The Starchaser

by FireMonkeyDragon

One moment he was fighting an alien invasion, the next he found himself stranded more than a decade in the past. With no way back but forward, Adam takes this opportunity and sets his eyes on changing history for the better. With the universe as his stage and the stars as his audience.

11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - First Snow In Autumn IX

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[ WARNING: Chapters 10 + 11 were uploaded at the same time ( Kinda… not really… Ok well, technically I did sneakily update Chp10 out of boredom earlier but idk how many people saw that cuz idk how the update notification works in that regard so…it counts…right? ) ]

[ Previously, the Chp10 slot was occupied by the Kiana Special but has since been updated to the proper chapter. The Special ( OVA? ) is still there, just at the bottom of Chp10. So if you're reading/following STARCHASER as it updates, then please go back and read Chp10 before starting Chp11. ]

[ You can ignore this if Chp12+ already exists. ]

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Warm rays peeked through the gaps of soft violet curtains, introducing the room to the golden morning glow.

In the corner of the room, Miyuki stirred within the cozy covers on her bed. Poking her head out of the bundled duvet, she reached for her phone, charging on the bedside table. She blinked the sleep from her rose-colored eyes as she checked the time. A quiet grumble and yawn escaped her lips before she reluctantly crawled out of the comfort of her bed, akin to a butterfly slowly emerging from a cocoon.

Her long, dark-pink hair fell messily down her back, and the faint smell of last night's shampoo still clung to the strands.

'Should I cut it shorter?' the girl wondered, looking at her reflection in the mirror while playing with split ends.

A second later, she shrugged off the random suggestion she gave herself and went on with her weekend morning routine.

A quick, cold shower to awaken her senses, then fifteen minutes to fix her appearance, straighten her hair, and apply some skin care products, followed by changing into the uniform of the café she worked at—a short-sleeved, light-gray blouse with a thin, black necktie and mid-length skirt of the same color.

Miyuki snatched the phone from her bedside table and slipped it into her bag before pacing out the door. The moment she swung the door open, Sora jumped out from around the corner in an attempt to scare her. The sisters shared a quick giggle at the younger sibling's mischief before they headed downstairs to grab some convenience store bread on the kitchen counter that the older sibling had bought the previous night and rushed out the door.

After dropping Sora off at her friend's house, Miyuki headed for the nearest bus station, narrowly avoiding the morning crowds, and before she knew it, skyscrapers and other modern buildings flashed by as she journeyed into the heart of the metropolis.

The whirlwind of various bustling city scents and sounds instantly rushed to her senses when she stepped off the bus, but much like every other Nagazora resident, she had gotten used to it.

It was a short walk from the station to the café that felt even shorter with the help of the music from her earphones. Miyuki knew the songs in her playlist like the back of her hand, from the lyrics to the beat and when the songs were coming to an end. That was the part she looked forward to the least as it meant she was almost at the café's front doors.

Miyuki didn't dislike her job and would be lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy it. The smell of freshly ground coffee and baked cakes was enough of a dopamine rush for her to smile and be refreshed. But she disliked the fact that she was forced into this position due to the questionable decisions her parents had made, leaving her and her sister to fend for themselves in this merciless world. Like most students her age, Miyuki had always desired independence and money she could call hers, but one came much earlier than it should have while the other was practically non-existent thanks to the debt that was abruptly dropped on her shoulders like a giant anvil.

"I'm here," she announced, and the bell attached to the door jingled as if welcoming her.

"Ah, Asakura-san, good to see you,"

"Good morning, Miyuki~,"

Her coworkers greeted her warmly, looking up from their tasks of cleaning cups and wiping tables, respectively.

The one making all the cutlery and delicate dishware shiny and presentable was a tall, muscular man with dark-brown, combed-over hair and a stylish mustache. The seams and buttons of his gray uniform were barely holding on, crying out for help, but unfortunately, they would forever go unheard. This man's name was Asahi.

Cleaning the tables and arranging the chairs was Asuna, a young, peppy brunette with a cute bob cut, a university student, and also Asahi's younger sister.

"Good morning, everyone," Miyuki returned their greetings and headed to the staff room to put away her bag and put on her barista's apron.

Afterward, the dark-pink-haired girl automatically went to look at the day's schedule hanging beside the entrance of the staff room when Asuna entered, prancing to her side.

"Mi~Yu~Ki~," she chirped.

The girl in question turned to face the brunette, "Yes, Asuna-senpai?"

Asuna chuckled before telling her, "So, my brother and I were discussing this yesterday, and seeing as you've been working here for a while, we've decided to give you a special mission,"

"What is it?" Miyuki cocked her head to the side.

"There'll be a new employee coming in today, and we need someone to show her the ropes," Asuna revealed, "You've been here for a few months now, so we thought it's about time you get an apprentice,"

Miyuki's eyes widened, and she pointed to herself, stuttering, "M-Me? But there are more experienced employees here,"

"That might be so, but the schedule between you and the newcomer is practically identical. We thought it would be easier for everyone this way,"

"Well, I guess if you put it that way…," Miyuki hummed, pondering the idea before she looked her coworker in the eyes and nodded. "I'll do it,"

Asuna delightedly clapped her hands and engulfed Miyuki in a brisk hug, "That's the spirit! I knew I could count on you,"

"It's not really a problem," the dark-pink-haired girl replied, averting her eyes as her cheeks mildly flushed, adding, "I've always wondered what it would be like to mentor someone anyway,"

"Then you should go out front and meet your new apprentice," said Asuna, "She just arrived,"

"Already?"

Asuna nodded as she gently pushed Miyuki out of the staff room, "Mhm, it's better to start before the customers come pouring in, too. Makes things a little more professional,"

The two girls stepped out from the back of the cafe. Miyuki scanned the café until her rose-colored eyes landed on Asahi, cheerfully chatting with an equally energetic girl already dressed in the café's uniform, sitting at the counter with snow-colored hair styled in long twin braids.

Upon hearing the staff door shut, Asahi looked at them and waved, beckoning them, "There you are. Come, meet the newest member of the family,"

The new girl slid off the barstool, a confident smile on her lips as Miyuki and Asuna came up to them.

"You must be Asakura Miyuki," said the girl, "The boss has been telling me a lot about you,"

"Good things, I hope," Miyuki responded, casting a quick side glance at Asahi, who simply chortled.

"Yep," the snow-haired girl confirmed before doing a quick greeting bow. When she came up, a large grin was present on her face.

"I'm Kiana Kaslana, and I promise to work really hard and make you proud, Miyuki-senpai,"

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'I wonder how she's doing,' Adam thought, absentmindedly staring at his notebook and tapping a pen against his chin. A skeptical expression spread across his face as another thought strayed into his mind, 'There's no way she would've messed up already, right? Nah, she knows she needs the money to hold up her end of the contract and buy stuff for herself, so she might actually focus for once…,' The boy's lips twitched with amusement, 'Pfft, it'd be funny though,'

"Adam, do you have the social studies notes from last Tuesday? I think I might've accidentally left them at home,"

"Huh? What?" The black-haired boy snapped out of his trance and looked over at Mei, sitting on the other side of the table with textbooks, notebooks, folders, and all manner of other loose papers sprawled out between them.

"Are you zoning out again?" asked Mei, "I know we're both tired, but midterms are in three days, so let's just clench our teeth and hold out a little longer,"

"I wasn't zoning out; I was just…thinking," replied Adam as he pulled himself closer to the table.

"Mhm, then the notes?"

"Right, yeah," Adam rummaged through the messy stack of study material, speedily flipping through books and skimming through paper stacks, "It's in here somewhere…probably…I think,"

"Well, don't think too much. It doesn't look like it's healthy for you," Mei remarked as she returned to reviewing her material.

Adam snapped his attention away from the messy paper pile to stare at the heiress with a look of disbelief and a hint of pride.

"When did you learn to be so snarky?"

A smirk played on Mei's lips, though her eyes never left her notebook, "Ever since I started hanging around you,"

"Oh?" the black-haired teen leaned back in his seat, crossed his arms, and snickered, "Are you saying I'm a bad influence?"

Mei looked up from her work, and their eyes met, both exuding a cloud of playfulness. The purple-haired girl shrugged and got back to studying, "Your words, not mine,"

Adam blinked, unsure how to respond, and quietly slid the social studies notes across the table.

'Is this the start of her counterattack?' he asked himself, remembering all the times he had teased her in the past, and his amber eyes briefly glazed with alarm, 'I might've created a monster. I'll have to step up my game,'

It was a Sunday with the sun high in the center of the sky, preparing for its daily ritual descent. The school weeks had flown past, with every recent day dedicated to studying for the upcoming midterm exams. It was safe to say that nearly every student was feeling the pressure. From expectations from their parents, to wanting to get into a good university, or simply not wanting to be at the bottom of the academic leaderboard. The atmosphere in the hallways and within the classrooms had grown heavier as the day of the exams grew closer. The actual finals were still a few months away, but in the students' eyes, it was all the same.

Mei and Adam were no different, though one of them took it more seriously than the other, especially with her and her family's reputation on the line, which was why she had dragged her friend—who was also her contractual bodyguard—to an empty meeting room on the thirty-fifth floor of the Massive Electric Tower for an intensive study session.

Adam rubbed the fatigue from his face and begrudgingly grabbed a random textbook from the pile, opening it up to a random page. He glanced at Mei, who looked as focused and energized as ever, flying through their shared study material like nobody's business. There wasn't even a cup of coffee or tea on her side of the table to keep her concentration intact, contrary to the empty cups of what was once milk tea bunched together like bowling pins on his side.

Sure, both of them had somewhat pre-planned the day's schedule, and the black-haired teen had started the session full of vigor, but the day just dragged on and on and on. Every minute felt like an hour, and if it weren't for the sunlight beaming through obligatory skyscraper window panels, showcasing the bustling city around them, Adam would swear he had been trapped in that room for days.

While he wasn't a prodigy at studying, he wasn't terrible at it. When it came to academics, he got by relatively smoothly when he attended the Prep Academy and .

It was thanks to his very first mentor, Fu Hua, who, among other things, instilled in him the value of a balanced lifestyle from a young age.

'Work hard, study well, and eat and sleep plenty,' thought Adam, remembering his master's words.

The martial artist was strict when it came to teaching him, but she also often reminded him of the importance of taking breaks.

A concept the young Raiden Mei had no knowledge of or blatantly ignored. The way she was able to continuously go through book after book, page after page, without breaking a sweat was almost robotic.

The room returned to contemplative silence, with the only audible sounds being the constant scratching of pen on paper and the back-and-forth flipping of pages.

With his head resting on the table, Adam blew a strand of stray hair away from his eyes before peering at the purple-haired girl, 'How does she do it? My brain is already at its limit; I'm gonna need a distraction. Any more of this, and I think I'm gonna go psychotic,'

"So," he began, hoping that some small talk would rejuvenate his mind, "Why exactly are we in your dad's building and not at a library or something?"

"I don't recall that question being in the revision material," Mei replied while continuously jotting down notes.

"Would it kill you to amuse me for a bit? We've been at this for eight hours. That's, like, an entire school day, and we haven't even taken a lunch break yet,"

"Because Adam, one day, the leadership of the company will be passed to me, and I need to get familiar with the environment and also for all the employees to get familiar with my presence here as well," the heiress raised her head and gestured to the cluster of empty plastic cups beside him, "And, don't those count as lunch?"

Adam side-eyed the cups and grimaced, "Absolutely not. Since when does restoring hydration count as eating?"

Mei exhaled slowly while unconsciously spinning her pen, wrinkling her brows as she came across a tricky question in a textbook, "I'm trying to focus here, Adam. I'll answer all of your questions later,"

"Mei. It's been eight hours," the black-haired boy repeated with exasperation, "I haven't even seen you go for a water break or to the toilet or anything. Look, I know you take every exam seriously; it's for the sake of your family and future. I get it. But if you keep grinding like this, your brain is gonna melt on the day, and all this studying will be for nothing,"

"I'll be fine; I've managed before," Mei reassured him.

"Didn't you faint at the festival because of overworking?"

"I didn't faint. I…hallucinated,"

"Right, and neither of them is better than the other,"

The purple-haired girl lifted her gaze, meeting Adam's. She pursed her lips when she saw the genuine apprehension in his amber eyes. It was as if they had formed an arrow laced with guilt and shot it into her chest. Mei tore her gaze away, but the sudden change in direction summoned a torrent of dizziness whirling through her head, accompanied by a cluster of blurry stars that only she could see.

An uncomfortable expression settled on Mei's delicate features as she sank into her seat with a quiet groan and rubbed her face, occasionally pausing to rapidly blink the stars away.

"Are you okay?" Adam asked, jolting upright, ready to help in any way he could, "Stay here; I'll go get some water for you,"

He hurried to the door and was about to leave the room but stopped when the heiress called out.

"Wait!"

Adam turned around, "Yes?"

Mei took a deep breath and slowly pushed herself away from the desk. She could feel the tingling sensation of her nerves being awakened and blood rushing back to her legs as she wobbled to her feet.

"I can get it myself. You're right, though. I think I've remained static for too long. I need to stretch my legs,"

"You sure you don't need me to tag along? Just in case?"

The heiress gratefully shook her head as she strolled past him, patting his shoulder as she went, "Thank you for offering, but no, it's okay; I'll be back in a bit,"

"Well, if that's your choice," Adam murmured, settling back into his seat and watching his friend disappear behind the automatic door.

Mei's footsteps echoed through the floor's hallways. Occasionally, she would pass a few company employees and politely exchange brief greetings before continuing to the nearest break room.

The room was notably spacious and had the futuristic aesthetics one would expect from such a high-end tech company—a style incorporated into every nook and cranny of the Massive Electric Tower.

In the center of the room was a set of artistic, curved leather couches and a smooth, round, white coffee table. To the sides, against the walls, in contrast to the circular forms of the central furniture, were the types of tables only seen in science fiction films with their sharp, prism-like design and sensor lights underneath.

Layed out on top were various refreshments neatly sorted and stacked by color, and beside the futuristic table was a hi-tech fridge model and other appliances that had yet to be released to the public.

Amongst the black, white, and gray palette, there was a refreshing splash of greenery in the form of potted ferns and bonsai trees meticulously positioned throughout the break room.

The sound of water trickling into a plastic cup and the soft humming of the air conditioner permeated the room. As Mei was the only person there, the ambient noises were all the more resounding to her as she inattentively observed the outside world through the glass walls, slowly sipping her water.

From this height, Nagazora was nothing more than a dense forest of cement and steel. The vehicles and people below seemed more like ants shifting back and forth continuously on their programmed paths. The midday sunlight poured directly over the city, casting irregular shadows from one angle and causing windows to glimmer like a crystal cave from another.

Up in the tower, the expansive city was quiet, contrary to its energetic appearance.

While such silence would typically bring a sense of eerieness, Mei had to admit there was a sort of tranquility and comfort to it that she couldn't express with words. It was a fleeting sensation that would undoubtedly dissipate the moment she moved a muscle and disrupted the peace.

She stood still and watched, the same way a princess would look over the kingdom she was destined to rule, hypnotized by the panoramic views of a sunbathed Nagazora.

To her, in this moment, time had returned to being a mere social construct designed by humans to understand the fundamental rules of existence.

The world around her had decelerated until everything came to a stop.

The birds in the air became petrified, to the point that not even the wind could ruffle their feathers.

The cars and people had also gone static; no sound escaped the vehicles, and not even the tiniest human muscles would twitch.

Even the clouds peacefully hovering in the air and the specks of dust floating around Mei had frozen in place.

The purple-haired girl blinked and raised the cup to her mouth.

Yet the haunting silence remained.

Without warning, her stomach dropped, and an unseen bolt of horror pierced through her chest.

Mei's eyes went wide, and in her panic, the cup slipped through her fingers, instantly freezing in the air, as did the water spilling from inside.

The girl gasped upon seeing the otherworldly phenomenon, but the dread in her spine skyrocketed when she realized that no sound had escaped her mouth.

Blood pounded in her ears. Her heart thundered in her chest. Sweat seeped profusely through her body. Her hands twitched uncontrollably, her vision blurred repeatedly, and an insatiable tingling sensation spread through her body, infecting every nerve.

Every fiber of her being desired to move, but she couldn't. Her brain screamed orders to her legs to do something, anything, but none of her limbs would respond. As far as Mei knew, she was stranded in place.

Then she felt it, an overwhelming pressure radiating from all around her, sometimes strong and pulsating, other times soft and evasive. With every second, this pressure became more and more assertive, congesting the space and threatening to burst, to the point it felt as if the gravity of Earth had increased tenfold.

Suddenly, the sky was drenched in a sinister purple, summoning deep crimson clouds that obscured the sun and overflowed with crackling silver lightning.

The supernatural sights and experiences terrified Mei to the core. She wanted nothing more than to run, but the unknown force's paralyzing body ensured that escape was impossible. All she could do was stand and stare, mouth agape at the unnatural scenery, but as the seconds ticked on, she found herself growing more calm, accepting the transformed outside world for what it was.

There was something about the spectral tempest that attracted her.

Unconsciously, despite being immobilized a moment ago, the heiress partially broke out of her physical restriction and delicately placed her hand on the window.

Then the temperature plummeted.

A chill colder than midnight in winter crept up from behind.

All the air escaped Mei's lungs when the icy sensation of frigid fingertips brushed achingly slowly across her cheek, forcing the purple-haired heiress to feel each claw-like fingernail pressing into her flesh. Then, a ghostly giggle whispered incoherently in her ears.

She could see her in the reflection of the glass.

It was a girl no older than fifteen with long, disheveled pink hair that reached her waist. Two notably longer tresses framed her pale, delicate face tainted by splotches of deep-red blood. Her choppy bangs were a curtain for her eyes, but through the uneven strands, Mei could slightly see a pair of ominous, icy-blue eyes staring back at her lifelessly as the spectral figure draped herself over the heiress, loosely hugging her from behind.

The unknown girl continued tracing her fingers over Mei's features, traveling up her neck to her ears, then back down around her eyes to the nose, before circling her mouth and softly gliding a thumb slowly across Mei's supple lips to pull one side up into a crooked smile.

With her body still refusing her orders—even an action as simple and automatic as blinking—all the heiress could do was wait out the terrifying experience.

Finally, the pink-haired girl stopped, lowering her hands, and Mei released an internal breath of relief.

But that relief was short-lived.

Without warning, the phantom girl snatched her by the neck, gripping it so tightly that Mei swore she could feel fingers digging into her windpipe.

The next thing she knew, the phantom had repositioned herself in front of her. Mei felt her feet lift off the ground, and her limp body was raised into the air, dangling as if she were unconscious.

The heiress then had a clear view of her attacker, and a bolt of recognition coursed through her. Covered in nothing but bleeding wounds and unsecured, flowing bandages, it was the same haunting apparition that appeared before her on the morning of the school festival.

In her panic, Mei's amethyst eyes flicked around, desperately seeking a way out. At that moment, she briefly exchanged gazes with the spectral entity. Immediately, she noticed the apathy from before had been extinguished, replaced by swirling blue flames of unrelenting rage that could melt even the toughest metals.

As if responding to their brief bout of eye contact, the pink-haired girl reinforced her grip, constricting even more of Mei's airway and eliciting a meek cough from her.

"It's…you…,"

Despite her fearsome expression, the phantom's voice was soft and youthful, tinged with a hint of remorse. In the mind-breaking quiet of the room, her voice echoed, sounding as if she were whispering in her ear and broadcasting it from afar simultaneously.

"Why…did you…?"

Mei couldn't reply; even if she wanted to, she couldn't with the phantom's vice grip on her throat. The pink-haired apparition frowned, and the ferocity from before had been shed, replaced by only sorrow.

"...What did…I do…wrong?"

The phantom pulled Mei close until they were mere inches apart and stared deeply into her eyes.

"Please…answer…m-me…,"

Mei opened her mouth, and to her surprise, she was able to rasp a fragment of a sentence, "...I…don't know…who…please…let…go…,"

Anger returned to the phantom as it snarled, flashing its deadly fangs.

"Answer me!"

The phantom slammed the heiress into the floor, pressing down with its entire body, adding even more weight to the strangulation, and even began to utilize both hands.

"Answer me! Answer me! Answer me! Free me! Release me! Release me! Free me! Unseal me! Unseal me! Free me! Unseal me! Release me!"

If Mei was being honest, she hadn't expected her consciousness to last this long. The average time for someone to black out from a choke is approximately ten seconds, and while the purple-haired teenager hadn't been counting the time, she was certain more than a minute had passed. It wasn't like the apparition was gripping her neck gently either; even now, Mei could still feel fingers digging into her larynx mercilessly, akin to a predatory animal sinking its teeth into a prey's windpipe.

Something was keeping her from losing consciousness.

Countless possibilities from a higher power keeping her alive, to her being extremely lucky, zoomed through Mei's head until one notable possibility floated to the forefront.

This. Wasn't. Real

She recalled the last time she saw the bandaged, pink-haired girl was when she hallucinated the morning of the Chiba Festival, seemingly due to overworking herself and an unhealthy amount of sleepless nights.

If that time was a hallucination, then what made the present any different?

With all the clamorous commotion coming from the break room, Mei was sure that someone would've heard it and eventually rushed in to help, whether that be Adam, who went looking for her, or the other employees working on the floor.

There was also the bizarre, spontaneous weather change outside, and when time momentarily froze. As far as she knew, there was no possible way of those happening in reality; they were simply too outlandish phenomenons, ones that could only appear in fantasy and science fiction books.

Everything about this situation was suspicious, to say the least.

The newfound revelation sent a surge of energy through Mei, and her gaze sharpened, gleaming with determination.

Gritting her teeth, the purple-haired teen strained every muscle to move, wriggling her body and vibrating her limbs until she felt herself slowly break through the paralysis and regain control.

Her efforts soon paid off as she seized the phantom's wrists and—-with a short back and forth—yanked them away from her throat.

Mei instinctively gasped. Even if everything around her was a mirage, the air had never tasted sweeter.

The phantom released an animalistic hiss as it tried to overpower the heiress, but without missing a beat, Mei weaved a leg around and kicked the pink-haired apparition off of her.

The heiress instantly scrambled to her feet and created a sizeable gap between them. She cautiously watched the phantom as it seemed to twitch erratically and…glitch?

Bursts of static randomly emitted from the phantom's body. With each crackle, parts of its body dissipated and then rebuilt a second later.

It was then Mei saw them again, the pair of vulpine ears gradually rising from the phantom's head.

The same head that snapped inhumanely to one side, accompanied by a foxy grin and the sweet, melodic laughter of a cheerful schoolgirl reverberating with the synthetic echo expected from a loudspeaker.

A chill ran down Mei's spine, and she meekly gulped. Even so, she pushed through the rising fear and raised her arms, ready to defend herself.

The onslaught began with a lunge.

The phantom sped forward, bouncing from table to table until it launched itself to tackle Mei.

The heiress ducked and slipped to the side, feeling an irregular burst of wind brush past her head as she narrowly avoided the attack.

Unprepared for the purple-haired teenager to avoid its strike, the phantom continued on its trajectory and crashed into the furniture on the other side of the room.

Mei took the opportunity to back up, creating even more distance until she bumped into the counter by the wall. Her eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but her brief break was cut short when a table came flying her way.

A cry of alarm escaped her lips as she dove out of the way and rolled across the floor. When she stopped, Mei stayed on the ground in case any more objects were flung at her. She quickly peeked up to see the vulpine ghost charging at her, and despite its human body, it was running on all fours.

The fingers and toes on each limb had sharpened, morphing into rose-colored claws glowing with some sort of energy. Every time a hand or foot hit the ground, it generated the ear-piercing screech of metal scraping against metal. Mei even swore she could slightly see sparks flying from the claw tips as it sprinted at her.

But she had no time to take in the sight of the entity; she wasn't sure if one could die in this illusion, but there was no way she would take any chances. It was a perilous situation, and she needed to escape as fast as possible.

With adrenaline vigorously pumping through her veins, Mei pushed herself off the ground and grabbed the leg of a nearby chair, waiting for the opportune moment before slamming it into the phantom.

The pink-haired apparition shrieked as it flew to the side, sliding over a table before falling to the ground.

Dropping the chair, Mei took the chance to run for the door.

Unfortunately, the phantom recovered much faster than anticipated, and it caught up in a matter of seconds.

The heiress spotted the fox-like entity winding up an attack in the glass door's reflection and evaded just in time.

The phantom's claws tore through the glass like a hot knife through butter, leaving five long scars of molten glass trailing across the door, the surface still red-hot.

Mei let out a shaky breath upon seeing the damage. If she had reacted later by a single second…

She quickly shook those thoughts away. Letting her thoughts become muddled and having her emotions distract her was the last thing she wanted in such a deadly confrontation.

But it was apparent now more than ever that her chances of surviving would increase if she had some sort of weapon.

Mei scanned the room as she hurried to a safer corner.

While useful, a chair was more of an expendable item. Its range was short, and its weight distribution made it awkward and slow to swing unless it was a surprise attack. But it was definitely more ideal when used as a buffer to slow the phantom down.

The mugs and other loose objects along the counter were throwable but even less ideal than the chairs, especially against such an agile opponent. Mei didn't even know if the clutter could hurt the phantom if they made contact, and that was if they struck the nimble target at all.

There was no way she could fling a table like a frisbee, and the water dispenser was too clunky. She could try spilling the water on the ground to create a large puddle for the vulpine apparition to slip in, but that would just be a hazard to herself as well, and as far as she knew, something as simplistic as that only worked in cartoons for preschoolers.

Then she spotted it.

The only thing left in the room that had any semblance of usefulness was that.

Avoiding another set of strikes and slashes from the phantom and using the furniture as cover, Mei dashed to the other side of the room.

In one swift motion, she unhooked the fire extinguisher from its holder.

A shrill battle cry rang in her ears. Taking no chances, Mei whipped around and swung the fire extinguisher with her.

Its claws were only inches from Mei when the steel cylinder smashed into the spectral vulpine's face, sending it straight for the window.

The entire glass panel instantly erupted into a web of fractures with the pink-haired girl at its center before she slumped to the ground, seemingly unmoving.

Breathing heavily, Mei slowly stepped away. Her eyes remained locked on the fox-eared girl, and her grip remained glued to the fire extinguisher.

She didn't know whether to be more impressed by her own strength for smacking someone that fast and far or by the durability of the windows. For a moment, she was sure that the apparition would crash straight through and perhaps the illusion would end there, but alas, even in this 'world,' her father's building still retained its title of 'The most secure location in Nagazora.'

Her thoughts were cut short when the spectral fox girl rose to her feet and released a bone-chilling, low snarl that filled the room.

Vermillion flames burst from behind her. Three fiery tendrils violently lashed in every direction like a red cyclone of destruction, burning and damaging everything it touched before they simmered down, taking the more solid yet still wispy shape of tails.

The fox said nothing as she glared at Mei with a predatory gleam in her icy-blue eyes. Ditching her animalistic hunch, she straightened up while slowly raising her arm and pointed at Mei with a single slender claw.

A twisted grin stretched across the fox girl's lips, and her entire body shuddered as she chuckled fiendishly.

"You…Are…Mine,"

Mei braced herself, gripping the fire extinguisher tightly.

Suddenly, the fox vanished, reappearing behind her.

As soon as Mei sensed the imposing presence breathing down her neck, she whipped around and struck again.

Unfortunately for her, the fox girl caught it with ease.

A gasp escaped the heiress' lips, but she immediately shook the feeling away as she tried to tear her weapon from the opponent's hand. But the opportunity was lost when the vulpine apparition tightened its grip and punctured the steel cylinder with its claws, crushing it as the gaseous contents erupted.

A pale fog quickly consumed the surroundings.

Coughing, Mei leaped back, covering her mouth and nose as she peeked through half-lidded eyes.

All she could see was the ominous rose hue of the fox specter's smoky tails, wavering tauntingly slowly through the fog.

Before she could blink, the fox girl was upon her again.

Any surprised yelps were muffled when the pink-haired fox grabbed the heiress by the face before slamming her into the cold, hard ground and throwing her across the room.

A soundless, pained cry escaped Mei as she crashed into the wall with enough force to form a small crater and then bounce off.

Her body wasn't even given the chance to fall when the fox spirit rushed forth and delivered a devastating gut punch, pinning the purple-haired teenager against the wall.

Blood sprayed from Mei's mouth. Agony flooded every nerve as she felt the enemy's knuckles dig into her torso. Her spine threatened to shatter under the combined pressure of the wall and the fist.

Without wasting another second, the fox snatched her ankle and, with the momentum of a sharp twist, smashed her into the ground again as if she were nothing but a sandbag.

This time, the apparition released her grip, allowing Mei to bounce off the tiles before it stepped forward and raised a single leg into the air. Time seemed to slow as the spectral fox girl waited for the right moment—when Mei was descending—before she brought her leg down, unleashing a deadly axe kick.

An ear-shattering crash rang through the room, accompanied by an explosion of dust.

Silence took over the room as the dust dissipated, revealing a small crater with Mei lying limp in its center. Her dark purple messily splayed out beneath her. Warm, crimson liquid trickled from the edges of her lips, nose, and every other gash decorating her from head to toe. Her clothes were now blood-stained and torn as if she had rolled down a jagged hillside.

It felt like gravity had increased tenfold over her chest, and each trembling breath took more effort than it naturally should. All the pain was drained by the numbness coursing through her body.

For a so-called mental mirage, everything felt uncomfortably real.

Mei blinked slowly; her ears rang, and her eyelids grew heavier by the second. Would she wake up in the real world, or would she die here? The fear of not knowing the circumstances if she shut her eyes drove her to keep them open ever so slightly, even if everything was a blur.

The fox spirit loomed over her as she stared down at her. The pink, ephemeral tails seemed to settle as the vulpine girl stepped into the crater.

"How does…it feel?"

The girl asked, circling Mei slowly, each step soundless and akin to a glide.

"To be the one…bleeding…on the ground… Helpless…,"

The girl paused, her cold, blue eyes scrutinizing the heiress' wounded form before she raised her foot and stepped harshly on the largest laceration. Mei screamed in pure anguish as the fox girl's toes wriggled deeper and deeper into the injury.

"No one… to listen to you… No one…to feel sorry for you… No one…to save you…"

Mei's voice gradually faded; noticing this, the girl retracted her foot from the open gash. She continued on her path, leaving red footprints in her wake until she stopped after making a full circle. The pink-haired fox girl tilted her head, solemnly peering down at Mei.

From the silence, the fox girl had presumed that Mei had lost consciousness, but her eyes were miraculously half-open. However, the once lively, deep-purple irises were devoid of any light. She wasn't dead either; the girl's vulpine ears could pick up the faintest of breaths.

The fox girl reached down and grabbed a fistful of purple hair, dragging the teenager up until she was on her knees.

"What a…pitiful position… How sad… And to think that I…once trusted…you…

Dr. MEI,"

…

[ No ]

Before the fox spirit could even react, the heiress slapped her hand away with unexpected ease. The fox's eyes widened in shock. The purple-haired girl's voice was laced with a previously absent, dangerous tone. It echoed like the rumbling of faraway thunder and was sharp as a bolt of lightning.

Hidden behind a curtain of messy, dark-purple bangs, a pair of ominously glowing, scarlet eyes glared at the fox girl.

[ Not…Mei ]

'Mei' raised an arm. Electricity crackled to life and instantly engulfed the limb. Strands of lightning lashed around wildly, tearing through everything in their path and subsequently illuminating the entire area with incoherent flashes.

The fox girl jumped back. Her wisp-like tails flailed and expanded as if preparing to combat the rivaling electricity.

Then it happened: the electrical power building up nonstop detonated, releasing a shockwave so powerful that most of the tower exploded, and the resulting neon violet pulse was visible from all across the city.

A pale light engulfed the world.

The only thing that followed was the unmistakable sound of shattering glass.

…

…

…

"...e…i…!"

"...M...ei…!"

"Mei!"

The girl awoke with a jolt. Her wide eyes darted around, and her chest rapidly rose and fell with every breath. Sweat drenched her clothes and clumped her dark-purple hair.

"Mei! Are you okay?"

A familiar voice reached her ears, pulling her focus to the boy crouched before her, his hands tightly gripping her trembling shoulders.

"...Adam?" she whispered before realizing she was sitting against a wall, "W-Where? What?"

Her head whipped around to take in the surroundings, and her mouth parted from surprise.

She was still in the break room, but it was very different from the one she was in mere moments ago. Everything was back in its place as if nothing had ever happened—no overturned tables, thrown chairs, shattered windows, or craters and fractures scarring the walls and floor. Even the afternoon sun was warmly drifting through the windows, giving the room a cozy orange glow.

Her clothes were no longer battle-torn, and all the injuries she had sustained had vanished, although a lingering ache remained.

"W-W-Where is she?" Mei stuttered, scrambling to her feet only to be knocked off balance by a wave of nausea swarming through her head.

Luckily, the black-haired teen caught her just before she fell, "Hey, just take it slow for now,"

"I…I…," before the heiress could respond, she felt something rising quickly up her throat. Mei slapped a hand across her mouth and rushed to the sink.

Adam frowned in concern as an unpleasant noise, followed by the sound of running water and rough coughing, spread through the room.

The black-haired teen approached her side and gently rubbed circles on Mei's back.

The coughing soon became heaving breaths before simmering down to near-silence. From his position, Adam could see the blankness in Mei's eyes as she stared into nothingness.

"I don't know what happened, but if you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you," Adam said softly.

The room was quiet, with the exception of rhythmic droplets of water from the tap and the ticking of the clock.

Finally, stepping away from the sink and inhaling deeply, Mei spoke, "I think…I think I'm done studying for the day,"

Adam nodded and retracted his hand.

Despite appearing to have recovered from a few moments ago, the boy noticed a hint of fear persisting in his friend's expression and body language. But he made no comment on it.

Something happened, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious.

But if Mei wasn't ready or didn't want to reveal what had occurred in the ten minutes she had been gone, then Adam would stand by his decision not to ask questions.

For now, the best he could do was to keep her company until she felt better.

"I'll walk you home,"

"...Thank you,"

---

"I survived!"

Kiana threw her hands up triumphantly and cheered in front of the cafe, turning the heads of the confused pedestrians along the street.

"Congratulations on finishing your first day," said Miyuki, appearing behind her, "I know it wasn't easy, but you did well,"

"I didn't know being a waitress was this hard," Kiana slumped with a breath of relief, "There's so much to remember…you make this look easy, Miyuki-senpai,"

Miyuki gave the younger girl a reassuring grin, "Well, that's only because I've been doing this longer than you. Trust me, you did a lot better than me when I first started,"

"You mean it?"

"Of course. I'm actually pretty introverted, so interacting with so many strangers is genuinely difficult for me,"

"Sure doesn't look like it,"

The dark pink-haired girl giggled, "It's because I'm used to it now. I still freeze up when I talk to people outside of work, though,"

"Then…do you consider me a stranger, senpai?" Kiana asked, bashfully scratching her cheek and averting her eyes, "Because we're off the clock now, so I was just wondering—"

Kiana's mind was put at ease when Miyuki shook her head, "No,"

"Really?"

"Mhm. I mean, we know each other's names, we're co-workers, and we go to the same school, so I think we're a little beyond the stranger phase, don't you think?"

Kiana let the words sink in for a second before nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Well, I've got to go pick my sister up now," Miyuki said after checking the time on her phone. She shuffled her feet, preparing to depart, "So, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Oh! Then, can I come with you?" Kiana blurted.

Miyuki blinked.

A gust of wind blew between them as sparrows chirped to fill the growing awkward silence.

"I-I-I mean, if you don't want to, that's totally fine! I was just trying to find excuses not to go home just yet!" exclaimed the younger girl, flailing her hands around in a panic, "I totally get it if you want to go by yourself since she's your sister and everything, and family time is important, and we just met today, so technically despite what you just said I'm still a stranger, and stranger danger so, you know. Now I'm rambling; am I rambling?! Don't mind me; you can walk away any time; I'll shut up in a few minutes anyway, haha—"

"I don't mind," Miyuki told her, causing Kiana to freeze in place with a look of surprise.

"Wait, really?"

The older girl nodded, "You just said something about 'not wanting to go home yet,' didn't you? I'm not going to pry for details or anything, but if there's some issues within your family that you want to avoid for a while, then I'm more than happy to keep you company for a while,"

"Ah, well," Kiana rubbed the back of her head, trying to explain her living situation without revealing too much, "It's not exactly a family issue. I live with a roommate. They went out today, and they're probably not gonna be back until later tonight, and as annoying as they are, I kinda don't wanna be by myself in an empty apartment,"

"So you don't like being alone?" Miyuki deduced.

"Well…," Kiana looked away, and her cheeks lit up in embarrassment, "When you put it that way, I kinda sound like a child, don't I?"

Miyuki pondered momentarily before she shrugged, "I don't think it's something to be ashamed of. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. That's a normal human aspect, but it's also what makes everyone unique, right?"

"R-Right," Kiana nodded, still surprised that her school senior had agreed to her spontaneous request. If she was being honest, she was also starting to feel slightly guilty about it.

However, her feelings were evident through her face, which Miyuki noticed.

"You don't have to feel bad, you know. I'm a senpai now, so I'm obligated to look after my juniors," the dark-pink-haired girl said as she circled behind Kiana.

"But, that's exactly—" Kiana tried to retort but was cut short when Miyuki gently nudged her forward.

"Don't think about it too much. I'm choosing to do this anyway," said Miyuki, easing the younger girl's worries, "Now come on, let's start walking. My sister gets all fussy when I'm late. We can chat more on the way,"

True to their words, the two girls traveled across the city, getting to know each other better and talking about various subjects, switching between them every few minutes: school, habits, hobbies, and the latest TV shows. There wasn't a moment of silence between them throughout the entire trek until they finally reached their destination.

Miyuki spotted a familiar head of lavender hair crouched beside another child, playing with some beetles in front of one of the city's countless apartment buildings.

"Sora~!" Miyuki called.

The little girl spun around, and her face brightened upon seeing her sister.

"Onee-chan!" She greeted loudly.

After waving a quick goodbye to her friend, Sora charged full speed at her sister and leaped into her arms.

"Did you wait long?" asked Miyuki, patting her sister on the head.

"No, I only came down five minutes ago," Sora shook her head before taking notice of the white-haired girl standing beside them, watching them with a smile on her face, "Onee-chan, who's this?"

"Oh, right, I should introduce you,"

Miyuki gestured at Kiana, "Sora, this is Kiana Kaslana. She works at the same place I do, and we also go to the same school, but she's one year below me,"

"Mhm, mhm," Kiana nodded.

Sora stared at the twin-braided girl for a minute before looking back up at her sister, "Does that mean she's your friend?"

Miyuki blinked, momentarily taken aback by the child's question, and a snippet of memory from a few weeks ago made its way to the front of her mind.

"Hate is a strong word. Sora might not see you as much anymore. But more than annoyed; she's more worried about you,"

"Worried?"

"She asked me if you're doing well at school. If you have any friends? Or if you're getting bullied? But the thing I remember the most is that she said you look tired all the time,"

The dark-pink-haired girl glanced at Kiana, who was now looking at something on her phone, but from how the younger girl kept flicking her eyes up at them every two seconds, it was clear that she was curious about Miyuki's response as well.

Miyuki herself didn't know what to answer. While they might've unknowingly passed each other at school, they had only met today. They spent most of the day together working at a busy downtown cafe, walked across the city, and had some friendly chats here and there, but realistically, they were good acquaintances at best.

From what she had seen, Kiana was kind-hearted and genuine; there was no doubt about that, but perhaps more time was needed before the label of 'friend' could be applied without any doubt. Between school and work, they would see each other more in the foreseeable future anyway, so the chances of them growing closer were ensured, although at what rate still needed to be determined.

Though she didn't want to expect too much, Miyuki felt as if she and the white-haired girl got along rather well, and from the way Kiana behaved, she might have thought the same. Perhaps Kiana just wanted to make some friends; after all, she had moved to Nagazora from another country only recently, and the sensation of loneliness in a foreign place wasn't something someone should experience for an extended amount of time.

Miyuki knew that feeling first-hand when she moved up from Osaka when she was younger. If the isolation was already suffocating with a simple move between cities, then moving between countries must be even worse.

'I'm a senpai now, so I'm obligated to look after my juniors,' Her own words from earlier suddenly repeated in her head.

Perhaps it was because she related to Kaslana's feeling of being alone in a new place. Perhaps it was because Kiana was simply younger than her, and that alone caused her 'big sister' instincts to kick in. Perhaps both at the same time.

But a decision was made.

Miyuki looked back down at Sora and replied with a slight grin, "Yes, she's my friend,"

A surprised squeal escaped the eavesdropping Kiana's lips as she covered her mouth with her phone and whipped around, pretending as if she hadn't heard anything.

Sora looked over at the white-haired teenager again and hummed, "Mmm, I see,"

The little girl stepped over to Kiana–whose back was still turned–and tugged on her shirt.

Kiana spun around and gazed down at Sora, who peered back with large, rose-colored eyes.

"Take care of my sister, okay?"

There was a sincerity and earnestness in Sora's voice that surprised Kiana, as she hadn't expected such emotion from an elementary schooler. Nonetheless, she respected it.

"Of course," Kiana flashed a toothy smile and vivaciously pumped a fist over her chest, "A Kaslana always looks after their friends!"

"Then that's good enough for me," said Sora, stepping back and nodding contently.

"So what's the plan now? It's not very dark yet, so we can probably hang out for a while longer," suggested the dark-pink-haired teen.

"That sounds good," agreed Kiana.

"I want ice cream!" Sora exclaimed spiritedly.

Miyuki frowned and flicked her sister on the top of her head, "No. The weather is getting chillier now. You know how your stomach gets when you eat cold food in winter,"

"But it's not winter yet," Sora pouted, puffing her cheeks.

"It will be very soon," the older sibling countered.

"Actually, I think ice cream sounds great," Kiana piped up.

Sora immediately dashed to her side and stood triumphantly with her arms crossed, smirking at her sister, "You see, your friend agrees with me,"

Miyuki narrowed her eyes at her sister, who held her gaze with conviction conjured by the desire to consume something sweet.

But eventually, Miyuki relented and sighed, "Fine. In celebration of Kiana's first successful day at work, I'll treat you to some ice cream,"

"Thank you very much, Miyuki-senpai!"

"Yesss!"

Miyuki watched as her sister and Kiana held hands and happily danced around from the sheer excitement of getting to eat ice cream. Without realizing it, a small smile had formed on her lips.

This was how Sora should be. Happy. Innocent. Carefree. Craving sweets twenty-four-seven like every other child her age.

Instead, she was constantly worried for her older sister in every regard. An older sister who was rarely around, and although the reasoning for it was justifiable, it still wasn't an excuse.

Miyuki's face fell.

Did she even deserve to call herself an older sister? Would Sora start hating her later on? Was Sora's happiness all an act she put on so she wouldn't fret? Such self-doubting thoughts she had buried in her heart began a desperate attempt to claw their way out.

"Onee-chan! Let's gooo!"

Miyuki blinked and snapped out of her trance. Kiana and Sora were waving at her from a little distance away.

"Come on, senpai, Sora said the closest convenience store is this way!"

Like a light switch, the dark-pink-haired girl's apprehensive expression flipped.

"Coming," she smiled and quickly caught up to them.

She didn't know whether Kiana or Sora had realized. The only thing she knew was that her own smile was fake.

---

"Thanks for hanging out with me today, Miyuki-senpai,"

"It's no problem. I'll see you at school tomorrow,"

"You bet,"

A couple of hours had passed, and the sun was setting, lighting the sky on fire with a simmering orange blaze.

The three girls exchanged waves as they parted ways, with Kiana heading toward the train station and the sisters in the opposite direction.

"Did you have fun today, Sora?" asked Miyuki.

"Yep!" Sora chirped, happily skipping along, "Kiana is really fun to be around, too. I can see why anyone would want to be friends with her,"

"She is pretty lively, huh," giggled the older sister, "And to think she used to own a cat that's also named 'Sora.' What are the chances?"

"Mhm," the lilac-haired elementary schooler hummed and put a contemplative finger on her chin, "I wonder if that's why she was extra nice to me,"

"Probably. Or…," Miyuki leaned down and pinched Sora's cheeks, "Maybe it's because you're just too cute,"

"Gah!" Sora yelped, desperately swatting her sister's hands away, "Onee-chan! Your hands are cold!"

Laughing at her sister's reaction, Miyuki released her hold, "Ahaha, sorry, sorry,"

"But still, I'm glad you're making more friends now," the younger sister admitted as she rubbed her cheeks to warm them up.

"Really, why's that?"

"Because you're smiling a lot more now,"

Miyuki raised her brows, "I am?"

"Yep, especially after meeting Onii-chan,"

A surge of warmth rushed the older girl's cheeks. She swiftly shook it off and lightly chopped her sister on the top of her head, eliciting a small squeal from the younger girl.

"That's not it," Miyuki scoured her brain for a believable alternative to cover the image of a certain black-haired classmate, "It's because you've finally entered elementary school. Onee-chan is just proud that you're growing up healthy and well,"

She wasn't completely lying.

"Hihi~ I am, aren't I?" Sora chuckled proudly.

'Just don't grow up too fast,' Miyuki mentally added, patting her head.

Eventually, the pair of sisters passed through a relatively bustling district. It was a shortcut back to their street, but the constant flow of people at this time of day made the journey a little slower than usual, but that was expected. To avoid separating in the dense crowd, Miyuki grabbed Sora's hand, gripping it tightly and pulling the little girl close.

As they maneuvered through the street, they recognized a familiar, black-haired silhouette further up the path.

"Hey, isn't that…?" Miyuki began.

"Onii-chan?" Sora finished, scrunching her face as if it would give her a closer and clearer view, "Do you really think it's him?"

The dark-pink-haired girl shrugged, "I'm not sure. It's hard to tell from the back,"

"Well, let's go say hi," Sora excitedly urged, letting go of her sister before dashing through the crowd, "If it's not him, then we can just say it was a mistake!"

"Sora, wait!" Without letting the younger girl out of her sight, Miyuki chased after her sister while offhandedly apologizing as she bumped and pushed through the sea of people.

"Don't just suddenly run off on your own like that!" the older sister chided as she caught up, "What if you got lost? Or if someone tried to kidnap you?"

"That won't happen," The lilac-haired girl twirled around and beamed, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb, "Because Onii-chan will come to my rescue just like last time,"

"That's not the point—huh?" Miyuki's gaze slowly traveled from her sister to the person standing behind her, "A-Adam? It's really you,"

Adam stared at them, looking somewhat bewildered. His golden eyes flicked between the two girls before they lit up in realization, "Oh hey, what's up?"

"W-What are you doing here?"

"Me? I'm just taking a walk. You?

"Same! Well…I'm actually walking home, but it also counts as taking a walk, right?"

"Of course," Adam agreed and snickered playfully, "You're burning calories either way anyway,"

"Ahaha, I guess so,"

"Well, it was nice talking to you for a bit, but I have to get going now. See you guys later,"

With a quick two-finger wave, Adam was gone. He simply melted into the crowd like a ghost, and his shadow blended with the ones cast by the sinking sun.

His departure was as swift as his entry.

It was as if he was nothing more than a mirage, and Miyuki pinched herself to make sure she hadn't somehow fallen asleep on her feet. Baffled, the two sisters shared a glance, both of them silently discerning that the interaction was indeed real, albeit a little strange.

Miyuki couldn't put her finger on it, but Adam didn't seem like himself.

He was more collected than usual in a weird, unexplainable way. The joke he threw in seemed to be a little forced, too. Despite regularly messaging each other after exchanging contacts a few weeks back, the way he had briefly studied them when they walked up felt as if he hadn't recognized them at all. Typically, the black-haired teenager would offer to walk them home if they had run into each other like this, but this time, he had retreated at the first opportunity.

The only explanation she could think of was that the stress of the impending midterm exams was getting to him, and he was hurrying back to study.

Miyuki snapped her fingers and nodded, 'That's most likely it. It's not like he's rushing because he's late for a date or anything… Anyway! Speaking of midterms! I should probably quickly go home and start studying, too!'

"Come on, Sora, let's go,"

Taking her sister by the hand again, the sibling duo continued their journey home.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being surveyed by a pair of golden eyes.

Only when they had turned down another street and disappeared did the owner of those eyes slink back into the shadows.

---

On the other side of Nagazora, Kiana was strolling on the sidewalk, happily humming a merry tune.

It was a good day.

She hadn't messed up–too much—on her first day at her new part-time job and even gained a new friend from it.

Her first friend since coming to this city.

No, that annoying roommate of hers was definitely nowhere near being a person she considered a friend.

He was more like…an apathetic acquaintance.

However, ever since that day on the rooftop of their school, when Raiden Mei physically separated them from engaging in another fight and forced them to apologize, Adam has been less aggressive.

It wasn't very evident at first, but as the days rolled by, Kiana noticed that he wasn't as responsive to her snarky remarks and comebacks as before, and their previously regular bickering had also simmered down. While they still had moments of butting heads and verbal conflict, it was no longer as common as it once was.

Nowadays, the black-haired boy just hums a response or gives mere single-word answers, surrendering the argument before it could even begin, and sometimes, he would even outright ignore her.

It was infuriating initially, but then she enjoyed the peace, quiet, and authority his new behavior had brought about. Now, even if Kiana hated to admit it, she was growing…slightly concerned…just slightly.

While they didn't have a deeper understanding of each other's personalities, seeing as they had only been living together for a month or so, from what she knew of Adam, the white-haired girl was still sure that something was off about her roommate.

Weird and wacky possibilities bubbled around her brain as she tried to think up an explanation.

'Does he owe someone money and has a deadline, and he's now in trouble or somethin'?'

'Then again, maybe this is who he really is, and now he's just burnt out putting on an act around me,'

'Maybe he's actually an android, and he just had a system update,'

'What if the Adam isn't the original Adam but a clone sent in to replace him!'

She just couldn't figure it out.

"Kiana?"

'Great, now I'm hearing voices,'

She should really start sleeping earlier since she was seeing things now, too. The apparition who suddenly appeared in front of her is beginning to resemble….

"Oh, it's you," she greeted plainly.

"Oh, it's me," he echoed with equal, nonexistent enthusiasm.

'Say his name, and he magically appears,' Kiana mentally remarked.

"What are you doing here?" Adam asked, "Shouldn't you be at your new part-time job,"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I've already clocked off, so I'm going home," Kiana scoffed and folded her arms, "And what are you doing? I thought you said you weren't coming back until later tonight,"

"Change of plans,"

"Change it back,"

" 'Kay,"

The black-haired teen brushed past her and kept walking down the street.

It took a few seconds for his action to register in the Kaslana's mind. By the time Kiana whipped around, Adam's silhouette had already shrunk to the size of her thumb, appearing as a tiny shadow with the setting sun casting its final glow upon him.

Kiana gritted her teeth. She knew it, as much as they fought and as much as both of them made it verbally clear that they didn't care about what the other got up to. She really wasn't used to this new loner side of him, and for some reason, that troubled her.

"Hey! Wait up!"

The white-haired girl quickly caught up to his side.

"What's up with you?" A straightforward approach was sometimes the best one.

Adam raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

Kiana eyed him up and down before gesturing to all of him.

The boy paused in his tracks, visibly confused, then proceeded to mirror her actions.

"I mean you!" Kiana exclaimed with exasperation, "Just…! You've been acting really weird lately,"

The black-haired teenager slightly cocked his head to one side, "Weird? How?"

"Whaddya mean how!? You did it just then. Back there!"

"You mean ignoring you and minding my own business?"

Kiana's jaw dropped, and she gasped, "So you're self-aware,"

"I don't get how that's weird. Wasn't it you who wanted our unique situation to be kept a secret in public?"

The girl rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah…well…I mean, only in public. It's kinda creepy when it's all quiet at home while we're there, y'know,"

"Is it quiet, though? You're usually the one making all the noise," Adam pointed out, much to Kiana's frustration.

"That's not the point!"

"What is the point?"

"It's just…It's…," The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Kiana simply couldn't get them out. With her preppy, extroverted personality, it was rather rare for her to get tongue-tied, so this feeling was unfamiliar, and she couldn't make sense of why.

"It's…?" Adam repeated, looking at his roommate judgmentally.

"You're not bickering with me anymore!" blurted Kiana.

The black-haired boy winced, taken aback by the girl's sudden outburst. He recovered quickly, and his judgmental gaze sharpened even further.

"Huh?! The hell does that even mean?"

"It means you've been really quiet and weird recently, and it's freaking me out!" The girl revealed.

"You were never like this before. Every time I had something to say, you'd always have some witty comeback. Every time I'd have an opinion on something, you'd deliberately take the opposing side just to annoy the hell out of me. Nowadays, you don't do any of that anymore. No more snarkiness, no more tricks, no more extremely punchable arrogant faces! Sure, I enjoyed it at the start, but now I don't…I don't even have the urge to beat you up anymore! You don't even call me by those weird, stupid fishy names now, and that…that…that…,"

"No way. Are you perhaps—"

Suddenly, Kiana sensed it; a familiar aura began pulsating from her black-haired roommate. A wicked smile started tugging on Adam's lips, and his amber eyes sparked with a smugness the girl had not witnessed in weeks.

"—Worried about me?"

"N-No!" Kiana stammered, "It's just…this isn't like you, and I just said it's freaking me out!"

"You totally are, aren't you?" cackled Adam, his satirical grin growing wider and wider.

"In your dreams!" Her face reddened, and Kiana instinctively swung her fist at Adam, which he blocked relatively easily.

Then he followed up with a flick to her forehead, evoking a startled squeal and causing her to stagger back slightly.

"Alright, cool off a bit there, little miss Kaslana,"

"Let's make something clear," Adam began, folding his arms, "There's nothing wrong with me. If I've seemed a little despondent recently, then that's due to preparing for the midterms this week, and before you ask, yes. I'm usually like this before any test,"

"Oh,"

"Exactly. There's no need to worry, though. I'll go straight back to pestering you once the exams are over," Adam flippantly assured her.

Kiana clicked her tongue and admitted under her breath, "Now I don't even know how to feel about that,"

"Never mind that. How are your midterm preparations going?"

"I haven't started yet,"

A look of shock spread on the boy's face, "What?! Why? It's in three days. Two technically since today is almost over,"

The white-haired girl gave an unconcerned wave, "I arrived later than the rest of you, so I'm probably not even gonna be doing it until next year,"

"I guess that makes sense," commented Adam.

"Right? I thought so, too,"

"Wait, so did the teachers tell you this, or did you just assume?"

Kiana averted her gaze and scratched her cheek sheepishly, "Well, they didn't actually—"

Adam narrowed his eyes, "So you just thought you had special consideration? You know you've been here for a month now, right? All of that 'new student special treatment' is gone now. Trust me, I would know,"

Kiana didn't reply. Her wide, blue eyes stared at the ground intensely as she fiddled with her fingers. She was even visibly sweating. It was almost comical.

"Welp, I appreciate you looking out for me in your own peculiar way. But you really should've worried more about yourself. Good luck, though. I'll see you back at home,"

With a friendly pat on her shoulder, Adam passed Kiana for the second time that day and continued on his route.

The Kaslana snapped out of her daze with a sharp inhale while a lightbulb beamed in her brain. She spun around, and once again, her roommate was a tiny shadow on the horizon.

Dust flew off the pavement as the girl sprinted down the street.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!"

She zoomed past Adam before she came to a screeching, skidding stop, kicking up more dust that clouded around her feet.

Without wasting another second, Kiana marched up to him, "Tutor me,"

"No,"

"You didn't even consider it!" The white-haired girl cried.

"Because I have nothing to gain from it," The black-haired boy countered, "It's your fault for not realizing sooner that you have to take the test, too,"

"Yeah, but I was distracted by you, so now you gotta take responsibility,"

Adam stared at his roommate, then shuddered, "Those are some scary words coming from you,"

Kiana took a moment for the realization to hit, but when it did, she similarly cringed and groaned, burying her face in her hand, "Yeah, I know. It's even worse coz it's kinda true,"

After what felt like an eternity, Adam relented and sighed, "You know what, fine,"

'I heard that teaching someone is a way of studying in itself. So I guess it wouldn't be a total waste of time,' he thought.

The girl's expression instantly brightened, "Really? Thank you! I'm good as long as I don't fail,"

The black-haired boy deadpanned, 'Set the bar low, and you'll never be disappointed,'

"I'm not doing this for free, y'know," Adam reminded her.

"Hm? Oh right, yeah, I'll pay you back once I get my first paycheck," Kiana voiced, "Should I get you something tasty or just give you some cash so you can go buy whatever you want?"

"While both options sound great, I'm gonna have to decline both. How about a favor instead?"

Kiana blinked, then her eyes abruptly widened, and she leaped back, covering her privates with her arms. She stared at Adam in disbelief.

"No way! I'm not gonna be a part of your perver—"

"Stop misunderstanding me!" The black-haired boy shouted with irritation, "And it's not gonna be anything like that!"

"So what is it then?!" Kiana questioned, her guard lowering only a bit.

Adam shrugged, "I dunno yet. I'll have to think about it,"

"Sounds suspicious,"

"Yeah, I know. But do you wanna pass the exams or not?"

Kiana pursed her lips for what felt like the longest time but finally acceded, "Okay, fine, I'll agree to this favor thing. But I swear if you pull out a bunny outfit out of nowhere one day, I'm gonna kick your ass to the moon and back,"

"Noted. How about a maid outfit?"

"Hey!" the Kaslana growled, waving her fist threateningly in front of Adam's face.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding," The boy lightly smacked her hand away, "Yeesh, you're no fun,"

With that, Adam resumed nonchalantly heading down the street.

Confusion flashed across Kiana's features as she tapped him on the back and pointed out, "Hey, wait, where are you going? The apartment is the other way,"

"Snack run," The dark-haired teen replied simply.

"Snack run?" Kiana repeated. Her ears perked upon hearing the mention of food, and she couldn't deny her peaking curiosity.

"Yeah," nodded her roommate, "It's when you buy a bunch of stuff to munch on so your brain doesn't run out of fuel when you cram for a test,"

"Y-You can do that?!" Kiana's blue eyes lit up and sparkled like polished sapphires.

"You don't?!" Adam recoiled in shock.

"No," the girl candidly shook her head, "I thought you only do snack runs before a movie marathon or an all-nighter gaming session or something. I've never even considered it this way,"

"Huh. Well, look at you expanding your knowledge already," the boy shifted his feet, "Hey, you can go home first if you want. I'll get back in around thirty minutes,"

"Now, hold on a minute,"

"What's up?"

"I'm coming with you," Kiana declared.

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust your taste in snacks,"

Adam furrowed his brows, "...You eat the ones I buy anyway,"

"Because there's nothing else available," stated Kiana as if it was the most obvious thing before skipping ahead, "Now c'mon, let's hurry before all the good ones are sold out,"

The black-haired teenager knew it was inexorable to try and get his roommate to change her mind, and after a fate-accepting exhale, he promptly paced after her.

---

Midnight fell upon Nagazora. The sky was clear, with no cloud in sight, allowing the moon with its usual pale yellow glow to loom over the city, casting down its ethereal rays. Accompanying the moon above were the thousands of stars humanity was lucky enough to see with their own eyes. However, their twinkling would go unseen in this part of the world. The artificial lights created by humans had drowned out their sparkle, allowing the stars to sink back into the darkness of space. Even so, with the number of lights sprinkled across Nagazora, illuminating the city in different blues, purples, golds, and silvers, it was as if the city had its own starry sky, one much closer to the people who resided there. But the true beauty of the nocturnal picturesque town could only be viewed from a distance or a high vantage point.

The vibrant, neon-lit nights and lively streets of Nagazora had become a familiar sight to Macaque. It was similar enough to Arc City for him to feel at home but unique enough to appreciate the beauty in the diverse cultures and civilizations the world offered.

He sat on the edge of the rooftop of one of the countless buildings in the expansive urban forest. His jet-black hair ruffled with the chilly autumn winds, and his amber eyes leisurely swept over Nagazora. The young World Serpent agent always thought that it was ironic that the canopy of cities was where it was the darkest and quietest. It was only at such heights, away from all the hustle and bustle, away from human technology, where the night sky revealed itself to him in all its natural perfection. It was almost as if there were two worlds tightly attached to one another, separated only by a thin barrier of light.

True to his namesake, like a monkey in the trees, the rooftops were the only place Macaque felt safe enough to let down his guard and remove his mask, both physically and metaphorically. He had been active in this shadowed industry since childhood and was more than adept at most of the jobs it offered. But it was exhausting to play different characters, cycling between them and remembering every minute detail each of them possessed, from their backstory to their minor quirks.

Few people knew the 'true' him… What elements are considered 'true' anyway? Sometimes, even the young assassin doubted whether he knew himself. It was an unfortunate side effect of wearing different personas, perfectly crafted for each assignment. Ultimately, those personas, those masks, granted him success in the organization. It wasn't unheard of, but it was highly sporadic for people his age to rise in World Serpent's ranks rapidly and even be inducted into the Wild Hunt special unit, obtaining all the benefits the position offered.

Perhaps this was the world's way of balancing everything: the greater the repercussions, the greater the rewards.

*VRRRRR* *VRRRRR*

The chiming from his phone snapped Macaque from his stupor, and he fished the device out of his pocket.

On the screen was an emoji of a certain black-feathered bird.

"Good morning," he answered, activating speaker mode and placing the device beside him.

A familiar feminine groan followed by the rustling of bedsheets came from the other end, "I can't believe I have to hear your voice at 6 AM,"

Macaque chuckled, playfully swinging his legs over the ledge, "Sorry, I kinda forgot about timezones, that's on me,"

"And you wonder why everyone considers me the smarter one,"

"I don't mind. I think intelligent girls are pretty attractive,"

"...Alright, what do you want? There better be a very good reason why you called me three times while I was asleep,"

"Would you believe me if I said it's just because I missed you?" Macaque playfully remarked.

"...I'm hanging up,"

"Ok, fine, I'll be serious," The young man snickered before taking a breath and switching to a calmer tone, "I'm cashing in that favor you owe me,"

"Now?"

"As soon as possible,"

"Fine. What is it?"

"I need you to use the Mk.5 LiDAR Scanners at headquarters to procure a map of Nagazora and its surrounding areas within a twenty-five-kilometer radius and then send it to me,"

"Mk.5 LiDAR…That's the one they used during the moon and deep-sea expeditions, correct?"

"I believe so, yes," Macaque confirmed.

"And when do you need it?"

"Sometime this week, no later than that,"

There was a yawn before the woman on the phone spoke again, "Well, I've already finished up here, but it was stressful as fuck, so I'm going to relax a little before returning to HQ; I'll head back in a day or two, I'll get it to you then,"

The black-haired assassin grinned, "Got it. Thanks, Nat. And don't go too crazy; I'm not there to hold you back like that time in Singapore,"

"Ughh, that's something I really don't want to remember this early in the morning, but hey, aside from that, don't mention it. I owed you a favor anyway," Natasha replied, her husky morning voice making itself apparent, "Now if that's all, I'm going back to sleep,"

"Sure. Good night, or morning…or whatever time of day it is over there,"

The red-eyed girl murmured unintelligibly before hanging up the phone.

With that done, all the young assassin had to do now was wait. At least the mission this time wasn't complicated.

Sure, it was taking longer than he expected, but everything was flowing decently smoothly without any noticeable hitches. Takeshi was performing surprisingly well in his task of remotely spying on the Seirai Group, and with the map Raven was going to supply him, the World Serpent defectors' new base would be unveiled in no time. He would have to adapt and change tactics depending on the base's fortifications and layout, but other than that, the contract was as straightforward as it could get.

Two targets. In and out. Destroy all evidence. Sever loose ends. Disappear like a ghost.

It was a routine he had repeated over and over throughout the years, so many times that one could dub it insane.

As long as there weren't any unknown variables he hadn't accounted for, the mission would proceed smoothly.

"To the one skulking in the shadows, you can come out now. I know you're there," the black-haired assassin suddenly announced.

Unfortunately, it seemed fate had other ideas.

From the depths of the darkness, out floated a small, crimson theatre mask.

It hobbled through the air until it was close enough to the hoodie-wearing teen, then it performed a quick series of intricate spins and twists before settling down.

Recognizing the mask, Macaque gave it an acknowledging look.

"If you're here for my answer, then you're wasting your time. I don't have one yet,"

The mask twitched and twirled on the spot, letting out a bizarre fusion of a hum and a chime. It was incomprehensible to a regular human, but the young black-haired assassin seemed to understand, shaking his head as if the floating object had asked him a simple question, and he was responding.

"Alright, I'll be honest, I'm putting your offer on hold, at least for a while longer. I have plenty of masks; there's not yet need to acquire one of yours,"

Another audible vibration came from the red mask.

"There are still things I have to do," Macaque looked over at the floating mask and snickered, "Honestly, I'm more surprised that you came back to this backwater planet. I'm sure there are loads more worlds in the cosmos that attract your attention,"

The mask gave a synthetic jingle, and twinkling effects briefly cloaked the floating red object before dissolving into sparkling dust.

"Well, then, I'm honored. Looks like the gods are smiling upon me on this fair day,"

The unmistakable, perpetual smile on the mask curved into a frown, and its arched eyes straightened, visually unamused.

"What?" The black-haired teen furrowed his brows, "Is the joke not high enough quality for you?"

When the mask failed to respond, the boy continued, "Fine, fine. I'll demote what I said from a joke to a little observation then,"

The mask jingled again, and its previous frown flipped upside down.

"Still, I don't know what I've done to gain your attention. I'm just a normal human trying to live my life, after all," Macaque shrugged nonchalantly, casting his gaze back over the gleaming, nocturnal city.

The mask buzzed like a red buzzer on a game show.

"...A lie? Heh, you think too highly of me. Even if I tried, it's not possible for a mere mortal like me to have the talent to deceive deception itself,"

The mask chimed rhythmically, akin to a laugh.

"Anyway," the assassin rose to his feet and stretched his arms, "Shall we continue this conversation while we take a walk? Sitting still for too long isn't good for one's body,"

Without waiting for an answer, Macaque leaned over the edge, shifting his entire body weight forward until he tipped over, plummeting through the air head-first. The crimson mask watched for a moment before it raced after him.

Seeing the red object falling beside him, the boy smiled. He reached out and grabbed the mask. In one swift movement, Macaque twisted his body around until he was upright.

The glimmering tip of a sharpened object peeked from its concealment under his sleeves.

There were only a few more seconds before he would hit the ground. But that was the moment the assassin had been waiting for.

His amber eyes locked onto a nearby building, and he immediately whipped his arm across the air.

From his sleeves, the sharp object erupted out.

It was a blade attached to a long strip of reinforced wire.

The blade pierced through the building's wall with ease, and the serrations on the blade's edge allowed it to hook into the thick concrete.

Like a pendulum, the assassin swung down and flew up.

Macaque tensed his wrist to retract his rope dart in his ascent, and the blade zipped back into its concealed sheathe.

He soared through the night sky for a moment longer before grasping the ledge of a shorter building, dispersing all of the momentum he had gained.

The young assassin casually hung on the edge like an ape and scanned his surroundings, looking for a safe, inconspicuous space to land.

It didn't take long for him to identify a path.

A back alley cluttered by neon signs from the myriad of businesses compacted into a single narrow street. Street lamps were bunched alongside utility poles, and electrical lines stretched all across the alleyway like black, rubbery webs.

For even the most experienced parkour athletes, such a descent would be nothing short of tricky, if not impossible. To even attempt this sort of route, one would need the reflexes, nimbleness, and aerial awareness of a veteran stray cat.

However, the hoodie-wearing, black-haired teen didn't hesitate and leaped. He lightly bounded from sign to sign, slipping past outdoor air conditioning units and sliding over protruding balconies. At a certain point, he stopped to check for any people passing by underneath. When he confirmed that there were none, he jumped for a nearby street lamp and smoothly slid down. His feet touched the ground silently, and Macaque stepped out from behind the steel pole, fixing his appearance as he strolled out of the alleyway into a more expansive, busier street.

The sights, sounds, and smells of the bustling city nightlife immediately clogged his senses.

The crimson mask in his hand trembled, then it stretched and morphed fluidly like goo until it shrunk, taking the appearance of a keychain—an appropriate disguise in this vast sea of civilians.

'Hey, we should communicate telepathically now, shouldn't we? I know you have the ability. Plus, I don't want to be branded as a weirdo walking around muttering to myself,'

The miniature mask danced around in the palm of his hands, agreeing to the suggestion before jingling and chiming again several seconds later.

'Hm? Why don't I want to be bestowed a mask from you? Well, because that's the problem. "Being bestowed power." I don't like the idea of that. It just doesn't sit right with me to have strength offered to me on a silver platter. I need to achieve it by myself,'

The boy weaved through the crowds; his eyes were aimlessly drifting around and taking in the neon-lit visuals.

'Sorry if that offends you. I know it doesn't align with your ways, but that's just my personal philosophy,'

The mask slipped out of his hands and hovered to rest on his shoulder. This time, it made a noise similar to a set of silent fireworks followed by a soothing wind chime.

'...Really? I guess I really won't be able to get you to ignore me, huh?' the young assassin sighed, 'Fine, I'll consider your offer more seriously if that gets you to leave me alone for a while,'

The mask whooped robotically.

'What? You're the one who wants me to play the lead in your newest act. I have priorities to attend to. You have all the time in the universe to wait, anyway,'

The crimson mask tinkled, releasing a small cloud of colorful sparkles.

A small smile grew on the young assassin's lips, 'Although, as it turns out, I've accidentally found myself wandering into another's story,'

A chorus of curious, hollow chimes escaped the tiny mask.

'Oh no, I am definitely not a main character in this person's tale. I doubt they even remember me. I'm just a small side character who appears every now and then,' Macaque chuckled, 'I enjoy it, though. It's fun to just observe from the sidelines, y'know. Like watching a series in real-time,'

The mask jingled, puffing out another wave of glitter.

'Who is this person? …Well—'

Macaque's amber eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned in amusement.

Through the ever-flowing, crisscrossing crowd, he spotted him.

A certain young individual with short, disheveled, black hair—much like his own—stood beside a street lamp with a bag of colorful food packages in one hand and scrolling through his phone with the other.

A second later, a twin-braided, white-haired girl around his age dashed through the stream of people straight toward him. She was also holding snack-filled bags.

Macaque and the floating red mask watched as they briefly exchanged words before turning and heading in his direction, continuing their conversation as they walked.

The young assassin pulled up his hood and confidently strode forward as if he were going to intercept them.

"This is the life! Late-night snack runs really are the best!"

"...I still can't believe you already finished all the ones we bought a few hours ago,"

"That's because they were all so delicious I couldn't help myself. And don't deny it; I saw it on your face; I know you found them tasty, too. Y'know, you can trust me for things like this. When it comes to snacks, I like to consider myself something of a connoisseur,"

"Yeah, but don't forget that all of this was purchased with my money, so I get first pick and first bite,"

Time seemed to slow the second Macaque and Adam brushed shoulders, only resuming a few steps later.

Adam froze as a strange, nostalgic, yet uneasy feeling washed over him, and he glanced over his shoulder.

His golden eyes swept across the lively street attentively but couldn't make anything out of the ordinary.

"...Weird," he murmured to himself.

Kiana kicked him lightly on the shin after noticing her companion's abrupt vigilance, "What's up? Did we forget somethin'?"

"...I think I just saw…," replied Adam, holding his gaze at nothing in particular for a while longer before swiveling back around, "No. Never mind, it was nothing. Let's go,"

As the two of them made their way back home, a pair of amber eyes were tracking their every move.

Like a ghost in the crowd, Macaque had expertly hidden himself in the late-night mob while keeping an eye on the black-and-white duo.

Once the two were far enough, the young assassin also continued on his way.

"You asked whose story I've wandered into?" the hooded assassin smirked, "Let's just say that this person is quite—"

"The Anomaly,"

---

…

…

…

So I know I said back in Chp 7 that it was the last slice-of-life chapter for a while, but now…I shall take back those words! I realized that in order to build up the relationship between the Nagazora Arc Squad, I'll need some more peaceful moments with them together. As much as I want to get into the battles and high-stakes stuff (which if I follow my layout, IS going to be happening soon enough), so for the sake of [ STARCHASER ] as a whole and the characters' development, we're gonna have to wait a little longer… I know, it pains me too.

But you know what they say…

Enjoy the Happy and Wholesome moments before the Uplifting and Positive! XD