In a city far from Soutriver - around 1 hour by car - lives Richard "Drake" Heion. Drake is sleeping, even though his clock shows it is way past noon. His bedroom is very organized, and so is the rest of his very small apartment. He likes to keep things nice and tidy, something people wouldn't expect from someone like him. His apartment is very silent, until someone starts banging at his door. Drake grumbles a bit, puts the pillow over his head and closes his eyes back.

"Boss! Boss!" yells someone while still knocking

"Ugh… Fuck off" says Drake

"Please! It's important!" says another voice in the other side of the door

Drake grumbles again, but he decides to get up and open the door. It's his friends, Ferdinand and William. William has light skin, blond bowl hair, a short goatee and wears big rectangular glasses. He carries a side bag full of pins from games and anime. He is the smallest of all three. Ferdinand has slightly curly hair and his skin a bit darker than Willian's. His hair is a bit orange, and he wears a shirt that is way bigger than his size. He's usually smiling when he is just standing around. Like Drake, they are around 19-20 years old.

"It's fucking Saturday, can't I rest on weekends anymore?"

"B-but you are usually awake at this time! We were waiting for you, but we got worried that something might have happened to you!" stammers Ferdinand, shrinking behind William

"Whatever" says Drake, rolling his eyes. "Lemme get changed first"

He closes his door at his friends' face, changes his pajamas to his normal daily clothes and opens the door again.

"What is so urgent that requires my attention that bad?"

Ferdinand and Willian rush inside. William takes his laptop out of his bag and plugs it to Drake's TV, while Ferdinand just sits on the sofa. Drake crosses his arms and taps his foot. After finishing setting up, he clicks 'play' to a livestream.

"Is that it? That fucking Diamlock Tech presentation? Why the hell would I care about that?" asks Drake

"This is not exactly it" says William "This-"

"A press conference with police and everything? What did they do?"

"It seems it's about that girl from Diamlock that you met at the café yesterday"

At that moment, Gabriel Smith goes up the platform and stands behind the mics. He has a brooch with the logo of Diamlock Tech on his suit. He is a tall, dark-blond haired guy in his late 30s. People describe him as a cheerful and charismatic leader, and most of his workers, including Komet, adores working for him. Even though he is the CEO, he is as close as possible to all his employees. Now, Gabriel looks saddened and worried, but he keeps his composure for the press conference. Gabriel starts with the formal greeting, and it doesn't take long for him to talk about the main subject.

"I know you were looking forward to hearing about our long-awaited project today. But it hurts me to inform you that the lead of that project, Tayna Bambadi, was a victim of a brutal crime and is currently missing" says Gabriel, while visibly clenching his fists.

A lot of chattering starts, and it doesn't take long for the press to start asking questions

"Missing? B-brutal crime?" says Ferdinand

"So the rumors were true after all" says William while concerned

"But that happened overnight! How come there were rumors already?"

"Someone heard banging and muffled screaming where she lives, so the police were called. It seems they found blood around, but no signs of her. You know, people are quick to spread something like that on the internet"

Drake's eyes widen after hearing that, but he stays silent and gets his phone. He turns himself away from his friends, so that they can't see his phone screen.

At the conference, reporters ask questions like whether she was involved with crimes, if there have been security breaches on Diamlock Tech and other topics like that. Gabriel answers all the questions.

"He does look younger than his current age and sounds very sympathetic. I guess that helps him look likable! I always think of CEOs as arrogant corporate guys that don't know much about their businesses, but he seems to know what he's talking about" says Ferdinand

"Of course he does! He was a hacker himself before founding his company, after all" says William

He opens his eyes wide in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, and that's not all. He is also very welcoming to hackers that decided to leave the 'danger zone' to join his company. Of course, I've heard rumors that you need to go through some kind of trial for that, and depending on what kind of person you are, that can get you to jail instead"

"Did you hear that, boss? You do have some hacking skills, don't you? You could try to join that company and make more money! You could get a better apartment, get your own car…"

Drake rolls his eyes and keeps using his phone. They could almost hear Drake growling at them

"Mr. Smith, how much do you think this is going to affect you on the debate tomorrow?" asks one of the reporters

"Unfortunately I am not taking part of the debate tomorrow"

A lot of people gasp in surprise and shock.

"That should not worry you all, since there's yet another debate before the referendum." he continues. "But I need to skip this one. My priority is to help find Tayna Bambadi and the criminal that committed this cruelty to her. Besides, I am very well aware that the opposition will use this incident to attack my arguments with fallacies like the appeal to emotions, and my mind is not ready for that. I will just watch the debate, follow the investigation, and after that, you will have my participation next time"

"Did you hear that?" says Ferdinand, also shocked

"You gotta admit it, his passion for not only his company, but also for his employees, is admirable" says William

"Yeah! He really cares about them! But still, he is going to sit this one out? That will be a big problem for Team Privacy! He was supposed to be our savior! I don't want to believe that people are really considering handing over their privacy like that! I don't feel safe knowing that someone knows everything I am doing! Aaaaaaaaaah-"

"Calm down! It's not over yet, you know?" Willian turns to Drake. "So, you also agree on that, right, boss? About Diamlock Tech's CEO passion, I mean"

Drake looks at them seriously. "He can be burned alive for all I care"

"Boss…? That's not normal of you"

"What is not normal of me?" yells Drake

Ferdinand hides behind the pillow, while William just corrects his glasses on his face and continues. "You are very quiet and ignore everything around you, while being aggressive when we interact with you. This is not how you normally act, even when it's related to something you don't appreciate"

Drake raised one eyebrow. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Boss… You are hiding something from us, aren't you…? Don't tell us you are…"

Drake clenches his fists and glares at William. "Say that loud enough for you to hear yourself"

William flinches and hesitates.

"This is what I thought" says Drake, while turning back to his phone

Ferdinand stands up. "B-boss, you could at least unconfirm that you-"

"Are you calling me a murderer? Is that right?"

William looked at him in shock. "But no one said that she was dead! Unless…"

"Unless I am the one that committed the crime? Yeah, no. Just look at this picture". Drake shows them the picture of Komet's room.

"What is this…?"

"It's something you won't see on TV anytime soon: the very pictures of the crime scene. Just go deep enough in the internet and you will find some stuff that people already leaked"

The two boys see the walls and the floor full of blood, with some splashes that could be knife strikes.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't like her and stuff, but even for a piece of shit like her, I wouldn't wish…" Drake inhales and then exhales. "Whatever happened to that bitch. she is probably…" Drake shakes his head and walks towards the bathroom. "Just give me a break, okay? I need to put some order in my head". Then Drake locks the door after entering the bathroom.

He sits on the toilet and puts his hands on his face. He is not sure of what he is feeling. Is it pleasure or anger? Relief or disappointment? All he knows is that his emotions are annoying him a lot. "Why did you even need to exist in the first place, Tayna?" He then tries to calm him down by ignoring his feelings and thoughts by listening to his friends' conversation.

"Richie never told us why he dislikes that girl so much…" says Ferdinand

"You can always try asking him that again" says William

"Ahm…" Ferdinand just shakes his head. "Do you think The Dragons will get themselves involved in that?"

"Of course you would eventually mention them. They usually do that depending on the motivation for the crime and if the victim is an 'innocent prey' or a hacker. Tayna Bambadi works for a renowned company, so she is not 'innocent prey', and she is not hacker either, so no"

"But what if - hear me out - the crime was committed by another cybersecurity company?"

Drake sighs in relief. The conversation keeps going on.

"Maaaan, I miss The Dragons in full power… With Hydra and Wyvern gone, 'justice by hackers' is not the same anymore… They are kinda more passive now" Ferdinand shakes his head, looking disappointed

"I don't need to explain why, right?" asks William

"I know, I know, heavy persecution after Hydra's arrest and execution. Still, I wish we could at least get details of what happened to Wyvern… All we know is that he is gone forever too…"

William shrugs

"Don't get me wrong! I still love The Dragons! I'm a fan of Drake, but those were huge losses… Seeing Hydra for the first time under those conditions was very painful… I didn't expect him to be so hot…"

William is taken aback, and rubs his ears. "I don't think I heard that right"

"N-no! I mean, yes, you did! No, I wasn't part of the fanclub that tried to guess their appearances, if this is what you are thinking! Although…" Ferdinand lowers his voice "...I wouldn't mind if all three of them were indeed six-packed…"

William just stares at him in silence

"A-anyway! We never asked Richie that, but do you think he is a big fan of The Dragons too? He does wear a necklace with their symbol all the time after all"

Drake looks at his necklace and sighs. He stares at the dragon-shaped pendant for some time, lost in thoughts. After some time, he leaves the bathroom and spends some more time with his friends. Then, everyone goes home.

Days pass. The debate also passes, with no positive results for Team Privacy. Almost two weeks from the press conference pass, and Drake hears knocking at his door. He slowly gets up, and before he gets to the door, the person on the other side says "Richard Heion, it's the police. We would like to ask you some questions"

"The police?" thinks Drake. "What do they want?" He doesn't answer the door and remains quiet.

"We know you are there"

He grits his teeth and remains quiet. He messages his friends about his situation using safe methods and waits until the police are gone. In the message, he asks his friends to carefully come to check for him if the police really left. After about 30 minutes, he hears knocking at his door again.

"Boss! Don't worry, it's all clear!"

Drake opens the door. "Hi Ferdy. Where is Will?"

Ferdinand looks surprised. "What happened? You look so worn out!"

Drake just looks at Ferdinand in silence

"Ahm… Will is at his house. He told me to take you with me there, to talk about something" answers Ferdinand

"Sure"

Ferdinand stares at Drake, worried.

"Did you lose something in my face…?" asks Drake

"A-ah, no! I-I just… It's nothing, really!" Ferdinand lets out a forced laugh, "A-anyway, get in the car, we are going to Will's house!"

Drake takes a ride in Ferdinand's car. After one hour, they arrive at William's house. His parents' house actually. A house that is so big and nice that they could tell how wealthy William's parents are.

"Oh, you two finally arrived! Come in, my parents are on a long vacation, so don't worry about that" says William

"Hey Will, let's go straight to the point. What you want to say has something to do with the police at my door, doesn't it? You better not say that you are responsible for that" growls Drake

"Woah, calm down, will you? I am following the investigation - indirectly, of course - and the thing is really weird." William looks at Ferdinand and then looks back to Drake. "Look, I know that took too long, but sorry for that accusation that day, it was just the shock of the moment. You are still acting all weird, yes, but we believe you have nothing to do with the crime"

"That's more about it. Now, the next part"

"The police is after you because you were the last person that saw Tayna Bambadi"

"Tch, I figured"

"Adding to the problem, people witnessed whatever trouble happened between you two. It seems it was a big commotion. I am honestly… Not surprised, coming from you. Sorry boss, but you are pretty screwed, unless you go to the police first and prove your innocence"

"I am innocent, but I ain't helping the police"

"W-why not? What if you are arrested for that? Even worse, what if you are accused of committing whatever happened to her?" asks Ferdinand

"I don't know if you two remember, but I am no fucking saint, and as soon as the police realize that, I will be fucked. Mind you, the police and hackers like me are mortal enemies"

"Would you rather be a fugitive?"

"Yes. Also, weren't you saying the other day that you believe that hacker Hydra was framed?"

William sighed. "We sure did, and this is why I would rather see you pro-"

"Don't worry, boss! I got your back!" says Ferdinand

"Ferdy? No! We shouldn't encourage that! What if…" William checks his phone and then he gaps

"What is it?" asks Ferdinand

"They… The investigation team found part of the body of Tayna Bambadi… An arm to be exact. It was found in a forest." He sighs. "I guess the boss was right… At this point we can safely say that she is…"

Drake chokes with his own saliva. "They found… A part of her body? Goddammit…" Then he starts to feel nauseous and shakes his head. He imagines himself being persecuted by the police and starts feeling nervous. "Am I going to be the next scapegoat…? I don't want to end like Hydra. I can't. The Dragons can't die like that!" he thinks. Then he looks at his friends.

"I will vanish from this area"

Both look at him in flabbergasted

William scowls. "Boss, we are talking about a homicide! You can't-"

"I am hacker Drake from The Dragons, the last of the Big Three"

"Hacker Drake?" says both in big surprise

"THE Drake from The Dragon?" asks William

Drake walks towards the door without answering this question. "I will skedaddle. You two better stay well, or you will make your boss very angry"

"Wait!" shouted William "Drake! Erm, boss! You are not alone!"

Drake turns around

"I don't care how dangerous it is" continued Wlliam. "My parents will still be away for some weeks, so I ask you to stay here for the time being! Move your stuff here and I will guarantee your safety! But please, don't just carelessly disappear!"

"I can help you with moving! I-If you really are Drake, I want to say that I am your big fan!" says Ferdinand

"Quit with all this celebrity treatment, I am still 'just' your friend". Drake rolls his eyes and leans on the corner. "Are you guys going to believe me just like that?"

"I mean, it does make sense when you tell us that" says William, while fixing his glasses back on his face

"Whatever… Just don't get too involved in my problems, and don't go around saying you know hacker Drake!"

"Of course not!" says both

Drake stares at his dragon pendant again

"So, do you two really believe I am not the criminal?"

"I do. We have known you for some years now, and you are always a great friend and boss to us. I don't see you doing something like that or lying to us to use us" says William

"You did so much for us, boss! Also, being or not being Drake doesn't matter, you will get our help!" Ferdinand touches his finger with each other "I… Just have one question. Why do you hate Tayna Bambadi so much…?"

"It's personal, it's none of your business" answers Drake. He looks at the online newspaper. One of the articles shows his face as one of the main suspects, while mentioning the fact that he is already a known troublemaker. He sighs and looks at his friends. "Thanks for the help"

"So, you really came, huh? I will admit, you have nerves to attack that part of the system and come here for an interview after that"

"Wait, I wasn't informed that the CEO himself would be interviewing me!"

"Don't feel intimidated. You are a very skilled hacker, so it's just natural that I, an ex-hacker, am the one doing the interview. After all, we both know that you could be a black hat trying to spy on Diamlock Tech, right?"

"..."

"You also know that if you join us, you need to abandon your independent hacking life and your handle. Otherwise, the jail awaits you"

"I'm aware"

"My apologies. I didn't mean to threaten you, it's just for safety purposes. So, what's your name? It's very important for us to inspect your life and your-"

"I will go straight to the point. I will tell you and prove you who I am online, under one condition"

"Oh…?"

[...]

"That sounds interesting. I am getting more impressed with your courage, I'm sure this is not gonna be disappointing"

"My name is-"

Komet wakes up breathing hard. "Why did I have that dream…? Wait-!"

She puts her hands on her body, trying to feel if there are injuries. She looks around, and realizes she is somewhere else. The place is very silent. The walls are pitch black, and golden holographic glyphs that she never saw in her life before slowly move through the wall. Occasionally green and blue lines run on the floor.

"Where is this place?"

She tries to get up, but she immediately falls. She looks at her weak legs to check if there's any injury, just to notice that she is wearing some different accessories and shoes, clothing she never had in her life.

"What…? Am I still dreaming…? Or maybe a nightmare…?"

When she touches her forehead, she feels something on her head. Something that feels like a pair of horns. She looks at her hands and sees small claws for her nails. Before she even has time to start panicking, she hears yelling in the distance.

"Koooooooooooomet!"

As she looks at the direction of the yelling, she notices that two little creatures bounce in her direction. One of them is a spiky orange ball with a small flame coming out of its head. The other is a purple creature shaped like a drop. Before she could react, both creatures jump on her lap and immediately cuddle her.

"Komet! You finally woke up! I am so glad you are alive!" says the purple creature, almost in tears

"We thought we failed. I am glad we were proved wrong!" says the orange one, with a smile on his face

Komet looks at them scared and in clear confusion. "W-who and what on Earth are you two?"

The purple creature looked at her worried. "It's us, your assistants from the Solar System and part of Team Twilight! You didn't forget us, did you…?"

"Wait! These voices…!" says Komet astonished. "Lua? Sonne?"