Streets of Ravetham

Kaelen received a call from Elara, who needed a ride to her morning classes at Ravetham University, or “Rave U” as some call it. Not needing a better excuse to leave, he instantly agreed.

Mason, always perceptive, guessed the nature of the call and said, “Elara needing a ride?”

Kaelen, unimpressed, replied, “Yeah, so I better go handle it.”

Jason, seizing the opportunity to tease Kaelen, said, “What, leaving already before you can eat? Here, take a bite out of me,” patting his exposed neck while chuckling.

Rachel, ever the loving mother, reached over and slapped Jason on the back of his head, making him say, “Ouch. You know how to kill the fun, huh, Mom?”

She looked at him sternly before saying, “Shut up and finish your breakfast.”

Just then, the waitress Sarah came over, handing Kaelen and Loren their breakfast to go. Kaelen thanked her and exited Always Home.

Sliding into his Audi, Kaelen started the engine and navigated through the busy morning traffic toward Elara’s apartment. It wasn’t long before he arrived without any hassle. Elara was already waiting outside. She wore a sleek black leather jacket over a fitted dark purple crop top, with skinny jeans and ankle boots that gave her a sharp, confident look. Her red skin shone in the morning light, and her horns curled over her long, purple hair framing her face, and her aviator sunglasses rested casually on her head.

She climbed into the back seat this time and gave Kaelen directions. “Take 7th Street, cut through Faebrook Avenue, and then follow Ridgeview. It’ll lead you straight to Rave U.”

Kaelen punched the route into his GPS and started driving. As they cruised through the city, Elara broke the silence. “So, what’s our next job? That ten grand was nice, but I need more if I’m ever going to pay off these student loans.”

Caught off guard, Kaelen blinked. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Elara smirked, clearly expecting his lack of a plan. “Figured as much. So, I asked around. Got in contact with Warptor—he needs someone to guard his nest tonight. Basically, a babysitting gig while he handles some business. He’s paying 500 dollars an hour.”

Kaelen, who had always been curious about Warptor, felt a twinge of excitement. But something gnawed at him, a creeping suspicion that someone from the Justice Guild—maybe Delphinus—might show up. He shook it off as paranoia. “Bet. What time? I’m off from Zeke’s tonight, so I’m free.”

Elara glanced at her phone. “It’s from 5 PM to 4 AM. I already told him we’re in. He’ll text me directions around 4.”

By the time they reached Ravetham University, the sun had climbed higher in the sky. As Elara got out of the car, she said, “Pick me up at 3 PM. I’ll need to swing by my place to change for tonight.”

Kaelen nodded and watched her disappear into the campus. Checking the time, he saw it was just after 11 AM, leaving him plenty of time before their next job. He decided to hit up his favorite gym, The End Grind, for a workout.

Once there, Kaelen parked and he and Loren ate their breakfast in the car. Loren handed Kaelen his food before they both dug in, enjoying the peace before the grind. When finished, they entered the gym. Kaelen had to stop at the front desk to sign Loren in as a guest. The receptionist raised an eyebrow as she handed over the clipboard. “A maid? That’s new,” she muttered under her breath.

Inside, Kaelen could feel the stares as they passed by, but he ignored them. Today was leg day. He hit the squat rack, loading it with heavy weights, focusing on deep squats to work his quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Then, he transitioned to lunges with dumbbells, feeling the burn as he powered through each set. He finished up his leg routine with leg presses, going heavy to really push himself to the limit.

Afterward, Loren handed him a drink she’d bought from the gym’s smoothie bar. “Here,” she said, her usual calm demeanor never wavering.

Kaelen thanked her, gulping down the drink before moving on to his arms. He started with dumbbell curls, focusing on building tension in his biceps. Afterward, he shifted to overhead tricep extensions and hammer curls to work both the short and long heads of his arms. The burn was real, but Kaelen thrived on it.

Finishing the last of his drink, he tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash can. Though tired, he wasn’t done yet. “Loren, up for a game of ping pong?” he asked with a grin.

Loren’s eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. The ping pong table was tucked in the far corner of the gym, a quieter area where people often unwound after their workouts. The area was separated by glass walls, providing a clear view of the gym while still keeping the noise down.

They grabbed paddles and began their game. Kaelen started strong, his quick reflexes giving him an edge as he slammed the ball across the table. Loren, however, was no novice, and with her calm precision, she returned each hit with a grace that was almost mechanical. The ball flew back and forth at high speed, the rhythmic taps filling the enclosed space. At one point, Loren hit a perfect spin serve that Kaelen barely managed to return, grinning at the challenge.

The match was intense, with both of them evenly matched. Sweat dripped from Kaelen’s brow as they reached the final rally. Loren slammed the ball with a well-timed shot that Kaelen had no chance of returning. Loren raised an eyebrow, victorious, while Kaelen laughed. “Alright, you win this time.”

Checking his phone, Kaelen saw it was nearly 2:40 PM. “We should go pick up Elara,” he said.