After making sure everyone else had managed to grab a room for the day, Gary stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the upper floors, where the private apartments were. This wasn't exactly his main place of residence, but it was one of the locations he used frequently. Lately, he'd been bouncing around too much to really settle in anywhere. Still, this place made the most sense right now. It was convenient if anyone from the Altered Hunters needed to contact him, they'd know exactly where to find him. Plus, with the number of Howler members hanging around the hotel, he was certain more than a few already recognized him. If someone needed him, they wouldn't have a hard time tracking him down. When he reached the door, he wasn't alone. Edvard had followed him up and was now standing close behind. "Are you really sure about this?" Edvard asked, his brow furrowed. "Because I honestly don't think it's a good idea." "What, letting you know where I live?" Gary replied with a casual shrug. "Not a problem. I've got more than one apartment. Comes with the perks of running this whole place." He chuckled to himself, realizing just how surreal that sounded. Not that long ago, he and his crew were scraping just to get dinner on the table. Now? He had several apartments, multiple homes to choose from, all right here in the city. What a turnaround. "Anyway, you guys found me last time, didn't you?" Gary added as he unlocked the door. "So I'm not too worried. If there's one thing we shouldn't be, it's scared in our own homes, in our own city." He stepped into the apartment, with Edvard trailing behind. The place was clean, spacious, and had that modern-minimalist style, open-plan and elegant. "I wasn't talking about where you live," Edvard muttered. "I meant sleeping so close to each other. You just started monologuing out of nowhere, so I didn't bother cutting in. But our noses? They're… sensitive to one another. You know that. Believe me, you're going to have a hard time sleeping." A little embarrassed by the oversight, Gary headed into one of the spare rooms. He quickly grabbed a mattress and dragged it into his own room, laying it out on the floor. "Right, you said I'd be sleeping next to you," Edvard said, watching. "To keep an eye on me, right? I'm just surprised you're not asking me to sleep in your bed with you." Gary clenched his fist and gave him a glare. "Are you asking for a fight right now?" Eventually, the two of them got into their makeshift beds, lying with their backs to each other. Time passed. Then Gary realized something, Edvard had been right. The smell was unbearable. It was like someone had dumped a steaming pile of dung right under his nose. It was strong, persistent, and impossible to ignore. When they were talking or fighting or even just moving around, he could suppress the irritation. But now, trying to fall asleep? His mind needed to be clear, and the smell made that impossible. "Ughhh!" Gary growled in frustration, throwing off his blanket and jumping to his feet. "I can't take this anymore! The sun's already up, it's hard enough for me to sleep during the day as it is." He grabbed his phone, scrolled through a few options, and tapped his selection. Glancing over, he noticed Edvard staring at him with wide eyes, like he'd just seen a ghost. "I'm ordering food. You want anything?" Edvard paused, then gave a slight shrug. "Maybe… some alcohol?" 'Alcohol? This early in the morning?' Gary thought. 'Well, I guess it's nearly noon… I'll just order whatever I can.' The two of them waited in silence, wide awake but not talking much. Eventually, the food arrived. Fortunately, since both of them were supernatural beings, they didn't really need sleep. Even after a serious fight, they had plenty of energy. For Gary, what he needed most wasn't rest, it was food. Several packs were laid out on the table, nearly all meat. There were drinks, too, bottles and cans set beside the feast. As Gary began setting everything up, he heard a faint clanking sound and the thud of heavy boots moving across the floor. "Are you seriously going to drink and wear that suit of armor the whole time?" Gary asked, raising a brow. "Huh… Right." Edvard glanced down. "I should probably take it off. Enough time has passed." "Enough time for what? For you to trust me?" Gary asked, stabbing a fork into a thick cut of beef and barely chewing before swallowing. "That armor's special, right? It gave you a big boost in that fight. What, you think I'm going to steal it or something? Hide it away? We went through a hell of a lot to get that thing to you." "I'm not worried about that," Edvard replied simply. As he spoke, the armor began to shift. It expanded outward, detaching and separating itself from his body. The process looked… alive. Like the armor had a mind of its own. Bit by bit, it peeled away, until Edvard was left standing in a tight layer of black cloth underneath. Luckily, Gary didn't have to witness a fully naked man undressing. The suit underneath kept things covered. Still, Gary couldn't help but wonder. 'Wearing all that… I wonder if he sweats like crazy in there. That armor didn't look breathable at all.' Gary scrunched his nose. 'Then again… he stinks to me either way, so maybe it doesn't make a difference.' As Edvard continued to strip off the last of the armor, Gary noticed something. The fabric around Edvard's arms, what was left of it, was torn to shreds. But that wasn't the shocking part. His skin underneath… it was mangled. The flesh looked damaged, like it had been twisted and shredded. Both arms pulsed with a deep, bruised purple glow, like a fresh wound, except this looked worse than a broken limb. "That…" Gary began, staring. "Was that because of Lupus?" "No," Edvard answered, carefully placing one of the armor pieces on the sofa, moving slower now. Every movement looked painful. "That happens if I draw too much power from the armor. I'm not worried about you stealing it. So far, I'm the only one who's ever been able to use it. Even if you did take it, it wouldn't work for you." Gary didn't say anything for a moment. He watched as Edvard shut down and slumped on the couch, eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. Then, quietly, Gary asked: "…Can I try?" ***** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on social media: Instagram: [jksmanga] *Patreon: [jksmanga] You'll get first-hand updates on My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, and other series there. Feel free to reach out, if I'm not too swamped, I usually reply.