CHAPTER 3:PRINCE
The vehissel hurtled forward, the city blurring into a smear of smoke and motion behind them.
Inside,
the youngman—shirtless,barefoot, and grinning like a wolf in heat—was already slouched across from Siah, panting lightly, eyes bright with mischief and adrenaline.
"Name's Stetto,"
he said, breath catching up with his mouth.
"And thanks for opening the door back there, friend. Real kind of you."
Siah said nothing.
Stetto extended a hand, palm smudged with oil.
Siah stared at it.Didn't move.Didn't blink.Just stared.
"Ah,"
Stetto chuckled, drawing his hand back with a dramatic wave.
"You're one of those grim fellas, huh? Worried where it's been?"
He slapped his bare chest.
"Relax. I'm mostly disease-free. Probably."
Siah's brow twitched, but he still said nothing. His eyes flicked to the rear window instead, watching the city unravel behind them.
Then—
BANG.
The entire vehissel lurched.
Metal screamed under sudden weight. Overhead, the roof dented inward with a loud, sickening thud.
"Shit," Siah breathed.
"Ah," Stetto sighed, as if mildly inconvenienced. "He's persistent."
The driver screamed, jerking the wheel as the vehissel swerved hard, almost clipping a food cart.
"Why didn't you tell me he's an Imprinter?!"
His voice cracked under panic as the control panel sparked wildly, a blue light flashing CRITICAL STRAIN DETECTED in multiple languages.
"I'm getting you both the hell out of my vehissel!"
From above, pounding—like thunder with a rhythm. Fists or boots hammering into the vehissel.Each hit weighed heavier.
The floating stabilizers began to drag, scraping against the cobbled street below.
Sparks erupted in bursts beneath them.
Siah clenched the seat.
Stetto leaned back, arms folded behind his head.
"Guess he's mad,"
he said lightly.
"Kinda hard to tell with these Crew officers."
The vehissel tilted again, drifting sideways for half a second before the driver corrected.
"YOU BROUGHT A CREW SERVICE MAN IMPRINTER ONTO MY VEHISSEL,"
the driver shouted, voice wild with fury and fear.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL THE DAMAGES HE HAS CAUSED!"
BOOM.
Stetto looked at Siah, eyes glinting as the roof of the vehissel groaned, the metal above them beginning to split with a wrenching screech.
"Friend, I can smell cheap Hue on you,"
he said with a grin, teeth white against the grime on his face.
"How about you lend me some help? I swear—I'll repay you when we're out of danger."
Siah's expression hardened.
"Driver! Stop the vehissel. Open the hatch and hand this lunatic over."
But before the driver could react, Stetto leaned in, voice low and urgent.
"You're already tied to this. You refused to cooperate with a Crew Officer."
Siah's breath caught. The weight of his mother's words, of the morning's quiet promise, pressed down on him like a slab of stone.
And yet… now I do.
He slumped in his seat, thoughts spinning into despair.
I'm sorry, Ma.
This idiot just cost me Crew County.
My life is ruined.
CRACK.
The roof buckled. Sparks rained down.In the chaos, Stetto leaned into Siah's ear.
"Do something!"
Siah snapped.
With a guttural roar, he lunged forward, both hands clamping around Stetto's throat.
"You ruined my life!"
he shouted, fingers tightening.
"I waited my whole life for this day! You—you show up half-naked—laughing—chased—and now I'm gonna be branded a criminal?! I did everything right!"
Stetto clawed at Siah's wrists, gasping, face flushing.
"I—I left… my Ract Stone… back at the officer's house,"
he rasped.
"I can't… do much…"
Siah shoved him away, panting, every vein burning with rage.He sank into his seat, fists trembling, trying to breathe. In. Out.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…Conjecture. Manifest."
A red light ignited beside him—dim at first, then rising in intensity. A cube, the size of a clenched fist, floated beside his shoulder. Its glow cast eerie shadows across the cramped interior.
Then—the roof tore completely free.
Wind howled through the opening.
Siah didn't hesitate.
He reached out, grabbed Stetto's arm, and in a blinding burst of crimson light, the cube flared.
The driver and service man cried out, shielding their eyes.
Siah's arm twisted unnaturally. Veins blackened. Acid oozed from his palm.
With a hiss, the vehissel's side door melted, slumping into slag.
They fell.
Tumbled out of the burning vehicle and rolled across the dirt and cobble. Stetto coughed beside him, dazed.
"Hey—that's mine! How did you—how did you?"
But Siah's voice was faint, his skin pale, breath shallow.
"…used up all my Hue," he murmured.
The cube's glow faded to nothing.