LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 6: Chapter 6
The hospital room was quiet except for the faint hum of machinery and the occasional murmur of nurses in the hall.
Thomas raised an eyebrow but let the comment slide.
"So, how do you know Rafayel?"
Rowan hesitated. He couldn't exactly say, Oh, I'm from another world and met him because of a glitchy system. Instead, he opted for something vague. "We've been… around each other for a while. Let's just say our paths crossed at the right—or maybe the wrong—time."
"Cryptic," Thomas remarked, his tone light but curious. "You're not from here, are you?"
Rowan tensed but kept his expression neutral. "uh,yeah "
Thomas seemed to consider that, nodding slowly. "Fair enough. Rafayel doesn't usually let people into his space. You must've done something right."
Rowan shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Or maybe he just didn't have a choice."
Thomas chuckled softly, though his gaze remained sharp. "Well, for his sake, I hope you stick around. He doesn't show it, but Rafayel needs people who'll stand by him."
The conversation tapered off into a companionable silence. Rowan felt a strange sense of unease and comfort at the same time. Thomas seemed trustworthy, but Rowan wasn't ready to let his guard down completely.
Two hours passed, the minutes dragging as they waited. Finally, a soft groan broke the quiet, and both men turned to see Rafayel stirring.
"Rafayel!" Thomas was at his side in an instant. "How are you feeling?"
Rafayel blinked groggily, "I'm fine… or at least, I will be. What happened?"
"You overexerted yourself, that's what," Thomas said sternly. "You're lucky Rowan was there to help."
Rafayel's gaze shifted to Rowan, who gave a small wave. "Don't mention it. You're the one who did the cool fire trick."
Rafayel rolled his eyes, but a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "I don't recall asking for your commentary."
"Ah, there's the sass," Rowan quipped. "I was worried you'd lost it."
"Trust me, I'm fine," Rafayel replied, sitting up slowly. He winced, but Thomas was quick to steady him.
"You need to rest," Thomas insisted.
Rafayel gave a small nod. "I will. But first…" He turned to Rowan, his expression softening slightly. "Thank you. For not running when things got… messy."
Rowan shrugged. "Not really my style to run. Plus, someone had to save your ass."
Rafayel let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Don't let it get to your head."
---
Once they returned home, Rowan took one look at the cluttered kitchen and rolled up his sleeves. "Alright, time to clean."
Rafayel raised an eyebrow, leaning against the counter. "I wasn't aware you had a knack for housekeeping."
"Just watch and learn," Rowan shot back, pulling ingredients and cleaning supplies with practiced efficiency.
Within an hour, the kitchen was spotless, and the aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air. Rowan set two plates on the table, grinning as he gestured for Rafayel to sit.
"You're full of surprises," Rafayel admitted, taking a seat.
"What can I say? I'm a man of many talents," Rowan replied, handing him a fork. "Now eat."
Rafayel hesitated for a moment before taking a bite. His eyes widened slightly, though he quickly schooled his expression. "Not bad."
"Not bad?" Rowan feigned offense. "I just slaved over a hot stove for you, and all I get is not bad?"
Rafayel smirked. "Fine. It's good. Happy?"
"Ecstatic," Rowan deadpanned, earning a quiet chuckle from Rafayel.
After they finished eating, Rowan stretched back in his chair, patting his stomach with satisfaction. "Not to brag, but that was some top-tier cooking."
Rafayel leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Enough about your culinary skills. Let's talk about what happened earlier with the monster."
Rowan's expression sobered as he straightened in his seat.
"Yeah, that... was insane. That thing was like something out of a nightmare. But you were incredible." He gestured animatedly, mimicking Rafayel's combat moves. "Slicing and dicing like it was nothing."
Rafayel's lips quirked into a faint smirk before his expression turned serious. "You're avoiding the important part. That shield you summoned. How did you do it?"
Rowan frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I honestly don't know. One moment, I was freaking out, and the next—bam! Shield out of nowhere." He paused, meeting Rafayel's sharp gaze. " it was the system."
"The system?" Rafayel's brow furrowed in skepticism.
"Yeah, you know, the weird thing that talks to me and shows notifications. It's like a game overlay but real," Rowan explained, his hands gesturing vaguely in the air. "It said something about protecting myself, and the shield just... appeared."
Rafayel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're speaking nonsense again."
"I'm not!" Rowan protested. "You saw the shield! How else would I have done it?"
"Instinct, perhaps. Or desperation," Rafayel replied, his tone dismissive. "Whatever it was, don't rely on it. You'll get yourself killed."
Rowan huffed but let it go, realizing Rafayel wasn't going to believe him. Instead, he leaned forward, his voice more tentative. "Okay, but about the... Evols, or whatever you call them. Could that have something to do with it? Do you think I have... I don't know, potential?"
Rafayel studied him for a long moment, his gaze calculating. "Evols don't manifest randomly. They're tied to innate abilities or unique circumstances. If you do have potential, it hasn't fully awakened yet."
Rowan slumped in his chair. "So, I might have powers, or I might just be a glorified sidekick. Great."
"You're not useless," Rafayel said, his tone unexpectedly firm. "You survived. That counts for something."
The weight of Rafayel's words hung between them, and Rowan found himself nodding slowly. "Alright, but if I do have powers, how do I figure it out? Is there some kind of... test?"
Rafayel's smirk returned. "There's no cheat sheet, Rowan. If it's there, it'll show itself when the time is right."
Rowan groaned. "So, I just have to wait? Fantastic."
The tension eased as they shifted into lighter conversation. Rowan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Okay, serious question, since there's nothing to do now and I won't have an awkward situation: If you didn't have any powers and were just a normal person, like, a painter what would you be doing, besides painting?"
Rafayel raised an eyebrow. "A painter?"
"Yeah, just imagine you're a regular person," Rowan said with a grin. "No monster-slaying or saving the world, just you with a paintbrush. What else would you be up to?"
Rafayel paused for a moment, then shrugged. "I'd be a chef. I'd build a restaurant full of seafood."
Rowan blinked, his mind racing.
TF? He's a merman, but loves eating seafood?
He stared at Rafayel for a moment before blurting out, "That's cannibalism."
Rafayel didn't seem to hear him, already lost in his thoughts. "Yeah, I'd have the best seafood dishes. People would come from all over just to taste it."
Rowan just stared at him, processing the idea. How does that even work? He shook his head. "You're something else."
"Alright, if you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?"
Rafayel hesitated before answering, his tone deadpan. "Anything but your cooking."
Rowan gasped in mock offense. "Rude! You loved it, admit it."
Rafayel didn't respond, but the faint amusement in his eyes betrayed him.
As the conversation meandered through absurd hypotheticals and playful banter, Rowan felt a strange sense of ease. For all his sharp edges, Rafayel wasn't as impenetrable as he seemed. And for now, that was enough.
Just as the laughter began to die down, a familiar chime sounded in Rowan's mind.
[Affinity with Rafayel has increased by 2%]
Rowan stared at the notification, muttering under his breath. "TF?"
"What's that?" Rafayel asked, his brow furrowing.
"Nothing," Rowan said quickly, waving it off.
Rafayel gave him a skeptical look but didn't press the matter. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his sharp features softened by the warm glow of the kitchen light.