So, Sintara

Kyren was stirred awake about an hour into his nap.

"Where the hell did this armor come from?!" Lydel yelled.

Kyren groggily turned his head to see Lydel standing over him, grinning like an idiot.

"This is so fucking cool! I didn't know you had two armor suits."

That woke Kyren up fast. I won't even have to spin a lie—I should just go with it, he thought.

"Yeah, bro. I think that one was for if I awakened younger. It was a bit small, so I thought it might fit my puny friend," Kyren said, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Puny? I'll show you puny," Lydel muttered under his breath.

Kyren let out a laugh. A few moments passed before Lydel spoke again. "So, bro, uh… how do I get it to go back to normal?"

Kyren shook his head. "Just visualize it turning back to the white set, and it should happen."

Lydel's face scrunched in concentration, his brows furrowing as he focused. A few seconds passed before he slumped back onto the floor. "I can't see it," he groaned.

Kyren sighed and sat up. To demonstrate, he activated his armor.

His sleeves extended down his arms, hardening into sleek, flexible fabric gauntlets that felt both impossibly strong and light as air. Two golden lines traced their way from the ends of the gauntlets, crossing at the elbows before converging at the lion heads on his shoulders. His chest expanded as fabric plating layered over it, seamlessly reinforcing his torso. His pants followed suit, morphing into reinforced, battle-ready gear. His black boots shifted, transforming into lightweight combat boots—nearly indestructible yet as comfortable as sneakers.

Then, with a thought, he willed it all away. Wisps of golden mana rose from his body as the armor melted back into its casual form, the plating, gauntlets, and boots vanishing in mere seconds.

"Hopefully, that helps," Kyren said, flashing a smile.

"Sure, maybe I'll be able to see it now." Lydel sat still for a moment, trying again. A few failed attempts later, his armor finally began to dissipate. The white plating faded, reverting to the simple set. But one thing remained—the lion heads on his shoulders, their silver manes glinting under the light.

"Wait…" Lydel lifted his shirt collar, eyes widening. "Did my arms get bigger?!" He looked down at his torso, running a hand over his stomach. "When the hell did I get ripped? I got a damn six-pack now!" A grin spread across his face.

Kyren just shook his head. "Let's go downstairs. Breakfast should be ready soon."

Lydel, momentarily distracted from his transformation, followed Kyren down to the kitchen, where a plate was already set out for him.

"Good to see you, Lydel. Would you like some too?" Grandma Windy asked, her warm smile as welcoming as ever.

"Of course, Mrs. Windy, but only if you have some extra," Lydel replied.

Kyren shook his head, knowing full well that Grandma Windy always made extra for Lydel. He showed up every morning—even if Kyren was already out working—just to see if she was there. And because of that, she never let him leave hungry.

"Of course, we have extra. You two are the last to eat," she said, setting another plate down.

The boys dug in, finishing their plates before rinsing them in the sink. Then, they stepped outside, walking down the road.

"So, Sintara," Lydel said.

"Yep. Sintara is where we have to go to stop this for good," Kyren replied.

His smile faded as he turned toward Lydel.

"…Umm. How do we get there?"

Lydel shook his head. "I've only ever left this village to go to the academy. I didn't go through Sintara on my way back."

Kyren sighed. "Guess we'll have to make use of that bald scum."

The boys headed back toward the drug den. They had more questions.

When they arrived, the front door was smashed in. Two stim addicts lay sprawled in the yard, twitching and muttering to themselves.

Kyren stepped inside, scanning the rooms. He could hear muffled moans coming from upstairs. The living room was trashed—furniture overturned, shards of glass littering the floor.

"They must've found the stash of stims," Lydel muttered as they climbed the stairs.

Upstairs, the two dealers were still tied up and gagged, though they had managed to scoot around the room in a desperate attempt to free themselves.

Kyren walked over to the bald man, yanking him upright before pulling his gag out.

The man spat onto the floor. "I thought you'd leave us alone."

Kyren chuckled. "Yeah, well. I've got some more questions."

Lydel turned to the other dealer—the one built like a brick wall—and ripped his gag off too. "How do we get to Sintara?" he asked, his tone sharp.

The bald man sputtered, "We—we don't go there! We just meet the carriage at the edge of the village for the drop."

Kyren narrowed his eyes. "When does it come?"

The bigger man hesitated, then sighed. "Every week. Tuesday."

Lydel crossed his arms. "And you're telling me you've never even seen the people dropping it off?"

"They don't let us near them," the bald man blurted out. "They just leave the package in a clearing, then leave. We're not even allowed to step forward until they're gone."

Kyren leaned in slightly. "Where, exactly?"

The bald man swallowed hard. "Over by the red-light district. Up the hill, by the massive tree in the clearing."

Kyren studied his face. The guy wasn't lying—if anything, he looked relieved to be cooperating.

Kyren smirked. "Huh. Didn't even have to scare you this time."

The bald man exhaled sharply.

Kyren turned and walked out of the room. "This time, I'll even do you a favor—no gags."

Lydel followed him outside.

"We've got two days to prepare for this," Kyren said, his expression serious. "Go home, rest up, and meet me Tuesday. We have a journey ahead of us."

Lydel nodded. Without another word, the two split paths, heading home.