After the car change they kept driving for a few hours. Nina kept asking questions about them and their lifes. Felix and Kima tried to tell her as little as possible. They liked the girl and were happy she was willing to join them but she couldn't be trusted yet. This went both ways. The Agency wasn't actually this right and wonderful place – half of it's members being psychopaths who would rather hunt than be hunted. They were the kind of people you had to sleep with one eye open next to, until you could be sure they were trustworthy.
Eventually, the car rolled to a halt in front of a crumbling motel on the edge of the city. It was the kind of place you didn't stop at unless you had no other option—or unless you were trying to disappear.
Nina opened her mouth to ask something, but even she had grown tired of the sound of her own questions.
"She's hiding here now?" Kima asked, her tone a mixture of disbelief and irritation. "Why the fuck would she choose this place?"
Felix smirked as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the steering wheel. "We're talking about Charmy, is there anything else that might surprise you?"
Nina leaned between their seats."Who?" She managed to ask another question.
Felix glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Earv's sister and an old friend. We need her help before you can join us."
The girl lifted her finger as she remembered. "Oh yeah, he said not to tell her that we saw him."
Felix smiled. "Yes, that one."
Nina's curiosity grew bigger. "Is she an agent too?"
"Former," Felix answered fast. "They were partners but one day something happened. I don't know what but it was the last time they've spoken. Earv became a fixer and she... keeps doing shady things ever since. She still works with us here and there though."
"Why is she hiding?" Nina asked.
Felix turned to her, excited. "You will se soon."
All three stepped out of the vehicle. The motel smelled like mildew and something worse. Graffiti scarred the faded pink walls, and the buzzing neon sign out front flickered, as if unsure it still wanted to be alive.
For Nina, this was the farthest she'd ever been from home. The realization hit her hard and fast. She wondered what Mrs. Lopez would say if she saw her now. This was no place for a young, bright-eyed girl. The streets here weren't just rough—they were predators, waiting.
That's when the vision struck.
A sharp, jarring sensation in the center of her forehead, like a nail being driven inward. She gasped and looked toward Felix, who was already standing near a door, hand raised to knock.
"Stop!" she whispered, but her voice was urgent, cutting through the silence like glass. She was suddenly at his side.
"Another one?" he asked.
Nina nodded, eyes unfocused. "Open it carefully."
Felix did as she asked. The door creaked open, and all three slipped inside.
The room was chaos. Furniture overturned, drawers ripped out, a lamp hanging precariously from the ceiling. The smell of cheap perfume mixed with blood and something burnt.
Felix whispered to Kima, "Stay with her. I'll check the bathroom, just in case—" He stoped when he realized Nina was there too. She might be smart but she is just a kid. He then went straight to the bathroom leaving the girls alone.
A voice came from the front door. "You ladies lost?"
Two men stepped inside. Leather jackets, smug expressions, and the kind of presence that screamed trouble. They blocked the only exit. Kima stepped in front of Nina instantly, her stance wide and ready. That only seemed to amuse the newcomers.
Their moment of fun didn't last.
A crash came from the bathroom. A third man flew through the air like a ragdoll, landing hard on the floor with a sickening crunch. His arm bent at an unnatural angle. Felix stepped out after him, calm, collected, and just a little pissed.
"You gentlemen lost?" he asked, voice like ice.
The two intruders tensed, stepping forward.
"Stop!" the man on the floor groaned. "I know this guy! He's from the agency—he's with Charmy!"
And just like that, she appeared.
A tall, statuesque woman with deep brown skin and tattoos that crawled over her arms and neck like living ink. Charmy. Standing next to the injured man, with her arms crossed.
"So that's how you visit an old friend, Mirrorborn?" she said.
Felix didn't answer.
He looked scared—for the first time.
Thirty minutes later, the mood had shifted completely. They were seated around a table drinking tea. Except for the man with two broken arms—Felix had gotten carried away.
Kima had just finished explaining what had happened to Nina. Charmy listened silently, her usual smile gone.
"Dear God," she finally whispered, reaching for Nina's hand. "Young lady, I am so sorry."
Charmy had known pain, been hunted for her gifts since she was barely old enough to walk. She saw the haunted look in Nina's eyes, recognized it like a mirror.
"What do you want me to do?"
Felix spoke up. "We thought you could make her a charm. One that blocks tracking."
Charmy nodded. "Of course. That's easy." Her gaze settled on Nina. "Do you like tattoos, dear?"
Nina hesitated. "I've always wanted one... but Mrs. Lopez said she'd kill me if I ever got it."
Then she remembered. Mrs. Lopez was gone. The smile that crossed her face was bittersweet. "But I guess... no one can stop me now."
Everyone chuckled, even Kima. Felix felt a warm surge of pride—Charmy noticed it immediately.
Nina didn't need to think. "A lavender. It was her favorite flower."
Charmy smiled. "Beautiful choice. Sit still."
Nina sat beside her, heart racing. Charmy began to crack the joints in her fingers, each one a precise motion. Then, with the right hand, she started snapping—faster and faster, until colors sparked between her fingertips.
When her thumb was saturated in magical paint, she began to draw. Petal by petal, the lavender bloomed on Nina's skin, more vivid than anything nature could create.
"Done," Charmy announced. "With this, no one will be able to track you. Not even that asshole." She pointed at Felix.
Felix responded with a middle finger. The room filled with laughter.
For the first time in what felt like years, Nina felt at home.
"Let's make it official," Felix said, standing. "Nina, will you be part of my team?"
Nina stood and shook his hand. "I will."
The second their hands touched, the world shifted.
That's the first time when she saw the boy. Her body froze while her eyes rolled back. She couldn't see, hear, or even breathe. Visions flooded her—chaotic, brutal, endless. He was in all of them. A young boy surrounded by fire and destruction.
Flooded cities, forests on fire.
A few people were there, some feared him, some followed him and some even loved him. Given the differences, everyone still chanted his name, a name she won't be able to forget for the rest of her life. His name…
"Nina!" Felix shouted, snapping her out of it. She collapsed into Kima's arms, sobbing.
"What did you see?" he asked, eyes filled with concern.
"His name, his name, his name," the girl kept saying.
"Nina, what happened? What did you see? Who is he?" Felix kept asking, being genuinely concerned. Charmy couldn't believe it. The Felix she knew wouldn't had done that in a million years.
"I saw the end," she whispered. "Cities got destroyed, people were dying. It seemed like all hope was gone. The only thing they did was…chanting his name, whoever he was."
Everybody wanted to ask the same thing but were to scared to do it. Felix felt the burden was on his shoulders so he did it himself.
"What was his name?"
Nina wiped the tears from her eyes and looked straight at him, barely able to get the words out. "Cole…Burns."
Kima andFelix shared a view in a flash. Something felt wrong. It seemed like they had heard to name before.
"What?" Nina asked. "You... know him?"
Felix forced a smile. "No. Just...we've had enough for today."
Kima nodded. "Let's head back. We've got a lot to do tomorrow."
"I'll meet you at the car," Felix said. "I have something to talk to Charmy about and I'll be there in five."
Charmy turned to her men. "Go with them. Make sure no one's watching."
Said and done, Felix and Charmy were all alone in the room. It was the first time today when both of them lowered their guard. They knew since they were kids and would do anything for each other no matter the cost.
Charmy lit a cigarette. "So, what's he up to this days?"
Felix frowned as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
The woman shook her head. "Don't do this to me. My brother. Now!"
He rolled his eyes. "He is fine. Being a fixer really suits him. He helped us escape in a parking lot when they came back for Nina. He got some good moves."
Charmy leaned in, slow and deliberate, stopping just before her lips could brush his. Her breath ghosted over his skin, her eyes playful. Felix held still, caught.
"You think he could beat you?" she asked.
"I said he was good. Just good," said Felix moving closer to her.
She smiled. "I forgot just good wasn't enough for you." Then she leaned back as she was.
He begun to laugh. "You never change..."
She didn't respond.
"So, who fucked your place? Was it them?" asked Felix.
Charmy shrugged. "Told you I was looking for something when you guys broke in."
Felix saw right through it. "You know I don't buy that."
She sighed. "I wanted to set them a trap. I let them find this place to see what they want and waited. He wasn't here for long but he vanished when you came."
He didn't like this. "Man, they can vanish too? Just when I tought things couldn't get crazier."
"You think they are the ones who want Nina too?" she asked.
He answeared with a question. "Who else? They even got matchy red feather ties. Bet they even have it on the boxers too."
Charmy smiled. "Do you plan to tell them? About the Order?"
"Not yet. It will only make things more complicated. After what happened now with Nina, I think we have to take things slower."
Charmy was surprised and proud him."You've changed. The Mirrorborn I knew wouldn't give two fucks about a kid."
He was proud of himself too. "About that... I need you to remove my charm."
"What?!" she said."Why? You know you are not allowed to use them anymore. If the Agency finds out we are dead."
"Something bad it's about to happen and I can't rely just on strenght. Please, do this for me!"
Charmy sighed, she couldn't refuse him, especially since she owed him one from back in the day. The removal procedure was similar with the inking but done with the left hand. And a lot more painful. After it was done, Felix was good to go.
She stopped him when he was about to open the door. "You trust her? Your partner?".
"Not even a little bit," he answered with his trademark smile.
When Felix got back in the car, Nina was sleeping. They finished everything they had to do and were ready to head back to their home-office.
"What took you so long?" asked Kima.
He turned and winked at her. "Catching up."
Kima glanced at Nina."You think we shoul've told her?"
"She will find out soon anyway," he answered, starting the engine.
The car soon left the place, heading home. They were both silent the whole way making sure they didn't wake Nina. The poor girl had been through a lot today, from her auntie dying to witnessing the end of the world.
Nina woke up a few minutes before they arrived. Felix parked the car in front of dilapidated building who was once the home of a big media outlet.
"Voila! This is our base," said Felix after everyone got out of the car."You like it?"
"This place is a dump," Nina muttered, making Felix sad and Kima extremly happy.
"You will change your mind once we go inside," Felix assured her.
He was right. Inside, the building looked almost brand new — clean walls, polished floors, a strange contrast to its decaying exterior. A short staircase led upward, and Nina, curious, took the lead.
But the moment she reached the top hallway, she stopped cold.
At the far end, beneath a wide, dust-smeared window, sat a boy on a wooden bench. His head was bowed, eyes fixed on the floor. He wore baggy clothes that seemed a size too big, and he couldn't have been older than fourteen.
Kima reached the top of the stairs and spotted him instantly.
"What did I tell you about falling asleep here?" she scolded, arms crossed.
"Sorry…" the boy muttered, voice low and distant. "Had a nightmare."
Kima rolled her eyes but wasn't finished. "And where are your manners? We've got a guest, you know."
Only then did he lift his head, slowly, like waking from a dream. His eyes met Nina's.
"Hi," he said with a small, unreadable smile. "I'm Cole."