Chiaya often passed by the police station, but she'd never had to go inside before. Maybe she would have wanted to for some small mischief. It would be a fun memory to have, but she'd never done anything against the law.
"Hello, officer," Chiaya said politely to the man behind the front desk.. "My friend here is... looking for someone. Could you tell us what we're supposed to do in this kind of situation?"
"Go to that desk," the officer said, pointing toward a man seated nearby.
According to the nameplate on the desk, his name was Cenar. He looked to be middle-aged, the kind of man who'd spent years behind a desk. He was on the phone, and when he noticed them approaching, he held up a finger to signal just a moment before hanging up.
"Yes, how can I help you?" he asked.
"Hello, officer," Chiaya began. "My friend is looking for someone he knows, and we thought maybe you could help."
"Are you here to report a missing person?" Cenar asked.
"Yes," Karan replied immediately.
"No! no, not exactly," Chiaya said quickly, her tone suddenly hesitant. "It's just that my friend doesn't know anyone in this city. He needs help, and… we didn't know what else to do."
"What's your name?" Cenar asked, turning to Karan.
"Karan of the Takran tribe, from the Ashuks."
"What?" Cenar frowned. "I meant your first and last name. Never mind—just give me your ID."
"What is an ID?" Karan asked.
Chiaya pressed her fingers to her forehead. "Look, officer, this man doesn't know anyone here. He doesn't even really know who he is. He's looking for someone named Elara Vardal, and I thought she might be family. That's why I brought him here."
Cenar leaned back with a sigh. "Miss, what do you think this place is? You can't just walk in here, give us a name, and expect us to hand over someone's private information. Especially when the person asking is… dressed like this. That would be a breach of confidentiality. All I can do is check if there's a missing persons report that matches his profile."
"Oh, that would actually be amazing!" Chiaya turned to Karan. "What do you think, Karan?"
But Karan was already gone—he had reached the station's exit.
Chiaya turned back to Cenar. "I'm so sorry," she muttered, then ran after him. "Karan! Hey, wait!"
He had stormed out, and she caught up just outside, grabbing his arm. She was out of breath.
Karan spun around and gripped her shoulders. His eyes burned with anger, and when he spoke, his voice hit her like a blade.
"This isn't going to work, Chiaya. Not even you believe me! Thank you for everything you have done, but I have to find another way. I'm leaving."
"Where?" she asked..
"I don't know." His hands slipped from her shoulders. The anger had drained from his face. Now, he just looked… tired. Sad.
It would have been easier for Chiaya to let him go. But the thought of abandoning someone in this state—someone who has no one else—would haunt her forever.
"Karan, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Everything you've told me sounds impossible… but I want to understand. I'm sorry for making you feel worse. Can you please calm down… just a little?"
Karan didn't say anything, but the shift in his eyes made it clear he was calmer now.
"I'm going to ask you something," Chiaya said. "To be honest, I've been thinking I might be going a little crazy too since last night. The… the gate you passed through to get here from your realm—can you describe it to me? What did it look like?"
Karan took a deep breath.
"You saw it too. Why are you asking? To call me insane again?"
"Uuugh, just tell me, will you!"
"It looked like a white, rectangular light," Karan said, "with waves of blue and purple moving through it. That's what I saw as I passed through. But I don't know if it looked the same from this side."
He studied Chiaya's face, curious to see how she would react. From what he'd gathered, soul power wasn't something people in her world used. It might feel overwhelming—even suffocating—for her. And so, Karan tried to understand her, too.
Chiaya held her head in both hands and didn't say a word. Her mind felt like it was about to explode and scatter in every direction.
The light Karan described—it was exactly what she'd seen the night she encountered him.
Her mind was trying to bring out its rational side once again.
After all, she had passed out almost instantly and hadn't been able to look around long enough to understand where the light had come from. But one thing she couldn't explain—Karan hadn't been anywhere a moment before, and then suddenly, he had stepped out of that light.
Maybe she hadn't been hallucinating.
Maybe the light had just been some kind of optical illusion, and she'd failed to notice Karan approaching from the street.
She didn't know, and for now she put those thoughts aside. Her priority was to understand the man standing in front of her—and help him.
At least until they found this "Elara" person, she would speak in his language.
"You still don't believe me, do you?" Karan asked.
"I don't… I wish I could, Karan, but my mind works this way, and it's very hard for me to change that. That doesn't mean I'm not trying to help you. I will try to understand and help you, just let me…" Karan remained silent. His expression showed he was torn between giving up on Chiaya and holding on to hope.
"Come on," Chiaya said. "Let's go somewhere quiet to talk. Besides, I'm starving, and I can't think straight when I'm hungry."
Karan hadn't thought about his own hunger until that moment. He nodded in agreement. Even if Chiaya couldn't help him find Elara, this might be a chance to get some information about how to keep his stomach full. A little food might also help him make some sensible decisions.
Just as they were about to leave, someone called out.
"Chiaya! Hey! Chiaya!"