Everyone knows that the Paradisaea and the Vultur Volans are mortal enemies. The Paradisaea, a notorious phantom thief whose acts of magic dazzle and awe any spectators lucky enough to witness their heists, and the child detective destined to catch them, a figure only known as Vultur Volens. A legendary prodigy whose detective skills outmatch even that of the police-

Fadhlan paused in the middle of his dramatic reading to look up at Kaveh. " Legendary prodigy ?"

"It's a nice embellishment, isn't it?" Kaveh had the audacity to grin at him.

"I think it might be better for me and the rest of Sumeru if we never had to read your embellishments again. Just stick to the facts next time."

"Brat," Kaveh flicked his forehead. "I'll be late coming home again. Listen to Tighnari, will you? And I expect you to stay in class today. Got that?"

"Hm," Fadhlan had already flipped the paper over and was reading the article on the reverse side. They both knew that wasn't going to happen.

Kaveh sighed, "Well, that was worth a try. Look, I know you find the classes boring, but didn't you say you've made a few friends at school? You can just all sit in the back and pass notes to each other if it helps you pass the time."

"You're actively encouraging this behavior?"

"I'm saying you can't stay here ."

Contemplative silence. "I'm going to the House of Daena."

"But your education-"

"-will not be impacted because I went to a different place of learning for the day. The teachers say they teach, but their quality of teaching cannot even surpass what I can get from self-study. I therefore see no point in going."

Kaveh stared at him. Having gone through Sumeru's school system himself and also being miles ahead of his peers, none of his points are invalid. However…

"You do realize that a major component of school is socialization, right? Wouldn't your friends miss you if you skipped school?"

"...I concede the point," Fadhlan sighed. "I'll convince my friends to skip school with me."


"Master Tighnari is going to kill us," said Collei.

"Tighnari doesn't have to know," said Fadhlan.

"I won't tell him if you won't!" said Nahida cheerfully.

Fadhlan pushed open the doors to the House of Daena. The three of them walked in: one excited, one nervous, and the other one completely unaffected. "Act natural. Remember: it is perfectly all right for us to be here without adult supervision and we did not just skip school for this very purpose."

The three of them occupied a table in the House of Daena, a stack of books between the three of them. Collei picked up one of the books and squinted at the title. "Um…this is a bit too advanced for me. Do they have anything with pictures?"

"Here, I brought a few light novels with me," Nahida took out a few paperbacks from her bag. "Now we'll all have something to read."

"I wish I'm as smart as you," said Collei ruefully. "Both of you are reading such heavy books already, and I can't even keep up with the class."

Fadhlan and Nahida exchanged a look.

"That's not your fault, Collei," Nahida said quickly. "Most kids our age already have some level of knowledge coming into class, and you started your education a lot later than most other people. You're actually learning very quickly! I know Fadhlan and I are only at the level we are because we started a long time ago."

That was the truth, although Collei would probably never realize the full extent of what Nahida meant.

"I know that, it's just…" Collei muttered into her arms. "I just feel so stupid, all the time. Even with Master Tighnari's help…"

Having spent much time with Kaveh, Fadhlan recognized a depressive spiral when he saw one.

"Here," he pulled out one of the notebooks in his bag. It was completely blank, since Fadhlan never bothered taking notes in his new classes in the few times he bothered to attend. "I find that it's easier to sort through your thoughts and feelings if you try to write down exactly what's bothering you."

"Oh," Collei seemed surprised. "Thank you, Fadhlan! I'll give it a try."

"Don't mention it," he picked up a book himself and began to read.

"By the way," Collei said slowly. She always seemed to be watching her words around other people. "You usually go off by yourself when you skip school. Why did you ask us to come with you this time?"

"Kaveh thinks I am depriving myself of interpersonal bonds by routinely skipping school. This is, of course, ridiculous, as I have no interest in forming interpersonal bonds with other students, nor they with me. Nonetheless, I acknowledge the importance of social development to a seven year old child like me, so I am mitigating this by convincing my friends to skip school with me."

Collei looked lost, while Nahida just stared at him. "You asked us to come with you…for this ?"

Fadhlan flipped a page in his book. "What better way to strengthen relationships than by breaking rules together?"

Collei giggled, while Nahida stared at him for a little longer. Her eyes were knowing.

Fadhlan ignored her, choosing to focus his attention on his book.

Here was something to know about Fadhlan: he was never one to keep track of anniversaries. What was past was past: wasn't it better to apply the energy spent towards reminiscing towards achieving happiness in one's current life?

Thus, he probably wouldn't have noticed what day it was if it weren't for Kaveh, who did keep track of anniversaries and had been getting increasingly angsty those last couple of days as a result of it.

Judging from how urgently Kaveh wanted him out of the house, he probably planned some sort of surprise celebration he'd spring on Fadhlan. And then they'd probably eat baklava and some other sweet foods Kaveh would never let him have otherwise and it would all provide a good distraction from the other event that occurred less than a week later.

After all, nobody liked celebrating tragedies.

How ironic. If Kaveh knew the full truth of who he was, he wouldn't be celebrating this day either.

Oh this day a year ago, 17-year old Alhaitham was force fed a drug that turned him into a child. On that day, the Haravatat scholar Alhaitham stopped existing in this world, and 6-year old Fadhlan came into being. Less than a week after that, Alhaitham would be officially declared missing by the authorities, and no trace of him would ever be found.

What could this be called, but another tragedy?


It had been right after the conclusion of a case.

The case itself was not hard, and its details irrelevant. Alhaitham was no detective, but he did have a penchant for running into crime scenes, and after the first few times he found that it would just be faster and easier for everyone if he had just solved the case himself and went about his day.

But after Cyno arrested the guilty party, and Alhaitham himself was ready to go home, he saw something that piqued his interest: two figures running away.

They had been present when the murder happened. Though they were not the culprit, they had been completely apathetic to the sight of the decapitated body, only demanding to be allowed to leave.

To be fair, Alhaitham could relate to such a sentiment, but there was something about the look in their eyes that bothered him.

Alhaitham had dealt with plenty of murderers as a consequence of his bizarre luck with murders, but even then they stood out.

Not even the most cold blooded of killers would show such an utter disregard for life.

This was, by all accounts, not his problem. Not even Cyno could do anything within legal bounds of the law. "Acting suspicious," was not a crime that could be charged by Sumerian law, even if that didn't stop certain members of the Matra from stopping and frisking people.

Alhaitham should have just kept walking. His goal was to live the peaceful life his late grandmother had wished for him, and going out of his way to investigate suspicious people was not conducive to that life.

But his interest was piqued, and after that argument with Kaveh two weeks ago, Alhaitham was starting to realize just how much of his life was occupied by his former best friend.

Alhaitham could certainly use a distraction from his own thoughts.

He ran after them, and told himself that peace of mind is also conducive to a peaceful life.


"I have the money you wanted."

"Show me."

Alhaitham was starting to realize that perhaps he was in over his head. There was a jingle of coins, and a pouch filled with mora was passed over.

"All six million," the voice sounded resentful.

"Well, I'll admit you're cooperative, at least," there's a photo being passed over. "Here, on account of your good behavior."

"Are you sure this is the only copy?"

"What? Do you not trust us? Then again, if it were me, I also would not want things such as this to be leaked. I'm sure the public would find things such as this…less than agreeable."

"Y-you! If the things I've done is even half as bad as the crimes your organization committed-"

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by rustling behind Alhaitham.

A voice hissed in his ear, "Enjoying the show?"

Alhaitham whirled around, startled.

Come to think of it, weren't there two people who came this way-

That was when the blue haired man clubbed him over the head with a pipe.

His world went black.

"...You'll do well to sniff out the rats before you conduct business that might be…unsavory to the general public," Alhaitham heard as he faded in and out of consciousness. His head swam painfully.

"I…I didn't notice him."

"No matter. Our business is concluded. As for him…" He felt himself being dragged up by the hair. "Well, it's his own fault for being too nosy for his own good."

He should get up. He should fight. Run away. Do something.

He heard the bolt of a crossbow being loaded.

He couldn't move. He couldn't move. He couldn't move…

"Wait," the blue haired man's voice was sharp. "Crossbow bolts could be traceable. We can't leave any evidence pointing to our involvement."

"So you mean…"

"Don't you remember the latest batch of drugs that were released?" There was a ruffling of clothes as the man took something out of his pocket.

"...You mean…"

"It's time this drug had a more…human test subject, don't you think?"

A hand slipped a small pill into his mouth. Alhaitham tried to spit it out, but he couldn't make his tongue work either.

All that combat training, all that sparring with Kaveh, and he couldn't lift an arm to save his own life.

Kaveh…

Water was being tipped into his mouth. A hand clamped his mouth shut.

Kaveh would have noticed something was wrong. He would have come running to save him.

Someone pinched his nose shut until he swallowed.

No…Kaveh would never have let him get into this situation in the first place.

"Goodbye, detective. A shame that someone of your intelligence had to end like this."

His world exploded in pain.