Jessica moved silently through the crowded street, her steps light, her presence unnoticed. Neon lights flickered across glass windows and damp sidewalks as thousands passed her, wrapped in their own lives, their own distractions. Despite the sea of people, she might as well have been a ghost. No eyes lingered, no footsteps paused. She existed outside of their awareness, invisible by design.
She preferred it that way.
Or so she thought.
Until someone saw her.
"Hello, young lady. What brings you here? Just sightseeing?"
The voice came smooth and warm, carried by curiosity, not threat. Jessica halted, blinking as she turned toward the sound. A teenage boy stood just a few steps away, leaning casually against a streetlamp. He had tousled white hair, and his red eyes gleamed under the city lights.
She stiffened.' He can see me?'
He tilted his head with a knowing smile. "You're probably wondering how I can see you."
Her body tensed. Her eyes darted to the crowd but nothing had changed. People still flowed around her like water around a stone.
"Well," he continued, "it's easier to look at the effects of something than to search for the thing itself. You're like a boulder in a river undetected by sight, but impossible to ignore. People avoid you. Or rather... they're repelled."
Jessica's mouth opened, then closed again.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
"I see," she said finally. "Well... goodbye."
She turned to leave, but her stomach had other plans.
Grumble.
The sound betrayed her at the worst possible time.
The boy chuckled. "Well, that settles it. How about a quick snack? My treat."
She eyed him warily. "Fine. Just a little."
'I can always check for poison' , she told herself, adjusting the small scanner ring on her finger.
"Excellent! This way. There's a food truck around the corner it's my favorite."
They turned off the main street into a narrower alley strung with lanterns and the mouthwatering smell of grilled meat. The food truck stood at the far end, painted in bold reds and yellows, with a faded sign that read: Spicy King's Bucket.
The boy waved at the vendor. "Hey, sir! One bucket of spicy chicken with extra special sauce, please!"
"Coming right up!" the man shouted back with a grin. "Extra special sauce, just for you."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Is everything here free, or do you always bark orders like royalty?"
The boy laughed. "Of course not. The owner owes me a few favors."
"Uh-huh," she muttered.
They sat on a nearby bench as the vendor handed them a large paper bucket steaming with spicy chicken. Plastic gloves were tucked neatly inside.
"Wait... are we supposed to eat this with our hands?" she asked.
"Yeah, but don't worry plastic gloves. No mess."
They both slipped on the gloves and began to eat. Jessica took a cautious bite, bracing for either spice or sabotage.
And then another.
"This is actually good," she said, caught off guard.
"Right? I told you. It's the sauce. Life-changing."
"You sound like a walking commercial."
"I've considered it," he grinned. "But I'd be too expensive to hire."
Jessica snorted lightly, catching herself smiling before she could stop it. "Arrogant huh?"
"It is confident," he corrected. "There's a difference."
Jessica picked at another piece. "So, how do you know the vendor?"
"Oh, back in the day, I saved his daughter from a scammer. He insisted on feeding me for life."
"That's… oddly noble of you."
"Nah. I just hate scammers."
For a moment, they ate in silence, the spicy aroma of the chicken mingling with the buzz of the alley. Then Samuel spoke again.
"You're really careful," he said casually. "You inspect each piece before eating. Don't worry there's no poison in them , I mean I'm eating it with you"
Jessica paused mid-bite. "You've got sharp eyes and Doesn't hurt to be cautious"
"Thanks. I notice things. Comes with the territory."
"What territory?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say I keep track of interesting people."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Sounds stalker-ish."
"Sounds like you're interesting."
"Touché."
She reached for another piece, only to pause again as he looked at her oddly.
"What?" she asked.
"You're surprisingly calm, considering I know what you are."
"What do you think I am?"
"A girl with secrets."
Jessica leaned back, the food temporarily forgotten. "That's not a rare category."
"No, but girls who eat spicy chicken in plastic gloves and carry an magic item in their jewelry? That narrows it down."
She shook her head. "You talk too much."
"You listen too well," he replied with a smirk. "You haven't once tried to deny anything I've said."
"I don't bother lying to people who clearly already know."
He raised his can of soda in a small salute. "Smart."
"You've got something on your face," he said, pointing at her cheek.
Jessica instinctively reached up with her hand, then frowned. "Ugh."
Samuel leaned forward slightly. "Want me to..."
She held out her hand, blocking him. "Save it. I can do it myself."
She reached for her shirt.
"Wait, wait... don't use your shirt. Here." He handed her a tissue. "You're not an animal."
"Thanks." She dabbed at the sauce and discarded the tissue into the trash bin beside the bench.
Samuel stood. "I'll grab some drinks. What do you want?"
Jessica hesitated. "I'll have whatever you're having."
"It's dangerous to trust me you know," he said over his shoulder. "I could come back with a black coffee."
"Try it and I walk," she called back.
He returned with two cold cans of cola.
"I figured you would like it," he said, handing her one.
They sat, sipping and watching the crowd pass beyond the alley's entrance.
"Do you ever stop watching people?" she asked.
"Only when they're boring."
"Do I look boring to you?"
"No. You look… tired."
Jessica flinched, then covered it with another sip.
"That obvious?"
Samuel shrugged. "You don't hide it as well as you think."
"Good to know," she said dryly.
They talked a little more...nothing deep. Music, weather, stupid trends. The kind of conversations that filled time and space but left a subtle warmth behind.
When they finished, Jessica stood.
"Well... I better get going. Thanks...for the food."
"It's my pleasure," he said with a small bow. "Take care."
"Bye," she replied and began to walk away.
"Wait, my name is Samuel, what's yours?" he said, extending his hand with a smile that contrasted sharply with the intensity of his red eyes.
His white hair caught the evening light, almost glowing against the neon signs flickering around them.
Jessica hesitated.
"It's Jess…y," she said, grasping his hand briefly.
"Jessy, huh? Catchy." He smirked. "I'll catch you next time… Jessica Goldschild."
She froze.
Her pulse surged. She turned sharply, eyes wide. "Huh?!"
"How do you know my name?" Her voice was low, warning.
Samuel remained seated, completely unbothered.
"I pity you, honestly," he said quietly. "No siblings. A broken family. Your relatives are fighting over your father's position. Assassinations. All of it's in the news. You're all alone."
Jessica's hand twitched near her waist, ready to use her powers any time. But her heart… it didn't race with anger.
Strange, she thought. 'I should be furious. But… I'm calm.'
She exhaled slowly. "So what? What do you want from me?"
"I want you to know you're not alone anymore," Samuel replied. "You can depend on me."
She narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly can you do?"
He smiled and snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, the city changed.
The movement stopped.
Every person around them...every pedestrian, vendor, cyclist...froze mid-step. Then, as if drawn by a silent command, their heads turned to face Jessica and Samuel.
Their gazes were empty. Still.
"What… is this?" Jessica asked, stunned.
"This is my power," Samuel said. "I can control people's minds. Well, normal people."
She stared, awestruck. "That's… amazing. Super amazing, actually. But..."
She stepped away from the bench, fists clenched at her sides.
"Sorry. But I have to do this alone. Only then will I feel satisfied."
Samuel nodded, as if he'd expected that. "Then I'll look forward to seeing your victory."
He stood, brushing off his coat. "Don't worry. I'll climb to even greater heights myself."
Jessica smirked. "There's no higher peak than my family. I am the heiress of Goldschild."
"Then build a higher one," he said calmly. "There's no limit. The only limit is the one you place on yourself."
Their eyes met...hers, proud and wary; his, warm and resolute.
Then the world resumed.
The crowd began to walk again, oblivious to the pause that had just occurred.
Jessica turned, blending back into the flow of people. This time, though, she felt the weight of one more presence...one that didn't ignore her, didn't fear her.
One that saw her.
And she wasn't sure whether that scared her more than anything else.
But then...a familiar voice called out behind her, breathless and relieved.
"Miss Jessica!"
She paused, her heart tightening in her chest.
Pushing through the crowd came an older man in a dark coat, silver at his temples, eyes sharp with concern. It was Edgar...her family's butler. Loyal to a fault, a second shadow to her father, and the only person left from her childhood who had never betrayed her.
He reached her, panting lightly, his brow damp with sweat.
"Thank heavens. I've been searching all over the district. You didn't tell anyone where you were going, and security was worried sick."
"I needed air," she said simply, her voice cool but quieter than before.
Edgar examined her with quick, trained eyes. "Are you hurt? Were you followed? Who was the boy?"
Jessica glanced back...but Samuel was gone. No sign of him. Just a swirl in the crowd where he'd been, like a ripple in still water.
"No one important," she said, though her voice betrayed a flicker of something else.
"Miss Jessica," Edgar said gently, "I know you want to handle things on your own, but you don't always have to."
She looked at him for a long moment.
He had aged. She had noticed it before, but it hit her harder now. The man had helped raise her, taught her how to shoot a pistol and brew tea with equal skill. He'd stayed, even when the others had scattered.
"I'm not alone," she whispered, more to herself than to him.
Edgar blinked. "Pardon, miss?"
Jessica turned back to the crowd, her eyes scanning the blur of strangers. Her expression hardened, but the storm inside her had softened, if only slightly.
"Let's go home, Edgar."
"As you wish."
And as they walked off together, one figure from afar watched from a rooftop, his red eyes glowing under the neon sky, white hair tousled by the wind.
"I'll catch you again, Jessica Goldschild," Samuel whispered, before vanishing into the night.