Margaret and I arrived at the restaurant we had fought in before, the place the grotesque monster had destroyed.
We decided to fix this place first.
Signs were everywhere, each marked with warning tape. Only a few people walked along the street.
We moved past the signs and stepped inside the ruined restaurant.
"This is where we got tricked. That monster was just a fake clone," I said, picking up a broken chair and inspecting it.
Margaret frowned and crossed her arms. "Yeah, after you told us about it, I felt sorry for that lady back then. Now I feel tricked."
"Never mind. I'm going to fix and restore this restaurant now," I said, setting the broken chair back on the floor and standing up straight.
Margaret just gave me a small nod and stepped back to watch.
I closed my eyes and extended my hand, waving it over the shattered floor and broken ceiling as I focused. The place was huge, so this would take a while.
"Aeon Restore!"
My hands glowed with golden light, the energy rippling outward across the broken floor and sharp fragments of glass scattered from the walls.
Golden sparks danced along the cracks, and the broken furniture and shards of glass slowly reformed, returning to their original shapes.
I kept my palms steady, eyes fixed on the task.
[Restoration Progress: 10%… 25%… 44%…]
A notification appeared in front of me. My hands trembled as I struggled to steady them.
As the notification slowly reached 100 percent, the broken tables and chairs reformed. Glass walls repaired themselves, the ceiling lifted back into place, and shattered windows reassembled. The restaurant began to look whole again.
[Restoration Progress: 10%… 25%… 44%… 75%… 100%]
I breathed hard, placing my hands on my knees as my energy drained.
"Are you okay?" Margaret asked, resting a hand gently on my shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's move on to the next one," I said, straightening up and wiping the sweat from my forehead.
Margaret nodded and stepped back, giving me a smile.
We walked outside the building.
As we stepped outside, I looked back. The restaurant stood whole again, just like it had been the day we first came here.
I started walking toward the company car we had borrowed, while Margaret got in and started the engine. I got into the front seat and settled in.
"Where are we heading next?" I asked Margaret, who was sitting beside me as she drove off.
"The clinic we fought at yesterday was far," Margaret said, her hands steady on the steering wheel. "I guess we're heading toward the other broken buildings. Sector 5 has a lot of damaged areas, and that's where we need to go."
As the car drove down the road, a thought struck me, stirring my curiosity.
"So… how does it feel to be bewitched?" I asked, glancing at her.
Margaret didn't look at me. Her eyes stayed on the road, hands gripping the wheel tightly.
"I didn't realize I was bewitched and controlled last night," she said. "It felt like I was in an empty void. I was conscious, but I couldn't move. It was… like my body wasn't mine."
"You don't remember anything else?" I asked, leaning slightly toward her.
"No," she said, glancing at me for a moment before returning her eyes to the road. "Theai told me I was fighting Damian, and especially you. She said you were about to get roasted by me. I'm… sorry about that."
I shook my head and gave a small smile. "No, it's okay. I mean, you couldn't control your body."
Margaret gave a small nod. A quick smile appeared on her face before she looked back at the road ahead. The awkward feeling between us faded.
The car continued down the road, the street crowded with people and cars.
Then we noticed a building ahead. Flames were rising from the upper floors, and thick black smoke curled into the sky. A crowd had gathered below, people shouting and pointing up at the fire.
Margaret tightened her grip on the wheel and slowly brought the car to a stop a short distance away. The engine hummed quietly as we both stepped out.
"It looks bad," I said, scanning the scene. I could feel the heat even from here, and the smoke made it hard to breathe.
"Seems like someone's trapped inside." She waved at the crowd, signaling them to give us some space.
I followed behind her. "How do we get in there quickly?"
"We'll find a way." We stepped into the crowd, moving carefully between the people.
People whispered to one another, glancing our way.
"Look! It's Vice Captain Margaret from the Grim Stalkers!"
"Is that the Grim Stalkers?"
"Isn't that the guy from the news?"
"Agents are here!"
"Make a way!" an unfamiliar voice rang out from behind us.
The crowd quickly parted, creating a wide space. Whispers ran through the crowd, louder this time.
"Is that the Golden Lamp Squad?"
"Vice Captain Alistair is here!"
"The Staircase Queen has arrived!"
"I'm glad the Golden Lamp Squad came!"
My expression shifted. I couldn't blame them. They were popular, and two of their members ranked in the Top 10 Agents.
I glanced toward them as four figures emerged from the crowd—three guys and a lady. They met our gaze and bowed. I gave a small nod in return.
"Luna, can you get us up there?" their Vice Captain asked, tilting his head toward the upper floors of the building.
"Yes," the lady replied, her eyes fixed on the burning building.
The lady extended one hand, moving it gracefully. Colorful lights swirled and danced around her palm, mixing into a whirl of colors. Slowly, a wand materialized in her hand.
She stepped forward, and the crowd immediately began to step back. Raising her wand, she waved it upward.
"Rainbow Passage!"
A surge of rainbow-colored energy shot upward, reaching the burning floor. She waved her wand again, and the rainbow transformed into a staircase of colors, each side edged with silver railings.
The crowd stared in awe. Some applauded, while others covered their mouths in surprise.
I had to admit, it was a beautiful display of magic.
"You must be Ezekiel," the Vice Captain said as he approached, his eyes glancing over me.
"Yes, I am," I replied, standing a little straighter.
"It's nice to meet you. May I borrow Agent Margaret?" he asked.
"Of course!" I said.
Margaret stepped forward, and they nodded to each other.
"We'll go inside the burning floor. Just help the other Agents down here," Margaret said, glancing back at me.
I just nodded.
"Victor, come with us," Vice Captain Alistair said, gesturing toward his companion.
A guy with glasses stepped forward, walking toward us. In one hand, he held a strange, glowing glass bottle.
The three of them activated their gears and moved toward the rainbow staircase.
"They'll be fine. Two Vice Captains are present," a guy said as he approached me.
"I'm Jaspher." He extended his hand.
"I'm Ezekiel," I replied, holding out my hand as we shook firmly.
We let go of each other's hands, and he moved forward, making a circular wave with his hand.
"Gravity Cushion!"
A small cushion pad appeared in his hand. With a swift motion, he threw it forward. The tiny object expanded, transforming into a wide, circular, soft blue cushion on the concrete ground.
He walked back toward me.
"I have a Merchant System," he said. "If you want, you can buy items from me. I've got plenty of useful things in my cart."
I couldn't help but stare at him, not responding.