Part-72

  The st drops of cold coffee vanished down Mili's throat, and she pced the empty gss oable with a decisive k. "Alright," she announced, her voice firm, "let's go."

  James stood, a nervous energy c through him. He followed Mili back outside, the initial surprise of her national champion status now repced by a burgeoning sense of anticipation. He climbed onto his bike, her words about needing to see something eg in his mind.

  They navigated the bustling streets once more, Mili leading the way with a renewed urgenbsp; Finally, she pulled up short in front of a massive wrought-iron gate. It was ornate and old, etched with intricate patterns that spoke of a bygone era. There was a sense of grandeur about it, a stark trast to the bustling marketpce behind them.

  Mili dismounted her bike aured towards the gate. "Follow me," she said, pushing it open with surprising ease.

  James hesitated for a moment, his eyes sing the residential area beyond. It was a mix of old and new, with a single high-rise apartment building t over rows of smaller, two-story houses. A few people from well preet and several curious faces peeked out from windows as they entered, but no one spoke. The silence amplified James' already ing aies. Where exactly were they going?

  He followed Mili, keeping a safe distance behind her. This euatio surreal – his bookish cssmate leading him through a hidden gate into a secret encve guarded by curious stares. He couldn't help but feel like a character in a fantastical story, one where the liweey and the unknown had blurred.

  "Rex, James," Mili finally said, as if sensing his apprehension. "They're just curious. No one here will hurt you."

  Her words offered little fort, but James nodded, pushing down his aies. He would trust Mili, at least for now. After all, she had led him on this wild goose chase, and he was already knee-deep in the pond.

  As they walked deeper into the residential area, the initial awkwardness slowly faded. The air here felt different, calmer, almost magical. A flock of birds chirped overhead, their melody repg the city's cacophony. James couldn't pinpoint it, but there was a distinergy here, a hum that vibrated beh the surface of normalcy.

  They reached the base of the high-rise building, its sleek gss facade refleg the setting sun. Mili stopped and turo him, a determined glint in her eyes.

  "This is it, James," she said. "This is where I wanna take you to."

  A bewildered chuckle escaped James' lips. "A martial arts trainier?" He sed the imposing building, its sleek gss facade more suited to a corporate headquarters than a pce of flying kicks and bone-g takedowns.

  Mili nodded, her expression a ix of determination and anticipation. "The best in Dhaka, maybe even all of Bangdesh. They train champions here, James. The real deal, not… well, not like Sourov."

  James couldn't help but grin. The mention of his unlikely schoolyard nemesis brought back a wave of surprising fidenbsp; He'd faced down Sourov, and he was still standing (mostly). Maybe fag off against a real martial artist wouldn't be so bad.

  As if on cue, a notifiaterialized before his eyes, a translut blue box with bold bck lettering:

  **Mission 13: Challenge someoo a duel.**

  **Reward: WIS +1**

  **Penalty (Failure): Stats decrease by 1**