DARIA — CAPITAL
Carnage Crescent Street
Low-hovering orbs drifted through the air above the street, moving in slow, controlled patterns.
They weren't random. Each one followed a fixed route, serving as part of the city's monitoring system. Their faint glow reflected off shop windows and polished stone.
Carnage Crescent Street was crowded. Being close to the central market meant there was constant movement—vendors calling out prices, carts loaded with goods rolling past, and groups of people weaving through the traffic with practiced ease.
The noise was steady, but not chaotic.
It was simply a routine the city had grown accustomed to.
Zira walked slightly behind the others, her hands clasped together.
"Do you think leaving Phobos at school was a good idea?" she asked again. "We should have woken him up."
Aristo didn't look back.
"He'll be fine. He knows his way home."
Zira adjusted her glasses, still uneasy.
"That's not the point."
Hesper tilted her head back and took a drink from her bottle.
"At least things are calming down. The people who had Soulrot are recovering. I heard most of them are already awake. I thought the virus was going to spread."
Cassandra glanced at her.
"It wasn't a disease or a virus."
Hesper lowered the bottle.
"What do you mean?"
"It didn't spread naturally," Cassandra continued. "From what I heard, people were abducted from multiple states. The rest were affected indirectly."
She paused.
"It wasn't mind control, either. From what I overheard my mom saying, it was called soul manipulation. Somehow, their souls and wills were locked within their bodies. That's what caused the outbreak."
Hesper frowned.
"They didn't say any of that."
"They wouldn't," Cassandra replied. "If people hear about abductions, they panic. Panic spreads faster than anything. It's easier to call it an illness and keep control."
Aristo nodded slightly.
"Ariancams have been deployed everywhere. That's why things look stable, and people feel safer."
Zira exhaled slowly.
"Still... I don't like leaving Phobos behind like that. What if he wakes up and no one is there?"
Cassandra shrugged.
"Once he's awake, he can either sleep there or walk home. Simple. Besides, it's probably best that he didn't wake up."
Zira looked like she wanted to argue again, but she didn't.
They walked a little farther before Cassandra slowed down.
"This is your stop."
Hesper and Zira turned toward a two-story building at the corner.
A metal sign hung above the entrance, slightly tilted. The place was clearly a bar, even during the day.
"See you later," Hesper said, waving as she pushed the door open.
Zira followed after giving a brief glance back.
Cassandra and Aristo continued walking.
After a few seconds, Aristo spoke.
"Have you seen their uncle?"
Cassandra shook her head.
"No. The first time I saw Hesper, I was on that rooftop over there."
Aristo glanced in that direction.
"Yeah, I remember that day. She cut a man's hand off."
Cassandra stopped walking.
"...How do you know that?"
Aristo met her gaze calmly.
"Dad told us to find you. So we did."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
Cassandra held his gaze for a moment longer, then turned and continued walking.
---
MYSTIC LYTHORIA
Phobos shifted slightly, then opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was the silence.
He slowly sat up, blinking.
"...Where is everyone?"
The classroom was empty.
The chairs were pushed in. There were no bags, no voices, and no signs that anyone was still around.
He looked around again.
"This isn't my class."
He rubbed his face, trying to piece things together.
"I went to the library... just to rest."
He stood up and stretched his arms slightly.
"...And I fell asleep."
He stepped into the hallway.
It was quiet there too.
"So classes are over."
He walked to his actual classroom, picked up his bag, and slung it over his shoulder.
"They didn't even bother waking me up. What's the point of having a senior sister and a younger brother if they can't help out with little things?"
There was no frustration in his tone, just a flat observation.
He left the building and stepped onto the street.
"I'm tired of walking already. I need to get home. All this walking is making me sleepy."
---
MINUTES LATER
"Stop her! Thief!"
The shout cut through the normal noise of the street.
Heads turned immediately.
A girl ran past, fast enough to draw Phobos's attention but controlled enough not to collide with anyone.
She moved like she knew exactly where to step.
"She was just here!" someone shouted.
"She disappeared again!"
Phobos slowed slightly, watching.
The girl turned into a narrow space between two buildings. The gap was barely wide enough for one person.
Phobos followed at a normal pace.
Inside, the girl stopped and adjusted her appearance, pulling her hair forward and steadying her breathing.
"Invisible... I love that technique. It was quite nice and fun, but useless since she could see me clearly. Cassandra..."
She turned immediately.
"How's he able to see me? I should be invisible to the naked eye. Doesn't that mean he already mastered that technique?"
She said it to herself, her expression tightening.
Phobos stood at the other end of the narrow passage between the two buildings.
He tossed a folded piece of paper toward her.
She caught it and looked down.
Her eyes narrowed as she glanced back up at him.
"Mystic Lythoria," she said, noticing his uniform. "You people don't have to worry about anything. You're probably rich, with no problems in life. You don't have to work for anything. Everything you want gets handed to you on a silver platter."
Phobos didn't react.
"That's not relevant."
She unfolded the paper.
There were two posters.
One was a wanted poster of her.
The other was a missing-person poster.
"...That's you," he said. "You left the orphanage."
Her grip tightened around the papers.
"Who the hell are you to lecture me?" she snapped.
The wind blew through her yellow hair, and she quickly held it in place.
She moved instantly.
She turned around, but the ground suddenly rose, forming a wall and blocking the path she had come from.
There was only one way left.
Forward.
And Phobos was standing in her way.
That's earth. He already mastered earth.
He's from a wealthy school. Fighting him head-on would be a problem.
All I can do is run away from him. Keep my distance.
I wonder how far his detection goes.
She thought for a moment.
"If you won't come to me, then I'll go to you instead."
The wall began moving forward.
She didn't hesitate.
She ran straight toward him, then jumped.
"I expected that," Phobos said.
But in midair, her movement shifted unnaturally.
She redirected herself downward toward a side opening.
Phobos paused briefly.
"...That shouldn't be possible."
He didn't chase immediately.
Instead, he extended his detection.
The girl ran until her breathing became uneven.
Am I out of range for now? That should be far enough.
"You're not."
She froze.
Phobos was already standing beside her.
She ran again.
Every time she changed direction, he was already there before she could fully stop.
Her movements became less controlled.
She turned a corner too quickly and collided with someone.
"I'm sorry!"
Alexandra caught her before she fell.
"Are you alright?"
The girl immediately stepped behind Alexandra.
"Yes," she said quickly. "He's been following me. I already told him I'm not interested, but he wouldn't leave me alone."
Now this should be interesting.
She smiled.
Phobos walked toward them, unhurried.
"Phobos," Alexandra said, "what are you doing out here?"
"I overslept," he replied.
She nodded once.
"That explains it. Cassandra and Aristo left you behind. You shouldn't sleep so much anymore."
She scolded him lightly.
"Yes, ma'am."
The girl looked between them.
She knows him. That's great. I need to get out of here.
She tried to run away.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Alexandra grabbed her.
"Phobos isn't the kind of guy who stalks girls. I don't think he even has any female friends apart from that one girl and her sister. All he basically does is sleep."
She paused.
"He sleeps and eats all day. Everything feels stressful to him. Would I call that laziness? Though, he's lazy, I'll give you that. But he's strong too."
"Thanks for the assessment of my whole life."
Alexandra smiled slightly.
"So, why are you chasing her?"
"She ran away from the orphanage. A group of people was also chasing her, so I was only lending a hand. That's all. But she thought I was stalking her, so she kept running."
The girl stayed silent.
Alexandra turned to her.
"Is that true?"
The girl didn't answer.
That was enough.
Alexandra looked back at Phobos.
"I'll handle it from here. You can go home."
He nodded once.
"Alright."
He turned and left without another word.
The girl watched him disappear into the crowd.
He didn't mention the stealing.
She smiled.
Alexandra placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.
"You're coming with me."
There was no force in her voice, but there was no room for argument either.
This time, the girl didn't run.