"Which floor?" Zane's voice cut through the silence, cold as ice, stripped of any warmth.
"Third floor, thank you." Serein answered, her tone hesitant, almost timid, as though afraid he might catch the scent of a Guide lingering on her.
His long, pale fingers extended toward the panel. Frost spread from his fingertip, encasing the button marked with the number three.
On the panel, another number glowed as well. Tenth. The top floor of the building.
The penthouse.
Of course. For an S-rank Hunter, especially one as notorious as Zane, affording such luxury at a young age was no challenge.
The elevator's soft, pleasant melody clashed with the rapid, thunderous beat of rock music pulsing inside Serein's earbuds. The atmosphere inside the cramped steel box thickened, pressing down on her chest.
The light overhead flickered, stuttered, as though the wiring might fail.
Serein's body moved on its own, inching back until her spine pressed hard against the steel wall. Breath caught, shallow in her chest.
He won't notice, right? He can't possibly know she's a Guide…
After her rebirth, she had avoided the CBAA entirely, never taking their ability assessment. Instead, she had spent the last eight years mastering control of her energy flow.
She had fooled citywide levo sensors countless times. There was no way he could see through her now.
That was what she told herself, struggling to steady her breathing.
This was the longest elevator ride of her life. Each second stretched, heavy as a decade.
Zane stood across from her, breath ragged, every inhale sharp, strained, as though some invisible weight crushed his veins.
Levo leaked from him uncontrollably, seeping into the air, dropping the temperature by the second. The elevator was becoming an ice vault.
Ice element, then.
To spill that much raw levo and still not collapse into a Fallen… His self-control was formidable. Yet without a Guide, it was only a matter of time before his mind snapped.
Ting!
The elevator chimed. The doors slid open at the third floor. The doors parted.
Serein didn't wait—she darted out, a blur of motion, her lungs screaming for air. Another second inside and she would've frozen solid.
"Wait."
Zane's voice followed, low and rasping, pinning her steps like chains.
Her body locked stiff. She forced a dry smile, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Y-yes?"
He bent down, picked something up, and extended it toward her.
"Your earbud."
Of course she knew. She had planned to abandon it entirely.
But she smiled anyway, a mask of calm, and plucked the tiny device from his large hand—large, trembling, fighting to restrain its own strength.
The pounding drums in her music matched her heartbeat, wild and unsteady.
She must not touch him. If her skin brushed against a Hunter so close to the edge, he would immediately sense the suppressed levo caged inside her.
"Thank you."
With careful fingers she reclaimed the earbud, then turned sharply away, steps quick, almost running.
Behind her, the elevator doors closed. But the chill of his eyes lingered, burning between her shoulder blades long after she left.
Should she move out?
She had only just settled here. The ink on the contract was barely dry, the debt hanging heavy over her. She couldn't abandon it now, even if she wanted to.
Damn it. If she had known an S-rank Hunter lived here, she never would have signed.
Still, now that she knew, she would have to avoid him at all costs.
*
After washing up, she found herself too drained to cook steak—no appetite left anyway.
Instant noodles would do. Quick, easy, cheap. Except… the cupboard was empty.
The door slammed shut with a clatter of frustration. Serein grabbed her coat. Thankfully, there was a convenience store nearby. She would make it fast, then return home to salvage her evening of peace.
Outside, lightning still cracked across the blackened sky, carrying the acrid tang of iron. The Gate hadn't been sealed yet. Or perhaps… another had already opened.
So much for Hunters enjoying their weekend.
Yet another reminder of why she had abandoned that life. Endless shifts. Endless demands. Never again.
Pulling her coat tight against the night wind, she stepped out.
The store was only five minutes away.
Though still early, the aisles were barren—most people hiding from the storm.
Only a group of kids loitered by the magazine rack, snickering as they flipped through comics without buying.
Serein didn't care. She grabbed several packs of instant noodles, brand names all the same to her. After her past life, every flavor blurred into monotony anyway.
Funny, in a way. She had once been an S-rank Guide, destined for a penthouse and endless luxury. And yet she had chained herself to a penniless A-rank Hunter, bleeding her own life to keep him standing.
Never again.
At the register stood a red-haired boy with piercings glinting at his ear. His jaw moved lazily, chewing gum. His eyes—hard, insolent.
He snapped at the loitering kids: "Hey, no freeloading. If you're not buying, don't read."
They ignored him. Giggled louder.
Clicking his tongue, he turned back to Serein, scanning her items.
"One ninety-nine point eight shards. Cash or transfer?" No greeting, no courtesy. Just words.
"Cash." She replied, too weary to care.
Serein pulled out her wallet, slid two hundred-shard notes across.
The world no longer used dollars or euros. Only shards remained, crystals torn from dungeon cores, polished into currency, more stable than gold had ever been.
"No small change. You'll take mints."
Without waiting for her consent, he tossed a pack of peppermint candy into her bag.
Then left the counter to chase off the kids. "Hey! I said quit reading if you're not buying!"
Serein frowned. It wasn't the two shards that bothered her, it was his attitude.
Whatever. She wouldn't shop here again. Her mood was already low; she wouldn't let this ruin it further.
She picked up the bag and pushed through the glass doors.
A gust of cold wind tore past, scattering dry leaves and choking dust into the night air.
Her body reacted at once. Every nerve alight.
Her gaze lifted.
A Gate.
It yawned open directly before the convenience store, black as a monster's maw, stretching wider by the second, hungering to devour.
And from within seeped a breath she knew all too well.
Orcs.
B-rank monsters.
Serein's skin prickled. Instinct screamed.
Danger.
***
[Official Document – Central Bureau of Awakened Affairs (CABB)]
Gate Classification & Threat Levels
Overview: Gates are dimensional rifts releasing hostile entities. Each is ranked by threat level, dictating the strength and readiness of assigned Awakeners.
Gate Rankings:
- F–D Rank: Low-level threats (e.g., Goblins, Hellhounds). Dangerous to civilians but manageable for trained Awakeners.
- C–B Rank: Mid-tier monsters such as Ogres and Armored Beasts. Require coordinated squads.
- A Rank: High-level threats, intelligent monsters capable of tactics, traps, and command. Demands veteran teams.
- S Rank: Extreme anomalies with boss-class entities. Powers may include environmental manipulation, commanding armies, or anchoring dimensions.
Operational Notes:
- A single A-Rank boss automatically reclassifies the gate as A-Rank.
- S-Rank gates often contain multiple A/S bosses, warped landscapes, or links to the monster dimension.
- All S-Rank gates require immediate, full-force response with Bureau authorization.
Gate Core Anomaly:
Each Gate contains a structural flaw known as the Core. To close the Gate, Awakeners must locate and overload the Core with Levo energy. Non-Awakened civilians cannot enter beyond surface zones; their bodies collapse under dimensional pressure, resulting in vascular rupture and death.
Gate Emergence Patterns:
To date, all documented Gate appearances have occurred exclusively in the sky.
Issued by: Central Bureau of Awakened Affairs (CABB) – Classified
***