The Divine Demon - Book 1: A New Beginning

11. Merino's (Part 1)

"Oh perfect! I was just wondering if you wanted to catch a bite to eat at Merino's Diner. It's a small place right in downtown Spiritfield, maybe a ten-minute walk from campus."

Riarshi was speechless.

Hold on, what was going on? Did somebody ask him to grab food? And not just anybody, but a high leveled magic user who was almost kicked out of the program by his own limitations just a few days prior.

Riarshi had already been through this scenario once with Leon, and many others before him - a facade of sincerity. Mistrust tainted his vision.

"Nah, I'm all set," Riarshi said curtly, then turned to leave, causing his bag to slide down his shoulder. He was losing time.

It seemed that Tabito sensed Riarshi's inner turmoil, because he let out a belly laugh and said, "I can tell you're suspicious right now. Don't worry - I get that - but just trust me here, all right?"

Riarshi stopped, readjusted his bag, and looked at Tabito over his shoulder.

Sincerity floated within Tabito's eyes. But suspicions deriving from years of harassment remained ingrained in the back of Riarshi's mind.

Was Tabito going to lead him to an alley to get beaten up by a bunch of levels (Riarshi had first-hand experience), or would Tabito humiliate him in front of a crowd of people? There was no such thing as a sincere high magic user.

Riarshi shook the thoughts out of his head. He didn't have time for this mind-boggling mess. He had to get to the bus stop in ten minutes or he'd miss his ride home.

He peeked at the clock hanging above the door.

3:07 PM

It was already too late. Even if he ran with the boost of his magic, he would still miss the bus.

Riarshi's head sank between his shoulders in defeat, his chin nearly touching his chest. The next bus to Westray wasn't scheduled to arrive until five, and he wouldn't wander aimlessly in the city until then. He had no idea what lay outside of the Program grounds.

Tabito left him with no other option.

"Okay, I'll go," Riarshi sighed. There was no point in arguing. If there was even the slightest chance this guy's sincerity was genuine, he might as well take it. What else was there to lose?

Tabito raised a fist and let out a joyful cheer, claiming victory in this short-lived duel.

"Hell yeah! Let's go! Lemme tell you, they have amazing food down there, man. Fried food of any kind, sandwiches, subs, wraps, seafood, they literally have it all. All the meats come from a farm in the north where everything is grass fed. All the seafood is also shipped in straight from the ocean to the East. They also do a ton of grilled meat if you're looking for something on the healthier side. Have you ever been there?"

"Uh, no... I haven't," Riarshi said awkwardly, taken aback from how much one person could talk in one breath. "I'm not from the city, actually."

"Oh, no way. We gotta talk about that at the diner," Tabito suggested with sincerity. "But trust me, this place is awesome. We go there all the time."

Riarshi's stomach did a flip. We?

Tabito turned to the back corner of the room where one student had remained sitting at their desk, away from other groups of conversing students.

He cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hey, Hara, wanna go to Merino's today?"

Riarshi's face dropped.