16 A Warlock’s Promise

Early in the morning during the weekend, Dante paid Sophia and Megan a visit to their apartment to have breakfast.

Most days, Sophia brought it to the warlock's apartment, but Dante started to feel guilty after a while, so he wanted to switch it up.

Strangely, Megan was also awake, which was rare for the brunette to be up so early.

She wore a tank top that stuck to her skin, showcasing her toned and smooth midriff, sports leggings, and running shoes.

"Are you going somewhere, Miss Megan?" the warlock asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to the gym…" she replied, leaving an awkward silence for a brief moment.

"Wanna come?" Megan asked, her expression looking indifferent.

Dante heard about what a gym was from Victoria one day on campus, and he had been interested in going to one, as he was curious about the machinery that people on Earth used to train their muscles.

"Oh, that's a great idea! —you should go, Dante," Sophia exclaimed.

Ever since the day they had the movie marathon, Sophia wanted Dante and Megan to socialize more.

She believed that Megan needed to have more friends who could support her, and seeing that she had somewhat opened up to Dante gave her hope.

The two girls went to Dante's apartment to help him choose a gym outfit, with the excuse that he didn't know what to wear. 

Still, it's not like he had many options in the suitcase that Camille gave him, so he ended up wearing a pair of sweatpants and a slightly oversized tank top.

Noticing that the brunette was walking to the campus, the warlock pondered if they were going in the right direction.

"We are. I have a membership with the gym there," Megan replied.

She wasn't a student at NU, but that didn't mean that she couldn't pay for the gym membership, and since it was the closest to their home, it was her best option.

"I see. So, you are not interested in any of the studies they teach…" Dante commented, placing a hand on his chin.

"I guess so. I'm only here for Sophie," said Megan.

"Then, Miss Megan, if I may ask— What is it that you want?" the warlock asked, polite as always but with a more serious tone than usual.

Out of the people that he felt owed to, Megan was the only one who was still a mystery to the warlock.

He knew that Camille wanted a peaceful life like him, which was a vague idea, but the warlock accepted it nonetheless.

Sophia was looking forward to opening her own restaurant after graduation, and it was a goal that Dante considered would fit her perfectly.

Still, he knew nothing about Megan other than the fact that she survived a demon's attack eight years ago.

"Hmm, what I want…" she muttered, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and gazing sharply at Dante's eyes.

"Why do you want to know?" Megan asked.

The warlock stood silent for a second, entranced in the woman's emerald eyes. "Because you helped me," he replied, not stammering a single word.

Megan kept silent, inspecting Dante's crimson eyes to see if she could spot a hint of lying, making her let out a sigh as she could tell that the warlock's words were genuine.

"Do you remember that story I told you the night you arrived?" she asked, resuming her walk to the gym.

"Of course—the one with the demon," he calmly said.

"Right. That same day, the Blood Dragons attacked all of our bases…" Megan explained.

The attack wasn't focused just on them but on her entire organization, which ended up wiping them out as the Blood Dragons took their territories.

While Megan kept telling the story, Dante could feel a dark umbra flowing from her body, which was the negative emotions she felt when retelling the events.

"I understand, Miss Megan," he said, stopping his walk and prompting the brunette to turn to him.

The warlock held her hand and kneeled, making Megan blush while her face kept an indifferent expression. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"For the help you have given me. I promise to wipe out your enemies and bring you back to your rightful place—I give you my word as Dante Shadowvale," he said confidently.

"Stand up, dude. People are watching…" Megan replied, and while her face didn't show any emotions other than a slight blush on her cheeks, the positive energy that flowed from her told Dante otherwise.

____________________

When the pair arrived at the gym, their looks garnered the attention of other members.

Some students recognized Dante, and others recognized Megan since she was seen with Sophia quite often.

In between those people, Turner and his buddies were present, as they attended the gym frequently to stay in shape.

Dante noticed the bully after feeling the umbra flowing from him, noting that it had gotten stronger since the first time they met.

'I guess he hates me more now…' he thought.

"What should we do, boss? Wanna jump him outside?" one of Turner's lackeys asked.

"Don't be stupid—Don't you see who he is with?" the bully replied, referring to Megan.

The bully met Megan during Sophia's first day of college, where the brunette had accompanied her since her friend felt nervous about starting her lessons.

Turner immediately tried flirting with Sophia on her first day, but Megan shot him such a sharp glance that made him think otherwise.

One night, while he was out in a nightclub, he saw the two roommates getting harassed by a group of men, and he witnessed how Megan beat the four men unconscious with ease.

From that point forward, he decided to be careful around her. Still, it was that same fierce personality that attracted him, making him even more jealous of Dante, who seemed to get along with her pretty well.

"Alright, this machine is to train your back muscles…" Megan explained to Dante, who inspected the machinery curiously.

"I see. So, I choose a weight…" the warlock muttered, inserting the metal pipe into the heaviest weight possible, which marked 100 pounds.

"Uhh…" Megan tried to interrupt, wondering if the warlock understood the value of the weights.

"And then I pull," he continued, pulling down on the bar and lifting the 100 pounds with complete ease, catching the attention of the bodybuilders in the gym.

"Oi, bruh. That was impressive—you should train with us!" said a burly man whose muscles looked like they were about to burst.

Dante politely declined, saying that he was already training with someone.

"Ahaha! No problem, brutha'. Still, you should at least sign in to the squatting competition—you too, Megan," said the bodybuilder.

"Oh, you know each other?" asked Dante.

"Of course, we know her! Megan won the mixed martial arts tournament, and she lifts here frequently!" he explained.

*Sigh* "Fine, I'll join…" the brunette muttered.