His First Heartbeat

Well, there's that also. Like what they said, a crime will only be considered a crime once you're caught or somebody snitched you out. Heh! How ironic that the name of this sport also happened to be snitch.

But wait! Didn't he just say that there was a lot of backstabbing in the competition? And it also happened that his supposed to be partner, Joe Finn had gone missing. And the tournament will be in two days too! Isn't the timing too sketchy?

I told him what I thought. I also included how I think that somebody among the players might have sabotaged him. But he was silent.

Brows slightly furrowed, eyes looking at nothing in particular as though he was in deep thought. I waited until he would finally say something. I suddenly find it awkward speaking right now.

He looked at me. His deep, brown eyes glinted. It only lasted for a split second before his countenance returned to normal. But it didn't go unnoticed.

"I don't know about that. But as much as I wanted to deny it, we couldn't really rule that out," he said. "But the thing is… are you willing to be my partner's substitute?"

Had he asked me that earlier, I would have said yes automatically. But after hearing about the backstabbing thing, I can't help but be skeptical.

Probably guessing what I'm thinking through the look on my face, he chuckled and said, "Relax, it hasn;t come to a point in which you'll have to worry about your life yet."

Yet?

"Besides, there will be a lot of people during the tournament," he added.

"Right! Mr. Alviar is right, Mr. Jack. You've got no idea how pack the arena will be." Haru interrupted. "But seriously. I can't believe that there will come a time when I'll meet someone who hasn't seen snitch even once in his life. Say, Mr. Jack. Did you grew outside the kingdom or something?"

"Uhh… no? I grew up here." This body that is.

"Eh? Well, I guess there really are some odd people like you once in a while."

"Come to think of it. You haven't had any idea who Dr. Stitch was." Mr. Alec said.

"Ha? D'ya live underground your whole life? How come you haven't when it's impossible not to read about him and his genius inventions in almost every newspaper? You must be trolling, nah?"

I don't like the direction this conversation is going. They'll be suspicious of me if this continues.

"Anyway, that's beside the point." I said before turning to Mr. Alviar. "I don't mind being a substitute. If you're fine with me, that is."

"Of course! But are you sure?" he asked. I nodded at him. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. "Great! Then we'll have to meet starting tomorrow until the end of the tournament."

"I'm fine with that. But I'll have to remind you. I've no idea how to play this sport."

"That won't be a problem. I'll come fetch you by nine in the morning at this place."

After discussing our terms, we signed a contract.

"I won't stay for long. I'll come back tomorrow. Until then," he said as he excused himself and left.

With nothing else to do, I left as well. And surprisingly enough, Ethan wasn't there when I arrived at the apartment. After whipping something to eat, I decided to read the book by Dean Quest. I'll write the letter to Kai this evening.

The first series of "Levi's Adventure" was titled, "His First Heartbeat". And I tell you. I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued. I flipped the book open and went to chapter one.

"They're not living. Just merely existing. Not striving to survive either."

Ho! Is this book gonna be melodramatic? I hope not.

"They're conscious and they react to things. But emotion is a foreign concept to them.

"They feed on stories — any stories. The more they consume, the more they feel alive. Often mistaken as Friar's Lantern but they're nothing but a fiery orb called will o' wisp."

As soon as I read that last line, I can't help but remember last night. The time when Ethan got mad at me. Wasn't that a will o' wisp? That blue floating thing?

"They're everywhere — literally. Coexisting with everyone else but no one knows. No one will ever know. No one was supposed to know."

"Except for that one blob of purple. It was different from any one of its kind. Because unlike them, it was hungry. Always hungry. Hungry for more stories. A compelling story. And no matter how much it consumes, nothing seems to satiate its hunger."

Just say it's a glutton, why don't you?

"Until the day that it found a boy that goes by the name Levi. It only started observing the boy. No one would have ever thought that through this boy's story. He'll experience his first heartbeat."