrad took it and placed it gently on the table.
"So," Jarrad asked, "why are you here?"
"Alright, I'll be honest. I came to learn."
"Learn?" Jarrad raised a brow.
"Yes. Please don't take this the wrong way, but… I know you have a space-related ability."
Before Jarrad could move, Vahn raised a hand to stop him. Maybe because of that similarity, he knew Jarrad was about to do something.
"I have something similar," he added quickly. "So, I wanted to ask for tips."
Jarrad stared at him for a long second. "You're serious?"
Vahn nodded.
Another pause, then a sigh. "Fine. Which part of space do you focus on?"
"Eh?" Vahn blinked. "Part of space?"
"Haa… I mean attack, defense, or support."
"I—I don't know." Vahn scratched his head. "I haven't really used it yet."
"Tch." Jarrad gave a half-amused, half-irritated snort. "Fine."
Then, in a surprisingly theatrical gesture, he reached into his hoodie and pulled out a massive, weathered book, slamming it on the table with a thud.
"Whoa…" Vahn's eyes widened. The book looked ancient, thick, detailed, and well-used.
"As the only space user I knew, I had to figure everything out myself. So don't mind the mess," Jarrad said with a faint smile as he flipped to the first page.
"I broke space manipulation down into three categories: attacking, defending, and supporting. It helped me organize my thoughts and figure out my strengths."
He tapped the book.
"Attacking abilities include: Teleportation, you should understand from its name. I call the next one space tear. It rips through space to damage targets. Then there is space collapse, it destabilizing space itself in an area to crush or crush things. Then there is space break, which dismantles objects down to their base components. Lastly, space lock. It freezes an object or enemy in place, using space as a stasis field."
"If we evolve far enough, I believe we can eventually manipulate dimensions."
Jarrad's voice took on a passionate edge, like a preacher speaking of divinity. Vahn didn't feel uncomfortable; in fact, he was fascinated.
"Defensive techniques include, again, Teleportation, but used for evasion. Hiding in space folds, this is basically masking your presence completely. And with high enough mastery, we can manipulate space to form shields or traps mid-air."
"Finally, support involves creating storage spaces, personal sub-dimensions for carrying gear or tools, Warp, a long-distance teleportation with others. It is superior to regular teleporting. And even space blasts, to destabilize enemy formations from afar while staying safe."
Then he stopped, giving Vahn time to process.
Vahn was speechless. The effort, the theory, and the sheer passion Jarrad had poured into understanding space manipulation. It also reminded him of his own obsession with awakening.
It was like finding a kindred spirit.
After a thoughtful silence, Vahn asked, "So… which one are you?"
"Support," Jarrad replied, a little deflated. "Unfortunately. I want to explore attacking and defense, but… this is where I'm stuck for now."
He glanced up. "And you?"
"I don't know," Vahn admitted honestly. "I haven't even tried."
Jarrad stared at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "That's great. It means you still have potential in any direction."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully and nodded. "Alright. I'll help you figure it out."
"Seriously?" Vahn was surprised.
"Yeah. But first…"
Whoom—
With a wave of his hand, the illusion in the far corner of the room dispelled, revealing four familiar faces.
"Who are they?" Jarrad asked, frowning.
Vahn turned, eyes widening.
"W-What are you…?" he stammered as he recognized Dante, Darla, Han, and Carla—caught red-handed and trying not to look guilty.
"You know them?" Jarrad asked.
"Uh… yeah, I do."
"Why are they spying on us?"
"Good question," Vahn said, shifting the question toward them. "Why are you here?" He could believe Han could do it, even Dante and Darla; however, Carla?
Han cleared his throat awkwardly. "I've… drunk enough."
He stood up and swiftly exited.
"I-I need to use the toilet!" Carla said quickly, following behind.
Darla didn't even make an excuse. She just left, her expression unreadable.
Now only Dante remained, still smiling confidently, completely unfazed.
"Should we postpone this?" Jarrad asked, clearly annoyed.
"Y-yeah," Vahn said, rubbing his neck. "Thanks a lot, really."
Jarrad nodded and left the store.
Vahn turned to Dante, narrowing his eyes.
He already had a good idea of what had happened. He was the one who asked Dante for Jarrad's info, after all. But this? This was definitely not part of the deal.
Vahn just shook his head and walked away.
Dante watched him go, still smiling to himself.