Moments earlier.
Bathed in the light of the setting sun, the captain had given Anthony permission to walk around the city.
Lifting her foot from the last step of the staircase and reaching the second floor, Laylla raised a hand to her forehead and glanced back, as if just realizing what she'd done.
Wait. Was I even allowed to let him go?
Well, I guess so. He already signed the squad's contract anyway, so even if he tries to run, we just tell Jay. Then again, Tom could end up getting himself killed…
It had only been a day since the rookie joined the squad, and given the suspicions that he might be a spy or infiltrator, it probably wasn't the best idea to let him wander around town alone. Still, the contract had a clause preventing him from leaving Moonlight so easily — and that was enough for her to relax.
Her stomach growled.
"Forget it. Food's more important." She rubbed her belly and sighed.
Step by step, Laylla walked away from the stairs and through the door into the kitchen.
Inside the space with several rectangular wooden tables, two people were seated at one of them.
One of them, a man with tanned skin, scruffy facial hair, and wrinkles trying to spread across his forehead, wasn't wearing his usual white apron and cap. He was the first to notice her — Snow, the cook.
"Captain…" he greeted with a nod.
Laylla curved her lips in response.
Facing Snow but with his back to her, another man — pale-skinned, tall, wearing an elegant vest — kept a straight posture that highlighted both his height and his composure.
Here we go again… Come to demand explanations?The mission failed. There's nothing more to say. Laylla frowned, but only Snow saw her expression, since the other man's back was turned.
"Yuki…" she sighed as she passed by the refined, red-haired man standing in front of Snow.
"You came at a good time, Laylla. We were just talking about the new guy who joined the squad," replied Yuki — the "bat" —turning his head slightly toward her.
Again? Geez, has Tom become the center of the universe or something?
"Ah," was all she said aloud — far simpler than her thoughts.
Snow quickly stood to serve the mercenary captain a plate of food, while Laylla sat where Snow had been before. The cook soon returned, setting down a plate with red bread slices, spicy sevag sauce, and pineapple rings.
Snow resumed his seat.
Laylla barely had time to savor her first bite, noticing both men across the table staring at her in silence, clearly waiting for her to speak.
Swallowing a piece of bread, she sighed.
"Alright. So? What were you saying about Tom?"
"He said he saw the Hand… Which is definitely not something common," Snow replied, rubbing the hand he'd burned on the oven earlier.
Laylla turned her head, her face neutral.
"Uh-huh… And this 'Hand', isn't it treated like some kind of 'god' or something?" She took another bite of bread, deliberately steering away from the topic.
"Yes, that's true. The Hand is a higher being, and there's even a religion in the Empire that worships it as the God of Gods," Yuki said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
Laylla didn't respond. Both men turned their gazes toward her, but she kept eating, but she simply kept eating, as if they weren't there.
"Maybe Tom is an Ascendant, since he said the Hand gave him 'a new chance at life'," Snow continued. "And he seems respectful when it comes to religion."
He remembered the times Anthony waited patiently for him to finish his prayer to the Violet Maiden before eating.
Yuki's crimson eyes fixed on Snow, but he didn't reply.
"True. While we were training, he asked me what hods were," Laylla said casually, still chewing.
Yuki almost frowned but restrained himself.
Snow covered his mouth and let out a raspy cough.
"A mage who doesn't know what hods are?" he muttered, barely suppressing a laugh.
Seeing Laylla wasn't about to answer, Yuki took the lead.
"If he's an Ascendant, he should know that. But if he's a spy or an agent from another kingdom, pretending to be clueless doesn't make sense either." He furrowed his brow this time. "Do you think he has anything to do with the prophecy of the Changing Winds?"
"No… I still think it's Princess Emily," Snow said, shaking his head.
Laylla ignored it, looking away.
"That's if we're even right in interpreting the prophecy as referring to an Ascendant's arrival," Yuki sighed, leaning back.
Laylla finished her bread and gestured for Snow to bring her more food.
As Snow collected her plate, Yuki continued,
"I need you to tell me exactly what happened during the mission, Laylla."
As the cook collected her plate, Yuki resumed.
"Laylla."
"Hm?" She adjusted her tunic briefly.
Can't this wait? she muttered internally.
"What exactly happened during the mission in the Kingdom of Darcus?"
"Hm." She straightened her tunic. "The plan was to enter the castle during the guard shift, grab the princess, and get out."
"And what went wrong?"
"Well… I got a message from Jay's raven — said the Ascendant would come from chaos, and that this 'chaos' might be linked to the Icaos organization. So we split up. Malivor and the others went to the castle while I went to investigate their base in Tánoa." She exhaled sharply after finishing.
Snow returned with a bowl of khella soup.
Before Yuki could respond, Laylla continued.
"Malivor, Akeno, and Kenji fought the guards — and some people from the SYNC squad. Anthony showed up in the middle of it all, but in the end, the princess was taken by SYNC squad."
Yuki leaned forward slightly, fingers interlaced, saying nothing.
Seeing that the tallest of the three remained silent and pensive, Laylla resumed eating.
"Mr. Yuki, do you think they knew about the prophecy too?" Snow asked through a yawn.
"Yes. They did," Yuki said, narrowing his eyes. "But it couldn't have been all of SYNC's members, otherwise Akeno, Kenji, and Malivor would've died. Even Malivor wouldn't have been able to stand against their commander. So it's likely only part of SYNC was there, and they weren't certain the prophecy referred to the princess."
The same thought crossed the minds of both listeners.
Makes sense.
Several seconds passed without anyone speaking.
Breaking the silence, Yuki stood, his crimson eyes gleaming faintly.
"I need to head back. Confirm whether Tom is really an Ascendant or just a mage."
Snow nodded respectfully, while Laylla simply rested her head on her hand.
A shadow-like mantle unfolded from Yuki's back, his form shrinking until only a small bat remained. It flapped its wings and disappeared out of the kitchen window, leaving Moonlight's HQ behind.
"What is the Hand again, Laylla?" Snow couldn't resist laughing.
"Don't start, Snow…" she said, rolling her eyes upward.
"It's prophetic."
"Stupid prophecy… Bring me another bowl of khella." She pushed her plate toward him.
He said nothing more — only stood, serving her again while letting out occasional chuckles.
…
Back to Anthony, at the Bell Tavern.
Noticing the darkness creeping over the streets and sky outside, Anthony remembered he should probably head back to the squad's headquarters before morning.
Judging by the lively crowd that had cheered his fight with Banjur, the drinking would probably last until sunrise.
After asking several times, someone finally returned his shirt — still damp from the well.
As he prepared to leave, a deep, calm voice reached his ears.
"For defeating Banjur, your first round's always on the house when you come here."
The bearded Ouden wiped his hands on a cloth slung over his shoulder.
"Thanks," Anthony replied, slightly raising his brows but accepting kindness without fuss.
He stepped out through the wooden gate and started retracing his path.
The first thing he did was glance at the Golden Bread Bakery.
Still closed. No lights.
Yeah… guess they're not opening today. I'll come back another time.
At a crossroad, he noticed the street signs — once dull gray — now glowing faintly in a magenta hue, lighting up the road ahead. Every street he passed shimmered with the same strange glow.
Weird.
As he walked further, another detail caught his attention — something that hadn't been there earlier.
Dozens, maybe hundreds, of bats soared through the night, their black wings slicing across the moonlight.
His first instinct was to tense up, skin crawling at the sound of flapping wings and sharp clicks echoing above.
But when he glanced around, no one else seemed bothered. People carried on calmly, as if it were completely normal.
Minutes later, Anthony spotted the old limestone cathedral with its colorful stained glass — the same place where he'd met the priest earlier.
About a few meters from the great open doors, a booming voice of fire and faith filled the air.
"…For the shame of our sins, He withdrew His sight. Yet in mercy, He forgave the pure of heart, and with the scales of justice, He punished the oppressors."
At the pulpit before countless flickering candles stood a broad-shouldered priest with brown hair — Father Abel.
"Now I tell you, brothers and sisters — the weighing is over! The sentence will soon begin!" he thundered.
The vast cathedral had many empty pews, but still more than a hundred people filled the hall — families, couples, lone men and women — all listening intently.
"Repent, and seek the balance taught through the Lord's word, that you may not perish on the day of sentence!"
"He is merciful, granting us time to rise from ignorance. Great is the Lord of balance and justice! Praise the Blind One!" Abel roared.
With his call, the crowd raised their hands or knelt, chanting in unison:
"Praised be the Blind One!"
"Praise be the Great Blind!"
"Blessed be the Justice Lord!"
Ugh… I was almost thinking of joining that sermon, but seeing this? No thanks. Anthony grimaced at the sight.
On Earth, Anthony's parents were deeply religious, and he'd been raised under that weight.
For a time, he didn't mind it — but as he grew older, the rules and dogmas began to clash with his own desires and way of thinking.
Those conflicts led to countless arguments with his parents through adolescence, until religion became something he preferred to avoid entirely.
Not disbelief — just exhaustion.
Still, he respected those who held faith.
Turning away from the cathedral, he made his way back toward Moonlight HQ.
The metal door creaked open, and before it even closed, three serious faces greeted him.
Laylla. Malivor. Fox.
Anthony straightened his posture under their gazes, closing the door behind him.
What did I do this time?
"So the slacker's an Ascendant, huh?" Malivor sneered.
What? Anthony frowned and pointed at himself.
Fox gestured to an open door down the hall, silently ordering him inside.
Only then did Anthony realize — it was the same interrogation room from before.
No way. I will be Interrogated again?
"Wait, Captain, I don't know what I did, but there's no need to tie me up or question me again," he said quickly, showing his palms.
"Tom, just go in," Fox replied.
Damn it.
Clenching his jaw, Anthony stepped past Laylla and Malivor into the stone-walled room. The same rickety table and chairs waited, with a single candle burning weakly.
He sat on one side. Laylla sat opposite, while Malivor and Fox stood on either side of her.
Malivor was about to speak when Laylla's glare silenced him.
Anthony considered saying something — but since he had no idea why he was there, he stayed quiet.
Laylla's dark eyes fixed on him.
"Are you an Ascendant, Tom?" she asked, casually placing a dagger on the table.
"No, I—" The pressure in the room made him respond on instinct, then paused to think.
I don't have any special powers… but what about the hall… and the Hand in the tornado?
He hadn't given much thought to last night's "fantastic" experience — he'd been too busy all day and almost hadn't felt anything unusual since.
Am I stupid or just forgetful?
Yeah. Veyrael welcomed me to 'The Superiors and Ascendants Yard'.
Ascendants. That was the key word.
"Captain, what exactly is an Ascendant?" he asked.
"So, you really are one," Fox said, folding her arms.
"Of course he is," Malivor cut in. "He used hods in his fight against Banjur — and even beat him. After losing twice, sure, but he won."
They were both severing their own concusions.
Laylla froze for a second, her eyes flicking toward the green-eyed young man wearing a violet shirt, then back to Anthony. Her lips parted slightly in what seemed half disbelief, half amusement.
"You… beat the well monster, Banjur, in a fight?" She chuckled faintly. "How'd you manage that?"
Yes, minutes earlier Malivor had told her about Anthony's "feat" in the pit, and how the strength he used against the burly fighter had been unusual for someone like him, as well as the impression that for a moment he had become "faster".
"I just used one of the walls for leverage and knocked him down," Anthony said simply, glancing between the three to gauge their reactions.
Fox turned away, uninterested.
Malivor leaned against the stone wall.
Laylla tapped a nail against her teeth, her lips curving into a small, satisfied smirk.
"Tsk. So he used hods for strength — to push Banjur in a close fight. Right, Malivor?"
"Yeah. Seems like it."
Feeling the tension ease, Anthony asked,
"Captain, Malivor, Fox — what exactly are hods? And what's an Ascendant?"
Of course he wanted to know — if he did, maybe he could return to that great hall with the floating table as soon as possible.
Fox turned her head, ready to explain.
"According to science, hods are particles found in almost everything — even living beings. Wait, you do know what science is, right?"
What?! Was that on purpose?
"Yes, I know what science is," Anthony muttered.
" Right, you're the scholarly type." she teased, uncrossing her arms and placing a hand on her hip."Anyway, hods are like atoms, but magical. Even though they're everywhere, only about one in a thousand people can manipulate them. Those who can are called mages."
Fox paused, glancing at Laylla and Malivor. Neither said a word.
Anthony tilted his head slightly, thinking.
"So everything has magic, but not everyone can use it?"
"A fair assumption, though there are exceptions," Fox nodded.
Oh, yes, there had to be exceptions, but whatever.
"And an Ascendant?" Anthony scratched his neck.
At that, a chair scraped harshly against the floor. The woman who had been sitting in it stood, grabbed her dagger, and gripped it so tightly it almost snapped.
"Captain Laylla?" Anthony asked.
"Training's at the same time tomorrow," she said curtly, storming off.
Of course, Anthony tilted his head, confused, but decided to let it go. Malivor and Fox didn't even move — it was a normal reaction for her.
"Among mages, there's a group with extraordinary abilities — those who seek to surpass mortality itself. It's said they're granted power directly by the gods," Fox explained, sitting down and clasping her hands. "Those mages are called Ascendants."
"Ascendents are mages whose power are granted… by the gods." Anthony sighed.
Religion again. Great.
Alright then — Veyrael must be a god. And that being in the tornado too.
Now with context, his mind began forming theories, but he decided to leave it for later.
"Do you believe in any god, Tom?" Fox asked calmly.
"Uh… I think so, yeah. But I don't follow any religion."
It seemed fate just wouldn't let him escape that topic.
"Laylla doesn't believe in them," Malivor said from the wall.
So that's why she left like that.
"Alright then, which god granted you power?" Malivor asked.
Both he and Fox leaned in with curiosity.
"A hand."
"Yeah, but what about the rest of the body?" Malivor joked, palms raised.
"I… couldn't see the rest,"
It wasn't a complete lie — the rest of the figure had been swallowed by a tornado of mist. He just didn't want to say too much and end up in another awkward situation.
Since arriving in this world, trouble seemed to cling to him.
"Then it hid itself too? How bold," Malivor scoffed.
Too? Anthony's mind caught on the word.
"Wait— 'too'?"
"Yeah!" Malivor grinned, laughter echoing through the room.
"Ugh," Fox sighed.
With a wide step, Malivor stopped beside the wooden table, baring his teeth in excitement.
Anthony tensed his shoulders slightly as their gazes met.
Malivor's eyes now gleamed with a burning crimson light that drowned out their natural green.
"Of course," he said. "I'm an Ascendant too."