As soon as the doors opened, the front desk was swarmed with well-dressed people. Young and old, male and female, alone or in groups, everyone wanted to eat at this steakhouse.

  “Do we really look that good?” Arden muttered.

  Anytime someone new approached the desk, one of the waitresses would bring them to an open seat and begin taking orders. Drinks, then appetizers, then the main course. Everything had a rhythm. When the first round of orders were sent to the kitchen, the waitresses would return to the front to pick up new guests, repeating the cycle like a well oiled machine.

  If Arden wasn’t one of the workers, he would have taken the time to admire the waitresses' work ethic. Whether they were just that competent, or driven by the almighty dollar, it didn’t matter. He however, was definitely the latter.

  Arden’s first set of guests was a family of four. Mother, father, older son and younger daughter. He felt a momentary pang of sadness but ignored it. The son looked a few years younger than Arden, maybe 15 or 16, while the daughter looked a few years younger than that. They weren’t dressed to the nines like some of the other guests, but they were dressed well enough that their clothes couldn’t be considered casual wear.

  Arden smiled sweetly on the outside, but inside it was evil. Avarice shined within his soul.

  ‘Time to put on a clinic.’

  “I’m Arden, your server this evening,” he said meekly. “Can I start you off with a drink tonight?”

  He pulled out a pen and notepad that he was given moments before service began, and fumbled dropping both to the floor. He gave a small yelp and dropped to recover them, apologizing to the family for the inconvenience. After jotting down their orders, he turned towards the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the son making eyes at him with a red face.

  ‘All according to plan.’

  Arden repeated the process several times with other guests in between delivering food to previous guests. Every time, he would wear a mask of clumsy earnestness to dial up the cuteness, and thus dial up his earnings.

  When the family finished their dinner, Arden sauntered up to the table with the bill. He made casual small talk to the family as he was taking away their empty plates. When he returned to pick up the bill, Arden had to stop a greedy smile from appearing on his face.

  ‘That’s a good tip, baby!’

  After everything was paid for, Arden bid the family goodbye and moved along to his other tables, at all of which sat single men in expensive clothes, as he had found out from the now traditional small talk. When he learned about their relationship status, Arden’s first thought was:

  ‘Jackpot!’

  Which was immediately followed by the thought:

  ‘What the hell is wrong with me?’

  After running a few tables, the restaurant hit a lull, and the waitresses with no tables to run congregated to the kitchen. Arden and Vera were among them, and were being congratulated for a job well done.

  “You’re doing great, newbies,” Tesh the cook said. She looked at Arden. “Especially you.”

  “I know!” Kelkis said. “Even the guys at my tables were drooling over you. They said that you looked so earnest that they could help wanting to help you. By giving you money,” she said, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together.

  Vera threw her arm around Arden’s neck.

  “You could be a camgirl,” she whispered into his ears.

  “Absolutely not.”

  Arden stealthily took out his ID from his inventory so no one would see a picture of him looking like a guy. He couldn’t help but give an evil chuckle seeing how much money was now on it. Previously, his ID would only show how many times he could get rations in a set time. Having an actual number representing the currency he now had control of was euphoric.

  Savish entered the kitchen with Cayde at her side. They both looked at Arden and Vera with pleased expressions. Arden couldn't tell if they were pleased at how service was going, or pleased because they managed to grift him into becoming a waitress.

  “I’ve been hearing some very good things about you two. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? Everyone loves you.”

  ‘That’s the reason I can’t stay,’ Arden thought. He knew he was being hypocritical, but he didn’t care. ‘Earning a lot of money is great and all, but so is wearing pants.’

  Cayde seemed to be able to read Arden’s mind and snickered to himself.

  “Sorry Savish,” Vera said. “We have stuff to do.”

  “Whatever you say,” she said with a sad smile. “If you ever decide to come back after finishing your stuff, you would be welcomed with open arms.”

  The sound of a guest entering drew everyone's attention to the counter, where Hel, the receptionist from the hotel that Arden and Vera met that morning entered the establishment.

  Arden quickly grew uncomfortable at the prospect of someone recognizing him dressing in drag and grew reluctant to head outside. Thankfully, Vera wasn't a sadist, just a tease, so she took the customer for herself.

  She also needed more money to shorten the spread between her profit and Arden’s. Honestly, she didn't think Arden would actually go through with dressing for the job. It surprised her greatly when he caved and decided to do it.

  What surprised her even more was just how well Arden acted as a girl. He seemed completely in his element as he acted out his girly routine in front of every guest, and every guest fell for both him and his ploy.

  But it was time for him to take a break. Vera needed to show him that she would always be more womanly than him. The fact that she even thought that showed just how much Arden threatened her femininity.

  As she walked away, Arden couldn't help staring at her in the dress. She just looked so good in it.

  “I need to buy her one of those…” he thought aloud.

  Savish picked up on it with her superior Starborn senses.

  “I can give you the tailor's info, if you want.”

  “Yes please,” Arden answered immediately.

  Savish chuckled at his reaction. He seemed, well not innocent, but sort of pure, so when he betrayed his inner lust, it felt kind of incongruous. Especially when he was dressed like a cute girl.

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  Savish frowned. She felt the sudden unmistakable feeling of Stellar Essence. It was a miniscule amount, barely even a trace, but with her strength, she was able to notice it, unlike Arden. She narrowed her eyes at the source of the Stellar Essence, the man Vera was leading. Arden followed her gaze realized that the man Vera was tending to was the receptionist from the hotel that morning.

  Arden didn’t notice the essence, but he did notice Savish’s change, alongside Cayde.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Savish glanced at the rest of the workers behind Arden, all of them doing their own thing. She lowered her voice so as not to let the rest hear her.

  “That man out there is a Starborn. He’s actively using his powers right now.”

  Arden slowly nodded.

  “What’s the plan then?”

  Savish looked at Cayde.

  “Prepare the protocol.”

  Cayde nodded with a grim expression and turned to get the worker’s attention. He wasn’t the boss, but he was respected enough that they all listened to him.

  “What’s the protocol?” Arden asked, not taking his eyes off of the man with Vera. He knew she was strong, but he couldn't help but be worried. No matter how special they were, they were still just bottom rung Starborn.

  “Everyone arms themselves. Those Satellites that everyone uses here aren't the only ones.”

  The atmosphere of the restaurant changed as the sound of a slap resonated across the dining area. Every guest in there currently eating looked at where it came from. Naturally, the source was Vera slapping the hotel receptionist’s cheek. Arden was watching the entire time, and it didn’t look like he had done anything to Vera. It was something he said. Arden couldn't make it out though. He might have been a Starborn, but he hadn't trained his senses yet.

  “She looks pissed,” he said.

  “Stay here,” Savish said.

  Savish, under the stares of everyone in the building, left the kitchen and approached the man, Hel. With her orange-tier senses, she was able to hear what he said that caused Vera to slap him, and it was vile. Even if Vera wasn’t a permanent employee, she was still under her protection for the night. The same went for everyone in the restaurant.

  Hel smiled at her Savish. He didn’t give her a chance to even talk.

  “Smile for the camera!”

  There was a sound that sounded like the snap of a camera, and Savish disappeared, leaving only a polaroid in the place where she just was.

  The restaurant was silent for one second before all hell broke loose. Screams echoed through the entire restaurant as everyone saw the Starborn seemingly kill someone. They scrambled to get out their chairs and the restaurant altogether, lest they get caught up in the man’s attack.

  “Sav!” Cayde yelled, distraught. He tried to run out and recover the polaroid, but was held back by Arden, for his own safety.

  “Don’t do it!” Arden ordered him.

  “Let go of me!”

  “No!”

  Cayde’s desperate strength surprised Arden. Despite being so skinny, he almost managed to wrench himself free. It was only after Lyzia, Kelkis, and Tesh held him back did he finally submit, passing out with tears running down his face.

  “Sav…” he muttered.

  “What do we do?” Lyzia whispered with tears in her eyes.

  Arden looked outside and saw the crowd of guests scrambling for the door, only to be stopped by the appearance of a bulky man hiding his face with a hood. Any time someone tried to get past them, he would knock them to the floor, without exception. The familiar self-satisfied smile on the man’s face made Arden’s blood boil.

  “Two on two…” Arden said, gauging not his chances of survival, but gauging the chances of everyone else escaping.

  The man at the door was here for him.

  Hel’s hand clamped around Vera’s wrist, holding her in place. This wasn't her first time being accosted by a man driven by lust, but it was the first time that it was being done by someone as strong as him.

  “Where’s your boyfriend? I know he’s somewhere around here. I can feel it. Does he get off on watching someone try and take his girl?”

  “I suggest you take your hand off me right now,” Vera said coldly. “It will only make things worse for you.”

  Hel sneered.

  “What can you even do to a Main Sequence Starborn, sweet cheeks? Your boss, an orange-tier Starborn, was the only one who could fight against me, and she's gone.”

  The restaurant was buzzing. Everyone was aware of the danger that the lustful man represented. He was a Starborn with two powers, and had no misgiving about using them in a place filled with mundanes. The guests trying to escape were worked into a frenzy.

  The workers in the kitchen were all watching what would happen next. Their Satellites were made to help them defend themselves, but they didn’t believe that they would manage to do anything against a Starborn who so easily got rid of Savish. Only Savish had the power to do what needed to be done. But she was gone.

  Arden moved through the crowd of coworkers, and felt several hands trying to stop him.

  “What are you doing?” Lyzia whispered. “That guy can kill you. Don’t be reckless.”

  Arden looked at the man restraining Vera. A familiar emotion welled up inside of him. Hatred.

  “Being reckless is kind of my thing.”

  He looked at his coworkers all looking up at him. For some reason, they were looking to him for guidance. He saw their fear and desperation.

  “When you get the chance, go to Savish’s room. There is a man named Staz who came here. Tell him to tell his boss that his nephew is here.”

  Tesh shook her head and held her knife in her trembling hand.

  “I don't think we’ll get that chance.”

  “I'll make one.”

  Arden pulled himself free of the grasp of his coworkers, and moved toward the Starborn who that morning looked like a reputable guy. Hel looked Arden up and down with a lascivious smile as he approached. Arden scowled at the man’s unrestrained lust.

  He didn’t know if he would be able to win the fight against the man who disposed of Savish, but he would at least try. The mundanes relying on him were reason enough.

  “Ooh a feisty one,” Hel said. “And you’re not bad looking yourself.”

  “Unlike you,” Arden fired back. “Let her go.”

  Recognition flashed across Hel’s face. He gave Arden another once-over and scowled with disgust.

  “Your voice…You’re the boyfriend.”

  Murmurs ran through the crowd of customers and coworkers. Shock that the main piece of eye candy tonight was a man was a tough pill to swallow for most everyone there. Arden’s words ran through Lyzia’s mind.

  ‘I've got plenty of experience keeping things hidden.’

  “Damn right. Let her go, bef-”

  A glint of silver flashed through the air as Hel’s knife Satellite manifested and tore through Arden’s throat. Arden clutched his throat and fell to his knees with wide eyes, as blood ran through his fingers, staining the dress and the floor.

  The mundanes felt the hope drain from their bodies as the man who bravely stood up for them was brutally cut down. His gamble had been for nothing.

  Hel kicked Arden’s body to the side, and expected Vera to start struggling, but strangely, she didn’t. Not even a little bit.

  ‘She must be in shock.’

  “I knew he wasn’t much. Just a pretty boy. It irked me to see a goddess like yourself with him.”

  Vera glared at him with an intense and burning hatred, hot enough to melt any of her ice powers.

  “Arden is ten times the man you’d ever be.”

  Hel’s face contorted with anger, and the cloaked man’s head swiveled at the mention of that name.

  “It doesn’t matter how much of a man he was. In the end, he’s dead. Lying in a puddle of his own blood.”

  Vera smiled.

  “You sure about that?” she asked

  Hel felt a finger tap his shoulder several times in quick succession, causing him to turn around. His eyes went wide when he saw Arden standing there clad in grey armor. Dark red blood still dripped from his torn apart throat, staining the Stoneflesh Shroud.

  Audible gasps rang out around the restaurant where anyone remained. They all watched in awe as the person they thought was dead rose to his feet as red sparks came together around his body and hands.

  Arden raised a clawed finger and spoke in a nonplussed voice.

  “That wasn’t very nice.”