butter

Athan sat at the bar, sipping his whiskey. It was morning, yet the establishment served as both a café and a bar, making it easy for him to order a drink without raising too many eyebrows. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, deep in thought, considering his next move in the search for Baldwin.

As a Vampire Lord, Athan possessed keen senses—his sharp ears and eyes allowed him to pick up things others could not. From behind him, he could hear hushed voices whispering, their words laced with disdain. They were speaking about him, but in tones so low that no human would catch them. Unfortunately for them, Athan was no ordinary human.

He ignored them, focusing instead on his own thoughts.

"Drinking in the morning… Probably not the best habit," he mused, taking another sip. "Baldwin never drinks."

Just as he was about to finish his glass, something interesting caught his attention.

"I heard the UPS found an SSS+ ranked labyrinth near the border," one of the men behind him said in a hushed tone. "I can't remember the exact location, though..."

"Which border?" another voice asked. "The UPS has multiple—Xing Fu, Ranch Republic, Normscall. Where exactly?"

"Ugh, you're so annoying with your questions! It's in the Ranch Republic, in the Eastern Forest."

The second man scoffed. "How am I the annoying one? I just wanted details!"

Their conversation continued, but Athan had already lost interest. He downed the rest of his drink and stood up, making his way toward the exit.

As he stepped outside, a smug smile tugged at his lips.

"It seems Lola was right. After fifty years, we're finally going to meet again."

His destination was now clear—wherever that labyrinth was, that was where Baldwin would be.

Far from the political turmoil gripping the world, two unlikely companions—one a hero, the other a demon king—were spending their morning in a much simpler pursuit: fishing. The gentle ripples of the lake reflected the clear sky, and the occasional breeze rustled the grass around them.

"Baldwin! Use your shadow! It's going to run away!" Velisara shouted, leaning forward, her silver eyes flashing with urgency.

"Mom! Fish don't run! They swim!" Baldwin snapped back, his red eyes narrowing as he struggled with the fishing line. His muscles tensed as he fought against the pull of the water.

Velisara chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "That's my boy! Damn fish, today you're getting fried!"

With one last tug, Baldwin yanked the fishing rod, and a large fish broke through the surface, glistening under the morning sun. Water splashed as he caught it in his hands.

He grinned triumphantly. "Sorry, Mr. Fish. It's nothing personal."

Velisara smirked. "That's our dinner, so show some respect."

After their fishing session, Baldwin wiped his hands dry and turned to her with a casual grin. "You know what would go great with this? Some rabbit."

Velisara's playful expression faded into an exhausted sigh. "Rabbit again?"

"Yeah! Isn't rabbit the easiest thing to cook?" Baldwin reasoned, tilting his head slightly.

Velisara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Easiest? We've had rabbit for two nights in a row."

Baldwin shrugged. "Hey, come on! I hunted them during the labyrinth overflow."

Velisara's brow furrowed. "Wait… you caught them two days ago?"

"Yeah, why?"

Her expression froze, her lips slightly parted in realization. Then, her eyes widened in horror. "So you're telling me we've been eating bad, stale, rotting meat?!"

Baldwin blinked, then frowned. "Mom, why are you acting dumb?"

Velisara clenched her fists. "I am not acting dumb! When I cooked the meat, it was fresh! Even the blood was bright red!"

Baldwin smirked knowingly. "That's exactly how shadow storage works! It slows down or stops time depending on the user."

Velisara exhaled, placing a hand over her chest in relief. "So your shadow actually stopped time, huh?"

"Exactly! Now let's go hunting!" Baldwin grinned, stretching his arms.

Velisara immediately crossed her arms, her sharp gaze locking onto him. "Not so fast, child. Do you already have another rabbit in your shadow?"

Baldwin hesitated, his smirk faltering. "Nope, definitely not!"

Velisara narrowed her eyes, leaning in slightly. "Now I know you do. Hand it over. No more killing innocent rabbits. Let's eat the one you already have."

Baldwin let out a dramatic sigh, dragging his feet as he pulled the rabbit from his shadow storage.

Velisara took it with a satisfied nod. "See? That wasn't so hard."

As they walked back to their hut, their lighthearted conversation echoed through the quiet woods. Unbeknownst to them, just beyond the horizon, the Ranch Republic was constructing a new town—one that would soon reshape their quiet little village forever.