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Their pointy edges gleamed with a faint green tint. He placed them on the table, where they emitted a slight, eerie glow under the lights. Read exclusive chapters at empire

Victor\'s eyes widened as his face lit up with awe. "Whoa… these look even better in person." He reached forward to lift one, testing the weight and carefully running a finger along the serrated edge. "It\'s… it\'s amazing. Feels just like a real dagger."

"They\'re no joke be careful about how you handle them," August replied, watching Victor\'s amazement. "Not exactly your average decorative piece. These daggers are the real deal, straight from Enders Light."

Victor let out a low whistle, rotating the dagger to catch the light. "Man, I\'ve never been this excited about an item in my life. I\'ve heard stories of players extracting legendary-grade stuff, but something like this… this is a game-changer." He set the dagger down and took out his phone. "Alright, I\'ll transfer the eighty grand we agreed on."

A moment later, August\'s phone buzzed with a notification confirming the transfer. He glanced at the screen and smiled. "Perfect. Nice doing business with you, Victor."

Victor returned the smile as they exchanged contact information. "I\'ll definitely keep in touch. I\'ve got a feeling you\'ll have more things coming my way in the future."

"I\'ll make sure to reach out," August replied while pocketing his phone. He leaned back, studying Victor. "So, what got you into all this?"

Victor chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly? Just the thrill of it. I grew up playing games, and with my dad\'s connections, I\'ve always had access to every exciting video game. Enders Light was just the next big thing for me. The idea of merging the game with real life is insane, you know? Who wouldn\'t want to be part of that?"

August nodded, understanding the allure. "Can\'t argue with that. It\'s a whole new kind of experience."

Victor grinned before taking a glance at his watch. "I\'ve got a game meet-up with some friends soon—can\'t wait to show these off. You know, make them all a little jealous," he laughed, giving the daggers one last admiring look before sheathing them.

As they stood up, August gave a small nod. "Well, good luck. And hey, try not to get too carried away showing off."

Victor laughed, heading back to his car. "No promises. Thanks again, Aleman. I\'ll be in touch!"

August watched as Victor climbed into his luxury car. The engine purred to life before it smoothly glided out of the lot.

Watching the car disappear down the road, August felt a wave of nostalgia, remembering his own fleet of expensive cars back in his former life. A spark of ambition appeared in his eyes as he smirked.

"Just a matter of time," he muttered to himself, vowing that he\'d reclaim that life of luxury.

As August neared the bus station, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Half-expecting it to be Mr. Floozk with some new demand, he glanced at the screen and saw Derrick\'s name flashing instead.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Derrick! Man, where have you been? I was starting to worry."

Derrick\'s voice came through a little hoarse. "Hey, August. Sorry, I\'ve just been a little under the weather. Didn\'t even notice all the calls."

August\'s eyebrows knitted together with concern. "Are you sure you\'re alright? I was just about to catch a bus over to check on you."

There was a brief pause, then Derrick\'s voice softened. "I appreciate that, man, but you don\'t have to come all the way out here. I\'ll be back to work tomorrow—promise."

August hesitated, feeling a twinge of doubt.

Derrick was usually the type to soldier through almost anything, and it didn\'t sit right that he\'d missed so many shifts. But, not wanting to push too hard, he sighed, "Alright, if you say so. But if you\'re not one hundred percent, don\'t force yourself, okay?"

A soft chuckle escaped from the other end of the line. "I hear you. I\'ll be good as new by tomorrow. Thanks for checking in, though. It means a lot."

"Anytime, Derrick. Stay safe, and I\'ll see you at work tomorrow, buddy."

"See you then," Derrick replied, and the call ended.

As the screen went dark, August let out a small sigh of relief, though a hint of suspicion lingered in his mind.

Maybe there was more to Derrick\'s absence than he was letting on, but for now, all August could do was trust his friend\'s word.

...

...

Over an hour later, August and Sophia sat across from each other at the small dinner table as they enjoyed a modest meal together.

Sophia, however, seemed quieter than usual, poking at her food with a distant look.

Noticing this, August leaned forward. "Alright, what\'s on your mind, Soph?"

She looked up, letting out a sigh. "Some girl at school—super stuck-up, rich family, you know the type—made a big scene about the holes in my uniform today." She rolled her eyes in irritation. "She actually called me \'raggedy\' in front of everyone."

August\'s hands tightened around his fork. He could feel anger rising within but he kept his tone calm. "Oh, did she now?"

Sophia gave a slight nod while responding with a crestfallen tone. "Yeah, you should\'ve seen her, acting all superior. Just because her parents buy her designer stuff, she thinks she\'s better than everyone."

Trying to lighten her mood, August put on a playful smirk. "You know, people like her are only rich in cash. They\'re poor in personality. Those kinds of riches run out fast."

Sophia\'s face broke into a smile, and she giggled, finally letting out some of her frustration. "True! And her clothes look like they came from some tacky catalog."

"There you go," August chuckled. "Honestly, Soph, if she\'s got nothing better to do than criticize you, then you must be doing something right."

With an exaggerated, dramatic tone, Sophia raised her arms, laughing. "Yeah, well, screw her!" she voiced, letting the words tumble out in a playful rebellion. "I\'d rather be poor and cool than rich and stuck-up!"

August laughed along, nudging her. "You don\'t mean that but that\'s the spirit. Haha Let it out—cuss her all you want tonight, I won\'t stop you."

Sophia looked at him with a mischievous grin, tossing out a few more insults about her tormentor, growing more animated as she went on. August listened, adding his own quips here and there, glad to see her spirits lifting.

After a while, her energy began to fade, and she let out a yawn. Her eyelids grew heavy.

She shifted on the sofa, stretching her arms as she nestled back, clearly ready to call it a night.

"Getting sleepy?" he questioned with a gentle smile on his face.

Sophia nodded while responding with a softer tone. "Yeah… Thanks for listening, Auggie."

"Anytime, kid," he replied while reaching over to pull a warm blanket over her.

As he tucked it around her, his smile faded just a bit.

A slight frown crossed his face as he stared at the dinner table where the fork was.

The fork had twisted and completely bent out of shape. August couldn\'t remember when last he got mad on behalf of someone but it went to show how much he had come to value Sophia.

Seeing her go through hardships, even small ones, struck a nerve. He knew she deserved better, and he\'d do whatever he could to make sure she\'d have a brighter future.

He watched her for a moment as her breathing slowed, then stood and quietly made his way to his room.

"Holes in uniform... Alright, time to get a new one."

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Author\'s Note: Gifting perks

Luxury Car = Shout-out in Author\'s Note

Dragon = Shout out + 1 extra chapter

Castle = Shout out + 2 Extra Chapters

Spacecraft = Shout out + 4 Extra Chapters + 1 Request

Golden Gachapon = Shout Out + 10 Chapters Mass Release + Character Inclusion (You can choose to be included as a character and design your character however you wish)