Kira folded her arms as the group fell silent. “We’ve done all we can here. Clean up, bury the body, and call it a night.”
Claus nodded. “The area needs to be cleared before people show up. We can’t risk rumors spreading until we know more.”
Without waiting for input, Kira turned around and slowly headed back to her hover car, Claus followed closely beside.
“Make sure to report any further disturbances to the guilds,” Claus said over his shoulder.
As their figures faded into the darkness, Seth stepped closer to Zane and Brielle, his smirk as sharp as ever.
“Tell me,” he drawled, “are you two thinking what I’m thinking?”
Brielle’s lips twitched into a grin. “For once, Seth, I think I actually am.”
Zane crossed his arms, his expression a touch of determination and defiance. “We’re investigators. Our pride… and our duty… won’t let us just let this go.”
Seth chuckled, clapping Zane on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, my friend. What’s life without a little reckless curiosity, huh?”
Brielle sighed, but her grin widened. “You mean, what’s life without getting ourselves killed? Perhaps fired for disobeying orders from a member of the board?”
Zane adjusted the brim of his hat, his jaw tightening. “This isn’t just about curiosity. If there’s really a monster behind this, we need to know more. If Claus and Kira think they can figure it out on their own, fine, but we’ve got skills they don’t.”
“Exactly,” Seth agreed. “Besides, it’s not like they told us not to follow them.”
Brielle raised an eyebrow. “Pretty sure the whole ‘stay alive and out of the way’ bit was implied.”
Seth waved her off. “Details. So, we’re doing this?”
Zane and Brielle exchanged glances before nodding.
“Then let’s move before we lose them,” Zane said, already stepping in the direction Kira and Claus had gone.
Seth stretched his arms before sliding his bandaged hands into his pockets, a devil-like grin spreading across his face. “Lead the way, fearless leader,” he said, nodding toward Zane.
Just as they began to move, Seth paused suddenly and turned to the remaining officials. “Oh, and you lot,” he called out, his grin still on his face, “make sure you finish up here. Give Mr. Virgin over there a proper burial, yeah?”
The officials exchanged uneasy glances but nodded reluctantly. Seth gave them a mock salute before turning back to his companions. “Goodnight, boys! Try not to let the ghosts spook you too much,” he said, proceeding to wave as he joined the others.
Meanwhile, as Claus and Kira climbed into their hover car, the sleek vehicle hummed softly to life. Claus adjusted the controls, steering them away from the scene while Kira folded her arms, watching him with a raised brow.
“Why didn’t you tell them the whole truth back there?” Kira asked calmly.
Claus kept his eyes on the road, his expression stoic. “Would there have been a point? It’s not like they’re going to be the ones calling the shots on this investigation.”
Kira sighed, leaning back in her seat. “You’ve got a point. They’re skilled, but this isn’t their area. So, who exactly are you planning to call in to support us on our little hunt? I don’t see any of the other board members being free… or willing to get their hands dirty tonight.” Claus glanced at her briefly with his signature blank expression. “You underestimate how motivated some of them can be when the right buttons are pushed. Besides,” he paused, his tone turning more serious, “this isn’t just a clean-up mission. If what we sensed is accurate, the people we bring in need to be more than just skilled-they need to be capable of dealing with something entirely… unnatural.”
“So they will need to be null types with a blessing like us… Or at least a very strong fire elementalist, or a light elementalist.”
What Claus was referring to was also related to what caused Kira’s part of the magic circle they used earlier to crack. They had indeed sensed the mana patterns of a monster, but that wasn’t all of it, because these mana patterns were strangely mixed with a human’s and it had a small touch of Celestial Ether… The actual energy that their powers used to work.
And Celestial Ether, otherwise known as cosmic energy or celestial power, unlike mana, was a far denser and stronger source of energy.
And it was this Ether that caused Kira’s part of the circle to crack. But why hers and not Claus’? Well, it is tied to the specific nature of their powers and the task they were performing.
Claus’ ability, represented by the moon motif, is an ability that allows him to probe into a person’s past, seeing their memories for himself and trying to identify the nature of the things they saw, Soul Search, as he personally likes to call it, but it isn’t able to see past illusions or falsehoods, because the human mind tends to play tricks on us, and that is where Kira’s ability comes in.
Kira’s ability, represented by the sun motif, inherently involves a more intense or active form of energy manipulation, as it focuses on illuminating and revealing hidden truths or identifying falsehoods.
It works like this: Claus looks through a memory, and Kira helps discern whether it is true or not.
This often leads to greater strain or instability in the magic circle on her side, especially… if there is external interference.
And there was one, one trying to prevent them from uncovering more than what they already did.
Kira’s frown deepened as she gazed out the window. “Let’s just hope we’re ready for this. Whatever it is we’re tracking… it feels different. I’ve seen a lot, but this… it doesn’t sit right.” Claus glanced over at Kira, his expression as unreadable as ever. “Does anything ever sit right?” he asked, his voice barely a murmur over the hum of the hover car’s engine.
Kira let out a soft sigh, her arms still folded across her chest. “You do have a point,” she muttered, her gaze fixed on the dark, endless horizon.
Claus shot her a sidelong glance, the faintest hint of a smile appearing on lips. “Just relax.” “Things will be fine. We know what we’re doing, and we’ve handled worse. Just trust the
process.”
“I guess you have a point.” she said as she manged to smile back.
At this time… If only she knew how wrong he was, then perheps they would have taken this investigation a little more seriously.
….
The moon hung low over Sector III, casting a pale light across the road. The air was thick with tension as Xaiver and the rest of the team stood in front of the looming dungeon portal.
A dark blue, swirling vortex of energy pulsed with a bright glow, the road had been completely blocked off due to the dungeon forming in the middle of the street.
Xaiver, standing tall with his usual calm demeanor, surveyed the area, his hand resting lightly
on the hilt of his weapon.
His voice was farm as he addressed his team, because he noticed they seemed to be getting impatient. “Sorry for the delay guys, we’re waiting for someone.”
Chase, curious, raised an eyebrow, a look of confusion crossing his face. “Waiting for someone? Aren’t we supposed to start the raid now?”
Before Xaiver could respond, the rest of the team erupted in frustration.
“Come on, Xaiver, the whole team’s here!” Lisa’s energetic voice echoed. She held her
Flameblade loosely in one hand, “What are we waiting for? Let’s just get this over with!” Mia bounced from foot to foot, barely containing her restless energy. “Yeah! We’ve got a dungeon to raid! What’s the hold-up?” Her wind abilities stirred the air around her, the faint breeze adding to her impatient vibe.
Derek, arms crossed and lips curled in annoyance, muttered under his breath, “I’m not liking this. Every second we stand around waiting, the more time we waste, I was hoping to make it back early so I can use that ticket I bought for Tendo’s concert.”
Karl cracked. “What exactly are we waiting for? Someone gonna arrive in a limo and ask if we have a minute for a survey? What kind of waiting game is this?”
Xaiver held up a hand, his voice cutting through the bickering. “Calm down, everyone. The Guildmaster said we’re expecting someone. A temporary member. They’ll be joining us for
this raid.”
“A temporary member?” Chase repeated, the skepticism clear in his voice. “Are they from
another guild?”
Xaiver nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping over the gathering. “Yes, they are. But I wasn’t told
their name.”
The team paused, processing this new information.
“Wait,” Chase said, his voice dropping lower with interest, “You don’t know their name?”
Xaiver glanced at him, his expression calm. “No. The Guildmaster didn’t say, but…” He paused, letting the silence stretch. “I believe it’s the guy everyone’s been talking about. The one making waves in the rumors lately.”