Chapter 9: The Aftermath

Riley was not one of the lucky ones.

Some people used their luck to win the lottery. Or find their soulmate. Or walk into work without embarrassing themselves.

But not him. Instead, his luck was usually spent entirely on survival.

A blow here. A kick there. The occasional curse hurled by some furious being that barely knew his name.

That was where all his luck went.

Which was unfortunate.

Because that left nothing for when he needed it. Just like now.

He walked mechanically, trying to pretend he didn’t hear his coworkers whispering behind him.

Their wild theories about how he was still alive after sleeping in front of his boss the entire night were getting more ridiculous by the minute.

And even he’s starting to think that something’s really up.

Heck, it wasn’t helping that Kael hadn’t even glared at him.

No sigh. No sharp remark. Not even the usual heavy silence that made him question his life choices.

Which sounded good.

Except it wasn’t.

If anything, it was worse.

Because the way Kael just sat there, calm and unreadable, made Riley wonder if the Dragon Lord’s kindness was actually because he wasn’t even sure the sigil would work.

That idea sent a chill through him earlier.

But now, hours later, he was starting to feel strange.

Better, somehow.

The amulet, which he hadn’t worn until now, seemed to be working well. After getting it, Riley actually opted not to wear the ring right away, trying to conserve the energy for when he thought he’d need it. So it was only now that he was feeling the difference.

But maybe he really should’ve gone ahead and used it so he could’ve rested better.

No matter. He was wearing it from now on. And if he had to badger the boss for energy, then he’d just do it.

And the sigil. That faint heat under his skin. Still pulsing. Still alive.

He wasn’t sure if it was supposed to feel this way. He only hoped it wasn’t glowing bright enough for everyone to notice. Or worse, hopefully that mark wouldn’t just pop out like earlier.

But he didn’t have time to worry about it anyway.

A mountain of paperwork still sat waiting for him.

Riley slapped his cheeks and leaned forward.

Work first. Panic later.

Surprisingly, the work didn’t feel as bad as it usually did.

Actually, he felt good.

Alive.

As if someone had pumped pure chicken blood straight into his veins. Or was this an effect of lizard blood?

His pen moved faster than he could think.

Halfway through, he stopped and stared at his hands in disbelief.

He hadn’t eaten anything since this morning.

And yet here he was. Still working. Still focused.

So this was what everyone else felt like. No wonder they all seemed ready for another all-nighter.

No wonder he’d always been running himself into the ground just to keep up.

By the time he scribbled the last signature, Riley leaned back and exhaled.

He actually finished.

For a brief moment, he even felt proud.

Maybe this was what being competent felt like.

The aide who, for the first time, finished with energy to spare was hoping to head home to at least freshen up.

Although…maybe he should have taken a moment to check a mirror first.

Because if he had…

Maybe he wouldn’t have walked right into the center of the latest office gossip.

Nothing much actually happened as he left. But apparently that was only because they were too surprised to say anything.

However, such peace couldn’t be expected to last, especially once everyone started leaning on their own theories.

And that was what the experimental cow, who was alive against all odds, experienced when he stepped through the Ministry doors.

“Did you hear? He left the Lord’s lair past midnight.”

“But isn’t that normal? Sometimes work ends even later than that.”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be normal. But normally, Aide Hale would be looking like he’s ready to crawl into his grave.”

“I guess… but then what’s so surprising?”

“Ah, it’s a shame you didn’t see it yesterday. When he left, he actually looked alive. Really alive. Practically glowing.”

“Oh?!”

“And the real catch? One of the employees who had to deliver something to the office… they saw him sleeping!”

A sharp gasp.

“Sleeping?!”

“In front of the boss! And even after the employee came back to pick up the signed papers, he was still there. Sleeping soundly like nothing was wrong!”

“And you’re saying he’s alive?!”

The whispers grew louder. Faster. More dramatic.

By the sound of it, Riley thought he should be dead somewhere by now. And honestly… he kind of agreed.

If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought something was seriously wrong.

Then the gossip moved on to the speculations. Which only got worse.

“So… is he the favorite? Being allowed to sleep and still survive? Or…” a pause. “…Is he the flavor of the century?”

“No one’s sure. But explain the screaming, then. That doesn’t sound like something a favorite would be doing.”

A low laugh followed. “Tsk. Tsk. You youngsters. Who said you have to be in pain to scream?”

“What?!”

“Think about it. Would someone in pain look that good after?”

No. No, no, no.

Because that was absurd. Yet painfully accurate.

Riley could still remember the excruciating pain he’d endured before all the…good stuff. And even now, he was half convinced he’d just drop dead any second.

But more than the pain, what really bothered him was something else.

He wasn’t sure if he should be more offended that they thought he hadn’t finished his work…

Or more offended by their disturbing insinuations about him and the Great Lizard.

Either way, his dignity was hanging by a thread.

And it was fraying fast.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, his boss had arrived.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Everyone stood. Their chairs scraped back in unison, and every pair of eyes snapped toward the entrance.

The office that had just been alive with whispers and wild theories went dead quiet as Kael glided in.

Golden eyes gleamed, cold and burning all at once, his presence oppressive in a way that pressed against the skin.

Like wildfire, trapped in human form.

Somewhere, someone whimpered.

And really, Riley couldn’t blame them.

Even now, after working with Kael directly, he still felt his instincts screaming at him to lower his gaze and stay still.

Riley straightened and managed a polite, if stiff, greeting. “Good morning, my Lord.”

Kael’s golden gaze cut to him.

And then…a curt nod.

Then, without another word, Kael started walking toward the levitator.

Riley scrambled to catch up, falling into step behind him as the levitator doors slid open.

And as they both stepped inside, the doors began to close.

Behind them, the silence shattered.

The office exploded into chaos.

“Did you see that?!”

“Aide Riley got an actual nod!”

“A nod! He’s moving up in the world!”

“I swear I saw the corner of his mouth twitch, too. That counts as a smile, right?”

“No way. Not even the department heads get nods!”

“Does this mean they’re… close?”

“Shut up! He’s still alive, that’s already close enough!”

Inside the levitator, Riley could feel the weight of all those wide-eyed stares and whispering voices even through the closed doors.

He shut his eyes and muttered under his breath.

“Please don’t let this get worse…”

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