0009. Pair of diamonds and pair of beauties

A campfire burned brightly in the center of a circle formed by the caravan wagons. The scene was alive with movement and chatter.

Near the fire, a pair of girls sat close to each other, their faces glowing in the firelight. A hooligan-like boy, surrounded by a small group of followers, kept glancing toward the girls, trying to appear nonchalant while talking to his friends.

Around the camp, adult men were scattered—some preparing food, others tending to the animals. In a quiet corner, two scholarly men were engrossed in preparing documents, their faces lit by the faint glow of lanterns.

At the edge of the activity, a boy sat silently, eyes closed as if meditating, unfazed by the commotion around him.

Uncle James worked with Captain Sam near the cooking pots, stirring the food while exchanging light banter.

After some time, Captain Sam clanked a large pot with a ladle and called out, "Children, dinner is ready!"

Uncle James took two portions of food and made his way toward one of the wagons, where Veena and Nile were resting.

"Dinner is ready, madam. Anything else you'd like to order?" Uncle James teased while handing Veena her portion.

Veena accepted the food with a playful pout. "Thank you, James, but I must say your services are lacking. Look, not even a proper table to dine at—just a sheet on the ground!"

James chuckled, sitting beside her. "Very well, madam. Next time, I won't bother with even a sheet!"

The two shared a laugh before James turned serious. "Are you sure about Jessica being Nile's mentor? She's talented, but still a child prone to mistakes."

Veena reassured him, her tone confident. "Don't worry, James. She may be young, but remember who trained her."

James smirked. "Oh, I know—the great strategist and spiritualist. But even you can make mistakes."

Veena smiled knowingly. "The mistakes I've made were chosen, not accidents."

James nodded thoughtfully, his gaze drifting toward Veena. "She really does remind me of you during your academy days."

James leaned closer, his tone softer. "So, what's the plan now? Now that he's chosen the martial path, are you truly going to let him do whatever he wants? Are you really not going to settle those old grievances?"

Veena's expression shifted to one of quiet contemplation. "When I escaped with Nile, I promised myself I'd settle him somewhere safe and then go back to fight those devils. But as I raised him, the simple life changed me. My affection for him and the other children altered my way of thinking. Right now, if I had to choose between Nile and the supreme rule, I would choose him without hesitation."

James sighed, his voice carrying a mix of understanding and longing. "I get it, Veena. Love has a way of changing people. The girl I picked up a decade ago has become more important to me than my own life. Love truly is a miracle."

Veena glanced at the night sky, her voice wistful. "After all, love is one of the supreme rules governing our existence."

James nodded. "If that's the case, why did you let him choose this path?"

Veena's eyes darkened slightly. "Because another supreme rule governs existence—one we cannot change."

James exhaled heavily. "Fate."

"Yes," Veena said. "He is their son, James. He will meet them someday. It's not something you or I can change. So, why fight it? Let destiny play its part, and we'll do ours—while enjoying what life gives us in the process."

James passes Veena a bottle of water and takes the dishes. He stands up to bring back the dishes for washing,"well whatever the plan be I will just keep you company for the rest of life."

"You can keep me company till death and I will still not agree to your proposal," taunts Veena.

"I know my lady but you also don't forget your promise to not leave me behind ever again,"saying so James moves back towards the fire.

As the conversation ended, Nile stirred, waking up with a faint headache. Veena leaned toward him, her voice gentle. "How are you feeling, child?"

"I'm hungry," Nile said, rubbing his head. He glanced at the bracelet on his wrist. "And... I feel like I know something I didn't before."

Veena smiled softly. "That's the knowledge from bonding with your ASD. We'll talk about it later. For now, go have some dinner."

She added a cautionary note. "Remember, the person who helps during the bonding is the only other person who can access data from it. No third person can access it normally, but there are abilities that allow information theft. Be careful to protect it."

Nile nodded. "I'll make sure to protect it, Mama."

"Good. Now go eat, child."

Hearing so Nile starts moving towards the camp fire but turns back to ask ,"mama ,have you had dinner ?" "Oh dear, I already had some brought by your uncle James."

"Okay then I will be back soon," saying so Nile finally goes to have dinner.

Nile reaches the center of the caravan and approaches Uncle Sam. "You're lucky, boy. If you'd come any later, this pot would've been dumped," Uncle Sam remarks as he serves Nile a portion of dinner. He then signals two guards to take the pot away for disposal, noting the food still left inside.

"Wait a minute, Uncle Sam," Nile interjects. "Could you give me the remainder of the food instead of dumping it?"

Uncle Sam frowns slightly. "It's not healthy to eat too much at once, boy."

"Uncle, I feel starving after bonding with this," Nile replies, lifting his wrist to show the bracelet.

Recognition flashes across Uncle Sam's face. "Oh, I see now. That explains it." His tone softens. "Alright, you sit here and eat. I'll serve you as much as you need." Dismissing the guards, he returns to serve Nile directly.

Nile eats without a care for the stares he's getting from the other children seated a few meters away. Bite after bite, he devours the food. By the time the pot is emptied, he leans back and lets out a loud burp of satisfaction.

"Such delicious food! Thank you, Uncle Sam," Nile says with a contented smile.

Uncle Sam chuckles. "Such a sweet boy," he remarks before turning to address the other children. "Unlike some who don't even know the meaning of gratitude." With that, he picks up the pot and heads off to have it cleaned.

Left alone, Nile notices all eyes on him, particularly from a group of children nearby. Spotting Jessica seated on a mat with another girl, he decides to join them. Without greeting or hesitation, he takes a seat face-to-face with Jessica, beside the other girl.

Before Nile can speak, a sharp voice cuts through the air. "Hey, psycho! How dare you sit there without permission? You've been getting on my nerves for a while now."

Nile turns toward the source and sees a boy flanked by a group of followers standing beside the mat. He calmly replies, "Why would I need permission to sit? There's plenty of space, and it's not like this is someone's private house."

"He really is crazy," one of the boy's followers mutters.

Another chimes in, "Don't you know that only diamonds are allowed to sit beside the beauties?"

Hearing this, the boy in the center puffs out his chest as if declaring himself the so-called diamond.

Nile looks confused. "Diamonds? Beauties? I do think these two are beautiful," he says, gesturing toward Jessica and the other girl. "But I don't see any diamond here. Did you see one, Jessica?"

Jessica tries to stifle a laugh as the boy's face darkens.

One of the followers sneers. "A bitch mother can only birth a blind child. Don't you see? Our boss is one of the two great talents of the village. He's one of the diamonds, and only he is allo—"

Before he can finish, a fist crashes into his face, sending him flying two paces back. Blood gushes from his broken nose as he lands with a groan.