Chapter 137: You Should Meet My Nephew [ Bonus - ]

Chapter 137: You Should Meet My Nephew [ Bonus Chapter ]

he afternoon gradually gave way to evening, and the last traces of sunlight disappeared behind the towering buildings of Zenith City.

For most of the day, Jet had remained at the concealed base, recovering from his morning training session and reviewing the information Marcus had gathered concerning the assassins.

Adesewa had yet to return, although occasional messages confirmed that her investigation was progressing.

By six o’clock, Jet had grown tired of staring at the same walls.

Fortunately, an unexpected invitation provided him with an excuse to leave.

Alessandro Orsini had contacted him earlier, asking whether he would be interested in joining him for dinner at Darkstar Guild Headquarters.

There would be no training involved, the Guildmaster assured him. He simply wanted some company after an exhausting day of administrative work.

Jet accepted.

After receiving permission from Marcus and arranging discreet transportation, he departed the base shortly before sunset.

Darkstar’s headquarters looked considerably different in the evening. The enormous gymnasiums remained illuminated, but the crowds had thinned, and many of the administrative offices were closing for the day.

An attendant escorted Jet to the upper floors, where Alessandro was waiting inside a private dining room overlooking the city.

"Jet! Excellent timing," Alessandro greeted him warmly as he entered. "I was beginning to worry that you’d reconsidered after remembering how much I made you work this morning."

Jet smiled as he approached the table. "I was tempted, Guildmaster, but you promised there wouldn’t be any training tonight."

"And I intend to keep that promise," Alessandro replied with a laugh. "Even an old man like me understands the importance of taking a break occasionally."

The table had already been prepared with several dishes, including roasted meat, vegetables, bread, and a fragrant stew.

Jet took his seat opposite the Guildmaster.

"You’re eating well," Jet remarked, examining the food.

Alessandro chuckled. "One of the few advantages of managing a successful Guild. Although I suspect our kitchen staff would appreciate it if I stopped inviting unexpected guests."

Jet laughed as Alessandro began serving the food.

For a while, they ate and discussed ordinary matters.

Alessandro complained about the endless paperwork that accompanied managing thousands of Guild members, while Jet shared a few stories about Inez and her increasingly creative attempts to convince him that vegetables were unnecessary for human survival.

The Guildmaster found the stories particularly amusing.

"Your sister sounds remarkably determined," Alessandro remarked, setting down his fork.

"That’s one way of describing her," Jet replied with a helpless smile. "Yesterday she spent almost twenty minutes explaining why eating dessert before dinner was perfectly reasonable."

Alessandro burst into laughter.

"Ah, children," he said, shaking his head. "They possess an extraordinary talent for constructing arguments that make absolutely no sense while sounding completely convinced of their correctness."

Jet grinned. "You sound like you’ve experienced that yourself."

"More times than I can count," Alessandro answered. "My nephew was exactly the same when he was younger."

At the mention of his nephew, Jet remembered their conversation from the previous evening.

Alessandro had spoken about raising the boy after his brother and sister-in-law died during a Dimensional Impact. The affection in his voice had been unmistakable.

"How old is he now?" Jet asked.

Alessandro smiled. "Older than you, certainly. Although sometimes I still catch myself thinking of him as the little boy who used to follow me around the house carrying a wooden sword."

Jet chuckled. "Does he still spend much time at Darkstar?"

"Whenever his responsibilities allow," Alessandro replied. "He’s become quite independent. That’s something I encouraged from an early age, although I occasionally regret how successful I was."

The Guildmaster took a sip of water.

"He has his own interests, his own ambitions, and a rather demanding schedule," Alessandro continued. "We don’t see each other nearly as often as I’d like, but I suppose that’s part of watching someone grow up."

Jet nodded thoughtfully.

Alessandro studied him for a moment before smiling.

"You know, I think the two of you would get along rather well."

Jet looked surprised. "Really?"

"Certainly," Alessandro replied. "You’re both intelligent young men, and neither of you seems particularly interested in living an ordinary life."

Jet laughed softly. "I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good thing."

"Perhaps not," Alessandro admitted with amusement. "But I suspect you’d find plenty to discuss. He’s always been interested in meeting capable people, especially those with unusual experiences."

Jet considered the suggestion.

He knew very little about Alessandro’s nephew beyond what the Guildmaster had shared, but he saw no reason to refuse an introduction.

"If he’s anything like you, Guildmaster, I’m sure we’d get along," Jet replied.

Alessandro’s expression brightened.

"Then it’s settled," he declared. "One of these days, when our schedules are less troublesome, I’ll arrange for you two to meet."

Jet nodded. "I’d like that."

The Guildmaster smiled with obvious satisfaction.

"Excellent. Perhaps we can have dinner together. It would be nice to see him spending time with someone closer to his own generation for a change."

Jet chuckled.

Alessandro continued eating, looking thoroughly pleased with the idea.

For him, the invitation was nothing more than a father’s desire to introduce two young men he respected.

And for Jet, it was simply another expression of the Guildmaster’s growing affection toward him.

Neither treated the conversation as particularly important.

---

After dinner, Alessandro invited Jet onto a spacious balcony overlooking the western districts of Zenith.

The evening air was cool, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and the occasional rumble of an Awakener training inside Darkstar’s lower facilities.

From their position, the city stretched toward the horizon in a sea of illuminated towers.

"It’s beautiful from up here," Jet remarked, resting his hands against the railing.

Alessandro nodded. "It is. Sometimes I come here after a difficult day simply to remind myself what all this work is supposed to accomplish."

Jet glanced toward him.

The Guildmaster continued, "When Darkstar was first established, we had fewer than thirty members and a headquarters barely large enough to accommodate them. We couldn’t afford proper training equipment, and half our contracts involved clearing minor monster infestations."

Jet looked impressed. "You built all of this from thirty members?"

"Not alone," Alessandro corrected. "Thousands of people contributed over the years. Some are still here. Others retired, joined different organizations, or died doing their jobs."

His expression became reflective.

"I’ve buried more Guild members than I’d care to remember," he admitted. "Every time it happens, I ask myself whether I could have made a different decision."

Jet remained silent.

Alessandro looked toward the city.

"That’s one of the burdens of leadership," he continued. "You make decisions knowing that other people may pay for your mistakes. And even when you choose correctly, sometimes people still die."

Jet thought about Adesewa.

She had taken responsibility for the surviving expedition members, protected them during the assassination attempts, and continued confronting their enemies despite the danger.

He was beginning to understand why experienced leaders often appeared older than their years.

"Does it ever become easier?" Jet asked.

Alessandro considered the question.

"Making decisions becomes easier with experience," he answered. "Living with their consequences doesn’t."

Jet nodded slowly.

For several minutes, they watched the city without speaking.

Then Alessandro turned toward him.

"How are your injuries progressing?" he asked.

"Much better," Jet replied. "Safiya says I should be able to resume more demanding training soon, provided I don’t do anything reckless."

Alessandro raised an eyebrow. "That last condition sounds particularly difficult for you."

Jet laughed. "I’ll try my best."

"See that you do," Alessandro replied. "I’d prefer not to explain to Adesewa why one of her survivors collapsed in my training facilities."

Their laughter carried across the balcony.

---

Elsewhere in Zenith, the atmosphere inside a private underground office was considerably less pleasant.

Corvin stood before a large table covered with photographs, financial records, and reports concerning the recent attacks.

He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with closely cropped dark hair and a long scar extending from his left temple toward his jaw.

Across the table, two operatives waited nervously.

"The western commercial property is gone," one reported. "The storage facility was compromised, and we’ve lost contact with the communications office. Several personnel have been captured."

Corvin examined the photographs. Most depicted ruined buildings, destroyed vehicles, and the aftermath of battles involving powerful Awakeners.

One photograph showed an entire warehouse reduced to rubble. Another captured the remains of a reinforced security entrance that appeared to have been torn apart by sheer physical force.

Corvin placed the photograph down.

"Adesewa Afolayan," he muttered.

The operative nodded. "She’s personally responsible for several of our losses. Our remaining teams are requesting permission to withdraw from their current positions."

Corvin’s expression hardened. "Denied."

The operative hesitated. "Sir, she’s a 5-Star Awakener. Our previous assessments placed her at 3-Star, and the teams weren’t prepared for someone of her current strength."

"Then our assessments were wrong," Corvin replied coldly. "That doesn’t mean we abandon the operation."

He turned toward another report. The document contained information concerning Adesewa’s known combat history, her reputation as a First Generation Awakener, and the Divine Rune associated with her abilities.

"She’s not merely strong," Corvin observed. "She’s experienced. She knows how to dismantle an organization by attacking its support network rather than wasting time chasing individual assassins."

The second operative swallowed nervously.

"What do you recommend, sir?"

Corvin closed the report. "I’ll handle her personally."

Both operatives looked startled.

"Sir, are you certain?" the first asked. "If something happens to you...."

"Nothing will happen to me," Corvin interrupted.

He walked toward a reinforced cabinet positioned against the far wall. Inside rested a long weapon wrapped in dark cloth.

Corvin removed it carefully, revealing a polished blade beneath the covering. He examined the weapon for several seconds before turning toward his subordinates.

"Find out where Afolayan intends to strike next," he ordered. "I want her movements confirmed before we make our approach."

The operatives exchanged uneasy glances.

"And the other survivors?" one asked.

Corvin’s expression remained cold.

"They’re secondary," he answered. "As long as Afolayan remains active, she’ll continue destroying our people and exposing our operations."

He secured the weapon across his back.

"That ends now."

---

Back at Darkstar Headquarters, Jet finally prepared to leave.

Alessandro accompanied him to the elevator, continuing their conversation about Inez and the difficulties of balancing family responsibilities with life as an Awakener.

"Don’t forget what we discussed," the Guildmaster reminded him with a smile.

Jet looked at him curiously. "About my training?"

"That too," Alessandro replied. "But I was referring to meeting my nephew."

Jet laughed. "I haven’t forgotten, Guildmaster."

"Good," Alessandro said, looking pleased. "I’ll arrange something when the opportunity presents itself."

Jet nodded before stepping into the elevator. "Thank you for dinner, Guildmaster. I enjoyed it."

"The pleasure was mine, Jet," Alessandro replied warmly. "Get home safely."

The elevator doors closed.

As Jet descended toward the ground floor, he found himself smiling faintly.

He’d originally approached Alessandro because of his strength and experience, but their relationship was gradually becoming something more personal.

The Guildmaster had treated him with genuine kindness, offered guidance without demanding anything in return, and now wanted to introduce him to someone he regarded as his own son.

Jet appreciated that trust.

And as he left Darkstar Headquarters beneath Zenith’s illuminated skyline, he had no reason to imagine that an ordinary dinner invitation might someday become one of the most painful memories of his second life.