New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

The rest of the day was spent enjoying each other's company, which Alex and Kary hadn't had much time to do since Alex returned.

At least, that was until David decided to show up unannounced, as per his usual self.

Seeing him on the elevator cam, Alex sighed as he pressed the button to allow him up.

He walked back to the sofa, sitting down, and Kary didn't even need to ask him who it was. She could feel his presence all the way up in the penthouse.

"Would it kill him to call or text before showing up?" she asked, shaking her head in disappointment.

Alex chuckled.

"Sometimes, I wonder how he was raised. I mean, it's common courtesy to announce your arrival at a friend's place beforehand, isn't it?" he mocked.

The elevator dinged, and David walked in, not saying a word, like he owned the place. He walked over to the fridge, grabbed a cold apple, and went to sit with the other two.

"So, I was thinking about our situation, and I was wondering something. Since you can help form mana lobes, shouldn't you be helping us all over the next few days, making sure we are strong enough?" he asked, biting into the apple.

"Hello to you too, jerk. And don't just waltz in here like you live here, rummaging through my fridge. What are you, a raccoon? Ask for permission," Alex sighed.

David just shrugged as he chewed on the juicy fruit.

Kary pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling a headache sprouting.

"David, why are you here?" she asked.

He looked at her incredulously, his chewing slowing down.

"I 'ust 'old you?" he said, his mouth full of half-chewed apple.

"No, I mean, why are you really here? You only show up here for emergencies," she insisted.

David swallowed his bite before sighing.

"Am I that predictable? I guess I'll have to start showing up unannounced more often, for no reason. Shuffle things up. You won't mind, will you?"

Alex slapped his forehead while grumbling.

"What do you want, man? I know you didn't come here for a conversation that could have happened over text or a call."

David took another bite of the apple, the crisp crunching of it echoing in the large, open room.

"I'll tell you after I enjoy this fruit," he replied, turning his head toward the television, where a police show was running.

He ignored their annoyed stares for about five minutes, enjoying the show and his apple, taking pauses as he became captivated by the television.

Alex was half tempted to throw him out off the balcony, to bring his attention back. It wasn't like David would die from this fall, anyway.

But he kept himself in check.

After finishing the apple, core and all, David smiled at them.

"Aren't we having fun?" he asked jokingly.

But the silence he was answered with made him laugh.

"You two need to open up to more people. Staying isolated with just the two of you is very unhealthy, you know?"

Kary glared at him.

"Look who's talking…" Alex mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. You gonna tell us why you're here now?" Alex asked, annoyed.

"Ahh, yes. I came to ask you where you wanted to go first. I found a few spots we could check first once we are ready to start our world tour, and I wanted your opinion on where to stop first," he said, getting serious.

Alex looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but David stayed mum.

"I suppose you brought visual aid for us to choose from?" he sighed.

"Yes, I have," David said, smiling wide.

He threw a small plastic chip at him, and Alex recognized the data stick.

"Put that in your TV for me, will you?" David said, grinning.

"What are we, your servants?" Alex asked, annoyed.

"Servants don't ask questions," David mocked.

Kary's hair started brightening up as her anger flared up.

"Do you want to end up cremated, David? Because our balcony is a nice high place from which we could throw your ashes, you know?" she asked, in a growling tone.

David raised his hands in a sign of peace.

"Aww, come on. I'm just teasing you guys. Of course, you're not my servants. Assistants would be a more appropriate term," he laughed.

David had to jump back promptly over the sofa he was on, as a wisp of flames licked at his previous location.

"Hey, don't mess up the new furniture!" Alex exclaimed as he turned around from plugging the data stick into the TV and witnessed this.

"And David, you need to learn some fucking manners. I swear I'll hold you while she incinerates you, man. This is my house and hers. Show some damn respect."

David fake pouted, sitting back down.

"Party pooper," he mumbled.

"What was that?!" Kary asked, her hair flaring up.

"Nothing! I was just looking for the remote!" David said, putting on an innocent face.

He quickly faked to be looking for it before Alex tossed it to him, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Heh he he…" David chuckled nervously.

He promptly switched the television's source to the data chip and opened up an unnamed file.

A set of image icons appeared, and David selected the first one.

"Alright. The first spot that I think is worth looking at is here, north of Florence. There were reports of strange sightings. Apparently, some vineyards of the area have reported birds the size of dogs eating their crops.

"Now, I know there are birds that size that exist. But Italy doesn't have birds that reach the size of dogs. So that lit up my curiosity."

Alex groaned.

"Are you sure you don't just want a vacation with a good wine tour?"

David snickered at his remark.

"Although I wouldn't say no to a little vineyard tour after our task is done, that is not the reason I spotted it, no. But let's keep this moving, shall we?"

Kary huffed, not believing a word he said.

"I spotted a second place where there was activity that reached paranormal levels."

He clicked the remote, and the image switched to a photo taken from the base of a cliff. In the photo, an apparent nest rested on an outcropping of the cliff.

What was strange about the nest was not only its apparent size, but also what hung from its side.

A pair of taloned legs.

"A tourist took this as they were sailing around Korea's Seongsan Ilchulbong. For the uneducated in the room, this is at the tip of Jeju Island, for the uneducated in the room," David said, while staring at Alexander.

Alex ignored his gaze as he looked at the image.

"How can we be sure this isn't just the legs of a naturally large bird from the region?" he asked, trying to stay logical.

David tapped the TV remote again, bringing up the following image.

And it was a gruesome sight to see.

"A walker took this photo three days after the first one in Seongsan Ilchulbong's crater area. An investigation revealed to the local police that this was the tourist who had taken the first picture.

"What happened to him is still a mystery, but apparently, he became intrigued by the picture he took and ventured into the area on his own after his tour. He went missing at night, and was only found like this two days later."

Looking at the picture, Alex could surmise that whatever had gotten to him had not only munched on the victim, but it had done so while it was alive. The look of terror imprinted on the person's eyes couldn't lie.

And by the varying sizes of the lacerations, it was done by more than one assailant, each with a different size.

"Alright, take that image off the TV. We just had lunch, for Christ's sake…" Kary complained, suddenly feeling nauseous.

The blood, the guts spilt everywhere, and the look of horror on this guy's face… It just wasn't cutting it.

Tapping the remote, David pulled up another strange photo.

"This one is closer to home. It's also in a less frequented part of the country, so maybe it's not as urgent. But it remains to be checked before whatever caused it happens again," he said, looking at the image with a sigh.

The image showed what looked like a brown bear leaning over another lump of fur the same colour. However, the image was a bit blurry, and it wasn't clear what they were looking at.

"What are we looking at here? A bear eating a cub?" Alex asked, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out details.

David tapped the remote again, the image switching to two hunters standing next to an enormous brown bear.

Alex frowned.

"So they took it out? Why are you showing us these images?"

David sighed before tapping again.

"That wasn't the big one. It was the one that got eaten. That is an Alaskan Kodiak Brown Bear, the second largest species of bear on earth. And it looked tiny next to the other one…"

"Ohh…"