Morning didn't arrive in Ledatic Siliportem the way it used to. There was no slow sunrise bleeding warmth into the sky or any natural gradient of gold into blue. Instead, the sky above was covered in a thick sheet of gray clouds that covered the Economia Capital.
The Deity of Death moved along the streets like she belonged there and didn't at the same time. Her hood was still up, as always, obscuring her face entirely beneath its shadow. The casual choice of leggings and shorts did nothing to hide the natural contours of her body, and the way she carried herself only made people notice more.
Men glanced. Some tried to be subtle about it, sneaking quick looks before turning away as if they hadn't been staring. Others weren't nearly as discreet. Their gazes lingered longer than they should have.
She noticed but she didn't react.
To her, their attention carried the same weight as background noise. Humans had always been like this. They were easily pulled towards anything that stood out even slightly from the norm. It wasn't worth acknowledging.
Her steps eventually carried her away from the denser sections of the city and into one of its many public parks. As a cyberpunk city, this was a space designed to mimic nature just enough to comfort the people who needed it without ever truly replicating the real thing. The grass was too evenly maintained, the trees were too perfectly spaced and even the air felt curated but lacking the unpredictability of something truly alive.
Still, it served its purpose.
She moved toward an empty bench near the center before sitting down with the same ease she had shown atop the skyscraper the night before. For a brief moment, she simply observed. She glanced around the park, taking in the small, mundane interactions that defined this artificial morning like people jogging, others scrolling through devices and a few sitting together in conversation that would be forgotten by the end of the day.
Then, without ceremony, she reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a small handful of breadcrumbs.
Dozens of pigeons seemed to materialize out of nowhere, flocking toward her in a flurry of gray wings and soft cooing. Some hopped closer without hesitation while others fluttered briefly before settling. All of them were drawn by the simple offering in her hand.
She stared at them for a moment.
"Of course "
Her fingers loosened, letting the breadcrumbs scatter across the ground. The pigeons surged forward, pecking eagerly at the pieces.
"Vasreveilder really went out of his way for this. Creating animals like pigeons just so the Transmigrators of the Hidden Citadel feel more at home…"
Her gaze followed one of the birds as it hopped closer, tilting its head up at her expectantly.
"How thoughtful of him."
Despite the sarcasm, she didn't stop feeding them. If anything, she leaned into it, dropping more. One of them fluttered up slightly, landing near her knee. She reached out without thinking. Her fingers gently brushed over its head. The pigeon didn't resist. It simply accepted the contact, leaning slightly into her touch.
She paused for a fraction of a second. It laughably so when compared to everything else she was capable of, yet there was something about the simplicity of it that didn't feel entirely unpleasant.
That was when she noticed him walking along one of the park's paved paths. Two women walked with him, both of them striking in ways that made it impossible to ignore.
The first had sapphire blue hair. Her golden eyes were bright and lively as she took in everything around her. The second was different. She had silver hair but it was her eyes that stood out the most. Or rather, the lack of something within them. They were vibrant green in color yet completely devoid of pupils.
Still, the question lingered in the Deity of Death's mind as she watched them approach from a distance.
"How does she see?"
She listened to their conversation.
"Economia Capital is actually really good," the sapphire-haired woman said. "It's like a full-on replica of Earth."
The pupilless woman nodded slightly.
"I agree. I had fun. Especially the arcade."
That earned a small laugh from the other.
"Right? That place was amazing. Ely, you should definitely play a game. In his memories, they're fun."
The Deity of Death's attention focused on him when he talked. His voice wasn't loud.
"I'm just glad we get to experience things like this."
Her hand stopped mid-motion. A pigeon waited expectantly beneath it as she unconsciously paused.
"Honestly, I missed traffic rules."
That earned a small, surprised look from the sapphire-haired woman.
"That's a weird thing to miss."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"It is, but think about it. Back home, we'd just fly through. And now, we have to wait for the signal to change."
There was something almost nostalgic in the way he said it.
The sapphire-haired woman laughed softly.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
"A bit too much, Phae."
The Deity of Death watched them without realizing she was really looking at him.
Phae. Ely.
The names settled into place as she pieced together their identities from the conversation. Her fingers slowly resumed their motion, gently brushing over the head of the pigeon still waiting beneath her hand.
Phae laid everything out on their picnic table, humming faintly under her breath as she arranged containers and small wrapped portions of food. Ely handled the quieter details like adjusting placements, smoothing the blanket and making sure everything looked right. Veneri remained near them, completely idle.
The moment the containers were opened, the pigeons that had once surrounded the Deity reacted, She expected them to crowd the food and behave exactly as they always did, but what happened instead made her pause.
They gathered around Ely.
Some perched near her knees. Some hovered just long enough to settle at her side. Ely looked down at them and sighed.
"Easy now. There's enough for everyone. Don't be greedy."
The pigeons didn't scatter but they did change. Their clustering eased as if they had actually understood her. Phae glanced at them, shaking her head.
"I keep forgetting you can do that."
Ely didn't respond immediately. Instead, she crouched slightly, bringing herself closer to the pigeons. The Deity couldn't hear yet instinctively recognized as more than simple observation.
"Why are you all so restless today?"
The cooing shifted again. It didn't stop but the tone changed. Ely listened as she processed what they were conveying. There was a moment where her expression flickered with something akin to confusion, or perhaps curiosity,
Then she looked directly at the woman.
Ely raised her hand and gave a small wave.
"Would you like to join us, Miss?"
Phae followed her gaze immediately. The Deity could sense that they were speaking to each other telepathically when they called her over.
"Oh yeah, come over. We've got enough for everyone."
She didn't move right away. The pigeons around Elyonari stirred again and then, as if responding to some unspoken cue, a portion of them lifted off and returned to Marcelline, circling her briefly before settling at her feet once more.
"They say you're hungry."
She exhaled softly through her nose when she heard Ely's words. Her gaze dropping to the birds now gathered around her again.
"It's not a big deal. You don't have to—"
The pigeons cooed louder. She stared at them for a moment and sighed.
"You're persistent."
She sat on the blanket next to them. Phaenora clapped her hands together once, breaking the silence before it could stretch.
"I'm Phaenora. This is Elyonari and that's Veneri. Nice to meet you stranger."
She slightly inclined her head.
"Marcelline. Nice to meet you. I come here often but I haven't seen you here before."
Phaenora nodded immediately.
"That's because we're tourists."
Marcelline accepted the answer with a small nod.
"I didn't expect to see someone capable of talking to pigeons. It's rare."
Elyonari's lips went flat.
"I speak to fauna. Oh, they said that they are grateful to you for feeding them. Apparently, people don't pay much attention to them here but, they remember you."
Marcelline glanced down at the birds.
"They say many generations have known you. About ten to fifteen generations?"
Marcelline's fingers stilled against the fabric of the blanket.
"That long?"
"Fauna aren't that different from intelligent beings. They just live and percieve everything differently. Most people don't understand them, so they assume there's nothing to understand."
Marcelline's gaze lingered on the pigeons for a moment longer before she lifted it again.
"That's… interesting."
Phaenora, meanwhile, shifted her attention toward Veneri.
"You've been quiet. What's up?"
Veneri didn't answer immediately. He looked at Marceline and smirked.
"It's just a little strange that Miss Marcelline is hiding her face."
Marcelline didn't react. She already anticipated something like this.
"I'm a somewhat important figure in Economia. If people recognized me here, it would attract attention I'd rather avoid. Paparazzi would swarm the place so I'd rather not deal with that."
"Yeah, that sounds exhausting."
"What do you do, Miss Marceline?"
Marcelline didn't hesitate to answer Elyonari's question.
"I'm a model and an actress."
Veneri's gaze changed.
"Marcelline, Marceline. Oh wait. You're that Marceline? You're the lead actress in that action series that came out?"
Marcelline inclined her head slightly.
"Yes, but keep it down."
Phaenora's eyes lit up immediately, though she quickly glanced around as if remembering where they were.
"That's actually kind of cool."