“Home sweet home.”

  I say to MY empty apartment, my voice echoing slightly off the bare white walls and the tall windows, although I dunno why the big windows when this is the first floor and there isn’t much to view besides other buildings’ walls and maybe the patch of grass. Nonetheless, this pce is the result of my house hunting and it cost me over three million Lien - a huge chunk of what I gained after stealing from that stupid gang and fencing their stuff.

  But standing here now, taking in my new pce, all for myself, I know it was worth every bit.

  This apartment is a massive upgrade from my old pce, even if it cks a lot of furniture, but I can buy that ter. Hell, now that I think about it, it is even quite close to Levi’s pce, so I can drop by and say hi anytime. Or maybe even invite her, although I will hold that thought for ter.

  My footsteps echo as I wander through the rooms again, feeling my tail swishing contentedly. The living room is spacious enough to actually entertain guests - if I ever decide to have any. The kitchen has all the modern appliances I could need, which is perfect for cooking all the new recipes from that pretentious book.

  Sure, the rest of the pce it’s practically empty except for the bed they threw in as a ‘welcome gift’, but that’s just temporary because as mentioned before I will go shopping for furniture in the coming weeks. The important thing is that this whole apartment it’s mine.

  Legally.

  My lips curl into a smile at the thought. Renting was a pain, but buying was a totally different story. Just had to sign some paperwork and transfer the money and the apartment was officially mine.

  Of course, there were other pces I had my eye on, one even had a good view on the top floors. But what really sealed the deal for this particur pce was what I found below. The basement isn’t just some storage space or undry room - it’s a full workshop, a workshop built for hunters. It had weapon racks lined on the walls. Toolboxes and rather big workbenches which looked in my eyes. I might not know much about them, but my gut instinct told me that they were good enough for what I was pnning next. Even if they weren’t good, I could just get new ones. What mattered was that I had a basement to work in privacy and silence, something I wouldn’t have had in the other pces.

  I lean against the workshop doorframe as I eye the equipment. Only problem is, I don’t know the first thing about maintaining weapons, let alone crafting one. I always buy a new one or pay another guy to have them maintained. Having some actual knowledge wouldn’t hurt now that I think about it. Might even help me understand my own weapons better, maybe improve how I use them or modify them to suit my needs better.

  Decision made, I head upstairs and lock the apartment door, grinning like an idiot as I use my own set of keys - no ndlord or borrowed spares involved. Although, I’ll keep Neo’s spare keys unless she asks for them back. Not that I expect her to.

  Though, I probably should have told her about moving out... then again, she already knew I was there temporarily. I’ll tell her if she asks. Besides, it’s not like she can’t find me if she really wants to. That woman has her ways, she always does.

  The bookstore where I got that sword and shield training manual should have something on weapon maintenance basics as well, hopefully. And hey, who knows? Maybe I’ll even learn enough to craft something, eventually. Something better than what’s on the market, even. But that’s over stretching it. First I need to find that book.

  That said, I step outside into the streets, breathing in the city air that’s somehow less suffocating than usual. I extend my hand as I reach the road, and my bike materializes before me. I mount it and fire up the engine, enjoying the deep rumble as I head toward the Commercial District.

  The streets of Vale blur past as I weave through traffic and reach the highway, my reflexes guiding me through the gaps between cars with practiced ease. Kinda funny to think about it, when I first started out and I didn’t know how to accelerate.

  Yet the smooth ride comes to an abrupt halt when I reach my destination. My ears perk up at the unusual crowd gathered around the bookstore - and it’s definitely not a shopping crowd, because let’s be honest, there’s never any sort of crowd in a bookstore.

  I quickly take notice of the yellow police tape creating a barrier around the storefront, and VPD officers mill about with their notepads and cameras, like the self-important pricks they are. Both dispy windows are completely shattered, gss fragments scattered across the sidewalk, and I can get to see that the inside has burn marks.

  My ears flicker in confusion as I park my bike nearby. This definitely wasn’t what I was expecting to find.

  Just my fucking luck, really.

  “What happened here?” I ask a middle-aged man standing nearby, his eyes glued to the scene like it’s some street performance.

  He shrugs without looking away. “Owner got killed.”

  “Ah.” The word comes out ft as I look back at the store. That was certainly something I wouldn’t have expected, at least not in the Commercial District. Usually this kind of shit happens in the shadier parts of the Residential District and the slums, even if cops are around.

  Funny how things work out sometimes - if I’d come earlier, would I have run into whoever did this? Would it have made any difference? Probably yes, probably no.

  I blink a few times before turning around and walking back to my bike. I lean against the seat and grab a Pepsi from my inventory, cracking it open. The drink burns pleasantly as I take a long pull, tilting my head back to stare at the sky.

  Still... I can’t help but wonder about the big guy. Why was he killed? Or was it just some dumbass that pulled the trigger by accident? Maybe he pissed off the wrong people - wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen that happen. Except, that in Vacuo, you would be beaten to a pulp and then thrown into the outskirts to be torn to pieces by wild animals or Grimm.

  I shake my head sharply, my ears fttening. No point in overcomplicating things for myself. Dude is dead, and the store is permanently closed now. End of story.

  Instead, I should find new solutions. I pull out my scroll and open the library app. Hopefully, there should be some books on the long list about what I’m looking for, anything really.

  Still beats standing around here watching the cops do their thing. And very likely one of those twats will notice me and try asking me questions while being a total ass about it. Been there, done that, got the burnt clothes to prove it.

  Scrolling through the now endless list of titles, I keep flicking my thumb across the screen, scanning for anything useful as I take another sip from my drink. My ears perk up when I spot a promising bundle - three book manual covering bcksmithing basics, weapon crafting, and maintenance guides. Even better, buying them together actually saves me some Lien compared to getting them separately. Not that I’m hurting for money, but saving money when possible is nice.

  Yeah, that sounds hypocritical after making some dumb purchases, but it’s the thought that counts.

  I hit purchase before downing the rest of my Pepsi, watching as the purchase confirmation pops up. At least something’s going right today.

  Just as I’m about to stash my scroll away, it buzzes with a message notification that covers the top of my screen.

  However, my ears twitch in surprise when I get to read the short message.

  ‘Hey Ma’iq! I’m back in Vale. Could you pick me up from the terminal?’

  A jolt runs through me. Jeanne’s back already?

  Why didn’t she just text me yesterday that she would be coming? Hell, a heads up would’ve been nice.

  No better question: why now?

  No, wait, that’s pretty obvious - she’s cooled off her head already, and my head is also pretty clear by now from the whole sappy scene we caused at the airport. Probably for the best.

  “Sure.”

  I write back and let out a sigh. At least it’s a good distraction from this murder scene.

  It’s been a while since I’ve seen my apprentice - I wonder how much she’s learned in Beacon. Probably plenty to catch up on. Maybe she’s finally managed to unlock her aura. No, that’s pretty obvious she already did.

  Stashing my scroll and throwing the empty can, I kick my bike back to life and drive straight towards the terminal, weaving through traffic with practiced ease.

  The terminal comes into view, and there she is, standing right at the entrance, wearing her bck hoodie, scanning the crowd with that familiar look of slight uncertainty. Then she spots me, and her face lights up with a bright smile as she waves enthusiastically.

  I quickly park my bike on the sidewalk before returning her wave. Some things never change - she still has that same earnest energy about her. Though something seems different too, like she’s carrying herself with a lot more confidence than before. Guess Beacon’s been good for her after all.

  “So?”

  “You won’t believe what happened!” Jeanne practically bounces as she runs up to me. “So for initiation, they actually catapulted us off a cliff! Can you believe that? Something about ‘nding strategy’ which was absolutely terrifying, but then Pyrrha caught me with her spe-“

  “Wait, back up,” I interrupt, my ears twitching in disbelief. “They unched you off a cliff?”

  “Yes!” She nods vigorously, but then she looks down with a frown. “The headmaster Ozpin mentioned it was tradition or something afterwards”

  “Tradition my ass,” I snort. “Sounds more like they just wanted to kill people.”

  Although, what would I have done if I was catapulted off a cliff?

  Huh, I do need to think of a nding strategy.

  “Ma’iq!” Jeanne tries to look scandalized but can’t hide her giggle. “But it worked out because that’s how I met my partner, Pyrrha Nikos! And she’s amazing at pretty much everything. She was the one who helped me unlock my aura!”

  I smile at hearing she finally got her aura, though I frown slightly at the name. It sounds familiar, but I can’t quite pce it. “How did that feel? The whole aura unlocking?”

  It was a simple question pretty much out of curiosity.

  “It was weird at first,” Jeanne says, pausing thoughtfully. “Like this warm feeling spreading through my whole body. Kind of like being wrapped in a warm bnket, but from the inside?” She giggles, still pying with her hair. “Actually, I think I know why you couldn’t unlock it before - you didn’t give a speech like Pyrrha did!”

  “Oh? What kind of speech are we talking about here?”

  “Well,” Jeanne’s voice takes on a more serious tone, “she talked about destiny and how the soul bears a burden. It was really deep and meaningful, or so I think, because it was quite long and then everything was glowing.”

  I shrug, remembering my own experience. “My... mentor didn’t exactly give me a speech. Just put a hand on my cheek and boom, aura unlocked.”

  And I had my eyes closed the whole time.

  “That’s weird,” Jeanne tilts her head, curiosity evident in her voice. “No speech at all?”

  “Nope. Though, to be fair, she wasn’t much of a talker to begin with.”

  “Really?”

  “Ancient history,” I wave off her curious look. “So, tell me more about Beacon. How are your teachers?”

  We continue walking down the street, Jeanne enthusiastically detailing her time at Beacon. “Professor Port tells the wildest stories! Half the css falls asleep, but sometimes he actually has good advice hidden in there, although I only heard it once cause I also fell asleep. And Professor Goodwitch is the one who runs the combat css.”

  “Combat css? How’s that going for you?”

  “Well...” she fidgets slightly. “I might not have the best start, but I guess I impressed a guy named Cardin. He now wants to spar now and then. Mostly because the whole Dawnguard combat school, which really where did you even learn that whole thing? He had a name for every one of the moves you taught me.”

  I raise my brow at that. Because the manual I read didn’t have any names, besides very general ones like riposte or parry. So that’s a completely new thing to me.

  “Told you, I read it from an old book since I couldn’t teach you hunter css moves.”

  “I guess… it was still confusing, but I will ask him more about this. He seemed pretty eager to talk about it.” She replies.

  I just nod. She will shed some light on it, and maybe I can learn a thing or two there.

  “Anyway, Pyrrha’s been helping me train with more offensive moves, like she has been teaching me how to do those cool spinning attacks which are really good against… Oh! Ma’iq you won’t believe it but I actually killed Grimms!”

  I can’t help but chuckle, giving her a proud pat on the back. “That’s my girl.”

  Jeanne blinks at the praise, quickly looking away as she twirls her hair faster, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. “It was just a few...”

  “Hey, everyone starts somewhere. I still remember my first Grimm kill. It was really messy.”

  Those stupid ants back in Menagerie. Now I practically just step on them.

  “Really?” She perks up. “What happened?”

  “Story for another time,” I smirk. “But speaking of training, have you been keeping up with the exercises I taught you?”

  “Of course!” Jeanne straightens up, pride evident in her voice. “Actually, you were totally right with those exercises. Even Pyrrha was impressed with my moves! She mentioned that a solid foundation would make things easier to learn. Which, yeah, I really understand her expnations. If it wasn’t for that, I might have been pretty much lost in pretty much everything.”

  The conversation flows easily between us, like no time has passed at all. But I can’t help noticing the subtle changes in her - the way she holds herself straighter, speaks with more certainty. Beacon’s been good for her, even if their teaching methods are absolutely insane.

  “You know,” I say after a pause, “I’m proud of you, Jeanne. You’ve come a long way from that nervous girl who could barely hold a sword straight in the middle of the park.”

  Her face turns bright red as she tugs at her hair. “I-I had a good teacher.”

  I merely smirked with pride. “Damn right you did.”

  Even if it was my first time as a teacher, I did a damn good job at it.

  “Oh!” Jeanne suddenly perks up. “I forgot to tell you - we’re team JPYB! That’s ‘Jasper’ - with me as a leader! Can you believe the headmaster made me team leader?”

  My ears twitch in surprise. “Leader? You?”

  “I know, right?” She lets out a nervous ugh, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s me, Pyrrha Nikos, Yang Xiao Long, and Bke, just Bke.”

  I stop dead in my tracks. Two names that make my blood run cold for very different reasons. The blonde bitch who broke my nose over her bike and got us both arrested, and Bke... my old mentor who betrayed my trust.

  “Ma’iq? Are you okay?” Jeanne turns to look at me, her face scrunched with concern.

  I force myself to shake my head, pushing down the surge of anger and bitter memories. “Nothing, nothing happened. Just spaced out for a second.”

  No point in telling Jeanne about that mess with Yang. Or about Bke’s lies about sending messages to Levi. No need to ruin her day with my baggage. Besides, there are plenty of things she doesn’t need to know about - this is just one more for the pile.

  Besides, she just said her name was Bke, so it could be just another girl named Bke.

  “You sure?” She presses, genuine worry in her eyes.

  “Yeah,” I manage a convincing smile. “So, tell me more about being a team leader. How’s that working out?”

  But inside, my mind is racing with thoughts. Just my fucking luck - my apprentice ends up on a team with the one person in Vale I’d rather never see again besides the bitch of Cinder. Life really has a sick sense of humor sometimes.

  Nonetheless, our walk continues, mostly filled with Jeanne’s retelling of events of the past couple of weeks, until we reach a coffee shop. Before I can say anything, she darts inside and emerges moments ter with two steaming cups, motioning me to join her at an empty table outside.

  “Figured you could use a break from walking,” she says with a smile, pushing one cup towards me.

  “You didn’t have to,” I start, but she waves me off.

  “Consider it a little ‘thank you’ gift.” She insists, as she settles into her chair.

  As we sip our drinks, I decide that it is only fair to share some bits about what happened so far, only the good bits, obviously. “Got a new pce,” I mention casually. “Actually bought it, not renting anymore.”

  Her eyes widen. “Really? That’s amazing! Can I... maybe visit sometime?”

  “Sure,” I shrug, though I can’t help but smirk. “It’s quite an upgrade from my old dump.”

  After a comfortable pause, I finally ask the question that’s been nagging at me. “So what brings you to Vale, anyway? Shouldn’t you be at Beacon? Not like I’m compining. It was just a surprise to receive your message out of the blue.”

  “Oh!” Jeanne perks up, setting down her cup. “There aren’t really many restrictions about leaving after csses. We just need to be back before curfew.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “After these hectic weeks, I just wanted to come back and rex for a bit, you know?”

  “And your first thought was to visit your teacher?” I raise an eyebrow. “I’m touched.”

  She blushes deeply, focusing intently on her coffee and twirling her hair as she looks away. “Well, you’re not just my instructor anymore. You’re... um… ummmm.”

  The words hang in the air as we both suddenly remember that moment at the airport.

  The kiss.

  The moment I kissed her before she left for Beacon. The expression she made before running into the waiting lounge and me standing like a dumbass in the middle of a giggling crowd.

  I look down at my cup, my ears drooping slightly as I struggle to find the right words. I should probably address this… No, I’ve already made up my mind earlier to talk about this since we both cooled our heads. “Jeanne, about what happened at the airport-“

  “I-I need more sugar!” she squeaks, her face turning even redder, as she practically jumps from her chair, nearly knocking over her cup in the process, making me blink by her sudden reaction.

  I remain seated, staring at my own cup before I lean my back against my chair, trying to rex a bit. But that doesn’t work because I let out an exasperated sigh, dragging a hand across my face.

  After a while, Jeanne returns with a handful of sugar packets clutched to her chest, promptly dumping every single one into her cup. I say nothing, just watching as she turns her drink into a sugary mess.

  I feel compelled to stop her when she grabs it and shows every intention of drinking it, but she’s faster than me and manages to take a big gulp. She immediately makes gagging sounds, her face scrunching up in disgust. “Bleh!”

  I let out another long sigh as my ears ftten against my head. This got very awkward really fast.

  What should I say to change the mood now? Or should I even say anything?

  “Pyrrha!” Jeanne suddenly perks up, her prior enthusiasm returning as she waves at someone behind me. The relief in her voice is almost palpable.

  My ears perk up before I turn around to catch sight of a tall redhead approaching our table. And she’s stunning, if I’m being honest - long crimson hair, bright green eyes, and wearing a leather jacket that somehow makes her look both casual and regal at the same time. There’s something familiar about her that I can’t quite pce.

  My friend then jumps up from her chair and runs up to the newcomer like an excited puppy. “Ma’iq, this is my partner, Pyrrha! Pyrrha, this is Ma’iq!”

  Grateful for the escape from awkward silence, I stand up as well and extend a welcoming hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Pyrrha takes it with a polite smile and shakes my hand with a firm grip. “Likewise.”

  She seems nice enough. No wonder she helped Jeanne with the whole nding strategy, so that means I don’t have to worry for the blonde klutz. She should be in safe hands.

  “Oh, right!” Jeanne suddenly cps her hands together. “I completely forgot - Pyrrha, and I were supposed to check out something in the Commercial district!”

  Pyrrha just shakes her head with a gentle smile. “It’s fine. There’s still plenty of time before curfew.”

  The forgetful girl sighs in relief before turning to me with an apologetic look. “I’m really sorry for not sticking around longer. I know I just showed up out of nowhere and now I’m running off...”

  I shrug it off, my ears twitching slightly. “Hey, it’s fine. We’ll catch up properly another time.”

  Before I can say anything else, Jeanne steps forward and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. I can’t help but smile, purposefully ignoring the way my tail starts swishing behind me. Some things never change.

  As she pulls away, I turn to Pyrrha, who offers a polite wave. “It was nice meeting you, Ma’iq.”

  I give her a nod.

  After that I watch them leave, Jeanne chattering animatedly to her partner as they disappear into the distance. Something tells me this won’t be the st time I run into Pyrrha Nikos.

  But that name still nagging something in my head, so much that I just make a quick search on my scroll.

  And Pyrrah Nikos is Pyrrha Nikos. The Mistralian champion that Levi told me about months ago and who we were supposed to watch her exhibition match with before I was kidnapped.

  That’s… that actually great.

  Why is she here?

  Don’t know, don’t care.

  But what I do care is that I’m now really sure that Jeanne is in good hands. I can now rest easy.

  So for now, I will just finish this cup and head to the club. It might be a little early but the twins won’t mind the extra company.

  -Neopolitan-

  Even if she wanted to, Neo couldn’t spend week after week just zing around eating ice cream and tormen-spoiling her kitten at home. Not with the bitch’s job hanging over her head - which honestly, she would’ve dragged out just to see steam come out of Cinder’s ears if Roman hadn’t basically given his word. And something about that target’s face just irritated her. Maybe it was that dumb two-toned haircut that looked like someone had taken clippers to her head while drunk.

  So she’d been doing her homework, putting together a pn. Nothing fancy like her Dum Dum’s theatrical and dramatic schemes, just her usual direct approach that always got results. After all, why waste time on eborate plots when a knife in the right pce worked just as well?

  The bitch said eliminate - dead or crippled. After about two seconds of thinking, one second longer than needed, dead was definitely easier. And more fun.

  She’d considered a simple sniper shot through a window, but with a licensed huntress - especially an Ace Op with their fancy Ats tech and that annoying speed sembnce - a headshot might not do the job. And if it failed, she’d lose the element of surprise and have to work even harder next time.

  Meaning… More boring work.

  Besides, where was the fun in that?

  No, the good old-fashioned way would work just fine. Nothing quite like getting up close and personal.

  Neo adjusted her blue cap, biting her lower lip to fight back a gleeful grin as she mopped the hallway floor. The same building where her target lived with her teammate - who was conveniently out doing whatever boring stuff those atlesian things they did in their spare time.

  She’d invested some time studying the girl’s routine, and oh boy, were Atlesians predictable. Especially Ironwood’s pets with their strict schedules and rigid habits. In exactly three minutes, her target would head out for groceries, crossing this very hallway like the good little pet she was.

  Just for giggles, Neo was actually doing some cleaning. Had to look the part, and the movement helped hide her excited fidgeting. Since the girl was Atlesian, and therefore probably had a stick up her ass about schedules, she made sure to stick to the janitor’s exact routine. The real janitor would wake up in a few hours, probably with a headache and a missing uniform.

  Oops.

  Might seem like overkill, but she couldn’t risk the ugly girl getting suspicious over something small. The best kills were the ones they never saw coming.

  Right on cue, a door opened down the hall.

  Show time.

  Neo activated her sembnce, leaving her cleaning illusion behind as she turned to watch her target: a dark-skinned girl with that stupid ptinum blonde and brown undercut, even totally bald, would have looked better. She was wearing casual clothes today, sweatpants and a tank top that showed off some muscles. Not that they’d help her much in about fifteen seconds.

  She crept closer, checking for anything unusual, but the girl seemed rexed. Now just to pick the perfect spot... somewhere that would either kill or seriously wound her in one quick move. Neo wanted to be done in time to grab a coffee afterward.

  The kidney. Pierce that, and it’s over. Quick, clean, and enjoy their expression that was… oh so satisfying.

  Grinning, Neo slipped to the corner and waited. Counted the footsteps approaching. As her target got closer, she pulled out her spike, doing her best to hold back her silent giggles. Some specialist- couldn’t even sense death coming around the corner.

  Ats’s finest? Please.

  She waited patiently, her mismatched eyes fixed on the approaching dummy that would soon be dead. With each step, she tightened her grip, her itching to just go already but she suppressed and waited until finally, the ugly girl was within killing range.

  Without a moment of hesitation, she thrust her spike into the specialist’s stomach, its sharp tip penetrating deep up to the hilt. The illusion surrounding her mostly shattered, but she paid no mind as she relished in the shock and anger contorting on her victim’s face.

  However, Neo was quicker than this supposed speedster. She grinned wickedly as she twisted and rolled her bde inside her guts, eliciting an agonizing scream that drowned out her rage.

  Aura could only do so much.

  Neo knew she had caused some serious damage, possibly even cutting through organs if she hadn’t stabbed the kidney. But with a spike as a weapon, she couldn’t slice her open and watch her insides spill out. It didn’t matter, though; she had achieved what she came for.

  Pulling out her bloodied weapon, Neo nonchantly kicked the now dying specialist, sending her rolling on the ground. Despite all her top of the line training and sembnce, she was no match against her ambush. It almost seemed like a waste.

  Almost.

  For Ats, it certainly was a loss. But for Neo? It was just another Tuesday.

  With a vicious grin on her lips, Neo watched as the specialist writhed in agony while clutching their injured stomach. But she couldn’t stay to savor the moment; it was time to make a quick escape before anyone caught on to what she had done.

  Just as the dumb haircut girl’s final desperate scream echoed behind her, Neo was already slipping out of the building, her sembnce flickering to life. The janitor’s look melted away, repced by a confident blonde in a leather jacket strutting down the path.

  She maintained a brisk pace past the unconscious guard, amazing what a little something extra in his coffee could do, and around the corner. Another use of her sembnce left a convincing illusion heading straight while she broke into a sprint down the side street, her boots barely making a sound against the pavement. One alley ter, and the blonde vanished too, repced by a gruff-looking man with an unkempt beard.

  Neo pulled out her scroll.

  ‘Jobs done’

  Short and sweet - just like her - to let her Dum-Dum know. The scroll disappeared back into her pocket as she emerged from the alley.

  A few more blocks and one more appearance change, just to be thorough in her disguise and throw off any sort of tracking. Then she could finally head home to her favorite part of any successful job - cuddling with her kitten. Those fluffy ears were just begging to be petted, no matter how much he pretended not to love it.

  Her shoulder twinged slightly tho, she might had gone a little harder than she should have. Nothing a massage wouldn’t fix, though. And her kitten was so good with his hands when properly motivated.

  A smile pyed across her lips as she pnned another reward for him, one that he would pretty much appreciate.

  And she will as well.

  After all, good behavior deserved good treats.

  -Ma’iq Rak’han-

  I calmly exit the club through the back door, carrying bags of trash, and dump them in the dumpster. Miltia asked me to do it before leaving, which I was okay with it.

  Normal night overall, and good tips. Mixing really good drinks and people being quite tipsy by then helped a lot to rake in a small fortune.

  As I clean my hands and start to summon my bike to head home, a pack of rats suddenly burst out from some trash cans, scattering garbage across the already filthy alley. I frown but decide to ignore them until a very loud shriek causes my ears to stand up at attention. I turn back to see two rats furiously biting and fighting each other, their tiny cws and teeth fshing in the dim light.

  I watch, rather amused by the dispy. At least until another rat pops out from the trash, revealing that it has a shiny orange crystal in its mouth. The familiar orange glow makes me freeze for a moment before I quickly compose myself and lunge at it.

  The rat freaks out and tries to escape, but I’m faster and catch it before it can get far. The animal, obviously, drops the shard, squawking and shrieking bloody murder, but I release it the second it lets go.

  I quickly pick up the shard, feeling gd to find another one. The crystal pulses faintly in my hand, its rough surface and cold to the touch, if not a little slimy because, of course, a fucking rat had it in its mouth.

  However, rather than crush it on the spot like I have always done, this time I will crush it AFTER getting home. I don’t want to risk whatever tried to fuck with me back in Patch, showing up again and leaving me practically unconscious and limping. I was very lucky that it happened in Patch because in this city, I would likely get robbed if not stabbed or beaten up by drunks.

  So yeah, I’m going for the safe option now.

  And that means straight to my inventory.

  ….Huh?

  I stare at the shard in my hand.

  Doing absolutely nothing, staying there and not dematerializing like every other item had done since… ever.

  Maybe I was a little distracted, so this time I put all my focus on sending the shard back in my inventory.

  And now it should… stay the same?

  The fuck?

  Why is this not going to my inventory?

  I even paid attention this time!

  Okay, whatever. I will just put it in my pocket.

  Still, this has never happened before…

  I guess there is always a first for everything.

  So I will be going back home.

  I mount the bike and grab the keys, but just when I’m about to ignite the engine, my fingers become unresponsive as I feel a strong shiver run down my spine. The air suddenly turns very cold, and a knot forms in my throat. And stly, my tail bristles.

  I don’t turn around to check my surroundings. I remain mostly intact, trying to check my surroundings from the corner of my eyes. But when nothing pops up in my vision, I simply know I must get the hell out of her.

  Without thinking it twice, I twist the keys way harder than I should and kick it to first and accelerate to leave this pce.

  However, just as I’m about to exit the alley. I catch a glimpse of something dark whipping through the air.

  “Shit!”

  I manage to block it in time and speed up my bike, creating a rge distance in a second. Only then I momentarily gnce back and catch, trying to see what was that. Except, I only glimpse a shadow getting away. And I’m pretty far already since I sped up.

  “Motherfucker.”

  I curse again because after what I felt earlier, I sure as hell won’t go back to beat up whoever tried to pull a fast one on me.

  I just need to get home.

  But first, I have to make a couple of rounds and many turns around the district, just to feel safe. At least, that’s what Neo told me.

  Nonetheless, all I want is to sleep and forget this weird night ever happened.

  But I will ask Junior tomorrow to check the cameras and see who tried to hit me.

  Choloman