107: Family Reunion

Aidan did a double take at Nina, the words barely processing in his mind. Sister?

The two stood off against one another, Nina staring hard at her supposed sister while the woman did the same. Though the emotions between the two of them couldn’t be more vastly different from one another.

While Nina presented herself as a fiery wave of pure hate and discomfort, the woman only had a surging ocean wave that encompassed everything. There was a hint of satisfaction, along with genuine surprise and small delight. She seemed happy to find her sister despite Nina sharing none of those emotions.

But there was something else that Aidan easily picked up, something so deep and powerful that outshined all her positive emotions. There was a level of pride in herself, her ego and confidence soaring high and mighty that could’ve drowned whatever affection she had for Nina. In that sense, that emotion rivaled intensely with Nina’s own hatred.

Aidan was having a surreal time trying to understand the befuddled emotions between the sisters, something that the sisters themselves were trying to unravel right at this moment.

“Selene,” Nina said, speaking the woman’s name. “What brings you all the way out here, and in a dungeon no less?”

“I could ask the same thing,” Selene said, wrapping her fingers on her cheek, tilting her head ever so slightly. It empowered her beauty, like a practiced move she had honed for years. “What brings my darling little sister that had gone missing the past two years all the way here?”

“Missing?” Nina scoffed. “You know why. I couldn’t stand being at home anymore, so I set off on my journey.”

“Set off, you say,” Selene cooed. “More like ransacked our house’s valuables and left without a word.”

“I didn’t think you cared so much for our family’s fortune,” Nina replied, her words laced with venom.

“Oh, I don’t, and quite frankly, kudos to you for pulling it off,” Selene smiled warmly, but that smile clearly didn’t reach her eyes. “By the way, father is still furious at that.”

“Sounds like a skill issue to me,” Nina replied just as quickly.

“Quite.”

Aidan didn’t have to focus hard on reading between the lines, because they were so damn large that it blew apart whatever composure one would have for a natural conversation between siblings. Aidan had siblings himself, so he understood that there would be times he would fight with them and be at odds, but it was like a whittling candle flame compared to the sister’s torrent of flames that might have been unleashed from the bowels of hell.

The others surrounding Nina also noticed this, Haley looking more concerned by the minute while Van kept his expression focused. The Wise Guys were farther away, but they kept a steady eye on the group to make sure no trouble occurred.

Meanwhile, Aidan turned his attention to the figure radiating demonic energy. It was tamed and compact, but he might as well be using a flashlight to make his presence known, impossible to ignore.

Nina crossed her arms. “Let’s put aside the pleasantries. I’m sure you didn’t come here because you were looking for me.”

“Precisely,” Selene replied with her usual smile, never seeming to fade. “And don’t worry. While Father wishes to have you returned, I won’t bother doing that. I’m actually here for my own personal business, and I heard rumors about a hotel being run here in a dungeon of all things. Considering that you’re here… I take it you’re in charge?”

“Naturally.”

Selene giggled. “I should’ve known. Though you’re quite confident in handling things here, aren’t you? I did hear rumors though. Using the family name for yourself like that–aren’t you afraid that our family would try to find you?”

Aidan wondered whether he should be worried or not from hearing that. He turned to Nina, who only showed a frown at Selene this entire time, never once adjusting her expression.

“They tried, but there's a reason why I'm still here,” Nina said coldly. “You can guess. You're smart like that.”

“Even so, why? Why use the name at all?”

Selene seemed genuinely interested in the answer, though her soul showed that she wouldn't go any further than this. Nina's eyes took on a sharp edge, her soul rising in what Aidan could only describe as defiance.

“Because they can’t control me. No matter what those idiots do, they will never lay their hands on me again. I use the name not just to prove that it’s where I come from, but to show them that they can’t do anything about it. The only way to make them understand is through action, and I’m doing just that.”

Selene stood quiet for a few seconds, the words hanging in the air like a guillotine ready to fall. After a moment, Selene let out a smile, something that was too complicated for even Aidan to guess despite having access to her very soul.

“I suppose I can recognize that. And before you worry your pretty little head over it–I have no intention of reporting you to Father. I have no reason to.”

“That’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it?” Nina scoffed. “Since when have you not tried to use me for your own benefit?”

Selene giggled, which surprised Nina quite a bit according to her soul. Her face never showed the change, but it was clear she was a bit overwhelmed by how different Selene was acting compared to the usual.

“Ah, I apologize,” Selene said with a graceful smile. It was starting to gnaw at Aidan from how often she was doing that. It was as if she had practiced that for years, and there was no way it was going to fall. “I understand why you’d think so. But things have changed.”

“Changed?” Nina raised a brow. “What changed?”

“Quite a lot of things, actually,” Selene said, then shook her head. “But I prefer not to brag or ramble on anything that doesn’t matter to you. I do honestly wish for your success, dear little sister. Even if you would never believe it.”

Selene took a glance around the hotel, seeing the many people scattering about with their business. Their group waited patiently for whatever it was that Selene was thinking about before she faced them again.

“I thought about staying here, but I think it’s best if we move on,” Selene said. “I don’t want to make my darling little sister more nervous than she already is.”

“I’m not so frantic as to not host my elder sister,” Nina said, her soul clearly agitated by her comment. "Why not stay over and rest?”

“No, I believe I should go,” Selene said, putting down Nina’s offer completely. “It was wonderful to see you again, Nina. And I hope you are blessed with great fortune.”

Selene turned to her group, nodded, then turned around to leave. The party followed, with the white wolfman patting the smaller girl’s back to grab her attention away from the building. As for the man covered in straps, he also turned, but not before turning once more in a single direction.

Straight at Aidan.

His nerves turned frigid, his need to summon his sword to attack screamed at his insides. But he kept himself patient, studying the man’s every move before he eventually turned back around to leave with Selene and the others.

Once they were out of sight, Aidan appeared right beside Nina who kept looking at the entrance where her sister left.

“What do you think?” Nina asked, her arms crossed without shifting gazes.

“That bastard noticed me,” Aidan said softly. Nina quickly turned to him, her eyes widened.

“I was talking about Selene, but…”

“Yeah, sorry, I was just a bit out of sorts,” Aidan said, turning back to Nina. He tried to relax his expression, but it was difficult with the nerves constantly eating at him. “Selene had no intention of bothering you. If anything, it’s like she doesn’t care about anything that you do. I think she was honest when she said she wanted you to succeed.”

“We’re talking about a woman who tried to get higher authority in my family by using and stepping on others, including her own family members. She never once even saw me as a little sister. Are you absolutely sure about that?”

Aidan was taken aback by her comment, though it was clear her soul matched her ferocity. He noticed now that it was her extremely rare moment of weakness, where her anxiety reached a fever pitch and exploded without her usual discipline in place.

He spoke calmly, his tone even at her. “I’m more sure than anything else. When she spoke about her family, she felt nothing. It’s like it’s beneath her now.”

“...Could it have something to do with that man that noticed you?” Nina muttered under her breath. “Is he so powerful that she found another way to power?”

“Kinda reminds me of you,” Nicky said, walking up to the two. Aidan admitted that Nicky had some guts to step into the conversation like that, her hands straddling over her hips. “That entire thing totally frayed my nerves. Should we worry about her or not?”

Nina turned to Nicky with a glare, but it quickly abated. Her calm demeanor returned after she spent a few seconds looking around, taking the chance to breathe to regain her discipline.

“If what Aidan said is true, then no. For now, keep working. I have to speak with Aidan on certain things.”

“Roger that.”

Nicky did exactly that, perhaps realizing that she almost stepped on a landmine there. Though if Aidan were to hazard a guess, it looked like it hit Nina straight on as she turned contemplative over her words.

“I suppose asking you to follow them would be asking too much,” Nina simply said, staring at the floor as she was deep in thought.

“Considering that the guy found me, that might be asking too much,” Aidan admitted, feeling a bit raw from his words.

Certainly, he could just go as a spirit using Soul Meditation, but he feared that in that state, the man could still find him and end up taking him down. That was just how dangerous he felt through his senses. While he wouldn’t be too afraid of demonic energy, his last experience taught him that underestimating it would be problematic.

“So, putting aside her beef with you,” Aidan continued. “Do you have any ideas as to why Selene’s here in the dungeon?”

Nina took a moment to answer, her eyes closed for a brief moment. After opening them, she paced around, her arms crossed as she delivered her thoughts.

“Selene is the cautious type, but would ultimately stab you from behind if she saw the potential gains from it. That means she isn’t afraid of breaking some rules, and some bones, if it means getting what she wants.”

“Huh, she really is like you,” Aidan muttered, to which Nina didn’t really comment. She wasn’t even mad at this point.

“But there’s a difference. She wasn’t born with a talent like mine. That means everything she does is based on her own intuition. She doesn’t normally trust anyone, and while I can guess a few things from her party, one thing is for certain–she’s confident about her fighting power. Or at the very least, confident in the people she has under her demand.”

“So that begs the question–is she here because she wants to make her people stronger?”

“That would naturally be the case,” Nina surmised. “But after hearing about what you felt from that man, an idea struck me, and knowing who my sister is, makes me a bit worried. It’s possible she knows about the cursed relic that exists here in the dungeon.”

Aidan’s eyes popped open at that. He should’ve realized it the moment he sensed the energy practically radiating off of the man. It would be natural to assume that he was here to get his hands on it.

“Goddamn it!” Aidan cursed. “Are you saying another dark mage is gonna make a mess of things?”

“Wait, wait, are you saying another demonic attack is coming?”

Haley stepped up, catching up to the two. Van followed behind, his face matching Haley’s concern.

“What do we do? Do we go there and stop them?”

“Better to head to the source and remove it immediately,” Nina answered. She let out a sigh as she continued. “Looks like we’re going to have to pause our business for the upcoming future. Haley, Van, report to the others about the orders I’m about to make.”

Nina told her demands, getting everyone to follow suit. The plan was to leave the hotel in the hands of the people she trusted to leave the hotel running while they would start on going down the dungeon like before. They always planned on doing this, but they planned on staying for a few more days, perhaps another week, to solidify the hotel’s business.

But with the added worry about Selene and her party’s arrival here in this dungeon, they had to move things along faster than they expected.

Receiving his orders, Aidan teleported straight to Forontia to add the people Nina wished to include into the hotel. The next six hours went by in a blur as Aidan kept thinking about that man and the potential danger he might ensue.

He also thought about Nina's past regarding her sister and her family. He watched as Nina gave out her orders to the new recruits and managers that will be taking care of the facility in her stead. Compared to before, she seemed rushed and impatient, wishing to finish this soon but not daring to leave anything behind without her knowledge.

Reuniting with her sister probably brought back some memories she didn't want to remember. She never talked about her past, but Aidan didn't have to ask to know how she felt on the matter. He managed to glimpse the emotion boiling inside of her when the topic of her family came up, and all of it came with derision and disgust, no familial love in sight.

The same could also be said about her sister, though that might be a bit different than how she felt towards the rest of her family. He thought he had already learned most of what Nina felt throughout their entire time, but he once again felt new changes occurring with her soul that took him a moment to digest.

People are never the same, and always show different results.

There was something philosophical about that statement for sure, but he wasn't the type to think. He was more about taking what he wanted in order to make a good life for himself.

He became more assured of himself with this, staring ahead at the empty grassy glade in front of him. Looking behind, he spotted his usual party of Nina, Haley, and Van.

“We ready to go?” Aidan asked.

“I hate leaving Nicky so soon, but work's work,” Haley shrugged. “Besides, I kinda want to get back to leveling again.”

“And to stop the impending doom of another demon attack,” Van added after. “You know, something more important.”

“We got Aidan , so it's fine! Plus, if we get stronger, we can help better!”

Haley defended herself, giving a rude gesture to Van shaking his head in disappointment. Meanwhile, Nina kept looking ahead where Aidan told her the exit to the floor would be. He did enough scouting around the past few days to easily find the exit, making way to the third floor.

“Aidan, if we find ourselves fighting against her, don't hold back,” Nina said. “She may be my sister, but before that, she's a competent and cunning adventurer.”

“Understood,” Aidan nodded. “But to be clear–if I have the shot, do I kill her?”

Nina didn't answer. Instead, her soul replied with a haze of complicated emotions that any siblings would have. Having one himself, it was natural to feel a certain way towards family members

“I'll play by the ear,” Aidan answered instead, gesturing forward. “Let's bounce.”