I sat with my back straight and my spear resting on my legs.
My shirt was full of sand and my mouth tasted like dust and adrenaline.
Across the desk, a man in a black uniform stared at me with dead grey eyes.
His nameplate said Director Steve.
"You were found unconscious at the entrance to an ancient heritage monument," he spoke in a stern voice, then continued after drawing in a deep breath.
"Yet you say you have no clue how you appeared at the entrance and every witness statement is false."
I gave my best harmless smile. "Correct."
He kept staring at me.
My ribs still hurt from whatever had happened down there. I could not even look at the walls for too long.
"State your name," he said flatly. "Aurel," I replied.
He glared for a moment. "State your full name."
I hesitated but concluded that giving away my family name might do me some favours since he was probably just trying to confirm if I was lying, considering it was on my gate pass too.
"Aurel Noxqik Wryozz."
His eyes twitched for a moment, slipping through his calm façade as he flipped through the paper files. "Our investigation says you purchased a teleportation device for four million from a trader yesterday."
I laughed once, mostly because I did not know what else to say, and because he was correct, though I bought that device because someone in my family insisted I bring one for them.
"Sir, if I had four million, I would be drinking juice on a different planet, not teleporting in sand."
His stare sharpened and…
I tried to joke. "And I bet you have trained that soul-piercing glare for years, haven't you?"
His lips lifted slightly. "Your personality is trash."
I smiled wider. "I get that a lot. Though it was a good try. It is not that my personality is trash, I just happen to have different personalities for different people."
He chose to ignore my taunt, tapping his table. "Were you carrying a weapon back then too?" he interrogated.
I thought for a second. "Only an old spear I picked up from a trader. It is a souvenir."
"You are aware that carrying weapons within five hundred metres of protected sites is illegal… regardless of your ignorance."
"I am aware now," I said.
"I think sending a letter to your family's residence will be enough."
My jaw tightened, it was worse than I had expected.
I kept my voice light. "That seems a little rude for a misunderstanding, doesn't it?"
He looked up slowly, meeting my gaze.
"You brought a spear near an ancient monument. You were found unconscious and offer no clear explanation. Be grateful I am not sending you for psychic evaluation."
Right then, the door opened and Han shuffled in, followed by the pyramid guide. Director Steve merely raised his eyes in question.
"Either of you know this man?"
Han gave me a quick, guilty look. "He just asked me to accompany and assist him with completing his under-progress project. I believed he did not have any ill intentions."
The guide tightened his arms across his chest.
"He told us he followed no faith at all and asked too much. I suspected him from the start."
Director Steve raised his brows in suspicion.
"And yet," I cut in with a gentle smile, "you took my money for a private tour without hesitation."
The guide's eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Enough." Director Steve stood. "Punishment stands. Inform the residence of the ruckus caused. Merit fine of ten million Orz. You may leave now."
I stood up slowly, spear in hand, head still buzzing.
Ten million.
I could barely afford lunch these days. This was bad, though not as bad as what was under the pyramid.
I walked out without looking back, pretending I still had control.
I left the Bureau building with the spear still in hand, only to notice something I could swear wasn't there before: a faint emblem carved near its base.
"Was that… always there?"
I muttered, a cold twist running through my stomach. I didn't remember it, and yet something about it scraped at the back of my mind unpleasantly.
This wasn't the place to investigate. First, I needed to get back to my continent and figure out what I had accidentally dragged home with me.
After that, Han and that guide would be getting a visit.
A short walk brought me to the nearest Teleportation Hub, a sleek building divided into routes, each leading to a different continent.
I handed over my gate pass to a bored-looking receptionist, since she could not access my details without it due to the unique I.P arrangement required to flash my identity.
She scanned it, raised a brow at the ten-million fine flashing across the screen, and gave me a half-disgusted, half-impressed look.
"You are still allowed to travel. Do not push your luck. Route SE-143."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said.
I passed through security and made my way to the portal leading back to my home continent, a tall arch spilling pale light across the floor.
I wrapped my fingers tighter around the spear, trying not to think about the emblem still pressing against my palm.
Back home, then.
I stepped through the arch , the light wrapped around my skin, pulling me forward like a hooked fish, and for half a breath everything went white.
Then the glow peeled back.
Vornis continent, quorath kingdom Sweqo City
Right where I'd hoped I'd land.
The city's heart: wide cobbled stone, a fountain in the centre sculpted into some heroic figure nobody actually remembered, rings of shops and admin buildings surrounding it like gossiping relatives.
It was raining.
Hard, too, silver sheets of water coming down sideways as though the sky itself was irritated. People dotted around the plaza were unfazed.
Each citizen calmly changed the behaviour of the particles in their air, turning them solid into faint bubble shields so the raindrops bounced off harmlessly.
I didn't bother.
Instead, I walked straight through it , letting myself get soaked, hair sticking to my forehead, shirt clinging to my chest .
The cold felt welcoming after everything that had happened.
Halfway toward the residential street, I spotted a familiar figure up ahead.
Finn.
Except today, he was dragging a shovel behind him… and it was smeared dark with something that looked very much like blood.
He didn't see me.
My steps slowed anyway.