The Quiet Dawn V

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One of the windows was slightly rolled down. The wind rushed in and combed through Nari's beautiful hair. She had her chin resting atop her palm, with her elbow propped on the door panel. She stared at the scenery rolling by.

Leandro spared her a glance as he drove through the freeway. Nari caught his not-so-covert look and replied with a bashful smile. 'She's truly beautiful…' Inexplicably so, in fact. He'd go as far as to compare her beauty to one of the Goddesses he met at the top of the Monolith.

And just like them, Nari was completely oblivious to the effect she had on men.

For the evening, Nari decided to wear a camel blazer over a black top, showing a hint of her midriff. And to further flatter the ensemble, she wore a black pleated skirt, pantyhose, and heels.

On the backseat was Hari, who donned a beautiful midnight-blue dress with a flowery pattern embroidered on its flank. She had silvery bracelets around her wrists, and a shiny necklace that dipped between the valley of her cleavage.

A swipe of chapstick made her lips gain a sultry sheen.

The combined power of their fragrances filled the car despite the wind battering in through the windows.

Leandro himself looked quite sharp in his white dress shirt, black vest and slacks. He made eye contact with Hari through the rear-view mirror.

A sweet smile blossomed on her face, just in time as she moved to tuck a lock of swaying hair behind her ear.

He quirked the corners of his mouth and looked back at the road, driving smoothly.

Nari side-eyed both of them, barely bothering to hide the slight annoyance etched onto her features.

'I'm getting too attached to them.' Leandro thought. It was not a bad thing per sé, but having been granted a new lease on life, he was now a man on a mission. The moment the Monolith appeared, he'd be back on the grind.

... Though to be honest, his time with Hari and Nari had given Leandro newfound clarity and meaning.

Making a livelihood in the world that was to come would be difficult without having enough power. The government will lose a drastic amount of influence in the wake of Guilds, Mercenary Organizations, and in some instances, individuals extremely powerful. Strength would simply become the bedrock of society.

In fact, the government would barely retain a thread of its former power. And more often than not, they'd find themselves bending over backward to appeal and make requests of mighty guilds.

Where will Hari and Nari fit into all of this? Leandro didn't want them to be involved in the Monolith. Nari perhaps, on the simple deduction that she 'might' have an easier time thriving than her older sister.

Hari's personality didn't scream 'survivalist'. She'd be taken advantage of, used, and in certain instances, be treated as some sort of trophy for the most powerful Challengers to flaunt in their arms.

In a world abandoned by God, the devil could be very tempting with its promises.

The drive was calm, slow and long, giving Leandro enough time to dwell on such thoughts, but no longer than that, since Hari found her opportunity to converse.

"Say..." She started, combing her silky brown tresses behind her ears with long, dainty fingers. Leandro could catch a glimpse of her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Hari was like a princess from a fairy tale.

It seemed even her voice would charm and mesmerize beasts if she were to utter her words. Leandro still wasn't sure if Hari was an Angel, or something else entirely... but she was, without a doubt, ethereal in a way that few women could ever reach.

"Yes?" He acknowledged her, one eyebrow arched, giving Nari a covert glance every once in a while to find her mindlessly admiring the city pass them by through her window.

"Umh... I know this is a bit out of the blue, b-but..." Hari hesitated. "... Do you have a girlfriend?"

Nari blinked, awoken from her dazed thoughts. She gave both of them an almost imperceptible stare. It was a mere second, if even that, before Nari refocused back to the scenery, feigning casualness, but her ears were perked.

"..."

Leandro didn't react much, if at all—only an arched eyebrow and a contemplative expression indicated that he registered her question.

Seeing this, Hari bit her bottom lip. "Well... I'm asking because you never talk about your friends or... or any girl. So..." She trailed off quite awkwardly. "As your Noona, I should know… right?"

"Hmm..."

Hari looked up at the rear-view mirror expectantly. Nari shifted ever so slightly to listen, yet tried her hardest to retain a natural air to it.

"No, I don't. I haven't invested much thought into romancing anyone as of yet."

"Is... is that so?" Hari nodded, a bright smile on her face. "That's good. I mean, it's totally fine! There's still time~"

Some tension seemed to drain out of Nari as well.

In the brief moment their gazes crossed paths as Leandro spared her a look, Nari appeared unusually elated. She had a pleased smirk on her pretty face.

Leandro almost cracked a soft smile right then and there. 'She's unexpectedly cute, when she tries. Actually, even when she doesn't.'

He rested his elbow over the opened window as they waited in line for a green light.

'Hari and Nari seem to be slightly interested in me. Or maybe it's just some sort of familial jealousy? Esmeralda used to be like that all of the time.' Hard to say. He was cued in when either of them dropped hints, but the last woman he gave his heart to killed him.

Not that he expected Hari or Nari to backstab him, but he was still fairly jittery at the thought of fully committing himself. The problem was... would either of them wait until he made up his mind?

More importantly, who to choose? He was aware of some spieces in the Monolith that practiced polygamy, but he had also seen greedy men destroying perfect relationships and marriages because they wanted more than one wife. 'Why do I have to deal with this shit when I all I want is to get back at those bastards?'

Leandro closed his eyes, shelving that thought for later.

The restaurant had come into view. He promptly pulled in the parking lot, switched to the reverse gear, and expertly fit his 2023 Kia Rio into a particularly tight spot; he had to save money for a few years to get that vehicle.

He stepped out of the car before opening the doors for both ladies.

"At least you know how to treat a woman." Nari said, gracefully placing her hand on his.

"All those years of practice have finally paid off." He chuckled. While not the most experienced man on the planet when it came to women, he had his fair share of escapades between one floor and another. Esmeralda wasn't particularly happy when she found out about the women he had bedded in his rise through the tower. Hm. Some of them had gone mysteriously missing. Ah, that sister of his always had a penchant for the dramatic. Leandro's chuckle faded as he thought of Esmeralda's fiery temper and her overprotective nature. She was both a blessing and a curse in his life, a constant reminder of his responsibilities and the consequences of his actions. He loved her all the same. 

Leandro was pulled out of his momentary reverie when a soft 'thank you' reached his ears. Nari's perfume teased his nose. The smile on her face was mellow, hiding a hint of emotion she may have never truly moved on from.

She didn't let go of his hand. Instead, she moved hers up, fingers gliding across the sleeve of his suit, until it was wrapped around the crook of his elbow.

That caused some issues when Leandro had to extend the same courtesy to Hari, who, in a sudden burst of courage, also wrapped a hand around his other elbow.

"How do you feel?" Nari asked teasingly as they started to make their way inside. "Having two beautiful women hanging by your arms?"

"Like a boss, truly." Leandro flashed her a small, charming smile.

"Enjoy it while it lasts~" Nari replied smugly, tightening her hold on him. When Leandro tilted his head at her action, she simply looked ahead, smilingly slightly. "It's to make sure you don't trip over your own ego."

"..."

Hari giggled.

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They had a table next to the window, which provided a gorgeous view of the rolling hills in the distance. The sparkling lights. And the full moon on a cloudless sky. Leandro behaved like a proper gentleman, pulling the chairs back for them to sit, and delicately tucking them forward.

For the rest of the night, he promised himself that he'd make them live a dream.

Once a female server came to serve dinner, their light chatter died down in lieu of eating the delicious food. An expensive wine was poured into stemmed glasses.

The smell was acceptable. But that was him being unnecessarily nitpicky. He had tasted a better brew in one of the higher floors, and it was supposedly one concocted by a God himself. It was a priceless bottle.

"Can you even handle that?" Nari asked with the shadow of a smirk on her face. She had her chin perched on her hand as she stared at him with half-lidded eyes. "I've never seen you drinking alcohol. You tryin' to impress us?"

There was no real bite in her words, it was mostly teasing with a hint of genuine curiosity.

Leandro swirled the wine in his glass, not unlike a sommelier. "I'm simply appreciating the finer things in life. A suit. A medium rare gold-flaked steak. The company of two heavenly bodies. And this humble bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon." He sipped it. "Not bad. And for your information, or in this case a lack of one… yes, Nari. I can handle more than some ethanol in my system. I can't speak for you, though."

Nari sniffed at him, slightly affronted by his lack of trust in her alcohol tolerance. "Gimme that." She stole his glass, even though she had one of her own sitting right in front of her plate. She placed her lips right where his had been, and gulped a huge mouthful of the crimson liquid.

"N-Nari…" Hari had a flustered smile as she watched her younger sister nearly down an entire glass of wine.

When Nari finally pulled back, a red imprint of lipstick was left behind on the glass. "It's fine, Unnie." She said to Hari, who was understandably a bit put-off by this impromptu contest. "I can handle this much—augh!" A hiccup tore through her throat.

Her eyes widened.

Hari hid an amused smile behind her own glass of wine.

Leandro didn't even try to hide his laugh as he stared at an extremely sheepish Nari. "Well, would you look at that? You poor gatita. All meows and no bite."

"..." Unfortunately, Nari had to endure the taunts. Her attempt to overdrink Leandro had failed spectacularly.

"It's fine. Don't sweat it. You only live once. Sometimes twice. We're not here to linger on past mistakes, we're here to forget them. So let's drink." He jested, somehow bringing a smile to Nari's flushed face. He poured her another glass of wine. She gingerly accepted it.

Hari had yet to finish hers, but he refilled it all the same. Up to the brim. She wanted to stop him by pulling her glass away, but she didn't want to risk staining the immaculate tablecloth in case Leandro insisted. So she watched apprehensively as the scarlet liquid was almost spilling out.

'How am I supposed to hold this in my hand?'

There was no way she was going to lap up the surface like a dog.

"We might as well behave like crazies and treat this 300 hundred dollar bottle of wine like cheap booze." Leandro said with a mysterious smile. "Let yourselves loose. Life is short, and we're here to celebrate another beautiful night together, and hope for many more to come. Let's cheer. For the family. For prosperity. Health. Love. And for the future, unknown as it may be."

He held the bottle out.

"That was quite the speech, Leandro." Nari said softly, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "But I agree with you. So let's cheer!" She clinked the bottle with the rim of her glass, smiling from ear-to-ear.

Hari was forced to watch the toast without being able to join in. Her glass was way too full for any brusque movements to be done without making a mess.

She puffed her cheeks resentfully.

"¡Salud!" Leandro tilted the bottle downard, draining the content so fast he probably broke a world record in the process. Not that it mattered. The night was young, and he'd be remiss if he didn't enjoy the nightlife with his beautiful sisters.