CHAPTER 106: The Dinner

CHAPTER 106: The Dinner

The place Anna took him to was hidden on a side street, far from the ostentation of the restaurants usually frequented by Enid Corp executives. It was small, with just a few wooden tables, walls decorated with old photos, and a warm aroma of freshly baked bread. Humble, but cozy.

They sat facing each other. Fénix, while watching the girl order something simple from the waiter, rested his good arm on the table.

"Anna," he said in a calm voice. "I've always been curious… what does your family think about you working at Enid Corp?"

Anna's smile faded slowly. She lowered her gaze, playing with the napkin between her fingers.
"My family…" she murmured. She took a breath before continuing. "I haven't had contact with them for a long time."

Fénix arched an eyebrow.
"Were things that bad?"

"Quite," she replied with a bitter grimace. "My mother and father were always clear: I didn't deserve to go to university. According to them, the only one with the right to that was my younger brother." She clenched the napkin. "They told me that as long as I lived under their roof, my duty was to work to give him money. That my life… should revolve around his future."

Fénix frowned, feeling a pang in his chest.
"So you decided to leave."

Anna nodded, a glint of pride in her eyes.
"Yes. I didn't want to spend my life serving someone else just because my family said so. I wanted something of my own, my own goal… even if I ended up here, at Enid Corp."

There was a brief silence. Fénix watched her, noticing the strength in her gaze despite the sadness of her words.
"You did the right thing," he said finally, his voice firm. "No one should decide your life for you, not even your own family."

Anna looked at him, surprised by the certainty in his words. A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you, Fénix. You don't know how good it feels to hear that."

Fénix interlaced his hands on the table, leaning his weight forward slightly.
"Believe me… I understand you more than you think."

Anna fiddled with the napkin between her fingers, looking at him curiously.
"Hey, Fénix…" she said at last. "You're always the one asking questions, the one observing everyone, but you never tell anything about yourself."

Fénix arched an eyebrow and rested his elbow on the table.
"Oh, really? And what do you want to know?"

Anna looked directly into his eyes, challenging him.
"For example… what brought you to Enid Corp? It doesn't seem like the kind of job just anyone would choose like that."

Fénix gave a half-smile but didn't answer immediately.
"Let's just say… it wasn't a choice, but a consequence." He leaned back in his chair. "I'm not someone who can fit into a normal life. Enid Corp. offered me a reason to keep going."

Anna rested her chin on her hand, not taking her eyes off him.
"And before that? What was your life like?"

"Chaotic," he answered without thinking too much. "Lots of movement, fights… and a ton of mistakes."

She smiled, amused by the vagueness of his answer.
"That's not an answer, Fénix. You're dodging the question."

He let out a small, nasal laugh.
"Maybe. Or maybe it's not something you want to hear."

Anna tilted her head, even more intrigued.
"Let me decide if I want to hear it or not."

Fénix watched her silently for a few seconds. There was something in Anna's insistent gaze that reminded him of someone who wouldn't be intimidated. Finally, he sighed.
"I lost a lot. Friends, people close to me…" He stared at the coffee in front of him. "And every time I think I can be at peace, something comes up and reminds me I don't have the right to that calm."

Anna stopped smiling. She looked down at the table, processing what he had said.
"That sounds… very lonely."

"It is," he said naturally, though his tone carried a weight that was hard to disguise.

Anna, after a moment of silence, looked at him again.
"So… what keeps you going? What still keeps you on your feet?"

Fénix looked directly at her, and for a second his eyes shone with something he couldn't define.
"The promise that all of this… will be good for something. That it won't be in vain."

Anna held his gaze and nodded slowly, as if she suddenly understood the person in front of her better.

When they finished, the murmur of the place began to fade. Anna took the last sip of her coffee and set the cup on the saucer with a soft clink.

Fénix adjusted his jacket and looked at her.
"Thanks for inviting me, Anna." His voice sounded sincere, deep but warm. "It's been… a good dinner."

She smiled with a certain shyness, though there was pride in her eyes.
"I'm glad you say that. I don't usually share this place with just anyone."

He arched an eyebrow.
"So I've earned a privilege?"

"More than you think," she replied with a half-smile, resting her elbow on the table and looking directly at him.

Fénix held that gaze for a few seconds before looking away, uncomfortable with the intensity Anna conveyed.
"I guess I'll remember that."

Anna stood up and picked up her coat.
"Do that."

Fénix nodded slowly, without words. He walked her to the exit, and after a brief farewell, they each went their separate ways.

The streets of Berlin greeted him with a cold, damp air, filled with neon and shadows. The distant sound of a train and the echo of isolated footsteps mixed with the vibration of the night city.

Fénix walked, the smoke of his breath escaping like invisible sighs. His thoughts pursued him with the same persistence as the icy wind.

"Anna… Enid… everyone."

Every face that passed by him, every anonymous figure crossing the sidewalk, made him think the same thing.

"Every person has their war. Each one leads their own battle, even if no one else can see it."