I wake up with a start, my cheek stuck to the armrest of my couch, still groggy.
The afternoon sun filters through the curtains, bathing my living room in a soft, cozy light. My perfect cocoon for napping.
Everything was calm, peaceful… except for this weird feeling. You know, that uneasy sense of being watched?
I frown without fully opening my eyes. Maybe a bad dream. Or maybe nothing at all. But the feeling lingers.
I finally give in, reluctantly, and crack open one eye. Right in front of me, sitting upright on a chair, is… a guy.
A guy. In my living room.
My eyes widen.
No way. I must've fallen back into some bizarre dream. I close my eyes for a second, then snap them open. Nope, he's still there.
A young man, about my age. He looks perfectly at ease, hands clasped on his knees, and above all, he's staring. Really staring, like he's waiting for me to do something.
I try to ignore him. Maybe he'll vanish if I pretend he's not there. I sit up slowly, run a hand through my hair to regain some composure, and wait.
Long silence. Very long silence. But he doesn't move, doesn't speak, doesn't even look away. Seriously? This guy's more stubborn than a brick wall.
I finally sigh and cross my arms, my brows furrowed to let him know his presence is starting to get on my nerves.
"Seriously, you gonna keep staring at me like that?"
I mutter, my voice hoarse from sleep. If this is a prank, it's not funny.
The guy doesn't flinch. But a smile spreads across his lips, and that's the last straw.
"And now you're smiling?" I go on, irritated. "In case you're wondering, I'm straight, so no need to look at me like that."
His smile widens, and he suddenly stands. I instinctively lean back, ready to defend myself if this guy's a nutcase. But instead, he… bows. Yep, you heard right. He bows.
I freeze, completely lost.
He straightens, looks me in the eye, and speaks in a clear, composed voice:
"I'm delighted to meet you in person, Magister. My name is Liam, Liam Kayen. You recently appointed me as your assistant, remember?"
Magister? Assistant? Appointed? The words hang in the air, and I grasp at them sluggishly. I blink several times. My brain struggles to boot up, still foggy from sleep.
Then, slowly, the pieces start clicking. Oh… yeah, that's right. Kind of.
"Oh… yeah, true," I say, still a bit dazed. "Great. Welcome to the team, I guess."
I yawn deeply, stretching my arms above my head. But the obvious question lingers.
"But, hold up… What are you doing here? I mean, in my living room? Couldn't this wait at the guild?"
Liam lowers his eyes, clearly embarrassed. He scratches the back of his head, searching for words.
"Actually… Elder Libel suggested I come see you directly here."
Of course. Aunt Libel. Naturally, she's behind this.
I let out a long sigh and drag myself off the couch.
"Look, my apartment's my sanctuary, not a makeshift office. No work talk here."
I start heading to my room but stop halfway, raising a hand to signal him to wait.
"Give me five minutes, I'm gonna change."
I catch him nodding out of the corner of my eye, still standing there like a statue.
This Liam's gonna be a handful, I can already tell. I close my bedroom door behind me, one thought in my head: Why did I even pick this guy?
---
I'm slouched on my desk, arms crossed, one foot dangling lazily. Yeah, slouched, I know.
In front of me, a guy sits upright in the chair across. The same one who first barged into my apartment uninvited and now finds himself here, in my office. To be fair, this time, I'm the one who called him in.
I let out a long sigh and look at him, one eyebrow raised.
"You gonna talk, or do I always have to start?"
The guy stays still, not a word, not a twitch. His calm is starting to bug me.
Truth is, I'm calling him "the guy" because, honestly, I forgot his name. My brain, still muddled from sleep, didn't bother retaining it. But it'll come back, it always does.
Finally, he opens his mouth: "The Elder advised me to act this way."
I blink. The Elder? Of course. I sit up slightly.
"And what else did the Elder tell you?"
Now he starts talking, and not just a little. His voice is steady, almost monotone, like he's reciting a well-rehearsed lesson: "She said you hate overly chatty people. That if I wanted to earn your respect, I should avoid pointless talk or unnecessary questions. She also said you're a morning person but not at all a wake-up person, so I should wait at least three hours before asking you anything important."
I'm stunned for a moment, but he keeps going.
"She advised me never to touch your stuff, especially the stacks of papers on your desk, even if they're about to topple. Apparently, you have your own… personal organization. She also stressed I should always have black coffee on hand."
He continues, unfazed, like he's reading an endless list: "She said to avoid interrupting you when you're deep in thought because you hate losing your train of ideas. She even specified it's better to wait until you look up or sigh, since that's your way of signaling you're ready to listen. Oh, and she added you have a deep aversion to useless flattery but appreciate direct, constructive feedback."
"Good grief!" I cut him off abruptly, raising a hand to shut him up.
I can't take any more. It's ridiculous. No, worse: it's terrifying.
My eyes drift to the desk, looking for a distraction. And there it is: a file next to my coffee mug. I grab it and spot a photo of the guy.
There it is! His name. I lean back in my chair, a wry smile tugging at my lips, and yawn loudly, more for effect than actual tiredness.
"Liam Kayen," I say, almost casually.
He doesn't move. Still upright, still silent, staring at me with that same stoic expression. This guy won't say another word unless I make him.
A spark of curiosity hits me. After all, he's here for a reason.
"Tell me, Liam, do you know why I chose you as my assistant?"
He nods slowly, confident. I don't even need to rack my brain to guess what he'll say. It's obvious Aunt Libel explained everything. And sure enough: "For my innate teleportation ability."
I smile, mildly amused.
I settle comfortably in my chair.
"Tell me, you're aware that when I talk about using your teleportation ability, it's not for things like heroic battles or standard missions, right?" I pause for effect. "I'm talking about my personal whims."
A silence settles.
Liam doesn't flinch, not even a blink. But, unexpectedly, he tilts his head slightly and replies in an even tone: "I'm fully aware."
I stare, a bit thrown off. "Oh? Interesting."
I'm about to ask if it bothers him, but he cuts me off with a sudden laugh. A short but surprising, almost warm laugh.
He straightens slightly, a hand on his chest as if apologizing. "Sorry. I'm not mocking, it's just… I also think my ability's way more useful for stuff like that than combat situations."
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? Then show me what you can do."