’An A Rank and an E Rank walk into a bar... it sounds like the start of a shitty dad joke.’ 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Ethan suppressed a laugh as his eyes flicked between Mark and Elara, who were both tense and awkward.

"You can head downstairs and see the shithole you’re going to be sharing with me, and you can wear something more comfortable if you want," he said casually, jerking a thumb toward the basement door.

Elara blinked, then looked down at herself.

The clothes she had picked out from the Association base were fine. They were clean, well-fitted, and probably expensive, yet she kept tugging at her sleeves and shifting.

She was clearly uncomfortable.

So when Ethan said that, she nodded quickly, a small but genuine look of appreciation crossing her face.

Before she could move, Mark stepped forward, raising a hand.

"It’s a mess, and-"

"You don’t mind, right?" Ethan cut him off smoothly, glancing at Elara.

She shook her head without hesitation.

And with that, she quietly made her way toward the basement, Mark not daring to stop her any more than that.

The moment the door closed behind her, Mark grabbed Ethan by the arm.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed, his voice low but urgent. "She’s an A Rank. An A Rank, Ethan. She could kill both of us with the flick of a finger, and nobody would even care."

Ethan shrugged him off lightly.

"Nah, she’s chill," he said, completely unbothered. Then he tapped the side of his head with his finger. "And she’s a bit... you know."

Mark stared at him.

"That’s even worse! What if she gets angry and...?"

Ethan just smirked.

Before Mark could continue his barrage of questions, the basement door creaked open again.

Both of them looked over as Elara stepped back into the room.

She was wearing one of Ethan’s old tracksuits - baggy, slightly oversized, the sleeves covering part of her hands. It hung loosely off her frame, but somehow, it suited her.

Her blonde hair flowed freely over her shoulders, silky and soft-looking, contrasting with the dark fabric. Her skin was clear, almost glowing under the dim lighting, and even beneath the loose clothing, her figure was evident.

And then there were her red eyes that were equally striking and alluring as they were unsettling.

Ethan blinked once.

’She’s not bad at all.’

That was as far as the thought went.

Because every time he looked at her for more than a few seconds, he remembered what was inside her, killing any other line of thinking instantly.

Elara, meanwhile, was doing something... strange.

She tugged slightly at the sleeves, bringing them closer, as if hugging the fabric itself.

Then, she inhaled softly over and over again.

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Does it smell?" he asked, tilting his head.

Her eyes widened slightly before quickly shaking her head, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Ethan shrugged.

"Alright..."

It was weird, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Instead, he grinned slightly.

"It’s nice down there, right?"

She hesitated before signing in response.

*I’ve stayed in worse places.*

Ethan didn’t question it, but he could only imagine what kind of life she had lived to be so accepting of staying in that basement. A small part of him felt bad for essentially scamming her, but she didn’t seem too bothered, so neither was he.

Mark, on the other hand, just watched their casual exchange, shocked by two things.

’Why do they seem to close after just meeting each other? And since when did he know sign language? That idiot barely speaks English.’

The large man remained silent, watching his friend closely.

Meanwhile, Ethan stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders, wincing slightly as he did.

"Anyway," he said, glancing toward the door. "I’m going to see Mark’s family. The ones who raised me."

He looked back at her.

"You wanna come?"

She nodded simply, wanting to remain near him at all times.

As such, Ethan led the way, Elara grabbing his arm as they headed outside. Mark let out a long, tired sigh before following after them.

At this point, what else could he even do?

The three of them stepped out of the Black Howl, Mark locking up behind them before catching up. The street was pretty quiet, which was nice compared to the earlier attention.

’To think I’d appreciate something as simple as walking down the street without being stared at.’

But despite the normal atmosphere, this group was anything but normal.

There was an A Rank, an untitled, and Ethan, who was caught somewhere in between both figuratively and literally. Elara clung to one arm, and Mark was near his other, closer than usual, as if to ensure he didn’t suddenly run away.

They walked in silence.

But it wasn’t the comfortable kind; it was the kind where everyone was thinking way too much.

Mark was trying to process everything: the changes in Ethan, the gate, and now an A Rank was going to be living in his basement.

’What’s next, an S Rank in the attic?’

Beside him, Elara also didn’t speak, mostly because she couldn’t, her gaze shifting between the two men occasionally. She was observing, studying, and trying to understand them.

’I know I’m not one to talk, but they’re both odd.’

Ethan was unpredictable, blunt, and reckless. He was very hard to read, and she couldn’t tell what was on his mind most of the time, but he didn’t seem entirely malicious.

Mark, for the couple of minutes she had seen him, came across as more grounded and emotionally adept, which was rare in men. And even without being a Titled, he had quite a presence.

Yet despite being so opposite, they were very close.

She didn’t fully understand them, as with most people, but she wasn’t disturbed by them like most. That was enough for Elara, who had become an acute judge of character over her life.

Ethan, meanwhile, was also deep in thought.

’I’m still weak.’

The thought came naturally.

Despite everything: surviving the gate, receiving incredible rewards, accidentally recruiting an A Rank, and even acquiring a bunch of money, it still wasn’t enough.

Ethan recognised that it likely never would be.

What he was seeking wasn’t a specific target but the peak, and the higher he climbed, the further away it felt.

Even with a C Rank Beast, Darius, the Explosive Spear, could effortlessly wipe the floor with him. Let alone A Ranks, who were monsters in human skin like Elara, Kaela, and Holt.

’I can’t settle for this.’

His jaw tightened slightly.

He wanted more, no, he needed more.

Power, control, strength, he wanted to reach a point where no one else could stand above him. When no one could overpower him or decide his fate, only then would he feel comfortable.

’It’s going to be tough.’

That’s undeniable; he had a long and painful journey ahead of him, but it would all be worth it if he succeeded. Ethan had a very addictive personality, as seen by his behaviour since being released.

If he wasn’t moving forward, he was moving backwards, and he never wanted to do that again.

As such, he knew exactly where he needed to go.

’Tower Of Beasts, I’ll be back soon.’

He needed to climb, hunt, and grow until he couldn’t anymore. But before he could do so freely, there was something he had to do first. Something that he had been avoiding for far too long.

Ethan’s steps slowed slightly.

Then, without thinking, he turned the street corner, his feet carrying him instinctively down a familiar path.

Mark noticed immediately.

"You remember the way, huh."

Ethan didn’t respond as the neighbourhood came into view.

It was clean, modernised, and almost unrecognisable.

"Place changed a lot," Ethan muttered.

Mark nodded, "Yeah."

It hadn’t always been like this; it had been rough and unforgiving.

Ethan smirked faintly.

"Gentrification, am I right?"

Mark snorted quietly.

But as they continued down the street, Ethan stopped in front of the one house that didn’t fit at all. It was run down, with broken windows and peeling paint.

It was a stain on an otherwise polished street.

But that wasn’t why it stood out to him.

It was because it was his house, or at least it used to be.

He stared at it, blank-faced and unmoving as unwanted memories flooded his mind. As they did, he noticed figures shuffling within the abandoned home.

Ethan’s gaze hardened slightly.

’Of course, it’s a crack den now.’

He let out a quiet breath.

"Lovely."

Behind him, Elara tilted her head slightly, watching him.

She was confused by him suddenly going still and zoning out, but she just observed silently. Mark, on the other hand, took a more direct approach, grabbing his arm.

"Let’s go."

His voice was firm and helped Ethan snap out of it.

"That is your home," Mark said, nodding toward the neighbouring house. "Not this."

Ethan paused, then nodded.

"Yeah."

They walked up to the house that had changed, but was still familiar, and with each step, his heart raced more and more.

’Here goes nothing...’