23 – Morning Madness and Desert Dreams

James lay stretched out on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The fan above spun slowly, creaking ever so slightly. He had been lying there for a while now, half-awake, half-lost in his thoughts.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

Something important had slipped his mind.

He sat up slowly, reached for his phone lying on the bedside table, and unlocked it. His fingers swiped through his contacts until he found the name —

"Sister Minji Xiao."

He tapped the name and held the phone to his ear. It started ringing.

---

At the same time, in House No. 002, the bathroom door creaked open. A light trail of steam floated out as Minji stepped into her room, wrapped in a soft white bathrobe. Her damp hair was bundled up in a towel on her head.

She walked slowly to her bed, still drying her arms. Just as she reached for her body lotion, her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it.

James.

She sighed.

"Calling me at this time? What now..." she muttered, walking over to the phone and picking it up.

Minji (calmly): "Hello?"

James (cheerfully): "Hello, Sister Xiao!"

Minji (flatly): "Skip the hello. What do you want?"

James paused a little, choosing his words.

James: "Actually… I was wondering if you and Ruby are planning to go back into the Shifting Expanse soon."

Minji: "Hmm. We haven't thought about it yet. Why?"

James: "Well… do you remember Kai? I introduced you to him at that night event. Tall guy, white formal coat, blue eyes, sharp jawline, little bit of beard—"

Minji (interrupting): "You could've just said white coat. I'd have remembered."

James (chuckling): "Right, right. Anyway, he's planning to explore a desert area in the Expanse. He asked if we should bring you both along. I thought it might be useful to have you two."

Minji raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly. She turned toward the hallway.

Minji: "Hold on. I'll ask Ruby."

She placed James on hold and left the phone on the bed.

---

Five quiet minutes passed.

James sat waiting, absentmindedly playing with a thread on his bedsheet.

Then Minji returned and picked up the phone.

Minji: "So… when are you planning to leave?"

James: "In the next two or three days."

There was a pause on the line. James waited, holding his breath.

Minji (casually): "We'll come."

James sat up straighter, a grin forming on his face.

James: "Great! Then be at our house by 5 a.m. tomorrow. We'll discuss the full plan with everyone."

Minji: "Got it. Good night, punk."

Click.

James smiled and quickly sent a message to Kai:

> "Both of them agreed. We're all set."

---

4:49 AM — Next Morning

In another room, Moon was still deep in sleep.

He wore a simple blue t-shirt and black shorts. His arm was resting across his forehead, mouth slightly open, breathing softly.

It was peaceful.

Until—

SPLASH.

A cold splash of water smacked his face.

"AAHH—!"

Moon sat up like he'd been shot. His soaked hair clung to his forehead, his eyes blinking rapidly.

Standing beside his bed was Kai, dressed in a ridiculous matching yellow t-shirt and full yellow trousers. In his hand floated a small water orb, spinning gently, with a wicked smile on his face.

Moon (half-asleep): "You absolute—"

He leapt out of bed.

What followed next was their usual chaotic ritual — a burst of light punches, half-hearted kicks, and mock wrestling as they chased each other through the hallway.

Moon, still drowsy, was throwing slow punches. Kai dodged easily, chuckling between moves.

"Wake up, Sleeping Princess!" Kai teased, spinning the water orb again.

Moon growled. "Say that one more time—!"

They continued their playful fight down the hallway, tumbling and laughing.

As they reached the stairs, Kai's foot slipped.

"Whoa—!"

Moon caught him just in time, one arm around his back, the other under his legs. For a moment, they both froze.

Moon (smirking): "Now you're the princess."

Kai didn't hesitate—bam! A punch to Moon's jaw. They both toppled down the stairs, arms locked, refusing to let go of each other's t-shirts, still bickering and laughing.

—

They crashed at the bottom—Kai on top, Moon groaning beneath.

Before either could move, Kai's eyes looked up toward the door. He blinked.

Standing there were Minji and Ruby, holding their bags.

Behind them, James was holding the door half-open, looking both amused and embarrassed.

Minji started giggling.

Minji: "Do these two wake up like this every morning? No wonder I can't take this mission seriously."

Moon and Kai scrambled to their feet like school kids caught playing in class.

Moon cleared his throat, looked away, and quietly began walking back upstairs.

Kai: "Where are you going now?"

Moon: "To freshen up, obviously. Or would you prefer to experience the divine smell of my morning breath?"

Kai (deadpan): "Go. Please."

---

Moon returned ten minutes later, dressed the same, but with a towel around his neck. His hair was damp, and his face still had tiny droplets, showing he had just washed up.

He nodded at Ruby and Minji.

Ruby gave a small polite smile. She wasn't very talkative around people she didn't know well. Minji rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

Minji: "James, why did you make us come at this hour?"

Kai: "We need to plan the full route and—more importantly—check your real-time battle capability."

Ruby's expression sharpened slightly at that.

Kai noticed and added calmly, "I'm not doubting your reputation, but I can't risk basing a mission on assumptions. I need to know exactly how well you both can perform."

—

Just then, a holographic map lit up behind Kai.

It showed a detailed layout of a section of the Shifting Expanse.

Names glowed on the map:

Shunken Canopy

Holy River

Ember Dunes

And two human bases, with one labeled Base 12072009

Kai moved his hand slightly, and a glowing path appeared—

starting from their current base, cutting through Shunken Canopy, crossing Holy River, and ending at Ember Dunes.

He began explaining slowly and clearly—terrain conditions, weather challenges, danger zones, safe spots.

Minji listened closely, her brain already calculating possibilities.

She asked detailed questions—logical, rapid-fire, precise.

Kai answered each one with equal calm, his voice steady.

Ruby, though quieter, asked a few sharp questions. She was focused.

And Moon?

Well… Moon mostly blinked.

He asked stuff like—

"Wait, are we going through the river or building a raft?"

"Can we build a sand-castle camp in the middle of Ember Dunes?"

Everyone stared at him.

Minji and Ruby exchanged a glance.

Is he serious? they wondered.

But then they looked at James and Kai, who both acted like this was completely normal.

It hit them.

Moon wasn't acting.

He was genuinely like this—brilliant in some ways, but absolutely clueless when it came to strategy or planning.

They accepted it.

---

Time flew. By the time the plan discussion ended, it was nearly 8:00 AM.

Everyone looked a little drained.

Then, like a gift from the heavens, the chef peeked into the room.

"Breakfast is ready!"

Moon's head shot up.

His green eyes literally sparkled.

He jumped up so fast it was like someone said "Free treasure giveaway."

Minji leaned to Ruby. "Food is clearly his driving power."

They all headed to the dining table. The meal smelled amazing—warm, comforting, and made with real effort.

For a while, no one talked. They just ate.

Halfway through, Ruby finally turned toward Kai.

Ruby: "So… how exactly are you planning to check our capabilities?"

Kai paused mid-bite. Slowly, he turned his head.

And pointed at Moon.

Kai (calmly): "He'll do it."

Moon, still chewing, looked up.

"Hmm?"

Ruby and Minji blinked in confusion.

And just like that, another day with this chaotic team had officially begun.

To be continued