Ravissant

Ad Primum Aspectum - At First Sight

Chapter 12

Milos immediately straightened up her body after realizing the awkward position that she was in. Fortem, who was holding a book earlier, was now on her side.

“What happened?” Fortem asked.

“I am sorry, I did not see her earlier.” the teen boy said.

He was speaking the truth, he had a tower of books on her hands, now on the floor when he accidentally bumped into Milos.

He picked up the books and placed them on the edge of the nearest bookshelf. “How can I help you, I am Levian by the way?” The young man introduced himself.

Milos was still looking at the young man. He looked familiar but also different.

Levian was a little bit taller than Milos. His build was close to muscular, more on the lean side. Fortem had a bigger build. His features were soft, yet manly. His eyes reminded Milos of something from her life that she could not immediately pinpoint. Levian’s eyes were green, emerald green. He wore a beanie so she had no idea what his hair color was.

This was definitely not Lucas. Although Levian had features similar to Lucas, they were two different people. Milos was not sure. It has been years since she saw Lucas. And by her estimate, Lucas is much older than this boy. By her estimate, Lucas could be around 40 in the Elvin years. Levian looked closer to her age.

Fortem noticed Milos losing her tongue and replied to Levian. “Can you please tell us where the nearest restaurant is?” He asked Levian. “I am Fortem by the way and this is Milos.”

“Milos,” Levian asked.

“Yes,” Milos said, “Why?”

“Nothing, the name seems to be familiar,” Levian replied.

And with just that, Milos blushed. She felt her cheeks turn warm. Fortem didn’t fail to notice it.

Fortem interrupted, “The restaurant?” He asked Levian again.

“Oh, yes. There is a nice pizza parlor a few blocks from this place when you go right and a pizza joint if you go the other direction.

Milos assumed that it was the same places that she, together with Olethea and Neonella visited the last time they were in this world.

“Thank you,” Fortem said and took Milos’ hand. He pulled her to walk towards the door.

Milos wanted to stay for a little bit more. She really felt something different with Levian. However, she felt a slight tug from Fortem who was urging her to come out of the bookstore.

“We need to cover more ground,” Fortem told him when they were already outside the bookstore. He let go of Milos hand when they were already outside. Let’s see the restaurant.

“So you know about restaurants?” Milos asked him.

“Yes, Neo mentioned it to me. Even pizza.” Fortem replied. “Do you know that boy?” He added.

“Boy? Which boy.” Milos asked, looking around to see if Fortem was pertaining to someone in the street.

“The boy in the bookstore, Levian,” he said.

“No, I don’t, but,” Milos said.

“But what?” Fortem interrupted.

“But he looked familiar,” Milos said.

“Yes, he had eyes close to the shade of Olethea,” Fortem said casually.

Milos froze and suddenly stopped following Fortem. He was right. How could she have failed to notice that Levian had the same eyes as Olethea. His eyes were darker though, but close to Olethea’s eyes.

Fortem noticed that Milos was not following him anymore.

“Milos,” he called out. In a tone that he uses when speaking to his soldiers.

Milos heard the authority in Fortem’s voice. She immediately went to Fortem’s side.

When they arrived at the pizza restaurants, Fortem walked together with Milos to the cashier. She ordered the same food items that they ordered back then. When the cashier told them how much their meal was, she took the money that Neonella gave her earlier.

Fortem looked at her, he was obviously asking her where the paper bills came from.

“Neo,” Milos said.

Fortem took the food tray and followed Milos to one of the tables close to the door.

“So when did Neo give you those?” Fortem asked after they were seated at the table.

“Earlier, before you arrived at Silver Rock,” Milos said, handing Fortem a pack of fries and the Coke in a can which she just popped open.

“Did Neo come to Silver Rock earlier?” Fortem asked.

“Yes, I assumed you two crossed paths when you were headed towards Silver Rock,” Milos said.

“Maybe she took a different path home.” Fortem shrugged and took a bite on the pizza. “His eyes slightly widen in delight.

“It’s good right?” Milos said, smiling.

Fortem nodded, taking another bite.

The two of them silently enjoyed the human food before Fortem started a conversation again.

“So you and Neo are talking again,” Fortem asked. He was already done with his food and was drinking his Coke.

Milos just gulped the last sip of her drink. She didn’t want to answer Fortem’s question.

A man opened the door of the pizza house and caught Milos’s attention.

The man looked as old as his father. But somehow, when he entered, Milos felt magic coming from the man. Fortem felt it too and followed Milos’ gaze.

The man went directly to the counter where he ordered food. He waited for a few minutes, paid the cashier after he received the brown bag, and then went back to the restaurant’s door entrance to leave.

The man might have felt someone looking at him and looked towards Milos and Fortem’s table.

The man froze looking at them, no, looking at Milos. He looked shocked.

Milos was confused. When the man realized that Milos was looking at him, he quickly avoided her gaze and hurriedly left the pizza restaurant.

Milos suddenly realized that the man was Lucas. He was older, obviously with the wrinkles on his face and a few white hairs on his head, but Milos was certain that the man was indeed Lucas.

Milos immediately stood from her table. Fortem caught her hand. “What, where are you going?” He asked.

“I just saw Lucas.” She said.

“Lucas who?” Fortem asked, confused.

“Lucas was the only person we met when we last went to this place. He might know where Olethea is.” She said, escaping from Fortem’s grip and went straight to the door.

Fortem was left with no choice but to follow Milos who was already at the door.

When Milos went outside, Lucas was already a few blocks ahead.

Lucas was in a hurry. She just saw Milos. He needs to get out of the pizza restaurant fast.

He looked back and saw Milos standing on the sidewalk, looking at his direction.

Lucas tried to walk faster. She was following him.

Milos wanted to run but was afraid to cause a scene with too many people walking on the sidewalk. Fortem was already outside too when she started walking to follow Lucas.

Just when Milos thought that she already caught up with Lucas, she ended up tapping the back of a stranger whose shirt was the same as Lucas.

“Sorry,” She immediately apologized to the confused man.

“We lost him,” Fortem said.

Milos felt frustrated.

“Come, we need to scout the area,” Fortem said.

Milos followed. Disappointed that she, a champion of Omnia, just lost an old man in plain sight.

They were walking back in the direction of the restaurant when they passed by the bookstore where she saw Levian. He was talking to someone on the counter of the bookstore, the side of his face seen from the large window of the bookstore.

The woman she was talking to had long hair, her back was facing the window as she looked like she was reaching something from the bottom of the cabinets on the side of the wall.

When she stood up and gave the books to Levian, Milo's heart skipped a beat.

The woman faced the window of the bookstore, unaware of Milos’s pale face looking back at her.

“Olethea,” Milos said in a whisper.