A few days later
Kanda strode into the lounge and the staff taking a break there. A group of scientists and Lenalee, who was serving coffee, looked up in surprise.
"Anyone know why I found Star's coffee mug sitting in the middle of the foyer when I was returning from my mission?" Kanda said.
Section Chief Reever said, "Funny. I saw it sitting on Chief Komui's desk. It's a wonder it didn't get smashed under a pile of books—"
"Or a mountain of unread mail and unfinished documents," Cash Dop said.
"I last spotted it hanging on a string above Jeryy's counter in the dining hall," said Johnny Gill.
A few more people shouted out bizarre places they'd found Star's mug in the days since she'd arrived.
Reever said, "Kanda, run that mug to Johannes, will you. I'm sure she's missing it."
Instead Kanda shoved the mug into the hands of the nearest guy in a lab coat.
"What do I look like-a gofer? I brought it in here, didn't I. Take it to her yourself." He left without another word.
"Where is Johannes anyway?"
"Probably talking to Hevlaska," Lenalee said. "She spends a lot of time there."
Right then, Kanda backtracked by the lounge again. "She's coming down the hall now," he said as he passed the doorway. Obviously, he'd turned in the other direction at the sight of her.
Reever stepped into the hall, holding the mug.
"Star, I think you've been leaving something all over the place. Kanda found it. Why in the world was sitting on the floor in the foyer anyway? Here."
Star stopped and took it out of his hands.
"Oh, thank you very much, Section Chief Reever. I was wondering where it'd gotten off to." The moment Reever turned his back, Star promptly placed the mug on top of the most conspicuous statue in the corridor and went on her way.
Later
At dinnertime, as Allen Walker was about go all in with his usual orders of multiple, large portion food dishes, he spotted Star's mug at Jeryy's counter (yet again).
"Is Star around?" he asked.
"She was in here earlier. Ate a ton of stuff, just like you, Allen, then went to get ready for her assignment. So fun cooking for you two and Mr. Krory!" Jeryy said enthusiastically.
"Her mug is here, did you see?"
"Someone brought it over earlier. Said they found it in the restricted research lab sitting next to the Ark gate for some reason," Jeryy explained. "I was hoping she'd come back and pick it up so I left it here."
"Oh, I see."
After ordering up his food, Allen made sure to find a table with a enough space for all his plates. Soon, he was joined by Lavi, Miranda, Lenalee, and Krory.
"Hi, Allen. Is Star around? Her mug is at the order window," Lenalee said.
"I know," Allen said. "I asked Jeryy about it. He said he left it there in case she comes back."
Lenalee laughed. "I'm beginning to suspect she's either forgetful or she's leaving it everywhere on purpose. Kanda found it sitting in the middle of the foyer when he came home from an assignment earlier."
"It could get broken," Miranda said.
"Oh, we'll just order her a new one if it does."
Allen put down his fork and knife.
"There's something that's been bothering me," he said. "What do you think Hevlaska's prophecy means?"
"The one she gave about Star? I don't know but it felt kind of ominous somehow," Lenalee said.
"Are you worried about it too, Allen?" Miranda asked, recalling what Star had said to her the night of her welcome party. "I heard from Lavi."
"Yes. It wasn't any more or less cryptic than the one I got when I arrived here and met Hevlaska for the first time," Allen said. "But…"
"The Destroyer of Time," Lavi said.
"Right. But was it just me or did Hevlaska seem upset or something after she pronounced Star's prophecy?"
Everyone fell silent and thought about it.
"'Sun' is another word for 'star'," Lenalee deduced. "Hevlaska said 'The Vanishing Sun'."
The question no one was willing to voice hung unspoken in the air around them: Does that mean Star is going to die?
"You think something is going to happen to Star?" Miranda asked, her heart pounding.
"Not if we can help it," said Lenalee.
"She hasn't been here very long, but she's still one of us," said Krory.
"Yeah, her and her mug," Lavi joked.
Allen, Krory, and Lenalee laughed but Miranda remained somber and worried. She spoke up as the laughter died off.
"Listen everyone: At the welcome party, Star did say something troubling, something that made me worry and think that she—"
A Finder appeared at the table side, saying, "The Chief wants to see you all."