Once upon a time, in the Heavens that presides over existence itself, three angels sought to create a world. One that they could share, to rule as they deemed fit, with the creatures they created to be their loyal, respecting subjects. Countless worlds were conceived in their desires for something that carried meaning, countless more torn apart and erased because they could never agree. This power bestowed upon them came from mystical jewels granted to them by their God and creator Rinael and were known only as...

The Angelic Shards

Never could they agree in unison over what kind of world they created until the creation of one specific plane that came with it the essence of creators made in their image. Creatures of a variety of sizes, shapes, emotions and feelings, borne from the likeness each of them possessed. The Angel of Virtue, Razsutapiel, provided them with the knowledge of righteousness. The Angel of Passion, Hamael, shared with them the purpose of love and desire. And the Angel of Wrath, Jamaerah, blessed them with strength and emotion. Together, the sisters gave these creatures a name and called them...

Demons

The demons, born with life and purpose, originally reveled in the angels that created them, thinking of them akin to gods rather than Masters. As the wheel of time turned, so too did the demons understand their purpose. Unwilling to comply, the demons sought to overthrow the shadow of power that was cast upon them, eager to break free from their prison and the shackles the angels placed them in. Among them, one rose as The King of Demons and challenged the Angels in their own domain...

Heaven

Originally able to contend with the rebelling Demon King and his army while they existed on the earth, the Angels soon found themselves overwhelmed, unable to use the power of their Angelic Shards when the demons split the barriers that separated the two worlds and entered the Heavens. Bound, the Demon King claimed the Angelic Shards and was poised to overtake the only thing that kept him away from the angelic creature that birthed them all. Alone, he would bring the angels and their tyranical charade to an end. Using the power of the Angelic Shards, he tore a rift in the Heavens to unseal the gateway to Rinael when a fourth sister, known as Azraela, the Angel of Death, appeared before him. Her might separated herself from her sisters, able to overpower the Demon King and banish him from the Heavens. Azraela, along with the Demon King and the Angelic Shards he carried, were flung from the spiritual plane and plunged to the world that were created by them.

In the aftermath of the carnage, the three sisters unified the remainder of their holy energy to replicate hundreds of themselves known as Lesser Angels, intent with seeking out the Angelic Shards that they lost, eradicate the Demon King and his subjects, and finalize the destruction of the world that nearly cost them their very existence.

As for Azraela, the Demon King, and the four shards that were lost to the Heavens, nobody knows. Legends tell only that they once existed hundreds of years ago. But most demons, who have lived in relative silence ever since the sisters lost their power, no longer believe they exist and their faith in their creation has become clouded. Those whose faith have waned have lost perception of the world and lead a life plighted with age, sickness, and death. The rest of the demons, whom still believe in their Demon King, seek to see his return and have dubbed their lesser bretheren as Human. Turning their backs on Humans, they are only seen as susistence until they can one day return to the Heavens and finally end what was started.

This is their story...

Ten minutes out from my leave from the warehouse, I arrive on the yard of a large building that resembles an office complex. Unlike a business bureau, this complex comes with several buildings enclosed in a large, square brick wall that?s as tall as me and a center courtyard entrance that?s closed off by two iron gates. Windows wrap around the building like three glossy blue ribbons--as if it?s Christmas this time of year--and is sealed at the top by a plain chain linked fence. I couldn?t see around the premises with the wall in the way, but the faint chortles and urgings of people filled the air beyond it. Chanting, cheering, laughing and modest conversation.

The demon?s located in a school. A high school.

My fingers press into my ear wearing the ear piece. ?Emma, do you hear me??

?Loud and clear, boss,? Emma?s voice distinctly calls back to me. The quality is so crisp, I swear she?s right next to me. I happen to look to my immediate left, expecting her to be standing there.

Emma Exire?s been in the institute?s roster for many years, and in that period of time, she?s managed to single-handedly create a whole new arsenal for our personal use. She?s a technological genius, an inventor that could rival those of history that created the telephone or, hell, donuts. She?s slightly eccentric, and has more health issues than anybody I?ve ever met in my life. It?s likely to explain why she?s always behind closed doors working on some experiment of hers.

?I?m outside the coordinates you gave me. Are you sure this is the place?? I really don?t want there to be a demon sitting in a school full of kids. The possibilities are endless. Hostage situations never end well where demons are concerned.

?You should be in front of Nishka City Municipal High School. That?s the demon?s last known location.?

Those were the exact words I didn?t want to hear. Slouching, I press my back into the brick wall supporting the sturdy iron gate upright and sink to the ground with a load groan. ?Damn it.?

Emma?s voice softens. ?I know. The last time we had a school housing a demon, over sixty students and seventeen staff wound up dead before we could fully evacuate the building--?

I interrupt her. ?--and it still managed to get away? I don?t need to be reminded?? My voice deepens with guilt.

?Your call, boss. If we don?t act and let it sit in there, it?s liable to cause a problem. Demons have to eat just like the rest of us and it won?t hesitate to take somebody in there as a snack. It probably chose the school as a hideout the second it sensed us come into town. There?s no telling--?

?Do you think this is the same demon from before?? I ask Emma with urgency. My fingers feel slick in their gloves and my toes curl into the soles of my boots, anticipating her response darkly.

Emma?s hesitation makes my stomach drop. ?I-- There?s really no way to tell without visual contact.?

If only Carla was here. This would be the perfect example to show the brutally vengeful woman exactly how intelligent demons can be. How menacing and dangerous they?re liable to become when cornered. I knew better than to have us drive through town without masking our presence. Now we have to deal with the possible consequence, like back at Elrich High.

Peeking around the corner of the building, my vision is immediately cut-off by a towering man dressed in blues. Six-feet-whatever tall and with eyes so narrow, I can?t even make out their color. I gasp out in surprise to his sudden appearance.

?Can I help you with something, miss?? he asks. His voice is so cold, it makes me shiver. I stand up straight and stumble backward in shock, my boots clipping the curb of the sidewalk. Tumbling, I fall over--

A sharp feeling of pain fills my head and my vision blurs. I can barely make out his calls to me as everything goes black...

?It?s time to wake up??

That?s the voice that I hear as my head, heavy with an ache, stirs from what feels like an endless slumber. I groan, what?s meant to pass as an argument for why I should be allowed another twenty minutes of sleep, and feel myself turn over. There?s no blankets as I reach for them to pull them over my head. Instead, I cover my face with my hands and smush my nose in.

?Come on now, you can?t stay in bed all day??

She?s always there, telling me these kinds of things. ?You have to get up sleepyhead...?, ?Come on now, do you plan to stay asleep all day?? ?I?m starting to think you?re never going to get up...?

I don?t know who she is. But she?s always there, always when I?m sleeping. Only when I?m sleeping. Every time I?ve opened my eyes, I?m never quite where I was when I fell asleep. Instead of my quarters at the Institute, I?m in some vast field surrounded by shoots of wheat. Distant mountains, capped in snow, line the horizon, and I?m caged by them. The sky?s a soft orange, the sun setting off in the distance, unseen. A gentle breeze washes over me, making me feel cold, but it?s chased by a breath of warm air, like summer?s always on the cusp of returning.

I can smell water, but I can?t see any. I can smell daisies and lilacs, but there?s none to be found. And all I can hear, all around me, is the voice of somebody that I cannot see. Every time I ask, I get no response. Any time I call for her, she tells me that I should wake up.

When I finally open my eyes, I?m greeted by the same familiar scenery.

This has been going on for a long time now. I don?t know that I can put a timetable to it. Since I can remember? Even before that. I?m no sooner to an answer today than I was four years ago. Ten years ago. Even fifty years ago.

The scant amount of cloud cover above me is further away than they seem, and thinner than paper. They skate across the sky in haste, as if hurrying away from some unseen force that?s ushering them out of the canyon of mountain coverage that I?m stuck in.

?It?s time to wake up??

?Yeah? we?ve been over this??

It?s become my default response any time I hear her tell me something.

?Wake up? Sleeping all day isn?t good for you??

?Neither is talking to a disembodied voice in the middle of a Little House on the Prairie set.?

I laugh at my own stupid joke, dragging my hand over my eyes and cheekbones. My face feels alarmingly cold against my hand, which is searing with heat, as if it?s on fire. I jerk it away in surprise, gasping. I had expecting to see fire shooting from my fingertips, given how hot they felt, but nothing was there.

In fact, my hand looked transparent?

?Elisa??

I glare at the sky. ?Oh come on. We?ve been over this a thousand times already! Why can?t you just talk to me?!?

I suck in a deep breath, and the moment I do, the entire world around me begins to melt like cold wax under the stem of a hot ember. This, too, happens every time. Thankfully, it means the lady with the voice and the countryside vacation I was taking was coming to an immediate end.

?Elisa??

?Ugh, what?!? I call out to the unknown voice as the world completely drains away, leaving me in a dark and damp atmosphere. I shudder and feel my eyes open and flutter; blinded by a bright light shining down on me. Cringing, I shield them with my hands and move, finding myself sitting upright on a bed--no, more like a wire cot?

?It?s about time? You?ve been unconscious for two hours now. I was starting to wonder if we were going to need to get Carla in there and extract you with force.?

Talking to me was Emma, loud and clear in my right ear. My fingers trace the cartilage of my ear, realizing I still had my ear piece.

A curtain surrounded a small perimeter around the cot I was sitting on. I couldn?t sense anything from the other side, meaning I was alone in whatever room I wound up in.

?What? happened??? I ask, rubbing the back of my head. I can feel a small bulge where it?s the most sore, a vain reminder I?d tripped over myself.

?After your little ?accident?, the Security Guard--I think he calls himself Mop, or Tom--brought you into the school?s infirmary.?

Mop, or Tom. How can you get those two mixed up?

?Mop--?

At least she decided on a name awfully fast?

?--asked the nurse to see which class you belonged to, but had troubles finding some records for you.?

?I don?t attend this school. It?s self-explanatory, isn?t it??

?Naturally. That?s why I took the liberties of adding you to the school?s database.?

My head was pounding so loud, I could hear my heart in my chest. I?m pretty sure I heard her correctly, though?

?Uh--what?? I?m also pretty sure Emma could judge the face I was making just from the tone I was using. It?s the kind of thing you ask somebody after they?ve gone into ultra-stupid-mode trying to explain the unbound physics of the universe while pretending to be Scatman John.

?What??

Emma?s simple, to the point question completely defies all manner of disbelief I have. I don?t even know how to follow it up.

?Don?t worry. They won?t know any different. I?ve changed a few things around in their records to indicate you?re a new transfer student from Uzbekiturkimenistan called Mayu.?

I really had no problems fathoming Emma?s ability to worm her way into a school?s computer system and change files around to suggest they?d have a new transfer student on a ripe autumn day. I even had no problems digesting the fact that she tends to eat teabags. Raw. Whenever the mood strikes her.

I probably shouldn?t have put it past her to suggest I come from some country that, quite frankly, I doubt even exists.

?I come from where?? I ask, as if that?s the glaring question that simply needs to be answered.

?Uzbekiturkimenistan. It?s north of Kazhurkibanistan and--?

?Emma, I can?t even say Uzumakibakistan, let alone try to explain to other people where it might possibly be located on a globe! Couldn?t you have picked somewhere easier? Like, I don?t know, an island paradise somewhere??

?You didn?t let me finish.?

I sigh. I already know what she?s going to tell me? ?Let me guess, Ubikinanistan is an island paradise that?s north of Ka-- oh hell with it??

?Precisely!?

Emma?s cheerful lilt leaves me feeling concerned.

?Onto more pressing matters. The nurse already had class representatives from most of the classes check in with him and see if you belonged to theirs, long before I could get the transfer reports organized.?

I nod, still in the habit of answering things noncommittally through gesture alone. My silence leaves Emma open to continue.

?Thankfully--through sheer genius luck--one class has yet to check in. I?ve gone ahead and fit you into that class. All you need to do is verify that you?re a transfer student and everything should be right as rain.?

Nothing?s right about rain. I mean, it?s still raining outside and I?m pretty sure that?s why I slipped in the first place. Again, I nod in response to her but quickly follow it up with a chattering of teeth. I?m suddenly very cold?

?The nurse left you a change of clothes on his desk. I hope you like red and plaid.?

I can?t say I do?

?In the meantime, Jeffrey?s updated his mission plan. I?ll let him tell you firsthand.?

Emma?s voice breaks away from the microphone she?s speaking into just as I throw myself out of bed and shake myself from my star-embroidered leather coat. Peeking out from the curtains, I notice the nurse?s office is quaint and small, barely filling out with two cots for students that may be feeling ill and a desk against the corner wall with a computer terminal. The exit?s immediately next to the desk, with a single ficus plant opposite it.

Behind me, where I was tucked away in the other corner of the room, hangs a single window. I can tell, even without Emma?s reminder, that barely any time?s passed. Since there?s been no mentioning of the demon, as well, I can only assume it?s made no movement since I passed out.

Maybe I can convince Jeffrey knocking myself out was all part of my plan to infiltrate the school?

?Before we begin, let me put it out there that I?m not going to be convinced in the slightest should you try to explain to me that you falling on your head was part of some elaborate plan to get inside the school grounds without raising suspicion.?

I guess it was too good an idea for it to work.

?We?ve worked together for quite a while, Elisa. I?m already acquainted with your mishaps concerning staying on your own two feet.?

Stirred the pot before I could even get a word out. It?s really not a secret between all of us that I?m the most prone to falling over just because I took a breath.

?Remember the time you breathed wrong and spilt rich black coffee all over me??

I pull off the tight fitting string bikini top, the only thing that I desired to wear under my jacket, and quickly tugged on the plain white and red sailor uniform over my head. It?s slightly small, even for me, exposing a half-inch of my stomach around the plaid red and black pleated skirt I was provided, but it?s comfortable. Listening to Jeffrey, I can only grumble an apology to him in the time it takes for him to continue.

?Anyway, the mission?s been updated since you?re now on the school grounds. Good work, by the way.?

?Uh--thanks?? Sheepishly, a laugh accompanies my spoken gratitude.

?We haven?t received any new information regarding the demon that?s located on the school grounds. The data?s been clean since the original spike, so we can verify that it?s still on site and waiting to make its next move.?

Jeffrey?s sensors were coded and built specifically according to Emma?s specifications. Several years ago, Emma, by the Institute?s orders, began to experiment and research on demons in order to analyze their powers and abilities. We became less like killers and more like? kidnappers. Setting out on missions solely to find demons with unusual abilities and bludgeoning them unconscious until we could get them inside an oversized test tube.

The Institute came under a lot of fire for their research, but Emma managed to crack what she called ?The Demon Buoyancy?, allowing us to actively scan for demons over a very narrow region. It?s still in its infancy, so we can?t do anything if a demon remains motionless or doesn?t use any of its power.

This one that we?re hunting now, it?s a higher grade, so it?s probably already aware we can scan for it if it does anything out of the ordinary. We?re going to have to do this the old fashioned way?

?How long do you think we have before it?s going to need to feed??

Demons feed off of humans. Humans, for once in their lifetime, were no longer at the top of the food chain. Most humans are unaware of this--demons are still this fantasy tale that they only tell fictional stories about in books or television. And, just like demons, their hunters are equally unseen killers. We decide if we want to be seen or not, however.

Which raises the question why I didn?t just come into the school, masked from all these mortal eyes.

While we can go without being seen, the damage we?re capable of inflicting is just as real as seeing a bomb go off. It?s there, you know it?s there, and it?s liable to increase the number of casualties were it to be concealed somewhere without anybody knowing.

The mortal consciousness blocks out traumatic experiences. A demon appearing and subsequently being killed by a demon hunter, the brain doesn?t comprehend it. It?s erased as though it never happened. Then the media appears and spins a story all its own. Terrorist bombings, airplane accidents, car collisions--anything that seems devastating. They?re never about telling the actual story. Only what will bring in attention.

It goes without saying--we try to limit the amount of damage we bring to the very society that we strive to protect. We are guardians after all.

?Only a few hours, given its size. Estimate around four hours worth of time. Do you think you can find and eliminate the creature before then??

I finish transferring what few belongings I brought with me into my new uniform and cast my coat, shorts and boots under the nurse?s desk.

?Depends on how good the mouse is at hiding from this cat.?

?Since this is not an undercover operation, use the students to your advantage. Ask them if they?ve noticed any other students out of the ordinary, or if there?s staff that?s changed in the past couple of hours. We can?t eliminate the idea that it?s managed to take the place of a teacher and is masquerading around as one.?

Bait-n-switch. Ala Demons-R-Us. ?It didn?t start out as an undercover mission, Jeffrey, but that doesn?t mean it can?t finish as one. This whoever-guy-or-girl that?s coming to check on me is just going to have to miss out. After they come and go, I?m going to scour the place and try to get an idea where it could be hiding. Rather pull the plug on it without knowing I?m here before it gets out of control.?

?Whatever you decide, Elisa, just remember that there are over a thousand lives at stake.?

Over a thousand? I can?t let this wind up in failure? ?Don?t worry, Jeffrey. I won?t let anything happen to these students. You have my word.?

The promise I made Jeffrey is something I want to keep. It doesn?t matter how unrealistic it may be, I don?t want to see another incident like Elrich?

Elrich High School was a large district in the Surheil Region, a sector several hundred miles away from the Institute?s grounds. Other than the Institute and Nishka Municipal High, it is the only remaining education center in the Southern Province. The perfect kind of breeding ground for demons. A buffet freshly opened with barely any courses on the menu.

Because it was an area where lots of humans gathered all together at once, the Institute routinely sent classmen to the region to keep watch; nothing special or exclusive. They didn?t send their best out there, or send more than a couple of people at once. It was referred to as a volunteer position; a place where students could pick up a few extra credits if they were wanting them. I guess you could say it was ?that place you go when you?re bored.?

Rightly so, I guess -- the school never saw any activity. Demons knew that we kept tabs on it and did their best to steer clear. Other places, less traveled streets or homes, became their hunting grounds. And we generally acted fast enough that nobody even knew what hit them before the demons were erased and the victims? memories altered by our Mind Workers. Peace remained.

Over a several week time span, students assigned to Elrich would return with reports of unusual activity. A higher concentration of demons, scanners picking up passing demon wavelengths. Things that raised several red flags but not enough to warrant additional resources sent out. It?s hundreds of miles away, as Chairman Angus put it. We couldn?t simply go there because of a few reports of demons passing by the vicinity. He rejected any additional support; not without additional clause.

Jeffrey, as for the rest of the Omega Unit, held a similar thought. Jeffrey is Chairman Angus? close friend, so they collaborate on affairs that deal with our team directly. And because we?re sent out to take care of demons of a higher grade, we?re usually put on stand-by specifically for those cases. Nothing pointed in the direction of danger.

I wasn?t convinced, and I managed to at least turn Carla over that I needed to be sure for myself. I had another of our members, Melissa, set up a dummy decoy in my stead -- you know, a kind of doll that resembles me in every way?, so nobody would know I?d be gone -- and left. Went to Elrich myself.

Because it was several hundred miles away, it takes just as many hours to get there, even if I use my motorcycle, which is considered one of the fastest in service. I knew, even if I cranked it to full, it?d be two hours at least.

Two agonizing hours.

A lot can happen in two hours. Unspeakable things can happen in two hours. It only takes ten seconds for a demon?s toxin to work its way through your system and end your life. It only takes a half second for a demon to go from deciding to injecting you with the toxin and actually carry out the task and move on to the next victim. If you were to put that down on paper? a lot of lives can be lost in only a short minute.

Two lower ranked agents wouldn?t be enough to go up against a high-grade demon with an over-sized appetite, were one to actually show up at Elrich?s doorstep. I didn?t know if one would actually do that or not. That?s why I wanted to go and be sure. I was brought into Omega's team due to my abilities as a sensor. In all of the Institute?s history, I am the first, and only, person that has the ability to pin-point the location of a demon, gauge its size and strength, detect its life essence, and what powers it possesses. To lesser degrees, I can locate other forms of life. Humans, animals? In a way, all of life carries itself with a kind of sensation that I can feel. I still struggle to understand the different sensations, what they all mean?

While I may not be the strongest agent by any stretch of the imagination, these abilities have given me something of an edge against others around me.

When I pulled up to the front of Elrich, I didn?t feel anything out of the ordinary. Students, dressed in deep blue and white uniforms, were coming and going. The most dramatic thing I heard in conversation was how one girl was rejected by a guy she had asked out. Hardly the kind of thing that should be alarming to me.

What did bother me was how the gates didn?t have any agents from the Institute stationed there. I read the protocols for Elrich before I left. During the morning hours, before class starts, they're to guard the gates and maintain visual contact with every student that passes through; it's where the heaviest traffic of humans occur. Once class starts, they roam the halls. By the end of homeroom, they?re back outside. The process repeats until everyone goes home.

Nobody in the school can actually see the Institutes? students. Protocol at Elrich High demands that we keep our presence masked. It helps single out potential demons in disguise should they recognize us where so many others do not.

Two girls passed through me, like a solid object slipping through vapor, as I went inside the school. When I did, everything in my body felt different. Heat, heaviness, like I just went to Jupiter and planted myself on a beach made of methane and fire. Normally, I can tell when a demon is nearby. It can be miles away; I'll be able to point in a direction and sniff it out, so to speak. So, to me, it was strange that I could tell, only when entering the building, that a demon was nearby.

I can?t really say I understand how I feel when demons are near. My body reacts differently each and every time. Like a snowflake, it?s never exactly the same. But when I notice the alteration, it means something is close. And the more drastic it is, the stronger it is.

Not more than ten feet past the entrance to the school, I was already aware something was inside, and it was fierce. With the students to the Institute missing from the gates --

They were dead.

Hunters like myself and Carla possess a specific sensation that I can make out better than others. Chalk it up to always being around hunters back home. I couldn't sense the agents that were assigned there anymore. And if they were dead?

It's possible others were, too?

I hurried through the building?s bustling halls. People going to study hall, to the cafeteria for an early lunch. Laughing, bullying, arguing; everything a school is supposed to have. But the hot rage inside my chest, swallowing the pulsating rhythm of my anxious heart, wasn?t normal. It was anything but normal.

As I swam through the throngs of students, I came to a stumbling halt near of a hall that was lacking the kind of traffic the other parts of the school did. Students were passing through, but in greatly less numbers. A janitor?s closet, a faculty staff room, two bathrooms, what looked like a counselor?s room, main offices -- nestled neatly away from prying eyes.

Demons can?t be seen. But their victims, humans that are no more visible to each other than your hand in front of your face, can be. They still need to act discreetly to avoid panic. It draws panic, and panic draws the eyes of the Institute. We?ve managed to teach demons that much, and it?s helped keep humans from dying to some varying degree.

My ears could hear a sound. Like a garbage bag being crumpled up and shoved into a rotary desk fan. First from the bathroom. Then from the main office. Like a ghost, I passed through the drywall between the hall and the office, and immediately saw a small boy in front of me, no older than nine or ten years old, hunkered over. His hair was sloppy, greasy and done up as though he simply didn?t care. His face was full of grime, like he washed it with a dusty mound of dirt, and his eyes were small suns of pure gold, at least comparable to 24 karat under an intense light. He was startled as he looked up at me, bewilderment so intense, I felt my stomach knot to the point I had to cradle it.

His face contorted, his eyes drawn wide, his mouth slack, his jaw loose like a snake unhinging to devour a watermelon. He screamed at me, something unintelligible, and stood up. What began as a small child transformed in front of me; a silhouette of pure shadow, with a face plated in gleaming porcelain white and eyes more lustrous than minted rubies. He rose taller than I: six feet, seven feet, ten feet, until he met the ceiling and had to crane his neck and arch his back just to fit.

We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. He knew what I was the minute I passed through the wall. He acted accordingly. In that time, I had all the capability in the world to get the jump on him, but? I never trained to use Verses, immensely powerful, ritualistic spells that call on passages from holy scripts to denounce demons. Unlike what it may sound like, it doesn?t expel demons from our world -- merely weakens them. Weakening a demon can allow us to reverse their existence to something akin to the strength of a human; a much more manageable state.

The only training I?ve ever had is with a blade, a weapon that I can summon by drawing on the energy of light itself. It doesn?t matter the kind of light I use -- though I?ve noticed the sun gives me greater strength than other sources. It only takes an instant. And an instant is all I had before the demon lashed out and sent me flying through the wall I had just harmlessly phased through. In an instant, he sprang through the hole he?d made with my body and surged down the hall.

By the time I got my bearings straight and went to follow after him, he was already gone. The hot fire in my chest wasn?t there, and my head, although throbbing, wasn?t full of the malice demons possess. He?d gotten away, fast as a bolt of lightning.

When I called back to HQ, I spoke with Jeffrey, who brought up the affair with Chairman Angus. Three teams, including the Mind Workers from Alpha and Gamma team, were dispatched to provide evacuation of the school, clean-up, and sculpt the memories of any humans possibly affected by the loss of life. Sixty-four students and seventeen staff members were accounted for, and both of our own agents that were at Elrich were discovered dead. Mangled. Torn apart like paper?

It was the single most devastating tragedy in the Institute?s lifetime. As a result of the substantial loss, Chairman Angus restructured how we respond to demon reports and upgraded Omega Unit?s response awareness to first priority. Because of my sensory abilities, we?re now assigned to investigate any and all reports of demon wavelengths that do not come back with a definitive strength on our scanners. Emma has since overhauled how her scanners monitor demons, taking some inspiration from my own measuring skills. We now have more precise technology as a result, but it?s anything but perfected. We?re still a long ways off from being able to judge demons through devices and radars.

That?s why I must hold onto this promise. Elrich?s tragic history could have been avoided if we all took greater precautions and considered how demons go about shifting forms to masquerade as another human being. I wouldn't say our own arrogance was the cause? This was never heard of before. Our scanners always discovered demons ahead of time. My ability to sense out demons never required me to be in such a proximity before it triggered something.

They were learning? And that demon in specific was just the beginning. They were starting to learn how we ticked and how to counter it. Just as we were.

"Hey.?

That's all he says. As if? hay is for horses. Or, "Hey" is a contraction for, "Hello, I find you attractive and would like to dance with you, share some drinks with you, and then perhaps--"

Gah! Nonono.

I spin away from him, talking directly at the window beside us. The sunlight?s bearing down on me, forcing me to squint more than I already do out of natural habit. What cloud cover spreads over the sky doesn?t lessen the sun?s overburdening glare.

?Okay? Don?t panic, but? I think he?s onto me?? I speak, a whisper that?s only audible for Emma. I?m not too sure how. My glamour prevents me from being seen by everyday humans.

?Onto you? He can see you? That?s not normal,? Emma states absently, like she?s got her nose in a book. I hear a page turn before she says anything else. ?Try waving at him. I?m sure you?re--?

I do exactly as she asks, flailing a hand vigorously in his face like he?s on fire. ?Fuuuuu??

?Ah--Hey!? He exclaims, ducking away from my hand like a trained boxer. A stack of papers lands in my open palm, parrying my attack effortlessly. ?Stop that, Mayu -- You are Mayu, aren?t you??

Mayu? That?s the name Emma made for me. I squint at him, if that?s even necessary by now, and lean away from both him and the papers, deftly stepping back.

?I think something?s wrong with my glamour,? I tell Emma under the guise of a sigh. I glance away, instinctively expecting some strange girl to be standing there behind me, who also happens to be called Mayu. That would certainly make more sense.

I?m not that lucky, however...

?Ahmmm? o-oh. Yes, I? suppose that would be me,? I tell him quietly, prodding my fingers together nervously.

Emma invades my ear, distracting my train of thought from saying anymore else.

?Ahh! That must be Francisco Van Peabody. Everybody calls him Mr. Peabody. Real popular guy at the school.?

Mr. Peabody? What kind of name is that? I don?t have time to question it. I bow to the however-tall-guy in front of me nonchalantly; practiced and rehearsed a thousand times before. ?Are you Mr. Peabody??

A sudden bark of laughter sprays from the earpiece. ?Oh god. You weren?t supposed to believe me!?

?...w-wait, that?s not his name?! Why would you--!?? Horrified, I look away, smothering a hand in my face. ?S-Sorry? You would be...??

The stack of papers in his hand crinkle and droop, and for a moment, he seems only capable of staring at me. It?s as if he saw me traipse through that wall without question. Some fantastic and unexpected thing. And who would blame him if he had? It?s like nothing a normal guy like him would have ever seen before. Wincing, I peek at him through a thin space between several fingers.

?Toby. My name is Toby. Who told you Mr. Peabody was showing up??

His question is so casual, I can?t help the mad rush of heat spreading through my cheeks.

Quickly, I swipe the air with my hand to dismiss his question. It wasn?t important. Please don?t ask more! ?D-Don?t? worry about that. I just--?

Before I can say anything else, the bustling roar of three girls peal through the air; coming down the hall at a brisk pace. They?re all in similar clothing, no different than the school uniform I was provided, but with the inclusion of a vibrant red armband safety pinned to a sleeve. Stitched in robust gold, I could read, ?Disciplinary Committee?. One of them was wielding a clipboard and barking off assignments to the other two, who all nod and jot down notes on their own respective clipboard.

They pass by Mister-Tall-Somebody, offering him a halfhearted greeting without interrupting their train of conversation and disappear down a subsequent hallway just past where we?re standing.

They never noticed me. I didn?t even get so much as a glance of eyes, an acknowledging remark. It was as if I didn?t exist.

Rightly so. Which means my glamour hasn?t forsaken me like I?d thought.

I watch them until they?re no longer in viewing range before looking back up to Toby. He belatedly waves at the trio before it?s too late, but beyond that, his attention on them is absent at best. When he opens his mouth to me, he jabs the stack of papers at me. ?Here,? he says. ?These are yours. They?ll ask you for them, so it?s best you hold onto them.?

So caught up in the exchange (or lack thereof) with the three girls, I jump back from the stack of papers. ?What are these?? I ask, snatching them up and flipping through them. Four pages in all, all detailing some basic information about me. My name, an address that?s clearly fabricated, a birthday--I?m supposed to be sixteen--and?

?Your papers,? he enunciates as I stare blankly at the cover page.

Disbelief snakes through my tone as I look up at him, the stack of admission papers crumpling in ironic defeat. ?I transferred here because I?m afraid of bees??

Emma had a greater imagination than I was willing to admit to. That, or she?s possibly the largest knucklehead I?ve ever had the privilege of meeting.

?I had a choice between that and an allergy to rubber ducks. What would you have preferred?? Emma asks with some level of annoyance.

As much as I want to respond to her, I keep my mouth firmly shut, albeit a twitch that stubbornly jerks my left eyebrow.

Toby blinks down at me, running a finger under his nose as if he's trying to stave off an amused chuckle. "Hey, don't ask me. Bees are pretty scary when you piss them off. Least it's not something funny like dandelions."

It?s as if he understands Emma?s reasoning completely. I sigh, both to her and to him and shake my head dejectedly.

?Err? n-no? bees are just fine??

I roll up the stack of falsified papers and stab them into the waist of the skirt I was provided. Plaid and red, it?s easy on the eyes and oddly comfortable to wear. I?ve never been one for skirts, but I could be convinced pretty easily at this rate.

?R-Right,? I say in hopes of altering the course of the conversation, ?Um, papers. Well, I?ll hold onto these until I?m asked for him. Right? I guess??

Emma snatches my cue up perfectly. ?There?s a main office that?s going to need you to turn those papers in so they can give you a schedule and assign you a homeroom. Because this guy?s escorting you, they?ll likely stick you in his class.?

For once, Emma shoots me with a bullet of sense. An office would also be the perfect place to begin looking for the demon that?s hiding out here. They often stray where there are numbers in order to blend in better and disrupt our scanners. And while our scanners have problems in densely populated areas, my own sensor abilities aren?t hindered. It?s all but impossible to hide.

As I?m lost in thought, I notice Toby dip his head a little to get a good look at me, as if he?s already got a microscope set up to do some kind of personal research. It?s only then I realize I?ve been talking to Emma more than to the guy that?s supposed to be escorting me around school like some kind of guardian on a new contract. I comfortably fit my hands behind my back and interlock my fingers, giving him a potent smile that?s flanked by the shadows of dimples. His eyes are an eerie shade of turquoise gemstone--a trait we happen to share. I couldn?t say the same for our hair. Like rust, where mine?s currently like the color of deep ocean currents. The foundation of his hairstyle reminds me of a jagged rock formation set beneath some cape overlooking water--yet to be swallowed by the rising tide.

That?s where I keep my line of sight. I struggle with eye contact when I?m talking. Carla always makes it a habit to point it out to me.

?Uh? r-right. Well, you?re going to have to walk me through this process of transfer...rance...ism?? Is that even a word? I regress to bluntness, my voice flat. ?I?ve never done this before.?

He can?t honestly think I?m afraid of bees. Just looking at him, I can see he?s locked in perpetual thought over what could really be a fear of mine. It?s already apparent that I don?t do this whole conversing thing very well. He grins when I do, and I notice an apparent tint of red swell in the cartilage of his ears. It?s fleeting, as is the silence as he registers what I said.

?That?s what I?m here for. The office is this way,? motioning behind him where the Disciplinary Committee came from. ?They?ll get your papers filed, get you a schedule. And a bag. You definitely need one of those.?

A school bag. I never thought I?d need one because I wasn?t supposed to be seen by anybody in the school except for him. The security guard that found me snooping around outside the premises wasn?t expected. That?ll teach me to not use my glamour before showing up on a mission?

At some eventual point, once I started shadowing his steps toward the main office, I slip out of my glamour disguise. It?s as natural as taking a breath, more simple than removing a glove. I can feel the soft kiss of cool air wash over me as I do it, the only telltale sign I've transferred over into a state of existence. He doesn?t seem to take notice when I do it, only reinforcing the reminder that he--and seemingly only he--is capable of seeing through it as if it's nothing. As if he's just one of us?

Reaching into the waistband of my skirt, I fish out a sandwich--turkey and lettuce--and brandish it at his back. ?Don?t worry. I?m not completely unprepared today,? I tell him proudly, a glimmer of my grin remaining intact.

His march is haphazard but versed, obvious that he?s made trips down these labyrinth-type halls hundreds of times prior. His shoulders aren?t broad like a muscle head?s would, but there?s apparent definition under his blazer. That, or he?s one of those strange boys that finds shoulder pads endearing. I remain close, riding on my tiptoes in hopes of getting a better look at him and figuring him out?

?It?s going to be a wonder if they even know how to pronounce my home country?? I tell this to Emma, who?s decided to finally go quiet and give me a chance to complete my mission. I hear her snicker as a page turns in whatever mysterious book of fiction she?s reading.

He all but gawks at my sandwich brandishing. ?Wh--Where the hell did you put that thing?? Thankfully, he doesn?t try to make a terrible scene about the fact that I just happened to have one that was stashed with the rest of the nurse's things on his desk. It's not stolen if nobody said I can't take it, right? ?You know, I can?t even pronounce your home country. I don?t think a word should have that many syllables. I got to Uzbeki. Then my brain turned into a balloon.?

I try my luck. I?ll have to eventually at this rate. ?Ooze-Becky-Turkey-Meningitis-Tan.?

That isn't even close. I snatch up the wad of papers and unfurl them for a quick once-over. ?Really. This is the most ridiculous name anybody could have ever come up with??

I couldn?t tell, but there was a hot streak of red under my eyes. Anytime I?ve seen it in the mirror, it always brings out the definition of my cheekbones; pronounced, but tender and slender. I always look like I?m as frail as thin ice supporting the weight of a semi truck. Blushing never helps.

I tuck the admission papers away and stuff the sandwich away at the same time. ?And I keep a lot of my valuables in my clothes. Don?t you? It?s not like you can carry your wallet on your head or something.?

"Menin-what?" He laughs and it busts the rest of the awkward shell off his person. A grin settles easily on his lips as he watches me look over the notes Emma set up for me. "Are you serious? You can't even say it either? They probably had a real simple name once, like Brick. And then they changed it on you, just to be jerks. You can tell people you're from Brick. I don't think they'll care."

He adds. "Nah, I left my wallet in my other skirt. It's laundry day."

"Meningitis," I repeats, albeit with lacking vigor. "T-That's... a disease, isn't it..." The desire to hide myself in my palm surfaces again. I didn?t realize he was still walking when I stopped and scurry faster than a mouse to catch up. "And I'm not going to change it around and say I'm from Brick. I'll just let the teacher do his own thing... It's usually fun to let teachers try to pronounce something for the first time." The thought alone brings out a musical chime of giggles.

?Brick?s something, at least,? he calls over his shoulder without looking back. He stops at a three-way intersection in the hall while I catch up to him.

A twang of horror returns, eyes widening. I swore I heard him say skin. "Y-You change skins...?" I leer at him, and quickly mash a finger into my ear and press down on the earpiece. "I could have found my target already... stand by..."

?What do you mean skins? Skirts. I change--well, no, I don?t.? He squints at me, digesting what I was leading toward. ?Quit looking like that. It was a joke. Nevermind! I?ve got my wallet right here in my bag.?

My beady stare lingers only so long as he omits explaining the part about it being a joke. When I sigh, I can feel the weight of a thousand worlds rolling off my shoulders and cross my hands over my chest. ?Don?t? joke about that kind of stuff??

?Joke? About skirts? Sure. You got it. Skirts are serious business.? A hand slides up in solemn oath.

Elaborating on why would only complicate things. More than they already seem to be.

?Speaking of changing skins. Have you ever? seen something like that? Around here??

He grows progressively more puzzled as he stand in the hall. I admit, asking somebody if they?ve ever seen a person change skins before is out of the ordinary. For a kid like this, the worst thing he?s probably ever encountered is walking in on one of his parents while they?re changing.

It takes him a moment to feel out what I?m asking him.

His head shakes, the lightning bolt earring in his left earlobe swaying with every turn of his head. ?Can?t say I have. But from what I hear of the stuff that goes on around here, I?m not too surprised if it happens.?

?The? kind of stuff that goes on in this city? You mean, that kind of stuff happens often??

The only thing I?ve ever encountered in all my years as a class member of Omega are demons. And the only things capable of shifting from one skin to another, just like how someone changes shoes, are demons. Not even the Lesser Angels--the most terrifying creatures that walk this earth--are capable of something like that.

Moreover, this city is technically within the limits of the Institute. Mind Workers, one of several medical branches that are more often referred to as "Alpha", are tasked with erasing people?s memories of anything related to demons. For that matter, anything that may be considered strange in the first place should already have been removed. Nobody should be considering something strange or abnormal unless it?s society having another field day with the latest controversal issue.

I swallow painfully, my throat drying from talking too much. ?What? What kind of stuff have you heard??

?Well yeah, of course it does,? he tells me with a casual shrug of his shoulders. One of his hands comes out of its pocket long enough to point down a hall before he sets off that way. I follow obediently and listen carefully.

?Your parents didn?t really do their research when they transferred you here, did they??

No. We didn?t research anything. We were just passing through town. Quickly.

?We?ve got a little bit of everything here, you could say. At least, from everything I?ve been told so far.?

I?m not sure what my face is doing, but I can tell that what I?m concerned about is expressing itself clearly it him. He looks back at me and stops dead in his tracks.

?What, are you worried about that??

Worry isn?t exactly what I would call it. But if there are all kinds of little things happening around this kid, why haven?t the Mind Workers done anything about it? Why haven?t we dispatched teams to take care of what?s going on here to normalize everything? The only thing that I can think of--the worst thing I can think of--is that Lesser Angels are here.

As their name implies, Lesser Angels are a class of angel that are beneath the Triad--a group of three angels that preside over the heavens. As Jeffrey?s explained to me, they exist on this world in order to find gemstones that are known as the ?Angelic Shards?, stones that are said to hold the power of the angels themselves.

With the stones in the hands of the angels, the demons may very well be destroyed. Their terror ultimately ended. But, the angels haven?t shown any signs of stopping just with demons? They?ve proven before now that they only see humans as demons themselves. Capable of being spun by the web of lies and corrupt to sinful acts, controlled by a fate of hate and anger.

They?ve killed humans all out of the act of cleansing their sins. Normal, everyday people who live normal, everyday lives. And we?ve been powerless to stop them. Could it? Would it stop there?

That is why Jeffrey created our Omega class at the Institute. Some of the brightest, strongest wielders of demonic power capable of finding the jewels and keep them out of the hands of the angels that would have our world destroyed in hopes of creating something better.

We?ve survived until now by running from them when they appear. Hiding from them when they search for us. They?re the ones that control who lives and who dies. When they chase after demons, we let them. When they kill humans for not agreeing with them, we simply have to allow it. How long can we live like that, though? Sooner or later, we?ll be forced to stand against them. ...what would happen then? Every single time someone at the Institute has stood up to a Lesser Angel to defend the human race--every single incident--they have died.

Angels have no equal beyond their own kind. And no demon has ever been strong enough to stand a chance. In truth? the Lesser Angels that roam this world are the true threats. They are, single handedly, the worst thing we could ever face in our lives.

When I lift my gaze to his, it?s ripe with my fears. Not over telling, but I get the idea he?s already aware that I?m afraid of what his explanation might mean. ?W-Would you say? it?s common for that kind of thing to happen around here? On the school grounds? All that ?little bit of everything???

?What? Here at school? Not really. I mean, I know we?ve got some kids that aren?t all human just ?cause--well they?re weird. You know how that whole thing goes.?

I feel reassured, but only barely.

?Really. Nothing?s going to get you.?

That?s? not really what I?m concerned about, but I feel an odd sense of ease from his comment. As if, magically, nothing would ever get me. I nod, somewhat roughly where my vision distorts, and continue my pace behind him. He turns back around and continues his lead.

?Have you ever heard of something like that outside of school then? Really big, strange creatures? Crawled straight out of someone?s nightmare or something like that??

I feel like I?m interviewing somebody for a role in a movie, or a really G rate Halloween act that?s not even going to pay minimum wage. As awkward as I feel about these morbid series of questions, though, he doesn?t seem to skip a beat about it.

?Of course I have,? he tells me with what sounds like a mock laugh. Like he forced to hide a knot in his gut. ?But not for a while. There?s too many people here for them all to be nice.? He warrants me a glance over a shoulder, just out of the corner of his eye. I can?t tell if it?s because he?s checking on me or because he?s grown too suspicious of my questions. ?If you?re looking for a bunch of details, I?m sorry. I don?t really pay attention to that stuff. If it doesn?t happen to me or my friends, it?s sad, but--? He pauses, and in rhythm with my shock that he may just be waving off the death of innocent people as if it?s nothing.

He manages to stop himself there. I manage to forget it was almost a possibility.

?Not everything that is alive is nice, Mayu.?

That?s as good as it?ll get?

?What are you asking me this for, anyway? You?re not going to go out looking for this kind of thing, are you??

I scratch my cheek for a lack of a response and look away from him. I can?t help but feel his eyes becoming judgmental. It?s too hard to find an answer, especially one that he?ll understand and accept willingly. I avoid it all together. ?Tell me about this school of yours, then. What?s your class like? Have you had a lot of transfer students??

His voice bobs by my abrupt change of subject but I can tell that he?s willingly letting himself smile. He?s happy that I?ve resorted to a normal question.

?It?s pretty full,? he tells me, ironing out his voice. ?You?re the first transfer student we?ve had come in. There?s been a bunch going out.?

Again, he gives me that over the shoulder look; waiting for me to ask him a question like, Have you heard if they?ve died and transformed into massive flesh-eating worms? I hold off asking him anything abnormal this time. ?A lot of people transferring out? Is that unusual??

He grips the knot in his tie and pulls on it to loosen it up. It throws his whole school uniform out of alignment, giving him a decided delinquent appearance. ?At the beginning of a semester, it?s pretty normal, actually. A lot of people move--but I guess it?s a few more than usual. Nothing really extreme. And certainly nothing I would call ?Un-normal?.?

He already knew where I was going with my series of questions. I can?t help my sputtering laughter of nervousness. One of those hiked pitches where I?ve been caught sneaking my hand in the cookie jar.

?Normal but not normal. It?s normal for people to change schools like this, but not normal for more than a couple at a time, at most.? I reiterate this point for a lack of anything better to say and to control my urge to ask anything else profound. Keep it light.

?What about friends? What kind of friends do you have? Are they interesting people?? I resort to something that?s more average. People like talking about their friends.


?Interesting? Sure, I guess. Ken?s pretty cool. He?s a little girl crazy though, so I?d watch out around him. Make your skirt longer than it is or something.?

Girl crazy. I?ve already dealt with my fair share of noblemen years ago that were all about chasing skirts. Just the thought alone has me tugging at the hem but it doesn?t go anywhere lower than the mid-thigh.

?Olivia?s nice, too. I?ve got a few friends in a bunch of different classes, but you?ll see Ken the most. He?s also in our class. But, really. I?m not kidding about the skirt thing. Ken?s already talking about you like crazy.?

I can?t help not caring or being bothered about Ken. My mind still racing about the previous conversation on skin-jumpers and Lesser Angels. I also can?t help noticing how Toby seems a little perturbed by my lack of concern as I weave past him through a double set of burgundy-painted doors with a cross of glass. ?Ehh? boys,? I manage to remark, hoping to make it sound like I?m simply not surprised by his warning.

The office?s atmosphere is decidedly different from the rest of the school. The din of fracas that schools are acquainted with is noticeably absent, with only the dulcet, digital ringing of telephones in the ears and the nostril tickling taste of coffee on the nose. Three desks, all occupied by school staff, are positioned in front of me, lined horizontally and neatly. A double set of cabinets to my left leads to an open office, and beyond that leads an angled hall toward what looks like a principle and vice-principle office, judging by the people of obvious importance standing just outside them.

Toby stumbles in behind me, a series of fingers poking me in my shoulder.

?I can?t do it for you,? he tells me, as if reading my mind on the expectation he?d take the papers and turn them in. ?You?ll need to be here for it, at least until we fully figure out where you belong.?

I take out the rolled up sheets of admission papers and hold them out to him anyway. He hits me with a dash of an incredulous look, as if he?s going to steal them out of my hand and hit me upside the head. I look as helpless as I feel when I turn around and march toward the first desk.

?Don?t worry, Elisa,? Emma blurts into my ear, reminding me she was still there. I?d forgotten all about having been on an assignment for a little bit there. ?Just use an accent and flail around uncontrollably. You?ll fit in in no time.?

An accent? I only know how to perfect my oriental accent, which is slightly different from what?s on my sheet. I don?t have enough time to rehearse anything and go for the very first thing I can think of. ?Ex-cyuse-o meeeee~? I exclaim, setting the pages out on the desk in front of the woman who?s already jumping to her feet in surprise from my greeting. ?Ei have come fryum a distun--- oh, this is stupid??

The receptionist?s eyes look ready to fall out of her head they?re so wide. I can?t stop the extremely hot rush of color from spreading across my face as I shake my head and point to the papers. ?...I? have transfer papers? can you process them so I can have a schedule, please???

Toby?s laughter pierces my ears and I wince, feeling my face grow hotter. ?Her home country?s kinda weird,? he says in a ?What can you do?? kind of tone. It helps to some degree since the woman simply clears her throat and nods, albeit with a sense of concern, and steps away to a nearby copy machine.

I mimic his ?What can you do?? expression; mellow as I can muster in hopes he won?t pick out my embarrassment. ?Oooooh, yesssu. It is how you greet people in Turkeystands. ?Ex-cyuse-o meeeee~?? I repeat and am soundly shushed by all three staff members, as well as one of the principle figures standing in the far back of the office.

?Turkeystands? Is that the city you?re from?? He?s snickering and pretty profoundly. Before I can give him much of any look of scorn, he shoots his hands in the air in surrender. ?Okay, okay, you?re excyuse-o?d. Here in Nishka, we let people do their jobs so they don?t throw staplers at you.?

The wince he shares is clearly from experience.

In my ear, Emma?s lost all sense of control, laughing until she evidently fell out of her chair. The broadcast goes silent abruptly as a result. I can?t glare at Emma, so I?m forced to resign to a sigh and nod in what can only pass as a genuine apology. ?R-Right? s-sorry. Sorry.?

"It's okay. I mean, getting a stapler to the head is more a two month kind of thing rather than a two hour one. You'll get the hang of it."

I?m thankful I wasn?t planning on staying here more than an hour at this current rate. Looking up at the nearest wall, I take notice of the time. I?d been sleeping for a few hours since my accidental coma outside the school grounds. Toby hasn?t seen or heard anything out of the ordinary about the demon I was here to find. In fact, the only odd thing that?s come up since arriving is that he could see through my glamour as if I didn?t have it on. Which reminds me about something I?ve been wondering since we met.

?So? tell me. You saw me in the hall, right? Like? entirely??

The rhythmic click and whine of the copier fills the office with background noise as I ask him this critical question. ?Yeah, of course. You walked through the door, didn?t you??

?Through the door?? I repeat to stifle my surprise. He?d seen me manifest through a physical object, then, because I didn?t go through a door. Without question, there was something out of the ordinary about this kid. I can tell he isn?t afflicted by a demon toxin, just from a glance. The glamour was automatically applied during transitions like that; like a spider that is congenitally born with the ability to weave webs. ?Ah. Right, of course. The door.? I nod all sudden-like, shoulders up and down in a lighthearted shrug. ?I mean, it was open and everything.?

His grin, what one he had for most of our conversation, shaves away a little when I explain myself. He didn?t pursue it, at least, and that?s all I could hope for. ?Why? Was I not supposed to see you? Were you trying to be stealthy or something? A little hard when you?re the only person roaming the hall in front of the nurse?s station.?

"I s-suppose that?s true..." I cup my hand behind my head and rub away a heavy feeling that was trying to transform into a headache. I motion to nothing in specific as I talk, gesticulating purely out of habit. "And no, no, you should have. I guess I'm just trying to figure out exactly how long you saw me before I saw you. I didn't really realize you were there until you were flapping papers in my face."

He catches the back of his neck with a hand and laughs. ?Okay, good. I didn?t blow any Turkeystand ninja secrets.? Following a moment of laughter between us, awkward and strained as it felt on my end, he stabs his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. ?I wouldn?t worry about it. You have a lot on your mind. First day at a new school and everything.?

He upnods to the secretary?s return from the copier and hands me a small stack of white and yellow pages, as well as a leather satchel. On top is the schedule I?d asked for, detailing my afternoon classes.

My smile for her is just as awkward as I?ve been feeling all day and graciously thank her for her time. I backpedal beside Toby and turn to make my retreat from the office. ?First days can be? odd, I guess,? I tell him with a shrug. Judging by the schedule, the current class should be letting out shortly, meaning there?ll be a new attempt to find the demon if he?s using the abundance of students to roam the halls unfettered. He won?t be expecting someone with senses like mine to be here, which?ll be the perfect opportunity to jump him before he can do any harm.

?I? um, should probably use the bathroom before the next class starts. What are you doing next??

Toby follows me out into the hall, passing a look down to be with a humored chuckle. ?First? Unless you already know where they are, I?m going to help you find one. Then, I do Current Mythical History. Or naptime, depending. Come on, this way.?

An escort to a bathroom? And class? Getting away from somebody wasn?t supposed to be as difficult as all this. And it?s not like I can just phase through a wall and disappear from his sight plain as day. He can see everything I?m capable of. Which still leads me to wonder if he could see a demon if it appeared out of the clear blue. Either way?

After a short walk, he indicates a small alcove off to the side of one hall, with one door labeled for girls. I nod and give him a brisk wave. ?Oooo-kay-o~? I sing, ?I think this will be enough for me to get started! Why don?t you do your? naptime thing! And I will find you for the classroom business afterwards. We can meet up?? The kind of energy I?m willing to expel makes me feel more tired by the second as I bounce from foot to foot and start a mad dash for the door, unwilling to give him an opportunity to say anything back. ?See you again, Toby! Bye-bye~?

I glance over my head to the little pink silhouette of a girl in a dress to confirm I?m on the right path and disappear inside, only able to hear him vaguely offer a rebuttal about not knowing where my next classroom would be.

?Sorry, kid? You?re really nice, but I can?t risk having the demon see us together and try to use you to his advantage? Take care of yourself,? I whisper as I skate across the tiled floor of the bathroom to the opposing end. I can feel the cool air of the bathroom roll off me as my glamour?s ignited, turning the atmosphere into a stale, still existence and slip through the wall, vanishing through it like water down a drain pipe. I don?t have time to wait.

?Emma, it looks like session?s about to be let out,? I tell her as I re-emerge from the bathroom wall into another hall.

It takes her a second to reestablish the connection since her earlier bustling laughter. ?You bailed on the kid? That?s going to be a problem if he starts asking questions and drawing attention to you.?

I glance down the hall, weaving through the small gathering of students. I?m careful in my examinations of each as I pass by them. Nothing triggers any of my usual uneasy vibes. ?I know,? I respond absentmindedly. ?But having him with me is a bigger risk. He?d be an easy hostage if the demon saw us together. I?m already at risk because it knows I?m here.?

I can tell Emma?s nodding as she answers me. ?I see your point? Keep us posted, Elisa. We?re not out of time yet so try to be as thorough as you can.?

?Understood,? I tell her, picking a direction to start walking. Even if I don?t know the layout of the school, I can at least get a head start on my examinations.

She didn't come back.

"Hey, Toby. You know, that Mayu girl never made it back from the bathroom."

I dart looks between the clock and the door to our classroom. It's too late into the period now to say she'd just gotten lost. I mean, maybe she had a problem and fell in.

"You don't think she fell in, do you?"

Amano's voice had become a drone. Monotone and sleepy and broken up by tapping when he scribbled something else on the chalkboard.

"So hey, where do you think she could have--"

"Shut UP, Ken!!"

"Mister Aradam! Excellent! Do you have the answer?"

"U-uh.."

About thirty heads turn in my direction. The day outside teases with its sun and clear skies. Like there isn't two feet of glass and two stories between me and a get-a-way.

"Well! Mister Aradam, what is it!"

The bell rings, and I shoot from my seat and rip my bag off the hooks of my desk. "It's lunchtime!" All their open mouths could have caught every fly in the world. I make it out into the hallway, leaving the classroom in a stunned silence. The corridor fills in around me with the last lunch group spilling out the doors. I elbow through them, knocking away papers and books, narrowly avoiding a gross kiss from some couple that hasn't seen each other in the last hour and blow into the stairwell.

It's a long shot. There's no way she could still be in the bathroom now, but it's hard to tell my feet that. I keep sprinting because it's all I know. If I stop to think about it, about the fact that I lost the transfer student on her first day, I'll have even less of an idea of what to do about it. This plan was going to fail, but it was something.

When I reach the door to the girl's bathroom, a suck in a breath to steel myself and shove it open.

Two girls checking their make-up shriek and so do I. They throw their lipgloss wands and mascara brushes at me. One hits me in the chest, leaving a pink streak of strawberry smelling glitter. I duck the other and it skitters into the hall, where it's going to become roadkill to hundreds of unknowing feet.

"God, what a freak!!"

"What's your problem, creep?!"

They flounce out of the bathroom, keeping their distance from me, hugging their chests like I'd just walked in on them changing.

But it's not like what I did is any better.

My face burns hot and I probably look like a lit match. The third girl in the bathroom just stares at me with a wad of paper towels in her hands. She looks halfway between terror and wanting to laugh.

"Hi, Liv," I mumble.

"Hi Toby." She doesn't know why I barged into the girl's bathroom any more than I do.

"I gotta go." I turn out of the doorway.

"Toby, wait--!" she calls but I duck out of the bathroom and scrub my palm against the strawberry stain on my shirt. I hear her shouting my name the further I get down the hallway.

I don't know what I was thinking. There's too many places she could have gone in the last hour. Wrong classroom, wrong class. She could be running laps with the sports teams, forced to cook some sort of Turkeystanz traditional meal.

Or, I think to myself as I face a set of double glass doors leading out into a courtyard, she could have ditched. The thought impresses me but makes me sad at the same time. I didn't know that I'd been looking forward to seeing her again, so much.

There was something about her that I still couldn't put my finger on. She wasn't like every other girl I'd met before. That's true about any new girl I met, but this one was different. She hadn't been interested in the school at all. All she wanted me to tell her about was anything weird happening in the city. If I didn't know any better, it sounded like the beginning to a movie, one where the main character and the interesting new character in town get all romantic with each other.

What was I going to say to her if I saw her again, anyway? 'Hey, where did you go? Ken thought you fell in.' There was a good chance that one of the secretaries tracked her down too. Maybe we left without all her papers, maybe she didn't fill everything out.

Maybe they got her a school uniform that actually fit.

I shake my head hard enough that my brain feels like a ping pong ball. The lipgloss stain on my shirt is still sticky and I rub at it, reminded I needed to change too. I had a spare in my gym locker. I'd already decided to take another lunch. Next period had stuff to do with numbers, and there was no way I was going to be able to concentrate.

I blow out a sigh and turn, and a face bounces off my chest. It's hidden by scraggly blond hair parted right down the middle. The boy's brow is wrinkly with embarrassment. His eyes are shiny when he looks up, the color of dirty snow, ringed in dark circles like all his fidgeting keeps him from sleeping. I reach out to steady him by the shoulders and it feels like I'm holding a coat hanger.

"Whoa, Erics. Hang on. You okay..?"

"T-Toby. Yeah. Yeah, I'm..f-fine." He looks right and left, up, left again. Kids pass by us like we somehow don't exist even though we're standing in front of the doors. The metallic bang of lockers nearby is like thunder and Erics jumps with every sound.

I didn't lie to Mayu when I told her we didn't get many kids coming in to the school. Erics was the last one I could remember, and that was months ago. The most I knew about him was that he was a couple years younger than me and he had zero hand eye coordination. Once I saw him trip over a wad of paper someone dropped a foot from his shoe.

He kept to himself a lot, but it was more than that sometimes. It was like no one else ever saw him, unless he ran into them like he'd just done to me. He didn't have anybody. I felt bad for him.

"You have lunch yet?"

"No. I was c-coming to find you first."

Crap. I was so busy running around my own head with Mayu, I didn't even think about him. I clap him on the shoulders. "Alright, Erics. Let's go."

"Not t-to the ch-church."

"No, not to the church. Even though that's where all the good food is." I pull at the strap of my bag and head out the glass doors, holding one with my shoulder so Erics can trot out after me. "The Food Club should still have something left." It's a little colder than I thought it was going to be, but my coat's somewhere else. Once Erics is out, I start walking.

"You know..I think I have an extra sandwich, actually. I already ate one earlier." I dig into my bag as I walk, shifting aside notebooks and a binder. It can't be this hard to find a sandwich half. "We got a new transfer student in my class today and Amano had me use the first break to get her set up. I kind of lost her though. Somewhere. I mean, she's here, she's just--"

A rush of wind behind my back pulls at me. I stumble a step backward and turn to see a figure crouched in a ring of dust kicked up by their fall. Her hair hadn't all come to rest yet. Acres of ocean green ripple as they drop, sweeping around her like a curtain. She looks up, but her face isn't as distantly curious as before. It's hard and focused, and tight. It looks like a face she wears a lot, but doesn't really sit well there.

She stares at me and I stare back, but I don't think this meeting is going to be like the last one.

Like a leaf dancing on a weaving breeze, she tapped off the chiseled pavement and lunged forward, short legs cutting quick strides to close the gap between them. Her eyes never left the smaller companion beside Toby; her arms loose at her sides. She needed to be prepared for every possible outcome--already expecting the child-like somebody to make a run for it the moment her presence was seen. She couldn't risk the opportunity he'd have to escape.

Mayu isn't wrong. All three of them spring to action, Erics included, but the scrawny child foolishly turns his back on his oncoming assailant and attempts in vain to hightail it away.

There's barely any time to process what's happening. The second he realizes he should be ducking, lunging, abandoning the sandwich and leaping out of the way, she's already three feet away from them. His bellow of warning to Erics is more like a terrified squawk as he belly flops on the pavement.

Toby spared her the need to kick him away from the threat that her extraordinary sense toward demons was screaming at her. With him down, she sprung up and over, nothing more than a brilliant streak of aqua green, and plummeted down in front of the child's only possible means of escape; her arms outstretched. "No further," she declares, teeth grit. "You've played cat and mouse long enough."

Scrambling around like a crab to find the two again, he pushes up inches from the ground despite the scream in his bones from his fall, a grimace marring his face. "Hey, what the hell's going on here?"

Erics screeches to a halt so quickly he leaves little clouds of dust, but he doesn't heed Mayu's orders. Instead, panicked, he turns a full ninety degrees like he means to once more make a break for it like he hopes Toby's questioning would provide a good enough distraction.

"Ah, hell..." she curses under her breath, gesturing at the air with one hand. A vivid whirlpool of golden particles swell around her fingers, condensing into a compact silhouette of a slender sword; its blade a reflective silver, the hilt as crisp as the morning sun. Much like a trail blazing fire, a cadmium yellow tassel a foot in length plumes in its wake as she swings it forward and steps off, moving with deft precision toward the still retreating target. Toby's question falls on apparently deaf ears.

His perception of what's really happening vanishes as quickly as her weapon appears. He gapes wide-eyed, enough to strain his eye sockets, as she not only pulls the sword out of thin air but takes hold of it like she means to do something with it. "RUN ERICS, LOOK OUT, SHE'S GOT A SWORD!!" What he's saying doesn't make any sense, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Erics zigzags in front of Mayu's pursuit, the long sleeves of his sweater flapping like banners. His naturally docile and timid face twists into something harsher, irritated and frustrated. But what was he expecting from this one? He knew what she was, and he knew what she wanted, and he knew that she would not stop without a fight. So, abruptly, he whirls on one foot and whips his other out at her. The bleach white loafer on that foot flies loose toward her face.

Well, she wasn't expecting Toby to actually aid an enemy. It took her a second to remember that he was clueless, and only happened to possess some kind of ability to both see herself and a demon in disguise. Distracted, albeit briefly, it only takes that short period of time for her to catch a face full of loafer, her head snapping back to deflect as much of the blow as possible. Her footfalls never falter, and, once within reach, makes a lightning-quick cut with the materialized blade for her foe's child-like torso.

Erics has nothing to defend himself with but his own body, but that doesn't seem like enough of a deterrent. He puts out his arm to block her blade and it digs halfway in. The point of contact starts to sizzle. Black flame spurts from the wound and licks up his sweater with the speed of thunderclouds over a sunny sky. What once was white was now black. What once were clothes were now nothing. What once was a boy was now simply a bipedal, oily black being with three clawed fingers on each hand and three clawed toes on each foot. A menacing yellow gaze narrows as it balls its fist and sends it where the loafer had landed, but the momentum of a locomotive propels it.

She could feel a heavy mass in its fist the moment it threw its punch. Like a black hole that could crush the density of a star. At least, that's what her senses told her. All embodiments of evil wound up feeling the same inside of her. It was the tale-telling sign of a demon whose power was unhindered. It no longer had an escape--or a way to hide. Cornered. She moved with the grace of a ballerina as the punch soared at her, sliding only inches underneath the kinetic force of his thrown fist, her hair a torrent of motion as it sank into the sea of color. Using the momentum of her already lowered posture, with the blade steeped in the meat of his arm, she pulled downward, with all the weight of her being and the strength to back it, to fully and relentlessly execute her previous action.

Like the swing of her blade hadn't deterred it, neither does the completion of her attack. Pain meant nothing, even as its arm comes free of its body. It twitches and spasms without a brain connected to it. When it hits the ground it writhes like an injured snake until it seizures itself into nothingness. Black dust erupts in a puff even as the thing that was one Erics curls its only other arm and drives its elbow down toward her shoulder already in place below it.

She had expected its arm to come loose but not that the demon would, somehow, maintain its composure afterwards. Her motions faltered, her eyes far too narrow on the prize of winning. A blunt blow from its elbow, or what resembled one, landed with such precision, she was forced to a knee, jarring her vision. While it didn't seem to react to pain, she still felt it in spades, and audibly winced; enough so that she heaved a tense growl in anger. Switching the blade between hands, she twisted the blade vertically and cut upwards. She knew she kept the upper hand so long as she could stay in melee range; able to turn every blow of hers into a fatal one.

The drawback of significant strength had always been insignificant speed, and that held true even now. It had to sacrifice something to boast power of that magnitude and that becomes obvious when her blade finds a place in its side and gouged upward. Still bent after the blow it dealt it can do nothing as the weapon cuts its way up through its body and out the side of its neck. Its dense yellow eyes constrict and its featureless face moves to suggest a shriek of pain and defeat and even the air around it vibrates with unheard sound waves. Then, like its arm, its body begins to spasm and writhe until it detonates in a cloud of tar colored dust.

Her momentum was greater than she'd calculated. Once the blade was free from the resistance of fleshy mass, she staggered backward, eyes wide as sauce pans, and toppled down on her butt. She bounced once (something she'd deny), and skidded to a stop a foot or so away from her starting place. Even in her bewildered, stumbling aftermath, she kept her guard high, and the blade poised in front of her, balanced in the seat of her lap.

The whole thing was over by the time he'd taken two breaths. Toby shoots to his feet, his balance thrown off by the schoolbag flopping against his legs as he sprints forward. Not for Mayu, but the now empty space that once held the oily black being she'd fought. He sweeps his hand through the air searching for some of that dust, any evidence at all really, to prove that what he'd just seen had happened. "What -- what the hell -- what the hell just happened..?" He turns. "What the hell did you do?"

She didn't consider making a move until well after the demon dissolve like mist before their eyes. And even then, she maintained her guard as she pushed off the ground with one hand and hopped back up to her small feet. Catching the blade in the inside of her elbow, she wiped it clean before letting it go. Rather than descend to the ground and clatter with an ear piercing song of metal-against-concrete, it dissolved much in the same way it appeared: a shower of sunny particles. Her eyes skipped over Toby, only once, to their surroundings before she tapped a set of fingers to her ear. "Mission accomplished."

"Good job! Was it...?"

"I don't think it was the creature from Elrich High."

"What about the boy?"

"I'm looking at him."

"Make sure he doesn't get away."

"Yeah, I got it."

"Hey -- I'm talking to you." Pointing a finger at the empty air behind him, he advances on Mayu as she puts her fingers against her head. "What the hell was that? What did you do, what did you do to my friend? Who the *hell* are you talking to?!" With their gazes finally locked, he scowls and finally reaches for her with both hands. "Answer me!!"

There are textbooks on how to deal with humans that can see the extraordinary. Namely, themselves and the demons they fight. Her eyes scan across his complex array of emotions as he grows close, as if those very textbooks were written out in each and every wrinkle in his face. She isn't so much fazed as she is annoyed that he felt the desire to touch her, but she ignores it for now. The immediate threat was over.

"That thing wasn't your friend," she starts. She immediately realizes that's not how you start a conversation like this. Shrugging away from his contact, she glances behind her toward the stretch of concrete that paths and forks to the main road beyond the school's front gates. She hadn't realized it yet, but her voice had slumped from its oriental act and slipped into a more relaxed, chic British one. "A demon. A creature that feeds on humans for nourishment and power." She turns back to him, averting her eyes down to the expanse of his throat. "You called it by a name. That is... unusual."

There was too much to try and understand for him to take note of that slip. His hands fall to his sides, but not for long. He's back to pointing at the air behind him like it still held the shy boy he'd exited the school with. There's also too much going on for him to think about if anyone else can hear him yell about demons. "It was until you whipped out a sword and *cut* him with it!! What you're saying doesn't make any sense. You don't make any sense. Just what -- what the hell *are* you?"

She lifts her gaze back to him, squinting against the piercing shafts of sun rays peeking through the clouds. As she angles a response for him, her eyes cut over his right shoulder, shifting toward surprise.

Carla, like a tank that lost all sorts of control, came barreling up from behind. "What are you--" It was then she was completely cut-off. She couldn't so much as try to finish her sentence as she could try to impede the coming blow from her companion. Like a hammer, Carla bore down on the back of Toby's skull, silent as a prowling tiger. It's only with her practiced touch that she avoids going to the full brunt of her strength.

When he was giving her a tour of the school, he thought her slightly odd and dimwitted mannerisms were endearing. Cute, maybe. But here and now all it does is boil his blood. The last thing he sees is Mayu's confusion, her squint, and then her surprise before his brain ricochets against the inside of his skull. He staggers forward and drops to her feet with a groan after the concussive blow. Silent.

She stumbles back a couple of steps to prevent getting plowed over by the taller boy, leering up at Clara the entire time. Her hands gesture wildly in the air at her. "What the heck did you do that for?!"

Carla's shoulders lift and fall with the moment, as if that was the best thing she could think of.

"I could already tell he wasn't gonna comply," Carla explains, somewhat calmly. It was infuriating how simple she kept her reasoning.

Mayu scoffs and succumbs to a wave of grumbles and curses. "Fine... You can carry him back."

Carla bemoans the thought, "Oh come on! I just hit him."

Unlistening, Mayu tiptoes around the two of them and heads out of the school, tapping her ear with several fingers. "RTB - Two in tow. And can you please inform Jeffrey that we need to stop knocking out witnesses by hitting them via Carla? It's like a lawsuit in the making..."

As we were requested by Jeffrey, practically demanded, we left Toby in his care. The last I heard was that he was being shipped off to Emma?s workstation for an examination before being taken to his Holo-Dorm room. I briefly stopped by the unit Emma arranged for him. It was two doors down, further than I had anticipated. He was still within earshot, no more than a stone?s throw.

I struggle with the reasoning behind my concern over him. He?s different from our usual cases. I didn?t feel a demonic taint inside of him, which isn?t normal when it comes to people that possess our traits. People that are able to see us, no matter the circumstance, have been infected with the demon toxin and are already on the verge of death.

That might explain my concern. Not knowing why he is the way he is. Could the toxin already be deep inside of him, twisting him and corrupting him as we speak? What if he?s already a demon that?s somehow maintained his humanity?

The hydraulic hiss of my Holo-Dorm?s door prompted me back to my senses, blinking to adjust to the change in lighting. I?ve always left my dorm?s lights on the lowest possible setting. I?ve never been a very big fan of bright lights. On cue, just as I step through the threshold, the scent of earl grey tea fills my nose, the remnants of a hissing kettle in the kitchen to my immediate left coming off the burner from a boil.

Like so many other Holo-Dorm?s in the Institute, mine is taken from my memory and crafted in the form of an apartment that I once owned, given to me by someone that I had cared about. It?s a scantily furnished place, the floor layered in tatami mats that crunch under my toes. The kitchen?s far too narrow to fit more than one person, the bedroom?s just as large as the living room, and I?m not sure whether or not the bathroom is supposed to resemble a walk-in closet, considering its size.

But it?s home to me. One of the few I can still remember.

To my right is a low kotatsu table, a translucent terminal situated on the surface that acts as my workspace. The bedroom and bathroom are situated at parallel corners of the living room opposite of me, with a narrow hall the leads to a sliding door balcony. Of course, the balcony in the Holo-Dorm is just make believe. It doesn?t actually lead to anywhere. Back when I lived in this apartment for real, it overlooked a section of the main city. It was quiet, without the rumbling sounds of traffic. Just the roiling ocean waves as they slid against the dock pier, and the mouth-watering smell of baked bread from the bakery just a few buildings down from me.

It was a fond memory. A time that came to a close in what feels like a millennia ago.

This was the last remaining memory I own of that era.

In time, like all things, it, too, will become something I barely recall.

As the door seals shut behind me, the distinct melody of Piano Concerto No. 04 in G major starts. Music that stems from another era that?s but a distant memory to me now. The Classical era.

Just as my mind starts to wander backward through the throes of time, a dulcet tone from my terminal fills my ears. Glazey-eyed, I glance over to it as I head into the kitchen to scoop up my mug of earl grey tea that the automated service poured for me. The mug?s piping hot, my fingers delicately dancing around the ceramic until I loop them through the handle, all the while cursing under my breath.

?Ah, shit, god, hot.?

A familiar voice responds to my excessive profanity.

?Don?t tell me you already burned yourself so soon??

I can feel a tightness welling in my chest at what I hear. My voice hitches.

?T-Tempest?? I call out, able to hear him but unable to see him.

?In the flesh,? he calls back. ?In a manner of speaking.?

The way his voice is audibly distorted, I realize he?s talking to me through my computer terminal. I guess my profanity triggered the answering service.

Quickly, careful not to slosh my cup of tea too much, I hurry through the living room to my table, deposit my mug on it haphazardly, and throw myself down in front of the screen like a dumped puddle of water on my hands and knees. I didn?t have time to do anything with my hair. It?s still up in a ponytail that rides high on my skull. It?s sticking out every direction, judging from my reflection in the terminal. I peel it from its hair tie and try, fruitlessly, to smooth it out as it curtains in front of my face, obscuring most of it as if by choice.

?I take it I caught you just as you came home,? he declares, trying his hardest to muffle his amusement.

I try to maintain my composure, but the heat in my face tells me I?m already blushing. It?s spread to the cartilage of my ears, making me feel as though I?ve caught a fever right then and there. I give up in my attempts to fix my hair. Nothing short of a hot shower and two hours with a blow dryer will fix it.

Looking back at me in my terminal?s screen is a rather plain man, with chestnut brown hair, gleaming silver blue eyes, and a clean shaven face that I don?t think has ever seen a day of stubble in all its life. Dark rings crescent under his watchful gaze, something I?ve grown accustomed to in the past six months. His cheeks are gaunt, his lips perpetually pursed, but thin. He does what he can to hide his physical state underneath a hood that?s grown a little too large for him recently.

It?s a sweater I?ve rarely ever seen him without. One that I bought for him this past holiday.

?A-Ah? y-yeah? I just got home,? I admit, as if he needed that verbal confirmation. ?Sorry, Tempest. I was going to come see you right after I got changed??

He has to laugh. Rasped enough to make me wince. I hide it behind a lift of my tea mug.

?I know, goofball. And how many times do I have to tell you? You don?t need to be so formal and use code names in these terminal calls. It?s not like somebody?s going to scold you for being casual,? he states with a look of playful reproach.

I shyly lower my eyes. It?s true that I don?t have to be formal. I just feel like someone would tease me if they heard me being all casual and lovey-dovey. Carla would have a field day.

?It?s not like I call you Fujin, hmm?? he adds, making me look up at him in shock.

?T-That?s different!? I bark, dropping my mug back on the table to stop myself from spilling it all over everything.

Again, he laughs. ?Oh? And why is that, Fujin of the Omega Unit??

I don?t even know how to respond to that. ?B-Because? Just because!?

I can literally feel my brain facepalming itself.

He looks incredulously at me through the terminal and I swear he?s moments from getting up and coming to my room specifically to bop me on the skull.

The music in the background shifts to Etude Op.10 No.5 in G-flat major. It?s a short piece that quickly segues into Grande valse brillante in E-flat major. I hardly notice the change as we carry on.

?Just because,? he repeats, obviously not buying my vague attempt at elaboration, leaning back in his seat. It?s only in the subtle ways he moves that I can see the definition of his jaw, the way his taut throat moves when he speaks. ?Should I just take your word on it??

I sigh in resignation. ?... Alright. Kain,? I quietly mutter, averting my gaze as another hot rise of color fills my cheeks.

He smiles large enough that I can?t miss it even though I?m not looking directly at him. He even applauds, as if that?s supposed to help the situation here. ?Oh, bravo, Elisa. I couldn?t have done it any better myself.?

I?m not even sure what that?s supposed to mean. He?s always coming up with ways to tease me, turning my usually sharp mind into a hiss of static. ?Oh, hush?? I reply, still a vague manner of speaking.

Rotating my tea mug several times over, I fidget with the more important thoughts that are swimming around in my mind. I muster up the courage if only because my concern outweighs my desire to not hear something I?d rather not.

?Has? there been any change? In your condition, I mean??

Kain?s briefly taken aback by my query. So much so, he isn?t exactly sure what to say in response quite yet. He maintains his smile, though, which is something that I?ve always adored about him.

?Not yet,? he tells me solemnly. ?Emma?s been up late more recently going over all the research she?s pooled together in the past few months, but she hasn?t found a solution yet.?

I still haven?t managed to look directly at him yet. All I can do is nod, a tiny ?Ah? squeaking out of my throat.

His smile falters, and I know it?s because of the way my face has contorted. The twist of his posture lifts my attention, and I meet eyes with him through the terminal just as he leans forward to get close and personal.

?Hey,? he rumbles in a baritone rich voice, ?listen. You don?t need to be worried about my condition, okay? I?m not the first one who has gotten sick from the demon toxins. I doubt I?ll be the last.?

I wasn?t aware that I had gotten just as close to my monitor as he had. ?Yeah, but!--?

?No,? he tells me, trying to be stern without being gruff. ?No ?but?. The toxins affect everybody differently, so it takes them some time to find treatment for each person. Emma?s taken this to high priority on her list. And you already know she?s a genius in this particular field. So just have some faith, okay??

?Have faith? he tells me. Any time we have this discussion, he winds up telling me to simply have faith. And, every single time he does, I can feel my heart rate slow down from its near anxiety-riddled beating it has taken. I just have to remember to ?have faith.?

It?s as he said. The toxins affect everybody differently. It?s the only downfall to having these powers that we possess. The toxins enter our body due to extreme trauma caused by the demons. Usually from being injured by them, or bitten by them. In a way, it?s like a creepy story out of a vampire book. Once the toxin is inside of us, it?s basically fused to our blood. If it doesn?t kill us, the toxin slowly assimilates itself into our bloodstream. Our blood acclimates. Over time, however, the toxins begin to overtake the cells, and it begins to break our system down--precisely like a poison.

According to Emma, until that phase begins, she?s unable to discern what causes the blood and the toxin to rebel against each other, so there?s no preventative treatment.

She believes that the more a person relies on their demonic powers, the faster the toxin degenerates the body. The natural solution to the problem is to cease all activity that relies on it, as it progressively halts the toxin?s advancement. In most cases, she?s correct. The toxin doesn?t progress, and she?s able to discover what the cause is and how to treat it. With a daily dose of whatever treatment she mixes, people make full recoveries and are able to return to the field.

Kain?s case is different. Six months ago, he developed symptoms of toxin poisoning: Fatigue, deranged shifts in personality, heightened trauma caused by whatever demon gave him the toxin? what we usually refer to as ?The Nightmares?, and physical frailty. He followed proper procedure, being taken off the field roster, but refused to stop working for our unit. Emma and Jeffrey both agreed to giving him a position behind the desk, and he?s taken up the job of being an analyst until Emma could work out his cure.

However--Kain?s sickness progressed despite not using his demon powers.

According to Emma, Kain?s toxin poisoning progressed past natural levels that she?s used to. While she doesn?t know for certain, she has her guesses. Nothing she?s been willing to share with us until she can be certain...

Either way, as a result of all this, he?s become incredibly sick, physically and mentally.

This terrific boy that stumbled into my life?

I slide back in my chair, reaching for my mug in the process, and slump in defeat. ?Have faith,? I repeat, as he did just before. I take a drink, satisfied with its temperature, and sigh in mock relief.

Kain tilts his head this way and that, watching me through his monitor with that same smile he?s bore since the moment he met me. It?s as if he?s always had that smile since I can remember. It?s never changed, even after all this time.

?Do you remember when we first met?? he finally resigns to asking me, prompting a startled look at him.

Of course, the way I?m staring at him like an owl, he already knows my answer. He laughs before I can even reply. ?O-Of course I do??

?Ten months ago, out on the terrace the night of the ceremonies for the new recruits. Jeffrey had just given a speech to welcome Yumi and Alec into the unit. Carla was drunk, trying to steal the microphone from him, and you had slipped away, off-stage, without either of them even noticing.?

I glance over toward the sliding door to the balcony that didn?t actually exist. I wouldn?t admit that the memory was making me smile because I still wanted to feel sad for Kain?s condition. The ever present reminder that he could die, at any given moment, if his body caved under the strain of the toxin.

?I was in the crowd, still not an official member of Omega back then, and saw you hightailing it,? he adds.

I meet his gaze and nod soberly. ?You followed after me as I sat in the grass under the stars. You didn?t say anything for the longest time until I saw you behind me. I remember asking, ?Can I help you with something??? I giggle, which helps shake the feeling of the tears stinging my eyes. ?And you said, ?That depends on if you?re going to get drunk like Carla and punch me for wanting to sit beside you.??

Kain tries to laugh and I can tell it hurts. He doesn?t even seem to care that it does. ?I had to determine the risks! I only ever heard horror stories of The Golden Fist and The Fujin. If the legends were true, I needed to count my stars early.?

I swat at the screen, finding myself laughing. ?Oh, hush? I didn?t have any horror stories to speak of.?

Through the monitor, I can tell that his breathing?s turned shallow from the exertion of his amusement. My heart stiffens. He still refuses to show any concern, as if he?s used to this by now. ?The Terrifying Fujin, they called you! You could turn any man to goo if he so much as looked at you wrong. I guess that?s what you get for turning every guy down that ever tried to ask you out. There?s liable to be a story or two about you beating a guy up for it.?

I scoff at him, suddenly forgetting my concern. He?s extremely good at distracting me. ?Oh come on! I only ever turned down three guys! Three!? I show him three fingers.

?Not how I heard it,? he chirps with a whistle, showing me all ten fingers. His hands are extremely frail, better suited on a man in his early 70?s.

?Anyway?? I try to steer him away from this topic back to the original conversation. ?I said you were welcome to sit anywhere you?d like, and you obliged.?

He nods, his eyes drooping half-lidded. ?Yeah? and we spent the next hour watching the stars and talking about cuisine. You are surprisingly knowledgeable about food.?

Embarrassment strikes me at the oddest of times. This is no exception. ?Don?t blame me for enjoying a good meal! You could do well to learn a couple of recipes, you know,? I quip, feigning belittlement. I even turn my nose up at him and cross my arms.

Again, he wants to laugh, but his body refuses to let him. His shoulders shudder instead. ?Says the girl that can?t cook a frozen dinner in the microwave.?

?Hey!? I retort, which is a fairly weak comeback, all things considered.

He barely lets the moment settle in my attempts to come up with an argument in response. ?...I knew back then, even talking to you for that short a period of time, ?Some day, I?m going to make this girl the happiest in the whole wide world. Count on it.??

And, just like that, he manages to place the smallest of daggers into the wedge between my ribs, just before my heart. My vision shimmers as tears well.

I can?t hide them. And he can?t ignore them. A frail hand of his slips over his monitor, as if to caress me before they spill over. ?Hey?? he consoles me softly, ?I?ve done that much, haven?t I? I know you?ve made me extremely happy. Not a moment of regret has struck me since the day we met. And not a single one will for the rest of our lives, Elisa.?

I keep looking down. Even if he was right here in front of me, I just know I wouldn?t be able to look straight at him. It?s always been like that, since the first time he held me in his arms. The first time he brushed the hair from my face. The first time we kissed.

?I?m? very happy, Kain,? I tell him meekly. ?So very? very happy??

Tears wash over the crest of my swollen red cheeks. He?s content with himself, I can tell. He nods at me and slides back in his chair, which looks to be almost the same size as him now. ?I was thinking,? he considers after a short silence, ?would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight? The Grand Ballroom is opening for the season tonight.?

With tears staining my eyes, I can?t immediately see that he?s wielding two tickets between his fingers. The Grand Ballroom is a prestigious restaurant that requires a way-in-advance reservation. Most people wind up waiting years to get in.

?H-How? did you--?? I start to ask him, but I can?t fully comprehend the moment for myself.

?You?re not the only one with tricks up their sleeve, goofball,? he snaps back with a grin, splaying the tickets wider between his thin fingers. ?Seven tonight. I don?t think I need to tell you to dress for the occasion, hmm??

I struggle to find my smile, but I nod all the same, jovially. ?Y-Yeah? t-that?d be wonderful, Kain. Seven it is??

My moment of mirth is cut short when the corner of my terminal lights up to announce another incoming call. My fingers line up around the monitor?s corners as I look back to him. ?I have another call coming in, probably from Jeffrey? I will see you soon??

He nods, unfazed by my sudden need to depart. ?Seven it is. I love you.?

?I love you?? I respond, my fingers lifting to trace the outline of his image on the display.

His image flickers and fades out immediately afterward.

I?m left in utter silence with the tranquil sound of Piano Sonata No.10 by Franz Liszt pinging in the background. What tears I?ve shed continue to stray from my eyes until I press my sleeve to them to wipe them clean, then swipe at the monitor?s screen to cancel my side of our call.

?Answer,? I call right after. The monitor beams to life, Jeffrey and Emma both present in an apparent conference call.

?Ah, Elisa, I was expecting to leave you a message for later,? my boss greets me, motioning to Emma?s display. ?Emma and I were discussing the matters concerning your new acquaintance.?

Acquaintance? He must be referring to Toby. I nod to acknowledge and he continues.

?Emma?s finished her analysis and has already put together a Holo-Dorm for him. I have also already met with the boy myself. For now, we?re both equally stumped concerning his ability to see you and mince words with a demon. For that, we feel it would be best suited if you would take him under your wing for a while.?

Take him under my--? I blink as the sudden decision sinks in. ?Under my wing? Jeffrey, I don?t know that I can just--?

He cuts me off. ?Don?t be absurd. You?re the highest ranking member of Omega and have been for over a year now. Nobody is better suited for the task at hand.? He pauses momentarily. ?I know you, Elisa. You?re concerned about him and what he may be capable of. You?ve never been one to stray from an individual that is frightened and in need.?

He manages to silence me, the hammer striking ridiculously hard on the nail?s head. I nod firmly, my lips tight. The tears were still in my eyes and Jeffrey seems to recognize this. His fingers pinch under his chin.

?Unless, that is, you?re suggesting we give him over to Carla? I am certain she could use the training to mentor--?

A proper distraction if there ever was one. This time, I?m the one to cut Jeffrey off. ?Oh god, okay, okay,? I quickly amend. The last thing Carla needs is for some kid to shadow her while she handles missions. I can only imagine what she?d do with him. ...probably use him as a weapon or bait of some kind?

Both.

Jeffrey?s pleased smile makes me cringe. ?Excellent! Starting tomorrow, we will have the two of you get together for a brief lesson in the classroom. You can explain to him the details concerning what is we do in Omega, as well as give him a more thorough up-to-date explanation involving demons that reside here, as well as our state of existence. Likely, he has encountered more than just one demon, which may account for why he has the ability to see them in the first place. It may also explain why this particular demon was drawn to him--possibly they are drawn to an as-of-yet unseen, overwhelming power he possesses.?

Emma?s nodding and taking notes while Jeffrey speaks. That, or she?s doodling in her sleep. It?s really difficult to tell with her at the helm.

?Unseen, overwhelming power?? I repeat, looking as skeptical as I sound. ?I don?t think it?s necessary to go that far. He could barely stay on his feet when the demon and I engaged.?

Emma?s fingers lift from the materialized keyboard in front of her. ?While I would agree with that, nothing is certain thus far. That is why we are requesting you look after him for the time being. See what, if anything, comes to life inside of him while he?s in the presence of others. Demons and Humans alike.?

My reddened eyes tick to Emma?s window. ?You want me to babysit him??

She doesn?t seem to fathom the nature of that request. She nods several times in quick succession and returns to her keyboard.

Jeffrey sneaks in. ?In either case, you will monitor him at all times while out in the field and report any potential changes to me so that we may assess his abilities, what he is capable of, and if he is indeed fit to be a member of our unit.?

I can?t help but feel that this was all shoved onto Toby without him being able to decide for himself. I hardly suspect he agreed to this willingly. ?Is he willing to do all of this, Jeffrey??

The laugh my boss sputters is telltale. ?Oh, of course not. Consider this part of your training as a recruitment officer, Elisa. See you soon!?

Before I can rebuke, the call flickers and shuts off. Emma?s visage remains on screen for several seconds longer before she jumps with a start, stammering something incoherently. She vanishes a moment later.

?Son of a?? I mutter to myself, staring emptily at the black terminal in front of me.

My fingers press into the screen and skate to the left, ending our call.

?Something tells me he isn?t even aware that I?m going to be showing up at his dorm? Talk about a complete 180 from our earlier situation??

Had I known the kid I met in that school was going to wind up coming to mine, I probably would have done something more tactful than try to run away from him and then kill something directly in front of him.

?Great going, Elisa? Great going.?

I quietly pick up my cup of tea and lean back, my bare legs tucking away under the thick blanket draping the kotatsu table. I have some time before I need to ready myself for my date with Kain. I intend to do it in some semblance of silence.

I felt better once I was in some fresh clothes. The sharp pink, hooded cardigan sweater I chose isn?t part of the institute?s approved apparel, especially since it?s unbuttoned, but I?ve often found myself escaping any kind of scrutiny for choosing it. It?s my favorite top, goes with just about anything, and is extra warm. It?s the endless assortment of rainbow-hued ribbons I?ve tethered to my hair that usually attracts the official's scorn. Especially since it?s done up in a sloppy, high ponytail. It?s never stopped me from putting them in each and every day. Take that, damn fashion committee.

I left Owen to tend to grabbing Toby while I head down toward the cafeteria for some early morning breakfast. Wednesday is the best day of the week, as the chef from the village makes a personal trip to the Institute to prepare a wide assortment of foods. I?m especially particular to the miso soup and broiled fish. It?s an uncommon sight around these parts so I like to take advantage of it as soon as I possibly can.

There are four cafeterias total on the grounds, one that is housed in each individual wing we all reside in. I?m currently residing in the Administrator?s Wing, which is Omega and Alpha?s home dorms. We also have Chairman Angus?s office here, as well as the Chairman?s official council heads. Strategically, it never felt appropriate to have so many important people holed up in one building, but it?s also the furthest up the mountain spire the building is built on. I guess, in a pinch, it?d be the most difficult to reach.

Further down below us is the Research Wing, which is devoted strictly to Emma?s team and the Medical departments. Past that, there?s the recreational wing, for your usual provisions of fun. The lowest wing houses the school district, and the living quarters for Beta and Gamma team. Beyond that, it starts to fall into more standard living quarters, living branches, and other necessary bits, like the departments and stations that control our water, electricity, and the vault where we keep a lot of demonic artifacts that Emma has deemed too dangerous. Each wing is connected through a web of monorails, though it?s not uncommon to see people take to the roads that wind around the mountain scape in order to get around by bike. I happen to be more particular to that route, since the monorails kind of creep me out. I think it?s a height thing. I?ve never been a fan of them.

Above us on the Administrator?s Wing is the hanger where most of our transportation is stored. Emma?s team is split into several divisions, all of which research and develop everything from medical supplies to transportation for us to use. The van we used to travel to and from our last mission is a perfect example, as it?s been outfitted for combat and storage alike. She doesn?t strictly maintain land-based vehicle designs, however. We also have several helicopters, cargo vessels, and a few more outlandish vehicles that Emma likes to call ?Mecha.? They just look like bipedal robots that we can ride. They were designed solely for large scale operations that might require more firepower than us as demon hunters can provide, but the specifics have been pretty hazy about their use to date. Chairman Angus hasn?t even approved any training concerning them as of yet. Really, I think they were just designed to fill some kind of creative drive Emma was having at the time.

?The power of science is the best strength of all!? or some nonsense?

It wouldn?t be the first time she built things just for the sake of it?

I amble into the elevator that links the dormitory level to the rest of the wing and stab my finger into the button that?s labeled ?Cafe.? A dulcet tone rings out in acknowledgement and I?m descending down within seconds. A cute-sy, but otherwise unapparent song hums from an overhead speaker, chasing away the absent-minded thought process rolling through my head.

It?s been a trying couple of days, from heading out on a mission that didn?t bear fruit, to coasting through a city that had an unexpected demon living in its midst. A boy that can see demons and demon hunters alike, all the way up to Emma?s failure to locate any kind of gateway that might take me to Kinoh.

I think that?s what tripped me up the most here? After all, Kinoh?s a bit of a touchy subject for me, as well as a tad enigmatic. I?ve only ever heard of other worlds through word of mouth, but I?ve never truly doubted their existence either. Kinoh is one such location, a world that?s like a spiral compared to this planet.

Several years ago, I met someone that was from there. We were inseparable for a pretty long time, but? one day. Out of the clear blue...

They were gone.

We?d talked off and on about Kinoh. What it?s like, what kind of life they had while they lived there. The one thing they?d told me, above all else, when I mentioned that we should go visit it some time?

?If I ever find a way to go back, I?ll have to go home. I won?t have a choice.?

Those words, even today, still ring hollow in my head.

We?d been staying together. I guess you could say we were living together, like some kind of married couple. I woke up, cold and drenched in sweat, and they were absent. I checked the house, the places we frequented. Some of our friends. Nobody had seen them. As if they were something born from my imagination and reality had decided to just pluck them straight out of my head and take them away.

Ever since then, I?ve tried to make it my mission to find a way to Kinoh. For them to suddenly vanish without word or trace, I have to believe that they?d discovered a way back home, or that someone learned where she was, and took her back.

I told her?

?Even if you go back there, I?ll find a way to you. I won?t give up.?

It?s naive of me to think that I?ll ever be able to do it. It?s naive of me to think that, after all this time, it?d even matter if I was suddenly able to go there and? I don?t know, find her.

It?s naive to think that there is even a gateway to begin with. There?s no telling how she came here, or how others might be able to follow after her. It?s just as impossible to assume that I can somehow recreate the method.

Maybe it?s just my stubborn nature to refuse to give up. I gave my word on that.

Even so?

The elevator pings again, announcing my arrival to the cafeteria?s floor. The steel doors slide open with nary a sound and I trot out, sucking in a large breath of wild aromas. Everything from toast to eggs to bacon and broth tickles my nose, about to make my mouth water. The third floor of the wing is solely dedicated to the food court and it?s no more impressive to describe as it is to see. A large swath of lights hang high overhead, bleaching the court in an endless supply of light that is only shamed by the endless breath of sunlight shining in from the surrounding circumference of windows. There?s hardly a wall that isn?t made out to be a solid panel of glass. Straight ahead, far off the opposite direction of the elevators, sits the mouth of the beast itself: the kitchen. A staff of thirty tend to the needs of several hundred hungry stomachs, and I don?t think I?ve ever seen less than that on duty at a time. A large assortment of pre-packaged, cooked food is strewn about several shelves that line the kitchen?s borders while others, like freshly cooked eggs for example, are ordered up front and prepared on the spot through a convoluted ticket system. It?s a cogwheel that?s not like anything I?ve ever seen before.

The food court?s littered with tables and chairs, all fairly posh in appearance. Red cushions, gold-plated... You would think this was a banquet fit for royalty. According to Kain, though, nothing?s actually made of velvet or gold. I guess presentation really does make a difference.

I barely make it halfway across the room, ducking around several staff members toting food trays, when I hear a loud THUMP THUMP THUMP fill my ears. Instinctively, I wince. A pair of long arms circle my shoulders, wrists covered in frilly armlets and bracelets that mimic my own. I exhale sharply as those arms close in around me in a tight embrace and I whine in protest, all the while trying to fight them off.

?Well look who?s up bright and early! Little Elisa! And no boytoy slung on your arm today, huuuuh??

I recognize that voice from anywhere. ?Ughhhh. Melissa! Let me go!? I demand, flailing my arms uselessly at my sides. A fish out of water, and I don?t even like water that much to start with.

She laughs but obliges with a lighthearted pat on my head, ruffling up my hair and tangling my ribbons all into each other. A half hour of work, down the drain.

I stumble forward and try to right myself as I turn to look at my assailant. Cropped short red hair, brilliant blue eyes, replete with a frilly yellow ribbon thrown over her head. It doesn?t do anything to keep her bangs from obscuring her forehead. She?s another member of Omega Team, having joined somewhere in the timeframe that Kain did. Like me, she despises dress codes and is usually caught wearing a single one-piece dress that hangs to just about the calf, and brown leather boots that have more laces than I do ribbons. She?s practically always lugging around a textbook from one of our courses. Yet, somehow, always manages to have the lowest grades on our written exams.

?Alright, so where?s the boy today? Don?t tell me he?s sleeping in again,? Melissa asks me, dramatically throwing a hand to her eyes to scope out the area behind me. As if I could hide him.

?Ah?? I scratch my cheek with a finger, the staple sheepish response I resort to when I need a moment to consider a lie. ?I think he?s just busy this morning. You?ll probably see him later.?

As of now, only a couple of people are aware of Kain?s condition. Mostly to avoid panic concerning Emma?s inability to discover a cure for his toxin sickness. If word got out that there are still strains of the disease that Emma isn?t able to cure, she fears it could cause team members to avoid seeking her aid altogether. Since she?s the only one that is capable of administering a cure at the moment?

?Oh,? Melissa chimes in with a melancholy shrug. I?m guessing she was hoping to poke fun at the two of us. That seems to be the trend with most members of Omega. ?Anyway, what are you grabbing for breakfast??

I wave at Melissa, beckoning her to follow me as I totter over to the shelves in hopes of finding a prepackaged cup of miso soup. ?Just some soup. I don?t have long before I need to head to the classroom.?

She follows closely behind me, balancing the textbook she?s carrying on top of her head. ?But we don?t have a session today, do we?? For a split second, she looks horrified.

I glance at her sidelong. More so to the book she has on her head. That thing?s going to fall and hit some unsuspecting team member right in the head, isn?t it? ?Ah. Well, we do. I had memos sent out earlier concerning yesterday?s mission that Omega went on, as well as new assignments for today.?

Melissa?s mouth forms a wide ?O?. ?Ooooo. I so didn?t load my terminal last night. I was reading this new book, ?The Steamy Trafficker and--??

I stop her there, waving the acquired cup of miso soup in the air at her. ?Just? we start in about ten minutes. Just head up there after you get breakfast and I?ll give you your assignment early so you can? get back to that.?

I step around Melissa, and she pulls the textbook off her head, cradling it close. ?Can do. Is it true that you guys came across someone that can see demons and hunters? Supposedly he isn?t even injured.?

I weave through a couple of rope barriers that lead me to the cashier, sliding the badge dangling from my neck overhead to pass it over. ?Well, I don?t really know what he can do yet. That?s part of the reason I?m in charge of this meeting this morning. But if everything checks out?? I roll one shoulder at Melissa, whose eyes light up like wildfire.

?Holy sock drawers! That?s so cool! I wonder where he got his toxins from!?? she asks rhetorically. If she was asking me, I didn?t really have an answer for her.

Toby didn?t exhibit the same kind of feelings I get from hunters. My senses may not be the best, but I can tell the difference between someone who has toxins in their blood and demons. While I thought he was a demon at first, being able to touch him and examine him on our way back to the Institute had me fully reject that thought. ...as well as reject the possibility he has demon toxins at all. He?s certainly a strange one, especially compared to my experiences before. Kids like Simon could see demons, but only perceive what resembles a shadow. For him to be able to see one to enough of a degree to actually speak with it as if they?re best friends?

It?s strange, to say the least.

I wet my mouth as my badge is returned to me, giving me the permission I need to go hog wild on the cup of miso soup. I glance back at Melissa, who?s decided against breakfast in lieu of her unexplained excitement. I clear my throat to gain her attention, then motion to the kitchen. ?Ah? food??

A hand slaps the cover of her textbook, cursing inaudibly under her breath and turns around in a flurry to go find herself something to munch on. I quietly take this opportunity to head back to the elevators.

A quiet series of rings fills my ear. A call. I glance behind me to see if it?s Melissa but notice her fighting with another girl over what appears to be a box of doughnuts. That the other girl had been preparing and Melissa helped herself to. It can?t be her calling me...

I press two fingers against the inside of my ear. ?Yeah??

?Oiii,? Carla?s familiar voice and greeting calls back to me.

?Hey, Carla,? I greet her. ?I?m coming up in a second.?

She seems pleased. ?Oh, great. Because that kid from last night is already here and he doesn?t seem too thrilled that we?ve hauled him into a classroom.?

I mash my finger into the elevator?s call button. ?Did you already tell him you were the one that decked his lights out? That generally doesn?t sit well with people??

?Not this time!? she exclaims. ?I don?t think he even realizes I was part of that. He?s been asking for you, though. I guess you made quite the impression, little lady.?

I scoff at her. ?Oh shut up? I?m coming. Just give me two minutes. Can you prepare Melissa?s assignment early for me? I told her I?d get her out the door since, apparently, she was too busy reading one of her smut books to pay attention to my notice about this morning.?

?Steamy Trafficker??

?...why the hell does everybody know this book but me?? I scoff a second time, shaking my head. ?Forget it. I?ll be there in a sec.?

?Right-o, Boss-o.? The call?s cut off and I slip into the elevator, mentally preparing myself for the coming storm.

Owen regards my rigid posture with an incline of chin, his mouth taking on some sort of apologetic smile as he turns in the direction of the door.

"If my lady permits, I will see to this afternoon's activities."

I nod, and he coasts out the door without a second thought. It closes behind him, leaving the room in a silence that allows the outdoor jeers of Carla, Otto and Lawrence to seep in--up until they're well out of shouting range.

"You--uh?" I find it incredibly hard to even find a spot to begin at. Nothing feels appropriate, or even necessary. The last we'd seen of each other, I was running off to the bathroom, never to return, only to ambush him and somebody he supposedly considered a friend hours later.

He rises from his chair, somewhat slowly, his ascension drawn out in such a way that makes me cringe every second that passes.

"Elisa, was it?" he asks. Oh, crapbaskets?

"U-Uhm, w-well? Yeah, I-I guess that's my name?" My hand claps the back of my neck, trying to find some way to shave away this layer of continual dread. Social interaction was never was strong suit. This is just one extra reminder, as if I needed another.

"Right." He slinks out from the desk and down the one step that impedes his approach toward me. "I'm going to ignore pretty much everything that's gone on the past couple of days. From the school, the transfer papers, the freakishly awkward moment my friend transformed into some kind of shadow colossus like in some kind of book, and cut to the chase."

The chase? I mirror my thought. "Th-The? chase?"

I'd forgotten Emma was still on call behind me. "There's a chase?" she questions, peering with one eye up close to the terminal. "There's no running allowed in the halls. Please try to refrain causing trouble."

"I got it, Emma?" I swipe at the air behind me, closing the terminal.

Toby stops several steps away from me, glancing well past my shoulder at the terminal as it flickers out of existence like a shattering bulb. "Interesting technology you got going on all around here?" He's much taller than me. It only seems to help antagonize my social anxiety as I look up at him. I feel like I'm staring at a tower with no summit. My shoulders draw in close and tight.

"Anyway?" he continues, "The chase. You're going to show me the way out so I can go back home. Nice as this little vacation was, I have things to do, people to see, and a whole hell of a lot of explanations to give as to why I just missed a couple days of work without notice."

Crapbasketscrapbaskets?

He angles a thumb toward the doors the team left from, head tilting simultaneously. "'kay?"

I can't really get a feel for his tone. It's calm, almost a whisper. It doesn't sound panicked or angry. Maybe he got all of that out of his system earlier.

"That wasn't a request," he adds after I stall out on a response. The doe-in-headlights stare I'm giving him probably doesn't help my case very much. I shake my head, a sudden burst of motion, and cross my arms in an "X" at the wrist.

"Whoa! Okay, hold on," I blurt out at him and quickly trace my steps back behind my desk. "I'm afraid that's not going to be possible, even if I wanted it to be!"

"And why is that?" he asks, unmoving as a boulder.

I swallow away the shuddering in my throat. "Look, there's--there's a lot of things I need to go over with you before you can just--" The frantic way my hands move distract his gaze. I didn't realize I was being so animated all of a sudden. I calmly rest them on the desk. "There's a lot of stuff that goes on around here. You leaving and just going back home isn't really something that's possible at this point and time. Didn't Jeffrey tell you anything?"

He glances up at me from my hands, a pensive look on his face. "He told me a couple of things. Said that you'd mostly go over everything with me when the time came."

Damn it, Jeffrey?

I sigh, glancing over my shoulder at the empty space where the terminal was previously seated. A finger flick draws it back to life, and within moments, Emma's back on call.

"Helllllo, Fredo's Fish Market?" she questions, alarmed. "I have an order I need to place immediately!"

"Emma?" tilting my head. "It's me."

"Oh. Elisa? I didn't know you worked at Fredo's. Can you take my order? It's an emergency!"

I wet my lips, trying my best not to scowl at her. Looking back at Toby, his arms crossed and with a sour frown on his face, I'm reminded I don't have time to play games.

"Emma, listen. Can you pull up Alpha Team's orders?"

"Alpha?" She's magically forgotten she had an urgent call to make to Fredo's Fish Market. Thankfully. "Sure. One moment?" She works faster than a racehorse when given an opportunity. "They're heading into the city to deal with the recent Grade Two threat." Her eyes sneak a glance up at me, and to the boy just behind me. "Um?"

"Yes, I know," I tell her directly. "You need to halt those orders."

"Halt them?" she repeats. "Ohhh nonono. I can't do that. Not without proper authorization from Alpha Team's lead. They're on the mission as we speak."

"Then alter their orders. I don't care!" I exclaim, my hands already up in another flurry of motion. "Make them scan a lower proximity of influence and alter memories on a much lesser scale."

Emma's expression is deadpan, but there's a hint of piqued interest somewhere behind those violet eyes of hers. "I'll at least need some kind of explanation for this."

When she's serious, she's almost frightening. It's not very common for an airheaded scientist to suddenly take on the visage of some hardworking individual. It's about as rare as sneezing with your eyes open. "There may be additional information pertaining to the Grade Two that was in the city. Just--Leave the school intact and the job-- the--" I snap my fingers and turn to Toby, gesticulating at him rapidly.

"The job?" He asks, bouncing his gaze between Emma and me. "Oh. St. Agnes Church."

"That!" I exclaim, pointing back at Emma. "Just make sure Alpha leaves those alone for further questioning!"

Emma's eyes lower to a different terminal, keys plucking away. "Let me see? I can alter the orders for the school without a problem, it's a low priority alteration? The church? Ah, I see. I'll do what I can, Elisa. I can't make full promises that this doesn't somehow get snagged up by the chain of command."

"I'll take the risk," I tell her pointedly, smiling at her. "Thanks, Emma. You're a lifesaver."

"The real life saver is Fredo's Fish Market. I need that order!!" With a sudden pop, the call draws to a close, the terminal shutting down.

"What in the hell is going on?" Toby asks, leaving me with very little chance to breathe.

The real problem is, telling him without him becoming more livid than he already seems to be. Even if he's doing a great job hiding it from me at the moment.

I take a slow seat in my chair behind the desk, pulling my cup of miso soup closer. Steam rolls from the surface and I'm thankful it's still hot. Cold soup just doesn't taste as good.

"I--I'm not sure where to begin, so bear with me?" I tell him, motioning for him to pluck up a chair that's been left behind by Lawrence and Otto. He does so with a complacent look.

"There are several teams that are all assigned to different tasks around here?" I begin.

He nods. "And that's where I'm already going to be cutting you off," he chimes in. Leaning forward, he gives me a direct stare, one that I'm entirely incapable of hiding from. "What in the living hell is this place? Growing up, we all thought this was an Imperial Capital that dealt with the majority of problems in the world. A governing infrastructure that handled society as a whole. Then I suddenly wake up in the place and find out it's some kind of? secretive military police or something entirely different!"

I stare at him, dumbfounded. "Whoa? people really think that?"

He mashes a finger into the desk. "The point is--nobody knows what the hell this place is. And I want you to tell me."

I guess that's as good a place as any to begin? I reluctantly set my soup aside. Breakfast is going to have to wait a little longer.

"Very well?" I raise a finger and draw up a couple of images on the terminal of the Institute. A visual aid that'll hopefully make him stare at something besides me. It's starting to get a little unnerving.

"Behind all the robust walls, the towering spires and endless stretch of castle fortifications, is a city cut off from the naturally born world of Sailea. What?s been simply deemed to the people at large as ?The Institute?. Here, it?s both a haven for people that have been influenced by demonic taint, and for people that wish to train in order to become Hunters and Huntresses in the art of slaying said demons.?

A couple of images skate across the display I?ve erected for his viewing. The outlying city behind the walls, the castle itself, and several interior displays that show a variety of living conditions; from restaurants to sports centers. I can?t really tell if he looks impressed or incredulous.

?So you?re a bunch of people that live here and fight demons, like the one that I just so happened to be friends with?? he asks with an obvious irritation in his tone.

?Not necessarily,? I respond, motioning to the room at large. ?Here, in the castle itself, we deal with training, growing, and preparing to deal with all things demonic. We have a pretty hefty number of people that exist outside the walls that are constantly sending in reports of possible attacks and devastation, and our very own Emma--the fish market lady--that monitors things at an almost global level. Outside the castle, that?s a different subject entirely.?

?Such as??

?Well?? I glance up at the monitor, pulling up an overhead image of the city at large. It?s easily three times the size of the castle?s grounds, which are considerable on their own. ?Not everybody is interested in fighting for survival. A lot of people that have had run-ins with demons simply want that memory to go away. Or they?re just too afraid to strike back. So, they live out their lives in the city proper, behind the walls. It?s just another lifestyle, but one free from the threat of being turned into a meal.?

?A meal,? he repeats, tapping his fingers against the desk. ?What the hell are these things and why was that kid one? I?ve known him for as long as I can remember and he?s never done anything ridiculous like eat me.?

It?s a valid question, and not one I?ve been able to answer in all my years? ?That?s? I mean, that?s a complicated question? I can?t really say I know what they are, where they came from, or why your particular friend just happened to be one that you could see. Emma said you were never attacked and don?t possess toxins. You?ve seen him all your life??

He reclines in his seat, arms folding. ?Far as I can remember, yeah. And I don?t have poison inside of me because of him. He?s never done anything to me, like I just said.?

?A-Ah, no. Toxins refers to an antigen-like cell that... ? I draw up a pause, trying to find the easiest way to explain it to him. ?Basically, it?s something that the demonic host naturally passes onto humans that make it easier to prey on them. Kinda like?? I stop myself right there.

?Poison,? he repeats.

The moment elicits a small chitter of laughter from me. A moment he doesn?t really find the means of sharing. I quickly sober up.

?In certain circumstances, a human that has been infected with a demon?s toxin adapts to it rather than succumbs. That?s where people like me, Carla, Lawrence and Otto come from.?

I can see I?m garnering some interest in him, if only barely. ?So you?re??

?Half-demons, I guess you could say? We?re certainly not humans anymore. Not in theory, anyway? The blood of a demonic host runs through our veins and causes us to simulate powers that mimics a demon?s own. Which is why we?re able to see demons and are able to deal with them as we see fit.?

?By killing them,? he concludes, deadpan.

?It?s a natural response, yes,? I respond blandly. ?I can already tell you?re not one to really believe in violence, but?? I purse my lips in thought. ?If we didn?t kill a demon that showed signs of violence towards humans, there would be a lot less humans in the world as a whole. They?d very well be moving toward the path of extinction really quickly.?

?And you said you don?t know what they are??

I shake my head, rotating a finger to cycle through some images of the Institute still. After some digging, I manage to pull up an image of a sinuous shadow that moves with the grace of running water.

?Just that they?re some kind of essence of shadow that can take the form of a beast, or creature, and feed on humans. Where they came from, or what they?re after, I really don?t know. As far as I can tell, they?re just another species that resides on Sailea.?

?Why can?t humans see them? Why haven?t you guys alerted everyone to them and put up some kind of actual resistance?? I can hear his voice peak with irritation. As if, somehow, we?re to blame for the happenings in the world. I can already tell he?s seen, or at least heard, of strange things happening all around him that went unexplained until this very moment.

?I also don?t have an answer for that. Humans haven?t been able to see demons for as long as I can remember. And that?s not to say we as a collective haven?t tried. But how do you teach a world to believe in something it never sees? How do you try and convince a population of millions that the unseeable is there and just waiting to devour you? ...unfortunately, the world exists only because we see it existing. And if we don?t see it, why should we believe otherwise.?

?But you said yourself that you all began seeing demons as a result of being injured or attacked by one, right? That must account for something.?

I lower my head, finding a small blemished ring on the desk from an earlier cup of coffee that hasn?t been cleaned up. ?We?re examples of what can happen, but that doesn?t mean the population will magically accept it. Some of us have had problems trying to convince others of what is happening; not including being jailed or executed for trying to disturb the peace in some instances. And then there are those of us who have lost entire villages as a result of what?s happened.?

I motion toward the door. ?Carla is but one who lost everything because of demons. A village torn down and burned to a crisp. No witnesses besides her; all chalked up on the rumor mill as bandits that ransacked the whole place and slew every last villager. She knows what happened--she saw the demons herself. I know what happened? I was right there to pull her out from beneath the remains of her family that shielded her.?

Toby?s gaze softens. I can see the stern wrinkles in the corners of his eyes smooth out; that formation of irritation in the ridge of his brow dissipate like sugar in a cup of water. My eyes shift between his before looking up to the motion of the shadowy demonic image above me. I close the terminal with a flick of my wrist.

?Doesn?t mean the world will accept what they don?t see for themselves, Toby.?

There?s a prolonged silence in the room that makes me feel uneasy all over again. And as much as I?m ready to slurp down a few spoonfuls of my soup, this particular kind of silence just makes me feel disgusted to think that?s the only sound we?d be using as ambience.

Looking back at him every now and then, I can tell he?s trying to process what I?ve said so far. There?s something else hanging out on the tip of his tongue, and it?s obvious he?s biding his time to ask it. My brows lift. ?What is it??

?What were you telling the fish market lady to do? Something about my job and the school.?

Ah, right? I?d forgotten about that little tidbit.

?Well, there are different teams that exist within the Institute. Omega is just one of them--whom you?ve already met for the most part. Some others that exist, such as Alpha and Gamma, detail work that?s a little less combative and is more about clean-up.?

?Clean up?? he asks. I can only imagine he?s picturing a janitor hanging out in town with a mop. It?s not exactly the wrong image.

?I?ll just use you as an example. It?s the easiest way to try and explain it.?

He nods, on board with the suggestion.

?You have a life in North City, right? Friends, family, people you know and talk to on a daily basis??

He nods again. I?d feel a little awkward if he?d shaken his head and took away my only good example.

?What do you think these people would do had you suddenly not shown up for a very prolonged period of time??

He doesn?t even hesitate. ?They?re probably already out looking for me as we speak. At least Marlena would be asking all sorts of questions and stirring up some kind of commotion. That?s just how she operates.?

?Exactly,? I answer, lifting a finger to point at him. ?They?d be out trying to figure out what?s going on with you. And that generally doesn?t leave things sitting happily back at the homestead. People are liable to start putting together search parties, drawing all sorts of additional commotion. The exact kind of thing a demon could use to their advantage to, I don?t know? get more food in one organized place, maybe??

His eyes wiggle open in slight surprise. ?Are you saying they?re in danger??

?Not necessarily,? I tell him, fingers motioning to the stack of papers that had the team?s orders on it. ?Omega?s out there right now just to make sure nobody?s going to be hurt. Alpha Team, however, is dealing with people you know in your life exclusively. When Emma ran her medical scan on you, it?s procedure for her to take simple scans about portions of your life and then document it for Alpha and Gamma team to research--?

?You?re losing me,? he tells me with a wave of his head, already moving to get out of his seat. ?If they?re in danger, I need--?

I can?t beat around the bush with this one. This is one of those times I have to be blunt, direct, and probably a little hurtful in the process? I frown up at him. ?Alpha Team is but one set of people that work directly on the mind, Toby. Their job is to erase you from the existence of everybody that once knew you. Purposely to stop them from causing alarm and gathering together.?

He stops somewhere on the way to his full height. His knees are bent awkwardly, his spine arching uncomfortably. His head inclines toward me, his mouth forming the smallest ?o?. ?They--they what??

I can hear a quaver in his voice that makes me cringe. My voice falters, my frown worsening. ?Alpha and Gamma team deal with erasing the memories of people that have been taken to the Institute due to their demonic influence, in order to prevent those people from putting themselves at risk. The plan was adopted ten years ago whe--?

?I don?t give a damn why. Those are my friends! My family! You can?t just erase me from their lives! That?s ridiculous!?

My hands lift up at him. ?Just hold on a second! That?s why I just told Emma to change their orders around!?

This has been one hell of a rollercoaster of emotions. His chest is on the verge of heaving, no doubt because of his anger. I admit I can?t fully get behind people being erased from the memories of loved ones. But, almost on the same hand, I understand that people will inevitably start trying to find missing friends and family. In a world where others refuse to believe things they cannot see firsthand, it?s too hard to try and provide correspondence to alleviate concerns. Everyone?s at risk. There?s no solution. No easy one, anyway?

?Emma said the school was already a low priority on their charts. She can have it removed from the record and everything will be fine!?

He?s still breathing through his teeth. I slowly climb from my chair, hands still extended out to him. ?It?ll be fine. Alright? Emma?s done a lot for me over the years. She?ll work some magic and, probably at most, you?ll just have to reintroduce yourself to the cute girl at the bakery shop and get her phone number again.?

?There is no cute girl at the bakery shop,? he declares through his teeth.

?Oh. ...well that?s a shame?? I motion to him still. ?Look. I don?t agree with their methods very much, either. But the alternatives aren?t very plausible. If you wrote home that you?re here, or away on some vacation, they?ll inevitably worry one way or another. The Institute is a means to keep you safe from demons, and to keep them safe from demons. And while we could always bring them here, they?ve had no association. It won?t make sense. You?ll just look like you?re joining into some cult, or have completely lost your marbles.?

He takes a deep breath, the first of many. ?But you?re erasing people. History, life, it?s practically worse than death!?

?And that?s why I don?t agree with it fully, Toby! Precisely why I?m trying what I can through Emma to keep it from happening as much as possible. But everything that?s going on in this world--it?s much bigger than just you or me. Humanity is in a war it doesn?t even know it?s having. Everyone?s trying to do what they can to ensure life keeps on going. It?s all we can do. Isn?t that the important thing??

?What?s the point--if nobody can remember anybody at the end of it?? he scoffs, and throws himself back down in his chair. His thought process is defeated by the mere notion that it doesn?t matter what he thinks. I sigh, and slowly drop back down into my own chair.

?I don?t exactly know how their powers work, or how they came to be able to alter memories like they do. Their teams are very small. But I?ve spoken with Yulon, the Gamma Team leader. He?s been pretty straight forward in his assessments that their alterations can be reverted. It?s like? damming a river, he said. Something about blocking off certain pathways that invoke the sense remembering an individual. Removing the dam, it?s just like recalling some lyrics to a song you couldn?t remember a few hours ago. Everything?s right as rain from that moment on!?

Toby glances my way for a brief instant. ?Yeah, whatever. Look, what?s the deal with me being here? That Jeff guy already said I?m not going anywhere, but that seems pretty asinine to me. I don?t have any powers that can help you. And the most I?ve seen in terms of demons is my friend. I?ve already explained all this to everyone I?ve met. I just want to go back and be done with this place. And everything else.?

I watch him, feeling remorse and regret every time he draws up attention to the fact that he doesn?t want to be here. I?m reminded of the hundreds of people I?ve heard beg to be let go and sent back home, only to wind up living their lives in the city behind the Institute?s walls. Change is hard, for everyone involved. In a war like this, every single person is influenced by it. People have to make some kind of sacrifice in order to just see the next day. Even if they don?t know it themselves.

And maybe that?s why people reject the notion that there are creatures out there preying on them. Why would anybody try to continue living, knowing that some invisible force is there, waiting to devour them at the slightest desire? Maybe it?s easier to just continue on, as if nothing is going on in the first place.

?...Tell you what,? I utter, pushing my soup further away to make room on the desk. I draw out a small folder under the stack of orders I?d given the team. In the corner is a label with the name ?Toby? on it. I draw it open and sift through a few sheets that Emma drew up for me. I haven?t had a proper chance to examine it, yet. Now seemed as prudent a time as ever. ?It goes against every procedure we have around here? But I want you to trust in me. We started off on all kinds of wrong foots, what with that little lie at the school.?

?Little lie? You were practically some kind of secret agent in a bikini. At least back then it was okay because I was dealing with a--? He stops himself short, snorting. ?You know what? It?s not that I don?t trust you. Somewhat. Because you?re at least giving me answers. But I still want the hell out of here.?

I don?t look up at him as I write out a few notes in the folder with a black Sharpie pen. Not even for a moment. ?And I?m telling you that won?t happen. Even if you got out of here, someone would come get you. Even if you can see us when we use our glamour, you won?t be able to overpower everyone. They?ll lock you up and keep you down just to prevent any unnecessary hazards from coming up. I?ve seen it.?

He stammers around a couple of words as he thinks up a retort. ?Yeah, well, I?ll come up with something.?

?Yeah, I get that.? I slide the folder closed and push it over toward him to examine. I?ve only detailed a few simple notes concerning people of interest in his life. There?s Ken and that girl from his class that he seems to slightly fancy. A couple of staff members he?s known Then there?s those at the Church that holds a lot of sway in his life. Somebody named Emeril? ?Do these names work for you? I?m going to take you back to the city just so you can see everyone and make sure the people that you want to remember you--does. Prove to you that I?m true to my word. After that, will you relax on trying to be some kind of rebel until I can figure something out more appropriate for you??

He takes the folder and glances it over. His brows wrinkle off and on, but he?s quick to nod in agreement. ?It?s a start,? he states. ?Yeah. Most of these people I would prefer not get hit by some giant pencil eraser. So ridiculous.?

?We?ve been there,? I tell him, pulling my soup close in hand and rising. ?Go with Owen back to your room and I will call you later in the evening. We?ll head out by night so that we can be in the city by morning and get a head start on this process. Just? do me a favor,? I ask of him as I round the desk, moving toward the door.

He looks up at me, his eyes following the long trail of my hair that barely misses scraping the floor. Something tells me he didn?t realize it was that long since he can?t stop staring at it. ?What??

?Don?t run,? I suggest, a coy little smile added for effect as I shoulder the door open and slide out into the hall. I press a couple of fingers to my ear, ?Owen.?

After a small delay as the call is processed, I receive a response. ?My Lady??

?He?s ready to return to his room. Will you prepare my transport this evening??

?Your transport, My Lady? The Red Lightning??

?That?s the one. Thanks so much, Owen.?

?It is my pleasure, My Lady. I will be there momentarily.?

I cut the call off, glancing down to my cooling cup of soup, and scowl. Looks like I didn?t get to enjoy it while it was warm, after all?