Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Arno

Carved into his hand was a familiar symbol, etched in a deep, sinister red—a mark I recognized all too well.

Our hands met, and he gave me a firm shake, his gaze unwavering.

“I’m Arno,” he said, his voice steady. “Brother of my idiot elder sister.”

Our eyes locked, and I kept my expression casual, though his stare was uncomfortably intense, as if he were trying to gauge something about me.

Arno’s grip on my hand lingered, a touch heavier than I expected, his fingers pressing with just enough weight to make me feel like this was more than a polite greeting. His gaze was intense, each blink unhurried, as if he could read right through me.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was deep, slow, carrying a kind of dullness that felt deliberate. “So… you’re Austin,” he murmured, each word dropping like a stone. “Thanks for taking care of my idiot big sister.”

I didn’t flinch, didn’t let on that his words had dug deeper than he might think. Instead, I offered him a calm smile, keeping my response light.

“Of course,” I replied casually, shrugging a little. “Athlea’s good company. Glad to help.”

Inside, though, my mind was firing off questions. Who is he?

Why does he have that symbol carved onto his arm?

And does Athlea even realize what sort of people her brother might be connected to?

I held my easy expression, trying to mask the curiosity rising in me.

Athlea, watching us, frowned slightly, her gaze bouncing between her brother and me, sensing something she couldn’t quite place. She pouted, crossing her arms, and spoke up with a small smile.

“Are you two just going to stare at each other?” she teased, trying to break the odd tension. “Lighten up, will you?”

Arno didn’t react to her teasing, but his grip finally loosened, and I took the chance to pull my hand back. He glanced at her, a faint smile finally reaching his face.

“Just wanted to meet him, that’s all,” he said, turning back to me. His eyes, though slightly softened now, still held that unreadable depth. “So, what do you do, Austin?”

I returned his gaze, forcing myself to stay relaxed. “University, mostly. Keeps me busy,” I replied, “I’m at the campus just 20 minutes down the street.”

“I see” He replied.

“And what about you? What do you do?” I asked, with a smile and a natural curious expression.

Athlea’s face lit up, and before Arno could say, she jumped in, her arm finding its way around Arno’s shoulder.

“Well, he’s not exactly in college,” she said, chuckling and giving him a little squeeze. “Didn’t want to stay with it, so… my husband gave him a job in the same company he works for. They both live close by only at Latros, so he doesn’t have to travel far.”

“I see…”

I kept my reaction neutral, though her words hit me like a splash of cold water. Her husband? That means Arno works directly with Athlea’s husband. The implications churned in my mind, but I simply nodded, not showing the thoughts racing through me.

Arno’s tattoo caught my eye again, and I seized the moment, nodding toward it as if I’d just noticed it. “That’s a unique design,” I commented, keeping my tone curious but casual. “Haven’t seen anything like it before.”

He glanced down at his arm, as if he’d forgotten the tattoo was there, before giving a faint smile.

“Yeah,” he replied, his tone low. “I’m fond of it.”

“It does look pretty unique,” I added, nodding appreciatively. “Does it mean something?”

Arno’s lips curved in a hint of a smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It does… to a few of us. My friends and I—we all have it. It’s like a symbol that we’re one, you know? A mark that we share.”

“Interesting,” I murmured, nodding, the weight of his words settling over me. A symbol of unity, shared between him and others. Friends, he called them. But friends of what kind?

Athlea laughed, breaking the moment. “He’s always been into tattoos,” she said, nudging him with her elbow. “I remember how mom used to give him an earful for even thinking about getting one.”

“Mom never understood,” Arno replied with a soft chuckle, and for a brief moment, his expression softened, his face relaxing as if remembering something distant and warm.

He looked back at me, his gaze sharpening again. “So… you’re off to college, right?”

I glanced at my watch, pretending I had somewhere else to be, though the truth was, I wanted to know more about him.

“Yeah,” I said, giving a casual shrug. “Time flies, and all that.”

Arno tilted his head, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer.

“Alright then,” he said slowly. “Have a good day.”

Then, after a pause, he added in a quiet, almost thoughtful tone, “The days… they seem to stretch on longer these days, don’t they?”

I looked at him, not quite sure if there was a hidden meaning in his words. “Yeah, something like that,” I replied with a small smile, nodding politely. “You too, Arno.”

I turned toward the elevator, and Athlea waved, calling out, “See you later, Austin!”

The doors slid shut, and as they did, I felt the weight of Arno’s gaze on my back, pressing down on me like a lingering shadow. He’s still watching. I don’t need to turn around to know it. I exhaled slowly, the odd tension unraveling slightly as the elevator began its descent.

College, despite the day’s events, went by in a haze. Lectures seemed to pass in a blur, my focus split between the professors’ droning voices and the image of Arno’s tattoo. The red ink, the ominous way he spoke about it being a “symbol” he shared with his friends—it was a loose thread I couldn’t leave alone.

When lunch break arrived, I slipped out of the lecture hall, catching Alpha’s eye and gesturing subtly for her to follow.

We met on the rooftop, where the cool breeze offered some sense of calm.

“What’s up?” Alpha asked, her expression curious but cautious. “You look… tense.”

Leaning against the railing, I considered my words carefully.

“I need you to do a little digging for me,” I said quietly, glancing over the edge of the roof as if the answer could be found down below.

Her brow arched, and she crossed her arms, studying me. “What kind of digging?”

I looked back at her, meeting her gaze evenly. “Athlea’s husband. He works in a neighboring country, but I have a feeling there’s more to it than she’s letting on.”

Alpha’s curiosity sharpened, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Athlea’s husband? Why are we interested in him?”

“There’s a possible connection,” I replied, keeping my tone steady. “It’s a hunch, but it could link back to the red symbol we saw at the river building. The people, Zeta killed.”

“Ohh I see.” Her eyes held mine for a moment, and she seemed to understand the subtext in my words. “Alright. What do you need to know?”

“Everything,” I replied simply. “Where he works, who he’s connected to, anything and everything you can find. I want a full profile on this guy.”

Alpha nodded, her gaze growing more focused. “Got it. I’ll see what I can dig up, but… you’re keeping this close to the chest, aren’t you?”

“Just covering all bases,” I replied with a small smile.

Alpha shook her head slightly, a faint smirk on her lips. “Fine. Hppe this turns out to be bigger than we expected.”

“Yeah,” I replied, chuckling lightly.

Alpha looked at me, her expression softening slightly. “You know Zero, sometimes I wonder when will get a break from all this.”

“Probably on the day we defeat the dark alien force.” I replied, offering her a small, teasing smile.

She rolled her eyes, turning away. “I’ll get back to you once I have something.”

“Sure,” I replied, watching as she was making her way back to the stairwell. I looked at her from behind and remembered that she is the first girl I hooked up to.

She is calm, straightforward, smart, understanding and above all..insanely Hot as fuck woman who happens to be strongest Shadow Mystic.

*Clack*

Just as Lily reached for the door to leave the rooftop, I stepped forward, catching her hand with my left and swiftly locking the door with my right.

Before she could process it, I turned her to face me, pressing her gently but firmly against the door. Her breath hitched, and in that suspended moment, our eyes met.

Without hesitation, I leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss. She responded, her lips soft and eager, moving in sync with mine.

Slowly, I lifted her thighs, guiding her legs to wrap around me. Her denim mini skirt rode up as my hand glided along the smooth skin of her thighs, a warmth radiating between us as I pulled her closer, feeling her body align against mine.

Her breath grew shallow, and after a sweet, lingering kiss, she pulled back, her cheeks flushed, eyes half-lidded.

“Master…” she whispered, breathless.

“Yes?” I replied, huffing along her, our breathes exchanging close.

“What… what happened suddenly?” Her words came out in short, soft pants.

I smirked, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Nothing. I just found you insanely cute and couldn’t resist, Lily.”

A blush deepened across her cheeks. “I… see.”

My hand drifted down, gently grazing over her, fingers curving around her boobs. I raised a brow, meeting her gaze.

“Hope you don’t mind.”

She swallowed, her blush deepening as her lips curled into a shy smile.

“I never will.”