Evening FallsAs the sun dipped lower, casting a warm orange hue over the vilge, Elise finally stood up, brushing off her clothes."I should head home," she said, stretching her arms. "I'll see you tomorrow."She turned to my parents and gave them a respectful nod. "Thank you for having me."My mother, Evelina, smiled. "You're welcome anytime, dear."Elise then gnced at Adrian. "Nice meeting you. Maybe we'll run into each other in the dungeon sometime."Adrian nodded. "Yeah, maybe. Stay safe out there."I watched as Elise walked down the dirt path toward her home, her armor faintly clinking with each step.Introducing the Twins

  I turned back to Adrian, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, before you go—"Before I could finish, the twins rushed forward, each grabbing one of my arms."Big bro! Who's this?" Lyra asked, her bright red eyes full of curiosity."Is he a friend?" Aiden added, staring up at Adrian.I sighed. "Yeah, yeah. This is Adrian, our new neighbor."The twins both looked up at him, tilting their heads in unison."Hi, Big Bro Adrian!" they chimed together.Adrian blinked, caught off guard by their energy, but he managed a small smile. "Hey there."The twins beamed at him before turning back to me."He seems nice," Lyra whispered loudly."I like him better than that scary girl," Aiden added, referring to Elise.Adrian chuckled at that, while I shook my head.Noticing how dark the sky was getting, both our families began wrapping up the conversation.

  My parents exchanged a few st words with Adrian's parents, Gregor and Mar, before we all stood up, stretching from the long talk.Gregor, Adrian's father, a broad-shouldered man with short dark hair and a quiet but steady presence, gave a polite nod to my father. "It was nice getting to know you all. We'll see you around."Mar, Adrian's mother, a tall, sharp-eyed woman who carried herself with confidence, smiled. "And if you kids ever need anything, don't hesitate to come by.""Likewise," my father, Darius, replied.Adrian nodded at me. "See you around, Kael."I smirked. "Yeah. Maybe we'll test how strong that Silver Rank really is one day."Adrian gave a small ugh. "Haha we'll see."With that, our families parted ways, retreating into our respective homes. The night air was cool, and as I stepped inside, I couldn't help but think—maybe having a new neighbor wouldn't be so bad after all.

  Adrian stepped into his home, a two-story house that bore simirities to mine but with a different yout. While my home had a more open design with the living room extending into the kitchen, Adrian's house was more compartmentalized, with hallways leading into different rooms.

  The furniture was well-kept but slightly worn, and the faint scent of old parchment mixed with wood polish lingered in the air.His father, Gregor, stood near the window, gazing outside as if deep in thought. As Adrian was about to head upstairs, Gregor called out."Adrian."Adrian stopped mid-step and turned to face his father. "Yeah?"Gregor's dark eyes settled on him, his voice steady yet carrying an unspoken weight. "Make friends with them."Adrian frowned slightly. "You mean Kael and his family?"Gregor nodded. "Them… and the girl. If my assumptions are correct, that friendship might save your life someday."Adrian blinked, puzzled by his father's cryptic words. "What do you mean?"His father didn't eborate, simply giving him a measured look before turning back toward the window."Just remember what I said."Adrian wasn't sure what to make of it, but rather than press further, he sighed and agreed.

  "Alright, alright. I'll befriend them."His mother, Mar, who had been sitting nearby, watched the exchange with a thoughtful expression. She then turned to her husband."What is it, Greg? Are they someone you know?"Gregor remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, albeit vaguely."It's the colors," he murmured. "That color is from a pure side."Mar's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, as if she understood something deeper, but she didn't press the topic further.Adrian, however, had no idea what his father was talking about. Colors? A pure side? He decided to pay it no mind, figuring his father was just being his usual enigmatic self.With that, he headed upstairs to his room, plopping onto his bed and letting out a tired sigh. It had been an interesting day.

  Meanwhile, back at Kael’s house, the entire family had gathered in the living room, which, like always, extended into the kitchen area. A soft glow from the nterns illuminated the space, casting warm shadows on the brick walls.The twins, as expected, were all over me."Big bro! Tell us about the dungeon today!" Lyra demanded, bouncing on the couch beside me."Did you fight scary monsters again?" Aiden added, pulling on my sleeve.I let out a long sigh, leaning back against the couch. "I'm too tired for a story right now.""No fair!" the twins whined in unison.My mother chuckled as she set some tea on the table, while my father sat across from her, looking thoughtful."So," my mother, Evelina, began, turning to my father. "What do you think of the new neighbors?"My father, Darius, rubbed his chin. "They look like wealthy people.""Right?" my mother agreed. "Their clothes, their mannerisms… they don't seem like the type to settle in a pce like this."I gnced at them, now a bit curious myself. "Yeah, why would they move here, of all pces?"My father exhaled through his nose. "There are only a few reasons someone moves to a pce like this." He held up one finger.

  "One, they're new and don't have money yet." A second finger.

  "Two, they failed at something and are running from it." Then a third.

  "Or three, they're hiding from something or someone."I let that sink in. My parents weren't wrong—our small vilge outside Dragnir City's walls wasn't exactly prime real estate for the rich. People came here because they had nowhere better to go."Maybe they just wanted a quiet life?" I offered.My mother shook her head. "Rich people don't move to vilges like this for 'quiet.' They'd settle somewhere far more comfortable."I mulled it over. Gregor and Mar did seem a little too refined for this pce. And Adrian, while not overly arrogant, had a certain air of someone who had been trained properly—not someone who struggled to get by like the rest of us.Still, I wasn't the type to pry into people's pasts. If they had secrets, that was their business.As the conversation went on, my mother eventually decided to drop the subject."Either way, it's not really our concern. They're neighbors now, so we should at least be on good terms with them."My father nodded. "Agreed."With that, my mother got up and started setting the table for dinner."Come on, let's eat."The twins cheered, racing to their usual spots at the table.