I picked up the fork and knife, hesitating for a brief second before I began cutting the piece of meat into smaller portions.
The sound of the knife touching the plate was soft—almost musical compared to the screams and blows that had filled my ears just hours ago.
And now…
It was time.
I lifted the first piece. Light steam rose from it, and its aroma was so appetizing that it made my mind forget everything else.
I placed it in my mouth.
And in the very next moment…
It felt like I had been transported to an entirely different world.
The taste… no, it wasn't something that could be easily described.
Tender, rich, warm meat that melted in the mouth, as if it had been created as a reward for everything we had gone through.
I closed my eyes involuntarily as I swallowed it, then lifted a second piece… a third… a fourth…
I stopped counting.
When I finished, I let out a deep breath from my chest.
"Ah… what an incredible taste."
I raised my head and looked at the scene in front of me.
Visper and Zairos…
They were eating as if they had never seen meat in their lives.
Visper was devouring his food at an unusual speed, with no concern for manners or appearance, as if the hunger inside him had finally burst all at once.
As for Zairos…
Well, it's better not to comment.
His gaze, his movements, his complete silence while eating… all said one thing: this plate wasn't leaving until it was empty.
After that, I moved on to the soup.
It was warm, flowing smoothly down my throat, as if it were repairing something broken inside me.
Then the soft bread… simple, yet perfect.
And when I finally finished, for the first time in a long while, I felt something close to real refreshment.
I looked at Visper and Zairos, who had also finished, and a brief silence settled between us—a comfortable silence… but it didn't last.
I wiped my mouth calmly and said:
"So… where are the boss, Mr. Aureus, and Sirion?"
Visper raised his head, thought for a second, then replied:
"Oh, as for them… after the three of us passed out, as you know, they moved us to a large room on the third floor so we could recover."
Then he continued, as if recalling the events:
"As for the boss, Mr. Aureus, and Sirion… each of them got a private room to rest in until we woke up."
I frowned slightly.
"So… they don't know we're awake?"
Before Visper could answer, Zairos turned to me and said confidently:
"Visper must have told them."
Visper's body stiffened immediately.
"What are you talking about?" he said nervously. "Didn't you tell them?!"
Zairos's expression changed.
"No… wait," he said slowly, "don't tell me you didn't tell them!"
Visper grew even more flustered.
"I thought you did!"
A heavy silence fell.
Not the comfortable kind this time.
We exchanged glances, and in that exact moment…
Realization hit all of us at once.
I sighed slowly and said in a low but clear voice:
"We're… in trouble."
No one said anything after that.
…
Suddenly, before we could even think of our next move—
The door opened.
The three of us jolted at the same time, our eyes snapping toward the entrance.
It was him.
The employer.
His expression was stern, his brow furrowed, and his eyes carried that suppressed anger that didn't need shouting to be felt.
Beside him stood Serion, calm as ever, his expression steady, as if nothing around him had affected him.
The employer let out a long sigh, then said in a tone filled with anger and exhaustion:
"Hah… instead of informing me that you've woken up, I find the three of you here… stuffing your faces!"
Zairos quickly moved, as if trying to fix the situation:
"Sir, I thought Visper had already told you."
Before he could finish, Visper jumped in nervously:
"And I thought Zyros told you!"
The Zairos's gaze shifted toward me.
I immediately raised my hands and said quickly:
"Don't look at me—I just woke up recently, and I thought one of them had already done it!"
A brief silence followed.
Then the employer let out a sharp exhale and said impatiently:
"We don't have time for this."
He added firmly:
"Since you've filled your stomachs… follow me immediately."
He turned without waiting for a response and headed toward the stairs, with Serion right behind him.
The three of us quickly got up from our chairs and followed him in a hurry.
As we walked, I moved closer to Sirion and asked quietly:
"Hey, Sirion… what's going on?"
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye and said in his usual calm tone:
"First, it's good that you're fine."
Then he added:
"Second, since we won… we're now heading to the first floor—the basement—to receive the reward."
I stopped thinking for a second.
Then suddenly—
"Oh, right!"
I almost clapped from the realization.
We won!
That means…
Seven thousand dollars!
A full seven thousand!
We continued walking until we reached the second floor, where the same receptionist was waiting for us.
Without saying a word, she pressed a specific spot on the wall.
The hidden door opened.
Even though I had seen it before…
It still surprised me every time.
We went down through the corridor leading to the basement until we reached the familiar place.
The same arena…
The place where I almost died just hours ago.
But this time, everything was different.
No audience.
No shouting.
No announcer.
No noise.
The place was silent, empty—as if the fight had never happened.
Even Hontar…
He and his men had vanished without a trace.
My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice:
"Oh, you've arrived. Good… it's good that none of you suffered serious injuries."
I looked up.
Mr. Aureus was sitting in the front seats, smiling calmly.
We almost died three times… and you call that no serious injuries?
I swallowed my comment with difficulty.
Aureus stood up and walked toward us, placing his hand on the Zairos's shoulder as he laughed loudly:
"Hahahaha! You should've seen Hontar's face! Angry, silent, leaving the place as if the ground had swallowed him! He must've felt humiliated and disgraced!"
He laughed again, loudly.
As for the employer…
He simply shook his head without commenting.
Aureus continued with a satisfied smile:
"A promise is a promise. We won."
Then he added formally:
"And I will give each of you… seven thousand dollars."
Finally…
The seven thousand dollars.
Aureus gestured to a servant standing nearby, who stepped forward carrying five tightly sealed brown bags.
Aureus said:
"I hope you'll be pleased."
The servant began distributing the bags.
The first… to the employer.
His expression didn't change at all.
The second… to Sirion.
As always, calm, with no visible reaction.
Then it was my turn.
I took the bag and opened it.
And there it was…
The money.
A real seven thousand dollars.
I knew it was there…
But seeing it with my own eyes felt completely different.
A strange warmth spread through my chest—a mix of joy and victory.
Then it was Zairos's turn.
He opened his bag, his eyes widening. He even brought the money closer to his face… and smelled it.
Honestly… I wasn't any better.
I almost did the same.
Finally… Visper.
He took his bag and simply smiled softly.
No jumping.
No shock.
No excitement.
And at that moment…
Zairos and I felt a bit embarrassed.
We looked like people who had never seen money before, while Visper…
Despite being younger, he looked like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
We lowered our gazes slightly.
But we quickly looked up when Aureus said:
"Well then, I wish you all the best. There's a carriage outside to take you. You may leave now."
So…
It was over.
We left the basement, and I felt a strange weight in my chest.
Not exhaustion…
Something else.
A feeling that I…
had grown.
No…
Without a doubt…
I had changed.