After eating their fill, Ethan leaned back in his chair, letting out a satisfied breath as he rubbed his stomach.

"Yeah... that hit the spot."

Elara nodded enthusiastically, though her movements slowed slightly as she glanced around.

The stares hadn’t stopped.

If anything, they had gotten worse, which Ethan noticed too.

"Let’s leave."

He grabbed the remaining napkins, wiped his hands, and stood up in one smooth motion. Elara followed immediately, keeping close to him.

The eyes and attention were suffocating.

Ethan pulled his hood up as they stepped outside, shadowing his face, while Elara kept her head lowered, her hair falling forward just enough to obscure her features.

Hopefully, they were less recognisable this way.

They walked silently until they got down the street before flagging down a taxi.

The ride back was quiet.

Ethan sat in the back, lounging slightly, one arm resting against the window while the other sat casually over the bag of cash. Elara sat beside him, hands resting in her lap, occasionally glancing at him.

As the city blurred past, the blue-eyed man couldn’t help but smile.

How could he not?

His stomach was full, and his pockets even more so.

It was surreal.

’I’m carrying more money than I’ve ever had at once in my life...’

And he had earned it in a single day, if he counted massively overcharging the A Rank for rent.

The thought alone almost made him laugh.

Their biggest robbery back in the day probably netted them around this much, which Mark saved and used to open the bar. But that had taken planning, risk, and cost him seven years of his life.

In comparison, this felt easy.

Then again, most of the money came from Elara, and what he had earned felt like chump change in comparison. He had also fully accepted death until she was possessed, so ultimately, was it worth risking his life over a grand or two?

That put things into perspective as he glanced at Elara briefly.

’Yeah, easy’s not the right word.’

But still, everything had worked out, and he would take this over his old life any day.

’I’d risk my life a hundred times over before going back to that cell.’

Ethan didn’t dwell on it, and instead, a faint grin tugged at his lips.

’I can’t wait to see Mark’s reaction.’

To the gate, to the cash, and most importantly, his new roommate.

He almost laughed under his breath.

As he did, Elara shifted slightly beside him, glancing at him curiously. Feeling her gaze on him again, he locked eyes with her and smiled, to which she nervously looked away.

’She can be quite cute when she’s not full demon mode or stuffing her face,’ he laughed.

Ethan was coming to accept and enjoy her presence, or maybe it was just himself coping. It wasn’t like he could tell her to leave him alone, not after what he had seen of her abilities and definitely not after she handed him forty grand like it was nothing.

’It is what it is.’

With that thought, Ethan closed his eyes and relaxed.

It had been so long since he tried to sleep without entering the tower, but it was only moments later that the taxi came to a stop.

"We’re here."

Ethan opened his eyes with a groan, paying the driver before stepping out first. He stretched slightly while Elara followed closely behind, her eyes scanning the surroundings with quiet curiosity.

But as eager as he was to see Mark, he had his priorities straight.

After getting some food in his system, the next thing he needed was some cigarettes, another of his multiple addictions.

He headed straight for Mr Cho’s corner store.

The small shop sat on the edge of the block, its flickering neon sign barely holding on, the glass windows cluttered with posters and advertisements that had long since faded. It was the kind of place that never really changed, no matter how much the world outside did.

And Ethan liked that.

He pushed the door open, the bell chiming softly as he stepped inside.

"Hello, Etan," Mr Cho called from behind the counter.

Ethan answered with a nod, pointing at the cigarettes behind the old man while grabbing one of the expensive lighters. After receiving the small box, he dropped some cash on the counter and walked out.

Outside, the air felt cooler, and they seemed not to be recognised as much around here.

Ethan slipped a cigarette between his lips, exhaling slowly as he flicked the lighter open. The small flame danced for a moment before he brought it to the tip.

He closed his eyes as the smoke filled his lungs.

’Now, this is well-deserved.’

For a brief moment, everything else faded.

No gates, no beasts, no weird demon girl following him around - it was just him and his cigarette in peace.

Elara did not share that sentiment.

She stood a step behind him, watching with a clear look of disapproval as the smoke curled into the air. Her nose scrunched slightly, and she waved her hand subtly in front of her face.

If looks could kill, Ethan would’ve been dead already.

He cracked one eye open, catching her expression, and smirked.

"What?" he said casually, exhaling a stream of smoke to the side. "Didn’t know what you signed up for?"

She crossed her arms.

Her glare didn’t soften, not even a little, like a disappointed child.

Ethan chuckled under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah. You’ll get used to it."

She very clearly disagreed, but she followed him anyway.

They walked down the street in relative silence, the earlier noise of the city fading into the background. Ethan took his time, cigarette in hand, while Elara stayed close, her movements slightly tense, her eyes still scanning their surroundings like she wasn’t entirely comfortable yet.

Eventually, they stopped.

Ethan flicked some ash off the cigarette and tilted his head slightly.

"This is it."

Elara looked up and frowned.

The Black Howl stood before them in all its run-down glory. The exterior was worn, the sign slightly crooked, the windows dim and unimpressive.

It looked underwhelming, to say the least.

"This," Ethan added, gesturing lazily toward it, "is where you’ll be living from now on."

Her confusion was immediate and visible.

But before she could ask anything, Ethan tossed the half-finished cigarette aside, crushing it under his foot as he stepped inside without hesitation.