ã€ŠSOUL STEALER [BOOK 1 COMPLETE]ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Awoken

    Kita opens her eyes to find herself laying on her back, staring straight up at the claw-like incisions in the torn tipi. Her eyes are quickly entranced by the blurry beads of the night sky above her, subtly being obscured by rapidly passing clouds.

    Wait¡­ What was I doing? She asks herself, struggling to recall anything.

    She turns her eyes and looks around the room. There¡¯s a lot of dirt and broken belongings. Something violent must have turned this place upside down. There is a small flame at the far end of the tipi where a candle gently sparkles against the material of the tipi''s base.

    Kita tries to recall what happened by closing her eyes and thinking to herself. I came here because¡­ Because¡­ I needed to talk? To something? Someone! ¡­Who? Nothing¡¯s coming back to her. The barrier of thought prompts her to clench her fist at the lack of cooperation. She moves on to the next problem, noticing the tension throughout her body and the wounds seeping through the tears in her clothing. In an attempt to get to her feet, the slightest twitch of her spine causes excruciating pain to shoot down her back. Prompting a brief seizure to shock her for her attempt. She lacks the strength to even raise her head right now. Her body feels fragile, as if all of her muscles are protesting. Kita''s forced to stare at the room that is now rotating around her as she lies in the centre. So, she closes her eyes again and takes a deep breath before she tries to sit up.

    Get up Kita, she encourages herself.

    She puts all of her might into raising the upper half of her body when the searing agony flashes through her body the moment she reaches a seated position. ¡°Gaah!¡± She screams, clutching both hands around her head as the beat of her heart pulsates, shaking her entire body with each kick. A tear seeps from her eye as she moves her hand away from her head and holds them in front of her face. With the obscurity of knowing that she¡¯s looking at doubles of both her hands, her breath deepens as she feels a panic rising within her chest. All of her hands are doused in red from the brief moment she touched her head.

    Is all of this my blood? Am I dying?

    Each breath she takes becomes shorter as she notices the wet sensation on the top of her head. She looks around the tipi trying to figure something out but all she notices is her vision blurring most of what¡¯s in her field of view.

    She places each arm to her side and this time, concealing her screams, she attempts to lift herself to her feet.

    ¡°Mmm.¡± She murmurs. Biting her lip and keeping her mouth shut as she slowly tries to stand up. But she gives up, clutching her head as she feels the river of blood rushing down her back. Dazed and now seated on the floor, she reaches for her right shoulder and starts tugging at the connecting seam of her shirt between the arm and shoulder. Her body slowly rocks back and forth as she struggles to keep balanced. Her left arm barely feels like it¡¯s holding her shirt. Her hands are devoid of any sensation and her unavailable strength has left her with a weakened grip.

    She concentrates a little harder but still struggles to close her fist. Deep breaths, Kita. She closes her eyes and concentrates on the feeling of air flowing into her body as her lungs expand with each breath.

    In¡­ Out¡­

    In her concentration, she can hear the subtle crackling and spitting of what sounds like fire. Hmm, that feels nice. Maybe I should die here again. She thinks to herself, her weak body convincing her to embrace the approaching heat.

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    The sound of sizzling and the roar of the flames snap her out of her meditation- Again? She questions, opening her eyes to see the ceiling of the tipi that once revealed the stars, is now replaced with an overwhelming fiery glow. The momentary peace is now sheer panic. She grabs her right shoulder again and starts tugging as hard as she can. Her grip is stronger than before, it must be the adrenaline, but she''s still too tired. She pauses to take a few deep, hurried breaths before she continues pulling at the shoulder.

    The walls begin to dissipate as the flame seeps through the fabric. She pulls harder and harder as the glow gets brighter and her will gets dimmer. A tear slowly makes its way down her cheek before slowly dissipating into the air.

    "C''mon!" She screams at the top of her lungs, exerting the remainder of her energy as she tugs as hard as she can, one last time. Whether it was adrenaline, fear, or both- she is overjoyed by the tearing sound that follows her efforts. The shoulder of her shirt rips, separating the long sleeve of her right arm from the rest of the shirt.

    She quickly wraps it around her forehead to slow the bleeding before she dizzily tries to stand up, but in her hurry, she topples back into the ground. She takes another deep breath and tries again, getting onto both knees and trying to raise herself one leg at a time. She heaves herself up and starts falling over again but catches herself with a shift of her footing. She looks towards the entrance of the tipi, but the whole thing is glowing orange and too dangerous to touch.

    The blazing fire surrounds her, and without the need for a route, she decides to create one. She limps as fast as she can towards the nearest side of the tipi before throwing her body at it. Tearing her way through the already glowing fabrics and collapsing onto the dirt outside, groaning as her whole body pulses in agony.

    Having tumbled far enough from the flames, she lays idle on the floor, staring at the sky filled with stars as the smoky embers of the tipi waft overhead. So many different worlds, glistening out of view- One of them''s got to be less painful than this one.

    Kita heaves herself to her feet, wobbling as though she cannot account for the planet''s rotation beneath her. She squint''s her eyes to try to reconnect the double imagery surrounding her. Then notices she''d picked the right side of the tipi to jump out of. In the distance, from her elevated position, she can make out lights glistening like stars below the horizon.

    It''s far. She knows she can''t make it, but something is pushing her to move on. Or rather, the lack of it.

    She attempts to slide down the side of the hill, but it turns into a rather uncontrolled tumble. Her body crashes into the bushes and rocks, tossing her down the hill. Her body is battered by the ground, the pain is so heavy she can barely feel it anymore.

    She abruptly halts as she plummets into a tree trunk at the base of the hill, grunting in pain as her breath ejects from her body.

    The image of a shadowed figure hovers ahead of her. The silhouette has an arm stretched out. It''s almost within reach- It''s not a person, but it can help. A numbing pain surges through her body as she raises her arm, trying to reach the aiding hand.

    "Please," The silhouette echoes in Kita''s mind, its muffled voice growls as its hand approaches her. "Try again,"

    Their hands meet as a flood of memories return to Kita, flashing before her mind as if she''s relived it all within a moment. My soul, her mind remembers as the shadowy figure dissipates in her hand. He took you from me.

    This isn''t the first time she''s died trying to get it back. She''s startled by the pit building in her stomach as she realizes the essence of her being has been taken from her. Consumed by¡­ By- Her mind draws a blank, another shadowed figure is all she recalls, reaching a clawing hand to her face with a menacing smile plastered on its smug face.

    How many times has she died? What happened last time? The shadow of her soul and its captor are framed in her mind as she feels her body tiring further. She can''t move her arms, or even lift her head. Her eyes are drooping too, despite how hard she fights it.

    I need my soul. She begs as her eyelids encase her in darkness.

 Chapter 2 - Awoken, Again

    Kita''s eyes burst open as she finds herself laying on her back once again. A lightbulb dangles above her face, barely illuminating the dark brown tent with a soft orange glow. Did I die? She wonders to herself but realizes she has the same blunt pain surging through her head and back.

    "Skwaaa, she''s awake," Calls out a strange, creature-like voice as she hears the ring of thin metal sheets colliding.

    Her body twitches as she sits up on a table in the centre of the room. Her spine jitters while she reaches for her aching head to feel a properly wrapped bandage on it. She looks at her body and realizes she is in underwear, with bandages covering most of her torso, legs and arms.

    "Why the hurry?" Croaks the voice of an old, frail lady seated behind Kita. She turns to face the dark-skinned lady with deep wrinkles all over her freckled face. Her braided, grey hair extends down to her waist as she stands up with the support of a dense stick in her left hand.

    "How long have I been unconscious?" Kita asks.

    "Three or four rotations," The old lady responds.

    "Why did you help me?" Kita squint''s her eyes in distrust.

    "This is not the first time," The lady responds, walking over to a nearby table to then start mixing herbs and powders into a bowl. "I know your soul was taken by the dark one,"

    "The dark one?" Kita asks as she shifts her legs over the side of the table.

    "Your eyes," The old lady responds as she pours water into the bowl and stirs all the ingredients. "They''re devoid of any real-life¡­ Or colour for that matter,"

    Kita glances into a cracked mirror, suspended on the support beam of the tent. She puts her hand against her tan, brown cheek as she looks into her abyssal black pupils. She stammers away from the mirror, the lifelessness in her eyes sends a shiver down her spine. She raises her hands to tie up her dreadlocked hair and glances one last time at the mirror. Wondering what would go through someone''s mind if they noticed.

    "What of this strange, creature?" Kita asks, pointing at the metallic animal, flapping its two steel arms as it tilts its head at her.

    "I have a name, skwaa," The creature responds.

    The old lady giggles, "His name is Rayn,"

    "He''s obnoxious," Kita adds, scanning all the strange geometric patterns finely sculpted into the steel.

    "Skwaa, She''s a freeloader," Rayn responds.

    "Why do these steel parts act aware?" Kita asks, perplexed by the rude, yet lifelike response from it.

    "What do you mean steel parts? Skwaa,"

    "He was given to me a long time ago. I was told that there was once a creature of beauty that roamed the planet by soaring through the skies, with vibrant colours draped across its body. I believe it was called¡­ A bird."

    "A bird?" Kita responds.

    "I was told that the soul of the last living bird was somehow placed into this steel body- a replica of its true form, made to preserve its essence,"

    "Hmm," Kita scoffs, "Seems like witchcraft," She says, as she pokes the creature''s cold belly.

    "Skwaa, at least I have a soul," The bird responds. Grinding its wings as it chases away her touch.

    The old lady brings Kita a bowl with thick green juice inside it. The smell is pungent, causing Kita to gag before blocking her nose with her fingers.

    "Drink up," The lady says, jiggling the bowl for Kita to take it.

    "Whatever that is can go straight to hell," Kita scoffs as she pushes the bowl away from her.

    The lady puts it on the table and shrugs, "If you''d prefer to suffer with pain, be sure to do it quietly,"

    Kita eyes the slime as thick bubbles break its surface like a boiling porridge. She can already taste it as she breathes through her mouth. She bites down on her lip, before grabbing the bowl with both hands and tilting her head back to pour the juice down her throat. Its clumpy, warm, powder-like texture creeps down her throat as she rapidly swallows it all. Gagging as she tries to hold it down.

    The lady hands her a glass of water which she chugs trying to wash the foul taste, but her mind is quickly drawn away from the ick in her mouth as a loud howl screeches from outside, shaking the tent as a gale beats against the fabrics. She watches the support beam in the centre of the room rattle with worry before she looks back at the old lady.

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    "The myst?" Kita asks.

    The old lady nods as she takes back her bowl. "It grows larger with each rotation,"

    "Really?" Kita asks.

    "Not many people know this truth, but I have lived long enough to see it for myself,"

    "You must have been there when the myst started, right old lady?"

    The old lady taps Kita on the shoulder with her stick, "I''m not that old,"

    "Skwaa, debatable," Rayn jests, squeezing a chuckle out of Kita.

    "I was told it dissolves the body of anyone exposed to it," Kita says, "But I''ve never seen someone caught in it before."

    "Then you are fortunate," The old lady responds, "Few witness the myst without being consumed,"

    The old lady walks out the room, waving at Kita to follow her. "I''ve prepared a meal. You may join me if you have the strength to reach the dinner table,"

    "And if I can''t?" Kita asks.

    "Then you starve,"

    Kita''s feet crash into the muddy floors of the tent, squishing its way between her toes before she notices the mess of this room. Open books on all the tables, some of them have pot plants and snipped leaves lying all over the place. And a mess of dirty beakers and other utensils lay everywhere except the sink.

    "How do you work like this?" Kita spews as she cringes at the sight. She enters the next room, suddenly eating her words to the spotless, neatly organised drawers on the rim of the tent, with a circular rug wrapping around a fireplace in its centre.

    "Wash your feet," Says the old lady, pointing to a bucket of water ahead of the rug.

    "How long have you been here?" Kita asks, having never seen a tent so organised before.

    "I don''t travel with cities," She responds, taking a seat on the carpet and reaching into a pan on the fire. "Rayn and I have been here for a few dozen rotations by now,"

    "Skwaaa, sixty-three,"

    "Sixty-three?! Why not travel with others?" Kita asks confused.

    "Those cities are dangerous. Scouring the globe to avoid the myst? What a waste of time."

    Cities move following the behaviour of the myst. The timing and location of rotations can be predicted with enough astronomical knowledge, so large groups of people organize around this knowledge to avoid the myst as frequently as possible. A city only remains in a location for a few days before the rotation changes course. The tents that citizens carry with them have to be ready to move within short notice- so it is not common to see a tidy living space.

    "So you prefer to embrace the roaming death?" Kita jests.

    The old lady arches her back as she chuckles, "I haven''t heard anyone call it that in a long time,"

    The old lady hands Kita a bowl of crystal clear soup that reflects golden in the light of the fire. She''s never seen it before. It looks as if it''s for hydration but it smells much better than any soup she''s had before. The lady passes along a few pieces of bread, presumably for dipping into the soup.

    "Thank you for your kindness," Kita bows her head, holding the bowl up above it.

    "It''s my pleasure," The lady smiles.

    "Skwaaa, freeloader," Rayn clangs his wings.

    Kita dips a chunk of bread into the soup and shoves the whole thing in her mouth. Her eyes open in shock as she looks at the unfamiliar, wizardly old lady.

    "This-" Kita stutters her words, unable to finish¡­ She simply dips another piece.

    This is the best food I''ve ever tasted.

    Well, she thinks so. Surely she doesn''t react like this to her first meal after death every time? She feels the taste surging on her tongue. The crispy, toasted bread coupled with the tasty, vegetable soup is seducing her sense. It''s¡­ Familiar.

    Something about this moment rings in her mind as if it is a memory. But, this isn''t a memory.

    "You said this isn''t the first time you''ve helped me?" Kita asks, recalling the old lady''s statement.

    "Only once before. Although, I was much younger then,"

    "What?" Kita ask, shocked that her familiarity may be warranted

    "Back then you tried to absorb my soul," She giggles, then takes another bite of her bread.

    "Why would I-?" Kita pauses, squinting her brows in confusion.

    "You forgot it all, this time?" The old lady responds. "You need souls to use that magic of yours. Since your soul is still missing,"

    "Souls?" Kita asks, looking at her hand. "Magic?"

    "Dirty soul stealer, skwaaa,"

    "Yes, you told me that the more souls you consume, the more powerful you become,"

    "Hmm," Kita mumbles, "Do you know how I take them?

    "Well, when you tried to take mine, you raised your hand to my face but I stopped you before anything happened,"

    "How did you stop me?"

    "After you woke up on my table and threatened to consume me, I offered to feed you this soup," She smiles, "You''re a much better guest the second time around,"

    Kita chuckles, taking her last bite of bread and sipping on the soup. She must have died a lot since then because this lady is old. How many times have I died? She tries to ignore the thought, but an overwhelming sense of failure is eclipsing her confidence. She can''t even remember what happened when she lost, how can she learn from this?

    "You''ll need to consume the souls of others if you want the strength to get yours back,"

    For some reason, this doesn''t bother Kita. No resistance in her mind to the idea of taking the lives of others. Is it because she''s done it before?

    "And you''re not opposed to me ''consuming'' the soul of others?" Kita asks.

    "I don''t care about anyone except Rayn," The old lady responds.

 Chapter 3 - Canyon City (Pt. 1)

    The nearest city is about a day''s walk from the old lady''s tent. Kita¡¯s been trekking for about half a day so far. Hopefully, the myst isn¡¯t due to pass through anytime soon- It''s essentially a global sandstorm. A neverending raid of the lands that it crosses, leaving the entire world devoid of any life that can''t evade it. That is why there is no greenery on any of the landscape, no living thing beyond what is cultivated in cities. Apparently millions of ''species'' died out after the myst began. It''s difficult for her to imagine what a world with more than humans would be like. Surely it would be more beautiful than this. The myst consumes all life in its path, and it has been here for as long as anyone alive today can remember.

    She walks amongst the desert of dirt, sprinkled with the occasional dead tree trunk and nothing else. It''s so boring out here. This world''s creator only had a shit-coloured paint when he decided to brush the globe.

    She should learn how to predict it- Maybe she did learn it? God, that¡¯s annoying. How much did she forget? One would assume knowing magic is a sort of muscle memory, yet she knows nothing of absorbing souls. Is there a chant she needs to say? How many souls is enough? Two? Three? The thought of killing that many people creates an anxiety in her stomach. How does she even do it without being seen?

    Having to deal with all of this because of one person is a suffering of its own. The dark one¡­ It feels like Kita knows who it is. Her memory only draws a silhouetted figure but it¡¯s not their appearance she knows. The thought of the dark one brings a shudder to her knees, an internal fear that must have brewed over many deaths.

    If this magic thing is true, it makes sense that she needs the souls of others to replace her own. The dark one took hers, and she''ll need the magic to fight him. So, the first order of business is getting her hands on a few souls. This shouldn''t be too tough. She''ll enter the city at late night and knock on a few doors- Yeah! Maybe she can find a family, have a bunch of souls grouped up in one place and¡­ Consume¡­

    Wait¡­ Knocking is stupid, nobody here would answer to that in the dead of night unless they want to just hand their belongings to raiders. Those sneaky bastards really know how to steal and then vanish amongst the mass shuffle of cities relocating.

    Maybe she should take their souls? They''re bad people, right? She could be like, a hero. Yeah, saving the city folk from bandits and raiders. She can be the anti-dark one- The light one!

    "Don''t be alarmed," Kita exclaims with her bellowing hero voice to the vast nothingness, imagining a slew of civilians raising their hands towards her as she descends from the sky. "I have come to save you from the dark one, my children. My only wish is that you fix me a great feast upon my success,"

    "uuuaaaaa" She mimics a crowd''s excitement, raising her hands to the air to turn and wave in the distance. In her rotation, a few lights catch the corner of her eye. She looks ahead of her to see a large, multi-patched tarp extending across the top of a quaking canyon at the base of the mountain ahead. This must be one big city for them to have covered up the entire canyon. How long will it be here? With the mountain behind it, it seems like a pretty good spot.

    Multi-coloured lights flicker from beneath the giant tarp, as the sound of a busy marketplace catches her attention. As she reaches the edge of the canyon, she can peek between the gap of the tarp and the cliff to see tents and tipis fill her view. Large tents suspended against the walls of the canyon with various makeshift walkways dangling between stores and homes. On the ground, she can see two sections. One which has much smaller tipis and tents tightly packed together- That''s definitely where the poor people live. And another that is a bustling, multicoloured marketplace, with steel-built stores, street carts, brothels, and all of them with their unique neon signs outstretched above them. How long have they been here? She wonders as she looks for the nearest path down to the city.

    The city heads must take good care of their panels to have this much light in the evening. The living district is much darker, but a few warm lights emanate from them. The fancier tents suspended on the walls all have lots of lights inside them¡­ Seemingly more than they would need, but whatever- Kita can''t be bothered by socio-economic issues. Her focus is her soul, she can think about all that once she gets her shit together.

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    "Oh no!" She exclaims sarcastically, "How will I be a hero if I don''t care?"

    She pauses for a moment, contemplating the deep ethics of her state of mind. What is the magic''s intended use if it is fueled by the souls of others? Is she obligated to aid those from which she takes? Is she expected to create a natural push and pull between evil and good, to ease the suffering within their world- She strokes her chin before seeing a bridge that leads towards the city.

    "Hmph," She chuckles to herself before thinking- I could use something to eat.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    Kita''s made her way down to the market district of the city. It smelt so good over here that she couldn''t help but follow the scent. Tragically, she''s been left wanting as she came to realize these losers want coin in exchange for food. So, now she stands at a table amongst the wafting smells of deliciousness, in a permanent state of salivation as she thinks of a plan to take some souls¡­ and some coin.

    As she stood pondering, a tall lady with orange hair and a very tight skirt steps up to the table Kita is standing at. Now beside Kita, she flips her white-haired fringe to reveal her bright, pink eyes before she places a hand to rest on one of Kita''s. "Hey sweetheart, looking for someone to rub up on?"

    Kita blushes, awkward and caught off guard, all she can muster out is- "Woah¡­ You''re hot,"

    The tall lady chuckles, leaning closer to Kita''s face. She can feel the lady''s warm breath ease against her lips. "So are you, sweetheart" She responds.

    "I mean, I would love to, b-but¡­"

    "Buuut?" The lady teases, resting a finger on Kita''s lip and fluttering her eyes as she gazes into Kita''s.

    "Well, I''m kind of on a mission to save the world,"

    "Oh," The lady giggles, "So you''re a hero?"

    "Something like tha-" Kita is thrown off guard by the pink-eyed lady suddenly drawing her tongue against Kita''s cheek. Slowly, she feels the warm, soft, moisture move from beside her lip and then stop beside her eyebrow.

    "You could be our hero for tonight," The tall lady whispers into Kita''s ear with her soft, seductive voice.

    "Our?" Kita asks, prompting a shirtless man in latex pants to stand on the other side of her. Is this some rehearsed seduction shit? Because it''s working. His body is so well defined, with a chest that looks like two soft pillows- she just wants to know what it''s like to lay her head on them.

    "We need you to save us," He whispers to her.

    "You''re super hot too," She stammers, now unnerved by the sexiness that surrounds her.

    "What do you say?" The pink-eyed girl asks.

    "I really would love to. But, I just can''t right now," Kita responds nervously and lowers her eye contact. Not because she''s shy, but because she fucking broke! Damnit.

    "That''s alright," They both respond in unison.

    "We''ll be here for you once your mission is completed," The pink-eyed girl winks at Kita, gently brushing Kita''s arm before stepping away.

    "Good luck, babe," The topless guy says, blowing a kiss before walking away with the pink-eyed girl.

    Another reason to get her hands on some coin. Damnit, soulless and poor. Both of these can''t stand. Since her need for coin has arisen, she concludes the best tent to rob would be one of the shining ones suspended against the wall of the canyon. They''re larger and well-lit, so presumably they''re richer. She scouts out a few of the tents in the air, figuring out a way to discern ones that are more likely to have a family in them. But they''re all huge. Capable of fitting much more than just a family, but easily of a few residents of the city too.

    This is becoming very hero-like. It brings a smile to her face. The plan is clear- Take from the greedy rich, to give to the poor¡­ Well, herself. But she is poor so it still counts. She wouldn''t donate her chance for a few meals and sex.

    What if they put up a fight though? Her body is still a little tender but she''s quite certain she can make this work. They''re just normal people anyway, her body will probably heal back to normal once she gets some souls. The thought of getting stronger satiates her mind more than the thought of food or sex, so she''s perfectly content to improvise if things go a bit south. As long as she gets those souls.

    She locates a large, two-story tent that she marks as her target for no reason in particular. It''s the first one she glanced at when she decided to decide.

    "Time to feed," She chuckles to herself as she heads toward the tent.

 Chapter 4 - Canyon City (Pt. 2)

    Kita peeps into the soft plastic window of the tent she''d chosen. They''re definitely a few rich snobs- she can see all five of them sitting around a dinner table. A dinner table! Why even bother trying to be so fancy? Are they too good to eat that delicious food with their hands? The food deserves better. Around them are a few servants, waiting on the family as they feast. More for me, She smiles.

    In her excitement, a strange urge has overcome her the more she''s thought about taking souls. Like a predatory instinct, she wants to consume now and think later. Part of her is concerned about getting caught or even facing resistance, but that urge just doesn''t care- If she gets a few souls, she''s happy.

    She pulls out the little pocket knife strapped to her belt and carves an incision into the tent- slowly, cautious of making a sound with the slit. Once her blade reaches the base of the tent, she crouches her way through the gap. Using the various drawers and seating of the living room as cover. She peeps over the back of a couch to see the family on the left side of the space, surrounded by four servants. On the right-hand side of the tent is a staircase that leads upstairs, presumably to the sleeping quarters. This is the cleanest Kita''s ever seen a tent. This is more than a tent, this is an entire home suspended against a cliff face. Moving this place during relocation must be one hell of a mission for their servants.

    Okay, Kita stops herself amidst her marvelling at the home. It has tiled floors! How?

    She''s starting to regret not thinking this through first, realizing strategy is an important part of infiltrating. She peeks over the couch again, deciding to prioritize the servants. She crouches her way around the couch, trying her best to stay in the farthest servant''s blind spot. Slowly approaching the back of the nearest servant she rises to her feet and reaches around the nearest servant to grab her face.

    The three other servants and the family all panic as they watch Kita grab the servant.

    "How does this work?" She shuffles, trying her best to hold onto the struggling young servant lady''s face.

    "What do we do?" One of the servants yells, watching Kita grip their partner.

    "We go to plan B," Says a big man, one of the servants. His buffness catches her off guard.

    The sudden performance anxiety makes her nervous as she sees the other three servants slowly raising makeshift pistols they must have had hidden away.

    "Ahh fuck, I just wanted some souls," Kita sighs, "How does this shit work?" She questions, shifting the position of her hand on the lady''s face multiple times, but to no avail.

    "Let her go," The big servant demands as the three of them hold their guns up. "Or we''ll kill the family,"

    "What?" Kita asks, stopping her frantic hand poses to peek over the shoulder of the servant girl that she''s now using as a shield.

    "If you don''t want us to kill the family, you better let her go," He responds.

    "I don''t care about this family," Kita scoffs.

    "What?" The man stammers, confused by Kita''s response. "How did you know we were robbing them?"

    Kita rolls her eyes, realizing she walked into some raiders that marked their territory all over this family, pretending to be their servants.

    "I''m robbing them too," Kita chuckles, "This is pretty awkward, huh?"

    "Are you fucking kidding me?" The third bandit pipes up. A slender dude, not much older than Kita but way more nervous. "We''ve been on this job for eighteen rotations,"

    "Eighteen?" Kita whistles in shock, "Yeah, my bad about that,"

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    "Fucking kill her," The slender kid barks.

    The mess of the situation is much more thrilling than worrying. She''s in the thick of it now, so why not just go all out? It''d be best to figure out this magic shit. She can''t die-die anyway- Do I need to chant something? She spins the captured servant to face her and re-places her hand on the girl''s face.

    "Hi, uhmm," Kita stammers, now looking into the servant girl''s foresty eyes before she sheepishly tries the first spell that comes to mind¡­ "Consume?"

    Her question registers, and she feels a satisfying tingle ring throughout her body. The vegetable soup the old lady made for her doesn''t even hold a candle to what she is feeling now- No orgasm or taste could ever feel this way. A large shadow starts to eject out of the servant girl''s mouth and streams its way through Kita''s hand.

    It''s like her body is being filled with light¡­. Energy. But not the type you regain through resting. No, this is different. Every part of her body feels bliss as the consumed soul spreads throughout every corner of her skin.

    "Aahhh," Kita moans with her eyes closed as the servant girl drops to the floor, unconscious or dead? Kita has no idea but can''t be bothered to find out.

    She wants more.

    "Holy shit," The nervous kid mumbles with a look of pure terror smeared on his face.

    The three raiders raise their guns after each having a brief moment of shock. Kita licks her lips eyeing the rest of them, and the five family members. "So much for being a hero, I guess,"

    Her words don''t register with the raiders, and they all rapidly fire their pistols. Without a moment''s delay, Kita intuitively rotates the wrist of her right arm to expose its palm. This triggers an energy-like sphere to expand around her instantaneously. Each of the raiders'' bullets stops in their tracks once they collide with the shield and simply fall to the floor.

    Kita tilts her head when she hears the click of each of the raider''s guns. "Ncaaw, out of ammo?" Kita asks menacingly. Dropping her shield and walking over to the nearest servant- The bulky guy. He shudders and steps backwards as Kita approaches him.

    He''s never been this afraid before, she can see it in his eyes. She feels a burst of confidence at the thought of making someone as large as him fear her.

    Still a few steps away, she raises her hand. A certainty lies within her now. She doesn''t need to say it. Only think. The large man''s body tenses up as he freezes in place. A choking sound emanates from his open mouth as the same black fog exits his body and passes into Kita''s arm.

    The satisfaction flushes through her- It feels just as good as the first time!

    She raises both hands this time. Each one aimed at the remaining two raiders. Consume. Her mind confirms as the abyssal smoke draws from the last two servants'' bodies. Each of them chokes and squirms as their essence is removed from them.

    Their bodies thud to the ground.

    "We have coin," The father of the family pipes up with a shaken voice, interrupting the pleasure that never ceases.

    "Where is it?" Kita asks politely.

    "It''s upstairs, please just let us go and it''s all yours,"

    Kita grins at the man. She has his life in her hands. He knows it. They all do. Unfortunately for him, he has no real bargaining power right now.

    Kita doesn''t say a word, and simply raises her hand at the man.

    "No, please!" He screams- But it''s too late.

    Each of the family members starts choking as she draws all five of their souls to her body- shuddering as the vibrations of them entering spread all across her body.

    Muscle memory. She was right- this all seems so familiar, so effortless, now that it''s begun. The bounds of her magic are unending. Limited only by the range of her imagination¡­ And the number of souls she consumes. She''d started with nine but she can only feel eight left within her. That basic defence spell came at the cost of one soul. She''ll need to be careful. This only means she has eight or so spells left- Larger, more demanding spells require more souls to achieve. So depending on what she casts, she may have far less than eight available to her. But that''s a concern for future Kita to deal with. At present, this power surges within her like an uncapped faucet. She feels stronger than ever before with only eight souls.

    She makes her way up the staircase to retrieve the coin that no longer interests her as much as it did. Leaving the family slouched in their seats around their dinner table. She''s going to collect it anyway, because normal people value this concept of currency much more than she understands. As she makes her way up, she can''t help but have one recurring thought looping in her mind-

    I want more.

 Chapter 5 - Canyon City (Pt. 3)

    The main bedroom of this household is a shared space with four separate beds against each wall. With a circular drawer in the centre of the room. It has five sections to it. Presumably, each family member has a space for themselves. These people really aren''t that rich then. Where are the separate bedrooms? What kind of wealth has a family sharing a sleeping area like common folk?

    Kita opens a large chest from beside the only double bed in the room. Inside are far more pouches of coin than she can carry. These people have never had to worry about coin for a day in their life. Each pouch has a sum of ten thousand coin inscribed- This might actually be what a million coin looks like. She scours a few of the other drawers in the bedroom. Finding formal clothes that probably belong to the parents, tiny outfits for the two children of the family, and terribly coloured, granny-type clothing. No jewellery or anything else that could be worth anything. Between the clothes and the layout of this tent, they must have been trying to stay cautious about their wealth.

    "That clearly worked out," Kita scoffs.

    A backpack lay beside the chest so she decides to throw in a few of the dark brown clothing that seems most suited for travel. She also adds five pouches of coin- fifty thousand coin should be enough to last her a good while. But she has no bearings on any pricing beyond the one menu she glanced at.

    She makes her way back downstairs to get out of here before any trouble arrives. All in all, this went flawlessly- Well, not exactly. It worked out though, she''s no longer poor and a meal would be perfect right about now. She glances back at the five bodies around the table, and the four laying around them. Someone''s probably going to notice this mess, does she need to cover her tracks? At the moment it just looks like the Raiders had a disagreement mid-job.

    "Eh," She shrugs, more concerned about what she''ll eat than any of that. She used magic anyway, so who''s going to know?

    She makes her way out of the entrance she''d cut, looking down to the city from the bridge way suspended between the canyon wall. The city never goes to sleep, the marketplace is still bustling with lights and slews of people roaming the streets.

    As she makes her way along the bridge, a group of thug-looking guys are having a smoke. Most of them have tattoos all along their necks and arms- Pretty crappy ones at that, but she''s no tattoo connoisseur. She squeezes her past the pungent scent of burnt bush and sweat. Grouping up on a bridge like this is pretty stupid, between the smell and the genuine idiocy. These randoms are already rubbing Kita the wrong way.

    "Did I just see you coming out of that tent there?" One of the dudes really shouldn''t be trying to make conversation right now. She just wants a meal and a place to stay for the night. Taking their souls out here would draw way too much attention.

    She keeps her head down and ignores the man. As she passes through the group the rest of the bridge is suddenly cut off by a few more bodies. Each with a smoke in their hand still chatting to each other as if Kita isn''t there. The bridge was open a second ago, why would these guys block her off?

    "You hard of hearing?" That same voice pipes up, now more aggressively than before.

    "What?" Kita sighs, rolling her eyes as she turns to face the approaching man. The first thing she notices is his smug smile- all of his teeth are steel. And he''s wearing shades in the dead of night. He''s definitely a prick.

    "What were you doing in that tent?" He asks again, now towering over her, puffing out a gust of smoke into her face.

    The rest of the group is acting completely natural, a few of the dudes around are giving Kita sideways looks but the majority are having their own conversations.

    "I wasn''t in no tent," Kita responds, straight to the point and trying not to get mad.

    "So, she''s a liar," He chuckles. "Pretty good one too,"

    "Look, I''m just trying to get to the market,"

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    "Marketplace? Can''t let you do that,"

    "I wasn''t asking," She grits her teeth.

    He says nothing as he looks at her with a strange semi-smile. Drawing his lighter to spark his smoke, he slowly peeks over the rim of his glasses. "You see, a few friends of ours were performing a job in that tent there. I need to make sure you didn''t see anything you weren''t supposed to,"

    "I didn''t see shit because I wasn''t in there,"

    "Hmmm," He grunts, stroking his beard. "The problem is, I don''t believe you,"

    "Maybe you should be more focused on watching your friend''s back,"

    "You''re right. You see, I feel bad. We were supposed to be providing overwatch but got a little caught up on the way,"

    "How''s that my problem?"

    "Well, it would mean that we weren''t here when a certain little shit decided to sneak her way in there,"

    "Like I said, I''m just headed to the marketplace,"

    "More lies. Good thing I see through ''em,"

    The rest of the group is watching now, all the chatter around her has come to a halt and been replaced by an overwhelming number of glares. They know she was in there. Playing it cool isn''t going to get her anywhere. Do they know she killed them? If they don''t they''ll find out pretty soon anyway.

    "Who do you work for? Chevo?"

    "I don''t know who that is," She responds, clenching her fist.

    "Oooh she''s cool under pressure, huh?" He chuckles to one of his groupies. "She''s definitely one of his,"

    Kita raises her hands in front of her, trying to think up a way to take all of these guys out. Crap, this is much stickier than the situation inside the tent. She has no space, one of these assholes can just grab her if she doesn''t anything.

    The douche looks over Kita''s shoulder to one of the guys behind her and subtly nods his head. What does that?- a blunt pain suddenly rises at the back of Kita''s head, where her wound is. The subtle patter of fluid trickles down her neck as her vision starts blurring. She reaches behind her head to feel the liquid and when she brings her hand to her face she sees her finger have been dipped in red. In a panic, she tries to turn and run but her body slumps to the floor- Erupting laughter out of the slew of goons surrounding her.

    Her eyes struggle to stay open, slowly closing as she hears the guys in shades saying, "Get her to Vlad,"¡ã

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    Kita can feel her body being dragged across the floor angst the darkness of her eyelids before she''s heaved by her armpits into a seat. Indistinct chatter surrounds her as she dips in and out of awareness. The cracking of drying blood spread across her back draws her to the pain at the back of her head.

    But, her eyes shoot open when she feels the icy chill of water douses her with a hefty impact to her face. Shivering and wet, with pain beating against her head she sees she''s in a small room with four other people in it. She tries to raise her hands but they''re jolted back down by the handcuffs attached to her seat. Her body feels weak again, she''s lost so much damn blood she might as well be considered a mass donor.

    Three knocks create a silence amongst the four guys that we chitchatting. The door opens, and three of them step out of the room before a bald guy with the same shoddy tattoos steps into the room and closes the door behind him.

    The other one in the room steps by a table beside the door and places an apron over his head.

    A hand crashes into Kita''s chair, grabbing her attention to find the bald man leaning over into her face.

    "You killed four of my members," His cigarette-worn voice wheezes out. "Eighteen weeks. Wasted,"

    He removes his grip on the chair and stands back up, eclipsing the light in the room. "You''re going to tell me how Chevo knew about the job,"

    "I don''t know who that is," She mumbles under her breath, struggling to find the energy to say it louder.

    "What was that?"

    "I don''t know who that is,"

    The man reaches into his pocket and removes a cigarette and a lighter. With no rush, he slowly lights it and takes a deep inhale of the first puff.

    "Whatever it is that he''s been teaching you assassins is becoming a real problem for me. What were you doing in the tent?"

    "What tent?" She barely coughs out. Genuinely confused and struggling to piece together what''s going on.

    He draws to silence again, taking two then three puffs of his smoke before exhaling and leaning back up to her face. Her vision''s clear enough for her to notice the cavernous stretching from his left ear to the tip of his nose. He gestures to the other man in the room to approach with some sort of wrench-like tool in his hand.

    "Lying will not work for you here,"

 Chapter 6 - Canyon City (Pt. 4)

    The man in the apron steps beside the bald guy that Kita assumes is the boss. He keeps asking about some guy named Chevo- they seem certain that Kita is one of his assassins or some bullshit. She still feels weak, dizzy and in pain, but she can gather her thoughts again. She''s aware of the situation at hand. A few moments ago she tried to cast the consume spell she''d used in the tent but her body is too fragile to pull any spells off right now. Even if she could get out of this room, she doesn''t have enough souls to take on everyone. Her body is too exposed for the brief moment that she casts a spell, and something tells her she can''t cast her shield at the same time.

    Maybe she''s better off dying again. Resetting the whole thing or however it works. Will she wake up in the tipi again? Or six feet under- buried because these trolls think she''s actually dead. It might not be worth finding out.

    "Get her talking," The bald man says, stepping to the opposite end of the room to lean against the wall.

    The man in the apron steps in front of Kita with a wrench in his hand. This isn''t going to be fun. They don''t believe a word she says, will they take it easier on her if she just pretends to be with this Chevo guy''s crew? Surely that''ll just get her killed.

    Fuck.

    He places Kita''s right-hand pinky finger between the wrench and rotates a knob to get a firm grip. His deep voice whispers calmly at Kita, "What were you doing in the tent?"

    "Are you supposed to be the trustworthy one?" Kita chuckles to herself at their contrasting tones of voice.

    "Wrong answer. What were you doing in the tent?" His voice is stern. Unwavering. Making him all the more intimidating. He''s definitely the experienced interrogator.

    "Consuming souls," Kita answers, looking into the man''s eye without flinching. Wondering if he will see the truth in her words.

    He slowly shakes his head in disappointment, "Wrong answers,"

    There''s a loud, snapping sound that sends a jolt of shock through Kita''s body before a sharp pain explodes through her hand and arm. Her eyes glance down as she bites her lip trying to withstand the sudden pain, but the sight of her crooked pinky finger forces a gutwrenching scream from her lips. Her anguished bellow reverberates throughout the small room, giving the spectating, bald man a reason to break his character with a smile.

    She can''t help the tear that streams down her eye as a reaction to the agony in her hand. She can''t look at it again, or it''ll hurt. Her body shudders as she realizes these guys can''t discern lies and truth.

    "I only ask once now¡­ What were you doing in the tent?" The man says, tightening the wrench around her ring finger.

    "I just told you, asshole!"

    "Wrong answers," He says before looking down at her hand.

    "Ok, okay!" Her body jerks in fear, trying to pull her hand away, but to no avail. "I was there to steal coin,"

    "Only five pouches?" The man asks, unconvinced by her answer. "We found over one hundred in the chest,"

    "T-that''s all I needed," She stutters, barely getting her words out as she looks into the man''s doubt-filled eyes.

    There''s no response from the man, but the searing pain bursts in her hand once again the moment she hears a loud crack.

    "Aaaah!" Kita cries with all of her breath, shaking her body in an attempt to escape the man.

    The rattling of her cuffs is the voice of her fear. She wants to run. Her body''s in flight but it''s chained down. Restrained to the tracks.

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    "What were you doing in the tent?" The interrogator asks again. Still unbothered, and with no semblance of expression on his face as he aligns the wrench to her middle finger.

    The souls still surge within her body, her only hope of escape. And she''s still too weak to use it. She''s screaming in her mind for her fingers to heal. For the pain to diminish at the very least, but she''s achieved nothing in the process.

    Her back is against the wall here. Hopelessness slowly converts to rage as she understands there''s no correct response to this godforsaken question.

    She grinds her teeth and looks at the interrogator with her blackened, cold eyes. Projecting as much hate through her glare as she can. "I killed your fucking friends," She nervously chuckles at the pain she expects to follow, doubling down on her stance. "They screamed for their lives when I took them,"

    She notices the man''s expression tilting to one of frustration at Kita''s words- A pain point.

    "You knew one of them," Kita smiles, knowing that she''s not the only one experiencing pain at this moment. "Which one was it, huh? The big guy? The scrawny kid, or one of the girls?"

    She wants to share it. To relieve the burden of this suffering. "Your friend died like a fucking cowar-"

    Her middle finger crunches. And she falls silent as her breathing stutters about. No screaming this time. It was too sudden.

    Another tear falls from her eye as it twitches to the pain numbing her hand. She can''t bear to look. She won''t. She holds her watery eyes in contact with the interrogator''s face as she feels the wrench clamping around her index finger.

    "How did Chevo know about the job?" His face has returned to the blank stare it was before.

    He''s moved on to the next question. Her response wasn''t anything they didn''t already know. Was this the truth he was seeking? Not a truth of words, but a truth of character.

    Her body''s returning to flight as she comes to understand the man''s method. Her hand hurts so much. The outcome of any response she could muster up has her in fear- She''d rather not answer. But they''re back to this Chevo guy she has no idea about. Telling them she doesn''t know who that is won''t do. At best, she can pretend she doesn''t associate with the man anymore.

    "Fuck Chevo," She half-heartedly scoffs as another tear escapes from her eyelid. "I haven''t worked for him in over thirty rotations,"

    "Then how did you know about the job?"

    "I stole a tipoff from his informant. Something about a fifty-rotation raid you had planned,"

    "And your goal was to interrupt us?" The guy says with a curious look on his face.

    "I just needed some coin... So, I improvised,"

    "And you''re no longer part of Chevo''s crew?"

    "I never really was," Her breath stammers with worry, "Just did a few jobs for some coin,"

    The interrogator squints his eyes as he reads Kita one more time. He comes to some sort of a conclusion before loosening the wrench around her index finger and walking over to the boss- Whispering something in his ear.

    Kita releases a deep exhale, and all the tension in her body quickly dissipates presuming the torture is over. Her head slowly lowers to look at her hand and the sight of her three mangled fingers sends a sickening taste down her throat. The pain has her gagging. But she holds it down.

    The boss steps forward and leans in towards Kita''s face again. Blowing a Bloom of smoke around her. "I''m going to give you two options," he says, raising his hand with two fingers pointing up.

    "One, you work for me and I forget this whole thing ever happened. Or two, I kill you, and put your body someplace no one will ever find it."

    He stands back up and walks to the front door, this time opening it to leave the room. But he pauses before he leaves. "I''ll give you a few hours to make up your mind. Put her in a cell,"

    Three goons enter the room after the bald man leaves, two of whom step at either side of Kita and start undoing the cuffs around her arms and legs. Then heaving her out of her chair- Every twitch and shuffle of her body sends more pain to her hand. She still wants to fight back, but her body can barely support its own weight. She wouldn''t be able to move if it wasn''t for these guys moving her.

    They drag her down the hall to a few flights of stairs before arriving in a basement-like hall with three big cells against three of its four walls. A leaking ceiling creates several puddles. A pungent odour permanently wreaking. And a few dying lightbulbs all contribute to this grim, prison-like atmosphere.

    Rusty steel bars shape the large cages built to hold a lot of people, but there aren''t many in them right now. She''d count, but she''s so tired. Her eyes are heavy and she honestly just wants to sleep through this pain.

    A cage door creaks open before Kita feels her body crash to the floor. She squirms as her sideways view of the guards walking away and closing the cage is her cue to lose consciousness.

 Chapter 7 - Canyon City (Pt. 5)

    Kita opens her eyes to see her right hand laying in front of her. As her vision adjusts she remembers the interrogation and in a moment of panic, she sits up to assess the damage on her right hand. She brings it to her focusing vision to find all of her fingers perfectly intact. She brings up her left hand thinking she''s misremembered, but she finds the same.

    Nothing wrong.

    She feels for the back of her head, where the wound was and the same healing has taken effect. She sat up much quicker than she should have, and she didn''t get woken up by any pain.

    "Your hand healed while you were sleeping," Says a young voice from behind her, "How''d you do that?"

    Kita turns to see a little boy who hasn''t gotten much sun. He must have been here for a while now. He''s dressed in rags that wouldn''t do much to keep him warm. Her eyes widen as she finally locks with his. How is he still alive? They''re black. Like Kita''s- He had his soul stolen.

    "I don''t know," Kita answers, but quickly realizes she''s lied. The strength she felt. The feeling of¡­ Fullness that she''d gotten from the souls. It''s completely diminished. Ten percent of what it used to be. She can only cast one small spell with this. "How long have I been asleep?"

    "I dunno. There are no windows in here so it''s hard to tell. Half a day maybe,"

    There are no windows, just dense, concrete walls on all four sides. The place stinks. Wreaks of body odour and mould. Ugh, she can''t be here for long. She''s not the raider type.

    "Why did they put you here?" The boy asks, with his curious, soulless eyes.

    "I was just trying to get to the marketplace,"

    "Marketplace?" The boy giggles, "It''s called the strip, silly,"

    "The strip?"

    "It is a marketplace, but no one calls it that here,"

    Shit, they all must''ve known she isn''t from around here whenever she called it that. Is that why they were so certain she was part of Chevo''s crew? This is their territory, so raiding is either done by them or by competitors they''ll want to snuff out.

    "I also lost my soul," He says too loudly, prompting some of the other downtrodden prisoners to glare at her.

    She covers his mouth with her hand and passes him a menacing glare for his intrusive psycho-analysing. This kid will get himself killed if he talks like that. People could be religious and make a scene if they hear such.

    "You should speak less," Kita says, trying to shut him up.

    Speaking to him in the first place is probably where she went wrong. Kids can be so damn irritating, and this one definitely meets the requirements.

    She lowers her hand from his mouth after her mumbles in confirmation. "How did you end up here?" She asks him.

    "Well, they said they could sell me for a lot of money¡­ Ya know, because of-" With his finger, he draws a circle around his face. Trying to refer to the whole ''souls'' thing.

    Kita chuckles at his attempt at being inconspicuous.

    "I''m Jan, by the way," The kid says, extending an arm out for a handshake.

    "Kita," She responds, shaking the kid''s hand. "Where are you parents, kid?"

    "I just told you my name, and you call me kid?"

    "Seriously?" Kita rolls her eyes.

    "My parents said remembering names is important. Did you forget it already?"

    "No, stupid. Your name''s Jean,"

    "It''s Jan!"

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    "Jan, right. That''s what I just said,"

    Jan overtly rolls his eyes, mimicking Kita''s fed-up attitude. "My parents are at home," He answers, wrapping his arms around his legs and drawing his knees close to his chest. "I haven''t seen them in a while,"

    "They live here?"

    "No, I''m from a different city. I don''t know where it is now, so¡­ I don''t think I''ll see them again,"

    "Sheesh, kid. That''s depressing,"

    "You asked!"

    "I just asked where they were. All you had to say was ''Not here''. But you go and hose me down with your sad ass back story,"

    "Oh yeah? Well, it''s more depressing that a grown-up like you can get caught just as easily as a little kid did!"

    "Uhm, did they hit you in the back of the head with a bat or some shit to bring you here? Or crush three of your fingers in interrogation?"

    "No¡­"

    "I didn''t think so. It''s much more difficult to get me in here than you,"

    "Yeah yeah, you''re here anyway," The kid points at Kita, grinning. "We''re equals,"

    "The only thing you''re equal to is my left boot. As a matter of fact, my left boot is more useful,"

    "Because it covers up your stinky feet!"

    Kita chuckles at Jan''s argumentative attitude. Screwing with him is pretty fun. As far as kids go, he''s not that bad- He isn''t some kind of spoilt brat.

    "You know what," Kita says, "I was going to take you with me when I escaped this place, but after the stinky feet thing¡­ I''m having second thoughts," She shrugs.

    "There''s no way to get out of here," The kid sighs, "There are so many guards upstairs. Anyone that gets out the cell doesn''t come back,"

    "So¡­ They escaped?"

    "No, they died!"

    "Oooh, of course. Well, I won''t,"

    "How do you know?"

    "Want to hear a secret?" Kita asks him.

    "O...k," He answers suspiciously.

    She leans over to whisper in his ear, "I can''t die,"

    "Liar! That''s impossible,"

    "You saw my hand heal, didn''t you? I''m a hero with magical powers,"

    The kid laughs, "There''s no way you could be a hero,"

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "You bully little kids! You''d be a supervillain, definitely not a hero,"

    "Whatever," Kita giggles, rolling her eyes. "Villains are cool too,"

    "The dark one is *not* cool," The kid says, curling his knees closer.

    "Agreed,"

    It''s settled then. Kita''s going to try getting both of them out of here. Her other options aren''t so great- Working for these raiders. Why the hell would she waste her time with any of that? And waking up buried sends some other type of chill down her spine. If anything, that option genuinely has her worried, so they need to leave and get out alive.

    She''ll need a couple of souls though¡­ The two guards by the front door of the hall are an option, but getting them over here is a mission of its own. She looks around her to count four other prisoners, excluding Jan, sharing a cell with them. Three in the cell to her left and six in the cell to her right. Getting all of them won''t be so easy. She can pull two at a time, and it takes about five seconds to consume a soul.

    If she''s quick with it. This can all be done in under a minute. Two, tops.

    What then? How do they get out of here? She was brought down a few flights of stairs but she can recall how many, or which one would have the exit. Walking out the front door isn''t the best idea anyway, maybe there''s a back exit. Somewhere they send out cargo or something.

    "Hey kid, do you know a way out of here?"

    "Not really¡­ Sorry,"

    The two raiders guarding the main entrance suddenly unlock the cell Kita resides in- It must be decision time. They both step into the cell and walk straight past Kita to grab Jan by the arms.

    "Hey!" He yells as he starts violently shaking his body to escape their grasp. "Let go of me,"

    "Where are you taking him?" Kita asks as they drag him out of the cell.

    "Shut up," A guard orders Kita, slamming the cage shut behind him.

    "Let me go!" Jan continues to resist.

    "Hey, Jan. It was nice knowing ya'',"

    He doesn''t respond, he''s too panicked. They are really planning on selling the kid. To who? Why would anybody purchase someone without a soul?

    Crap. She''s going to have to find him. Both of the guards have dragged him beyond the door, creating a window for her to get out of here before they return.

    This isn''t a big deal, she''ll just have to improvise.

 Chapter 8 - Canyon City (Pt. 6)

    Souls! Kita needs souls if she''s going to get out of this waste-scented prison. And getting Jan back would be far too difficult without it.

    "Alright," She says to herself as she stands to her feet and shakes her arms to loosen up the tension in her body.

    She turns to face two of the four prisoners sharing a cell with her and shrugs before raising each hand to a prisoner. They all look at her in confusion before she casts the spell in her mind.

    Consume.

    Two of the prisoners'' bodies tense up and start shaking in a fit-like manner as black smoke slowly passes out their mouths and into Kita''s palms. Just as she is about to close her eyes to enjoy the sensation of the souls, one of the remaining two prisoners stands up and stares at Kita with an enraged glare.

    He doesn''t say a word, and vaults at Kita as she finishes consuming the first two souls. But she''s still exposed, and the man rams Kita with his shoulder. Throwing all his body weight at her.

    Kita crashes against the cell bars, prompting one of the prisoners in the adjacent cell to grab Kita through the bars, wrapping his arm around her neck to keep her restrained.

    Crap- This is a nuisance. Of course, they don''t want to die.

    The prisoner who''d just shoved her now has his hands raised in preparation to start throwing punches. He encroaches towards her when she notices the makeshift shiv in his hand.

    He isn''t planning on punching.

    Like a newly applied layer of skin, the souls energize her body. She raises her hand at him before casting a spell-

    Push.

    A gust of energy blasts out of her hand, blowing the encroaching prisoners into the bars at the opposite end of the cell. The entire room vibrates with the force of his crash. His body drops to the floor, motionless. Either unconscious or dead- but her focus shifts to the guys grabbing her from the cell behind her.

    She lifts a hand beside her head, with her palm facing where the man''s face is most likely located and casts a consume spell. The satisfactory tingling she feels throughout her body confirms her method as she feels the grip around her neck loosen and the sound of a body crash to the floor.

    That push was pretty hefty. It used up an entire soul. The unfortunate receiver hasn''t twitched or breathed since- definitely dead. Kita raises her hand at the last person cowering in her cell- A middle-aged woman with fear radiating in her eyes as she clutches herself in the fetal position.

    Consume.

    Three souls, she notes. Looking at the remaining two prisoners in the cell behind her and the six in the cell ahead of her. They''re all worried. Concerned and not one of them has dared to ask about her magic. How rude! Are they not truly afraid? Is it because the others died painless deaths?

    She raises her hands at the two in the cells behind her and consumes their souls. Leaving the remaining six prisoners in the cell across from her.

    "I''d prefer to make you suffer," She says, slowly stepping towards the bars. "The souls feel much better when they''re afraid,"

    She raises her hands as she picks two targets at random out of the six in the cell.

    "Unfortunately, I''m in a hurry,"

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    Eleven souls surging through her body is as if she''s at twice the peak strength she''s ever felt. Her mind feels sharper, more aware. She can feel the ocean of souls radiating from the city above. Calling to her, like the scent of a great dish that''s caught her attention.

    Push. She casts against the steel lock of the cell door. Erupting the socket off of the gate and swinging it open. She hasn''t had much time to think of a plan but her mind has been leaning towards the idea of casting an invisibility spell. How many souls will that cost?

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    It would most likely use quite a few, so she''ll ideally use it after she finds the kid. Ten souls remaining. She''ll try only using three to get to the kid, and the remainder to get out of here.

    So far, a shield and a push cost a soul a piece. Consuming doesn''t come with a cost, thank God. This would be way tougher otherwise. And her body will use remaining souls on injuries¡­ Automatically? Or if she''s unconscious?

    Having ten souls doesn''t seem to be enough anymore. There are swarms of people on the floors above. She can feel them. Fear doesn''t just make the souls feel better, it also makes these losers think they''re hopeless. The fewer that fight back, the easier it is. Some of these basic spells might not do that considering the cost. If she can''t think up a spell that costs more but kills more people in exchange, she might get better value out of it.

    Killing more of them sounds good. Who''s this bastard to tell her she has to work for him? She should take his life too. No- he wouldn''t suffer that way. Taking everything he cares about sounds better... Maybe he has a family.

    She slowly opens the door of the room to find it devoid of any protection. Exposing a hallway that leads towards a staircase at the end of it. "That''s definitely where the others are," she says, looking up to the fifteen flights of stairs. Where''s the kid, though? There are five different floors and she has nothing to work with, her memory of coming down here is blurred- A few random moments of consciousness.

    She''ll have to do it the long way.

    Floor-by-floor.

    She jogs her way up the stairs to the first door- Slowly cracking it open as it screeches briefly. And she peeks through the eyes-sized gap she''s created to find that one end of the passageway is clear. She pulls the door open, raising a hand to face the unchecked side of the hall.

    There''s no one.

    It isn''t a passageway either. It''s the outer walkway of a much larger hall. A storage room. Huge boxes, stacked on top of one another with a variety of steel cases peppered amongst them. Is this a product? Or the goods they stole? She doesn''t have time to find out. She''d shower the floor further but it just isn''t the place raiders would take a little kid that they''re about to sell off.

    She backs out of the storage room into the stairway and closes the door behind her before making her way up to the second floor. She uses the same method, slowly peeling the door open to observe the end of the hall.

    This is more like it. She immediately sees a guard standing by a nearby door. He has a rifle-like weapon in his hands and a very focused look on his face. What could be in there?

    It wouldn''t be the kid- she concludes. Jan''s most likely been taken to the boss''s office. Where else would they do the trade? His office would have way more guards and a much bigger door.

    Villains love big doors.

    The sound of footsteps started chugging their way down from the floor above- It must be the guards. She confidently steps into the passageway of the second floor, trying her best to act as if she belongs. The guard by the door notices her but doesn''t pay too much attention to her sudden entry. She turns to look at the other end of the hall, to find five other guards staring at her in the same manner. Each is stood by a door. Another prison?

    She nods her head at the all, promoting a nod in response before a butch lady guarding a door at the end of the hall asks, "You the one that''s going to question the princess?"

    "Uhhh,¡± Kita stutters, "That''s me,"

    "She''s in here," The lady shifts her body to start unlocking the door.

    Kita walks down the hall, passing a glance at each of the guards that couldn''t be bothered by her being there. She steps into the now open room to see a woman slightly older than her laying on a mattress on the floor. She has the same rags on as the prisoners from downstairs, her pale skin and baby-blue hair are her only discernible features.

    "Knock twice," The butch lady says before closing the door behind Kita. Leaving her alone in the room with the¡­ Princess.

    "You know what I''m here for," Kita improvises, trying to understand what this is about before she blows her cover.

    "Why would I tell you?" The lady''s posh voice softly objects as she remains laying on the mattress with her eyes closed.

    "For starters¡­ I could hurt you,"

    "Your friends tried that already," She responds, still unbothered.

    "I''m not like the others,"

    "Clearly," She scoffs, "You do an awful lot more talking,"

    "Like I said. I''m different," Kita shrugs at her own response. "For the right price, I can tell them something¡­ Untrue,"

    "I do not have any coin,"

    "You''re a princess, aren''t you? Coin isn''t the only currency,"

    The girl''s eyes shoot open, and she sits up on her mattress to look Kita in the eyes. They''re the same colour as her hair- baby blue. Glistening like an ocean in the dim light.

    The girl''s head tilts, as she notices something in the eyes of Kita.

    "I can tell you where the dark one is," The blue-haired princess offers.

 Chapter 9 - Canyon City (Pt. 7)

    Kita''s eyes widen at the blue-eyed princess''s offer.

    "You know where he is?" Kita stammers, caught off guard by the sudden awareness.

    "Do you still seek revenge?" The princess asks.

    Kita doesn''t respond, this posh girl has her number. ''Still''? She doesn''t want to give away all of her leverage, what kind of an interrogator gets interrogated?

    "I''ve looked into the dark one''s eyes," The princess adds. "I saw something similar to what I''m seeing now,"

    The black eyes? Is the dark one missing their soul as well?

    "What''d you see?"

    The girl pauses, squinting at Kita before shrugging her shoulders. "Loss,"

    "Tell me what you know." Kita orders.

    "I will tell you, if you take me with you,"

    "Huh?"

    "It''s obvious you aren''t an interrogator. Your methods alone are beyond mediocre,"

    "You an expert victim or something?" Kita scoffs.

    "Not quite," The princess chuckles. "I will tell you anything you want to know if you get me out of here,"

    "What makes you think I can do that?"

    "I''ve seen you destroy armies, Kita."

    Kita shuffles backwards. This princess doesn''t just know about her soul, she knows more about Kita''s past, than Kita. Armies? She remembers nothing of destroying armies. The idea of being so powerful sends a shiver down her spine.

    A curiosity. A new desire. Such power sounds enticing. She couldn''t fathom losing to the dark one despite having so much power- She may be underestimating the number of souls she needs to consume. The amount of power she currently has is barely a fraction of what she''s achieved before.

    "I''m not really that girl anymore," Kita stutters, trying to deflect the information.

    "I noticed," The princess responds, rising to her feet. "You''re much more polite now,"

    "I am?" Kita says, stepping backwards as the blue-haired girl steps towards her. The girl is tall and walks with a towering posture. A royal walk. Slow and encroaching.

    "You''ve forgotten everything this time? It is as if you don''t even remember who you were,"

    "And what do you think I was?" Kita asks.

    "A warrior. A leader¡­ A monster,"

    The princess reaches her arms out to Kita, prompting a defensive stance. But before Kita can prepare, the princess''s arms drape around her shoulders and then pulls Kita in for a warm, firm, hug.

    "You poor thing," The princess whispers. "You''re the shell of your former self,"

    Kita pushes the girl off of her, overwhelmed by the sadness being expressed. She doesn''t see herself the way this woman does and being called a shell is degrading. Is this some kind of disrespect? The way royalty manipulates the minds of others?

    "People change," Kita scoffs. "I don''t need your comparisons,"

    "Sorry," The princess responds politely, surprising Kita yet again. "We were good friends in your past life¡­ You usually remember me,"

    "Well, I don''t¡­ Not this time,"

    "Then I shall befriend you yet again," The princess passes an endearing smile.

    "Not interested," Kita dismisses, "I''ll get you out of here if you tell me everything you know about the dark and my past,"

    "Escaped prisoner!" a voice yells from beyond the door, echoing through the stairwell. Prompting a look of urgency as they both glance towards the door.

    "We have a deal," The Princess nods. "My name is Raya,"

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    "Listen, Princess. There''s a kid named Jan who also had his soul stolen. I''m getting him out of here as well,"

    The guards definitely noticed Kita''s little mess once they got back. It''s time to get out of here- she steps over to the door and knocks twice. Raising her hand in preparation for the door to swing open. The moment the burly guard reveals herself, Kita consumes her soul and catches the falling body to pull it into the room. From the corner of her eye, she sees Raya grab a knife from the guard''s body and strap the rifle over her shoulder.

    "You know how to use that?" Kita asks, raising an eyebrow.

    "I''ve never met a royal who couldn''t," She responds with a focused expression on her face.

    Kita glances out the doorway to see only two other guards on the floor- the rest must have left to search for the prisoner. She walks straight towards both of them with her hands raised and from a reasonable distance she casts another consume spell. That''s thirteen. It''s not enough. After what the princess told her, it all feels so distant.

    "Come on," Kita clears her throat. The floor is empty, and they need to get a move on before they realize she''s on this floor. She positions herself by the door to the stairwell, taking a deep breath to focus up.

    The princesses'' blue hair and rags stand out like a sore thumb. Anyone would notice her or know she''s a prisoner- sneaking about won''t do. They''ll have to fight their way out. This girl had better know what she''s doing.

    "They''re planning on trading the kid, do you know where they would take him?"

    "Vlad''s office, on the second floor,"

    This is the fourth floor, so his office is up six flights of stairs. Nothing too crazy, from there, are three more flights to the exit.

    Kita cracks open the door to the stairway, looking through the gaps in the railing below to see if the coast is clear. She then looks up to see an open door three flights up, on the third floor.

    They step into the stairwell and scurry their way up the three flights of stairs whilst trying to remain as quiet as possible. Before she reaches the top of the third-floor staircase, she pauses to look into the door. She sees four sets of poots huddled together by the door and readies a spell.

    As she takes another silent step to the top of the stairs, the group of raiders breaks and each of them step into the stairwell. Kita freezes in a moment of panic, and one of the raiders looks in her direction before a look falls on the raider''s face.

    "She''s here!" He yells, raising a pistol at her as the others turn to raise their weapons as well.

    Raya instinctively steps up close to Kita''s back as she rotates her wrist. Kita''s natural reaction to danger comes with a muscle memory she was hoping to see. The same one from the rich folk''s tent- Shield.

    The raiders open fire in the stairwell, bullets erupt in all directions as bright streaks of light ricochet into the sphere of energy surrounding Kita and Raya.

    Click.

    The first raider runs out of ammo. Kita raises her arm across her body, preparing to strike.

    Three more clicks follow. The nearest raider is out of her reach, and still reloading. She drops the shield and announces a spell in her mind.

    Slice.

    Her arm extends, and like a sword- she slashes across the nearest raider''s chest. In the same motion, a sharp slice of wind crosses the raider''s chest- Creating a deep gash from his shoulder to his pelvis. The upper third of the gun in his hand falls clean off the rest of the weapon before his body falls to the floor.

    Without a second thought, Kita raises her hand at the two raiders nearest to the door and casts a push. The doorway to the third-floor busts open, sending the two raiders through the newly made hole.

    As Kita raises her arm to the last raider, who''s just finished reloading. Raya suddenly appears in front of her. With a few swift strafes, Raya kicks the gun out of the raider''s hands and uses the blade she''d collected in three swift moves. An X marked by two cuts to the raider''s chest, and a cut to the throat.

    "Holy shit. The Princess is violent," Kita jests.

    "I led an army," Raya chuckles.

    "Sure, but those two extra cuts were just-" Kita exhales and puts her hands on her waist.

    "Oh please, did you see what you did to that guy''s chest?" Raya rolls her eyes. "I''ve never seen you do that one before,"

    "Is that right? Your pal Kita the conqueror couldn''t think of that one, huh?" Kita smiles, a knowingly smug one. She jokes, but she genuinely feels proud of herself for thinking of it.

    Raya laughs, readying her rifle, "You''re different, but you haven''t really changed,"

    "What''s changed?"

    "For starters, the old Kita would''ve taken them all out with one spell," Raya responds, stepping into the hallway of the third floor.

    "Well, I prefer to make it a fair fight," She sasses, stepping into the debris-filled room to hear the sound of a few coughs. They step over the bodies of two other raiders who must''ve been on the other side of the wall.

    Two sudden pops erupt from Raya''s gun, dropping a guard at the opposite end of the room who was still on his feet. On one half of the room are rows of bunk beds, with the other half having a kitchen and a seating area. The place is a mess- understandably considering how many people probably stay here.

    "How many souls?" Raya asks, surveying the room.

    "Huh?"

    "How many do you have left?"

    "Feels like¡­ nine," Kita answers. "We should head upstairs,"

    "We got lucky. This is usually where they all congregate," Raya says, turning back to the stairway.

    "Where would they be?"

    "Mostly likely a job,"

    Kita''s eyes widen, thinking it might have something to do with the kid. She double-times her way out of the room and up the stairs when she hears the ricocheting of bullets before the sound of crackling emits from the floor below.

    She casts a shield all around her, and Raya steps inside moments after. They both start moving up the staircase, trying to shift in unison to avoid either of them being exposed to the whizzing bullets.

 Chapter 10 - Canyon City (Pt. 8)

    As Kita and Raya reach the second door to the second floor amongst the rattles of gunfire, they burst through the door into a waiting room.

    At the other end of the small room is a large, booming, door that eclipses the entryway they''d just used. Villainous door- Kita called it. Definitely one of the best uses of coin. If she had an organization like this, the office door would be her first order of business.

    She steps a little closer to the door and raises her arm in the air. Admiring the inscriptions on the door one last time before casting a push spell.

    The doors completely shatter, and erupt from their hinges as they fly out towards the centre of the room. Raya raises her rifle and scouts ahead of Kita- It''s empty. Not a single person was in the room.

    Kita''s eyes flare. The kid isn''t here. "Where else would they take him?" She asks Raya.

    "I''m not sure," She answers.

    The footsteps of raiders from the floors below clang louder as they approach. It''s decision time. And she needs to make it quick.

    "Why do you even care about this kid?" Raya asks.

    "I think he knows something about the dark one,"

    It''s likely. Not many people have had their souls taken by the dark one. She needs to learn everything she can. If pure strength and an army still resulted in her death in past lives, then she may have to approach this all very differently. She just needs a clue and this kid could give her one.

    "We need to find out where they''re taking him," Kita orders.

    "So we fight?" Raya asks.

    "Leave one for questioning,"

    They both pass up at the far end of the room, facing the wide entryway in preparation for the ensuing raiders.

    "How many souls?" Raya asks.

    "Seven,"

    "Keep the shield up," Raya orders, reloading her gun. "I''ll handle them,"

    Raya crouches beside Kita, aiming down her sights as Kita casts the spherical shield around the both of them. Kita''s not so sure this will work, but Raya seems so certain, it would be well worth it if it does.

    The clatter of boots keeps getting louder as the snaking sound draws nearer. It sounds like over a dozen people are on their way up here. This is overkill, is she really that much of a threat? From the raiders'' point of view, it does make sense that they would want to kill her after finding all of their prisoners and many of their friends dead. Not to mention she stole their princess, who is seemingly a more high-value prisoner.

    These bastards aren''t ready for the havoc Kita''s ready to ensue upon them. It''s felt good, killing these bastards. Her body has no tension, it''s totally calm and content with the situation, despite how sticky it is. They should''ve just let her go, and shut up about whoever the hell that Chevo guy is. Now when that bald prick comes back here he''ll find everyone''s dead. Burning the place down might be the icing on the cake. She''ll see how she''s feeling when the time comes.

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    Two raiders appear around the corner, raising their guns as they notice Kita and Raya. Without much delay, Raya fires two shots into the first raider''s chest, and one more into the second''s forehead. The raiders behind them start swarming into the room, but with each one that enters, Raya fires one or two bullets in quick succession. She''ll run out of ammo soon, and these raiders keep on coming.

    Kita puts a hand on Raya''s shoulder, preparing to cast a spell. Awaiting the click of Raya''s gun.

    Six left. She''ll be running out of souls soon. Kita needs to make a move that''ll get both of them out of here. Staying here to question one of the assholes could put them in more danger than Kita is willing to expose herself to.

    Click.

    Kita drops her shield the moment the last bullet collides with the raider inside the room. That same instant she casts a spell using five of the remaining six souls.

    Invisible. Her mind echoes.

    A momentary ripple of the light in the room leaves her questioning whether it worked. The next set of guards step into the room with squinting eyebrows. Looking straight through Kita and Raya as they glance around the room.

    Raya stands up, slowly strapping the gun over her shoulder with a similar look of confusion gleaming in her blue eyes. Kita keeps a firm grasp on Raya''s shoulder as the two of them shuffle toward the door- in sync, and trying not to make a sound as more raiders step into the room.

    Judging by the look on Raya''s face, this is the first time she''s seen this spell. It''s high value, but also high cost. Not to mention the spell is easily wasted by making a noise or colliding with someone. As they reach the staircase, they glance downstairs to where a handful of raiders await instructions from the raiders already in the room.

    Each of their footsteps has a focused effort of silence being applied as they slowly make their way up the stairs. They aren''t being followed- not yet anyway. And the raiders below are still trying to figure out what''s just happened. It''s clear people of this world aren''t familiar with magic. Did they even know it exists? Raya and the old lady are the only people who knew of Kita''s magic, but that''s because she''s met them all before. Are there other people with magic? Why would Kita be the only one? Assuming she is would only put her at risk- Establishing complacency or narcissism. It''s smarter to assume she isn''t the only one.

    As they reach the first floor, they open the stairwell door to step into a massive tent. One Kita doesn''t remember seeing from the top of the canyon. It''s on the ground since the dirt room with the occasional rug spits dust with each of their steps. Everything in the room looks like the old technology. Glass panels sit on every desk, each with a board of symbols before it. Weapons and small devices sit on all the tables scattered throughout the room¡­ Could they have built this place? No- The raiders must have found this bunker, or whatever it is. No one has the resources or knowledge to pull this off. Especially not some gang of thieves.

    "Follow me," Raya says to Kita, sprinting out of Kita''s grasp. A shimmer of colour and light in the tent and they''re no longer invisible. She runs after Raya, who is pacing towards the entrance of the tent. The warm glow of the setting sun on the horizon is the first thing she sees before Raya put her arm out, stopping Kita in her tracks. Her eyes adjust to the light when she realizes she''s stood at a cliff''s edge. A massive protrusion on the canyon wall creates an isolated bed where their tent sits above the bunker that expands down into the wall of the canyon.

    "What is this?" Kita asks, confused by the sheer scale of architecture that must have been required to build in this manner.

    "I''d guess it was built by the old humans," Raya responds.

    "What for?"

    Raya shrugs, "This may be where the raiders found their weapons. If I had to guess, I''d imagine it held strategic importance to its creators,"

    Kita basks at the scale of the canyon as well. Looking to her right at the neverending corridor, then to her left- where the subtle glow of lights radiates from around the bend of the canyon. She walks towards the pathway on her left, a small walkway carved into the side of the canyon that leads toward a makeshift bridge.

 Chapter 11 - Canyon City (Pt. 9)

    Kita and Raya spent the last moments of sunlight trekking within the corridor of the canyon, making their way back to the city. It''s much further away than its glistening lights would suggest. They''ve decided to hunker down in a small cave, with a fire to keep them warm throughout the night.

    Hiding out is a precaution in case the raiders are on their way back. Raiders like to move in the shadows, and Raya''s blue hair stands out a little too much for them to stay exposed. Not to mention Vlad and a few of his other goons will probably recognise Kita as well.

    One soul left. The invisibility spell worked like a charm. It''s a good thing Kita left a few souls aside for it. Five souls is a heavy price for a spell that still leaves her vulnerable. If those raiders were any wiser, they would have fired blindly into the room- She can''t discount someone doing that in the future. It''s a good ability, but in the future, it needs to be used under the right circumstances.

    "You have a completely different approach to combat now," Raya says, glaring at Kita with her soft, ocean eyes. Sitting by the fire with her legs crossed and back postured abnormally straight. "I like the more stealthy Kita,"

    "I''m not so sure you could call that ''stealthy''," Kita responds.

    Raya chuckles, "I haven''t seen you use this set of spells,"

    "What spells did I use in the past?"

    Raya''s eyes widen as she reflects, "Lots of fire,"

    "Oh. I hadn''t even thought about fire,"

    "You would often cast a flame without it travelling the distance in between. Your targets would simply combust,"

    "Woah," Kita pauses- That''s pretty badass. However, Kita doesn''t find that very practical. Surely that would come at a hefty cost. "How many souls would that need?"

    "I don''t know the exact number. But, you had a baseline that would never fall below two hundred souls,"

    "Two hundred?!" Kita chokes on her surprise. That''s¡­ A lot. It would take forever to consume that many souls.

    "Your magic requires quite the toll¡­ Well, that''s what I used to think. When you told me you only had nine souls, I was certain we were going to die," Raya giggles under her breath.

    The baseline. It sounds familiar to Kita. There''s a reason for it beyond fire or spells. In her past lives, she would never drop below two hundred spells, because¡­

    "Why would I have set the baseline at two hundred souls?" Kita asks anxiously, trying to satisfy an itch in her memory.

    "You''d need it to reincarnate," Raya responds.

    That''s right¡­ In the cell, Kita''s body naturally healed itself. Does the same apply if she''s dead? That would mean a lot of souls would be needed depending on the severity of her death. It''s clearer to her now. In her past lives, the first thing she would do is consume to her baseline. Two hundred souls. The power she must feel with that many souls would explain the ego she''d have had in past lives. Killing would become so easy.

    Who could stop me from taking whatever I want?

    She ought to get that tattooed on her because that memory might not have returned without Raya. Does that mean that she can die? Or will she just, ''not'' heal? It''s best not to find out. She can die once she gets her soul back.

    "I see," Kita says. "So I would need far more than two hundred to beat him?"

    "The dark one? Yes, your current state would have you killed before you look, him, in the eyes,"

    "So I need to get two hundred souls," Kita nods to herself, trusting in the knowledge of her past self. This is quite the mountain to climb considering she only has one soul left.

    But the climb excites her.

    More than it should, and she knows it. That number- Two hundred souls. It would be ecstasy. She closes her eyes and reminisces on the tingling feeling that spread throughout her body when she had thirteen. She couldn''t appreciate it as much in the moment, but next time she wants to make sure she concentrates on it as it expands within her.

    She almost moans, but quickly covers it up with a cough before she asks, "What else can you tell me about the dark one?"

    "The dark one has beaten you, every time."

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    "You mean us!" Kita gets defensive.

    "You have come close before. Only once, but the dark one played a trick on your mind before you could kill him,"

    "What trick?"

    "He showed you a memory," Raya raises the palms of her hands towards the crackling glow. "I am not aware of what the memory may have been. But I know it was a memory of your old life,"

    "My old life?"

    "The life you had before your soul was¡­ Stolen,"

    Kita hadn''t even considered the life she had before her soul was stolen. Is that way she wants her soul back? To return to her normal life? At this point, she isn''t even sure why she wants her soul back so badly. She just feels the uncontrollable need to get it back. She can always notice a void deep within her when the thought of her soul crosses her mind. There''s no way she could live a normal life with this feeling.

    "I''ve no memories of a life before my soul was stolen,"

    "You''ve had dreams in the past. Of people and places unfamiliar to me," Raya says.

    "Hmm," Kita sighs at the nothingness of her memories. "I don''t know who my parents are."

    "You''re quite the mystery, Kita. I''ve known you for thousands of rotations and I still know little about you,"

    "Why stay by my side for so long?"

    "Because we''re friends," Raya smiles.

    "Then tell me, friend- What exactly are you the princess of?"

    "I was the princess of an underground nation called Casiim," Raya announces with pride. "It was always a strong nation. It took over eighty thousand rotations to build. Our ancestors found a cave entrance that led to a cavern underground. Slowly, it grew from a few hundred citizens to over three hundred thousand. It had plenty of space. Enough food and water to go around¡­ We were a happy people,"

    "I was the first heir to the throne before it was destroyed,"

    "Destroyed? By who?" Kita asks.

    "The dark one," Raya looks into Kita''s with a swell of tears building up in them. "He demanded we sacrifice the bodies of our people to him. We refused. We believed we would be able to protect our people from whatever threat he may have possessed¡­ But,"

    "He came and took them anyway," Kita finishes for her.

    "He caved the city in¡­ I don''t know of anyone else who survived,"

    "How did you survive?"

    "You saved me," Raya smiles.

    "Seriously?"

    "Yes,"

    "How long ago was this?" Kita asks.

    "Over ten thousand rotations ago,"

    "Huh?" Kita squints at Raya. "How old are you?"

    Raya chuckles to herself, "When you saved me, you placed a thousand souls into my body,"

    "A thousand souls! So you can cast spells too?"

    "No, I cannot. The souls only heal my body after it''s been harmed," She raises her knife to the palm of her hand. "It''s more of a healing spell that you placed on me,"

    "Why would I do that?"

    "Because I told you I wanted to kill the dark one. If I hadn''t told you that, I''m quite sure you would have consumed my soul," Raya chuckles, cutting across the length of her palm as red spills out.

    "So you want revenge, huh?"

    "Something like that,"

    "And the souls I gave have kept you young, then?"

    "I presume so," Raya responds, glancing at the palm of her hand as the wound quickly zips up. Appearing as if it was never there to begin with. "I only have half of them left,"

    "Need a top-up?" Kita chuckles.

    "I''d rather not. I''m unsure of where you got these ones from to begin with. You''ve never cared much for the people whose souls you take, so I''d prefer you didn''t kill the innocent to keep me alive,"

    "So, where is the dark one?" Kita asks.

    "To be honest, I have no idea,"

    "Huh? You said you knew where he was!"

    "I lied," Ray shrugs, "I could tell you didn''t recognize me, so I said what I had to,"

    "Not very royal of you to lie," Kita chuckles. "How did you end up there anyway?"

    "I''ve been held prisoner by various wealthy people. Most of them would treat me like an ornament, and parade me to their friends as an ancient princess that they own. Once they got bored, they''d sell me to the next wealthy family,"

    "Everyone here answers simple questions with depressing ass stories," Kita mumbles under her breath.

    "What?" Raya squints.

    "That''s awful, I''m so sorry you had to go through that," Kita scoffs.

    Raya giggles, "Your lack of empathy is needed. I prefer not to feel sorry for myself,"

    "Thank god. Because I wasn''t about to feel sorry for you," Kita laughs. "Why didn''t you just leave?"

    "Honestly? I had nothing better to do. I may have been a slave but I was coveted. They treated me like royalty so that I still appeared as a Princess,"

    "Sounds like a pretty good deal," Kita comments.

    "It was for a while. I got taken by the raiders when I did something I shouldn''t have,"

    "What''d you do?"

    "I killed my owner," Raya responds.

 Chapter 12 - Canyon City (Pt. 10)

    Kita and Raya have made their way back to the busy passageways of Canyon City. The rising sun beams against a giant tarp that covers the entryway to the city like a great wall of material. The city doesn''t expand the entirety of the Canyon, and to avoid myst entering any large openings, this end of the city also acts as a gateway.

    A few small gaps are cut at the base of the fabric to allow passage in and out of the city, leading both of them straight into the poor district. It probably has a name, but Kita has no idea what that might be.

    She just wants to get to the strip so she can eat something. The growling of her stomach last night kept waking her up, so her mood''s a bit grim this morning.

    Fuck!

    She turns to Raya with a panicked look on her face. Her mouth hangs open as she swallows in hesitation as she thinks of asking Raya a dreaded question.

    "Do you have any coin," Kita sighs, expecting the worst.

    "Why?" Raya asks.

    "Seriously? You''re not starving?"

    "I''ve been trained to withstand the body''s urge for food,"

    "Ugh," Kita rolls her eyes. "Well, I wasn''t. If I don''t eat something soon, I might have to eat some of these poor people,"

    "I''ll snag some coin once we reach the strip," Raya winks at Kita, prompting a sense of relief in Kita.

    "I think we should be friends again," Kita smiles, now thinking about what to order. But her excitement dwindles at the smell of what she could only describe as death. It''s putrid here. As if these people have been shitting on the very ground they walk on. Trash is scattered around all the tents and pathways, buried in what better be mud.

    Every person they walk past looks sick, or pale. Food must be scarce for most people here. Coin must be hard to come by. They''re all dressed in grey or black rags. Nothing good for travelling or even warmth.

    "Glad I won''t have to eat them," Kita spews, "This is gross,"

    "Wealth is so poorly distributed in many cities. The elites of this world are truly fowl,"

    "No, no. I was talking about all of these poor people,"

    "What?" Raya''s expression drops in confusion.

    "They all look like they''re dying. Maybe I should just end their misery and consume them," Kita chuckles. It''s not a bad idea- These people couldn''t defend themselves anyway. They''re probably weak because they don''t get enough food.

    "This is no laughing matter," Raya chides Kita, "These people are being mistreated. They deserve better,"

    "I can give them better," Kita scoffs,

    "Death is not a solution to suffering,"

    "Excuse me, wealthy elites, would you mind sharing your coin with the deprived?" Kita jests.

    "A forceful hand is needed," Raya responds, clenching her fist as she continues to observe the mess.

    "I''d love to see that forceful hand of yours, Princess," Kita teases.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    The two of them made their way to the strip without any issues. Raya used the coin she had to buy the both of them a meal. A crispy dough-like bun with lettuce, tomato, and some type of meat inside it- Apparently it''s called beef. They got it from the only kitchen in the city that sells beef, so it was really expensive. But Kita managed to hassle Raya until she gave in, despite her overwhelming reluctance.

    Worth it.

    The chef told them it''s a dish created by the old humans. They would usually add a slice of cheese as well but that would have doubled the price of the meal. If Kita had more souls, she''d have tried to scare the guy into adding the cheese for free.

    Oh well, she''ll just bring more coin next time. Something seems sacrilegious about harming the chef. He''s a genius. A sorcerer of taste. He deserves the coin, honestly.

    "How are we going to find this kid, Jan?" Raya asks Kita.

    Kita holds up a finger, signalling Raya to wait as Kita takes the last bite of her meal- Closing her eyes to savour the taste. Her body must remember this meat, and find it in every life she lives. She''s probably had it before, but it seems like a plus side of dying is that she can have experiences for the first time again.

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    Kita opens her eyes and points to the clutter of bridges suspended between the two walls of the canyon, where a group of guys occupy one of the walkways- Each of them puffing out smoke as they chat away.

    "They''re Vald''s raiders?"

    "The ones who captured me. Those assholes deserve a beating," Kita says.

    "How do you plan on achieving that with only one spell?"

    "I''d have more if you let me consume those poor people,"

    "Ugh," Raya scoffs, "I''ll handle them. Just cast a shield,"

    "Thank you, Princess," Kita chuckles.

    They both leave the bustling strip and head towards a suspended bridge that leads to the network above. They slowly approach the wafts of smoke before Raya tells Kita to stop at the end of the bridge- quite a distance away from the raiders. None of them pays any attention to Raya and Kita beyond a few glances, presuming they''re just a few civilians.

    That prick is here too. The one with the glasses and steel teeth that gave her the smug smile. Talked to Kita like she was a nuisance.

    I want his soul.

    "The jerk with the sunglasses and steel teeth," Kita says.

    "What about him?" Raya asks.

    "He''s the one we''ll question,"

    Raya nods as she crouches beside Kita and draws a small handgun that she had holstered in her pants. She holds a second magazine in her hand as she finds a comfortable grip on the weapon.

    "Ready?" Kita asks.

    "Mhmm," Raya grunts, aiming down the sight of her weapon.

    "Hey, asshole!" Kita yells across the bridge.

    The soft chatter she heard swiftly dissipates as she grabs their attention. They all turn to her with uninviting glares. The sunglasses guy steps out from amongst his group of friends, raising his glasses to squint across the bridge.

    "Is that the lying girl I see?" He chuckles.

    "Do you work for Chevo?" She calls out sarcastically before casting the shield around herself and Raya.

    The guy steps back, noticing that Raya has a weapon. But a quick shot to his thigh drops him to the floor, wailing in pain. Raya fires at the rest of the group, with brief intervals between each shot as she shifts her aim. Trying to use a single bullet to take out each of them.

    They are all in a panic as the ticking of Raya''s gunfire hits them one at a time. A few of them fire back amongst the mass shuffling but to no avail. Each bullet received is caught in Kita''s shield and then falls to the floor. Raya reloads her weapon after taking out half of the crowd and continues her merciless firing.

    This is more of a massacre than a beating. Kita loves it. She feels nothing for these bastards and after trying to imprison her, this is merely a debt being repaid. Next time they should listen to Kita when she tells them she has no idea who the fuck Chevo is.

    But there won''t be a next time. Not for most of them.

    Kita drops her shield as she hears the second click of Raya''s weapon. She hastily runs towards the asshole who somehow kept his sunglasses on this whole time.

    She grabs him by the collar as he mumbles in pain, clutching his leg.

    "Where''s the boy?" Kita interrogates him with rage-filled eyes.

    "What boy?" He asks.

    Kita kicks the wound in his leg, prompting him to scream. "Wrong answer," She says with an unblinking glare into his eyes.

    "Where is Jan?" Kita yells at the prick with the sunglasses.

    "Are you talking about the kid without a soul?" He asks, clutching onto his wounded leg.

    "That''s the one," Kita confirms, threatening to step on his bullet wound again.

    "Vlad went to trade him to some rich folk in the East,"

    "Who?" Kita prys.

    "I don''t know," The guy squirm''s at Kita''s aggression. "Some family that collects the soulless,"

    "What''s the name of the city?" Raya asks from behind Kita.

    "It doesn''t have one," He responds with worry, "But I know it floats on a river or something,"

    Kita releases his collar, shoving him to the ground as she does.

    "We even now?" He asks as he tries to sit up again.

    Kita doesn''t respond. She just raises a hand towards his face and consumes the shadowy soul from his body before it crashes to the ground.

    "Yeah, we''re even," Kita responds.

    "I made sure not to kill them all," Raya says, pointing to a few of the groaning groupies on the ground. "Eat up,"

    Kita walks amongst the raiders'' bodies, searching for ones that still hold life. As she stands above the few who do, she draws each of their souls into the palm of her hand.

    "So, we''re going East?" Raya asks, picking up a few magazines for her handgun from the raiders'' bodies. She also loots each of them for any coin they might have and places it in a backpack she got from one of them.

    "You''re coming with me?" Kita asks, surprised considering their deal has technically come to a close.

    "If the kid knows something about the dark one. I want to hear it,"

    "It''s okay to admit you''re totally obsessed with me," Kita chuckles.

    "It''s more like enjoying the taste of poison," Raya responds.

    Kita feels a potent shudder throughout her body as she consumes the last living souls among them. Having consumed each of them in succession, she realizes the sensation that passes through her gets better the more souls she already has- She couldn''t imagine how orgasmic two hundred feels.

    "I want more," Kita blurts out with a grit in her voice. A lower-pitched voice harmonizing with her own.

    It scares her. Snapping her out of her momentary daze. For a brief moment, she lost herself. She took a back seat to something else¡­ Someone else.

 Chapter 13 - Relief at Last

    Kita looks back to Raya who tosses her a bag. Snapping her out of the momentary daze that had overcome her. Inside the bag are some clothes Raya got from the raiders, as well as some coin.

    "The weather will get strange to the East," Raya says.

    Kita looks down to the strip below, noticing that no one has reacted to the shooting that just took place. No security or armed guards are on their way to investigate this massive crime scene.

    "Why haven''t we drawn any attention?" Kita asks.

    "Shootouts between raiders are probably common. Most cities can barely afford to maintain their leadership, let alone armed guards,"

    "Lucky us,"

    "It won''t be the same in the East. The city he spoke of is far wealthier than this one?"

    "You''ve been there?"

    "No. But I''ve heard they conduct trade in meats, medicines and vegetables. I''m not sure what their wealth may look like, but I''d presume it includes security,"

    "I''ll keep that in mind. Ready to go?"

    "Go?" Raya asks, startled. "We''re not ready yet,"

    "Of course. Because we obviously need¡­"

    "A tipi. Food and water, too. I''m surprised food isn''t the first thing on your mind," Raya jests.

    "Right!," Kita chuckles. "Are you doubting my love for a good meal?"

    "I would lose that bet," Raya responds. "We''ll buy enough to get us to the next city- It will take two or three nights for us to reach it,¡±

    "I was thinking the exact same thing," Kita says, shrugging her shoulders.

    They both make their way back to the strip, where they''ve bought themselves a two-person tipi that will keep them covered in case they run into the myst. The few bottles of water they bought cost more than the tipi, which surprised Kita considering everyone needs water. How could the poor people possibly afford this?

    They walk amongst the passing bodies of the busy street, scouting for a store that sells food that would be good for travelling. The storefront Raya steps up towards is selling pastries, nuts and dried fruits- so boring. But it''s travel food so it''ll work best.

    "How much for the creamy tomato soup?" Kita asks the chef.

    "12 coin," He grunts, passing a glance between the both of them. "Should I ring you up for some of that too?" He asks Raya.

    "Yes," Kita answers, glaring at Raya to agree.

    "I''m askin'' the responsible one," The chef dismisses Kita''s answer.

    "What are you trying to say, old man?" Kita grits her teeth, returning eye contact.

    "We''ll take two of the soups as well," Raya responds, placing more coin on the counter. "For travel," She adds.

    "Understood, You can wait at one of the tables over there and I''ll bring it all out for you," He points at the shared dining area.

    "Much appreciated," Raya says.

    "You better use love when you make it too," Kita scolds as the man walks away, ignoring her.

    "Looking for love, sweetheart?" Says a seductive voice from over her shoulder. Kita turns to lock eye contact with a bright pink set of pupils. It''s the tall, orange-haired girl with a white fringe. Her tight skirt hugs her curving body as she towers above Kita.

    "Uhh¡­" Kita stammers, overwhelmed by her beauty as she recognizes it''s the girl from before. The nerves are getting to her, and saying anything is proving to be more of a challenge than anything she''s faced thus far.

    "Smooth," Raya scoffs at Kita''s response.

    "Did the mission go as planned?" The petty lady says, leaning closer to Kita as she caresses Kita''s arm.

    "Y-yeah... I''m a hero now," Kita responds.

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    "Not mine, though," The lady frowns, placing a hand on Kita''s.

    "Well¡­ I could be," Kita smiles. "Right now, even,"

    "You''re quick like that, are you?"

    "When I need to be," Kita responds, "I often like to take my time,"

    "You can take all the time you need, sweetheart"

    "Does your, uhhh, friend still need saving too?"

    "He does, he would be very disappointed if I didn''t bring you back with me¡­ To save him,"

    "Then I better not disappoint," Kita responds, prompting the lady to take Kita''s hand. "I''ll be back," Kita says to Raya.

    "Mhmm," She mumbles, "Don''t take too long,"

    Kita walks behind the tall lady, holding her hand as she watches her rear sway from left to right with each step. The high heels she''s wearing make her legs and bottom look so firm. It''s quite a seductive sight.

    Kita takes one last look at Raya before she enters a tipi, behind the orange and white-haired lady, where she sees the man with the latex pants and stunning pecs.

    He passes her a smile, "Welcome home, babe,"

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    The sun peaks over the hills, radiating heat across the barren land as Kita and Raya hike to the next city. Fully supplied with food, water and a change of clothing in the event the weather cools down.

    Kita''s going through a lot of lengths to get to this kid. She wasn''t expecting him to have been taken to a whole different city but by this point, there is not much she can do besides follow the trails. There''s not much else for her to do anyway. From everything that Raya has told her, she wouldn''t stand a chance against the dark one right now. She needs a minimum of two hundred souls by the time she decides to do that. It''s a bigger challenge than she''s prepared to deal with right now.

    "Will the myst pass over us?" Kita asks Raya.

    "Not yet," Raya responds, pointing to the horizon on her right. "When it does it will come from the South,"

    "How do you know that?"

    "The stars. Depending on their alignment. The myst will generally travel from East to West, or North to South. But this can vary slightly,"

    "I was told it also grows larger with each rotation," Kita adds.

    "This is true, although not many are aware of it."

    "How are you aware of it? Must be because of that fancy, royal education you got,"

    "It is primarily from experience," Raya chuckles."But my fancy education did teach me a lot,"

    "You can probably do large calculations and stuff with your mind, huh?"

    "Something like that," Raya replies.

    "Well then, you can manage our coin," Kita chuckles.

    "That''s a given. Unless we want all of our coin spent on an assortment of soups," Raya quips.

    "That wouldn''t be a bad use of coin," Kita answers, licking her lips. "A meat soup would be amazing,"

    "And expensive," Raya adds.

    "Coin is made to be spent, no?"

    "On more than just food, Kita,"

    "Sure. There were a few pretty men and women I wouldn''t mind spending my coin on either,"

    "Of course," Raya grunts, "And after the sex we can die of starvation,"

    "Were all of your kind immune to having a good time?" Kita asks sarcastically.

    "I''ll have you know that our national celebrations were unrivalled. People would travel from distant regions to attend them,"

    "Such a well-mannered princess could never participate in such antics,"

    Raya chuckles, reflecting on her days of royalty with a smile prancing on her face. "Back then, I wasn''t the most well-behaved Princess,"

    "Oh? You were a rebellious heir?"

    "I would often drink to the point of inebriation. Whether I was at a celebration, at the castle or even on the battlefield,"

    "A drunkard princess. I''d love to see that," Kita laughs.

    "I''ve reformed since then," Raya chuckles.

    "Did Mother and Father approve of your behaviour?" Kita asks with her impression of Raya''s posh voice.

    "They did know... No one did. In my drunkenness, I would successfully win battles, entertain my family at the dinner table, socialize with my citizens, and spearhead the council on behalf of my Father,"

    "All whilst alcohol was plaguing your body?" Kita asks, stunned that this polite, patient princess is a productive alcoholic.

    "I presume you don''t drink?" Raya chuckles.

    "Ugh, no," Kita scoffs, "I prefer to alter my consciousness, rather than dull it,"

    "The expectations everyone had for me were overwhelming." Raya says, scratching the back of her neck, "My family expected me to always be the shining example. Always smiling and strong. My soldiers expected me to be Brave¡­ And ruthless in the face of any foe. And my people expected me to understand them and their needs. Despite how they would ebb and flow." She shrugs, "I''d be lying if I said it wasn''t overwhelming¡­ Dulling my mind was the only way I could cope with it all,"

    "Are you drunk right now?" Kita squints in suspicion.

    Raya laughs, "I no longer carry that burden. I only drink for leisure when it is available,"

    "Way to dodge my question,"

    "You''d know whether or not I was drunk. I''m much more susceptible to its effects these days,"

    "No longer reliable in combat?" Kita asks.

    "I still fight with skill¡­ But I''m clumsy under the influence,"

    "A drunken, warrior princess," Kita laughs, "There has to be a joke for this," She adds, rubbing her chin as she contemplates.

 Chapter 14 - Vhifet

    A strong gust of wind blows past Raya and Kita as they walk beneath the darkening sky. The stars beading the darkened edges, like the inside of a snow globe being covered for storage.

    Their attention is shifted to the myst. Kita instinctively tries to deduce where the myst will be coming from, but the brick wall of her knowledge stops her in the process.

    "Where''s it coming from?" Kita asks Raya.

    "It''ll blow from the South," Raya answers.

    "How do you know that?"

    "Thunderstorms often accompany the myst,"

    "So the winds suggest a thunderstorm?"

    "Sure," Raya responds before pointing to the sky- in the same direction the wind came from.

    Kita turns around to look up at dark, distant clouds with strobes of lightning casting menacing, white flashes on the shadowy surface below.

    "So you use your eyes?" Kita shrugs, realizing the technique is not all that impressive.

    "Sure, but that only works when it''s too late. We won''t be escaping the myst''s path,"

    "How do the cities escape it?"

    "I''m not certain. A combination of weather analysis and the alignment of the stars,"

    Kita''s eyebrow raises, "How the hell would the alignment of the stars determine where the myst flows?"

    "I''m no observer. I don''t understand the ways of the beads in the sky," Raya chuckles.

    Kita wouldn''t consider herself ''unintelligent'' but she knows she''s not the brightest flame in the fire. Using the stars to guide the motion of a ''sandstorm'' is a truly unintelligent design.

    "So how long do we have?" Kita asks.

    "Not long. I see a good place for shelter,"

    Raya points ahead of her, at the base of a mountain with a small cave entrance at its base. Small lights radiate from deep inside the cave as the surrounding fog of the impending myst slowly starts to limit their vision.

    "Ah, I''d love to camp in a cave with strangers all around me," Kita sighs, and Raya just laughs- Thinking Kita''s joking, but she wasn''t.

    No, those people are probably poor and smelly. Ugh, she''d rather sleep in the myst than deal with the pungent smell her mind is imagining much too vividly.

    "Can''t we just camp out here," Kita groans.

    "Are you worried they''ll steal the coin you no longer have?" Raya''s sarcasm has Kita rolling her eyes.

    "Not all of us had servants to bring beautiful men and women to the bedroom in our castle, your Heiness,"

    Raya chuckles, "Our tipi isn''t strong enough. The myst is quite forceful,"

    "Have you ever seen anyone get consumed by the myst?" Kita finds herself curious about watching someone die in such a horrific way. Maybe she could cast a spell that does something similar.

    "I have," Raya responds, to Kita''s surprise. "It''s quite gruesome,"

    "Oh yeah? Was it a friend of yours? Family maybe?" Kita chuckles, "Some of your citizens?"

    "No¡­"

    "Who then?"

    "You," Raya responds, passing a smug smile to Kita.

    "Seriously?" Kita asks in awe.

    "Indeed," Raya responds. "I couldn''t get to you in time, but when the myst passed. I found your¡­ mangled body in the dirt,"

    "How''d I get caught in it?"

    "You didn''t want to sleep in a cave with people ''lesser'' than yourself, and opted to challenge the myst,"

    "Haha, very funny," Kita replies, thinking Raya is messing with her.

    "That''s the true story," Raya chuckles.

    "Huh¡­" Kita grunts, surprisingly unsurprised that she''d have done something so stupid. "What''d it do to me?"

    "It melted away most of your skin and muscle. So much of it had deteriorated by the morning, I could see the beat of your heart through the gaps in your ribcage. Your body used over three hundred souls to stay alive throughout a single night,"

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    "Woah, that''s pretty gross," Kita chuckles.

    "It was," Raya laughs.

    Ahead of Kita, the cave entrance peaks at the same size as one of those villain office doors. It tunnels deep into the cave. The walls tighten as they travel further in, following with light as they shuffle sideways through the cracks.

    As Kita pokes her head out the final portion of the slender hallway. She stumbles out into a gargantuan sight. From her elevated position, she witnesses the largest cave she''s ever seen- as far as she knows. Much wider than the canyon, an entire city expands amongst an isolated biome of glowing rivers and tipis scattered amongst this seemingly subsurface world.

    At the cave''s ceiling, dozens of large, circular tents hang suspended on chains as though they''re the eggs of some gargantuan beast. All interconnected with walkways. Their only connection to the ground are long, steel wires that lead up to platforms amongst the orb-shaped homes. She can see a figure in the distance, smaller than the tip of her finger, scaling up one of these wires rapidly. With some sort of connection at their waist.

    "This isn''t as small as you made it seem," Kita responds. Staring into the naturally illuminated glows of purple and sapphire, coupled with the accenting glow of orange lights scattered in homes and pathways throughout the city.

    "It''s grown a lot since I was last here," Raya says, with an expression as perplexed as Kita''s.

    "When was that?" Kita chuckles," When they''d just found it?"

    "... Yeah," Raya stammers.

    Kita raises both her eyebrows as she whistles in shock, "Alright then, Grandma,"

    Raya chuckles, rolling her eyes to look at Kita, "You''re older than I am,"

    At the far end of the city, a large stairway leads up to a marketplace, occupying a low, but large platform of what was probably once a gigantic boulder. With streams of people walking towards it.

    "Food," Kita commands, seeing the marketplace.

    "I''ll set up the tipi," Rays adds. "Bring something back for me,"

    "Where you thinking of setting up?"

    "Over there," Raya points at a lesser occupied part of the common area. Beside the glowing lake.

    "Alright," Kita nods, then heads down the pathway that leads to the marketplace.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    Kita slouches over as she makes it up the last step to the marketplace, huffing heavily thanks to her poor stamina. When she raises her head she is greeted by an expansive marketplace. Stalls and stands with food and different ornaments on sale, alongside tipi''s selling clothes, weapons, and all the goodies Kita could imagine. It''ll be tough for Kita not to spend all of this coin.

    Maybe I should have been the one to set up the tent.

    She slowly walks past the plethora of stalls selling all sorts of useful items- Making her contemplate a future in which she settles down and decorates a really cute tipi with all of this useless crap she could collect. Figurines and hanging sculptures made of polished stone. With glowing liquid from the lake, flowing in all directions through the stone.

    And¡­

    Kita steps up to the table of a stall that catches her attention. And gently places her hands on a¡­ bird. A polished dark stone accents with a purple liquid glow, flowing among its spread wings. It''s shaped like that obnoxious one she''d met.

    Rayn.

    "Many dream of soaring the skies," Says a young, dark-skinned man with short white dreadlocks. He has an amalgamation of turquoise and white robes draped across his body.

    "I''m not the dreaming type," Kita responds.

    "You gaze at this piece with the eyes of one," He smiles.

    "Did you make it?" She asks.

    "I did," He nods.

    She lifts the piece closer to her face. Casting a soft purple light into her nose as she watches this liquid flow amongst the fine details and patterns of the sculptures.

    "What is that stuff?" She asks. "It flows thicker than water,"

    "Most believe it stems from the depths of the cave," He lifts a larger one of his sculptures. "It does hydrate us. Some believe it does more,"

    "More being¡­"

    "We call it, Vhifet. The next life source. We see it as our world''s message to us. One of future abundance. A world better than the one of the old humans. If one is to drink Vhifet, their soul will rejoin our world when the time is right, and they will be chosen to experience the era of Vhifet."

    "Hmm," Kita mumbles, in an interested way. "The last thing I would want is to come back here,"

    "You''re not of faith?" He asks.

    "The way of gods is not my concern," She responds.

    "I do not mean faith in god. Do you have faith in a good future?"

    "I''m not so sure I''ll have one," She drops her eye contact. Taken aback by the numbness of her missing soul. Incompleteness trickles through her like an itch she cannot reach. "All that exists is now,"

    "Yes, but you are not designed to only perceive now. You need not work for your future but you must believe in it,"

    Kita glances up at the guy. He''s got a way with words. If Kita was any more downtrodden, she''d have been converted right on the spot. Drinking the slime water and whatever other weird ritual they probably have to get a taste of that faith. But, no faith will get her soul back. To her knowledge, most faiths require their participants to have souls anyway. She''s not exactly suited for the lifestyle. The religious system is rigged against the soulless.

    "How much for this?" Kita asks, holding up the little Rayn statue. Trying to ignore the idiotic ramblings of her mind.

    "Twenty-one coin," He smiles.

    "Is a meal included? She asks, raising an eyebrow at the price.

    The man laughs, raising his hand to his chest as his head leans back. "Since we had a lovely conversation, I can give it to you for Fifteen,"

    Kita chuckles at the man''s animated behaviour. "Alright, Fifteen it is,"

    She swings her backpack around to her front and reaches in to grab some coin out of a pouch.

    "Here you go," She says, taking her hand out from the bag and reaching out to him with fifteen coin in her hand. "Fifteen coin,"

    The man reaches his hand out to collect the coin. And in doing so, his fingers collide with Kita''s. Inducing a sudden lapse in Kita''s vision. She can''t see anything, or even feel her body anymore.

    There is only darkness.

 Chapter 15 - Tunnel Vision

    Kita looks in her hand, holding a basket with a few veg and eggs. A little confused, she reaches for her head and feels a hair band wrapped around it as her hair drapes freely over her shoulders.

    What was I doin''-

    ¡°Here you go, Kita¡±.

    She spins in a panic, raising her hands to guard.

    ¡°Oh¡±, she responds as her eyes come upon the vast plantations and animal kraals, tightly surrounded by a luscious forest.

    ¡°You¡¯re too young to be going crazy, my sweet,¡± says an old lady as she puts a few slices of ham into the basket. ¡°A¡¯jem offered a generous cow recently, so there is a little extra for everybody today¡±.

    Kita Smiles, ¡°Thanks, Ami. Did you do something with your hair? It''s pretty,¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my sweet¡±, Ami giggles as she pushes her grey hair behind her ear.

    ¡°Today is the recurrence of me and A¡¯jem. When the dots of Yeo appear in the night sky, we are reminded of our bond.¡±

    ¡°Yeo?¡± asks Kita.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to give you the full story today, my sweet- But according to the scripts, Yeo is the spirit of provision, and due to our bond matching on this day- we are tasked with the provision of the crops,"

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the spirits provided our tasks?¡±

    Ami makes her way to the nearby pile of greens that have been plucked.

    ¡°They once did¡­ Today, they seem to be dealing with other matters,¡±

    ¡°What matters?¡±

    Ami chuckles, Carefully rooting some of the nearby crops and placing them into a basket beside her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your Mother would like those recipes to make breakfast, Kita. We can explore your curiosity at another time¡±.

    ¡°Oh... Of course. Thanks for the extra slices, Ami.¡± She says, turning to make her way back up the hill.

    ¡°M¡¯pai Yeo Ket¡¯p prauvhishk,¡± Ami calls out to Kita.

    May Yeo continue to provide.

    On her way up the hill, she can see above all the trees surrounding the farm, with the sol casting a warm, orange light against the pinnacle of the whisping greenery. The village resides atop a flat hill, making the walk up quite steep and more suited for the youth of the village. At the peak of the trail, you can see the entire surrounding area with the green extending far beyond what she initially thought. She walks this path every day. Why does it seem so unfamiliar now?

    The town reaches from the North, round to the East and South. To the west is a stretch of mountains leading straight up north. Apparently, the sea resides to the South, but it can¡¯t be seen from here.

    Ta¡¯ah and I should try finding it sometime.

    She arrives on the Eastern side of the village and walks up to two large, interconnected tipis. She steps through the entrance draped with beads that clatter like a soft rain as she steps through them. Her heartbeat rises as she steps through this uncannily familiar place.

    She knows she lives here, why does it feel like she hasn''t been here in a while?

    There''s wooden art on every countertop and suspended from the ceiling of every room. Some are much bigger than others, occupying a space on the floor but standing as tall as the shelves and cupboards. In the centre of the ceiling is a chandelier, with dozens of fireflies circling around its nest in the centre.

    As Kita steps into the hall of the connected tipis, she can see a lady seated in the other room, before a small fire in the middle. Kita can only see the back of her head, and hear the sound of chopping emanating from the lady''s lap¡­ she''s preparing a meal.

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    Is she?-

    Kita''s eyes widen in shock as she recognizes the back of her lady¡¯s head. Sitting in the chair she always sits in when she chops vegetables for breakfast or dinner.  Kita stumbles backwards, and the basket of meats and vegetables slips out of her hand, crashing to the floor as a plethora of coin spills out.

    Surprised by the coin in her basket, she looks back up to see if the lady noticed, but is met with the face of a man, looking at her with concern as he mouths some words she can''t make out.

    What is this?

    She realizes something is off. She''s not really here¡­ is she? The fabrics of the tipi around her slowly dissipate to reveal the bodies of shoppers and residents all around her. She tries to glance past the man''s head, at her lady still sitting in the chair- But all these tables and people start to get in the way.

    "Mom?" Kita asks, catching the ladies'' attention before she disappears.

    "Perfect timing, Ki," Her soft, loving voice responds as she slowly turns her head. Kita''s heart races, as the lady slowly turns around to see her- But before Kita gets the chance, she is back in the cave.

    Everything comes back to her like a vortex as she hears the man''s panicked voice.

    "Miss, are you okay?"

    What just happened? Kita tries to recall why the shopkeeper is so concerned but only remembers a moment of blackness. Noticing that her hand is trembling uncontrollably- She quickly puts her hand behind her back, hoping the man didn''t notice.

    Faint images dissipate in her mind as the feeling of an unfamiliar memory fades away.

    She¡¯s tired.

    That''s all.

    "I''m fine," Kita steps away from him. Tilting her head to see past him, only to see shoppers and passersby. She feels disappointed, as if something is incomplete. But what? What did she see? The experience slips away from her like a forgettable name, leaving her with questions and vague ideas.

    She crouches down to pick up all the coin she''d dropped, then stands back up with her arm outstretched. Hoping the man just takes the coin and goes on with his day without trying to get all religious about what just happened.

    He squints in confusion. Taken aback by her strange behaviour. Then he looks down at her hand, back up at her, and reaches his hand out.

    "Thank you for your business, Miss,"

    Kita nods her head, without saying a word. Anything she''d try to say would slur out of her mouth and make things more awkward. Now pacing away from the man''s stall with haste, she massages her temple; it strains under the weight of her worrying and thinking.

    Something just happened. For a brief moment, she wasn''t here. Where was she?

    Why can''t I remember?

    She doesn''t want to lose it.

    She sits on the floor, amongst the busy shoppers. Takes a deep breath before closing her eyes, and concentrates on the brief period of darkness. Thinking of the most immediate difference between that world and her own.

    The greenery.

    Air that was so¡­ different. Every breath felt rich with substance.

    "A farm?" Kita inquires, vaguely envisioning an unfamiliar old lady who accompanied it.

    She tries to recall further. Who is the lady?

    It is lost to her¡­ But, a word comes to mind.

    "Yeo," she says to herself. The meaning doesn''t accompany the sound as it rolls from her lips.

    And after that¡­

    A numbness trickles in her stomach- Giving her the urge to throw up in discomfort. There¡¯s something inside of her that she desperately needs to eject.

    "Mother?" She whispers to herself. Her eyes whip open when she recalls what came next, and the numbness grows- a good and bad sign.

    I saw my Mother.

    What did she look like? She cannot place a face or even a hair colour on it. She is certain she saw her, but she also knows she didn''t. This may all be fabricated.

    A daydream.

    This hollow feeling is irrational. Why does she miss someone she can''t remember? She knows nothing about her Mother, yet the thought of whoever that might be makes Kita feel¡­ Sad?

    Is this sadness?

    The distance between herself and her emotions is larger than she was aware of. She should know what sadness feels like- She should know why she¡¯s sad¡­ Right?

    Kita stands to her feet, all the more confused by the details she barely recalls. It''s unnecessarily frustrating. She''d rather go about her day than continue straining her mind over nonsense. All these thoughts of family life, religion and her past are a part of her mind she can¡¯t deal with all at once.

    It¡¯s overwhelming.

    She¡¯s not built for that life anyway. Someone who has no grasp of their own emotions or sense of self isn¡¯t fit for a ''regular'' life. No, most people in this world haven¡¯t had theirs taken from them. They haven¡¯t had their entire sense of being wiped clean, as if it¡¯s a dirty rag. Nobody could truly understand what she¡¯s going through. Nor would they understand what she will have to do to get it all back.

    She¡¯s a monster.

    A killer.

    It¡¯s the only way for her to get her soul back...

    She must get it back.

 Chapter 16 - Fox

    Every best of Kita''s heart has the thought of her past echoing through her mind. She''s walking through the marketplace without any attention to the stalls she''s passing or where she''s going. Straining her mind as she tries to think of her mother''s face, or any memory that can remind her of what she''s like.

    Food, she reminds herself of what she should be doing. But concentrating on anything else is easier said than done right now.

    She glances at the stalls around her, trying to take in the details of what''s being sold as she continues to remind herself of the food she''s supposed to be buying.

    "Excuse me," A soft voice calls out to Kita.

    Kita glances around, but sees no one.

    "Down here," The voice prompts Kita to look towards the ground where she sees a steel creature with four legs, a pointed snout and a thick, metal tail. Finely print geometric patterns cover its entire body as the steel jingles and scrapes with its movements.

    "Oh, great," Kita scoffs, "What are you supposed to be?"

    "Uhmm," The creature stammers. "A Fox,"

    "And what is it that you want from me, Fox?"

    "I could really use your help," The Fox responds.

    "With what?"

    "I can''t find my owner. Everyone I ask seems more interested in selling me for coin than helping me,"

    Kita rolls her eyes, "Sorry, I can''t help you," She responds, as she walks away from the fox.

    "Why not?" The Fox asks, stepping in front of her.

    "Uhh," Kita stutters, "I don''t want to,"

    "You''re supposed to be nice!" The Fox yells in frustration.

    "What makes you think I''m supposed to be nice?" Kita raises an eyebrow at the creature.

    "Your eyes," The creature lowers its head, "They''re like my owners,"

    "I hate to break it to you, but eyes like mine mean the opposite of nice,"

    "Not true," Says the Fox. "My owner is very nice,"

    "Well, I''m not," Kita shrugs.

    "Not true," The Fox calls her out, "I can smell honesty from you,"

    "You can smell honesty?"

    "Mhmm," The Fox nods.

    "Ugh," Kita scoffs, "Where did you last see your owner?"

    "We were here together, but that was two days ago,"

    "Two days? Have you checked at home?"

    "I don''t know how to get home. I''ve been running through the whole city trying to find it. I don''t know what else to do-"

    "Ok, ok. What''s your owner''s name?"

    "Starlet,"

    "Then go and ask people where you can find her,"

    "I tried that already. No one wants to listen to me,"

    "Fine. Let''s go find your owner,"

    The fox''s tail starts to wag from left to right as the metal parts slide against one another. "Thank you, Miss,"

    "Kita," She corrects.

    "Kita," The Fox says, "That''s a pretty name,"

    Kita turns to a lady standing at the stall across from her, and briefly glances at the miniature sculptures on her table.

    "Excuse me, have you heard of someone named Starlet?" Kita asks.

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    The lady shakes her head, "Uncommon name, that. I''d remember if I had,"

    "Have you ever seen this fox before?" She asks, tilting her head towards the fox.

    The lady reaches over the table to glance at the creature posted against Kita''s leg, "How much do you want for it?"

    "Huh?"

    "I''ll buy it from you," The lady clarifies. "Fifty thousand coin,"

    Kita glances at the creature by her side. It''d be much less of a hassle taking the coin and leaving the fox with this lady. But, something about it just doesn''t sit right with her. If she didn''t care, she''d have done it in a heartbeat. Maybe the fox reminds her of Rayn- Another ancient creature representing the times when life roamed all across the lands. Or maybe she''s a sentimental idiot.

    "It''s not for sale," Kita shrugs.

    "Eighty thousand," The lady counters.

    "What? Who would you even sell it to for more than eighty thousand coin?"

    "There are some wealthy folk in this world. A creature like that could easily sell for over two hundred thousand,"

    "I''m not for sale!" The fox chimes in.

    The lady''s face brightens as she realizes the creature speaks. A large smile crosses her face as she stares at the fox with wondrous eyes. "Maybe half a million since it speaks,"

    "She''s right. She''s not for sale," Kita adds as she turns away from the lady''s stall.

    "Why don''t you know where your owner lives?" Kita asks the fox as it scurries by her side amongst the passing waves of shoppers. Trying its best to dodge and weave its way through everyone.

    "We just arrived in this city one rotation ago," It answers. "My memory isn''t very good,"

    "Are there any shopkeepers that would recognize you and Starlet?"

    "Oh. Yes! There''s a shopkeeper that liked us a lot," The fox wags its tail as it starts pacing ahead of Kita. "Follow me,"

    She starts jogging to keep up with it as it scurries its way between the legs of passersby. This one''s much more lively than Rayn. Also a lot more sociable. It makes sense since the old lady is the only person for the bird to talk to- it''s surprising how polite this little thing is.

    "What''s your name?" Kita asks between her short breaths.

    "Ari," The fox responds. "I knew you''d ask,"

    "Apparently, you know everything,"

    Ari laughs a strange, high-pitched cackle that sounds more like squealing than laughter. "Everything except where my owner lives,"

    "Hm," Kita chuckles under her breath.

    "This shop right here!" Ari calls out, dashing into a turquoise tip with white lining dressing its edges.

    Kita briefly slides as she brings her jogging to a halt and glares at the designs of the tipi. The colours of Vhifet are mesmerizing. Almost inducing Kita into a trance whenever she comes to notice the blend of turquoise and white around the city.

    "C''mon!" Ari calls out, momentarily sticking her head out the entrance of the tipi.

    Kita walks into the tipi to a space that feels much larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside. No- it definitely is much larger. How is this possible? The walls of the tipi are filled with bookshelves, arching to the top where they connect to appear as though the bookshelves infinitely rise to the heavens. The floor is an amalgamation of carpet and mirrors, which are giving the tipi this sense of scale.

    "Ari!" An old man calls out with his frail voice. "Welcome back,"

    "Hi there, Mr Bookkeeper," Ari responds, wagging her tail.

    "Where''s Starlet?" He asks as he crouches down to scratch Ari behind the ear.

    "I don''t know," She responds as she lets out a delighted growl in response to the man petting her. "Kita is helping me find her,"

    "Kita, huh?" The old man reiterates as he stands to his feet and extends a hand towards Kita. "It''s a pleasure to meet you,"

    "Sure," Kita responds, shaking the man''s hand. "Do you have any idea which part of the city Starlet is in?"

    "I''m not so certain," He says, stroking his chin. "If I remember correctly, she said something about the Southeast,"

    "Excellent!" Ari barks, "That sounds right to me,"

    "I''m not so sure my memory is as sharp as it once was. So please take that information with a grain of salt,"

    "Better than what we started with, right Kita?" Ari asks enthusiastically.

    "Right," Kita murmurs.

    "You don''t seem like the most lively young lady," The old man chuckles in response to Kita''s demeanour.

    "You don''t know the half of it," Kita scoffs at his judgment.

    The old man walks over to one of the nearby shelves and reaches for the very bottom, where he slides out a thin book that could easily go unnoticed amongst the dense ones beside it.

    "I think this might help with what you''re going through," The bookkeeper says as he hands Kita the thin book. "

    "How would you know what I''m going through," Kita asks as she glances at the book cover.

    The Old Humans.

    The bookkeeper chuckles, "Most people your age are going through some sort of existential crisis, young lady,"

    "How is a book about the old humans meant to help, exactly?"

    "What better way to learn about existentialism than from those who no longer exist," The bookkeeper chuckles. "I wrote that one myself, using all the stories I''ve heard from my travels,"

    "The bookkeeper is the most knowledgeable person I''ve ever met!" Ari comments.

    "I don''t think a book is my salvation," Kita waves the book in her hand. "These are merely pages,"

    Ari gasps loudly before she headbutts Kita''s lower leg. "You''re supposed to say ''thank you'',"

    "Sometimes, the stories we read have a piece of us embedded within them," The old man smiles, unfazed by Kita''s hubris. "The two of you should get going, I have some customers to assist,"

    "How much for the book?" Kita asks.

    But the bookkeeper just winks at her, and passes Ari one last scratch behind the ear before walking to a set of customers that just entered his store.

 Chapter 17 - Trapped

    Kita and Ari step out of the bookstore once the old bookkeeper turned his attention to his customers. She glares at the book in her hand as she scans a few of the pages trying to get an idea of the point of the book.

    "I enjoyed that book," Ari chimes in.

    "You''ve read it?" Kita asks as they both start walking to the stairway that leads back down to the city.

    "Mhmm," The fox nods, "I really hope she gets her soul back,"

    "What?" Kita stops in place, glaring at the book in her hand. "What do you mean?"

    "Well, the bookkeeper only wrote the book because he met one of the old humans," The Fox says as it prances around Kita. "Apparently, she''s doomed to spend eternity wandering aimlessly in hopes that she reunites with her soul,"

    "Aimlessly," Kita murmurs under her breath, "Did she ever find it?"

    "The book doesn''t say," Ari responds. "I hope she does, though. They say she''s saved more lives than any soldier or warrior in history!"

    "Hmm," Kita grunts, "Is that so?"

    "That''s what the book says," Ari wags her tail. "But it reads like a myth,"

    "The old humans are just a myth,"

    "I don''t think so," Ari disagrees. "I think there were great cities all around the world. With giant towers reaching to the skies,"

    "Giant towers?" Kita chuckles, "Myth,"

    "I saw it in a dream. It''s possible! We know so little about them,"

    "The land was once covered in vast shades of green," Kita adds, "Life was so abundant, it carpeted the floors of this world,"

    "Ooh," Ari grunts, titling her snout and raising her tail. "How do you know?"

    "I guess I saw it in a dream too," Kita sighs, clutching onto the faint images of her alternate memories.

    At the bottom of the staircase, the pathway splits into two. A path to their left leads to the West of the city, and another to their right leads to the East. The bookkeeper suggested they try the Southeast district, which would be located on the other end of the city- Since she''s committed to helping this fox find its home, she might as well see what it knows. What kind of creature knows how to read? Many people can''t even do that.

    This fox is very different from Rayn. She seems to be knowledgeable and quite the avid reader considering she befriended a bookkeeper. But Ari''s range is astounding considering she also has the sociability and intelligence of a smart child- Who, at the same time, has no clue where she lives.

    "This town has more knowledge about the old humans than any other,"

    "You''ve been to all the others, then?" Kita jests.

    "Almost," Ari levels, prompting a wide-eyed response from Kita.

    "Seriously?"

    "Starlet isn''t my first owner," Ari responds, "I have been alive for thousands of rotations¡­ Some days, I dream about the first one,"

    "The first rotation?!" Kita uncontrollably blurts aloud. "So you''re old-old,"

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    "Rude! I am a young, cute fox and that''s all I will ever be," Ari scoffs adorably.

    Kita chuckles as she places the book she''d acquired into her backpack. "So, You don''t remember the old world? When you were a real fox,"

    "I am a real fox,"

    "I mean¡­ A flesh one,"

    Ari rolls her eyes, rotating her head more than her eyeballs, but still getting her frustration across. "Memories, no. Most of them occur to me in dreams,"

    "How come?"

    "I don''t know. It''s been so long since I was a flesh fox, the memories are likely to be fading,"

    "You don''t miss other foxes? Or that old world?"

    "The last dream I had was of myself as a pup, running through the dirt and wrestling with my siblings¡­ It was nice, not being the only one,"

    "I uhh-" Kita bites her lip, tempted to share her dream with Ari but worried that she might find it stupid, or think it''s a joke.

    Screw it, she thinks to herself.

    "I don''t have any memories of my family," Kita releases with a heavy exhale. "I thought I saw my Mother before you showed up¡­ But it was just a daydream or something,"

    "Did it feel like you were there?"

    "Yes. It was as if I was living in a different world and completely forgot I was ever here¡­ but I got dragged back to this one somehow,"

    "Those aren''t ''dreams'',"

    "What?" Kita asks, reacting to a chill that passes through her body in response to Ari''s blunt response.

    "You know that book in your bag is about you, right?"

    "Well, your description of it made me think so, but-"

    "It is. In addition to saving more people than anyone else, you''ve also killed more than anyone else,"

    "...Yeah,"

    "I came to you because I recognized your scent,"

    "So we''ve met before. Is this for revenge or something?"

    "No, not exactly. I used to have owners in the cities you''ve plundered,"

    Kita directs her head to the ground as she feels shame arise in her heart. An unfamiliar response to the collateral damage she''s caused is the last thing she considers when she does anything.

    "Oh¡­"

    "The dreams you have are realities that your soul is trying to create. I''ve read everything there is about you, Kita. Many cities have records of your¡­ antics." Ari''s tail is stiff, and dragging along the floor as neither of them dares to look into one another''s eyes. "You''ve killed two of my owners. So, I had to learn why someone would do such a thing,"

    "Find what you were looking for?"

    Ari shakes her head.  "My first owner bought me at an auction. He had three other creatures cast to steel, just like me. He put each of us in a glass cabinet for permanent display on the outside of his home. We were simply collectables that he had acquired with his wealth. Remnants of the past that none of his rich comrades had. Bragging rights. I was trapped in that box for three hundred rotations. Every day was a claustrophobic suffering, and my dreams would taunt me with memories of running freely across the lands. I can remember how badly I wanted to die¡­ to end the pain rather than stay trapped in a body that may never die, despite being caged for an eternity... Until, you came along and raided my owner''s home. I never considered being inadvertently freed until you destroyed the glass of my cage to slice his throat and consume his soul before it escaped to death. You killed all of his colleagues too, and I thought a monster such as yourself was a necessary evil," Ari sighs, exhaling a deep breath of discomfort. "Then, there was my second owner. A man who treated me with love every day of my life. He was such a kind man, that he would place treats around the city, and let me search for them so that I could feel as though I was hunting again¡­ And it worked. All he wanted was for me to feel happy, and as long as I would smile, he would smile. He taught me how to read, and how to speak just so that he could ask me how I am. The only reason I''m here today, and not with him is because of you, Kita. You killed him too,"

    Kita feels the swelling of tears in her cheeks but manages to hold them at bay relatively easily. She knows she''s a monster, she doesn''t need to hear it from anyone else. She''s not sad for the little runt¡­ right? She is doing what she has to. That''s all she''s ever done, and she doesn''t expect anyone to understand. That''s her burden to bear.

    And she will bear it.

    "I was so mad at you. Not simply because you killed my owner. But because you had delivered me freedom, and then trapped me in a new suffering,"

    "And you''re still mad," Kita stammers.

    "Yes," Ari stops and looks back up at Kita. "But now, I understand,"

    Lies! Kita''s mind protests. How could she possibly-

    "You are still trapped,"

 Chapter 18 - Dinner

    "Until you''re free, your soul will always call to you with those dreams," Ari says.

    Kita''s eye''s rapidly blink trying to subdue the sadness she feels hearing the truth laid out before her by someone else. Is she pitying me? A part of this all pisses her off. Emotions are better off compressed. This type of shit throws her off. Wastes her time and has her doing foolish crap like talking to foxes.

    "I''m doing what I can," Kita scoffs, blinking away the last remnants of her emotions.

    "You are. I just¡­ I think you should try doing good where you can too,"

    "Hmph," Kita breathes out her nose, "What''s the point?"

    "Your soul needs a way to live with itself once this is all done, Kita,"

    "Once you become the monster, you''re always with one in the darkness,"

    "But, you''re not a monster. You''ve helped as much as you''ve hurt,"

    "I have no memories of helping anyone,"

    "Exactly. With your power, you should be aware of the impact you have,"

    Kita chuckles, "I''m no god,"

    "You play god whenever you take a soul,"

    Kita starts walking ahead of Ari, avoiding eye contact and waving her hand dismissively. "Sure, your feedback has been noted,"

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    Kita and Ari arrive in the Southeast of the city, walking on the pathways lit purple by the glowing lake passing beside them. Tipis here are neatly organized in rows, with signs marking the different segments. Stone bridges with seating areas suspended above the purple streams, decorated with small sculptures similar to those in the marketplace. Many of them have hair-like streams of glowing purple, waving amongst the sculpture''s design.

    "Ari?" calls out the voice of a young girl across the lake.

    Ari barks- or something- a high-pitched squeal at the little girl across the lake. Raising her snout and wagging her thick tail as her body clatters with excitement.

    "Starlet!" Ari calls out, darting across the nearest bridge and diving into the arms of the young girl.

    "I thought someone stole you," The little girl embraces Ari as she sheds a tear.

    "I''m too tough for that," Ari and Starlet both chuckle.

    A smile peels subtly across Kita''s face. It''s cute, seeing how shocked the kid was to notice Ari.

    "Thank you, lady!" The kid says as Kita crosses the bridge. Looking at Kita with her abyssal eyes.

    "I didn''t do much," Kits responds.

    "She totally saved me!" Ari says.

    The little girl bows her head, holding Ari up with both hands and stomping her feet close together. "Please join us for dinner,"

    Free food? How could Kita say no? She had to spend all that time listening to Ari''s depressing and weirdly mature view of life. Eating will do Kita good in getting her mind off of it.

    "Sure," Kita chuckles. "I have a friend who''d like to join too,"

    The little girl nods, "It will be my honour to cook for the both of you,"

    "Let me go get her, she isn''t too far,"

    Kita walks further down the lake, trying to spot Raya''s blue hair somewhere near the tipis sectioned closest to the lake.

    Kita hates to think about it, but Ari made some valid points. She doesn''t want to listen to her. Not at all, but the rational part of her mind keeps pushing her to consider it. She can''t remember killing any of Ari''s owners, but surely it wasn''t for any reason other than consuming souls¡­ Well, that is the reason.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    That''s the problem.

    She''s killed innocent people. People she only saw as a means to an end. And Ari is saying she needs to see them as people? Is she supposed to actually try being a hero and only hurting ''bad'' people?

    "Ugh," Kita scoffs.

    Casting judgment doesn''t sit with her. People in this world do what they must to survive, or they die. Nobody''s perfect. Good and evil don''t exist. Chevo''s assassins think they''re good, and that Vlad''s raiders are evil. Vlad''s raiders think the opposite. And normal citizens think they''re both evil. It''s all just opinions. Conflicting points of view.

    This isn''t going anywhere.

    What can she learn from this? She needs two hundred souls, can she get that from bad people alone? Maybe she should try it. She''s mostly killed raiders anyway, but maybe she shouldn''t kill people unless they hurt innocent people¡­ Sure. She doesn''t see much of a point other than ''the fox said so'', but it sits better than taking nothing away from all of this. And if it gets in the way of her plans, she can always go back to not caring.

    Alright. She confirms with herself. "Saviour Kita is officially on duty,"

    A few tipi away, she notices a tall girl with blue hair stepping out of a tipi.

    "Princess," Kita calls out to her.

    Raya turns, and raises both arms in confusion. "Where''s the food?"

    Kita waves Raya over, "Someone''s going to cook for us. Follow me,"

    Raya zips up the tent and walks over to Kita before they both make their way back up to Ari and Starlet.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    "Thank you for having us," Raya bows her head as she and Kita sit on the carpeted interior of Starlets family''s tipi. Kita bows her head too, riding off of Raya''s politeness without saying anything further.

    The tipi is decorated with hanging ornaments of different shapes and sizes, the entire interior glows a soft orange and purple- each ornament is decorated with flowing purple streams that subtly cast light across the room. The candles suspended on some of the ornaments and counters around the room bring warmth to the space.

    "No, thank you for bringing Ari back to our Starlet," Starlet''s mother smiles, "She is very excited to share dinner with you,"

    "How did you find her, Kita?" Starlet''s Father asks, with an endearing smile on his face as well.

    "As I told your Starlet, I didn''t do much," Kita responds, scratching behind her ear. "Ari found me,"

    The parents chuckle to one another, "Ari doesn''t speak to people she doesn''t trust," Her mother responds. "It must mean you have a pure soul,"

    "Hmph," Kita chuckles, "The purest souls must be the most valuable, then,"

    "We do believe that is why Starlet''s was taken," The father nods.

    "When did the dark one take it?" Raya asks.

    "Not long after her birth," The mother frowns, "I can remember looking into her green eyes when they first opened. I was so confused, watching them slowly turn to black¡­ I thought she was sick,"

    "A baby doesn''t have a strong link to their soul yet," Raya follows, "It is easy for him to reach them,"

    "What a coward," Kita scoffs. "Taking souls while he hides away,"

    "How did he take yours, Kita?" The Father asks.

    "Hmm," Kita wonders, trying to recall how she''d lost her soul in the first place."Honestly, I can''t remember,"

    "We''ve noticed the same from our daughter," The mother adds. "She lost hers very early on and yet she struggles to hold memories as time passes. As if she no longer has the part of her that they stick to,"

    Kita drops her eye contact, relating to what the mother just said a bit too directly.

    "That''s why she''s on a mission to get her soul back," Raya says.

    "Oh," Both parents respond as they glance at Kita with startled looks on their faces.

    "How will you do that?" the father says.

    "I''m not so sure yet," Kita chuckles.

    "Can you get our daughters back too?" the mother asks.

    "I uhh-" Kita stammers, completely uncertain and hesitant to make any promises. She doesn''t even know if she can get her own one back. "I don''t know,"

    "If you discover how to get yours back. Please get our Starlets soul as well," The mother bows her head, genuinely asking out of respect.

    This catches Kita off guard. It''s more responsibility. And one she doesn''t think she could live up to¡­ But what else can she say? These people have invited her into their home and are about to feed her.

    She can''t exactly refuse.

    "I will try my best," Kita responds.

    "Dinner is ready!" Calls out Starlet from the connected tipi. She walks into the common room with two large dishes in either hand. One with a spiced porridge likely made out of maize. It smells like it has been mixed with many herbs- This kid can cook!

    The second dish has a stew. A thick, brown sauce with different vegetables and the occasional chunk of meat lying amongst the spices peppered all over.

    "There''s more than enough for everyone," Ari says, walking into the room with a dish of toasted bread delicately balanced on top of her head that Starlet puts in the centre of the room with the others.

    Before sitting down, both Starlet and Ari turn to Kita, and now their heads. Stopping Kita amidst reaching for the food and awkwardly pausing to be polite.

    "Thank you for bringing us back together," They say in sync.

 Chapter 19 - The days to come.

    "You''re a pretty good cook, kid," Kita burps over her cleaned plate as everyone else is still indulging.

    "Thanks!" Starlet says with a full mouth.

    "Now now, you don''t speak with food in your mouth," Her Mother chides.

    "Sorry!" She grunts, with food still in her mouth.

    "Have some more," Ari says glaring at Kita''s plate.

    "Are you trying to fatten me up or something?" Kita jests, reaching her hand out to grab seconds.

    Starlet takes a big gulp of her mouthful, "She likes watching other people eat- Ow!" Starlet wails as Ari playfully bites her foot.

    Kita and Raya both chuckle at their shenanigans.

    "What was that for?" Starlet asks with a look of betrayal on her face.

    "That was supposed to be a secret!" Ari rebuttals, equally as offended. "Now they think I''m weird!"

    "You''re not weird," Raya empathizes.

    "Super weird," Kita scoffs.

    Ari''s tail drops, and she lets out a disappointed sigh before opening her mouth and dashing at Kita''s foot.

    "Hey!" Kita jolts, shifting her foot out of reach of Ari''s attack.

    "Meanie," Ari scoffs, refusing to look in Kita''s direction.

    "I get it," Kita shrugs, "I''d watch other people eat too if I couldn''t eat anything," She leans over close to Ari''s face to grab her attention and then takes a slow, crunching bite of bread to mock her.

    Ari lets out a satisfied purr in response. Holding unnecessarily deep eye contact with the food as it goes into Kita''s mouth. Successfully weirding Kita out and causing her to feel strangely violated after the encounter.

    "You thought I wouldn''t like that, huh?" Ari chuckles, prompting a laugh out of Kita, Raya and the parents.

    All three large dishes of food slowly but surely get completely cleaned by everyone partaking in dinner as they all learn a little more about one another through their conversations. Subtle vibrations rock the insides of the cave-like tremors in the ground. The myst is passing overhead, fortunately, the cave is as safe a place as anyone can be.

    Kita''s glad she met Ari, despite her reluctance. She got a free meal out of it and food for thought. Thoughts that she''s been avoiding for quite a while now despite how much they''d bothered her. She doesn''t care what others think, but being evil is inherently something she doesn''t want to be. However, there are certain pleasures she knows she shouldn''t enjoy, but does all too much- Being good isn''t what she wants either. She''s such a mature adult for internally reflecting and trying to be better. Although this kind of pride technically isn''t a very grown-up way of feeling, she can''t help but feel good about herself. Maybe she is a good person, even though she is predominantly doing it all for herself rather than for others.

    "Thank you all again, for the meal," Raya bows her head, prompting Kits to follow suit. "We have a long journey tomorrow so we should be getting some rest,"

    "No, thank you," Ari says, bowing her head in return alongside Starlet.

    "It is the least we could do to return your kindness," Starlet adds.

    "Honestly, I''m glad to have met you all," Kita chuckles. "Sorry for being so grumpy at first, Ari,"

    "I''m sure it''s difficult for someone without a soul," Ari cackles. "But, I knew you were kind deep-deep down,"

    "I wouldn''t go that far," Kita smiles.

    "She''s become very nice recently," Raya says. "She rarely assists others out of the goodness of her heart,"

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "There''s a first time for everything," Kita chuckles.

    "Let''s hope it isn''t the last," Ari says, wagging her tail.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    The next day, Kita and Raya left the cave city of Vhifet, leaving behind the beautiful array of turquoise and white tents minted across the cave floor. Kita glances at the little Rayn sculpture she bought at the marketplace, momentarily entranced by the streams of purple liquid flowing amongst its details.

    "They call that purple stuff Vhifet," Kita says to Raya, holding the sculpture into the air as the rising sun glistens and cast a glow through the purple.

    "Yesterday was quite educational for you," Raya chuckles.

    "You know what, It actually was,"

    "I was really surprised to see you''d helped a pet get to its owner," Raya adds, "The old Kita could never have done something so mundane,"

    "What can I say, the new Kita prefers real challenges- like personal growth," Kita chuckles.

    "Oh, you''ve grown from this, huh?" Raya raises an eyebrow.

    "Of course I did. I made a personal vow that I''ll no longer kill innocent people,"

    "Not very personal anymore, but I''m glad to hear it. Let''s see how long it lasts,"

    "You don''t have faith in me?" Kita rolls her eyes.

    "Not when it comes to consuming souls," Raya chuckles. "I''ve made that mistake before,"

    "What, I made a promise but couldn''t keep my hands off of them?"

    "Once you reach two hundred souls. That orgasmic pleasure or whatever it is you feel when you consume them becomes too good for you to pass up,"

    "You make me sound like I''m a monster,"

    "You aren''t?"

    "Nope," Kita smiles. "Not anymore. We''re even about to be heroes by saving Jan, so¡­"

    "About that. I heard a few rumours about River City," Raya''s tone suddenly becomes more stern.

    "Apparently, a war between Vlad and Chevo is in the works,"

    "A war?" Kita chuckles, "Didn''t we just kill a bunch of Vlad''s men,"

    "That''s barely a drop in the bucket. Canyon City isn''t their main outpost¡­ Apparently, it''s his smallest one,"

    "The smallest?" Kita exclaims. "Why was he even there?"

    "My guess- to prepare,"

    "Oh¡­ So, what''s this war about?" Kita asks.

    "No one seems to know. Whatever they''re fighting for will supposedly shift power into one of their hands,"

    "Hmmm, so we go in there and kill them all,"

    "What? No, we should just sneak into the city, get Jan and leave,"

    "That''s not very heroic," Kita rolls her eyes.

    "We''re trying to be Jan''s heroes. The citizens of that city are most elites that hoard their wealth,"

    "All the more reason to kill them all," Kita chuckles.

    Raya sighs, knowing it''s pointless trying to rationalize with Kita. "Remind me why we even need to save this kid in the first place,"

    "You don''t want to feel heroic?"

    "Is that really why you want to do this?"

    "... I just have a feeling the kid knows something. It''s weird, but I''ve seen two kids without souls in this life. I feel like I haven''t seen anyone without a soul in past lives,"

    "Jan doesn''t have a soul either?" Raya asks.

    Kita shakes her head, prompting Raya to go deep into thought. Massaging her temple and closing her eyes as she walks.

    "Hmmm. I think the dark one is planning something,"

    "What do you mean?" Kita asks.

    "I''m not sure yet. But I can''t remember a time when we ever met other soulless people,"

    "Seriously? This is a new thing?"

    "Mmm," Raya nods.

    "Well whatever it is, I don''t like it," Kita says. "This doesn''t sit right,"

    She barely knows the dark one. She has no idea what he looks like, and yet, everything in her is worried about the signs she''s seeing. He''s consuming the souls of people, and it can''t be a coincidence that they''re both kids. He must be planning something. The void within her is screaming for her to stop him. To get her soul back and end all of this before it gets out of hand.

    There is no more room for failure.

    She needs to consume two hundred souls as quickly as possible when they arrive. If this war breaks out she''ll need as much power as she can''t get her hands on to get Jan out of there.

    The road to her soul becomes clearer as she pursues her instincts. She isn''t sure of the outcome but she still knows what she has to do.

    I have to kill the dark one.

 Chapter 20 - River City (Pt. 1)

    Kita and Raya walked for the past two nights with only a few hours of rest each evening. Fortunately, Raya''s good at timing the myst, so they haven''t had to worry about it since leaving Vhifet.

    Early this morning, they finally arrived in River City. The sun highlights the city edges as the multi-layered haven sits amongst the rapids of the river. The lowest platform has the city suspended on massive pillars that most likely extend down to the river bed. The two floors above the rest of the city are also held up by large support beams, with sloped walkways leading from the floors below to the ones above.

    Each story of the city is filled with houses and stores made of wood. With the marketplace on the third floor of the city, with wooden stores and smaller stalls amongst the streets.

    There are no tents here.

    Everyone is likely too wealthy for that. Each of the wooden homes is large enough to house at least two dozen people if the space was used for such, but it probably isn''t.

    The strangest thing is, Vlad and Chevo''s people are nowhere to be seen. Everyone passing by seems like a regular citizen, although they''re clearly wealthier than most.

    "I thought there was a war," Kita says.

    "It hasn''t started yet," Raya responds. "We''ll find Jan before it does,"

    "I don''t see anyone that would be one of Vlad''s or Chevo''s goons," Kita says, still scanning the area.

    "They''re here, somewhere," Raya says, looking up the large slope that leads to the second floor of the city. "In the meantime, we should find a hotel,"

    "Can we afford it?" Kita asks, gazing in the same direction.

    "Hopefully," Raya answers.

    As they make their way up to the first floor of the town, the streets and walkways are all dimly illuminated with light bulbs hanging from the floor above. The sun isn''t yet at its peak, but at the moment it''s at the right angle to shine light in through the side of the town. Creating a soft, golden glow throughout the city. Most of the buildings they pass are homes. Each has a unique design with different tones of wood for the front door. Some of them have artwork placed on or beside the door- on the outside of the house. It would look nice if the art wasn''t sealed off inside a large glass box.

    "Here we go," Raya says, pushing open the door of a house that extends up and through the floor of the second story. As she enters the building, she immediately notices the staircase leading up to where she''d just been looking.

    The lobby of the hotel is huge, splitting in three directions. The first leads to the front desk, where a pretty woman with short black hair and a formal uniform stands smiling at Raya and Kita. To the right is a restaurant with many wooden tables scattered around the room. There are very few people in it but it''s most likely ''not the time for lunch''- Kita''s stomach growls at the thought of getting something to eat.

    To the left is a hallway with many doors on either side. This is presumably the hotel part of the hotel. Kita noticed a hallway on the second floor too, also filled with room doors.

    "Hello," Raya says politely to the concierge.

    "Hi Ma''am, how can I help you today?" The concierge smiles.

    "We would like to book a room,"

    "Sure thing. We have a lovers package on special at the moment if that would interest the two of you,"

    Raya blushes at the concierge''s presumption, "We-"

    "Would love it," Kita interrupts, winking at Raya to make her more uncomfortable.

    "Excellent," The lady says, "The lover''s room is currently eighteen hundred coin,"

    "Woah," Kita stares in confusion. It''s the first time she''s heard of something so expensive.

    "How many nights is that for?" Raya asks, almost as bewildered as Kita

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    The concierge giggles, "One night of course,"

    Kita and Raya pass an awkward glance at one another. Without a word, they both agree that it costs far too much.

    "Do you have anything cheaper?" Raya asks, trying to hold her embarrassment at bay.

    "Our cheapest one bedroom is twelve hundred coin, Ma''am,"

    "Per night?" Kita asks.

    The concierge nods her head. Prompting Kita and Raya to glance at one another again, this time they both shrug- figuring it''s the best option.

    "We''d like the room for twelve hundred, please," Raya asks politely before reaching into her bag to take out a few pouches of coin.

    Without much warning, Kita feels a sudden urge within her. A longing that''s tugging at the void of her soul. It''s much more intense than she''s mentally prepared for and in her attempt to look at Raya for assistance, she doesn''t see Raya''s blue hair. But the pure white hair of a woman about Kita''s height.

    In her confusion, she tries to locate Raya. Turning her head to scan the hotel lobby but only to find walkways of greenery all around her. The lady with white hair is standing at a stall, in what seems to be a marketplace.

    She can feel her memories shifting. Her mind is transitioning into this unknown set of circumstances. She can barely remember what she was doing- all she remembers is that she was in a hotel.

    Hotel. She tells herself, trying to cling to her memory. Hotel. Hotel.

    "Kita?" The lady with the white hair asks.

    Kita ignores it, repeating the word in her mind.

    Hotel.

    "Kita!" The lady''s voice calls out more forcefully. Pulling Kita''s attention.

    The lady glares at Kita, with her deep, brown eyes and skin like Kita''s. It''s almost like looking in a mirror, except the mirror reflects an older, slightly more tanned image. Kita glances down at the lady''s hand, which is outstretched and signalling Kita to place something in it.

    "Mom?" Kita asks, knowing the answer but too dazed to process it without confirmation.

    Hotel. Her mind echoes, trying to remind herself of the situation but as she recalls the word, she struggles to relate it to anything. Why am I thinking about a hotel?

    She can feel a distant memory fading away as she tries to latch onto the word- Hotel. But despite her efforts, it''s futile. She presumes it''s one of those cases in which repeating a word many times causes the word to sound strange.

    That''s the best explanation she can muster up.

    "Daughter?" The lady asks sarcastically, prompting a chuckle from Kita.

    Kita remembers what she was doing, and reaches into the basket at her hip to pass a few large fruits to her Mother.

    "If I didn''t know any better, I''d think you''re going crazy, Kita," Her Mother chuckles.

    "Sorry," Kita says, "I was daydreaming again,"

    "What about?" Mom asks as she places the fruits on the counter of the stall.

    "I don''t know," Kita says, trying to recall any details. "Something about a hotel,"

    "A hotel?" Mom reiterates. "That''s a strange thing to daydream about,"

    Kita had partially hoped for answers but doesn''t know what kind of answers her Mother could give her. The void feeling still sits in Kita''s core but it isn''t as noticeable. Actually, it is as if it was never there, to begin with.

    Kita feels like she knows why she has this feeling, but she can''t put her finger on it. Her memory doesn''t serve her justice at this point and so her conclusion is simply hunger. A literal pit in her stomach that can easily be resolved with a meal.

    "I think I just need something to eat," Kita says.

    Mother hands Kita two, bright red fruits that create a satisfying crunching sound when Kita bites into them. It was definitely hunger. The feeling of the void slowly slips away as she concentrates on the sweet taste of the fruit.

    Her Mother finishes trading with the stall owner and places a few slices of bacon into the basket Kita is carrying. Kita glances into the basket to count the vegetables and meats that her Mother got in the end. They''re walking away with much nicer foods than they started with.

    "You''re good at this," Kita says, glancing up at her Mother who walks ahead of her with bright blue hair.

    Kita tilts her head in confusion, blinking her eyes trying to correct whatever vision or daydreaming this is. Upon opening her eyes, the face of a young woman is right in front of her, with both her hands on Kita''s shoulders. This startles her as she notices her Mother''s white hair walking away without her.

    "Kita!" The woman with the blue hair calls out to her.

    "Who are you?" Kita asks with frustration, slapping the blue-haired girl''s hands off of her shoulder as she looks past her in an attempt to keep an eye on her Mom.

    "I need to go," Kita says, desperately wanting to follow behind her Mother, but this blue-haired girl is stopping her.

    "Kita you need to wake up,"

    Kita ignores her, pushing her hands away as she follows her Mother who is walking from the hotel lobby into the restaurant.

 Chapter 21 - Twins [River City Pt. 2]

    "Kita, snap out of it!" Raya yells at Kita.

    A shiver passes down Kita''s spine as she sees the lady with white hair walking away. Her body slowly fades into the light behind Raya''s head as Raya''s voice suddenly warps Kita back to reality.

    She blinks a few times in confusion, wondering what just happened as the faint image of a village-like marketplace fades from her mind.

    "Mom," Kita mumbles, glancing over Raya''s shoulder as she recalls her white hair swaying ahead of her.

    But there''s no one there.

    "Are you okay?" Raya asks with concern in her voice

    "I-uhh," Kita stammers, trying to find the right words to describe how she feels but that''s the last thing on her mind right now.

    "We''ll be heading to the room," Raya says to the concierge at the front desk, reaching out to grab the key to the hotel room.

    "I just saw my Mom," Kita utters, still in a dazed state as Raya walks her down the hallway, to their room. "I look just like her,"

    Raya swings the room door open, squeezing Kita past her before guiding Kita to the bed and sitting her down.

    "Listen, Kita. I understand how important that is to you, but it''s a bad sign,"

    "What?" Kita''s head whips to Raya. "How?"

    "Your soul is calling to you, Kita,"

    "How''s that a bad thing?" Kita asks.

    "Because it''s close by," Raya says. "Don''t you feel it?"

    She does. The void within has felt more intense than ever before. It''s felt this way since they arrived in the city but Kita didn''t make much of it. She just figured she was feeling a little sadder than usual. But now that Raya mentions it, Kita can feel its calling. It draws her closer, and if it''s this nearby, that must also mean¡­

    "I can feel it," Kita says with a shudder in her voice.

    Raya''s attention suddenly turns away from Kita. Out of the corner of her eye, Kita can see Raya drawing a blade from her hip but doesn''t pay any mind to it.

    "The dark one is here too," She adds, looking up at Raya to find her facing off with two strangers who''ve somehow made their way into the room.

    "Who the hell are you?" Kita asks in a moment of panic as she stands to her feet.

    Twins. Two pale-skinned twins, both with golden locks and purple eyes, stood glaring at both Kita and Raya. Their eyes are emotionless and hypnotizingly beautiful. The young man has his locks flowing down to his shoulders, whereas his sister has a short side cut with a fluffy fringe covering her eyebrows. Both of them are dressed in abyssal clothing as if they''re designed for travelling amongst shadows.

    "Hurtful," The lady twin responds with a monotonous snarl.

    "How did you get in here?" Raya asks with frustration in her voice.

    "We''ve been following you since you arrived in the city," The brother answers.

    Raya steps forward with her dagger primed and ready to strike. But as her foot shuffles, both twins take a step back and raise their hands in submission.

    "We aren''t here to fight," The brother adds.

    "Sneaking into people''s bedrooms is a pretty good way to start a fight," Kita scoffs.

    "True," The sister scoffs in her monotonous voice.

    "Is that her thing?" Kita asks, slightly irked. "She speaks just one word at a time, huh?"

    Both the twins chuckle at Kita''s remarks.

    "Some things never change," The twin brother smirks. "My name is Alex. This is my sister Caity,"

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "What are you doing in our room?" Raya asks.

    "It''s a room for only two," Kita adds, trying to be cheeky.

    Caity simply points a finger at Kita.

    "We came to talk to her," Alex says.

    "Then talk," Kita says, still untrusting of these two room invaders.

    "Relax," Caity says, "We''re trying to help you,"

    "So she can speak like a normal person," Kita says.

    "Look, Chevo knows you''re in River City," Alex says.

    "So?" Kita scoffs.

    Both the twins glanced at each other in confusion before looking back at Kita.

    "He wants you dead," Caity says with a blunt, emotionless tone in her voice.

    "Why would Chevo want Kita dead?" Raya asks.

    Both twins'' eyes shift from Raya to Kita, expecting Kita to explain the situation. She suddenly feels anxious under the pressure of their gaze as they wait for an explanation she doesn''t have.

    "Well?" Kita asks, a little frustrated by her discomfort.

    "You don''t know?" Alex asks.

    "Hmmm," Caity mumbles.

    "Know what?" Kita asks.

    "To make a long story short. You were one of his assassins. He trained you many rotations ago, Aaand¡­ You stole from him and ran away," Alex says.

    "Huh?" Kita responds, stunned by this information considering she has no idea what Chevo looks like.

    "You were like family to him," Caity adds, "He doesn''t trust many people like he trusted you,"

    "So what, you came here for revenge or some shit? Jealous classmates?"

    Both the twins chuckle again, "He trusts us more than he ever trusted you, idiot," Caity quips.

    "We just wanted to check on you," Alex adds.

    "We were friends or something?" Kita scoffs.

    "Something like that," Alex says, scratching behind his head. "He used to send the three of us on jobs together,"

    "Hmph," Kita grunts, unable to recall any of what she''s being told.

    "What is Chevo doing in River City?" Raya asks.

    "Is that why you''re here?" Alex asks in return. "For Chevo?"

    "We''re here to help out a friend," Kita says.

    "A lot is going on right now," Alex levels with them. "It isn''t safe for you to be here,"

    "What am I, a child?" Kita barks. "I don''t need some strangers trying to babysit me,"

    "Same old Kita," Caity smirks, placing a few leaves into her mouth and chewing incessantly.

    "We''ll help you," Alex says. "What exactly are you doing here?"

    Kita glances at Raya, trying to get a read on what she''s thinking but Raya simply returns a shrug.

    "There''s a kid named Jan, he was about to get sold off by Vlad,"

    "A kid?" Alex raises an eyebrow. "Why would you care about some kid?"

    "I''m not the asshole you knew," Kita says.

    "You sure about that?" Caity asks, chewing obnoxiously with her mouth open.

    Kita raises her hand at Caity. Contemplating shutting up this cheeky woman. It''d be really satisfying to take her soul right about now.

    "Woah," Alex says, raising his hand and stepping in front of his sister to calm them both down.

    "We''ll help you find him," Alex adds. "Anything else we should know?"

    Kita lowers her hand, still eyeing Caity who''s now barely visible over Alex''s shoulder.

    "He''s soulless, like me," Kita responds.

    Both twins'' eyes widen with concern, "Shit," Alex mumbles under his breath.

    "What''s the problem?" Raya asks.

    "Chevo''s in River City because there''s some soulless kid he''s looking for," Alex answers.

    "What?" Kita asks, now more concerned about Jan. "Why would Chevo want a soulless kid?"

    "I don''t know," Alex answers.

    "This doesn''t sound good," Raya announces, now worried as well. "We need to figure out what''s going on,"

    "I agree," Alex nods.

    "Bands back together then," Caity jests.

    "Caity and I will go and see what we can find from Chevo. He''s been real secretive about everything but if we hear anything about Jan we''ll let you know," Alex says.

    "I was thinking we should invade Vlad''s group. Sneak in there and see what we can find," Raya says.

    "Ok," Alex confirms, "Let''s meet back here in two days with what we find,"

    "Hmm," Kita mumbles, starting at Caity, "I''m not so sure I trust you,"

    "Pfft," Caity scoffs, "We''re the closest thing you have to family,"

    "One invasive-ass family," Kita says, stepping forward in frustration. But Raya steps in front of her to subdue her irritation.

    "Alright," Raya nods, "We''ll meet you back here in two days,"

 Chapter 22 - River City (Pt. 3)

    "Do any of these assholes look like one of Vlad''s goons?" Kita asks as she and Raya walk through the first floor of the city, trying to figure out where Vlad''s group has been hiding.

    Many of the townspeople in River City are obviously wealthy. They all wear robes instead of regular clothing and most of their robes are navy blue with golden buttons or zippers sprinkled flashily amongst the outfit. Kita and Raya stick out like a sore thumb with the clothes they''re wearing, attracting a few distasteful glares from the rich citizens that pass them by.

    "No," Raya answers, "Unless his raiders dress in robes, I don''t see anyone else dressed like us,"

    "Shit," Kita scoffs. "How do we figure out where they are?"

    "You said they rob homes in Canyon City?" Raya asks.

    "Yeah, wealthy ones," Kita responds.

    "We''ll need to intrude on one of their robberies,"

    "Really? They''d be doing that even when there''s a war building?" Kita asks.

    "War is the best time to commit a crime," Raya says, "People care less about their property when their lives are at risk,"

    "Easier said than done," Kita says.

    "How did you find them in Canyon City?"

    "By accident. I just wanted to take some coin and a few souls. But, I intruded on one of their raids,"

    "Of course," Raya chuckles, "That seems to be the extent of your luck,"

    "Yeah Yeah, just point me in the direction of the wealthiest homes and I''ll use my ''luck'' to find them," Kita chuckles.

    "I presume the third floor of the city is where the wealthiest reside," Raya says pointing towards the slope that leads to the second floor.

    Kita and Raya make their way to the absurdly wide, glass ramp in the distance. Positioned at the edge of the city, it overlooks the expansive rivers flowing beneath the suspended city. Guards in white uniforms are peppered all over the place as they pass the homes, stores and hotels of the first floor. Those must be a pain to keep clean.

    "Do they count?" Kita asks, nodding her head in the direction of a few guards ahead of her.

    "What?" Raya asks.

    "Do they count as bad people? I can take their souls, right,"

    "Well, considering that they are law enforcement, they can''t exactly be considered bad people," Raya raises an eyebrow, smirking at Kita''s desperation. "But, it depends on who you ask,"

    "So, that''s a yes?"

    Raya laughs, "How many did you get from those raiders we put to bed?"

    "Put to bed," Kita chuckles, "God, what a strange way of saying you massacred a large group of people,"

    Raya shakes her head in her laughter, unable to find the air she needs to respond.

    "Is that what Royal families say when they conquer cities?" Kita laughs, "We lay over three thousand enemy soldiers to rest, sire," She announces with her formal voice.

    "That is exactly what it used to sound like," Raya holds her belly and haunches over. Sipping on air between her cackling.

    Kita smiles, enjoying the second-hand laughter from Raya. "Twenty-three," Kita replies.

    "Ooo," Raya replies, straightening her back and easing her laughter. "That''s usually a big one for you,"

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    Kita passes an embarrassed glance, surprised that Raya knows the digits in which Kita experiences more¡­ Pleasure.

    "Uhh," Kita stutters, "It¡­ was," She responds before planting her face into the palm of her hand.

    "Don''t be embarrassed," Raya teases. "You should see what happens at two hundred,"

    "Oh no," Kita sighs, "What happens,"

    "You''ll see," Raya chuckles.

    As they approach the glass ramp leading to the second floor, they notice a checkpoint at its base. Five armed guards are stood amongst two small gates, two of whom are checking the ID of entrants while the last three scouts are amongst those in the queue, presumably conducting searches on any suspicious individuals.

    "Crap," Raya scoffs, noticing the same thing.

    "Can we take them on?" Kita asks.

    "Most likely. But I don''t want us drawing attention to ourselves,"

    "Hmm," Kita mumbles, "I can make us go invisible,"

    "I''d prefer you hold onto those souls," Raya says, "We''ll need them when we find Vlad,"

    "Then what''s the plan?"

    "There is nearly nothing that coin cannot purchase," Raya winks. "We learn that in the royal family too,"

    As they join the queue to the checkpoint, they both try their best not to be conspicuous. There are a few other tourists in the queue as well, reducing the obvious difference between them and the general public. Kita glances over at Raya, scanning her from head to toe, then mumbling under her breath.

    "We''re going to get searched," Kita says in a monotonous frustration.

    "Why''s that?" Raya asks.

    "Have you seen yourself?" Kita raises an eyebrow. "You didn''t even cover up your hair,"

    "I''m not the only one with coloured hair," Kita scoffs, pointing at a man and woman with a green and pink haired combination,"

    "They''re getting searched," Kita says as a guard approaches the couple with the colourful hair.

    "Where are you from?" They hear the guard asking loudly, attracting a lot of attention in the process.

    The couple is flustered by his aggression as the man stutters his response, "We''re tourists,"

    "Where are you from?" The guard repeats, aggressively stepping closer to the man.

    "We roam," The lady answers, momentarily locking eyes with the guard as he menacingly glares at her.

    "IDs" The guard orders, towering over the nervous man.

    "We don''t¡­" The man swallows his words as he reaches into his back pocket to pull out a pouch of coin. "We were hoping to, uhm. Purchase a ticket,"

    "No tickets here. ID''s" The guard says sternly.

    "Oh, well then we should go," The nervous man stammers, putting the pouch back into his pocket.

    But the guard grabs his arm, and raises it up before squeezing it so tightly the man releases his grasp on the pouch. The guard takes the pouch from the panicked man''s hand and lets go of his arm.

    "No ID, no entry," The guard says, putting the pouch into his own pocket and turning to walk away from the couple.

    "W-wait," The man calls out, trying his best to speak confidently, "I need that,"

    Before the man can react, a cracking sound rips through the checkpoint. Everyone reacts with a startled gasp as the guard clobbers the man in the face with the butt of his rifle.

    The man drops to the floor, whining as he clutches his bloody nose with his hand. The lady he was with drops to her knees to attend to the man as she looks back up and yells, "How must we pay for healing? That is our money!"

    The guard stops in his tracks, sighing as he turns to face the woman crouching beside her partner.

    Kita glances at Raya and notices the twitch in her eye as she glares with rage at what is most likely to ensue. If Kita didn''t know any better, she''d assume the guard is going to take out a first aid kit and kneel beside the man whilst apologizing for his action.

    But, she knows way better than that.

    "What?" The guard says, now slowly walking towards the lady. "Scum like you isn''t allowed on the second floor," He adds, strapping his weapon behind his back and grabbing the dense Baton at his waist.

    Raya steps forward. Thinking about going to aid the couple but also contemplating the effects it will have on her plan. She just said they shouldn''t draw any attention. Participating in that will definitely draw attention.

    "That is all the coin we have!" The lady cries out, but the man raises his bloody hand to grab his partner''s shirt to draw her attention. She looks down to see him shaking his head as he whispers something- Probably along the lines of ''Shut the hell up''.

    "You cannot treat us this way!" The lady bellows, ignoring her husband''s warning.

    Before anything else is said, another crack whips through the area. The guard''s Baton colliding with the woman''s chin as she almost drops to the floor. Using her arms to catch herself.

    "Say it again," The guard says, raising his Baton to smack the lady.

    "Yes," Raya says, still staring at the guard.

    "Huh?" Kita grunts.

    "They count,"

 Chapter 23 - River City (Pt. 4)

    A loud snapping sound rings throughout the checkpoint of the ramp to the second floor of the city. The guard''s baton having smacked into the woman''s back as she assumes a fetal position on the ground, using her hands to cover her neck.

    She whines in pain whilst her partner tries his best to get onto his knees and protect her from the guard''s attacks. But all he does is put himself in harm''s way when the baton crashes into his skull, throwing his head against the ground.

    Both of them are bruised and bleeding as they lay on the ground, wincing in their attempts to move their body. As the guard raises his baton to beat them again, a woman''s hand grabs his arm before it can strike.

    Kita glances to her side to see Raya has snuck away during her spectating and then glances back at the guard to see Raya''s blue hair wafting in the wind as she holds the guard''s arm.

    "This just got interesting," Kita says under her breath, turning her head to notice Raya has caught the attention of the two other guards.

    "How dare you!" The guard yells at Raya.

    She chooses to respond by snapping a quick punch to the guard''s gut. He hunches over, struggling for his breath before another swift punch crashes into his nose. Raya releases his arms allowing him to lose his footing and fall to the floor. Like a magic of its own, Raya is suddenly holding the pouch of money and playfully tossing it in the air with a satisfied grin plastered on her face.

    Kita eyes the approaching guards and starts walking towards the incident, trying to cut off their path to Raya.

    "Excuse me," Kita says, putting on a panicked voice as she steps in front of them.

    "Out of the way," One of the guards orders.

    "Something is happening over there," She adds, pointing in the opposite direction of where Raya is.

    Both guards turn their heads to the crowd, prompting Kita to grab both of them by the face. The guards raise their arms to react but Kita has cast her spell.

    Consume.

    Kita successfully hides the clouds of smoke escaping their mouths as they lose consciousness and fall to the floor. The civilians around her all step away from the downed guards, isolating Kita in a circle with their two bodies laying on the floor. Twenty-five.

    Kita turns her head in the direction she''d pointed. Noticing four more guards heading in their direction amongst the scattered observers.

    "Raya!" Kita yells across the crowd, grabbing her attention and then pointing to the approaching guards.

    Raya confirms the information with a quick nod before tossing the pouch beside the beaten man attending to his wife.

    "Leave," Raya instructs the couple. Receiving a grateful nod from the husband as he lifts his wife to her feet and supports her as they stumble away.

    Kita wouldn''t mind taking on a few more. She''s itching for a fight.

    What should I use on them? Kita wonders, trying to come up with a new spell.

    She thinks about casting a simple slice spell but then notices the crowd of people she would harm in the process.

    Damn. This would be way easier if she didn''t make that whole commitment to improve herself.

    "We''ll lose them on the second floor," Raya says, suddenly standing by Kita''s side. "Well take out the guards at the gate,"

    They both dash to the gate where two guards were standing, checking IDs and providing entry. But, they noticed Kita and Raya''s participation in the commotion. They have their rifles raised in their direction.

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    "Stop right there!" yells one of the guards, aiming down the sights of his rifle.

    Civilian casualties will be inevitable if they start firing. Kita places her hand on Raya''s shoulder and decides to try something new.

    "What are you-" Raya stammers.

    The both of them momentarily blink in darkness before they find themselves halfway up the ramp.

    "- doing?" Raya stutters as her face turns pale.

    Kita turns her head to see the back of the two guards, now flustered by them suddenly disappearing as their heads rapidly scan the area trying to locate them.

    "Nice," Kita says, excited by her new trick.

    "Teleportation?" Raya mumbles.

    "Yep," Kita chuckles. "How''d you like it?"

    "A warning would have been nice," Raya says, still trying to deal with her discomfort.

    It worked perfectly. But, Kita can feel the mass reduction in available souls- It cost twelve. It would be useful to know how much a spell costs before casting it. But, she''s presumed it doesn''t work that way.

    As they reach the top of the ramp, Kita glances behind her again and notices four guards making their way onto the ramp to give chase. Fortunately, there isn''t a checkpoint at the top, allowing them to slip into the crowd. Raya gracefully unravels a lady''s headscarf as she runs past them, and uses it to cover up her hair and the lower part of her face. She slips another one and hands it to Kita.

    "Cover up," She says.

    Kita quickly covers her head and face with the scarf and both of them stop running and walk casually amongst the crowd. As Kita comes to a sudden halt, the skid of her boots prompts her to glance at the ground.

    It is tiled in one enormous piece of white marble. Glittering as bits of sunlight reflect amongst the waving details. She looks up to notice all of the buildings are covered in light grey marble, with gold lining the edge of each building.

    "Holy shit," Kita says, basking in the sheer wealth gap between the first and second floors. The majority of the people on this floor are wearing sunkissed thoub''s, glistening like a muted gold. With a few of the Navy blue robes sprinkled as a minority amongst them. The occasional tourist in regular clothing can be seen too- They probably have IDs.

    Raya taps Kita on the arm, tilting her head in the direction of a store. They both scurry through the door, momentarily startled by the jingle of a bell.

    "Welcome," Says a middle-aged woman, smiling to flare her golden teeth. "What can I do for you?"

    Kita glances around the store trying to get an idea of what the place is for. There are shelves full of specialized jars carrying a plethora of plants and flowers.

    "Woah," Kita and Raya both mumble as they ogle at the spectrum of colour painting the store.

    The store owner''s smile grows bigger, "Quite the sight, isn''t it?"

    "I thought all of the vegetation had gone extinct," Raya says.

    "We have the finest remnants of the past, in the City of Water," The owner says as she walks over to them. "Many of them can be used for consumption or even healing. Whilst others can be nurtured to grow and share their place in your family," she chuckles. "Like that of a pet,"

    Kita walks over to a jar that catches her attention. A crimson flower with a green stem extending into a small plume of dirt stands tall as it hypnotizes her with the spiralling formation of its petals. Her eyes travel the pathway as it leads her to the centre.

    "That one is more of the pet variety- It is called a Rose," The lady says.

    "Rose," Kita mumbles, entranced by the bright, blood-red head of the flower. Noticing the name engraved on a gold plaque at the base of the display.

    "Feel free to look around the store," The lady says, "And let me know if you would like to see the ones in the back," She adds before walk-in away to attend to her other clients.

    Kita takes a step back to take in the whole shelf. So many colours and sizes. Light blue, pink, and yellow with all sorts of gradients. White ones, green ones and so much more, all displayed like works of art in a gallery.

    At the bottom of the shelves, she notices large, steel boxes with a symbol imprinted on the face. Kita squints at them, as they ring familiar, but she can''t put her finger on it.

    "This is crazy," Raya says, still in awe of the life before her.

    "It all looks so familiar," Kita says.

    "Have you seen them in that village you dream about?" Raya asks.

    "Some of them," She answers, still glaring at the boxes.

    Raya steps beside her and follows her line of sight to the boxes below.

    "Those look familiar too?" Raya asks.

    "Yeah, I-" Kita suddenly remembers where she saw them. Vlad''s storage room. There was a massive room filled with steel boxes like these.

    Does Vlad own this store? Or does the store own him?

 Chapter 24 - Ms Eeve [River City Pt. 5]

    "She works with Vlad," Kita says, eyeing the store owner.

    "Her?" Raya asks, glancing over at the lady as she hosts a few clients, smiling at them with her gold plated teeth. "How do you know?"

    "Those boxes. Vlad had a supply room filled with them in Canyon City,"

    "Hmm," Raya responds, glancing between the boxes and the store owner as she presumably devises a plan.

    The bell of the front door dings, drawing their attention away from their discovery. They turn their heads to see a guard has entered the store. He''s breathing heavily and has his rifle in hand- he''s probably one of the four that were chasing them.

    They both turn their heads back to the shelves of flowers ahead of them, analyzing the plant life but constantly peeking over their shoulder to track the guard as he walks towards the till. Their headscarf should keep them unrecognizable if he doesn''t see their faces.

    "Hello there, officer," The store owner greets him heartily. "How can I help you?"

    "Sorry to bother you, Ms Eeve," The guard says politely- who''d have known these guys have a shred of decency in them. "Have you seen any suspicious individuals recently?"

    "Do my guests seem the suspicious type to you?" Ms Eeve asks, raising an eyebrow and frowning at the guard.

    "N-no, Ma''am," The guard stutters, "I do not mean to insult your clients, I-"

    Ms Eeve walks over to the guard too meet him in the centre of the room. Her high-heeled shoes clatter against the floor with each step she takes as she approaches the guard in frustration.

    She steps up to him and lowers her voice, and whispers to him.

    "What is she saying," Kita asks under her breath.

    "I don''t know," Raya answers.

    "Everything is in place, Ma''am," The guard says loud enough for them to hear.

    "Excellent," She says, turning to walk back to the till. "Leave my store,"

    "Yes, Ma''am," The guard nods before raising an eyebrow and glancing over at Kita and Raya, who suspiciously turn their heads back to the shelves.

    Shit.

    The guard looks back at Ms Eeve, opening his mouth to say something but then looks back at the scarves of Kita and Raya. Then chooses to exit the store instead of causing a commotion in Ms Eeve''s store.

    "We need to see what''s in the back," Raya says.

    "Yeah," Kita grunts.

    They both walk over to the till, queuing behind a few clients. Once they reach the desk, Ms Eeve glances at the both of them before asking, "Did nothing take your fancy?"

    "Actually, we''d like to see what''s in the back," Kita says.

    Ms Eeve smiles, "Excellent, make your way through the door," She says, pointing to a door behind her. "I will join you shortly,"

    They both nod and walk to the door she''d pointed to. Once they pass through it they enter an empty room with another door at the other end. A private security guard is seated in front of it, with a much higher-quality weapon on his lap as he reads a small book.

    He glances up at the two of them, raising an eyebrow before closing his book and rising to his feet. The man is like a giant, muscular thumb- his body towers over Kita and Raya as he straps his gun over his shoulder. Shaking the floor with the two steps he takes to cross the room.

    "I''ll have to conduct a search," The guard''s deep voice rumbles.

    "Uh, ok," Raya says, raising her arms. Kita follows suit and the man pats them both down. Drawing a blade from Raya''s pants.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The man scans the inscriptions on the dagger and admires the silver handle with patterned bevels at the grip.

    "Nice blade," The man says. "It will be returned once you exit,"

    "Thanks," Raya says as he proceeds with the search. Finding nothing else, he moves on to Kita, who has nothing on her.

    "You''ll leave your bags here," The man grunts, "They will be returned once you exit,"

    They both nod and remove their backpacks. Leaning them against the wall as the man removes a ring of keys from his pocket, and unlocks the door.

    It swings open and the man gestures for them to enter, "Happy shopping," He says.

    They step into the dimly lit room to find a single table in the centre. It has a small, three-level stand in the middle that showcases twelve different coloured tablets. All lit by soft light within the table below.

    Each section holds hundreds of tablets of the same colour. Each one of them is transparent, their hues appear as tinted glass with a glow passing through the centre of them- As if they each hold a star within them.

    Kita can feel a pull from them. It''s subtle but noticeable. She feels the need to eat them- she just knows they''ll feel great.

    "What are these?" Kita asks.

    "They seem to be medicine," Raya says, walking around the table.

    "They are beautiful, aren''t they," Ms Eeve says, as she enters the room. "Quite mesmerizing," She chuckles. "We''ve spent a very long time perfecting the dosage of each of these pills. You see, each one is a perfect blend of ingredients that have required much struggle and pain to create. But, the sacrifice has allowed us to create the next stage of humanity,"

    She takes one of the pills from the stand, holding it up into a beam of light from the ceiling. The light passing through it brightens the glow in the centre of the pill. "I call them. Evolution,"

    "So they are medicine," Raya says.

    Ms Eeve chuckles. "Medicine is an archaic technology,"

    "Then what are they," Kita asks.

    "Immortality," She responds, dropping the transparent blue pill into Kita''s hand. It''s warm to the touch. An energy lies within it that she feels more drawn to now that it''s so close.

    "It calls to you, doesn''t it?" Ms Eeve asks, with a grin on her face.

    Kita looks at Ms Eeve and then drops her eye contact. Discomforted by the read Ms Eeve has on her. She puts the pill back onto the stand and says nothing.

    "Sounds too good to be true," Kita says.

    "Death is a curse we''ve only just broken," Ms Eeve responds.

    "How much is it?" Raya asks, picking up one of the pills to hold in the light.

    "Seven hundred and fifty thousand coin,"

    "For the rack?" Raya asks, startled by the price.

    "For one," Ms Eeve smirks.

    "How many does someone need?" Kita asks.

    "They would only need one every fifteen thousand rotations. With it, your body will be capable of healing itself under any circumstances. It will stop ageing, and revert one''s body to its prime,"

    "This can''t be real," Raya says.

    "Buy one, and find out for yourself," Ms Eeve quips.

    "Most of you clients can make such a purchase on a whim?" Kita asks.

    "Not all of them," She responds, "It is a new product. One that will take time to prove itself,"

    "Unfortunately, we aren''t quite ready to spend such an amount," Raya says, "But we may return once it has proven itself,"

    "very well," Ms Eeve nods. "But be prepared to pay more than triple the original price,"

    "Triple?" Kita stammers.

    "It is a miracle drug," Ms Eeve chuckles, "The current price is nowhere near its true value,"

    "Then we will prepare ourselves," Raya says, "Thank you for the display,"

    "It is a pleasure," Ms Eeve says, gesturing for the two of them to exit the room.

    They collect their bags in the next room, and Raya receives her dagger from the guard. Ms Eeve escorts them to the front door of the store. Before opening the door, she bows.

    "Please, come back anytime,"

    "We''ll be waiting to hear news of the miracle drug," Raya says.

    Ms Eeve smiles at Rayas comment before looking into Kita''s eyes. Locking in an intense, momentary glare before she adds, "You have wonderful eyes,"

    "Uhh," Kita stammers, "Thank you,"

    "I''d love to add them to my collection," Ms Eeve chuckles as she opens the door.

    Kita awkwardly chuckles without responding as she makes her way out of the store. Raya follows behind, passing one last nod of appreciation to Ms Eeve.

    As the door closes behind them, four guards step out from the passing crowd with their rifles raised.

    "Hands in the air," The guard from earlier yells out.

 Chapter 25 - Red district [River City Pt. 6]

    Kita and Raya both raise their hands in the air at the request of the guard. He must have recognized them in the store and waited out here for them to exit.

    Cheeky.

    Kita glances at the four guards surrounding them, then briefly glances at the rifles in their hands. Using her remaining thirteen souls wouldn''t be ideal right now. She''d much rather consume theirs, but she can only take two at a time. The busy street of civilians clear the way for the guards to handle the situation. A few meters away, there are swarms of people gawking and spectating.

    She passes a look over to Raya, who is standing focused on the four guards. She probably has a plan, but since Kita doesn''t know what it is she opts into improvising.

    "Kita," Raya says as Kita steps forward to make a move. "I think I know how to find Vlad," She says, staring at the guard who had entered the store and spoken to Ms Eeve.

    Kita looks at the guard, before nodding to herself and prioritizing the other three guards.

    "I got two," Kita mumbles under her breath.

    With her hand raised she targets two of the guards ahead of her, and casually casts a consume spell. As the black smoke escapes their bodies, Raya throws her blade into the third guard''s forehead before he can fire his weapon. The bodies of all three guards drop to the floor in sync as Kita then steps beside Raya and casts a shield. Catching twelve bullets that are fired by the fourth guard in rapid succession. As he reaches to reload his weapon, Raya steps out of the shield and kicks the gun out of his hands. Kita then raises her hand at the guard-

    "No!" Raya yells, "You only have fourteen,"

    Raya proceeds to punch the guard in the nose, causing a stream of blood to flow down as he clutches his nose in his hands.  But Raya doesn''t allow it and pushes away both of his hands to punch him in the nose again. The guard falls to the floor, groaning in agony as Raya crouches down to grab him by the shirt.

    "Where''s Vlad?" Raya says, raising her fist to punch his nose again.

    "Fuck you," The guard spews.

    "You didn''t talk to Ms Eeve with that potty mouth," Kita says.

    "Where''s Vlad?" Raya asks again before punching the guard in the nose.

    "Fuuuck!" The guard yells, "It''s already broken, bitch!"

    "Duhh," Kita jests as Raya raises her fist again. "Just tell us where Vlad is," Kita says. "Or that nose of yours will be left beyond repair,"

    "He''ll fucking kill you little pieces of-"

    Raya punches him in the nose again, this time letting the man''s body fall to the floor. He wails in pain as he hesitantly holds his hands above the river of blood.

    "We''d rather not be violent," Raya says, unsheathing her dagger.

    "I think it''s too late for that," Kita says.

    "He''s here. On the second floor," The guard says, holding a hand up in submission whilst the other one is at his nose. "Please. There''s no need for that knife,"

    "Where on the second floor?" Kita asks.

    "In shop two six three,"

    "What?" Kita asks.

    "It''s a store number," Raya says, glancing above the doors in the surrounding area to see triple-digit numbers above each.

    Raya stands up from her crouched position and sheathes her dagger. "How many raiders did he bring with him?"

    "A couple hundred," The guard answers "If I''m not mistaken, he brought almost all of them,"

    Raya looks over at Kita, then tilts her head, signalling Kita to deal with him. Kita raises her hand at the guard on the floor, smiling before saying- "Thank you for your cooperation,"

    Fifteen.

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    Amongst the bewildered spectators, Kita and Raya notice a few more guards shoving their way through the mayhem. They both flee the scene, keeping their face covered with their headscarves as they squeeze their way through the crowd.

    Kita peeks over her shoulder at Ms Eeve''s store- six two five. Kita notes.

    They both start walking to blend in. As they pass the stores they peer above the front doors, noting the number as they try to find the store with Vlad''s people.

    Five-fifty.

    Five thirty-two.

    "It''s on the other side of the city," Kita says.

    "It looks much less busy on that side," Raya responds.

    It certainly isn''t as busy as it is over here. The end of the walkway splits to the left and the right, where more stores are positioned overlooking the river on the edge of the city. As they arrive at this part of the walkway, a red glow beams from the stores and onto the path ahead of them. The stores have women and men standing in the mirrors, playfully waving as Kita and Raya pass by.

    "Ah, of course," Raya says.

    "Oh wow," Kita says, admiring all of the eye candy that''s teasing her as they walk by. "Do we need to find Vlad right now?" She asks.

    "Yes," Raya says, rolling her eyes.

    "We can take a break though,"

    "You really can''t restrain your lust?"

    "Look at her ass and tell me about lust," Kita says, pointing at a nude woman in the window. "Or even his, since you prefer men,"

    "How do you know I prefer men?" Raya asks.

    "I figured we''d have had sex by now if you didn''t," Kita chuckles.

    Three seventy-one.

    Three twenty.

    "It''s just up here," Raya says.

    As they approach store two sixty-three, they notice the windows hide the interior with velvet curtains, and the door is closed up with a bell beside it.

    "See anything?" Kita asks as Raya tries to peek through the gaps in the curtains.

    "No," she responds.

    "Let''s go inside," Kita says, walking over to ring the bell.

    "Wait," Raya grabs her hand before she does. "We don''t know what''s in there,"

    "Well, hopefully, Vlad is,"

    "Sure, but we can''t just walk in there looking for a fight," Raya says, "There could be too many people to deal with. And you only have fifteen souls,"

    "Lend me some of yours," Kita says, smiling with a little too much excitement.

    "No," Raya scoffs, "These souls would go to waste in your hands. We need to blend in, and go in there looking like rich, sex-obsessed clients,"

    "So, sex isn''t off the table, Princess?"

    Raya blushes, slapping Kita''s hand away from the bell. "Shut up, and listen,"

    Kita focuses her hearing on the sound of a rumbling, consistent kick.

    "What is that?" Kita asks.

    "Music," Raya answers. "There''s a party in there and something tells me it isn''t very savoury,"

    "Huh?" Kita grunts.

    "It''s a sex party, Kita,"

    "Look, I''m all about a good session. But I''m not getting dressed in latex or whatever to go in here," Kita raises an eyebrow.

    Raya sighs, stepping away from the door. "We need to look like wealthy clients. Not sex workers,"

    "Ooo," Kita hums, nodding her head. "You sure I can''t just take all of their souls," She chuckles. "They''re all heathens in God''s eyes, right?"

    "What makes you think you''re worthy of doing god''s bidding?" Raya jests as they walk away from Vlad''s store.

    "I''m an angel," Kita states.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    Kita and Raya return to Vlad''s store in navy blue robes with the occasional golden accent. They''re dressed like locals from the first floor because clothing from the third floor is way too expensive. The store owner said that the second and third floor''s clothing is made out of some special material called ''silk''. They almost charged Kita and Raya eight thousand coin for one outfit.

    So, first-floor clothing will have to do. It has them blending in much better, and they still have their headscarves to cover up any identifiable features.

    "Ready?" Kita asks.

    "Yeah, but you need to remember that we aren''t here to fight. We just need to figure out where Jan is,"

    "Sure," Kita dismisses as she rings the bell at the front door of Vlad''s shop.

    A hand-sized window opens at the top of the door and the eye of a man peeks through as his low voice rumbles. "Business or pleasure?"

    Kita glances over at Raya before mumbling, "Uhh, pleasure,"

    The man seals the window, leaving them in silence.

    "Was that the wrong answer?" Kita sighs, but the door begins to creak loudly.

    The subtle kicking of music starts to blare. She can make out the melody of the song as it passes through the gap in the dense, bunker-esque front door.

 Chapter 26 - River City (Pt. 7)

    Kita and Raya step through the door and into a completely empty store. It has red lights shining from the bulbs in the ceiling and a chair posted by the door.

    At the opposite end of the room are two doors, currently closed, but Kita can hear the low rumble of the music that Raya was talking about. After a quick search, the bouncer leads them to the opposite end of the room and opens the door for them. Allowing the music to start blaring through the store. The melodies and rhythms are now completely audible as Kita starts bobbing her head to the sound.

    "Happy shopping," The bouncer says, gesturing for them to head down the stairs.

    Kita smiles awkwardly and nods at the bouncer.

    The staircase leads them to the basement of the store- positioned somewhere between levels one and two of the city. The rapid flash of strobe lights momentarily blinds Kita before she raises a hand to cover her eyes. The music, now much louder than before, bumps and rattles the entire room as a plethora of people jump and cheer in sync.

    Along the sides of the room are curtained-off, private sections. That''s where you do the dirty dirty.

    They both step towards the party and glance around the room to see if they can find Vlad or any signs that they could follow.

    "I''ll get us a booth," Raya yells amongst the booming music before she walks off.

    Kita steps a little closer to the crowd in the middle of the basement. She scans the bodies of a few of the participants before she realizes that they are all naked. Making out, grinding and fornicating on the dance floor as the music creates a collective rhythm. With each flash of the strobes, the neon paint on their bodies acts as clothing on their bodies, momentarily concealing their groping.

    Surprisingly, Kita isn''t very turned on by all of this. It seems fun and all, but she prefers her sex dungeons to be a bit more intimate. Just a handful of people, tops.

    The music can stay too.

    Kita glances over to where she''d last seen Raya to find her waving from one of the booths.

    "Where would we find Jan?" Kita asks as she takes a seat beside Raya.

    "I don''t know," She responds. "This isn''t what I was expecting,"

    "Hello there," The soft voice of a gorgeous, nude, blonde lady says, as she steps in front of Kita and Raya. Her breasts are covered in a dark blue paint made to look like the first-floor clothing Kita and Raya are wearing. And she stands ahead of them in such a manner that her plump bottom perks out as she ''conceals'' her privates.

    "Uhh," Kita stammers.

    "Hi," Raya says, raising an eyebrow at Kita''s entranced state.

    "Would you ladies like some company?" She asks sweetly.

    "Y-yes please," Kita says as she looks into the girl''s deep brown eyes

    "No, no-" Raya interjects, "We''re fine, thank you,"

    "You sure?" The lady asks as she bends over to rest her hands on the table- Brushing her shoulder against Kita''s "She looks like she could use some special care,"

    Kita nods in agreement as they both look at Raya in an attempt to convince her. The lady caresses Kita''s cheek before softly placing her thumb on Kita''s lips.

    "Maybe later," Raya responds.

    "I''m not sure she can wait that long," The lady responds as she slowly slides her thumb into Kita''s mouth. Subtly sliding it forward and backwards as she touches Kita''s tongue.

    "Alright," The lady responds with a big smile, "Maybe we can have some fun another time," She says as she looks into Kita''s eyes and slides her thumb out of Kita''s mouth.

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    "Have a great evening," The lady says as she slowly walks away.

    "God, you have no self-control," Raya says, rolling her eyes.

    "Huh?" Kita mumbles, still captivated by the view as the woman walks away.

    "Paying a sex worker would be the easiest way to have you killed," Raya chuckles.

    As Kita watches the woman approach another table, the Lady gets a much better response. She takes a seat in the booth, beside a man and woman who both grin with excitement and the lady closes the curtain- but not all the way. Through the sliver that remains, Kita notices them all stand-up and walk through the curtain at the back of the booth.

    "What?" Kita says in reaction to what she''s seen.

    "Everything okay?" Raya asks.

    Kita stands up to close the curtains of their booth before she steps up onto the seating and walks to the back of the box. She slowly separates the curtains to reveal another box, identical to the one they''re in.

    "Y''know, prostitutes could teach you more than you give them credit for," Kita chuckles.

    "Huh," Raya grunts as she looks across at the empty booth within their booth.

    Kita steps over to the seating, and walks up to the curtain, slowly cracking an eye-sized gap to take a peak. Her shoulders drop before she swings open the curtains to reveal another basement, equally as big as the one hosting the party, stacked with metallic boxes.

    Kita looks beside her to see if there are other booths, but she only sees the continuation of the wall, marking their booth as the only entrance.

    "Hole shit, I''m lucky," Kita grins.

    "You''ve literally died hundreds of times," Raya quips.

    "Maybe that''s just part of my grand plan, Princess,"

    "Those are the same boxes in Ms Eeve''s store," Raya says as she stands up to walk across the booth. "What''s inside them?"

    "Time to find out," Kita says, glancing around the room before walking over to the nearest boxes.

    She slowly unclips the latches on a silver box the size of her torso. She momentarily tries lifting it, but the weight of the box doesn''t even budge. Slowly, she lifts the lid of the box to reveal two palm-sized jars beside one another. Comfortably placed amongst the padding of styrofoam.

    Kita raises an eyebrow as she reaches for one of the jars and lifts it into the light. As her eyes adjust, she feels an unnerving shimmer pass through her body.

    She knows what this is.

    "Is that-" Raya stammers with bulging eyes as she looks over Kita''s shoulder.

    It is.

    A morphing shadow is cast through the jar as thick, black smoke shifts within the confines of the glass. The nervous vibrations in Kita''s body start to grow as she realizes the stacks of boxes all contain the same thing.

    Souls.

    "Kita¡­ What do you think those pills are made of?"

    Kita says nothing, glaring at Raya with a strenuous expression.

    "If there are other soulless people¡­ Could they take souls as well?" Kita grows concerned.

    Raya says nothing and steps over to the box beside Kita. She reaches into her pocket and holds her hand up to the light. Between her fingers, shines the star-like pill of immortality.

    "You stole one?!" Kita exclaims and awkwardly regrets as her voice echoes through the room.

    "... Yes, I stole one," Raya rolls her eyes.

    "You preach a lot for a thief," Kita jests. "Are you a terrible person?"

    "They make these with innocent people''s souls. How am I the terrible one?"

    "How do you know they''re innocents? What if they''re the souls of, uhh- criminals,"

    Raya puts the pill back in her pocket and takes a jar out of the case to put it in her backpack.

    "Stealing some more, huh?" Kita judges with a grin on her face, enjoying Raya''s silent irritation.

    Raya scoffs, "We should get out of here before you get us caught,"

    "Ignoring me. Just like a terrible person would," Kita chuckles.

    "You''re so full of it," Raya says, trying to conceal her chuckle.

    They make their way back into their original both, closing the curtain behind them on their way in. Kita peeps through the curtain to see that no one is suspicious.

    They both walk out of the booth and make their way around the party. Their pacing rather suspiciously, but the bouncers pay little attention to them as they head to the exit.

    Kita feels a worrisome atmosphere overcome her as her mind completes the thought from earlier- Is this why they want Jan?

 Chapter 27 - Hes Here. [River City Pt. 8]

    As Kita and Raya make their way out of Vlad''s sex dungeon-club-storage facility thing, Kita can''t help but notice the tension in her body at the thought of Jan. Having found the bottled souls, it is becoming clearer to Kita that Jan is an essential piece in this puzzle.

    Her stomach starts to sink as the image of Jan appears in her mind. A heavy discomfort that feels as though her heart is beating far too intensely.

    You''re here. Chuckles the voice of a young boy in Kita''s mind. It''s great to see you again.

    The ever-increasing vibration translates itself to fear as she feels a shiver of panic flows down her back. She''s not sure why she''s scared. But, she knows she should be.

    Kita glances to her right, to see an abyssal doorway beneath the staircase. Already swung open, It''s inviting for all the wrong reasons. Pulling Kita as she feels her fear growing the longer she tries to see what''s among the nothingness.

    "Kita?" Raya pauses, standing at the base of the staircase before following Kita''s line of sight to the door. "What''s in there?"

    "I don''t know," Kita says, short of breath and trying to keep her composure.

    Come find out. The voice whispers in her mind, like a child toying with a pet. The familiarity of it rings in Kita''s mind as the image of Jan appears to her.

    "I think¡­ It might be Jan," Kita says, taking an anxious step towards the door.

    Raya follows behind her as they head into the darkness. As Kita''s eyes adjust, she can see the faint glow of a dying candle at the far end of the room, swaying as though a breeze had just passed through.

    Kita clutches her hands to fists. Trying to fight the overwhelming push of the room- Using fear to repel anyone''s curiosity.

    "Do you feel that?" Raya asks, balling her fists as well before taking a deep, shaky breath.

    "Y-yeah," Kita stutters.

    "I''m glad you noticed," Says the voice of the young boy. "I cast fear into rooms I don''t want people walking into,"

    Kita and Raya both follow the voice, turning around the see the silhouette figure of a kid, standing in front of the doorway. His body is pitch black, the faint rays of light streaming in from the doorway passes through his shadowed body as it whisps like smoke.

    "But of course, Kita walks right towards it," The boy chuckles.

    "Jan?" Kita asks, feeling his presence, but uncertain of his demeanour.

    "Jan?" The boys asks, "Something like that," He chuckles.

    "You''re his soul?" Raya asks, passing an anxious glance to Kita.

    "Not exactly,"

    "Then who are you?" Raya prys.

    "Kita?" The kid asks, "You''re awfully quiet," He takes a step towards her as he tilts his head in curiosity. "You don''t know what this is?"

    Kita takes a step back, shaking her head as the field of fear etches closer towards her.

    "Did you forget the last time?" The kid asks.

    "Last time?" Kita asks.

    "Last time I killed you," Jan''s soul flares an unnerving, narcissistic grin.

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    The memory of Kita waking up in the tipi engulfed in flames appears before Kita before it quickly fades and reveals the shadowy figure standing directly in front of her.

    "Slicing your brain in half worked better than I thought it would,"

    "You''re¡­ " Kita stutters, now knowing who she''s looking at. The familiarity of the weighing fear now makes sense as she recognizes him

    The dark one.

    The kid claps his hands mockingly, "Well done, Kita. Would you like a gold star?"

    "What are you doing here?" Raya queries.

    "Well, here isn''t exactly accurate. Since I can tell you haven''t got the whole picture, let me dumb it down for you." The kid chuckles. "I''m using ''Jan''s'' soul as a vessel. I''ve found that I have no need for assistants if I simply multiply myself,"

    "So, you''re not here?" Kita asks.

    "Seriously?" The kid sighs, planting his forehead into the palm of his hand. "I just told you I''m not,"

    Kita raises her hand, shrugging her shoulders. "So, what''s stopping me from consuming this vessel of yours,"

    "My theory is that you''re little friend will die," The kid giggles, "But I haven''t tested that yet, so let''s give it a try," He smiles, spreading his arms apart in submission to Kita.

    "Don''t let him fool you," Raya says, reaching an arm out to Kitas. "It''s not worth the risk,"

    "Who knows," Jan''s soul adds, "You might be able to consume it and give it back to him since he''s soulless anyway,"

    Kita keeps her arm raised, despite Raya''s hesitancy. She glares at the shadow, trying to get a read on what the truth might be- but she has nothing.

    "Who are you?" Kita asks.

    "Who am I?" The kid reiterates. "The person you hate most,"

    "Why did you take my soul from me!?" Kita yells in response to the vague answer.

    "Why do we do anything?" The boy asks as he lowers his arms. "Do you know why you''re here?"

    "To get Jan-"

    "No, Kita. Why you''re here," The boy emphasizes louder.

    Kita stares blankly, uncertain of what he means. He sighs upon reading the expression on Kita''s face.

    "This won''t be as fun if you don''t know anything," the kid exhales.

    "This is fun to you?" Raya scoffs.

    The kid tilts his head at Raya and glares at her before walking over to her.

    "Of course it is, Princess," Says the kid. "It''s part of a bigger plan, but why wouldn''t I enjoy myself along the way?" the kid chuckles.

    "You''re sick," Kita grunts. "That soul doesn''t belong to you,"

    "Why would you take the soul of a child?" Raya adds.

    "It turns out that you and I aren''t the only ones with magic," The dark one says, looking over at Kita. "Certain children have an affinity towards it too, and simply need to be awoken,"

    "So?" Kita scoffs.

    "So, gangs, cartels and the rich are all going to scramble amongst one another to seize control over their share of magic¡­ Their share of immortality,"

    "Children," Raya states, "They''ll be fighting over children,"

    "So observant," The vessel mocks. "Jan is only the beginning."

    "Why are you telling this to us?" Kita asks, frustrated by the satisfied look on the shadow''s face.

    "Because knowing hurts you more," The dark one replies. "It hurts you because a part of you knows this is all your fault, Kita¡­ You''ll soon learn that you''re right about that,"

    "I''m not the one taking innocent lives," Kita grits her teeth.

    "Aren''t you?!" The vessel yells, "Since when do you care about innocent lives? You''ve killed tens of thousands of people, Kita! Nothing will change that,"

    "I''m not her anymore," Kita bites.

    The dark one says nothing, and after a perplexed glare he simply laughs, and walks towards the doorway, "it''s clear you''ve forgotten why you began killing in the first place," He adds, "You''re no less of a monster than I am,"

    Jan''s soul begins to dissipate into a ploom of black smoke as his figure vanishes. In the same breath, the intense fear that plagued the room vanishes too- Prompting Kita to hunch over and exhale deeply, releasing all the tension in her body.

    "Are you alright?" Raya asks, having also just gotten control of her breathing.

    Kita briefly holds her breath, trying her best to power through the newly shed weight before standing up and scoffing.

    "Of course,"

 Chapter 28 - River City (Pt. 9)

    Now back at the hotel, Kita doesn''t know what to make of the dark one since their encounter yesterday. All she can think about is the immense fear that overwhelmed her.

    It was paralyzing.

    She had to muster up all the courage she had to even say anything. To simply respond to that¡­ thing-

    "Ah!" Kita yells, throwing a first through the air as she still doesn''t know who the hell it really is.

    The whole experience has made her feel so inferior. So far behind whatever the dark one is doing, it seems hopeless to try catching up.

    Why would he take the souls of kids? Just to wreak havoc? Is there more to his plan that Kita doesn''t see?

    The constant flurry of concerned thoughts is tiresome. She''d rather sleep through the prying of her mind, and the pain of remembering. As memories return to Kita, they simply remind her of how much she has lost. Flashes of people and places that she''s too late to save.

    She wants it to end.

    To free herself from the burden of this self-imposed responsibility. What reason does she even have to get her soul back? The memories are too painful to want, and the void within her has become familiar.

    The door to the hotel room creaks open as Raya''s oceanic hair wafts in as she carries two, small boxes of food.

    "It''s about time," Kita scoffs as she reaches over to snatch one of the boxes from Raya''s hands.

    Raya doesn''t waste much time either- Unravelling the packaging to reveal a dish of sticky, meat dumplings doused in a golden sauce and garnished with veggies.

    Kita''s mouth salivates as the smell of them drifts into her nose, allowing her to escape her mind''s obsession with the recent dilemma.

    "Still worried?" Raya asks.

    Kita looks up at her without saying anything. She doesn''t want to seem fragile, even though she knows she felt much more than Raya did in that room.

    Kita just shrugs and throws another dumpling in her mouth as she grunts some response. Presuming Raya will get enough of an answer.

    "I''ll take that as a yes," Raya adds.

    "I don''t think I can do this," Kita says as she slowly chews on her food. "I didn''t know he would be here,"

    Raya exhales and sits on the bed beside Kita.

    "What difference does it make?" Raya asks.

    "Huh?" Kita murmurs. "A pretty huge difference,"

    "How so?" Raya grins, "You were going to fight to save Jan¡­ What''s changed?"

    "I''m too weak," Kita sighs. "He didn''t even have to use his magic aggressively for it to restrict me,"

    "Then you need to get stronger," Raya responds.

    "I wish it were that simple,"

    "It is," Raya chuckles, "You have that magic too. You just need more souls,"

    Kita scrapes down another dumpling as she processes Raya''s words- She''s right, I need more souls. In her realization, Kita briefly contemplates consuming anyone''s soul. She committed to not harming innocents way before she met the dark one, and she still doesn''t feel totally attached to the idea despite it making sense morally.

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    Kita doesn''t need morals.

    "More souls, huh," Kita nods.

    "No harming innocents," Raya adds, "I will not allow it,"

    "I''ve already committed to being a Saint, Princess," Kita responds. "You still don''t believe me?"

    "A few moments ago, you had a look in your eyes. One that I''ve seen before,"

    "Aww, do you look into my eyes often?" Kita jests.

    "I''m serious, Kita," Raya says. "The dark one has a strange effect on you,"

    "What do you mean?"

    "I don''t know how to describe it," Raya shrugs, "But, you become the old Kita again,"

    "Last time I checked, that was the goal," Kita says.

    "I''m not here to help the old Kita. I''m here to help you become the new one,"

    "What''s wrong with the old me?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "I''ve known you for thousands of rotations, Kita. In that time, I have only met the dark one three times. Yesterday was the third," Raya closes her box of dumplings and puts them to her side before laying back on the bed, "In all that time, I''ve never seen you this calm after encountering him. Even when you had hundreds of souls available to you. The dark one would always get through to you and you''d always make a mistake,"

    "So taking souls from innocent people would be the mistake in this example?" Kita asks.

    "I believe so," Raya answers. "I don''t think you''ve ever been able to handle the weight of killing all those people,"

    "Princess, my goal is to get my soul back. But, as your friend and lover in the public''s eye, I will try my best not to harm anyone that is undeserving,"

    "Pfft, what makes you think you''d be a suitable partner for a Princess?" Raya asks.

    "Uhmm, look at me," Kita responds, running a hand through her hair and seductively smiling at Raya, "I''m eye candy,"

    Raya chuckles under her breath, "You''re not quite masculine enough,"

    "Want me to be a man, Princess?" Kita asks, putting on her best impression of a husky voice. "I can be whatever you like,"

    Raya laughs at the surprisingly low tone Kita managed to reach, "I''m sure your magic could convert you,"

    Kita chuckles at the thought of it before cringing. "It''s probably best if we never find out,"

    Raya gets off the bed to dig in her backpack and pulls out the jar of souls and immortality pill. She places them on the counter before sitting back down and glaring at them.

    "So, the dark one is taking the souls of children to give them magic," Raya says. "And powerful groups of people want the children because they can consume souls and create these pills,"

    "That''s what it seems," Kita says. "Such limited thinking,"

    "What do you mean?"

    "They have access to people who can do almost anything with the souls that they take, and yet all they want is to live forever? Here? In this world?" Kita scoffs, "Seems like a massive waste,"

    "Oh, and what would you do if you were them?"

    "Open a portal to another world, I don''t know- I''d just find a way to leave this place,"

    Kita places the empty box beside her, looking at the ground as she thinks of a reason the dark one would be doing all of this. Is it really just to get to me? To make me hate myself?

    Why did he take it?

    There will be a lot of deaths as a result of his plan. Raiders, assassins and the wealthy are already planning to profit from all of this. It doesn''t sit right with Kita. The whole time she thought she was a victim of the dark one but there''s something she''s missing. The dark one knows so much more than Kita remembers, surely she''s forgotten something important.

    Kita looks over to the jar and pill. Subtly entranced by the pull of the souls within them. A part of her craves a taste of the prototype candy, flowing with the fog of souls.

    "We need to know how Chevo fits into all of this," Raya says. "My guess is that he wants Jan too,"

    "Those twins are coming tomorrow. If they haven''t figured it out, I''ll never let that blonde bitch hear the end of it,"

    "Well, we''ve got some time to kill," Raya grunts as she stands up and walks towards the door. "How many souls have you got?"

    "Uhh, fourteen," Kita replies.

    "Time to get more," Raya grins.

 Chapter 29 - River City (Pt. 10)

    Kita and Raya make their way through the bustling streets of the first floor as the sun sets beyond the river''s horizon. Shining through the gaps in the city, to provide the last remnants of warmth before the cold night.

    "What are we looking for?" Kita asks, glancing at Raya.

    "Suitable candidates," Raya chuckles, before pointing at what looks like the ugliest tavern in the city.

    "Ah," Kita nods, "I see plenty," She adds as she glances at all the civilians passing by.

    "Not them," Raya chides as she walks up to the entrance of the pub.

    As Kita approaches the entrance, she can hear the bustle of drunkards in the form of incessant yelling and tedious song. All-in-all, it sounds like a good time in there- If you can overlook the noise.

    As they enter, they''re greeted by a young lady in a flower-themed dress.

    "Hello there," The lady says, "Table for two or will ya'' be at the bar?"

    "Table for two," Raya answers.

    Kita looks around the wood-built store, with her first thought being- It''s ugly as shit in here. She scans the tavern to see wooden panels decorating every wall and counter in the place. The walls are decorated with small sculptures of various flowers. One of which is made of stone, and has a purple glow streaming through it like a river.

    A slightly older woman is standing on stage with another gentleman sitting at some large, black device with many white teeth spread across its front. The two on stage briefly look at one another before the woman gives a short countdown and begins singing. In tandem with her voice, a soft melody trickles from the black device, harmonizing with her as they perform a song.

    Kita and Raya both take a seat at a table near the music, and the same young woman in the flower dress walks over.

    "Can I get ya'' anythin'' to drink?" She smiles. "We got a lovely strawberry ale- freshly brewed,"

    "Sure," Raya says, "We''ll have two of those,"

    "Comin'' right up,"

    The waitress skips over to the bar counter where she passes along our order before posting back up in front of the door.

    "This is a good place to take souls?" Kita asks, glaring at the rowdy group of men behind her, who are all yelling at the top of their lungs to the excitement of their gambling.

    "There''s bound to be a few bad eggs in the city," Raya says, "This seems like the place they''d come to,"

    "I doubt it''s anyone''s choice to come here," Kita scoffs, looking around at the dishevelled drunkards making a ruckus. "The liquor must be quite delicious, then,"

    "Are you a fan?" Raya asks, "I''ve never seen you drink before,"

    "Eh, I dabble," Kita shrugs before admitting, "I''m more attuned to spirits than beer,"

    "Spirits are for those who drink to get drunk. Ale is for those who drink for pleasure," Raya winks, chuckling under her breath.

    "Pleasure?" Kita chuckles, "It must be very easy to pleasure you, then,"

    "What can I say- I''m a simpleton," Raya says before the flower dress waitress returns to their table with two pints of ale.

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    "Two strawberry ales," The lady says, smiling. "Will ya be ordering food?"

    "Let us get a few more drinks in us before we start thinking about food," Raya says, lifting the nearest glass to her face and taking a ''sip'' that depletes her pint by a third.

    "Your taste for alcohol is not very royal," Kita says.

    "My people understood the importance of drinking and being merry,"

    "Ah, is that wisdom you used when you would charge your army into battle with a flask in hand?" Kita jests.

    "I was an excellent commander," Raya says, lifting the glass to her lips to take another ''sip''. Kita follows suit and tastes the strawberry ale. The sweet scent and taste of strawberry is familiar to Kita. She can''t remember the last time she''s had an actual strawberry but she feels a dreamlike recollection of the fruity flavour with each sip before it is quickly replaced by the bitter taste of beer.

    The loud thudding of Raya''s pint glass smashing the table sends a jolt of shock through Kita as Raya then releases an obnoxious burp.

    "Another!" Raya yells, smiling at the flower-dressed lady who walks over and collects Raya''s glass.

    "During the age of the old humans, there were creatures that were believed to have lived in continental bodies of water," Kita says, "I''m not sure of the name of these creatures, but I do believe you are one of them,"

    Now a little less sober, Raya laughs a lot louder than she usually would at a joke of this calibre. The liquid has given her confidence already, which is unsurprising considering she downed the entire pint in three sips. Being the Princess of a nation and commander of an army must have been quite stressful for her to become this proficient at drinking.

    The young lady returns with another glass for Raya- bigger this time. "Since ya had the last one so quick. We got a big girl glass for ya,"

    "Thank you," Raya says, gleaming with excitement.

    "We''ve got the coin for this, right?" Kita asks, raising an eyebrow.

    "Sure," Raya answers, suspiciously glaring back as she takes a sip from her colossal glass.

    The Princess''s body is warrior-like and toned. Well defined, but not of the muscular variety. Yet Kita is still stunned as Raya heaves that glass to her lips, one-handed.

    "You achieve supernatural strength when you''re presented with alcohol?" Kita chuckles under her breath.

    Raya spits a tiny bit of alcohol in her attempt to suppress her laugh. And focuses on swallowing before answering. "It is quite the source of strength,"

    "Oh, yeah? What kind of strength?" Kita asks.

    "The mental fortitude kind," Raya grins, pointing a finger at her head. "Can''t allow the dark one into my head,"

    Convenient excuse, Kita smiles. Taking another sip of her drink. Having a way to shut the dark one out of her mind would be great, but she isn''t so lucky. Regardless of how she tries to ignore the feeling of the void her soul once filled, she''s always aware of it.

    "So, where are those souls?" Kita asks.

    Raya grins, taking a high swig of her ale before nodding as she looks over Kita''s shoulder. Kita follows her line of sight to a table of nearly a dozen, off-duty guards.

    "Great," Kita says, standing up to her feet. But Raya grabs Kita''s hand before taking a large gulp of the rest of her drink.

    "Let''s make it interesting," Raya adds.

    "Okay?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "No spells," Raya winks, "Except consume,"

    "What, you want this to be difficult?"

    "Noo¡­ Maybe- Look, you need souls and I want a good fight," Raya stutters, standing up to her feet. As she rises, her body sways like a leaf in a breeze before she whips herself upright. She''s drunk? And wants to fight? Those seem to be what she''s best at- Fighting and drinking. It''s no wonder she does them at the same time.

    Wait a second¡­

    If she functions on alcohol, that means-

    "Oi, how many times have you been drunk around me?" Kita asks, stunned by the realization.

    "Only when we were in danger," Raya chuckles, hiccuping afterwards and then winking at Kita.

    All Kita can do is laugh. Raya''s cute hiccup masks her performance well, but Kita''s pretty certain she''s drunk. Or drunker than usual¡­ unless of course, this is the usual, and Kita just hasn''t noticed.

    Kita looks back up to see Raya approaching the guards with no social awareness. They all glare at her as she encroaches on them with a look of fury in her eyes.

    "Come on then, Kita. Time to eat up,"

 Chapter 30 - River City (Pt. 11)

    "Where do you think you''re going?" Calls out one of the guards as Raya walks right up to him.

    "Please," Calls out the waitress with the flower dress, "No fighting inside,"

    The guard raises his hand and stands to his feet. Ignoring the waitress as he attempts to stop Raya before she gets any closer. In an instant, she whips a punch to his nose, causing him to stumble into his friends behind him.

    Kita watches in awe of the sheer balls Raya has to walk up to ten men and punch one of their friends in the face. It''s so badass but it''s also only something that drunkards would do.

    "Do you know who we are, girl?" One of the guards asks as the group of them stands up.

    "You''re under arrest," Another guard adds.

    "It''ll be you that''s resting when I''m done,"

    Kita jogs over to the ensuing fight, giggling as she positions herself beside Raya, who has her arms raised and legs planted in a defensive stance.

    "He said arrest," Kita blares in her ear.

    "I know. He said I need a rest,"

    Kita rolls her eyes, confirming that she''s never seen Raya this drunk before or they''d have died many times in the past.

    Wait, we have died many times in the past!

    "No spells except consume, right?" Kita reiterates.

    "Right," Raya smiles from cheek to cheek in anticipation.

    All of the guards step forward, including the one with the bloody nose. This is probably an example of how they''ve died in the past- Brawling in pubs and starting fights with law enforcement.

    Kita scans the tables beside her for the nearest item she could use as a weapon and grabs an ashtray in her hurry. "Uhh," She stammers before throwing it at the guard with the bleeding nose.

    "Ah!" He screams as the tray crashes into his already broken nose.

    "Bullseye!" Raya yells out before dashing at the nearest guard.

    As Raya throws the first punch- again- Kita raises her hand to thin the numbers. Consuming the souls of the nearest two guards.

    Sixteen.

    Kita casts a shield around Raya before a guard with a knife strikes at her shoulder. The guard''s arm ricochets away before Raya kicks him in the stomach, throwing him over the table behind him.

    Six guards still standing, Kita notices as she consumes the souls of the two guards Raya had downed. Seventeen, Kita would rather not use another shield and get above twenty souls.

    She glances at an arm-length plank of wood that had broken off the table and picks it up before charging at the guard about to attack Raya. Before he notices Kita, he throws a punch at Raya- but Kita smacks his hand out of the air with the plank.

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    Raya continues to tussle with two of the remaining six as Kita squares up with the most burly guy in the building. Her neck starts to cramp as she realizes the guy''s head almost touches the ceiling.

    "How did you get through the door?" Kita asks.

    The monstrous guard doesn''t answer and simply throws a punch that Kita barely breezes past. The man''s fist crashes into a table behind her, fragmenting it and shooting shards of wood into the air.

    "That''s quite the punch you''ve got there," Kita stutters, rejoicing having dodged that shit.

    She quickly darts to one of the smaller guards nearby who seems to be focused on Raya. She winds the plank behind her back and smacks the back of the guard''s head as soon as it''s in range. Shattering the plank as the guard drops to the floor.

    Kita chuckles as she kneels and places her hand on his face. I hit harder than I thought.

    Kita notices Raya pull out her blade as three guards approach her. They''re both in the thick of it now, Kita will need to focus on herself.

    A sudden urge of panic erupts in Kita when she instinctively raises a shield around her using the soul she''d just consumed. Immediately after it''s cast, the massive man''s foot crashes into her shoulder, launching her through multiple tables and into the wall across the room.

    She opens her eyes to see the large guard and a regular-sized one standing across from her. Raya seems to have taken down one of the three she was dealing with, but at some point, she was disarmed.

    Kita gets up to her feet raising her hands at both the guards in front of her, but they quickly charge her in response. Without time or space to consume, Kita parries alongside the wall behind her and leaps over the bar counter.

    "Don''t use magic," She reminds herself, now feeling the excitement in the danger. She picks up three bottles laying on the floor of the bar and jumps to her feet to see the guards running towards her. With all of her might, Kita launches the first bottle and the small guard, smashing into his shoulder. While he''s stunned, Kita quickly tosses another bottle- this time connecting with the guard''s head with the base of the bottle.

    She raises the third bottle at the big guy, who ploughs through the bar counter before she can throw it. He grabs Kita by the neck and crashes her back into the shelves of bottles.

    "Ah!" She yells as a shard of glass cuts her arm before realizing she can''t breathe in.

    The guard raises his other arm to punch Kita square in the face. That''ll kill me. She panics and responds by smashing the bottle in hand onto the guard''s arm around her neck, still holding onto the fragment top half of the bottle. The guard releases his punch in sync with Kita stabbing the arm around her, prompting the guard to drop her to the ground before his punch crashes into the back of the bar.

    Too close. She hesitates.

    The man growls in pain and rage as he slowly pulls the glass out of his forearm.

    "Nope," Kita reacts to the relentless rage she''s cast unto this man and raises her hand whilst he rips the bottle out of his arm.

    Consume. She casts- Drawing the immense, black mist from his body and into her left arm.

    The man''s body limps and drops to the ground, nearly crushing Kita''s feet.

    "Ok," She lets out a hearty, satisfied sigh before standing up.

    She sees Raya, sitting at the only surviving table and eating away at someone else''s meal. Everyone who wasn''t involved in the fight seems to have evacuated at some point. The clay and mud fragments of the flower sculptures and copious amounts of wood and shards lay across the floor.

    "Hurry up," She says, pointing at the five bodies Kita hasn''t consumed yet.

    "You aren''t going to share that?" Kita asks, shuffling through the rubble.

    "Nope, you used magic so I win,"

    "What?" Kita yells, "I did it to save your life!"

    "Doesn''t count," Raya laughs. "But thank you,"

    As Kita steps up to each body, she takes a moment to feel the souls passing through her body. Moaning softly as she adds the twenty-second soul to her collection.

    "Let''s get out of here," Raya says, dropping a pouch full of coin onto the table.

    "That''s a lot of coin," Kita says.

    "For the damage," Raya chuckles, "It''s the least these guards could pay,"

 Chapter 31 - History [River City Pt. 12]

    Kita and Raya arrive back at their hotel in the middle of the night. Still a little bit pumped on adrenaline and alcohol, they both make quite the ruckus reenacting parts of the fight as they walk through the halls.

    "The guy was huge!" Kita yells, "His fist would''ve taken my head off,"

    "It almost did!" Raya chuckles, "I was watching,"

    "Oh, so you were just going to watch me die?"

    "Wouldn''t be my first time," Raya winks.

    They arrive at the door to their room where Raya briefly struggles to find their keys before she unlocks the door and steps inside.

    The energy between them immediately shifts when they notice two figures in the room, and raise their arms in defence. Kita flips the torch on the wall, casting a light that reveals the twins standing in their room staring back at them

    "The two of you have no respect for privacy," Kita scoffs as Caity and Alex''s faces come into focus.

    "Privacy?" Caity rolls her eyes before placing a leaf in her mouth and chewing. "I''ve seen you naked,"

    Kita feels her cheeks flush at the feeling of being exposed, which causes her more frustration. Especially at this sassy bitch. It''s like talking to a mirror, but the reflection rolls its eyes at anything Kita says.

    "Do we have a problem?" Kita asks.

    "Now''s not a good time to get into that-" Alex stammers.

    "Yeah," Caity snaps bluntly, stepping up to Kita as she shifts her golden hair behind her ear.

    "Then say it with your chest," Kita barks, returning a step forward.

    "Hey you two, let''s all just calm down," Alex chimes in.

    "So it always has to be me that communicates?" Caity rolls her eyes

    "What?" Kita grunts.

    "You just left! Without saying goodbye or even breaking up with me first,"

    Alex taps Caity on the shoulder, trying to get her to relax and hear his words whilst Raya drunkenly chuckles at the ensuing argument.

    "No-no, Kita just fucks off without saying a thing to the people that care about her and then pops up again three hundred rotations later as if nothing happened," Caity says, with a genuine look of irritation in her eyes and a sharp tone of voice.

    The silent-treatment-girl is suddenly very talkative, and angry. Kita presumed that she doesn''t say much, but acts out instead. Yet here she is, voicing all of these emotions and memories that Kita has no idea about.

    "Huh?" Kita grunts as she processes what Caity just said. "Break up?"

    "What, After three hundred rotations you can''t remember shit?"

    "Nope," Raya adds after a good laugh, "She got her brain cut in half," She says, leaning a little too far forward and stumbling onto the bed.

    Caity''s head flips back to Kita, her purple eyes widened with worry and shock at this newfound information.

    "So you went to fight the dark one alone?" Caity sighs. "Again,"

    Kita doesn''t know how to respond. She knows the answer but knows nothing of the events leading up to it. "I, uhh¡­ Yeah,"

    "And you died?... again," Caity asks.

    Kita nods, slowly comprehending Caity''s distress.

    "I told you there was a good reason," Alex adds, also taking a seat on the bed.

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    "Good?" Caity scoffs. "She still left without saying a word. This could have been avoided,"

    Something about this argument feels familiar, but Kita can''t determine if this is because of the topic at hand, or the familiarity of arguing with Caity.

    "So¡­ We''re a couple?" Kita asks softly, feeling the weight of disappointment in her memories as she momentarily perceives how Caity might be feeling.

    "We were¡­"

    After the repeated bickering, the room suddenly draws silent. Creating an awkward tension between Kita and Caity that prompts them to step away from one another.

    "Are the two of you done?" Alex asks, sitting on the bed beside Raya.

    Neither of them answers. Caity simply sits on the bed beside her brother, chewing anxiously on the leaves she''d eaten.

    "Did the two of you manage to find Vlad''s hideout?" Alex asks, initiating a more productive conversation.

    "Yeah," Kita mumbles.

    "He wasn''t there but we figured out why they came to River City," Raya says. "Take a look at this," She adds, hopping off the bed and opening the drawer of the counter.

    She tosses the Jar with black smoke floating within it to Alex.

    "Is this¡­" Alex stammers, analyzing the content as he shows his sister.

    "A soul," Raya confirms. "Although I''m not sure how many are in there,"

    "Feels like ten," Kita adds reluctantly- participating might expose her to direct conversation with Caity.

    "No way," Alex whispers as he holds the jar up to the light of the wall torch.

    "Why do they need them?" Caity asks.

    Raya takes the next item out of the drawer and holds the small capsule in the air to display the soft glow eliminating from within it. "To make these," She answers, placing the pill into Caity''s hand. "Apparently, whoever takes one of these is granted fifteen thousand rotations of immortality,"

    Alex and Caity''s heads shoot up in sync as they both exclaim, "What!?"

    "We met a woman named Ms Eeve. It seems as though she purchases the souls from Vlad, and uses them to synthesize the pill,"

    "Ms Eeve?" Alex reiterates, looking back down at the pill. "Isn''t she just a botanist?" He asks Caity.

    "As far as Chevo''s aware," She answers. "I heard she has a strange obsession with children,"

    "I presume Ms Eeve is going to purchase Jan from Vlad so that she can produce the souls without a buyer in between,"

    "Hmm," Alex mumbles. "This may be the reason Chevo wants Jan,"

    "He''s here to take Jan?" Kita asks with a worried voice.

    "No¡­" Caity answers, "He''s here to kill him,"

    What reason could Chevo have to kill a kid?- Scratch that, some kids are annoying as hell. But, Jan is great.

    "Why?" Kita asks.

    "Well¡­ He thinks it''s sacrilegious," Caity answers.

    "He''d rather kill all of the soulless than allow this to enter the market," Alex adds. "That includes you, Kita,"

    "There are bigger problems to worry about," Kita says, slowly clenching her hand into a fist.

    "The dark one is here," Raya says, "He''s using Jan''s soul as a vessel,"

    "The dark one took Jan''s soul?" Alex asks, prompting Raya to nod.

    "He wants chaos," Kita says.

    "Why?" Caity asks.

    "I don''t know¡­ He said it was to get back at me specifically, but I''m not sure I believe that,"

    "The dark one always wants to hurt you specifically," Raya adds.

    "There''s more to this than he''s admitting. I''m not sure what he''s planning, but it worries me," Kita says. "We need to make sure this deal doesn''t go through,"

    "Putting a stop to this deal won''t be enough if the dark one can just keep creating more soulless," Alex says.

    "I don''t care. I need to make sure Jan doesn''t get hurt," Kita scoffs. "I''ll face the dark one if I have to,"

    "I don''t know," Raya chimes in. "We need to make sure Jan is safe, stop the war, and take out the dark one,"

    "That''s a lot for the four of us to pull off," Caity worries.

    "Saving Jan might do half the job for us," Alex adds. "If we save Jan, the deal will fall through. Chevo will have no reason to attack and Vlad will have wasted his time,"

    "What about the dark one?" Kita asks.

    "I have a plan," Raya says. "First and foremost, we need to find Jan. If we can get to him before the trade then we can control the playing field. We''ll use him to lure out the dark one, and deal with him whilst ensuring that we have the upper hand,"

    "Ms Eeve," Caity says. "What better place to hide him than your mega-wealthy and trustworthy buyer,"

    "That''ll be up on the third floor," Alex notes.

    "Okay, then we go through Ms Eeve''s shop, grab her, and make our way up to her home,"

    "Sounds like a plan to me," Says Alex, as Caity and Kita both nod.

 Chapter 32 - River City (Pt. 13)

    Early the next morning, Raya and Alex walk ahead of Kita and Caity as they approach the checkpoint to the second floor of the city. There are a lot more guards in the area and at the gate.

    "The two of you really caused a mess," Alex sighs as he glances at the flurry of guards patrolling.

    With a headscarf and clothing that fits in, Kita and Raya should be able to keep a low profile and avoid raising any suspicions.

    "That''s all Raya''s fault," Kita chuckles.

    "We can get to the second floor through Reiku''s," Caity says.

    Alex sighs, rubbing his forehead before groaning, "I don''t know if that''s a good idea,"

    "Well, it''s better than this idiot drawing attention," Caity presses.

    "Hey! I said it was Raya''s fault," Kita says.

    "Are you forgetting how much we owe him?" Alex asks.

    "Reiku is¡­ a softy. He wouldn''t want to hurt us," Caity half-heartedly reasons.

    "Aah," Alex moans, weighing up the options.

    "We''ve got coin," Kita says, "The princess is quite the pickpocket," She winks.

    "How much?"Alex asks.

    "About thirty thousand," Raya answers.

    Alex chuckles with anxiety, "That won''t be enough,"

    "How much do you owe?" Kita asks.

    "Uhh," Caity mumbles, "About eight hundred thousand,"

    "What?" Raya and Kita blurt out.

    "How the hell do you get into that much debt?" Kita chuckles.

    "It''s a long story," Alex grunts. "Let''s just try our luck,"

    The group turns down an alleyway before getting too close to the checkpoint. As they make their way through the shadowed corridor still lit by torches from the night before, Kita feels an unresolved itch pry at her before she blurts out-

    "So, we dated-dated?"

    "Ugh," The others all sigh at Kita''s retention of the topic.

    "What? It''s not my fault I''ve forgotten," Kita barks.

    "Isn''t it?" Caity bites.

    "The old Kita might have hurt you, but I''m not going to apologize for something I didn''t do," Kita says before mumbling, "Or even know is true,"

    "Funny," Caity says, "The old Kita could never apologize either,"

    "Ooh, well in that case, I''m soo sorry,"

    Caity grunts, biting her lip.

    "Happy now?" Kita grins.

    "Jackass," Caity sighs, before taking a deep breath.

    "We could have had a whole ''reborn romance'' thing if you were just nice when we first met,"

    "Trust me when I say, that''s the last thing I want,"

    "And what do you want?" Kita asks, "Why are you here?"

    Kita''s only response is the patter of footsteps as the group wails through the alley. Kita knows she''s being a little harsh right now, but she''d be lying if she didn''t admit she''s still a little pissed at Caity for offloading all of her trauma on her. Kita genuinely wants to know what happened between the two of them, and what happened with Chevo.

    After a few turns through alleyways, they are at a dead end with a small staircase that leads down to a door.

    "Where does it lead to?" Raya asks as they descend.

    "That''s definitely haunted," Kita says.

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    Alex lifts a finger to his mouth as he glances at both Kita and Raya. He then knocks on the door twice, followed by another two knocks.

    "Reiku," Alex says loudly.

    There''s a moment pause before the sound of locks shift and click. The door drags as it slides open to reveal a large, unladylike lady. The lady''s axe sends a ripple through the ground as Kita can''t help but glare at the lady''s fist, realizing it''s the same size as her head.

    "Has there ever been a man large enough to satisfy you?" Kita asks in awe.

    "Kita!" Raya chides before the mountainous woman lets out a thunderous laugh.

    "One," She grins, running her hand through her braids, "My husband,"

    "Hey Grizelda," Alex sighs.

    "Alex," The lady nods, "Caity,"

    "We need Reiku to get us up to the second floor," Alex says.

    Grizelda chuckles, "Reiku''s still mad at the two of you,"

    "Hopefully we can¡­ remedy that," He responds.

    "And your friends?" Grizelda asks.

    "Raya and Kita," Alex says, pointing at each of them.

    Grizelda passes each of them a nod before stepping aside, "Good luck," She chuckles at Alex.

    As Kita steps through the door, a subtle rumbling sound is accompanied by the pungent smell of dampness and sweat. "Ugh," Kita sighs, holding her breath as her eyes adjust to see a vast, candlelit settlement of torn tipis and square homes made from sheets of steel. Kita takes a step forward with a heavy splash as she steps into a puddle.

    "For fuck sake," She grunts under her breath, "Where the fuck are we?"

    "Level zero," Alex says.

    "There''s a level zero?" Raya asks.

    "Unofficially," He says, "This is where all the employees live,"

    "Of course it is," Raya sighs.

    "Why do they choose to live like animals?" Kita scoffs.

    "You think they''ve chosen this?" Caity asks with a disgusted expression on her face.

    "There''s plenty of other cities," Kita says.

    "Most of them had to brave the myst once to get here," Alex says, "This way," He adds as he walks towards a shack significantly larger than the ones within the settlement. As Alex opens the door, There are a dozen people seated at desks, assisting consulting citizens and filling in documents. A queue of poor folk coil around the room as they wait for the help desk and upstairs is an office where eight people are frantically scurrying around and in a panic.

    "He''s up there," Alex says as he makes his way to the flimsy, steel staircase.

    "What''s going on?" Caity asks Alex.

    "I''m not sure," He responds.

    As they approach the heated conversation atop the stairs, Kita can hear the arguing and clanging of feet against the metal floor.

    "We''ve been waiting for too fucking long!" One of them yells.

    "I don''t give a shit," Argues a man with a thick beard and multiple piercings on his face. "I''m not gambling with their lives,"

    "But Reiku, think about what they''ve just done,"

    "I don''t have to!" Reiku yells as he slams his fist into the table. "We''re all living it,"

    "They will use the guards to take them all, we need to do more than simply protest this," a lady says.

    "If we use violence, they will use it tenfold," Reiku says, before glancing over at Alex and Caity with an annoyed snarl. "We will continue this in an hour," He says to his group, "Take a break,"

    "Reiku," Alex half-heartedly smiles as he walks over to him.

    "Where''s my money?" Reiku barks.

    "We''re¡­ working on it, alright?" Alex says, trying to keep the conversation calm.

    "You''re here to ask for a fucking favour when you owe me?" Reiku asks.

    "Yeah," Alex sighs.

    Reiku glances over his shoulder at Caity before yelling, "You too scared to say something?"

    Caity chuckles dismissively before saying, "I don''t have to,"

    "Blue-haired woman and black eyes," Reiku calls out, "The two of you have made a lot of noise in my town,"

    "You know us?" Raya asks.

    "Me and every guard in the city," He chuckles. "Good job sticking it to those jerks,"

    Reiku eyes whip back at Alex and grits his teeth before asking, "So?"

    "We need to get to level three," He says.

    "You''ll need to get out of debt first if you want to afford it up there," Reiku scoffs.

    "Please, we just need a way into Ms Eeve''s store,"

    "Ms Eeve, huh?" Reiku ponders, "Why her?"

    "She''s got a friend of Kita''s¡­ A kid she wants to get back,"

    "Hmmm, but why do you want to go?" Reiku asks, glaring into Alex''s eyes before passing the same glance to Caity. "Huh?"

    "I tried asking her that already, she''s not so responsive to it," Kita chuckles.

    "Of course they aren''t," Reiku scoffs. "These two are a real problem that way,"

    "Look, we''ll work to pay you back after the job is complete," Alex tries to reason.

    "I guess he isn''t very responsive either," Kita jests.

    "Avoiding the question?" Reiku asks.

    "It''s more complicated than you think," Alex grunts.

    "I''ve got time," Kita says.

    "Alex, you either start talking to me, or leave my fucking floor," Reiku pushes.

    Alex stammers as he turns to look at his sister.

    "We want out," Caity says, freeing her brother from the burden of silence.

    "Out of what?" Reiku asks.

    "Everything," She says.

 Chapter 33 - Reiku [River City Pt. 14]

    "We just want it all to end," Caity sighs before looking back up at Reiku.

    "Chevo''s¡­ Changed," Alex stammers, scratching the back of his neck.

    "Or maybe you''ve finally realized the type of man he truly is," Reiku says to them, with a comforting look in his eye.

    Both twins refrain from answering, and drop their eyes to the floor as though it is too difficult to acknowledge that Reiku is right.

    "Fine," Reiku grunts, "I''ll help you, if you get rid of those depressing looks in your eyes,"

    "What''s in it for you?" Kita asks, raising an eyebrow.

    "Ms Eeve," Reiku answers, "She''s the primary supporter of a law that''s about to pass,"

    "What law?" Raya asks.

    "Inhabitants of level zero are not allowed to procreate," Reiku sighs, "Children and elderly beyond working age will be illegal here, and food will no longer be supplied to them,"

    "What?" Alex and Caity''s heads both pop up.

    "Why not just buy food?" Kita asks.

    "The city doesn''t permit refugees to make purchases- They are not paid, and are not considered citizens or even tourists. Everyone with a job is provided two meals per day at their place of work. Provisions are provided for the elderly and the young, for now¡­"

    "Why would they do that?" Alex asks.

    "I don''t know," Reiku answers, "Children of this floor will be considered orphans, and stripped from their families,"

    "Shit," Kita mumbles, drawing everyone''s attention. "Are there any kids here with eyes like mine?"

    "I''m not sure," Reiku responds, "Why do you ask?"

    "Well, to put it simply, people with eyes like my own are going to become very valuable to the rich,"

    "I don''t understand," Reiku utters.

    "The rich have found a way to use us to create a medicine that grants them immortality," Kita says.

    "How?" Reiku asks, perplexed by what Kita is telling him.

    "I''d rather not say," Kita sighs, dropping eye contact, "Just know that many people will get hurt. Chevo and Vlad have dangerously different views on it,"

    "Ms Eeve seems to be at the center of it," Raya chimes in. "If we can get into her store, we can put an end to this before it goes any further,"

    "We''ll take the kid before they fight over him," Alex adds.

    "Hmm," Reiku grunts, "If you bring me Ms Eeve, then we have a deal,"

    "Bring her¡­ here?" Kita asks, prompting Reiku to nod.

    "Deal," Caity says, passing a look to Alex as he and extending her hand to shake Reiku''s.

    "If you screw me on this," Reiku says, squinting as he glares at Caity and Alex, "I''ll have you killed,"

    "Wait, wait," Kita interrupts, "How are we supposed to get a grown ass woman down here without getting noticed,"

    "There are many more guards around," Raya adds.

    "She''ll have to co-operate," Alex says.

    "Co-operate?" Kita chuckles, "I don''t think you''ve looked that lady in the eyes. She''s way too rich to co-operate with anybody, let alone kidnappers,"

    "Then we threaten her," Raya adds.

    "Threaten what? Her life? You''re forgetting she''s eaten a pill of immortality," Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "We''ll threaten her whole operation," Raya responds, "If she doesn''t comply, we''ll burn down her store and all the pills she''s manufactured,"

    "Alright," Kita smiles, "I''ll bring the flames,"

    "The two of you still owe me, though," Reiku grunts as he looks at Alex and Caity.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "We''re about to kidnap an elite for you. Surely it contributes to the debt," Alex says, perplexed.

    "Maybe a hundred thousand," Reiku chuckles, "Leaving you with seven hundred thousand to pay back,"

    "Seriously?" Caity rolls her eyes.

    "Is there a problem?" Reiku asks, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

    "No," Alex responds quickly, "No problem at all,"

    "You''ll need her anyways," Reiku adds, "Houses on level three have biometrics,"

    "Biometrics?" Raya asks.

    "Technology from the old humans that recognizes a persons unique characteristics- Like a fingerprint," Reiku says. "It''s quite impressive,"

    "There''s a lot of old knowledge in this city," Raya comments.

    "There is," Reiku says, "Most of it is inactive. Turning it on is difficult without the right power source and connectors,"

    "Where did they get it all from?" Kita asks.

    "Scavengers, raiders, mining- You name it," Reiku answers.

    "How did they get it working again?" Raya asks.

    "This idiot turned it on for them," Caity scoffs.

    "In exchange for asylum," Reiku corrects, "I could either repair a few pieces of very logic driven technology or brave the myst again,"

    "Caity isn''t friendly to anyone, is she?" Kita asks Reiku.

    "She was once," He grunts in response, "Apparently her ex was a real piece of work- so, now we have this version of Caity to deal with,"

    "Huh," Kita mumbles, glancing at Caity who is already staring back. "Exes are the worst," She stutters, scratching behind her ear.

    "You were an engineer by trade?" Raya asks Reiku.

    "Something like that," He answers, "I''d get paid to study the old technology, and learn how to put it together,"

    "What happened?" She asks.

    "The city I was working for got swept by the mist," He sighs, "I came here searching for refuge,¡±

    "Which they only provided in exchange for your services?" Kita asks.

    "Correct. Once I''d repaired the old tech they had, I was sent here. To level zero," He answers.

    "Fuck, I hate rich people," Kita mumbles.

    "I''m pretty sure you hate most people," Caity sighs.

    "So we''re doing this?" Alex asks Reiku, extending a hand.

    "Sure," He says, shaking Alex''s hand. "There''s an elevator on the other side of the city that''s connected to level two. I''ll guide you there,"

    "Elevator?" Kita asks.

    "Old tech," Reiku chuckles. "Wait downstairs, I will escort you shortly,"

    The four of them nod their heads, and make their way downstairs to wait amongst the offices engrossed in labor.

    ?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?

    A while later, Reiku had joined them and begun escorting them through the city. As they traveled Kita tried her best to mask the look of disgust on her face as smelly children and adults dressed in rags would all come greet Reiku.

    From what Kita has gathered, he runs the place. Not as an authoritarian but as a volunteer that''s willing to do the admin these people need. There''s plenty of old tech scattered across the district. When they walked through the center of the place, there was a large source of water in the center that they call ''the fountain''- It draws drinking water from the river. Reiku even found a way to generate a tiny amount of electricity using the river. This way, people can boil the water from the fountain and even dimly illuminate the district.

    "Everyone here is a refugee?" Raya asks.

    "More or less," Reiku answers. "They all heard of the promised land that is River City¡­ The place where the myst never reaches,"

    "Is that true?" Kita asks, "The myst really never comes here?"

    "So it seems," Reiku answers, "I arrived when I was a young boy and to this day, I have not seen the myst in River City,"

    "Apparently River City is at the eye of the storm," Alex adds, "The myst doesn''t pass through, but it often surrounds the city like a wall,"

    "When the city is myst-locked, it can quickly become a very unsafe place,"

    The group arrives at the end of the city, where the loud splashing and crashing of the rivers waves best against the suspended city. A large set of scratched up, metal doors tower over them as Reiku approaches and clicks button by its side- An arrow pointing upward.

    "Why is this here?" Kita asks.

    "I installed it so employees can reach their place of employment quicker," Reiku says.

    "How did you convince them to let you build it?" Alex asks.

    "I presented it highlighting that the people of level zero won''t be seen by residents or tourists," He sighs. "In the past, the city''s council had referred to us a eye-sores,"

    A loud, chugging sound shakes the area around them as Kita hears a light screeching sound inside the doors drawing closer.

    A ding rings through the area as the door slowly pry themselves open. After a few moments of grinding and shifting, the doors successfully open all the way. Reiku raises his hand, directing them to enter the elevator and each one follows suit.

    The floor is steel, and tiled with marble, whilst the calls are covered in mirrors, providing entrants a complete view of the body at a glance.

    "What the fuck," Kita says, leaning towards the mirror beside her and slowly rubbing her hand along her check.

    "I don''t get reminded of how sexy I am very often," She grins at herself.

    Kita, Raya, Caity and Alex all wait for the elevator to move, but before it does. Reiku steps in front of them-

    "The livelihood of many children is on the line," Reiki grunts and nods, "Get it done,"

    From the outside of the elevator, Reiku clicks on the button again. The doors both slowly shift closed and a light inside the elevator pops on.

 Chapter 34 - River City (Pt. 15)

    A loud rumble vibrates the metallic box once the two doors slide closed, prompting a moment of panic within Kita. With a sudden jolt, Kita feels her stomach drop as the elevator begins grinding its way upward.

    "Fuck, I don''t like this," Kita says with a shaken voice. Placing an arm against the wall to stabilize herself.

    "Relax," Alex says, "Reiku wouldn''t let anyone use this if it wasn''t safe,"

    Kita takes a deep breath to compose herself. This is one of the most unnatural things she''s ever felt. Whoever invented these machines must have had a fetish for tempting fate. That''s what most old technology seems like. Playing god and breaking the natural order.

    They must have had a unique connection with the earth to turn the dirt into machinery. The thought of removing a source material and converting it to a tool feels similar to Kita''s use of souls.

    But if history is any indication, playing god clearly leads to ruin. The attempt, in and of itself, is a trap that leads to demise.

    "Fuck this machine," Kita sighs as the elevator begins slowing down with a loud screech.

    "Almost there," Alex says. "Do you know how much security is inside Ms Eeve''s store?"

    "One guard," Raya responds, "The back left door by the till leads to the room with the pills. I assume the one at the back right has a way up to the third level,"

    "Kita, how many souls have you got?" Alex asks.

    "Twent-ugh," Kita sighs in her lightheadedness.

    "I didn''t know you were claustrophobic," Caity chuckles.

    "Calastra- what?" Kita stutters.

    "Afraid of tight spaces," She chuckles.

    "I''m like a creature of the old world," Kita sighs, "I find walls unnatural,"

    The elevator lets off a loud ding, shocking Kita upright as her panic is restarted. With a large thud, the elevator comes to a halt- almost throwing Kita off her feet.

    "Fucks sake," Kita stumbles.

    The steel doors slowly slide open, revealing the inside of a rundown shop on the other side of them. They all step out of the elevator and into the store layered in dust, wooden planks and nails.

    Alex walks towards the front door of the store, opening it to glance both left and right before stepping out into the daylight. As Kita follows suit, she is met with the wall of the city''s edge, covering a view that would be overlooking the river. She looks to her right to see a stream of red light at the opposite end of the path.

    "Vlad''s store is there," Raya tells the twins, pointing down the corridor. "Shop two six three,"

    "Ms Eeve''s store number is six two five," Kita adds.

    "Seriously?" Alex asks with shock, "Vlad''s store is up here?"

    "A weird sex dungeon," Kita chuckles, "Not much of a store,"

    "Chevo''s been searching the whole city for that store," Caity says, glancing at Alex.

    "I''d rather we didn''t tell him," He responds, "Chevo would only act out sooner,"

    ¡°Poor Chevo,¡± Kita chuckles, as the four of them make their way to the busy part of level two, where citizens and tourists swarm the streets and stores of the marketplace. ¡°The two of you are traitors,¡±

    ¡°The three of us,¡± Caity corrects her.

    ¡°No-no, this is all you,¡± Kita deflects.

    ¡°You sure about that?¡± Alex asks.

    ¡°What?¡± Kita stutters.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re just as bad as us,¡± Caity grins.

    ¡°I see what you two are trying to do,¡± Kita says, squinting her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll only sell you out after you¡¯ve given me everything I need,¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Not if we sell you out first,¡± Caity shrugs.

    ¡°If he got his hands on you, Kita. He wouldn¡¯t care about us,¡± Alex adds, nodding.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Kita asks, a little perplexed.

    ¡°What¡¯d she do?¡± Raya chuckles.

    ¡°It¡¯d be easier to talk about what she didn¡¯t do,¡± Alex chuckles.

    ¡°It¡¯s that bad, huh?¡± Raya asks.

    ¡°Kita killed his son,¡± Caity blurts out.

    Raya and Kita¡¯s eyes widen as they process what Caity¡¯s just told them. Honestly, it doesn¡¯t surprise Kita that she killed someone- Her past was bound to catch up with her at some point. What really has her curious is why she would do such a thing. Especially if she cared about Chevo at some point.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume it was because that kid was a piece of work,¡± Kita sighs, ¡°I¡¯m not always the problem-child,¡±

    ¡°Well I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Alex admits, ¡°He was a total piece of shit,¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± Kita grins, ¡°I probably saved a ton of people,¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Caity shakes her head, ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him to help others. You just hated him,¡±

    ¡°But it helped others, didn¡¯t it?¡± Kita winks.

    ¡°Barely,¡± Caity folds her arms.

    ¡°Aaah so it helped many people, right?¡± Kita asks, softly punching Alex on the shoulder. ¡°Caity¡¯s just jealous because I did it before her,¡±

    ¡°It did help a lot of people,¡± Alex chuckles, ¡°you didn¡¯t do it to help anyone, but it had a somewhat positive impact,¡±

    Kita quickly pumps her fist through the air. Although she doesn¡¯t care very much for the opinions of others, she knows she feels quite shitty when these three idiots have a reason to think negatively of her. Deep down, she knows there aren¡¯t many occasions in her past where she¡¯s made the ¡®heroic¡¯ or ¡®helpful¡¯ decision. So this is a major victory in her eyes, even though that may not have been her intention in the past. It had more of a positive impact than a negative one.

    ¡°Why¡¯d she kill him?¡± Raya asks.

    ¡°Because he was a prick,¡± Caity answered, ¡°He looked at all of us like he was going to inherit an army of slaves. He¡¯d kill women and children that were not our mark- Often abusing them and cutting them because he enjoyed it when he was in control,¡±

    ¡°Good job, Kita,¡± Raya says as she squirms at the descriptions.

    ¡°She did what all of us were thinking about doing,¡± Alex adds. ¡°But none of us wanted to hurt Chevo¡­ Or see how he¡¯d react,¡±

    ¡°So, this is why you say he¡¯s changed?¡± Kita asks.

    ¡°No,¡± Alex responds, to Kita¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°Then why is he a problem?¡± She asks.

    ¡°He knew his son was a horrific person. Chevo didn¡¯t seem very surprised to discover someone had killed his son¡­ What surprised him is that you did it,¡± Alex answers. ¡°In Chevo¡¯s eyes, it was as if his envious daughter had just killed his heir. Losing the both of you sent him on a spiral that would slowly diminish his morality,¡±

    ¡°Putting faith in me doesn¡¯t seem to be a wise choice,¡± Kita sighs, partially annoyed by the self-doubt she feels at the thought of her old self. The one that seems so much more like the real Kita than she currently is.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Caity scoffs.

    ¡°Yet here you are,¡± Kita grins, ¡°The one that couldn¡¯t get away,¡±

    As the group approaches Ms Eeve¡¯s store, they notice the increased security in the area- a result of Kita and Raya¡¯s antics. Kita raises the scarf cover her head to also cover her nose and chin, as Raya does the same. The two of them should have considered the consequences of what they got up to yesterday. Thank god for that elevator.

    ¡°How many souls do you have?¡± Raya asks.

    ¡°Twenty three,¡± Kita whispers.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Alex asks with a mildly concerned tone.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯?¡± Kita grunts.

    ¡°You just¡­ You usually have way more than that,¡± He answers.

    ¡°Well, It¡¯s a bit tough when I can¡¯t just take anyone''s soul,¡± Kita sighs.

    ¡°You used to do exactly that,¡± Caity says.

    ¡°I know¡­ But, a Fox asked me not to,¡± Kita sighs.

    ¡°A what?¡± Alex asks.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Kita answers, ¡°Just know that I¡¯m trying to be a better person,¡±

    ¡°A better person¡­ Why?¡± Alex asks, raising an eyebrow and clearly trying to hold back a grin.

    ¡°I just told you!¡± Kita blurts out, ¡°Wipe that smug look off your face,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just asking a question,¡± He responds.

    ¡°A valid question,¡± Caity adds.

    ¡°So you two are advocating for me to kill innocent people?¡±

    The twins briefly glance at each other as if they¡¯re exchanging words with their eyes before they both look at Kita in tandem and respond a monotonous, ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°You two are a terrible influence,¡± Raya scoffs, ¡°Kita¡¯s trying to become a better person,¡±

    ¡°By becoming useless?¡± Alex asks with a chuckle.

    ¡°Useless?¡± Kita grits her teeth, ¡°I have twenty-three souls I can use,¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Catiy agrees, ¡°Useless,¡±

    ¡°But at least you¡¯ll think you¡¯re a better person,¡± Alex jests.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known you two wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Kita rolls her eyes, ¡°Your job is to kill people,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± Alex shrugs, ¡°You used to consume way more souls,¡±

    ¡°The old Kita was just wasteful,¡± Kita says, ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡±

 Chapter 35 - River City (Pt. 16)

    As Kita, Raya, Caity and Alex walk along the marble second floor and gold lined building, Kita can''t help but stare at the beautiful architecture and colours of the city as people in white or navy blue robes pepper the marketplace.

    They arrive at Ms Eeve''s shop, a lot quieter and focused than before. Before they enter, Alex looks back and passes each of them a nod with a pause for confirmation before glancing at the next person.

    Kita isn''t the greatest at planning, she made Raya very aware of this although she seemed to have had experience with Kitas improvisational style. As Alex passes Kita a nod, she feels the rush of the dark one''s presence through her body. A sharp and sudden fear that prompts her to turn her head around- but there''s only civilians in sight. She was expecting to see Jan souls taunting her with that ego-filled smile that''s etched in Kita''s image of the dark one.

    Is he here? She asks herself as the surge of fear begins to dissipate. But she''s unsure. Should I tell them?

    She looks back over at Alex, who has a slightly concerned face overlaid on his game face. And she nods in confirmation, despite her uncertainty.

    Everyone''s so focused right now, this could throw them off. If the dark one shows up, they''ll have to deal with it in the moment.

    Alex opens the door, and confidently barges into Ms Eeve''s store and the rest of them follow his lead. The store is relatively empty considering it is still early in the morning- There are four strangers in it, but Ms Eeve is not within sight.

    "Don''t hurt them," Raya says, passing a stern look to Alex.

    "You four," Alex orders, rolling his eyes at Raya and pointing at the strangers from a distance. "Get out,"

    The store guests stare blankly at Alex, and subtly chuckle to one another. So, he pulls out a gun tucked away from behind his back, clicking on its lever with his thumb.

    "Out!" He yells at them. Fear glistens in their eyes as they immediately shuffle to the front entrance. Dropping whatever they were holding to raise their hand as they scurry past.

    The weapon looks familiar to Kita and the name is at the tip of her tongue. A rev¡­ olution?

    From the back door, the one with the room full of pills behind it, emerges Ms Eeve with an angered look on her face. Another two of her guests pop out from behind her, cuing Alex to raise the gun at them.

    "What the hell are you doing?" Ms Eeve yells at Alex flaring her golden teeth in anger.

    "Tell them to leave," Alex order with the gun pointed at Ms Eeve.

    She doesn''t budge, and holds a brief glare at Alex as she considers the best course of action.

    "Please leave," Ms Eeve asks her guests with her eyes fixed on Alex.

    Caity follows behind the guests as they rush for the door and she locks it behind them.

    "Call your security guard," Alex orders.

    "Thabo," Ms Eeve reluctantly calls out. "Please come here,"

    The large security guard steps behind Ms Eeve, noticing the situation and scanning the room with a frustrated glare as he looks at each of them.

    Alex reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pair of handcuffs before throwing it on the floor at Ms Eeve. "Put those on him," Alex says.

    "You should really carry a backpack," Kita says.

    "I''m not usually passive enough to need more than a gun," He says, still glaring at Ms Eeve.

    That probably sounded intimidating to the hostages, but that doesn''t justify shoving everything into your pockets.

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    Ms Eeve slowly crouches down to pick up the handcuffs and looks up at her security guard. "Sorry," She says as she steps behind him to lock the cuffs.

    "It''s alright Ma''am," He says with a deep, monotonous voice, "It is safest for you to comply,"

    Once Ms Eeve handcuffs her security guard, Alex goggles his gun at the man and then to the floor. The man follows suit and walks behind the counter and sits down with his back against the wall.

    Kita looks at Ms Eeve to awkwardly lock eyes with her infuriated glare.

    "We''re back," Kita says with a half-hearted smile.

    "Stealing one of my pills wasn''t enough for you?" Ms Eeve scoffs.

    "She did that," Kita says, pointing at Raya. "She''s got quite intrusive fingers,"

    "What the fuck do you want?" Ms Eeve stomps her foot.

    "Take us upstairs," Alex says, sheathing the gun behind his back. "To your home on level three,"

    "What?" Ms Eeve''s expression drops. "I-uh,"

    "Upstairs," Caity reiterates.

    Ms Eeve takes a big gulp and straightens her back. " If I say no?"

    "This would be a lot easier if we didn''t have to hurt you," Alex says.

    "I''m open to the idea," Kita grins, stepping forward to prey on Ms Eeve''s timidness.

    Ms Eeve stays put, eyeing Kita as she approaches and maintaining her nearly rigid expression.

    "Is there something you don''t want us to see up there?" Kita asks.

    Ms Eeve breaks eye contact and looks at Alex before shaking her head.

    "I will not," She declares, prompting Kita to start brainstorming ways of forcing this lady to submit.

    Mind control would be the easiest option, but the thought of it alone feels as though it would heavily tax her available souls.

    Ms Eeve glances at the security guard, who glances back at her and slowly nods his head.

    "Eyes on me!" Kita barks. Without much thought, she slowly raises a hand and feels it getting hotter, and the moisture on her skin evaporates into thin wisps of steam. The thought of a frying pan fresh off the fire should do.

    She slowly etches her hand closer to Ms Eeves face, and in response Ms Eeves body jolts to the approaching heat.

    "Not too much," Raya says, prompting Kita to sigh and roll her eyes.

    "If you ask me, this is already quite tame," Kita whispers to Ms Eeve with a grin. Kita grabs Ms Eeves shirt and pulls her back.

    "What''s it going to be?" Kita asks as she brings her hand closer and closer.

    "They won''t let you through if I''m hurt," Ms Eeve says.

    Kita uses her cool hand to grab Ms Eeves arm. "You''re immortal, remember?" Kita chuckles and slides up one of Ms Eeve''s long sleeves. "We can do this over and over again," Ms Eeve panics to the sudden motion but reacts too late, and Kita grabs the exposed forearm with her hot hand.

    The sound of meat on a low heat grill sizzles as Ms Eeve howls in pain, using her other arm to pry away at Kita''s grip. Kita let''s go, and Ms Eeve squirms as she reaches for the shriveled wound shaped like a handprint.

    "Want more?" Kita asks as Caity tosses Ms Eeve a bottle of water from her backpack.

    "No!" Ms Eeve cries as she raises her hands up at Kita''s approach. "I''ll take you upstairs,"

    "See, that wasn''t so tough," Kita chuckles as Ms Eeve houses her forearm with the bottle of water, grunting in pain as the sizzle sound dissipates.

    "I should have known you were soulless," Ms Eeve scoffs as she glares up at Kita. "It''s written in your eyes¡­ I didn''t know there was one that is so old,"

    "What the fuck do you mean old?" Kita bites, stepping aggressively at Ms Eeve.

    "Relax," Alex says, putting an arm out to block Kita.

    Ms Eeve chuckles as she squints at the burn mark on her arm. "Who knew this was the extent a soulless'' powers,"

    "That''s the tip of the iceberg," Kita says, "Say something stupid again and I''ll show you what''s hidden beneath the waters,"

    "Roll down that sleeve," Alex orders Ms Eeve as he grabs her by the collar and lifts her to her feet. "We don''t have time to listen to you talk,"

    "Alright!" Ms Eeve yells as she stumbles to Alex shoving. "Your aggressive friend over there has done enough,"

    Ms Eeve walks to the other door behind the counter, and opens it to reveal a larger room stacked with more boxes similar to those underneath the shelves filled with flowers and herbs. At the opposite end of the room, there is another door which she unlocks using a key attached to her bracelet. It leads to a dimly lit room with lamps across a elongated desk that has an assortment of shaped glasses and tools.

    "What is this?" Raya asks.

    "My lab," Ms Eeve says, "I synthesis medicines here,"

    "Where is it?" Alex orders, pushing Ms Eeve to the center of the room.

    Ms Eeve grunts in frustration as she holds her burnt arm up close to her body. Once she regains her footing, she points towards two steel doors behind a shelf, smaller than Reiku''s.

    "Ah fuck that," Kita sighs as she glres at the elevator.

 Chapter 36 - The Third Floor [River City Pt. 17]

    In the elevator to the third floor, Kita finds herself holding the wall of the steel box to account for her dizziness. This machine was designed by a masochist- Kita couldn''t fathom how people became comfortable with old technology. A fear of enclosed spaces is the natural response.

    Everyone else in here must be a masochist too, they aren''t fazed by the experience.

    "This is insane," Kita sighs as she notices this elevator is moving quicker than the last one. At least it isn''t making that god awful grinding noise.

    "You''re completely safe," Alex says with eyes still focused on the mission.

    "Interesting," Ms Eeve comments, "I''d have presumed soulless couldn''t feel fear,"

    "That''s a stupid presumption," Kita says.

    "How did you acquire your immortality?" Ms Eeve asks with curiosity.

    Kita scoffs at her question- Contemplating ignoring it because the bitch is obviously getting into her curious researcher state of mind.

    "How did you detach your soul?" Ms Eeve follows up.

    "I could show you," Kita says, standing up straight to place a hand on Ms Eeve''s face. "It''s better learnt through experience,"

    "Kita," Caity chides, slapping Kita''s hand away from Ms Eeve''s face.

    "There must be a source," Ms Eeve says, analysing the contents of Kita''s eyes. "A reason you were given this gift,"

    "Gift?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "Gift?" Raya scoffs, using a hand to grab Ms Eeve by the cheeks. "You claim it''s a gift, despite the cost of sustaining it?"

    "I''m well aware of the cost," Ms Eeve stutters.

    "Yet the pursuit is still worthwhile to you?" Raya clenches her jaw.

    "Do you not find curiosity in it?" Ms Eeve grins, "The sacrifice of the many can bring the few an eternal bliss,"

    Raya slaps Ms Eeve across the face, startling her as she places a hand on her cheek.

    "You''re sick," Raya says, turning her head to look away.

    "Why are some granted the gift of life after their soul has been taken?" Ms Eeve asks, "Why do the soulless kill their victims when they consume? There must be a source," She adds, "It''s the only thing I don''t understand,"

    "And why would we tell you?" Alex asks.

    "Is it you?" Ms Eeve asks, glaring at Kita. "Are you the one granting children this gift?"

    "No," Kita grunts.

    Kita doesn''t want to tell this snob anything she knows. But she is curious to see how she''d react to knowing about the dark one. This lady would sell her soul in an instant, the last thing Kita needs is scumbags like her worshipping the dark one.

    It would be a cult, ugh.

    The elevator jolts as it comes to a stop, and slowly opens its doors to reveal the inside of a shop, much like the one on the second floor. It is filled with jars and displays of multicolored plant life spread across shelves made of a sapphire gemstone. Kita looks up to see the entire ceiling is made of glass, beaming natural light throughout the shop.

    "So much light," Kita says, raising a hand to cover her eyes as they adjust.

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    "They survive on light," Ms Eeve answers as she holds her forearm, rubbing at the burn wound underneath her shirt.

    "Where did you find all of this?" Caity asks as they all take in the magnificence of her store.

    "The old humans lived in excess," Ms Eeve responds, "It would be nearly impossible to lose it all,"

    "They came close," Kita adds.

    As they walk towards the front of the store, Alex stops Ms Eeve before opening the door.

    "Where is your home?" Alex asks.

    "It''s a few streets down," She answers.

    "From this point forward, we are your guests," He says, letting go of his grip on her. "Understood?"

    Ms Eeve glances awkwardly at the ground before looking back up at Alex and nodding her head.

    "Alright then," He says, gesturing for her to open the door ahead of them.

    They all follow behind Ms Eeve as she exits the door to the third floor. Like an oasis, the sun shines on the third floor like a city of the old world. Roads and buildings all made from an amalgamation of glass and different colors of gemstone- sprinkling the city in a rainbow of multicolored caustics as the sun glistens through the gem and glass. Parks with greenery and crystal sculptures relax amongst the vast, spacious design of the city.

    As Kita looks ahead of her, she sees a lady in delicate white, traditional clothing- waiting to cross the street. Her creamy brown skin glistens in the sunlight as her white dreadlocks flow in the breeze. Kita''s eyes widen as she recognizes the lady''s features, and her peripheral vision starts to fade.

    Mom?

    The thought alone prompts a reaction out of the lady, and she turns to look at Kita, slowly revealing the red stained splotches on the front of her clothing and void spaces where her eyes should be, rimmed with blood leaking from the two crevices in her face.

    "Hey Ki," She smiles endearingly.

    Kita feels panic tremble within her as she raises a hand to cover her mouth. Her breath shudders in her attempt to speak but all she can do is take a step backwards in fear.

    "It''s okay, Ki," Her Mom extends a hand.

    Kita shakes her head, "I-it''s not," She stammers, taking another step back.

    "It wasn''t your fault," She slowly lowers her hand.

    The image of armed soldiers tearing through their tipi rings clear as day in front of Kita. A soldier slaps Kita''s Mom across the face as she tries to stop them from taking Kita. The feeling of dread and rage comes back to her as she watches her Mother''s figure draw further and further away as Kita is dragged from her home.

    Droplets tickle Kita''s cheeks as she struggles to comprehend what this all means. Who took her? What happened to Mom?

    Why can''t I remember?!

    This is all so overwhelming. Her body is screaming in angst over an incomplete memory that she can feel in her bones, but can''t see in her mind. Her past is a ghost evading detection. Lurking in the shadows and always reminding her that it''s real.

    "Do you feel that?" Kita''s Mom asks, immediately bringing Kita''s attention to the tremor like wobble in the high rise city.

    Kita nearly stumbles over, shuffling her feet to stay upright. She glances at her Mother who''s pointing to the direction of the sun where a distant shadow slowly rises. Expanding across the horizon as the shadow creeps forward to eclipse the sun.

    "That is your fault," Her Mother says before a thunderous storm approaches the city. Dust so thick it appears as clouds crashing like waves over the barren mountains. Blood lightning flashes amongst the rolling of the storm.

    The myst.

    A warm feeling on Kita''s shoulder warps her from her daze, snapping back to the wondrous sight of River City''s third floor, where Raya, Alex and Ms Eeve are walking ahead of her.

    Kita looks beside her to see Caity with her hand resting on Kita''s shoulder.

    "You okay?" Caity asks with a soft tone of voice. It''s more comforting than Kita would have thought- Familiar.

    "Uhh," Kita stammers as she looks at the three walking ahead of her. "Yeah,"

    "Was it your Mom?" Caity asks.

    Kita stammers in discomfort of her own vulnerability. The flashes of crimson lightning prompts Kita to jolt in fear. She doesn''t know what Caity knows about her, but it''s evident she knows a lot.

    "Yeah," Kita sighs, unwilling to answer but unwilling to devise a lie.

    "It wasn''t your fault," Caity says, looking Kita deeply in the eyes and giving her a hug.

    Kita feels the anxiety rummaging within her start to calm as Caity''s arms drape over her shoulders. The fear and rage that was bubbling within her simmers down as the warmth of Caity''s body presses against her. She returns the hug, and wraps her arms tightly around Caity''s waist.

    "Thanks," Kita whispers in Caity''s ear.

 Chapter 37 - River City (Pt. 18)

    The guards on the third floor are similarly dressed as the ones in the second. White, buttoned up uniforms with various badges or medals depending on the guard- much more formal looking and of a higher quality material than those downstairs. The weapons they carry are cleaner too, and seem more modernized than the others. As if two different eras of human technology separates the second and third floor.

    Standing like a cathedral of glass and gemstone, Ms Eeve''s home shimmers against the sky as the sun refracts throughout it.  Golden rods with speared tips and a few guards gate the property beyond with a garden carpeted in greenery with three enormous plants spread across the area.

    One of the guards glares at Kita as they all make their way closer to Ms Eeve''s home. The lot of them have looks of distrust planted across each of their faces, prompting one of the guards to step forward.

    "Is everything alright, Ms?" The guard asks from a distance.

    "We''ll burn down your store if you say anything stupid," Alex whispers to Ms Eeve as he smiles at the guard.

    "And I''ll kill you," Kita chuckles as she joins in on the threat, "Over and over again,"

    "Everything''s alright, Morris," Ms Eeve says, waving a hand. "I have a few guests with me today,"

    "Will they be spending the night, Ms?" Morris the guard asks.

    "We''ll have to see how the evening goes," Ms Eeve smiles.

    A large gate swings open from the golden fence that surrounds Ms Eeve''s home. Two guards swivel it open to provide an entryway to the garden that lies ahead of the front door.

    "Thank you, Morris," Kita says, winking at the guard.

    "It is a pleasure, Ma''am," Morris responds, "Welcome to the Eeve residence,"

    "Oh wow," Kita chuckles as she nudges Ms Eeve''s shoulder, "Soo fancy,"

    "What is this large plant?" Raya asks as she steps over to place the palm of her hand against the bark of the tall standing-

    "A tree," Ms Eeve says. "They used to grow naturally all around the world,"

    "What need would it have to grow so large?" Raya asks as Caity steps beside her to touch the tree as well.

    "I believe they''re reaching for the sun," She responds, "Sunlight and water seems to be the source of life for most plants,"

    Reaching for the sun sounds about right to Kita. Although she isn''t sure of the technicalities of preserving plant life, she remembers the plethora of greenery at the village. The vegetation and fruits that were grown throughout the years. They didn''t require much more than the light from the sky and the occasional splash of water. But, her memory of these plants may be incomplete.

    "You''ve seen them before, haven''t you?" Ms Eeve asks as she looks into Kita''s eyes.

    "What?" Kita mumbles.

    "Not many people pay so little attention to my trees," Ms Eeve says, "To most, they''re a mystery of the old world¡­"

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    "Hm," Kita grunts, trying to ignore her prying.

    "Only those who have seen them many times take it for granted in the way you are," Ms Eeve says.

    "No, I haven''t seen them before," Alex says as he talks on the other side of Ms Eeve, unconcerned about the tree. "Couldn''t care much for overgrown vegetables,"

    Hasn''t he? Kita didn''t want to say anything because she knows that Ms Eeve is right, but the fact that Alex is reacting the same way means that he''s seen a tree before too¡­ Right? Kita''s certain that the old humans would have taken such a magnificent form of life for granted. Her lack of memory is a testament to that belief. If it was something she hadn''t frequently seen and cared for, she''d find its existence far more spectacular.

    As they approach the grand entrance of glass and marble, Ms Eeve scratches the burn mark beneath her long sleeve again as she suppresses the discomfort of her arm. She ever so slightly rolls up her sleeve but Alex casually puts an arm over her shoulder before she does so.

    "Watch it," He whispers, passing her a blank look. "Wouldn''t want your friends here to be worried,"

    "How''s that immortality coming along?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "It works best in my sleep," Ms Eeve responds.

    "It works best when you''re dead," Kita chuckles, "But sleep is the same thing, of course,"

    Raya and Caity follow behind them as the mountainous door sweeps open, chiming loudly as it does so. Kita steps up the short set of stairs and onto the white, marble floor that extends throughout Ms Eeve''s home. Accents of gold weave between the glass and marble floors and walls, creating a spacious home that almost feels transparent. Presented at either side of the spiraling staircase are two large, glass boxes sitting on a golden pedestal. In each box, there is a metallic creature with indents and patterns etched into the steel.

    One of them looks just like Ari with a glistening, silver exterior, a rounded tail and a pointed snout.

    "A fox," Kita mumbles to herself as her eyes shift to observe the other creature.

    "You''ve seen one?" Alex asks, glaring at the creature in amazement.

    Kita nods before Ms Eeve chimes in, "He''s quite friendly," She says.

    A large thud against the glass brings Kita''s attention to the second one, which is unfamiliar to her. It seems somewhat human-like in its posture- Standing on its hind legs, and leaning forward onto its arms, its mouth subtly protrudes from its face as it walks back and forth within the cage. As Ms Eeve steps towards it, the creature slams against the glass and releases a loud, protesting screech.

    "This one''s less friendly," Ms Eeve chuckles.

    "I wouldn''t be very friendly if I was imprisoned," Kita scoffs.

    "Imprisoned?" Ms Eeve sighs, "This is called preservation. These creatures would be torn apart for scraps or enslaved if they were to leave this place,"

    "I''d rather be a slave, than a prisoner," the second creature grunts with its burly voice as it bares its fangs at Ms Eeve.

    "It speaks," Alex says, stepping back in a moment of panic.

    "It does," Ms Eeve says as she glares at the creature menacingly. "But it doesn''t realize it isn''t imprisoned," She slowly walks over to place a hand on the glass cage, "You''re protected,"

    "What is it?" Kita asks as she places a hand against the glass.

    "It is an Ape," Ms Eeve responds, "It is believed that their biological variants were closely related to our own species,"

    "Speak for yourself," Caity rolls her eyes as she obnoxiously chews on a leaf.

    "Who would believe such a thing?" Raya asks, stepping beside Kita.

    "The old humans," Ms Eeve responds.

    The ape loudly smacks against the glass again, drawing everyone''s attention before baring his fangs at Ms Eeve once again. "The old humans were a plague but their behavior was still of nature,"

    "Are you trying to say something, Ape?" Ms Eeve chuckles.

    "You''re far worse than the old humans could have dreamed, Ms Eeve," The ape snarls.

 Chapter 38 - River City (Pt. 19)

    "We don''t have time to get caught up in what this creature has to say," Alex says, glancing between the ape and Ms Eeve who are both stuck glaring at one another.

    "You''re rather ungrateful," Ms Eeve sighs as she turns her back to the ape.

    "Gratitude is earned," The creature states, curling his hands into a fist.

    As Kita looks between the Ape, and fox trapped inside the glass prisms confining their every moment, she can''t help but think about Ari. This must have been what she went through. For hundreds- no, thousands of rotations. Forever on public display to deluded humans who think they know better.

    The same happened to Raya.

    "Ugh," Kita sighs. "And here I am thinking I''ve got to work on myself,"

    "What?" Ms Eeve asks.

    Kita just chuckles to herself before raising a hand towards Ms Eeve''s face, "You know, I''m actually pretty pissed off right now,"

    Ms Eeve''s smug expression fades as she looks into Kita''s emotionless eyes- She''s scared. Kita can almost smell it radiating beneath that mask of narcissism.

    She knows what happens if Kita takes her soul. She''s glad Ms Eeve knows. Not many people get to express their fear of death before Kita takes their life. This sends a chill down her spine.

    An excitement she can''t suppress.

    "Kita¡­" Raya says, watching her with wide eyes.

    "Maybe I''ll just take a little bit," Kita chuckles. "Not enough to kill her. But enough to make her lose who she is. Enough for her to feel¡­ empty,"

    Kita grabs Ms Eeve''s face. Strengthening her grip with a soul to resist Ms Eeve''s panicked writhing.

    Ms Eeve''s squirming doesn''t phase Kita''s grip as she simmers in this frustrated feeling. This vague emotion reminds her of what happened to her Mom.

    Suffering being forced onto the weak. No- that''s not it. Kita couldn''t be bothered by all of this macro-philosophical nonsense.

    It''s simple.

    They''re hurting the people I care about.

    "I want to hear you scream for your life," Kita grins.

    "Kita stop," Alex yells as he grabs Kita''s extended arm. "Fuck, she''s strong," He grunts as his attempt to move her hand fails.

    "You like hurting others, don''t you?" Kita asks as she keeps her eyes fixated on Ms Eeve. "You like how it feels, right?" A smile trickles across her face as she feels herself stirring deeper into Ms Eeve''s fear.

    "So do I," Kita says before pulling Ms Eeve in closer.

    "Scream," Kita orders.

    "The guards-," Caity urges as she jolts forward beside her brother to block the wailing scream that erupts from Ms Eeve''s mouth.

    "Scream!" A low-pitched wail ejects from Kita as the muffles of Ms Eeve''s shrieking sends a wave of pleasure through Kita''s body.

    In the corner of her eye, she notices Raya''s hair swivelling in a panicked step away from Kita. Kita turns her head with vigour, passing her raptorial glare into Raya''s ocean eyes- causing her to stammer and skip a breath.

    I''m scaring her.

    Kita slowly looks back at Ms Eeve to find Raya''s blue eyes peeking between the fingers of her grip and her blue hair wisping in the ash-filled air of the flame-covered rubble that surrounds them.

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    Kita''s heart skips a beat as she pushes the face away. Afraid, and hoping she didn''t just do that to Raya. She turns her head to find Raya still breathing heavily, watching Kita with doe-eyes then looks back to see Ms Eeve crying on the floor.

    "What the fuck, Kita," Alex sighs as he walks over to help Ms Eeve up.

    Kita''s breath stutters as she glances over to Caity- who is glaring at Kita with curious eyes.

    "What just happened?" Caity asks.

    Kita looks down at her hands to see them covered in dirt and splotches of blood, but after she blinks, they''re clean again. The image of Raya''s eyes glaring at her between her fingers rings in her mind as she momentarily feels the warmth of the flame-filled rubble sear against her skin.

    Kita looks back to Raya. Both of them are silent, and watching each other with concern.

    Did I hurt her?

    The image of Raya''s fear-filled eyes matches the look in her eyes right now. She''s terrified of what I might do.

    Why?

    "Calm her down," Alex says to Caity as he points a finger towards a corridor. "Raya and I will find Jan,"

    "C''mon," Caity says, putting an arm around Kita''s waist to guide her down the hall.

    "I don''t-" Kita stammers before releasing the tension in her shoulders. "I don''t know who I am,"

    "You''re Kita," Caity chuckles, guiding Kita past the amalgamation of artworks spread across Ms Eeve''s wall.

    "The things I''ve done¡­ The people I''ve hurt¡­ I can''t see any of it, but my body is always reminding me,"

    "We all have a past," Caity says.

    The two of them approach an archway, delicately shaped within the glass wall of the home, with ''Galleria'' inscribed above it. Beyond it lies a collection of glass containers, all of different sizes and holding a variety of creatures, plants and artefacts.

    Most of the creatures aren''t moving though. Kita immediately notices the lifelessness as they no longer have the purple glow of life flowing through their steel bodies.

    "I don''t know what happened to my Mom,"

    Caity lowers her hand from around Kita''s waist, before scratching behind her ear and placing a leaf in her mouth. "You never told me what happened. Even when you could remember more than you do now- it was always too painful for you to talk about,"

    "It feels like I lost my past," Kita sighs.

    "Not all of it," Caity says. "I''m still here,"

    "Why? I don''t know much about you,"

    "But I know a lot about you," Caity adds, looking into Kita''s eyes. "You think you''ve changed, but I don''t think you ever really wanted to. I don''t know much about your past¡­ I never have¡­ But, your past isn''t the reason I-,"

    Caity''s eyes flutter as she takes a nervous step closer to Kita. "You aren''t your past. Nor are you a product of the dark one,"

    Caity places the palm of her hand on Kita''s cheek, prompting Kita''s nerves to arise as Caity''s face leans in.

    "You''re still Kita. The one I fell in love with,"

    Caity''s lips gently press against Kita''s as her arms wrap around Kita''s shoulders. But after a brief kiss, Kita pulls away. Dropping eye contact as she lets out a deep exhale.

    "I think I hurt her," Kita says.

    "Hurt who?" Caity asks.

    "Raya¡­ and my Mom,"

    "You don''t know that,"

    "I saw it," Kita says, slowly taking Caity''s hands off her shoulders. "I saw Raya''s face in place of Ms Eeve''s¡­ We were surrounded by destruction- A fallen city. She looked at me with that fear in her eyes. A fear that always awakens something in me,"

    Caity smiles and puts her arms back around Kita''s shoulders and embraces her tightly whilst whispering in her ear. "Maybe it''s time to awaken,"

    "I- I shouldn''t," Kita stammers in disbelief of the thought being suggested to her, "It''s not right¡­"

    "There''s no such thing as right," Caity says. Kita can feel the warmth of Caity''s cheek against her own slowly rising. "Existing is a test the old humans failed. That way of thinking died with them. Such concepts don''t apply to the powerful,"

    Kita''s breath skips as Caity''s whispering seduces the ideas she reprimanded herself from considering. The desire''s she''s been struggling to overcome.

    "It feels good, doesn''t it? Taking a soul," Caity grins. "Don''t you want to find out why? Find out how deep it goes?"

    "I shouldn''t," Kita whispers as she feels the palm of one of Caity''s hands lightly touching her stomach.

    "Forget about what you should and shouldn''t do,"

    Caity''s hand slowly slides down the front of Kita''s trousers, prompting her to softly gasp as Caity tilts her head back to look Kita in the eyes.

    "What do you want, Kita?"

 Chapter 39 - Fear less [River City Pt. 20]

    Sunlight glistens through the galleria of Ms Eeve''s home as soft rays of light shine into each of the glass displays, proper on pedestals of Marble.

    "Mmm," Kita softly moans as Caity slowly removes her hand from Kita''s trousers and kisses her on the cheek.

    Caity doesn''t think the same way Raya does. She isn''t concerned with doing good or helping others. Kita had forgotten what it felt like to have someone encouraging this side of her- Rationalizing the case for destruction and pain.

    The thought alone is so easy for Kita to let herself slip into. Bringing fear and pain to others is a part of what makes Kita who she is.

    She thrives on the fear of others.

    The power she feels when she looks into a victim''s eyes is exhilarating. Seeing the helplessness in their dilated pupils makes Kita feel more than control.

    She feels free. Almost complete again.

    But this doesn''t last. Like a drug she will always need to get her fix and her logical thinking would prefer she gets rid of the addiction in the first place.

    "This isn''t a good idea," Kita says as she takes a step away from Caity. "I don''t think I see things that way anymore,"

    "Oh?" Caity chuckles, "Then what were you about to do to Ms Eeve? Give her face a massage?"

    Kita sighs and turns away from Caity, but is stopped when Caity grabs her hand and steps back in front of her. "You don''t know why you do it?"

    "Do what?" Kita asks.

    "Get all excited about taking souls," Caity answers as she runs a finger along Kita''s arm.

    "And you do?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "Kita, I was upset about you leaving because you used to tell me almost everything that was on your mind," Her wide, purple eyes look endearingly into Kita''s. "I got worried when all that stopped and before I realized why, you had already left,"

    "Mean girl has a soft side, huh," Kita chuckles.

    "You''re a softie too," Caity grins

    "How much do you know?" Kita asks, "About my past,"

    The two of them start walking through Ms Eeve''s galleria of collectables, relics and lifeless creatures of the old world as the sun begins to set- Casting a golden glow through the glass walls of the home.

    "I know you lived in a small village in the old world," Caity says. "You told me about the marketplace you and your Mom would travel to every month to trade for the village- you always said she was a great negotiator,"

    Kita smiles as the image of her Mother haggling in the marketplace comes to mind.

    "There was an old couple in your village that managed the cattle and crops. You''d always ask the old lady about the history of the world and your culture- I remember you told me that the gods of your culture had all vanished, and permanently taken their form in the stars,"

    "Why''d they leave?" Kita asks.

    "No one knows. If I had to guess I''d say it was because you were all heathens," Caity jests, evoking a light cackle out of Kita.

    That does seem familiar. Kita can''t quite place her finger on the memory she had when she was in Vhifet, but the blurry image of the old lady''s face comes to mind, alongside a warm tingle that feels as though the old lady is hugging her.

    These elements of her past span so long ago that it almost seems irrelevant in comparison to the memories she no longer has since her soul was taken.

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    "What about Raya?" Kita asks, looking down at her hand and remembering the blood stains she''d seen smeared all over it, "I think I hurt her in the past,"

    "I don''t know," Caity says as looks down at her feet, "All I know is that the dark one destroyed her city,"

    "Why did he destroy it?" Kita asks, but Caity just shrugs in response.

    "You''re the only person that knows anything about the dark one," Caity says, "Raya''s the only other person who''s seen him,"

    "You haven''t seen him?" Kita asks.

    "If your dumbass didn''t feel inclined to leave me every time you went to fight him, I''d be able to tell you a lot more," Caity scoffs.

    "Still mad about that, huh?"

    "I don''t think I''ll ever get over it,"

    "Have you considered the possibility that the reason I didn''t tell you might have been to protect you?"

    Kita feels a sharp punch crash into her shoulder, prompting her to flinch in surprise and a bit of pain.

    "That''s a stupid reason if it just gets you killed," Caity clenches her fist to punch Kita in the arm again, but restrains herself and slowly uncurls her fingers. "I-uhh¡­ I still lo-"

    A loud screech echoes through the galleria, grabbing the attention of Kita and Caity as they turn their heads in the direction of the grinding sound that''s coming from down a nearby staircase in the corner of the room. Kita looks down the spiralling stairs that lead into darkness.

    "What do you think is down there?" Caity asks as she steps beside Kita to look down the stairs.

    "Only one way to find out," Kita says, turning to wink at Caity.

    Their footsteps rattle the steel staircase as they make their way down. Their eyes slowly adjust to the dark, but not enough to see clearly and as they reach the ground, the ceiling lights spring to life, casting a warm glow throughout a large, warehouse-like space.

    Massive bowls and instruments made of glass scatter the shelves and tables of this underground lab. A series of tables and machines hug all the walls of the room, with plant life and different liquids in glasses dressing the tables in a concoction of colours.

    "Another lab," Kita says. "A lot bigger than the one in her store,"

    "So she is the one making them," Caity says as she eyes a shelf with jars of black smoke. "How does she get them into these jars? Have you ever tried putting a soul in something else?"

    "I gave Raya a couple hundred souls a long time ago. I don''t know how, but I don''t think it would be too difficult,"

    "You gave Raya souls?" Caity asks, slightly perplexed. "That''s how she''s stayed going all this time?"

    "What did you think happened?" Kita chuckles.

    "I don''t know. I just know that Casiim was destroyed thousands of rotations ago so the math never made sense to me,"

    Kita walks beside Caity and grabs one of the glasses off the shelf. Momentarily watching the smoking waft within the glass like a confined breeze.

    Kita grins at Caity before holding the jar up.

    "What are you doing?" Caity raises an eyebrow.

    "Science," Kita chuckles before dropping the glass.

    It crashes into the ground and throws glass all across the floor as a bellowing exhale releases from the ground where it crashed- the black smoke shoots straight up towards their heads where it briefly circles the both of them and flies up the staircase.

    Kita and Caity try following it but it must go fast, and once they reach the base of the stairs, the soul is completely out of sight. They both turn to each other in confusion before looking back up the stairs.

    "So¡­ What''d you learn?" Caity asks.

    "Uhh, I don''t know," Kita stammers, "Where do you think it went?"

    "Heaven?" Caity shrugs before chuckling, "Or hell,"

    Kita laughs and grins at Caity, "Let''s hope we didn''t just send that soul to eternal damnation,"

    They both walk back towards the lab equipment to scope out what else Ms Eeve might be working on. As she scans the area, Kita notices the table where the immortality pills are developed. A series of glass tubes and pipes are slowly dripping black smoke in combination with a series of different liquids. Combining in a cylinder that holds a black liquid with stars glistening amongst the darkness. Kita can quickly feel the concentration of souls within the liquid. This one cylinder holds thousands of souls- It would be used to make a few dozen pills.

    Kita can feel the urge to consume within her like an itch she can''t reach. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. Get a grip, Kita.

    "Why do they excite me?" Kita asks. "You said I don''t know,"

    Caity looks at the sparkles flowing amongst the colours within the black liquid and looks at Kita as she stares at them with hunger in her eyes.

    "Consuming their fear reduces your own,"

 Chapter 40 - River City (Pt. 21)

    "Consuming souls that are afraid reduces how much I fear?" Kita raises an eyebrow, trying to relate the logic to the feeling but struggling to associate the two.

    The excitement she feels doesn''t come across as fearlessness as much as it does a deep, unshakeable urge.

    "Why do you think it was so easy for you to almost kill Ms Eeve," Caity says, "The more fear you consume, the less you fear consequences,"

    Kita places her hand on her chin as it starts making more sense. This would explain why she becomes so much more carefree as she consumes more souls. Unconcerned with death or suffering because the more souls she has, the easier it is to overcome.

    "So only people in fear give me this?" Kita asks.

    "Not quite," Caity says, "Everyone fears. So all the souls you consume carry at least a little bit of fear. It''s those that reveal their fear before death that truly fuel your blithe,"

    This would explain why the urge to consume plagues Kita more and more. It''s a self-fulfilling cycle that forces her into consuming more and more souls.

    "Fuuck," Kita sighs, realizing the near impossibility of her desired self-improvement. "I made a promise to avoid hurting innocent people,"

    Caity blurts out in laughter before covering her mouth as she realizes the honesty in Kita''s remark. "Why would you do that?"

    "Uhh, she made some valid points. I guess she''d seen this look in my eyes before and hoped I''d only use it on people who are deserving,"

    "Ooh, and I thought you''d shaken your god-complex," Caity jests.

    "It''s better than just killing all willy-nilly," Kita shrugs, throwing her hand in the air.

    "You always took as many souls as you could," Caity says.

    "Well maybe I didn''t need to," Kita sighs.

    Caity squints at Kita, and briefly scans her face before tilting her head, "Maybe,"

    A loud thud echoes against the steel wall at the opposite end of the room. Grabbing both of their attention as the thud rings for a second time.

    Kita and Caity both look at each other with suspicion before slowly approaching the wall at the end of the room.

    "Hello?" The voice of a young boy softly passes through the wall.

    "Jan?" Kita shouts.

    "How do you know my name?" He asks.

    "Seriously? You don''t recognize my voice?" Kita grunts.

    "Not really, sorry,"

    "It''s Kita, your jail buddy,"

    "Kita?... Kita! You''re here too,"

    "I came to prove I''m not a villain," She chuckles.

    "I''m so glad you''re here," Jan chuckles. "This place sucks,"

    "Take me with you," Says the voice of a little girl.

    "Me too," Says the voice of another boy.

    "Ari doesn''t know where I am," The girl''s voice shakes.

    "Ari?" Kita mumbles before she feels her stomach fall off a cliff. Her eyes widen as she smacks a fist against the steel wall. "Is that you, Starlet?"

    "Yes," Starlet responds as Kita can hear the stutters of her breath, "I want to go home,"

    Kita''s hand curls into a fist before she punches the wall.

    Damnit!

    "Hey, other kid. What''s your name?" Caity calls out from beside Kita.

    "Dia," The boy softly responds.

    "Dia," Caity nods, "We''re going to get you out of here too, okay?"

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    There is no response.

    Kita takes a step away from the wall and raises her hand towards it. She immediately casts a push spell, which sends a large wave of air to crashes into the wall. A loud ring echoes through the room as a sudden breeze pushes Kita and Caity a few steps back.

    "Kita," Caity says.

    Shit. Kita grunts and raises her arm across her body. Slice. A slash of bladed air smacks into the steel and shoots its way back at Kita. She momentarily hesitates, thinking she should move out of the way but feels her body shift to the side when she notices Caity has pushed her shoulder.

    The slash flies past Kita and Caity, grazing some of Caity''s hair as it whizzes by.

    "You''re going to get us killed!" Caity yells. "You can''t just waste spells like that,"

    "Is everything okay?" Jan asks with a voice of concern.

    "Everything''s just great," Caity rolls her eyes. "We need to find the entrance.

    "My bad," Kita heaves herself up to her feet before dusting off her pants and stepping up to the wall. "Do you know how we can get in there?

    "There''s a door after the gallery," Says Starlit in a shy tone.

    "But you need the key from Ms Eeve," Jan adds.

    "Alright, I''ll get the keys from Alex," Caity says as she turns to jog towards the staircase. "Keep them company,"

    Kita sighs and takes a seat on the floor, leaning up against the steel wall. "You two doing alright?"

    There''s a slightly prolonged pause before Kita hears whispered bickering.

    "No, you answer first," Says Jan.

    "Nuh-uh," Starlet grunts, "She''s nice but she''s also scary,"

    Kita chuckles to herself, wondering if she should interrupt their arguing or let it play out.

    "She is scary but she''s not scary-scary,"

    "I''ll take that as a yes," Kita giggles.

    "But we''re not alright," Statlet says. "Ms Eeve is scary-scary,"

    "Yeah, Ms Eeve is scary," Jan adds.

    "Did she hurt you?" Kita asks.

    "All the time," Jan responds. "She makes us hurt other people too,"

    "I don''t like doing it," Starlet mumbles.

    Kita chuckles, "It might grow on you,"

    "I just want my soul back," Jan says.

    "Me too," Starlet adds.

    "Welcome to the club," Kita responds. "But we need to get you both out of here first,"

    "Have you met the dark one?" Jan asks.

    "Yeah," Kita responds.

    "Me too," Stalet says.

    "Me three,"

    "Really?" Kita asks.

    "Yeah," Both kids respond in sync.

    "What happened?"

    "I can''t remember very much," Jan responds.

    "It felt like I was dreaming but I was awake," Starlet adds.

    "Did you see what he looked like?"

    "He?" Both kids query.

    "I saw a young lady," Jan says.

    "Me too,"

    "Did she say anything to you?"

    "She said that I''m part of a big plan," Starlet answers.

    "She told me that the soulless are very special,"

    "The dark one said that to me too," Kita says. "I don''t know what he''s planning, but I promise I''ll get us our souls back,"

    "Is it even possible," Says Dia, the third kid in the cell who is presumably soulless too. "When we cast spells, the souls are destroyed,"

    Kita bangs the back of her head against the steel wall, promoting a soft gasp from Starlet as the sound reverberates.

    "You don''t know that," Kita dismisses.

    "But¡­ That''s what it feels like," Dia says.

    Kita sighs and rests her head against the steel wall. The kid''s right- it does feel that way. Whenever she casts a spell, she can feel them dissipating. As if the energy within a soul is being converted into something new.

    No longer existing in its older form.

    It''s why she can keep count of them. If she concentrated hard enough when consuming them, she might be able to remember which soul belongs to whom.

    "Yeah, Kid," Kita sighs. "That''s what it feels like,"

    She slowly stands up and walks over to the tables of lab equipment, plant life and pills. She slowly walks over to the warmly lit table beside the storage unit, where a bowl full of immortality pills sits. She grabs one of the pills and holds it up to the light, seeing the glowing embers and wafting abyss within it.

    She slowly opens her mouth and places the pill on her tongue when it immediately starts dissolving. Creating a warm, tingling sensation in her mouth that seeps down her throat- warming her neck and chest as it slowly passes through her. Once it reaches her stomach, she feels the warmth explode throughout her body, and pass down all her arms and legs, reaching to the tip of her finger and toes.

    She tries to hold back a moan, but it escapes her as she puts her arms onto the table to provide herself support as her legs jitter.

    One hundred souls, Kita notes as she feels the warmth of the immense energy flowing through her entire body.

    Kita cannot recall a time she had this many souls. Her body feels stronger, and better in every way with this perpetual warmth constantly radiating within her.

    One hundred and sixteen to be exact.

 Chapter 41 - River City (Pt. 22)

    Kita soaks in the energy she feels as the warm sensation of one hundred souls fills every part of her body. As she embraces the feeling, she becomes aware of an urge boiling within her- the urge to consume more souls.

    It is clear now that the more souls she consumes, the more her hunger for them grows. This one hundred souls she now has is a constant barrage of desire nagging away at the back of her mind.

    "Kita?" Jan''s shaky voice passes through the steel wall.

    "I''m going to get you out of there," Kita answers as she raises a hand to the wall and cycles through the different ways she can get in. "Stay away from the wall,"

    Kita channels a push spell, committing three souls to it instead of the usual one. As the thought crosses her mind, a large gust of energy ejects from the palm of her hand- crashing into the wall and creating a massive dent with a few tears at its corners.

    "One more time," Kita calls out as she raises her hand again, committing another three souls.

    The spell busts through the dented area and flies through the small cell that the kids are in. Dispersing against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

    All of the kids hop up to their feet as Kita steps into the room, glancing around to see all four walls are completely sealed, with one wall having a steel door in the centre of it. No windows, no toilet, and three rags lying on the floor, each with a pillow at one end.

    Kita scratches the back of her neck, trying to subdue the frustration she feels building at the sight of this room that''s worse than a prison cell.

    "Kita!" Starlet yells as she runs over to give Kita a hug. Jan follows behind her, hugging Kita as well.

    "I''ve missed you," Jan says.

    Kita squirms awkwardly before patting both kids on the head.

    "They made us do so many bad things," Starlet says, gripping Kita even tighter.

    "There''s no such thing as good or bad," Dia mumbles from the opposite end of the room.

    "Yes, there is!" Starlet yells, releasing her grip on Kita, "Taking souls is bad!"

    "Nuh-uh," Dia says sticking his tongue out.

    "Dia''s just a jerk," Jan says to Starlet, "He doesn''t know what he''s saying,"

    "You coming with us Dia?" Kita asks, chuckling at the kids arguing.

    Dia shakes his head, "Ms Eeve will be angry if we leave,"

    "Screw Ms Eeve," Kita says, "Do you want to come with us?"

    "No," Dia answers, shaking his head again, "I want to stay here,"

    "Why?" Jan asks.

    "Because Ms Eeve is still teaching us," Dia says, "I want to learn more from her,"

    "What?" Kita grunts.

    "Let''s just leave him," Starlet scoffs, "He''s a jerk anyway,"

    "Are you sure?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    Dia simply nods in response.

    "You can learn more from Kita," Jan chuckles, "She''s probably killed more people than Ms Eeve,"

    "Kita''s soulless too," Starlet adds.

    Jan looks into Kita''s eyes with a look of surprise on his face, now realizing that she''s soulless too- he takes a moment to think about his answer before shaking his head and confirming, "I''m staying here,"

    "Alright," Kita says.

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    "Suit yourself," Starlet rolls her eyes.

    The three of them step through the jagged hole that Kita created and step back into Ms Eeve''s lab. Kita glances over at the bowl full of pills and opts to grab a few of them.

    "You know what those are made out of, right?" Jan asks.

    "I hope those aren''t the ones I made," Starlet mumbles.

    "Yeah, I do" Kita sighs. "It isn''t such a big deal to me,"

    "Why not?" Jan asks.

    "Because I need to get our souls back," Kita smiles. "What Dia said about your souls being used¡­ It isn''t true,"

    "How do you know?" Starlet asks.

    "Because I saw Jan''s souls the other day,"

    "Where?" Jan''s eyes light up.

    "Here, in River City," Kita says as she makes her way to the spiral staircase that leads up to the galleries.

    "Liar," Starlet says.

    "Are you sure?" Jan asks.

    "There''s no mistaking that annoying-ness of yours," Kita winks.

    The three of them make their way up the stairs to see four guards posted at the opposite end of the galleria- the only way in or out. Each of them has their rifles ready and aimed down at them.

    "Let the children go," Calls out Ms Eeve''s chief guard, Morris.

    "You''re really going to protect Ms Eeve?" Kita grunts, "Despite the vile shit she does?"

    "Our duty is simple," Morris responds.

    "Then that makes my next decision simple too," Kita tilts her head.

    Kita casts a large shield around herself, Jan and Statletbas the guards fire their weapons. The barrage of bullets ping and ricochet off the shield as Starlet and Jan both scream and cover their ears to the gunfire.

    Kita prepares her next attack as she takes refuge behind the energy-formed shield that goes unbudged by all of the ammunition dropping to the floor. As their magazines run empty, Kita drops her shield and raises the palm of her hand in their direction- Casting a push spell that blows two of the four guards off their feet and through the glass wall behind them.

    Morris turns to Kita in shock after watching the two guards fly past him and panics to reload his weapon. Kita casts a slice spell that sends a blade of air across the galleria, severing multiple displays and sculptures as it travels. Morris quickly drops to the floor as the slice whizzes past him, creating a fatal gash in the chest of his ally guard.

    Kita dashes toward Morris, reaching his just as he finishes reloading his weapon and raising it to fire. But, Kita''s already too close. And pushes his weapon out of the way before placing a hand on Morris'' face and consuming his soul.

    "Woah,¡± Jan says as he lowers his hands from his ears.

    "You killed all of them?" Starlet asks.

    Kita shrugs as she looks over her shoulder to confirm the homelessness of the four bodies before looking back at Starlet, "Something like that,"

    "Do we have powers like yours?" Jan asks with a grin stretching across his face.

    "Uhh," Kita mumbles, unsure of how to address Jan''s excitement.

    "I also want to be as strong as you!" Starlet smiles.

    "I don''t think you do," Kita sighs.

    "Why not?" Jan grunts.

    "Because I hurt people," Kita drops her shoulders, "And that''s a bad thing to do,"

    "But they would have killed us if you didn''t hurt them," Starlet queries, "Which means you''re good,"

    "It''s a little more complicated than that," Kita says. "The powers we have make us hurt people that aren''t bad,"

    Kita hadn''t considered the soulless kids wanting to take after her. Not did she consider they wouldn''t have seen the use of magic before- Ms Eeve probably only sees them as a vessel for transferring souls.

    She feels a responsibility not to let these kids go down the same path as her, but to some degree, it''s too late. Their souls have been stolen and that is the catalyst for a life of pursuit.

    No. Not if I get them back.

    "Kita!" Yells Caity''s voice from outside the galleria, "We need to get out of here,"

    Kita looks down the hall to see Raya supporting Alex who is limping at her side.

    Kita and the kids run towards Caity and they all follow behind Raya and Alex as they go to the front door.

    "What happened?" Kita asks, looking at the droplets of blood, dripping from Alex''s legs.

    "Her security figured out what we''re up to," Caity says "How did you get the kids out?"

    "I ate one of the pills," Kita says, "Bust it right open,"

    "You ate an immortality pill?"

    "Yeah, that shit is crazy efficient,"

    "So you have one hundred souls now?" Caity asks.

    "One hundred and nine," Kita chuckles.

    And how do you feel?"

    "Uhh, alright I guess. Why do you ask?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "Nothing, just¡­ be careful," Caity says.

    "Awww, I didn''t know you were such a softie for me,"

    "Shut up!" Caity barks as her cheeks redden.

 Chapter 42 - River City (Pt. 23)

    Caity drops eye contact with Kita as she catches Caity expressing her softer side. She is really cute when she isn''t being a total jerk. But, it seems to depend on whether or not she has a reason to be upset at you.

    Kita finds herself feeling comfortable around her, in a nostalgic kind of way. One that she can''t remember well, but she can feel the familiarity of Caity''s touch and the way she makes her feel.

    As the group and the two kids run towards the entrance of Ms Eeve''s palace-like home, Kita stops in her tracks and contemplates whether or not it is the right time to leave.

    "Kita?" Caity asks as she slows down.

    "You guys promised Reiku that you''d bring Ms Eeve," Kita says.

    "Some things don''t go according to plan," Caity says, "We got what we came for,"

    "Not exactly," Kita grunts, "One of the kids chose to stay here. Getting Jan and Starlet out of here isn''t going to stop the dark one''s plan,"

    "And what is the dark one''s plan?" Caity asks.

    "I don''t know¡­ but it would be quite the inconvenience to his plan if we took Ms Eeve and Dia with us,"

    "What are you two doing?" Raya calls out, "We need to move,"

    Kita and Caity pass each other a glance before both nodding their heads.

    "We''ll catch up with you," Kita says, "Get the kids to Reiku,"

    "Where are you going?" Raya asks.

    "We''re bringing Ms Eeve back with us," Kita responds as she glances at Alex''s bleeding leg, "Will he be able to make it back to Reiku''s?"

    "Yeah," Alex grunts, "Go get Ms Eeve and make it quick. I could really use that magic of yours right now,"

    Kita and Caity both nod their heads before turning to go back into Ms Eeve''s home. As they run down the hall of the front entrance, they face the two glass displays, each with a steel creature enclosed.

    The ape and fox. Kita recalls.

    Without a second thought, Kita tenses her fist and sprints towards the glass case holding the Ape.

    "Get back!" Kita calls out, prompting the Ape to turn its back towards the glass as Kita throws a hefty punch that splits the display wide open- Throwing shards of glass all over the floor.

    She takes her arm out of the display and in the same motion, she throws another punch at the Fox''s container- Shattering the glass.

    "Thank you," The burly voice of the Ape rumbles as the fox steps beside him, nodding its head.

    "Follow the others if you need a place to go," Caity tells them.

    "Your kindness will not be forgotten,". The Ape smacks his fist against his chest and grunts before both creatures nod their heads as they turn to follow the others.

    Kita and Caity turn down the hall and run past Ms Eeve''s kitchen in which each counter is topped with a white marble and accents of gold lining at its edges. Across from the large entryway to the kitchen is a flight of stairs that lead up to the second story of her home.

    "Where is she?" Kita asks Caity.

    "Her office," Caity calls out as she steps ahead of Kita to lead the way.

    Further down the hall, the white-suited bodies of three guards are spread across the floor and the sound of chatter can be heard from the office door at the end of the hall.

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    "Don''t let them get away!" Ms Eeve yells at the top of her lungs.

    Caity readies her dagger and charges at the first guard who exits the room. Leaping up to his chest she wraps her legs around his waist and arms before repeatedly stabbing at the space between his helmet and his neck.

    As the guard''s body drops to the floor, she jumps off to land on her feet when two more guards step out of the room. Raising the weapons at Caity before she can get in range.

    "No you don''t," Kita says with her arm raised. Casting a consume spell that draws black smoke from both of the guards'' bodies before they too, fall to the floor.

    Caity steps into Ms Eeve''s office and Kita follows behind her to see a large, dark, wooden desk in the centre of a room with bookshelves stacked all over the walls.

    "They got away," Kita chuckles as Ms Eeve notices the two of them and her expression turns to one of concern.

    "W-what are you doing here?" Ms Eeve stammers.

    "You''re coming with us," Caity orders as she steps around the table and grips Ms Eeve''s shoulder.

    "No!" Ms Eeve yells, smacking Caity''s hand off of her.

    "Look who gained some confidence," Kita comments.

    "I spent plenty of time entertaining you pests," Ms Eeve scoffs, "The fun''s over,"

    "Oh, but Your Highness," Caity smiles as she grabs Ms Eeve''s shoulder again, "The fun is just beginning," Caity pulls Ms Eeve out of her chair and hurls her to the ground. Prompting her to grunt in pain as she crashes to the floor.

    "You have a buyer," Kita chuckles, crossing her arms.

    Caity lifts Ms Eeve to her feet, holding her by the collar before pushing Ms Eeve towards the door. "Only the gods know why anyone would waste money on you,"

    "Jealousy," Ms Eeve scoffs, giving Caity a reason to punch her in the stomach whilst clutching Ms Eeve''s collar so she doesn''t fall.

    "You''re a piece of shit that imprisons children and abuses refugees," Caity snarls.

    "But not for much longer," Kita adds, "We found the soulless kids you''ve been abusing,"

    Ms Eeve chuckles as she recovers her breath and holds her stomach, "You idiots aren''t stealing from me. You''re stealing from Vlad,"

    "He''ll be quite disappointed when he shows up for the trade,"

    "You can ask him for yourself," Ms Eeve scoffs, "The trade is today,"

    Caity and Kita pass each other a concerned look before Caity starts pushing Ms Eeve towards the door.

    "Wait," Kita says, "We need to get Dia,"

    Ms Eeve laughs but is quickly silenced by a smack from Caity. Kita briefly regains her bearings of the house and discovers that the door of the cell is most likely on this side of the house.

    "Where is it?" Kita demands.

    "Where is what?" Ms Eeve asks with a sarcastic ignorance.

    Kita raises her hand to intimidate Ms Eeve with the steam emitting from it. She raises an eyebrow and asks one more time. "Where is it?"

    Ms Eeve glares at Kita''s hand with half-hearted confidence before looking into her eyes and shaking her head. Ms Eeve''s sudden conviction is quite a nuisance, and Kita doesn''t want to waste time giving this lady what she wants.

    The steam from Kita''s hand dissipates as she scans the room for any staircases but she can''t see beyond the carpeting and bookshelves. She quickly steps forward to place her hand on Ms Eeve''s face which prompts her eyes to widen in fear. But, Kita simply focuses on Dia and Ms Eeve''s mind as the colourful flares of light beneath her eyelids begin to form the image of the entryway to Dia''s cell.

    Kita pushes Ms Eeve''s face away, noticing the black splotches fade from her eyes that must have appeared as a result of Kita''s spell. Without any thought, Kitabsteos beside the desk and lifts the corner of the rub on the floor, revealing a hatch in the ground. She breaks the locks sealing the hatch and pulls it open.

    "Get out of here," Kita says to Caity, "I''ll be right behind you,"

    Caity momentarily hesitates, glancing down the hatch before passing Kita a reserved nod and forcefully guiding Ms Eeve out of the office.

    Kita takes the ladder down to a small room where the door to the cell is. She unhinges the locking mechanism and swings the door open, revealing Dia who is patiently sitting on his sheets on the floor, not too far from the hole Kita created earlier.

    "What are you doing here?" Dia scoffs. But Kita doesn''t respond and simply grabs his hand to drag him out of the cell. "Stop it!"

    Dia pulls his arm out of Kita''s grasp and raises a hand at her before yelling, "Leave me alone!"

    "What''re you going to do, kid? Consume my soul?"

    The expression on the kid''s face briefly shifts to confusion as he realizes that isn''t an option, but his resolve is solidified by a new idea that causes Kita concern. Before she can react, a large ball of energy pushes Kita off her feet and sends her out of the door and crashing into the wall beside the ladder.

    Kita coughs as she tries to regain her breath, slowly standing back up to her feet and reminding herself that he is just a kid to maintain composure.

    "You little shit," Kita grunts, as she wipes away the droplets of blood on her lips.

 Chapter 43 - Consequences [River City Pt. 24]

    Dia tries his luck and fires another burst of air at Kita, but she manages to raise her hand and dissipate it- He used fewer souls this time around, is he running out?

    "What the fuck, Kid?" Kita grunts. "You realize they''re trying to hurt you, right?"

    "No, you are!" Dia rejects

    "How am I the one trying to hurt you?" Kita sighs.

    "They give me food and a place to stay... And they make me stronger!"

    "They''re only doing that so they can use you¡­"

    "So?" Dia scoffs. "It''s only fair that I help them too,"

    "That''s not-" Kita stammers, unsure of what to say to him. She glares deeply in his shadowed eyes and doesn''t see him falter in his words. He genuinely wants to stay¡­ But, Kita can''t let them have what they want¡­ What the dark one wants.

    Do I kill him?

    No! Kita argues with herself.

    "Just leave me alone," Dia says.

    "Kita!" Caity yells from the hallway, running with Ms Eeve in their direction.

    "Why are you back!" Kita yells.

    "We have a problem," Caity calls out with a worried look on her face.

    "Leave Madam Eeve alone!" Dia yells as he turns his hand towards Caity.

    "Dia!" Kita chides, taking a step in Caity''s direction.

    "Kill her, Dia!" Ms Eeve yells, stumbling behind Caity.

    Fuck.

    Kita stumbles as she watches Caity''s worried expression turn to fear, and Dia''s expression turns to fury. He''s going to-

    Kita''s heart races as she tries to think of a way to counter it. Drawing on all the ideas and memories she has but nothing rings as the solution. She''s never had to stop a soul from being stolen, is that even possible?

    Dia''s hand tenses and his fingers slowly curl as Kita can see he''s cast the spell in his mind. Caity''s body briefly convulses when a thunderous crash rings through the entire house, prompting Kita to close her eyes and flinch. Gripping her ears and curling over in a moment of vulnerability.

    Once the echoes subside, Kita turns her head in a panic to see Caity getting onto her feet and Ms Eeve covering her ears as shock spreads across her face whilst looking over Kita''s shoulder.

    Kita turns around to see Dia on the floor with a bullet wound through his neck and a small puddle of blood building around his head.

    "Looks like I saved you, this time," A tall, athletic, dark-skinned man grins, "Huh, Caity?"

    "What did you do?!" Ms Eeve yells out as she runs towards Dia''s lifeless body.

    Kita can''t take her eyes off Dia, watching as Ms Eeve drops to her knees and lifts Dia''s head into her lap. Kita thought she could save him¡­ She thought he''d want to be saved but in the end, she just got him killed.

    "Finally found you," The man chuckles.

    "Chevo, wait!" Caity yells as she grabs the man by the shoulder as he stomps his way over to Kita. But a few of the goons that he''d bought along with him restrain Caity from her efforts.

    "This one''s gotta debt to pay," He snarls, grabbing Kita by the shoulder and throwing her through the nearest pane of glass.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    The sharp sting in Kita''s hip brings her out of her daze, moaning in pain as she crashes onto sharps of glass and feels the wet river of blood seeping from her side.

    "You think you can just run from consequences, huh?" Chevo barks as he charges towards Kita before she can get up. Grabbing her by the locks this time and throwing her through another glass wall.

    Another shard impales Kita''s shoulder, piercing out of her upper chest.

    "Gah!" Kita screams in pain as she rolls over and gets on her knees in an adrenaline-fueled panic.

    "Go on," Chevo says," Heal so I can start from scratch,"

    Kita looks up at the man''s face, his goatee and a scar crossing his eye triggers a familiarity within Kita. A realization of who this man is, and an accompanying emotion of dread.

    "Chevo, stop!" Caity yells under the firm grasp of Chevo''s subordinates.

    "Why should I?" He scoffs, stepping in front of Kita and placing the barrel of his gun underneath her chin. "These soulless need to be reminded of death,"

    "You killed him," Kita grunts, as she tries to maintain her concentration under the blurring of her vision.

    "Still worried about someone else?" Chevo raises an eyebrow, "Imma kill you too, Kita,"

    "What for?" Kita stammers.

    "That''s a serious question?" Chevo frowns. "You fucking with me?" He presses the gun into Kita''s throat, partially strangling her as she tries to shift her head away.

    "Oh, right. I heard I killed your piece of shit, Son!" Kita barks, "I have a hard time remembering unimportant crap,"

    The butt of Chevo''s gun cracks into Kita''s cheek, throwing her to the floor. She spits out blood as she looks at Chevo with a rage-filled look in her eyes. This bastard knows me. Kita has tried casting multiple spells at this point, but none of them were successful as she can feel her body instinctively prioritizing regeneration.

    "Old habits die hard, huh?" Chevo chuckles, "Hundreds of rotations and you still ain''t learn to control your nature,"

    Chevo turns his head to Ms Eeve, who kneels by Dia''s side, running her hand through his hair. "You the one who fears nature, huh?" He scoffs.

    "Nature is a tool," Ms Eeve sighs.

    "Nature is nature," Chevo responds, walking over to Ms Eeve, "Death is a part of nature, and these soulless ones ain''t part of that,"

    "He was just a kid," Kita scoffs.

    "Wrong. That ain''t no kid," Chevo denies, "That''s a monster in its conception. I would know, I spent plenty of time thinking they can be like us,"

    He glares at Kita, before holding his gun to Ms Eeve''s head, "It just ain''t their nature,"

    "Chevo, wait," Caity calls out, "I need Ms Eeve alive,"

    "What for?" He raises an eyebrow.

    "To pay off a debt to Reiku," She responds.

    "And why should I do you any favours?"

    "B-because," Caity stammers, "I did what you told me to,"

    Kita looks over at Caity with a look of disdain as she comes to realize what''s happened. The large shard of glass slowly squeezes out of Kita''s hip, and the wound zips closed before her body gets to work on the glass impaling her shoulder.

    "After you betrayed me, and sided with this devil,"

    "No. That''s not true, it was all part of the plan," Caity argues.

    "And you expect me to believe that?" Chevo chuckles. "You think I''d forget that you and this one have history?" He says, passing an irritated glance at Kita.

    "You were using me this whole time?" Kita asks Caity, sighing in frustration.

    "I-" Caity stutters, caught between the line of her truths and lies. "I still love you, Kita¡­ But¡­ I''m in too deep here," Caity''s eyes gloss over and her cheeks flush as she holds back her emotions.

    "So what was the plan?" Kita grunts as she gets to her knees, "Use me to get even with Chevo and Reiku, then make a break for it so you could be ''free''?"

    Kita pulls the remainder of the shard out of her shoulder and throws it on the ground before the wound slowly seals.

    "N-no¡­" Caity sighs.

    Kita stands to her feet, noticing she has eighty-eight souls remaining. She faces Chevo and sparks a flame in her hand, preparing to throw a fireball when a bullet exits through her chest- One of Chevo''s assassins from behind.

    The flame in her hand extinguishes and Kita drops to her knees, coughing blood and gasping for air.

    "Kita!" Caity calls out.

    Chevo laughs, entertained by Kita and Caity''s desperation. He waves his gun at Kita, kissing his teeth like a teacher scolding a student, "You should know better than that,"

    "She doesn''t remember anything, Chevo!" Caity cries, "She''s changed,"

    "Oh, have you changed?" Chevo asks mockingly, as he walks over to Kita, "Have you stopped consuming souls?"

    Kita looks up at Chevo, struggling to say anything and hardly getting a full breath of air. She looks back down in pain as her hand presses again the exit wound.

    "I''ll take that as a no," Chevo scoffs.

 Chapter 44 - After life [River City Pt. 25]

    "I''ve been meaning to do this until you have no souls left," Chevo chuckles, "I''m curious to know what''ll happen,"

    Kita looks at the stream of blood seeping out of the bullet wound in her chest, hiccuping for her breath as her lungs regenerate. She glances at Dia''s lifeless body in Ms Eeve''s hands. Kita tries to speak to her but is unable to make any sounds beyond a hiccup.

    "Maybe we''ll find out with this one?" Chevo shrugs, shaking his gun in Dia''s direction.

    "Find out what?" Ms Eeve asks.

    "Seriously?" Chevo chuckles, glancing at Kita, "Should we show her?" He asks as he raises his gun to Kita''s head.

    "Leave her alone!" Caity yells.

    "Aw," Chevo grins, lowering his weapon, "She''s working so hard not to lose everybody. She''s so desperate to show you that she definitely wasn''t selling you out,"

    "Fuck you!" Caity yells as Chevo steps up to her, "We had a fucking deal,"

    A firm backhand collides with Caity''s face, and Chevo grabs her by the cheeks to look her in the eyes, "I trusted you!" He bellows in her face. "You don''t think I know what you and your brother have been up to?"

    Caity huffs in anger, trying to shake her face out of Chevo''s grasp.

    "You took advantage of my kindness more than once. I gave you one last chance¡­" Chevo pats her on the face before stepping away. "You tried your luck. So, here we are,"

    Chevo walks back to Kita, raising his gun to her head again, "How many souls have you got?"

    "U-u y-you," Kita chokes.

    "What was that?" Chevo chuckles.

    "F-fuck¡­ you," Kita repeats.

    "I do believe stubbornness is a trait of her kind," He cocks his weapons, "Time for a little demonstration of the power these soulless ones truly possess. Ready, Kita?"

    Kita ignores Chevo''s remarks and directs her attention to Ms Eeve, "H-how many souls did he have?" She stuffers.

    "I''m not sure," Ms Eeve sighs, "I don''t let them keep many¡­ He might have had five or so-"

    "It''s fine," Kita stammers, sliding on her knees in Dia''s direction, "I can save him,"

    "Uh-uh," Chevo interjects, kicking Kita over, "Why would I allow that?"

    "He''s just a kid," Kita says.

    "Hmph," Chevo drops his shoulders, "You just don''t get it,"

    He raises his gun to Kita''s head, and with no hesitation- he pulls the trigger. Kita briefly hears a loud eruption before-

    Darkness.

    ¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?¡ã

    "Kita!" Yells Caity''s voice from across the small, one-hundred-person camp of tipis and tents. Grabbing Kita''s attention as she devours a bowl of meat soup as she sits at the camp''s food stand.

    "What?" Kita mumbles with her mouth full.

    "Are you serious?" Caity grunts in frustration, "We need to go¡­ Now,"

    Kita says nothing and simply holds her finger up, signalling Caity to give her a minute and shaking her head as she grins at the chef- who''s just observing their kerfuffle.

    "No," Caity mumbles, grabbing the back of Kita''s shirt and lifting her off her stool.

    "What the fuck?" Kita protests.

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    "Grow up," Caity argues, "We were supposed to see him at sunrise,"

    Kita looks up in the sky, to see the soft gold and blue of the morning sun sitting slightly higher than sunrise.

    "We''re not that late," Kita shrugs.

    Caity glances at the chef, who shrugs his shoulders too and starts chopping some vegetables to avoid eye contact, "You''re a part of the problem too, Chef,"

    "Leave Chef out of this," Kita says, looking endearingly at Chef, "Tasting your recipes will always be my priority,"

    "Thanks, Keet," Chef smiles, before tilting his head over at Caity and shrugging his shoulders again.

    Kita looks at Caity and sighs, "Fine," She dusts her clothing off, "Let''s go then,"

    The two of them walk through the camp, towards the center. As they go, they are greeted by a multitude of comrades and allies that they''ve spent the past one hundred rotations travelling and fighting with.

    In the centre of the camp, a large tent with its doors closed and various sizes of steel boxes lined up outside of it. They walk right up to the entrance before zipping it open and stepping inside.

    The cool breeze of old technology chills Kita''s body as she enters, bringing her attention to how hot it is outside. The tent is split into three rooms, the main one in the centre- where Chevo is stood over a desk with papers scattered all across the top and artistic decorations from a city that Kita doesn''t recognize, hanging from the ceiling. Behind him is a zipped-up doorway that presumably leads to his bedroom and the other is a kitchen with no doorway to conceal it.

    "You''re late," Chevo''s voice rumbles in a slight frustration.

    "It''s all Caity''s fault," Kita says as she winks at Caity.

    "The soup stain on your shirt must be a coincidence then," Chevo says as he looks up at Kita.

    "We''re sorry for being late," Caity says, "It won''t happen again,"

    Chevo sighs, and looks back down at the papers on his desk, "Yes it will,"

    "Yeah," Kita chuckles.

    "So, how can we serve you?" Caity asks.

    "Serve?" Kita interjects, "He''s not god, y''know?" She adds, chuckling.

    "I''m being respectful," Caity scoffs, "You could learn a thing or two about that,"

    "Okay, Okay," Kita says, surrendering both her hands in the air, "I''m just teasing you,"

    "Are the two of you finished?" Chevo grunts.

    Caity says nothing and simply glares at Kita who passes a confused look at both Caity and Chevo. "I have a feeling it would be disrespectful for me to say ''no''?" Kita chuckles.

    "Ugh,¡± Caity sighs.

    "I need the two of you to go and talk to an old friend of mine," Chevo begins explaining, "He owes me some pieces of old technology,"

    "Is it a debt?" Caity asks.

    "Yes," He responds.

    "We''ll need a few others to help carry-"

    "No need," Chevo responds, "He doesn''t have what he owes me,"

    Kita nods her head, "So by ''talk'', you mean-"

    "Yes," Chevo responds, without looking up from the notes he''s writing.

    "Excellent," Kita exclaims, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Who''s your friend?"

    "An engineer," Chevo says, shuffling his pages before returning to writing, "Goes by the name of Reiku,"

    "Why send the both of us for just one engineer?" Caity asks. "Seems a bit overkill to send even one of us,"

    "Caity," Kita interrupts with an over-dramatized disdain, "Do not question his highness. We are here to serve,"

    Caity shakes her head and plants her forehead into the palm of her hand, "You''re so annoying,"

    "He''s no fool," Chevo says, "He may not be a fighter but he''s certainly an escape artist. I''m not the first person to want him dead,"

    "Where will we find him?" Kita asks.

    "He was recently seen working in Kal," Chevo answers.

    "Anything else we should know?" Kita asks.

    "He''s good at hiding," Chevo says, "But if you can catch wind of the people who know him, you''ll be lead straight to him,"

    "He isn''t expecting anything, right?" Caity asks.

    "No," He responds, "He''ll think you''re customers,"

    Kita and Caity both nod at one another before Caity confirms, "Alright. Leave it to us,"

    "Mace and Chef have prepared your travel kits," Chevo says, pointing below the desk where the backpacks are seated.

    "Thanks," Kita says, reaching for the bags and passing one to Caity.

    "You should leave now," Chevo responds, "It''ll be quite the travel,"

    "How long?" Caity asks.

    "Two moons to the northeast," He responds. "You''ll need to return before the next rotation,"

    "Understood," Caity nods her head, prompting Kita to follow suit.

    "We''ll handle this ''Reiku''," Kita confirms before leaving the tent.

 Chapter 45 - River City (Pt. 26)

    Kita¡¯s eyes slowly open as a searing pain pulses in her head, prompting her to moan in agony. As the blurred vision of Ms Eeve¡¯s home slowly comes into focus, Kita notices the copious amounts of glass, glistening in the flame-coloured sunset fading over the horizon.

    ¡°Fuuuck,¡± Kita mumbles as she touches the centre of her forehead to find no wound.

    She briefly tries to stand up when she notices her torso and feet have been strapped to the chair, with both of her hands tied together. The Sound of distant gunfire and yelling trickles through the air as the face of a bald man in a jumpsuit enters her field of view.

    "You think you can just come into my store and snoop around?" The bald guy exclaims as he waves his gun in Kita''s face. "You stupid fuck,"

    "She''s been trying to put a stop to the whole exchange," Ms Eeve says as she steps beside him.

    "Ch-Chevo," Kita stammers.

    The back of a hand promptly collides with Kita''s cheek, shocking her and sending a jolt of pain through her face. Fortunately, it''s helped her regain consciousness and her vision quickly pulls into focus.

    "Chevo ain''t here," The bald guy corrects her

    "Ah, it''s the one with the shitty tattoos," Kita nods before Vlad slaps her across the face again.

    "Excuse my aggression," Vlad says, dusting off his hands before putting a cigar in his mouth, "I''m simply helping you wake up,"

    "Where''s Chevo?" Kita asks as the memory of Dia bleeding on the floor flashes in her mind. "Where''s Dia?"

    "Dia''s dead," Ms Eeve grunts.

    "I can save him! Just bring him to me,"

    "It''s too late for that," Vlad says, "Now shut up,"

    "Mmm," grunts Caity from behind Kita. She turns her head to see Caity restrained to a chair with her mouth gagged.

    "What the fuck do you want?" Kita snarls at Vlad.

    He slowly walks to her chair and leans over before puffing a cloud of smoke into Kita''s face. Prompting her to choke as she inhales the thick-scented cigar. He then grabs her chair and spins her around to face Caity.

    "I don''t have much time for this," Vlad sighs before walking beside Caity.

    He pulls out the gun from his holster alongside a lighter and proceeds to reignite his cigar with a few short puffs.

    "Where are the kids?" He asks before bringing his weapon to Caity''s head.

    "Kill her," Kita says without changing a shade.

    "Hmm," Chevo grunts before removing the gag from Caity''s mouth.

    "Kita, I''m sorry," Caity says as she catches her breath.

    "Why didn''t you kill Reiku?" Kita asks Caity.

    "W-what?" Caity stutters.

    "You heard me," Kita scoffs, "This is all some game to you? What the fuck do you want?"

    "I-" Caity stammers, unable to bring herself to answer.

    "Kill her," Kita reiterates.

    Vlad raises an eyebrow and takes another huff of his cigar. Patiently watching the interaction as he lowers his gun.

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    "Kita¡­ Please,"

    "I''m starting to realize that I''m not the only one who struggles with the truth," Kita responds. "Maybe the old Kita knew this better than I do,¡±

    Caity says nothing and just glares at Kita with tear-filled eyes as she struggles to find the words she''s looking for.

    "Giving me to Chevo was how you''d repay your debt to him for not killing Reiku," Kita nods, "I get that, but what I don''t get is the debt you owe to Reiku,"

    "He''s the one who¡­" Caity says, taking a deep, jittery breath. "He''s the one who killed Chevo''s son¡­ I asked him to¡­"

    Kita shakes her head, and hits the palm of her hand against her forehead three times before exhaling in frustration, "And you pinned it on me,"

    "It''s not like that Kita, I-"

    "How isn''t it like that?!" Kita yells, "You''re a fucking traitor,"

    "No, Kita. It was your idea," Caity tries to reason.

    "Of course it was," Kita rolls her eyes, "It''s so easy for you to blame me,"

    "Fuck you," Caity snaps, "It''s not my fault you can''t remember! You''re the one who decided to go fight the dark one in the middle of our mission,"

    "What mission? Killing Reiku?"

    "Getting out!" Caity exclaims, "We had a plan to get away from Chevo forever and it was working,"

    Kita kisses her teeth and rolls her eyes, not buying Caity''s expertly crafted emotional manipulation and lying. It''s obvious Caity hasn''t been honest this whole time- The thought of it injects a rage through Kita. One that has her contemplating revenge.

    "You just fucking left!" Caity says, with a tear falling down her cheek, "You fucking left me to deal with it all by myself,"

    "Put the gag back into her mouth," Kita scoffs, "I''m sick of hearing her talk,"

    "Don''t act like you don''t know why I want to leave Chevo and all of this shit behind!" Caity snarls, "You keep asking me what I want but you know exactly what that is, idiot,"

    "No. I don''t," Kita grunts, "Do enlighten me, Caity. What the fuck do you want?"

    "You!" Caity''s lip quivers as her tear-glossed eyes stare desperately into Kita''s. "All I fucking wanted was to be with you," She drops eyes contact, awkwardly glaring at her feet. "We would always talk about spending eternity together. You had hundreds of souls stored and you said they were for us, so we would never part ways,"

    Kita feels her cheeks tingle, and her eyes begin to water as she grits her teeth in frustration- Another memory she can feel, but cannot see.

    "She''s clearly in love with you," Vlad comments as he raises the gun back to Caity''s head, "I''m glad we could establish the stakes before I take her life,"

    Vlad orders one of his men to gag Caity with a rag before he turns to Kita again.

    "Where''s Chevo?" Kita asks.

    "He got away," Vlad shrugs, "Which is why I need to know the location of those kids. You don''t want Chevo finding them before I do, right?"

    "Why shouldn''t I kill you and then go save the kids myself?" Kita grins.

    Vlad chuckles, and uses his available hand to take the cigar out of his mouth, "The enemy of my enemy, is my friend,"

    Kita glances at Caity, shaking her head in annoyance before sighing and admitting, "They''re on level zero,"

    "Reiku''s territory," Vlad smiles, "Not a bad hiding spot,"

    "If you lay a finger on them," Kita snarls, "I''ll tear you apart,"

    Vlad gestures to his crew to head out of the house, "I care not for the threats of the undead, for you have nothing to live for,"

    Vlad and his crew exit Ms Eeve''s ruined home, leaving Caity and Kita strapped to their seats. With little effort, Kita ignites a flame at the tip of her finger and burns away at the rope restraining her hands and feet. She then closes her eyes, and focuses on the flow of souls throughout her body, trying to take count of how many Chevo made her use.

    Fifty-two left.

    She glances over at Caity, who is still gagged and in her restraints. Taking a brief moment to consider whether or not to free Caity, her gut inclines her to do so.

    "Thanks," Caity mumbles as Kita removes the gag. Shaking her head as she removes the restraints around Caity''s hands.

    "No, no," Kita scoffs, "You don''t get to talk to me until the kids are safe and you tell me the whole story,"

    "Well maybe if you''d just listen-"

    "The whole story, Caity." Kita raises her voice in frustration, "I''m sick of being in the dark about my own life,"

    "Okay," Caity sighs, dropping eye contact. "I''ll tell you everything,"

 Chapter 46 - River City (Pt. 27)

    Kita and Caity make their way through Ms Eeve''s glass-scattered home, with the bodies of Chevo and Vlad''s dead henchmen amongst it. They must have had a bit of an altercation before Kita woke up.

    "Parts of it were your idea,¡± Caity says out of nowhere.

    "What?" Kita mumbles.

    "Our mission¡­"

    "I''m not exactly an ''idea'' type of girl,"

    "Yeah, that''s why only parts of it were your idea,"

    "So you''re admitting it was mostly your idea?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "Ugh," Caity sighs, "Mostly,"

    "Killing Chevo''s son?" Kita asks.

    "That was¡­" Caity scratches the back of her neck before stammering, "That was mine,"

    "What exactly was the plan?"

    "You mean, before you left?"

    "Both," Kita responds.

    Before Caity can get a word out, a bullet whizzes between the both of them before they hesitantly dive for cover. Kita peeks around the podium she chose, trying to spot the source of the gunfire.

    "Bring out Ms Eeve!" Calls out a very stern voice from down the hall. "Surrender now or we will use lethal force,"

    "More guards?" Kita asks, watching Caity nod her head in response as she draws her brother''s revolver from under her belt.

    "This is your last warning. Release Ms-"

    "She''s not here," Kita responds, peeking her head from out of the cover to try to find the source of the voice, "She left a few minutes ago,"

    There''s no response.

    Kita closes her eyes, trying to come up with a new trick to locate the guards. Without much thought, she loudly clicks her tongue, sending an echo throughout the house that slowly starts drawing an image in her mind''s eye. As soon as the image forms she opens her eyes in a panic and raises a shield, perfectly in time with a guard opening fire at her the moment he steps up from her blind spot.

    The bullets better the shield in a flurry before they each lose momentum and drop to the floor. As soon as the guard empties his magazine, Kita drops her shield and charges toward him. Propelling a punch empowered with two souls at his forehead. The punch clashes with the guard''s helmet, cracking immediately upon impact and throwing the guard a few meters back before he hits the floor.

    Kita raises her shield again as another guard in her peripheral vision raises his gun and starts firing- But, it is cut short when Caity fires a round from her revolver that rings loudly through the mansion and the guard''s body drops.

    "One more," Kita says, scanning the area to identify where the third guard has moved to.

    They both slowly step forward, looking down opposite ends of the hallway as well as through all the glass walls that have collapsed.

    "Why are you here?" The guard''s voice calls out.

    "Because your boss is a bitch!" Kita yells back.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    To Kita and Caity''s surprise, the guard steps in front of them with both of his hands raised, and no weapon to be seen.

    "What are you doing?" Caity asks with her revolver fixed on him.

    "I''m not so keen on losing my life for this," The guard responds. "I won''t get in your way,"

    "Hmm," Kita chuckles, "The coward is the smartest of them,"

    "The brave are often foolish," The guard responds. "I have a family I''d rather not leave behind,"

    Kita walks up to the guard and rests a hand on his shoulder, "If I see you again, I won''t be so kind,"

    The guard nods in appreciation, prompting Caity to lower her weapon and follow Kita. As they exit the front door of the house, the evening sky reveals itself as the faint glow of the flaming sunset dips over the horizon.

    "Woah," Kita stammers at the sight of all the orbs glittered across the night sky.

    "Once a stargazer, always a stargazer," Caity says.

    Kita passes Caity a mean side eye before kissing her teeth.

    "Your idea was simple at first- Once we were to arrive in Kal you wanted to just kill Reiku, and run away. But, after we spoke about it more, we decided on something a little more¡­ in-depth,"

    Caity slides the revolver in the back of her pants, and tucks it underneath her shirt, "Chevo sent his son with us to Kal. The kid always saw himself as tougher than he was, so Chevo would occasionally send his son on missions with Alex, you and I. Once we arrived, we decided we''d blackmail Reiku- He was to kill Chevo''s son In exchange for his life. But, we were never going to give him his life. He agreed and suggested poisoning the kids'' food, to which we also agreed because it was something you and I would never do. He spent two days preparing the poison and we let him place it in the kids'' food while he was preoccupied with spending coin on prostitutes and ale. We were supposed to bring him back to our camp, where he''d eat the dinner Reiku had prepared. But, that''s when you left. I remember you had this look in your eyes, as if you could hear someone talking to you. In his drunken state, the kid made an attempt at my life, and Reiku had to use my dagger to kill him. The plan from there was to take Reiku back to Chevo ourselves and seek freedom during his grief, but¡­"

    "He saved your life," Kita adds.

    "Yeah¡­"

    "Why would Chevo let us go just because he''s grieving?"

    "It was a risk we decided to take. We had never seen him grieve before, but we concluded that his reaction would either be one of rage and anger, or withdrawal. We would have used both of these instances to leave without him or anyone else noticing,"

    "Sounds like a shitty plan," Kita scoffs.

    "It isn''t great¡­ But, it was our best bet at leaving without having to spend our entire lives running. You don''t remember what it was like being a part of Chevo''s crew¡­ It was the closest thing I''ve had to a family. The family doesn''t like being left behind,"

    "So why''d you choose to blame it on me?"

    "I was angry," Caity shrugs, looking down at the floor. "And Reiku had just saved my life, so it felt wrong to pin it on him,"

    Kita and Caity reach Ms Eeve''s store on the third floor with the tension of their history brewing between them. As they make their way past all the jars and displays of plant life, they don''t say a word to one another. Simmering in Caity''s words before arriving at the elevator.

    "I''m sorry," Caity says as they wait for the doors to open. "I shouldn''t have blamed it on you,"

    "No shit," Kita says, crossing her arms.

    "But I don''t regret it," Caity grins.

    "Oh yeah? Why not?"

    "Because it brought you back to me," Caity says with a shy smirk.

    Kita feels her cheeks blushing and looks at the floor before chuckling at the cheesiness of what Caity just said. Shaking her head in an attempt to refuse the warm feeling slowly passing through her body.

    "I''m sorry too," Kita says, "I don''t know what exactly happened, but it wasn''t cool of me to just leave you like that,"

    "Thanks," Caity says, bumping her shoulder into Kita''s.

    "But, I don''t regret it," Kita smirks.

    The elevator pings and the doors swing open. As they step inside, Kita''s stomach sinks as she remembers the danger that Jan and Starlet are in. The Chevo that Kita saw in her memory and the one she encountered in Ms Eeve''s home seem like two different people. The death of Chevo''s son must have permanently changed him, and there is no reasoning with him. Vlad, on the other hand, is also not to be trusted. He may want the kids alive, but he just sees them as a product he can profit off of.

    Neither of those outcomes will do.

    "Caity," Kita''s voice says shakily drawing Caity''s attention. "I don''t know what I''ll do if these kids die,"

    Caity nods before resting her hand on Kita''s shoulder, "We won''t let that happen,"

 Chapter 47 - River City (Pt. 28)

    As Kita and Caity make their way down to level two in Ms Eeve''s elevator, Kita retreats to her thoughts, to avoid focusing on the thought of dying in a steel cage. The feeling of responsibility for Jan and Starlet is the first thing that occurs to her. The presence of other soulless people is unfamiliar to her memories, and knowing there are others like her is both a comfort and a concern.

    After Dia copied the spell to push Kita away, the first thought that crossed her mind was that she had never experienced being on the receiving end of her magic- which is much stronger than she ever acknowledged.

    She knows she isn''t the best example of someone responsibly using these powers, but at least she thinks freely. At least she is choosing how she uses them, rather than being a puppet that is willingly controlled by a gangster, simply because they give you food and a place to stay.

    "You think you''re free?" A familiar voice echoes in Kita''s mind.

    Kita''s head turns to Caity, briefly wondering if the voice belongs to her, but Caity''s eyes are fixed on the descending digits of the elevator.

    What? Kita asks herself.

    "You heard me," The voice rings.

    Why aren''t I free?

    "Is anyone truly free?" The voice ponders, "Trauma, burdens, love, hate. Emotions trap all of you pests into very predictable patterns,"

    "Who are you?" Kita asks aloud.

    "Who are you?" Kita''s voice echoes back before she can feel the presence disappearing.

    "What?" Caity asks when Kita notices Caity peering over.

    "Nothing,"

    "Who were you talking to?" Caity asks.

    "I don''t know,"

    Caity squints her purple eyes at Kita, trying to get a read on her emotions but Kita avoids eye contact and crosses her arms in frustration. It''s not Caity that has her bothered, although she''d be lying to say she isn''t still upset, but she''s frustrated at the voice. The feeling the voice came with and the audacity to claim she''s a shackled pest.

    It must be the dark one. Her mind scoffs. Of course the dark one is still here. Kita had nearly forgotten that she''d seen him occupying Jan''s soul as a vessel.

    "You spend a lot of time talking to yourself," Caity says, still peering at Kita.

    "There''s a lot to talk about," Kita says, crossing her arms.

    "Like?" Caity asks.

    "Don''t worry about it,"

    "I think we should keep telling each other everything," Caity says, "Keep the ball rolling,"

    Kita sighs, knowing it''s a fair point but feeling uncomfortable about it, "I don''t know who I was talking to," Kita mumbles, "I think it was the dark one,"

    Caity looks at Kita with uncertainty before taking a brief moment to think, "What''d he say?"

    "A bunch of bullshit," Kita scoffs, talking to the air with hopes that the dark one heard.

    Caity says nothing, and sees straight through Kita''s response before repeating, "What''d he say?"

    "He''d said that I''m not free," She rolls her eyes, "That us pests are all trapped in predictable patterns,"

    "Hmm," Caity grunts, taking a moment to think as she runs a finger through her golden hair. "Do you think you''re free?"

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Kita sighs at her now apparent uncertainty before responding, "I don''t know,"

    "No matter what I do, or what I think I should do. I could never stop thinking about you, or wanting to be with you," Caity says before smiling, "I think we are free. But I also think we aren''t,"

    Like the answer to a test, Caity''s words give Kita an understanding she didn''t realize she was looking for, "So you''re a philosopher all of a sudden?"

    Caity chuckles before winking, "I''ve always been one,"

    The elevator pings loudly as the steel cage halts, and the doors open to reveal Ms Eeve''s once tidy and organized lab. But as they step into it, their feet crunch against the glass and plants scattered across the floor.

    Kita and Caity briefly glance at one another before slowly creeping across the lab, trying to make as little sound as possible. As they pass through, Caity notices a toppled plant on one of the tables, "Yes!" She whispers excitedly.

    "What?" Kita whispers.

    "I ran out of this stuff," She says before cracking off one of the plant''s stems and showing a leaf in her mouth, "Mmmm," She sighs with relief, rolling her eyes back.

    "What is that stuff?" Kita asks.

    "No idea, but it''s delicious" Caity says, "Chevo orders it from Ms Eeve all the time,"

    "I think you might be an addict,"

    "I''m definitely an addict,"

    The loud shattering of glass grabs their attention as they look to the source of the sound- the door leading into the main store. They both glance at one another before silently approaching.

    Kita slowly slides the door open, and immediately notices Ms Eeve smashing the jar with the rose inside of it.

    "Fucking waste!" She yells out as she throws another jar to the floor.

    Kita scans the rest of the store to confirm that Ms Eeve is alone before she steps through the door, "Throwing a tantrum?"

    Ms Eeve momentarily panics before turning to see Kita, "You," Her expression shifts to one of anger, "You''re a monster,"

    "Took you long enough," Kita grins, "What brought you to your senses?"

    "All of it, all of this was a waste!" Ms Eeve says, gesturing to the floor of trampled flowers.

    "Why''s that?" Caity asks, stepping beside Kita.

    "I tested it," Ms Eeve grunts, "No matter what I did, all it could do is heal minor injuries,"

    "What are you talking about?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "The pill, you idiot," Ms Eeve snaps, "It isn''t immortality at all,"

    "So?"

    "I thought healing illness was good enough but I never would have guessed that true immortality is possible," Ms Eeve mumbles to herself as she paces the store.

    "It''s still just healing," Kita scoffs, "Requires a lot of souls,"

    "I tested hundreds of souls on disposables," Ms Eeve sighs, "A bullet to the head always guaranteed death,"

    "Really?" Kita asks, genuinely surprised.

    "Yes, but you¡­ You recovered from a headshot in all of what? Three hours?"

    "I guess your research just isn''t good enough," Caity says.

    "You''re quite right," Ms Eeve admits, "I''ll have to go back to the drawing board,"

    "Won''t it be tougher having destroyed all of your flowers?" Caity asks, looking at the colourful floor.

    "I have seeds for them all," Ms Eeve reassures, "I just needed to vent my frustrations,"

    "You still have those immortality pills?" Kita asks.

    Ms Eeve shakes her head, "I''ve thrown out all of the ones in this lab," She then raises a finger and starts patting down her pockets, "But I do have one on me," She removes the pill filled with black myst and stars glistening within it before tossing it to Kita. "I''ll be throwing the others out as well,"

    "Why?" Kita asks, glancing at the pill in her hand.

    "They aren''t good enough," She scoffs, "Not until they are truly pills of immortality,"

    "If it makes you feel any better, they are pills of immortality for me," Kita winks.

    "Not good enough," Ms Eeve scoffs, "Please leave my store,"

    "Gladly," Kita replies before Caity and her shuffle past Ms Eeve.

    "Protect Jan and Starlet, will you," Ms Eeve adds without looking at either of them, "I''ve come to realize that I care for those demons more than I''d like to admit,"

    "You''ll never see them again," Kita rolls her eyes.

    "That''s for the best," Ms Eeve nods, "I hate to imagine what I''d do to them in my pursuit of immortality,"

    A flurry of heavy boots match past Ms Eeve''s storefront followed by the commotion of passersby. Kita opens the front door to see a series of guards approaching a conflict at the end of the hall. In the distance, Kita can see blue hair shifting side to side before colliding with various people.

    "Is that¡­" Kita mumbles before the guards surround the altercation and She notices Raya standing in the middle of it.

    "Raya!" Kita yells as she darts out of Ms Eeve''s store.

 Chapter 48 - River City (Pt. 29)

    Raya stands surrounded by a handful of guards with their rifles fixed on her. She drops the dagger in her hand and shrugs her shoulders as she glances at the five bodies on the floor.

    They must be Chevo or Vlad''s goons. She''s so badass!

    Raya raises her hands in the air and Kita calls out whilst printing in Raya''s direction, "Princess!"

    Raya''s blue eyes glance up at Kita as she sprints, and a soft grin peels across her face. Kita sprints straight through the guards, bumping two of them over as she dives into Raya''s arms and hugs her.

    "I''m sorry," Kita says.

    "For what?" Raya stammers awkwardly as she watches the guards get up.

    "Scaring you¡­ My memory is still hazy, but I know I''ve hurt you before,"

    "Oi!" A guard yells as he grabs Kita''s shirt and yanks her out of Raya''s arms. "What do you think you''re doing?"

    Without hesitation, Kita turns with the momentum of the pull and bumps into the guard- Placing her hand on his face and consuming his soul. The three remaining guards hesitate and raise their weapons. But, Kita already has a shield up and steps in front of Raya to block the gunfire.

    "I need you to tell me what I did," Kita raises her voice, competing with the barrage of gunfire. "I don''t want to make you feel that way again,"

    "Now''s not really the time-" Raya stutters as her eyes remain fixed on the bullets gathering in the shield.

    "Oh," Kita chuckles, "Fair enough,"

    The moment each of the guards run out of rounds, Kita flicks three of the bullets in her shield- each of them whips through the air and flies through the foreheads of the guards.

    Kita lowers her shield and glances around her, "You okay?"

    "Yeah," Raya nods, "That was pretty cool,"

    "Right! It just came to me,"

    "How many souls do you have left?"

    "Forty-seven, I think,"

    "You think?" Raya raises an eyebrow.

    "I took one of those pills Ms Eeve made," Kita says scratching the back of her neck, "They''re hard to count, but they felt sooo good"

    "You know that means you failed, right?" Raya crosses her arms.

    "Failed?"

    "I''m pretty sure all of those souls were innocent people once," Raya shrugs.

    "Ah shit," Kita knocks her fist against her forehead, "I didn''t even think about that,"

    "Of course you didn''t," Raya chuckles, "But since we''re being honest, I stole that pill for you to eat anyway,"

    "Woow, and here I am feeling bad about myself," Kita laughs.

    "Technically, you should," Raya laughs.

    "We need to get moving," Caity says as she pushes through the crowd of people with a firm grip on Ms Eeve when Kita notices the crowd gathered around them, staring.

    "You''re welcome," Kita yells, promoting a gasp from the viewers, "Your idiot guards shouldn''t open fire indoors,"

    "This isn''t exactly indoors," Raya mumbles under her breath.

    "Whatever," Kita grunts.

    "Let''s go!" Caity yells, using Ms Eeve as a wedge to shove her way through the crowd.

    Kita and Raya follow Caity''s lead and shove their way through the crowd to get to the red district of the second floor.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "Where are the kids?" Kita asks.

    "They''re with Reiku. So is Alex," Raya responds. "I came up here to slow Chevo down but he slipped past me,"

    "And Vlad?" Caity asks.

    "Vlad''s on his way too?" Raya stammers.

    "Yeah. He arrived as Chevo was leaving," Caity adds

    "This isn''t looking good," Raya sighs.

    "We got this," Kita says.

    "Level zero is about to be a warzone," Raya responds, with a weary expression on her face. "I can''t watch another city die,"

    "Then we get the kids and get as far from Level Zero as possible," Caity says.

    "Where?" Kita adds, "We haven''t prepared to leave the city,"

    "I don''t know, then we go up a Level?"

    "Yeah, they want the kids so we keep them chasing," Raya says. "If we leave Level Zero, the guards will have to get involved,"

    "The guards on Level Three couldn''t even do much," Kita says, "We need to kill Vlad and Chevo,"

    "It''s the best plan we''ve got right now," Caity responds, "We can adjust it as we go,"

    "Yeah," Raya adds, "We''ll have to improvise from there,"

    The three of them arrive at Reiku''s rundown store with the elevator and Kita''s stomach drops at the sight of the rickety tin can.

    "I think I''ll take the stairs," Kita sighs.

    Both Raya and Caity chuckle as the elevator doors open and the elevator pings to life with the brief flash of its light bulbs.

    <ul>

    <li>¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?</li>

    </ul>

    As Kita, Raya and Caity reach level zero, the mini-city of tents that once occupied the floor has largely been packed away as a swell of people queue to make their way out of the exit.

    "Looks like they haven''t found it yet," Raya sighs with relief.

    "It won''t take them long," Caity grunts as she shoves Ms Eeve from the elevator.

    "So there''s an elevator that goes straight to this putrid place," Ms Eeve scoffs, "Why bring me here?"

    "Shut up," Caity barks as they all make their way through the half-empty floor.

    As they walk among the tents, Kita notices the inhabitants of level Zero all seem panicked and afraid. Chevo and Vlad were prepared to make a mess on Level Three, so only god knows what would take place on Level Zero. There''s no security here- it''s no wonder all these people have to leave. It''s their only option.

    As they arrive at Reiku''s large tent, it is busier and louder than it was before. With scattered pieces of old technology all over the floor, as some are packed away by some of Reiku''s assistants, others are scrambling to aid families or individuals who are struggling to navigate the situation.

    "It''s tense in here," Kita comments.

    "Saving everyone is quite a tense job," Raya responds, glaring at the hasty workers.

    When Caity and Ms Eeve enter behind them, the tent suddenly falls to silence when everyone turns their heads to Ms Eeve. Nobody says a word, and some of the Level Zero residents have a worried look growing.

    "I brought Reiku a gift," Caity announces to the room.

    "We," Kita coughs under her breath.

    Caity pushes Ms Eeve forward and she stumbles into the centre of the room, where those on the second floor can also see her. As Ms Eeve regains her footing, she raises an eyebrow before scanning the room with a narcissistic grin slowly growing on her face.

    "What''s the matter?" She chuckles, "You all seem rather scared,"

    "Who wouldn''t fear a monster?" Reiku asks from the second floor, leaning against the railing.

    "You think I''m a monster?" Ms Eeve shrugs with the grin still plastered on her face, "That''s hurtful, Reiku,"

    "Ignore this one," Raya says, staring at Ms Eeve with a look of disdain, "She indulges in the suffering of others,"

    "You are quite right," Reiku nods his head before tilting it at Ms Eeve with curiosity, "I think it is time we indulge in hers,"

    "Oof," Kita grunts loudly, catching Ms Eeve''s attention, "Immortality and torture are an awful mix," She chuckles.

    "Good thing she isn''t immortal," Caity folds her arms.

    "You kept your end of the deal," Reiku addresses Caity, "I''m impressed,"

    "Just add it to my tab," Caity sighs, "Where''s Alex?" She asks.

    "With the black-eyed children," Reiku responds, "They''re all safe,"

    "We need to get them out of here," Kita says.

    "I''m aware Chevo and Vlad are on their way," He says, "But, I believe it is best to hide the children here,"

    "What?" Kita and Caity both ask.

    "How is that the safest option?"

    "I looked through the city for more black-eyed children," Reiku says, "I found four others,"

    Kita''s heart drops as the thought of the dark one consuming more souls sends a surge of discomfort down Kita''s back. The thought of whether or not she''s in control of the situation slowly dawns on her- she still doesn''t understand what the dark one is doing, or why.

    To hurt me? The memory of the dark one echoes in her mind.

    "Four?" Raya stammers.

    "Correct," Reiku confirms, "Majority of the inhabitants of Level Zero have elected to aid us in protecting them,"

    "How?" Kita asks.

    "The evacuation is a decoy," Reiku confidently announces.

 Chapter 49 - River City (Pt. 30)

    ¡°A decoy?¡± Caity asks, raising an eyebrow at Reiku¡¯s plan.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reiku nods, ¡°I want to do more than simply protect the kids- Now''s the time to make a lasting change to River City,¡±

    ¡°That''s ambitious,¡± Kita chuckles.

    ¡°We''ll send the people of Level Zero to the border of Level Two. Then we split the black-eyed ones up between the group going to Level Two and keep the other half here,¡± Reiku responds, glancing over to Kita, ¡°That includes you,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She squints.

    ¡°To my knowledge, they are also after you. I don¡¯t know why but I¡¯d prefer they didn¡¯t capture the most experienced black eye,¡±

    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± Kita scoffs, ¡°Focus on the kids,¡±

    ¡°As long as you are on my floor, you follow my rules,¡± Reiku says with a stern voice.

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Caity adds, ¡°We can¡¯t have Chevo taking you out again,¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± KIta sighs, "Fine,"

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raya asks with a lost expression on her face, ¡°Did Chevo kill you?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Kita shrugs, ¡°So where am I going?¡± She asks, avoiding any further explanations.

    ¡°You and I will lead the people and three of the black-eyed to the border to draw Chevo and Vlad''s attention away from Level Zero,¡± He nods before pointing at Raya and Caity, ¡°The two of you will stay here with Griselda and Alex to protect the other three black eyed. There will be a few others providing you assistance, but you must understand that they are not experienced fighters,¡±

    ¡°So the plan is to get us all killed in front of the general public?¡± Kita jests with a grin.

    ¡°The plan is to rally the aid of the River City Guards, courtesy of Ms Eeve,¡± He says, pointing a finger to his head, ¡°You could benefit from using that head of yours, Black eyes,¡±

    ¡°You trust this one with the lives of your people?¡± Caity asks, passing a distrusting glare at Ms Eeve.

    ¡°No,¡± Reiku says as he makes his way to his assistants, ¡°But I¡¯ll make sure she complies,¡±

    Ms Eeve scoffs as Kita, Raya and Caity briefly glance at one another and nod in agreement. The plan is the best shot they''ve got right now, but Kita can''t help but feel it won''t go so smoothly. There are a lot of factors at play here- her initial plan was to simply leave River City with the kids, but that doesn''t guarantee they won''t be followed. She''d considered going on the offensive, to simply assassinate Chevo or Vlad. Making a political statement was never in her interests.

    Politics is too messy.

    Honestly, Kita doesn''t care about all of these strangers or the justice Reiku seeks. All of these tedious grudges don''t resonate with Kita''s sense of morality¡­ or whatever morality she has¡­

    Do I even care about these kids? Or is her subconscious using emotions to make her feel as though she cares, when in reality she only sees a way to the dark one through them?

    No, I''m just overthinking¡­

    Right?

    She''s even been coming up with a backup plan. Some way to guarantee she can get out safely with Jan, Starlet and the others if the plan goes south. Planning isn''t exactly her forte so she hasn''t got anything, but being prepared to make a move is good enough for her.

    "You gonna be okay out there?" Caity asks with endearing eyes.

    "Probably," Kita grins.

    "Don''t do that thing where you kill everyone," Raya chuckles, promoting a giggle out of Caity and Kita.

    "Or that thing where you completely ruin the plan," Caity grins.

    "Pfft," Kita scoffs with a smile. "I don''t remember having done either of those things,"

    "It''s quite clear how unreliable your memory is," Raya says.

    "Yeah, that''s why we do the remembering for you," Caity winks.

    "Mmm, you both only ever remember my failures,"

    Stolen story; please report.

    "Not true," Caity says, glancing at Raya.

    "Yeah, we remember the good times too," Raya agrees.

    "Like when?" Kita asks, raising an eyebrow.

    "There was, uhh-" Raya passes a perplexed look to Caity.

    "That time when we uhh-" Caity stammers, trying to follow up.

    "You two are the worst," Kita laughs. "From now on I''ll be taking stock of your failures too,"

    "Alright," Reiku says, returning with Jan and two other black-eyed children beside him. "These three are staying behind with you,"

    "Kita!" Jan yells, running over to hug her. "You did save me," He chuckles.

    "Don''t thank me yet," Kita raises both arms in surprise before awkwardly returning the hug. "We aren''t free yet,"

    "Well if you''re there, it''ll all be fine!"

    Kita blushes before separating the hug and placing her hand on Jan''s forehead. She doesn''t know why, but an instinct within her begins to feel the number of souls surging in his body. He has about ten souls.

    "If anything goes wrong, you need to use those souls to protect everyone, okay?" Kita asks.

    "But isn''t that-"

    "Not if you''re protecting people you care about," Kita says, giving him a noogie.

    "Time to get moving," Reiku says, rubbing Jan''s head and nodding at Kita.

    "Take this," Raya says, placing an immortality pill in Kita''s hand. "You''ll probably need them,"

    "Thanks," Kita says, tossing the pill in her mouth straight away.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C

    As the populous of Level Zero funnels through Level One, Kita, Reiku, Ms Eeve and Jan make their way to the front of the movement with two other black-eyed children, leading the people to the border of Level Two. Raya and Caity remained in Level Zero, occupying Chevo''s tent near the entrance and hiding the kids in a tent at the far end of the floor- not too far from Reiku''s elevator.

    The repulsed glances of Level One residents in their navy blue garments immediately bring the politics of the situation to a boil. The inhabitants of level zero are mostly dressed in worker''s clothes or the cheap rags they can afford. But there''s no sympathy in the eyes of the inhabitants of Level One.

    "They treat us as though we don''t belong," Reiku grits his teeth. "It''s been this way for far too long,"

    "Maybe you don''t," Kita responds.

    "Hmph," Reiku grunts, "You would know,"

    "Exactly," She chuckles, "People like me don''t belong anywhere,"

    "We aren''t like you,"

    "Oof, hurtful," Kita smiles, "I thought we were becoming the best of friends,"

    Reiku says nothing as his breathing deepens at the sight of Level One residents passing him glares of disdain.

    "We more alike than you think," Kita says, noticing the effect the staring is having on Reiku, "Once people know what I am, they prefer to keep their distance too,"

    "Those people are privileged with a choice," Reiku scoffs.

    "But you and I aren''t," Kita winks, "That''s my point. We do what we have to do. It might not make sense to others but we get it,"

    "From the stories I''ve heard, you simply enjoy chaos,"

    "Wow, that''s reductive," Kita rolls her eyes, "It''s much more complicated than that,"

    "I''m all ears,"

    "Well, I- uh," Kita stammers, somehow finding herself having to share more details than she''d like.

    She sighs before taking a deep breath and figures it wouldn''t be the end of the world if she tells Reiku about her magic.

    "Everything I do is to get my soul back," Kita says.

    "Your soul?" Reiku asks.

    "Yeah. It was taken from me a very long time ago and I''ve died countless times trying to get it,"

    "Died?" Reiku''s attention shifts away from the spectators and focuses on Kita. "What are you?"

    "Yeah. If I consume enough souls, I can reincarnate,"

    "It was you who took these children''s souls?"

    "No, no- When I consume a soul, the owner dies,"

    "Hmm, and when you reincarnate. You are reborn into a new body after death?"

    "No, in this body,"

    "I see," Reiku runs his fingers through his beard, "Consuming souls gives you magic?"

    "Who said anything about magic?"

    "Rumors spread after your excursions. There are very anomalous descriptions of you in combat,"

    "Oh¡­ Yeah, it gives me magic,"

    "And how do you wield this magic?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Who do you fight for?"

    "... Myself,"

    "Mmm," Reiku nods, "But you are here,"

    "There are others I care about,"

    "The one who stole your soul. Do you know him?"

    "I do,"

    "Is he here? In River City?"

    "He is,"

    "Then you may find yourself with conflicting interests soon," Reiku says, turning to look amongst the onslaught of onlookers. "Moments like these have a funny way of testing our loyalties,"

    "Yeah, no thanks,"

    "It is inevitable, Kita. Even if not today." He shrugs, "The world will soon ask you- Where do your loyalties truly lie?"

 Chapter 50 - River City (Pt. 31)

    As the blazing horizon consumes the sun, the inhabitants of level zero encroach upon the border to level two. Having surmised the resentful glares and slanders of the level one population, they have diligently passed through without disruption.

    The repeated chills of soft winds trickle down Kita''s back as though the tension is constantly thickening. Their arrival at the border will be the true test of Reiku''s planning. Kita glances over at Ms. Eeve, who''s walking behind her- and slows her pace.

    "What are you planning?" Kita raises an eyebrow.

    "Planning?" Ms Eeve scoffs, "I''m not as nefarious as you think,"

    "Mmm, I''m sure you felt that way when you decided to make children illegal?"

    Ms Eeve shrugs, taking a moment to think up her response before she softly says, "You''re no stranger to doing whatever is necessary to get what you want," She looks at Kita, "The only difference is what we want,"

    Kita feels the breeze tingle through her again- This bitch is definitely up to something.

    "And what is it that you want?"

    "Me?" Ms Eeve chuckles, "To be the greatest mind to ever grace this wretched planet,"

    Kita squints, digesting the lack of relation she has to the pursuit of intellect¡­ Discovery. In contrast, she finds her wants rather simple. She hasn''t thought about the life she''d want to lead once she''s gotten her soul back.

    Getting it back is fucking difficult enough.

    "How do you plan to do that?" Kita asks.

    "Once I perfect immortality, I will have the time to discover everything."

    "Everything?" Kita stammers.

    "Civilizations rise and collapse. It is simply a matter of time before the next one rises from the ashes of its predecessors. I will be there for it¡­ And the one after that."

    If Kita''s learnt anything lately, it''s that she needs to set some bigger goals.

    "It would be quite a shame if I killed you before any of that, wouldn''t it?" Kita chuckles, with a devious grin on her face.

    Ms Eeve chuckles, "It is not yet my time,"

    Kita lightly scoffs under her breath- Feeling unsatisfied by Ms Eeve''s response and turns to scan the level one inhabitant''s unwelcoming scowls. It takes Kita a brief moment before she realizes that all the level zero inhabitants around her are wearing military uniforms with camouflage and weapons strapped around their shoulders. She glances at Ms Eeve, who is no longer standing by her side. Her stomach drops as she looks to the ground, where her feet crunch amongst luscious green grass with each of her steps.

    "Wha-" Kita stammers, looking at the level one citizens to find no one watching. No scowling. No River City- Just a large valley with mountains stalking her from afar.

    "It''s happening again," She whispers to herself, taking a deep breath in an attempt to wake up.

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    To stop this memory.

    "Quiet!" Yells the soldier standing where Ms Eeve was.

    "I, uh-"

    "What''d I just say," The soldier yells before hitting Kita over the back of the head.

    A shiver of discomfort fills Kita as a familiar lack of control arises- Prompting her to contemplate taking the soldier''s soul, and breaking free from whatever the hell this is.

    In an attempt to raise her hand, she realizes they are both tied together, and she nearly stumbles over as a result. She can''t feel whether or not she has any souls and briefly remembers that every time she''s had one of these visions, she''s awoken where she previously was.

    But, this time is different. This time, her memories aren''t fading- She isn''t attaching to this¡­ place.

    Not this time.

    Would killing this soldier kill Ms Eeve?

    A part of Kita is curious but she knows better than to try finding out. What if it''s Reiku? No, it''s not worth finding out.

    She looks to the front of what is now a military unit and notices a distant encampment of tents, and various vehicles she can''t quite remember the name of- One of which she knows is designed for flight, with a series of propellers that spin in tandem or something of the sort. It doesn''t make much sense to her how that would induce flight but she''s sure that''s the procedure.

    What was it called? Her mind strains at the strange availability of two sets of memories before she chides herself for getting distracted. No, Why am I here? As the unit comes upon the gate to the camp, the unit splits into two groups, one of which heads inside the encampment.

    "Take them to Site Sixteen," Orders a more decorated soldier standing behind them.

    "Yes, Sergeant," Call out four soldiers amongst the group.

    On either side of the Sergeant, are two teenagers, not too much younger than Kita- Whatever age she was at the time. Both of them have their hands restrained as well, and their clothing brings to her attention that all three of them are wearing pale, light-fabric outfits. The same ones from the village.

    The group splits in two again, and the majority of soldiers head inside whilst the Sergeant and four other soldiers escort the Kita and the other two village kids to Site 16- An encampment on the other side of a nearby hill. Hidden between two hill areas and completely concealing it from even an elevated view.

    The facility is that of a lab, similar to Ms Eeve''s but dwarfing her''s in scale and technology. There are so many tools here- Many of which Kita is certain she''s never seen before. Despite this being a memory.

    Upon arriving, the soldiers guided the three of them to a shared living space that consisted of three steel beds with sleeping bags and a bathroom. Giving Kita the impression of a prison more than a home. After three scientists with masks covering their faces come in to draw blood from each of them, a Man with a lab coat and bright blonde hair enters the room. The three masked scientists entered and left without saying a word and once they''d left, the blonde man took a brief moment to stare at each of them. As if he was learning something through their eyes- sending an unsettling feeling in Kita''s stomach.

    "Welcome to Site Sixteen," The blonde man says, "I''m Doctor Monroe,"

    The three village teenagers pass wary looks to one another, the other two too frazzled to say anything. Kita looks back at Dr Monroe, and squints in an attempt to get a read on the man. Was the intense stare he did just a power trip? Or is the sincerity in his voice for real?

    "What is this?" Kita asks, glancing at the soft, cushion-like walls.

    "This is the Monroe Institute," He says with a smile on his face. "The military hires us to help you unlock your true potential,"

    "We never asked for help!" Yells the girl sitting beside Kita. Her short, black hair and green eyes jolt as she aggressively stands up and approaches Dr Monroe.

    "Please, stay calm," Dr Monroe says as two guards step into the room and stand behind him. Prompting the girl to take a step back and take her seat. "The three of you are like delicate Roses that have been uprooted from their homes to serve a higher purpose. I am here to help to reach that higher purpose,"

    "Sounds like a cult," Kita says with a snarky grin.

    Dr Monroe chuckles lightly whilst glaring at Kita with a smile on his face, "It looks like we have a volunteer to do initial testing first,"

 Chapter 51 - River City (Pt. 32)

    Kita is escorted by Dr Monroe and the three masked scientists to a large, circular room with a steel chair isolated in the centre. All of the walls are panels of technology, with small, multicoloured lights flickering like the orbs in the sky.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± Kita asks as she looks up to see the dome-like ceiling arching overhead.

    ¡°Initial testing,¡± Dr Monroe says as he walks to the centre of the room. ¡°Come have a seat,¡± He adds, unlatching the metallic restraints clawed across the chair.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± Kita hesitates, noticing the sense of fear building within.

    ¡°Relax- The machine isn''t designed to hurt you,¡± The Dr bargains, patting the seat,  ¡°However, you will experience some slight discomfort,¡±

    It¡¯s just a dream. Kita steps towards the chair whilst attempting to calm herself down.

    ¡°Your genes are special, Kita. This device will allow us to activate the dormant genes you have,¡±

    ¡°My what?¡± Kita stammers.

    ¡°Basically, you have a lot of untapped potential. It just needs to be turned on,¡± Dr Monroe explains as he restrains Kita to the chair. ¡°We believe it will unlock several abilities that will make you quite powerful,¡±

    ¡°But, why?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Dr Monroe raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Why do this?¡±

    ¡°Good question, Kita,¡± He responds, ¡°You¡¯ll get the answers you seek when you''re ready,¡±

    Why¡¯s he talking to me like a kid?

    With a loud thud, all the ligaments of the seat lock around Kita, converging at her chest where a device automatically tightens the claws around her- Squeezing slightly more than comfortable. As the chair completes its fitting, Dr Monroe and the masked scientists exit the room and close a thick, steel door behind them.

    The Dr and his companions all appear on the other end of a glass pane on the wall, in front of Kita. They pass her a quick glance before Kita watches them all talk and press buttons in what she presumes is a control room- She can''t hear anything but can see their mouths moving alongside very curious facial expressions.

    ¡°Kita, can you hear me?¡± Dr Monroe¡¯s voice appears in Kita¡¯s mind. Briefly giving her a sense of magic before she realizes there is a small speaker by her chair.

    Kita nods.

    ¡°You can speak,¡± He says.

    ¡°I can hear you,¡± Kita responds.

    ¡°Excellent, I can hear you too,¡± He smiles. ¡°We¡¯re going to start the test now,¡±

    All of the multicoloured, flickering lights suddenly stop flashing and simultaneously blink yellow.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Dr Monroe asks.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Kita says.

    ¡°The correct response is ¡®yes¡¯. We cannot start without proper confirmation, Kita,¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Then, yes,¡± Kita stammers uncontrollably. Honestly, that isn''t what she wanted to say, but something forced it out of her.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± He smiles, ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡±

    All of the yellow lights flick to green, Illuminating the room in a discomforting tone of offset nature. Soon after, the chair slowly begins to jostle- starting with slow motions from left to right. After Kita passes by the window a few times, she slowly notices it begin to move further and further away from her as her chair begins to speed up and shorten its movements. It doesn''t take long for Kita to realize the entire room is oscillating too.

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    A loud, grinding sound suddenly pierces the room as the chair and the room itself continue speeding up. Kita feels nauseous as her chair''s movements start obscuring her vision, and she can barely see what is in front of her. At this point, the green lights go off, briefly leaving her in darkness before they all begin flickering different colours. Constantly changing and filling her view with a rainbow of lights swirling and passing before her.

    Her body is vibrating, and something strange is happening. She can feel it, but she''s not sure what it is- A tingly feeling and weightlessness that almost makes her feel as though she is both connected and disconnected to everything around her. The disconnected sensation reminds her of what it¡¯s like to not have her soul. It was never apparent to her, but this is what it feels like to have a soul. She feels full. Heavier- but in a good way.

    She closes her eyes to reduce the nausea being induced by the incessant vibrations and flickering lights that still manage to swirl multicoloured clouds beneath her eyelids.

    The occasional reminders of disconnect and soullessness flash in her mind and cause moments of panic to spark as she awaits the moment the connection does not return.

    Endless tunnels and geometric structures assuming translucent forms of colour form all around the void of Kita¡¯s eyelids, seemingly transporting her¡­ somewhere.

    Amongst the formations, arises a set of eyes. Golden in colour with the universe in its pupils, starting directly at Kita¡¯s mind. When she realizes it''s looking into her, an uncontrollable fear and curiosity arises in her.

    Don''t be afraid. A voice penetrates her mind, alongside what feels like a wave of calmness. It''s coming from the eyes. But no words are being spoken, nor can Kita find a mouth speaking them.

    What are you? Kita wonders.

    You. The voice responds.

    What is happening?

    What''s already happened.

    I don''t understand.

    You will. You already did.

    The weight and connection Kita feels within her suddenly vanishes as the eyes burst into a sea of gold, with stars glistening amongst the waves.

    Kita opens her eyes whilst taking in a panicked breath. Nearly stumbling over as sunlight penetrates her eyes.  As her eyes adjust to the light, she feels the sensation of her soul vanishing again. Completely disappearing by the time Reiku''s face, along with all of its piercings, comes into vision in front of her- He has a concerned look on his face and his hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Is this a common occurrence for you?¡± He asks.

    Kita glances around her to see the level zero inhabitants in their rags and still marching towards the border. Beyond them is the ever-growing crowd of level one inhabitants, heckling and scowling as they march by.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Kita asks.

    ¡°You were walking with your eyes rolled back,¡± Reiku says, ¡°You looked possessed,¡±

    ¡°You were mumbling a lot of nonsense,¡± Ms Eeve sighs.

    ¡°It was a dream,¡± Kita says, moving Reiku¡¯s arm and leaning away from his awkwardly close face.

    ¡°This one was a little different, but it is common,¡±

    Kita takes notice of how clear the memory is in her mind. How she hasn''t had to mesh and adapt back to the present.

    ¡°You ought to warn people about that,¡± Reiku chuckles, ¡°It draws a lot of attention,¡±

    ¡°Sorry. They come out of nowhere,¡±

    ¡°Well you''re awake now,¡± Reiku says, before grabbing Ms Eeve by the arm and turning to keep walking.

    Kita looks ahead of her to see the match slowly drawing to a stop. Beyond them, is a large ramp leading up to level two. ¡°Looks like we made it,¡± She says, ¡°What''s step two?¡±

    Reiku points at Ms Eeve before whispering to her, ¡°This is your chance to make more friends than enemies,¡±

    ¡°I have plenty of friends,¡± Ms Eeve says.

    ¡°You have more enemies,¡± Reiku says, with cold eyes.

    ¡°Does that include you?¡± Ms Eeve chuckles.

    ¡°Yes. For the moment,¡±

    ¡°I owe you nothing,¡± Ms Eeve says.

    ¡°Yeah, you''re not going to appeal to her heart. She doesn''t have one,¡± Kita chuckles. ¡°She¡¯s almost as soulless as me,¡±

    ¡°I would rather not use violence,¡± Reiku insists.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it,¡± Kita grins while glaring at Ms Eeve, ¡°I can take each of those souls she has stored up one by one,¡±

    ¡°I have no plan on causing you stress,¡± Ms Eeve explains, ¡°My intentions are protecting myself,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Kita grins.

 Chapter 52 - The Border [River City Pt. 33]

    As usual, the border to level two of River City is filled with commuters, many of whom are tourists and residents appealing for access and expressly being denied. Long queues stretch from the ramp and snake down the main corridor of level one. But, Reiku has no intention of waiting. He grabs Ms Eeve by the arm and fiercely pulls her along towards the guards at the front. Kita follows closely behind Reiku¡¯s ripples of frustrated queuers who arrived long before they did.

    As he reaches the front, a guard raises a hand at Reiku, ¡°You''ve cut the line. To the back,¡±

    Reiku says nothing and simply shifts Ms Eeve in front of him. She scoffs at Reiku, with her golden teeth glinting in the warm artificial light. She then fixes her hair and pats her clothing down before grunting, ¡°That will not be necessary,¡±

    The guard''s expression drops to concern when he recognizes Ms Eeve, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Madam, I didn''t see you there,¡± He says, flustered.

    ¡°Reiku is a tough man to see through¡­ or past,¡±

    Kita chuckles, quickly stopping when Reiku growls in frustration.

    ¡°Tell him,¡± Reiku grunts.

    ¡°Right,¡± Ms Eeve says, passing a timid glance to Reiku before leaning closer to the guard, ¡°Listen, I¡¯m going to need you to let them through with me,¡±

    ¡°These two, Ma¡¯am?¡± The guard says, pointing at Kita and Reiku.

    ¡°And a few others,¡± She says scratching behind her neck.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°All of the level zero citizens,¡±

    The guard¡¯s face turns from concern to agony, most likely due to the conflicting orders of listening to level three citizens whilst never acknowledging level zero inhabitants. Based on this guy''s expression, letting them to level one will surely get him fired or possibly killed.

    ¡°I, uhh-¡± The guard stammers, struggling to look Ms Eeve in the eyes.

    ¡°I will do everything in my power to make sure you aren''t punished for this, alright- uhh,¡± Ms Eeve says, looking for a nametag, ¡°Kyle,¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I appreciate that, but they aren''t even allowed on this floor,¡±

    ¡°There are some very dangerous people putting their lives at risk,¡± Ms Eeve sighs, ¡°If they die, many of the basic services we take for granted daily will cease to exist, do you understand Kyle?¡± Ms Eeve presses.

    ¡°I understand, Ma¡¯am, but I just-¡±

    ¡°What''s going on here, Private. You''re lines not moving,¡± Kyle¡¯s sergeant butts into the conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir. But Ms Eeve here is requesting we allow passage to all of the level zero inhabitants,¡±

    ¡°Level Zero?¡± The Sergeant raises an eyebrow, ¡°Why the hell would we let them through?¡±

    ¡°For their safety,¡± Ms Eeve says, ¡°They¡¯re in danger and protection from the guard would-¡±

    ¡°Denied,¡± The Sergeant interrupts.

    ¡°What?¡± Ms Eeve and Reiku both bark.

    ¡°Oh, boy,¡± Kita shrugs.

    ¡°They are not permitted access to Level Two. These are priority orders,¡± The Sergeant confirms, pointing at the crowd of level zero inhabitants behind Reiku.

    ¡°You would let us all die in the face of danger?!¡± Reiku yells as he steps up to the sergeant, but the sergeant doesn''t budge an inch, and glares at Reiku before responding, ¡°I¡¯d kill you all myself if those were my orders,¡±

    Reiku grabs the Sergeants shirt but Ms Eeve separates them before he gets a good grip, ¡°He¡¯s trying to trigger you,¡± She says as they take a step away from the guard, ¡°He wants an excuse to use force,¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Clever,¡± Kita smirks.

    ¡°Their lives are at risk!¡± Reiku yells past Ms Eeve.

    A few more guards gather around the ruckus as a crowd begins to spectate the conflict.

    ¡°That is not the guard¡¯s concern,¡± The Sergeant says before looking at Ms Eeve, ¡°Would you like us to escort you home, Ma¡¯am?¡±

    Ms Eeve stammers, briefly looking at Reiku and Kita before dropping eye contact.

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s with us,¡± Kita says, putting an arm around Ms Eeve¡¯s shoulder.

    The guard scowls at Kita before looking back at Ms Eeve for a response.

    ¡°I would like to go home please,¡±

    The guards all raise their weapons at Kita, Reiku and the level zero inhabitants behind them. The Sergeant then walks over to Ms Eeve and extends a hand. ¡°Right this way, Ma¡¯am,¡±

    Kita grips onto Ms Eeve¡¯s shoulder, stopping her from stepping towards the Sergeant.

    ¡°I said she¡¯s with us,¡± Kita repeats, with a growing tone of frustration.

    Several guards focus their sights on Kita, and with the sudden shift of barrels, Kita counts five guards aiming at her and six aiming at everyone else. It will be tough, but I can kill them all.

    Before Kita casts a spell, Reiku puts a hand on her shoulder. When she turns to look at him, he slowly shakes his head, ¡°We can''t put innocent people at risk,¡± He says before staring at the Sergeant, ¡°We are NOT the monsters,¡±

    Kita sighs, realizing the truth in his words and she reluctantly releases her grip on Ms Eeve. Allowing her to take the Sergeant''s hand and walk beyond the wall of guards with the weapons still fixed on everyone. Kita momentarily locks eyes with the Sergeant before her stomach drops because of the look in his eyes.

    ¡°Open fire,¡± He casually orders.

    ¡°You-¡± Reiku screams before a barrage of bullets hurls at them and the level zero inhabitants.

    Kita immediately casts a shield that extends the entire length of the main hallway. Bigger than any of the ones she¡¯d cast before, she used twenty souls to empower it- Lowering her reserve to one hundred and twenty-seven souls.

    The bullets all collect in the shield wall as surrounding spectators gasp and murmur at Kita¡¯s display of magic.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Reiku yells to all of the level zero citizens behind them, prompting the crowd to begin running in a frenzy.

    Kita can feel her body straining due to the size of the shield, despite it only using ten souls, it''s taking a lot of concentration and energy out of her. This is a first. She realizes as she worries about how much longer she can keep the shield up.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± She grunts as she continues to hold the shield up for as long as possible.

    ¡°A little longer,¡± Reiku says as he places a hand on her shoulder, noticing her growing exhaustion.

    The guards all stop firing as the majority of them begin reloading and Reiku taps Kita on the shoulder, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Kita drops the size of the shield to surround just herself and Reiku before they both start running. By the time the guards finish reloading, they aim their sights on a sea of level one inhabitants and tourists- cueing them to lower their weapons.

    ¡°Good job, Black eyes,¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kita grunts with a tired breath.

    Kita looks over her shoulder to see the guards slowly squeezing their way through the crowd. When Kita looks back in front of her, she crashes into a group of level zero inhabitants running back towards the border.

    ¡°You''re going the wrong way!¡± Reiku calls out as they notice more and more people start running.

    ¡°They found us!¡± Yells a level zero person.

    Kita regains her footing to the sound of gunfire ringing in the distance and she looks at the guards again to see them closing in.

    ¡°This isn''t good,¡± She says. ¡°Where are the kids?¡±

    Reiku glances around before seeing two of the black-eyed kids huddled by an alleyway. ¡°There,¡± He says before dashing in their direction.

    ¡°Kita!¡± Jan yells as a group of assailants approach him and the other black-eyed child.

    Kita follows behind Reiku as they run through the panicked street, pushing and bumping into people running in the opposite direction.

    Two of the three assailants each raise their guns at the children, and when Kita realizes she won''t get there in time, she drops her shield and casts it around the kids right before they fire. The bullets ricochet through the alley before one connects with an assailant''s leg.

    Reiku reaches the kids and quickly batters the remaining assassins with a few hefty punches.

    They must be Ch-

    Before Kita can finish her thought, a steering pain pierces her abdomen. Promoting her to lower the shield and scream in agony. When she looks down at her stomach, she sees the handle of a blade prodding out of her. With shaky hands she slowly grabs the hand and pulls the blade out of her stomach- a stream of blood seeps out the wound and Kita clutches as she drops to a knee in an attempt to subdue the pain.

    As she winces and moans at the ground, a shadow steps over her and prompts her to look up to see Chevo¡¯s face grinning down at her.

    ¡°Still hurts, huh?¡± Chevo chuckles.

 Chapter 53 - River City (Pt. 34)

    Kita dizzily rises to her feet, squirming and clutching the knife wound in her stomach as Chevo watches her with an entertained grin on his face. The wound has already started healing but she can''t let this bastard hurt her again- She can''t use her magic when she regenerates and this douchebag loves to abuse the fact. Kita didn''t even know that she couldn''t until he did it.

    She takes a step back, concerned about what else he might know but he simply walks forward. No closer, no farther¡­ but, maintaining distance.

    I don''t like this!

    Kita¡¯s first instinct is to run but she can barely walk without limping in pain.

    Fuck.

    ¡°You still haven''t apologized,¡± Chevo says. ¡°You just keep trying to get away with your evil, huh?¡± He slightly jolts forward, startling Kita and causing her to stumble and fall to the floor.

    ¡°The soulless reap consequences too, Kita,¡± He chuckles as he starts walking again.

    Kita can feel the wound healing quicker now- maybe a light jog. Still not enough, but this has given her an idea. She clutches her wound tighter, covering it entirely with the palm of her hand.

    ¡°Even when they''re undeserved?¡± Kita responds.

    ¡°Undeserved?¡± Chevo chuckles, ¡°Undeserved?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t kill him,¡± She lets out a deep sigh. ¡°It honestly caught me by surprise too¡­ Totally sounds like something I¡¯d do,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Chevo asks sternly.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Caity did it. Right under your nose,¡±

    Chevo stares at her blankly but with an undertone of rage, as though he¡¯s thinking. Before long, he smiles, ¡°I should have known,¡± He starts laughing.

    Kita starts fake laughing along with him, masking her discomfort because she¡¯s unsure of what''s going through his head.

    ¡°The two of you are clever, huh?¡± He says.

    ¡°Well it wasn''t part of the plan,¡± Kita stammers.

    ¡°I don''t know why I¡¯d think you¡¯d pull something like that off on your own,¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to-¡±

    ¡°I really thought it would be wrong of me to kill her for not killing Reiku,¡± He puts his hand on his chin,

    ¡°But this is why that decision never felt right,¡±

    ¡°What-¡±

    ¡°She almost got away with it, huh,¡± He crouches in front of Kita, looking at her with a calm fury that has her scooting backwards. ¡°I know what I must do,"

    Chevo slowly draws his weapon from its holster and points the barrel at Kita¡¯s forehead. With her hand still clutching where the stab wound was, she stares at Chevo as he lines up his shot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill her,¡± He says. ¡°And leave you to share my burden,¡±

    As Chevo cocks back the hammer of his gun, a satisfied grin spreads on his face- One that pisses Kita off. This prick really thinks he has the upper hand. Kita feels beneath her hand, knowing that the stab wound healed before Chevo even raised his gun. She thought she might learn something from indulging him and hearing what he has to say but goddamn, he''s just annoying. Why would I ever follow this guy? He must be a shell of his former self.

    In a sudden flurry, Kita launches from her feet- pushing the gun to the side with her available arm and momentarily stunning Chevo. In the same motion, She places a hand on his chest before casting a spell.

    Consu-

    Before she can finish the spell, Chevo uses a second blade to slash the palm of Kita¡¯s hand, sending a sharp pain up her arm.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± She yells as she steps away from Chevo and looks at the finger-sized incision slowly sealing on her hand.

    ¡°Clever,¡± Chevo chuckles. ¡°You almost had me,¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    He jolts forward and slashes his knife at Kita¡¯s neck, barely missing when she leans away from the strike. Chevo maintains his pressure with another slash to her chest, and Kita parries before counter-attacking with a punch to Chevo¡¯s stomach.

    It hits, and Kita slips behind him as he stumbles past, taking a deep breath. Kita glances at her hand to see the wound has healed and she raises her hand to cast the spell again.

    But Chevo¡¯s recovered, and Kita barely avoids getting her hand cut again when he turns to attack.

    Too close! Kita worries as she remembers the edge Chevo has on her- She can''t let him neutralize her magic.

    ¡°Still trying to protect her?¡± Chevo asks, ¡°Love is quite a powerful motivator,¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Kita says, clenching her fist.

    ¡°Or is it merely the desire to love?¡± he chuckles, ¡°A cheap imitation that can only be performed by the soulless,¡±

    Push, Kita sends a large burst of air hurtling at Chevo- with a panicked expression, he dives to the side, getting his entire body out of the way before rolling back up to his feet. As he faces Kita, another burst crashes into his chest and sends him toppling over as he crashes into fleeing civilians.

    Kita approaches him as he gets up on one knee, gasping for air whilst holding his chest- but before he even fully recovers, he fires a shot from his hip, this grazes Kita''s cheek as her eyes widen in shock. She immediately raises her shield before a few more rounds accumulate within her defence.

    Chevo lets out a few more coughs before standing to his feet and holstering his weapon. ¡°You don''t hit as hard as you used to,¡± He chuckles as he wipes away a few droplets of blood beside his mouth. ¡°You lack a certain¡­ conviction,¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Kita grunts as she punches the backside of her shield, firing the five rounds that caught in her shield back at Chevo.

    He dives to the floor, but a loud cry informs Kita that one of them hit. She tries to capitalize on this by charging at Chevo to consume his soul before he can react. As she approaches, she sees that a round connected with his shoulder, and as she darts towards him she begins casting the spell.

    Consum-

    BANG.

    The loud crackle of gunfire erupts as she feels a sudden burst of blood ejects from her chest and mouth. Her entire body goes numb as the world around her shifts the floor nearer.

    ¡°Kita!¡± She hears Jan¡¯s voice scream out from a distance.

    Her body hits the floor with a thud that sends a heavy pain to rattle inside her and moments after, she sees a pair of footsteps running towards Chevo, a silhouetted figure with long, red hair and a weapon much longer than Kita has seen before strapped to her back. The figure begins tending his injury as Kita watches in confusion, wondering how she ended up on the floor.

    As she looks down to her chest, the source of her pain. She sees a gaping wound that nearly reveals her heartbeat underneath the torn flesh and bone.

    Fuck! Kita panics at the sight as she coughs up more blood.

    ¡°We need to get her out of here,¡± Reiku yells as he runs towards her. As she watches him with hazy vision, she feels a chilling breeze brush against her face. The same wind sends a sharp pain in Kita¡¯s injury as she feels the air flowing sharply through her.

    She slowly turns her head in the direction of the breeze, seeing an alleyway that exposes the edge of the city, where the river crawls along the horizon like an artery. As her eyes struggle to focus, she slowly notices the fog, expanding over the water and darkening the lower parts of the sky.

    The myst.

    As Kita watches the myst consume the distance, she feels her entire body strain as Reiku lifts her up.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Kita yells as her body twitches.

    ¡°No time for pain,¡± Reiku says before he starts running with her in his arms. ¡°Get to Level Zero!¡± He yells.

    ¡°We won''t make it,¡± Ms Eeve says with Jan and the other black-eyed child holding her hands.

    ¡°Then what do you propose?¡± Reiku asks in frustration, definitely not in the mood for Ms Eeve¡¯s shenanigans.

    To his surprise, however, Ms Eeve kicks open the door to a nearby hostel and leads the kids inside. Reiku follows suit, along with many others who begin forcing their way into storefronts and homes along Level One.

    ¡°This bullet wound is larger than any I¡¯ve seen,¡± Reiku says as he lumps Kita on a nearby table and examines her wound. ¡°It will take her a while to recover,¡±

    He then tears the sleeve of his shirt off before stuffing it into the wound- Kita screams in pain as he does, silencing all of the citizens hiding together in the packed-out hostel.

    Amongst Kita¡¯s piercing screams, those hiding out watch the windows with worried eyes as the whole city darkens. Like the shadow of a colloidal beast, the myst engulfs the entire city until there is nothing in sight but the greyish, brown grains of death amongst the occasion flash of blood-red lightning.

    As Reiku finishes plugging Kita¡¯s wound, she passes out. And lies silent as Reiku whites his blood-stained hands on his shirt and looks out the window along with the others.

    Slowly, the rise of screaming returns. However, it isn''t Kita. There are more screams of agony and suffering than just one. All those who couldn''t find refuge in time bellow for help with low groans of breathlessness. The myst kills from the inside and out. Deteriorating each of its victims as they cannot avoid breathing it in. Before long, they begin to burn, as the myst eats away at their organs like a venomous toxin, whilst doing the same to their skin and eyes. Like smoke from a fire, the burning of the myst releases a thick black smoke from the skin and mouth of its prey until it completely dissipates.

    Reiku watches in horror as the sound of death slowly begins to fade to the roaring winds of the myst, beating against the hostel. The black smoke of each victim floats towards the horizon, travelling deeper into the myst.

    ¡°Did that-¡± Ms Eeve stutters as Reiku turns to see her jittering in fear. Her eyes fixed on the window as the myst continues its relentless pursuit, actively knocking against the refuge. ¡°Did the myst consume their souls?¡±

 Chapter 54 - River City (Pt. 35)

    ¡°Why did you help us?¡± Reiku aggressively turns his attention to Ms Eeve and walks over to her.

    ¡°I don''t have to explain myself to you,¡± Ms Eeve looks away.

    ¡°Your guards nearly killed us all,¡±

    ¡°I didn''t tell them to fire!¡± She gets defensive, yelling at Reiku before realizing it makes her look worse, ¡°I¡¯m not the monster you think I am,¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡± He grunts again.

    ¡°I¡­¡± She stammers. She¡¯d rather not say, but she also doesn''t quite know. ¡°I don''t know¡­ When I saw the myst coming I just wanted to get to Jan and Chelsea,¡±

    Ms Eeve has seen the myst a handful of times throughout her life. These days it''s quite rare to see somebody consumed by it- until now, she hadn''t realized she¡¯d never seen anyone die to the myst before.

    River City has some of the most adept methods of predicting and preventing the myst. For starters, all structures within the city are designed to restrict the entry of any gasses through the use of thin sheets of metal placed between the wooden structures. This was one of Reiku¡¯s innovations that reduced the risk of the myst drastically.

    Now that she¡¯s seen the myst devour the lives of its prey, she can''t help but relate the gruesome sight of bodies deteriorating into a black smoke to Kita. To the soulless, who remove a similar smoke from the bodies of their victims.

    She glares out the window of the motel with shock-filled eyes as she watches the last remnants of what was once life, slowly fade into the distance- Streaking to the heart of the myst.

    ¡°Her magic is of the same nature,¡± Reiku says as his eyes scan beyond the window.

    ¡°I should have realized,¡± Ms Eeve says, dropping her eyes in contemplation of its meaning.

    Did the myst take Kita¡¯s soul? How did she survive it? Ms Eeve looks back out the window, replaying the myst in her mind before concluding how unlikely that would be- The myst consumed them in their entirety. Both from the inside and out.

    She looks over at Kita, lying on a display table at the far end of the lobby. Breathing heavily and sweating profusely as the wound in her chest slowly heals.

    ¡°That isn''t avelahi¡¯m,¡± Kita mumbles under the breath of her dreams.

    Dreaming must be a function of the mind then, Ms Eeve curiously observes. What does it mean for the body to exist without a soul? On the outside, it seems as though Kita hasn''t lost much of her biological humanity. She still feels pain, or presumably any other human emotion. But she does struggle to reconcile them with reason- morality doesn''t come so easily to her. Something that Ms Eeve can relate to.

    Avelahi¡¯m, Ms Eeve¡¯s mind echoes.

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be okay?¡± Jan asks, waking up from his nap and watching Kita¡¯s hesitant breathing.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ms Eeve scoffs, ¡°This one didn''t even kill her,¡±

    ¡°I didn''t think she would come for me,¡± Jan sighs, hugging his legs. ¡°I didn''t know people wanted to kill her,¡±

    ¡°I bet she didn''t know either,¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s been alive for a long time?¡± Jan¡¯s curiosity awakens, ¡°If she doesn''t die, then-¡±

    Ms Eeve looks over to Jan, briefly wondering why he¡¯s so invested in Kita. But, she can''t help but smile at his curiosity- it very much reminds her of herself. Always asking questions.

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting question,¡± She responds, putting an arm around Jan¡¯s shoulders and bringing him close, ¡°I think she¡¯s been alive for a very long time,¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Will that happen to me?¡± Jan asks.

    ¡°Do you want it to?¡± Ms Eeve returns the question.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Jan mumbles, ¡°Not really. I don''t think I¡¯m as strong as Kita,¡±

    ¡°What if you''re stronger?¡± Ms Eeve nudges him, ¡°Then would you want to live forever?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know,¡± He sighs, ¡°Forever is a long time,¡±

    ¡°You know, many people say that they would like to live forever because they fear death. Surprisingly enough, it''s usually the wealthy who seek it out,¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Jan asks.

    ¡°Well, life has good moments and bad moments, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jan nods.

    ¡°And when the good moments happen, you don''t want them to stop, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡±

    ¡°So if your whole life is filled with good moments, why would you want it to end?¡±

    ¡°Is that why you want to live forever?¡±

    ¡°Good question,¡± She sighs, looking over at Kita. ¡°Not quite. I want to do my research for as long as possible,¡±

    ¡°You want to live forever so you can do science?¡± Chelsea asks.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ms Eeve winks.

    ¡°And you would hurt these children to do so?¡±

    ¡°Again, I am not a monster. I would not hurt them,¡±

    ¡°Excuse me if I have trouble believing a thing you say,¡± Reiku shrugs, ¡°But some people are monsters because they idly sit by whilst they allow others to harm the innocent. The weak,¡±

    Ms Eeve looks at the ground, then at Jan and Chelsea. She has hurt people, on many occasions- just because they aren''t children doesn''t make it any less devious.

    She''s well aware of that, and doesn''t regret it. Morality limits research. And in a world where law nearly doesn''t exist, why should she conform to morality if it reduces the factors of success?

    To a logical mind such as hers, it¡¯s foolish. But, she¡¯s smart enough to understand why many people see it as wrong.

    ¡°Do you know how I came to be the scientist I am today?¡±

    ¡°Born into wealth,¡± Reiku sighs, ¡°Spent your childhood reading,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think,¡± Ms Eeve chuckles, ¡°I wasn''t always a spoilt brat,¡±

    She notices Reiku fold his arms and shift his body to face her, but she still can''t bring herself to look him in the eyes and it somewhat bothers her. Am I seeking his approval?

    ¡°I¡¯m an orphan from a city that no longer exists,¡± She says, ¡°I can''t remember its name, but I used to collect mud for the agri-farm and would often spend most of my days a few kilometres outside of the city. I think I was about seven years old when I was on a mountainside and watched the myst sweep through it. Looking back, I guess I was lucky¡­ I was far enough to avoid the myst when it rolled through... In the blink of an eye, I was homeless for a second time. But it was a decrepit place, a cesspool. It''s better off lying amongst the dirt,¡±

    She leans back against the wall for Jan and Chelsea to snuggle closer to her and more comfortably. They''re both tired and struggling to keep their eyes open- which is for the best considering it''s been a long day.

    ¡°I walked aimlessly for what must have been over three hundred miles, hungry¡­ Thirsty. I ate the mud I had collected for what little water I might get out of it. Foolish, I know- but it may have been what kept me alive. When I first saw River City I thought it was a mirage. I couldn''t believe my eyes until I felt the River water flowing between my fingers. When I entered the city, there was no level zero for the unfortunate to commune together. No great leader vouching for our protection. So, I slept on the streets- In alleyways whenever the guards didn''t catch me, and when they did I slept on the dirt outside the city. Hoping the myst wouldn''t come.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Reiku shifts in his seat before nodding in understanding, ¡°You had a tough past,¡±

    ¡°Living in this place taught me that there is no empathy in this world. No one will reach a hand to me and offer a way out. I had to make my own,¡± She snarls at her memories.

    So many hungry nights. The river kept her alive even though it isn''t ideal to drink- It still worries her to this day, which is why it may be a subconscious drive for her pursuit of immortality. But she avoids the thoughts that don''t truly matter.

    ¡°And yet, you extended one today,¡± He says, ¡°Maybe I misjudged you, but I am forgiving. We will see what Kita thinks when she wakes up,¡±

    ¡°She might just kill me in my sleep,¡± Ms Eeve chuckles.

    ¡°She is a strange one... There is a darkness fighting against the light within her,¡± He says, ¡°It is a battle I am afraid she may lose,¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡± Ms Eeve asks.

    ¡°She is clearly a wanderer. Lost- Despite how well she pretends to have it under control,¡±

    ¡°Her powers?¡±

    ¡°No. Her mind,¡±

 Chapter 55 - River City (Pt. 36)

    You¡­

    You did this!

    ¡°No!¡± Kita yells, sitting up in a panic to find herself atop a table, with bloodied rags around the wound in her chest.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Ms Eeve says with Jan and the other black-eyed child sleeping beside her, ¡°You dream a lot,¡± She whispers.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Kita stammers before glancing out of the window to see the myst, beating against the store like a relentless storm.

    ¡°The myst,¡± She responds, ¡°Have you forgotten?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Caitlin? And Raya?¡± She asks in a panic, glancing around the room to the sight of strangers and Reiku lying underneath the table.

    ¡°I¡¯m uncertain, but I¡¯d imagine they found safety,¡±

    Kita grunts as she wipes her forehead, ¡°I think it''s coming back to me,¡±

    ¡°Your daydreams are becoming more frequent,¡± Ms Eeve says, ¡°In case you didn''t notice,¡±

    ¡°I noticed,¡± Kita grunts.

    She hasn''t noticed, but she knows Ms Eeve is right. She isn''t quite sure what to make of it, or how much of an issue it might be but for the most part, she hasn''t hurt anyone yet.

    ¡°What were you dreaming about?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Why would I tell you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your best bet at understanding them,¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, when did you study psychology?¡± Kita grins.

    ¡°You know about psychology?¡± Ms Eeve asks with a stammered expression.

    ¡°Uhh, no shit. Who doesn''t?¡±

    ¡°Psychology is an ancient science of the mind, lost to the passage of thousands of years. There is simply no way someone like you would have studied it,¡±

    ¡°Who said anything about studying it?¡± Kita chuckles, ¡°I just know what a psychologist is,¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear of it?¡±

    ¡°How would I know? What are you asking me right now?¡±

    ¡°Your mind has knowledge that people of this time do not typically have. And I¡¯m certain your too much of a simpleton to have studied any of it,¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to-¡±

    ¡°You aren''t from here. Are you?¡±

    Kita glances over her shoulder to see Reiku lying on the floor, and glances around at all of the civilians from different floors, communing with one another.

    ¡°No,¡± Kita answers, ¡°I''m not¡­ But, I have these dreams that often feel like memories. The world is a completely different place. Luscious green trees everywhere, and plenty of food and water. It''s like a different world,¡±

    ¡°It is!¡± Ms Eeve eyes light up and the dim light of candles glisten in her golden smile, ¡°Your memories are of the old world,¡±

    ¡°The old world doesn''t exist,¡± Kita scoffs, ¡°I might have read about it in books or something,¡±

    ¡°In books?¡± Ms Eeve raises an eyebrow, ¡°Who are you parents, Kita? Do you have any memory of them raising you in this world,¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Kita pauses for a moment, immediately realizing her lack of memories from this world- but that might be a result of her losing her soul, along with most of the memories from her past lives.

    ¡°No¡­ I don''t,¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    ¡°But that may be a result of my soul being separated. I''ve been forgetting my past lives,¡±

    ¡°Forgetting?¡±

    ¡°I woke up here a long time ago now, and had to come to the realization that I had died before. That¡¯s why I didn''t know Chevo or Vlad or anything else for that matter. All I knew is that the dark one took it,¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ms Eeve thinks, taking a long glance at the kids beside her before looking back up at Kita with a stern expression on her face

    ¡°Please allow me the permission to study you,¡± Ms Eeve says, bowing her head.

    ¡°What?¡± Kita chokes on her words, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°To learn more about living a life in infinity,¡± She responds.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Kita moans, ¡°Whatever, I won''t be your lab rat but do what you want,¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She says followed by an unknown voice in the distance, one that sounds familiar but foreign.

    You deserve no thanks.

    At the same moment, Kita looks out of the window- glaring at the myst as it rages beyond the window to the store. She squints at the dark fog and can¡¯t help the shiver that passes through her body when she wonders if it was coming from the Myst.

    ¡°Kita?¡± Ms Eeve asks.

    Kita says nothing, still staring at the myst when she identifies the sensation of a presence amongst it- She can feel it, like a voice calling to her but inaudible.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Kita asks out loud, prompting Ms Eeve to raise an eyebrow in concern.

    Kita steps of the table, putting on the jacket that was placed on her like a blanket. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asks as she walks towards the door.

    ¡°Kita.¡± Ms Eeve repeats, with a more concerned tone in her voice.

    You already know. The voice responds to her-

    ¡°You,¡± Kita feels the rage boil within her the moment she recognizes the presence of the dark one. She reaches for the doorknob when Ms Eeve suddenly steps in front of her, using her body to block the door.

    ¡°You¡¯ll kill everyone,¡± Ms Eeve warns.

    ¡°I already have,¡± Kita says, not entirely aware of Ms Eeve¡¯s presence but aware of what she is saying and doing- stopping her.

    Kita raises her hand at Ms Eeve, and she looks back at Kita with fear-filled eyes. Shaking her head slowly as she tries to help Kita realize what the result of her actions may be.

    ¡°Are you dreaming again?¡± Ms Eeve asks.

    Kita says nothing, she isn¡¯t dreaming but she isn¡¯t exactly awake- As if Ms Eeve and the reality she¡¯s currently in is simply a moment in time that she can return to. Over and over again.

    Is this the dark one¡¯s doing? Mind control? Kita wonders.

    Freedom, The voice responds.

    With ninety-one souls available to Kita, she knows she can follow the voice and find the dark one- her concern, however, is that it may not be her own decision.

    With the control of her body and mind that she has, she lowers her arm from Ms Eeve¡¯s face- a part of Kita knows the myst will kill everyone in the building, and focusing on this small part of her is yielding more self-control than she would have thought.

    Kita says nothing more and channels the souls in her body before using twelve souls to teleport beyond the door. Leaving her with seventy-nine souls and once she finds herself on the other side, she is surprised by the lack of pain and anguish that she is experiencing.

    In fact, she can feel the myst all around her, and each of the souls that is has consumed- with a powerful source at the centre of it all, calling to her louder than any audible sound could. The call is internal, like that of a magnet intuitively moving towards an attractor.

    She can¡¯t fight it.

    She doesn¡¯t want to either.

    As she walks through the myst as though she is high upon a hill, walking through the clouds, she raises her hand to feel the blazing fog and feels the granular texture of it caressing her fingertips. Instinctively, she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, embracing the feeling of the myst around her and finding an aspect of its presence that reminds her of home.

    But she has no memory to associate it with.

    Home? I don¡¯t have a home.

    As she opens her eyes and continues walking towards the centre of the myst, a fear overcomes her as she feels the strength in her body increase with each step that she takes. She immediately knows why, and with hesitation, she feels the urge to check how many souls she has stored within her.

    One hundred and eighty-three souls.

 Chapter 56 - Chapel [END OF BOOK 1]

    As Kita walks towards the centre of the Myst, dazed and entranced by the swirling winds- she feels no pain. No suffering amongst the storm that she once thought would kill her¡­ Or had killed her once before.

    According to Raya¡¯s words.

    Did she lie? To protect Kita or out of fear of what might happen if she learned of this.

    Is this how I acquired souls in the past?

    The Myst feels familiar to her. In a comforting way that almost makes her feel safe from any external threats. No one can reach her here.

    Well, except for me, a voice arises in her mind. She can sense it inching nearer with each step she takes towards the eye of the storm. That¡¯s where she¡¯s going, to the centre. Unsure of why but knowing it feels right she marches forward.

    Two hundred and thirty souls.

    Inhabitants from all floors and all walks of life- she can feel each one as it enters her body, almost unwillingly. She can sense their pain and suffering, having barely faded away since the Myst tore them apart.

    It hurt. It was designed to hurt until the very last moment. The detail in the design of this harvesting system causes a teardrop to fall down Kita¡¯s cheek. She isn''t entirely sure why but it must be because she can feel the overbearing emotions of each soul that passes into her.

    This is different to how she consumes them. She knows now that she hasn''t hurt anyone in taking their souls¡­ Not physically at least. Not when she didn''t mean to.

    None of that makes her any better. All the souls accumulating within her make the myst a powerful tool with a monstrous effect.

    I''m not a monster.

    With a sudden realization, almost as if she is waking up from being awake, she realizes she is stepping into the eye of the storm when the raging Myst surrounding her suddenly ceases. There is nothing but a cool breeze gently pressing against her cheeks.

    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± A voice says from amongst the Myst.

    As the shadowy figure approaches through the wafting fog, the depths of its shadow remain pitch black as it steps into the eye, facing Kita.

    ¡°I thought you weren''t going to show up,¡± The grin of the shadow spreads across its abyssal cheeks as Kita¡¯s eyes widen, and her breathing increases tempo.

    ¡°Ooh, you don''t seem so happy to see me,¡± It chuckles.

    Kita raises her finger, pointing at the creature as a boiling rage overcomes her, and she grits her teeth with immense force.

    ¡°That¡¯s my soul,¡± She grunts with flame-filled eyes as she stares at a shadowed, dark incarnation of herself glaring back at her with her own smug smile.

    ¡°Surprise!¡± The dark one jests, ¡°I thought I should remind you-¡±

    Before it finishes its sentence, Kita uses twenty souls to burst in the dark one¡¯s direction, summoning a flaming fist with another fifty.

    ¡°Oh-¡± The dark one stammers, taking a step back and raising a hand at Kita¡¯s attack.

    The moment she¡¯s up close, she can feel a shiver trickle through her body as if the soul is calling to reconnect with her- sharing a deep sadness and anger that Kita forgot she had.

    Her fist launches at the dark one¡¯s head and right as it is about to connect, a massive crack appears in the air- completely stopping the motion of Kita¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Fire fist?¡± Her soul shrugs and tilts its head, ¡°That¡¯s the best you could think of?¡±

    Kita¡¯s shadow flicks its wrist and another splits between Kita''s eyes before she feels the force of what must be a thousand elephants pressing against her skull. And in that same pain, her body freezes in place, unable to move or subside the immense pain in her head.

    She lets out a belting scream and in response, the dark one starts chuckling.

    ¡°Three thousand, eight hundred and fourteen,¡± Says the dark one, ¡°That¡¯s how many souls I currently have¡­ in this vessel,¡±

    With a sudden shift, the winds of the myst suddenly and briefly swirl around the both of them before Kita finds herself falling to the ground- the pain subsiding and she quickly stands to her feet to find their both in a chapel.

    An ancient one.

    Far from River City or anything Kita recognizes, beyond the rubble of the collapsed walls is the infinite nothingness of their world.

    ¡°You¡¯re a coward hiding behind the vessels of others!¡± Kita yells in her delirious frustration, ¡°Show yourself,¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kita,¡± The dark one chuckles, ¡°You¡¯re looking at me,¡±

    Kita scoffs in disgust, irritated by the dark one''s games when she notices the dark one has completely stopped paying her any attention and is staring at the still standing cross at the front of the chapel.

    ¡°Do you know why I come here?¡± The dark one says, with a sombre tone of voice, ¡°To repent,¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Kita sneers.

    ¡°Our sins,¡±

    ¡°Give my soul back to me,¡± Kita stomps her foot down, opening her hand and summoning a flaming ball of fire.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± The dark one says, turning back to look at Kita and tilting its head, ¡°You still don''t know who I am?¡±

    Kita glances uncertainty before stammering, ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°Kita, dear¡­ This vessel. This is my primary form,¡± It responds turning to face her, ¡°I am your soul,¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Kita huffs at the shadow¡¯s words, ¡°Liar,¡±

    ¡°Ugh, so emotional,¡± The dark one seemingly rolls its unseen eyes, ¡°You weren''t always this stupid,¡± it shrugs before mumbling to itself, "Did I hit you too hard last time or what?¡±

    "Why?" Kita yells across the chapel. "Why do all of this?"

    "Why?" Her soul reiterates, sending the echoes of her chuckling through the atmosphere. "To escape,"

    "Wh-what¡­" Kita feels her skin going pale as she feels the ghosted pains of her memory. The searing pain of being split from her soul becomes more familiar than her body is comfortable with.

    Her soul sighs, glaring at Kita with impatience. "You put us here!" Her voice blares in Kita''s mind as it steps forward.

    Kita steps back in retreat as her soul encroaches. Closer than ever before and yet she''s much too afraid to let this distance close.

    "Remember!?" Her soul screams, still approaching.

    Kita slowly shakes her head, struggling to process what''s being said with the flight of her body urging her to keep at a distance.

    "You''ve had visions of our family. Yes?"

    ¡°Our?" Kita stutters to herself.

    "Do you remember what happened to them?"

    "I¡­ don''t want to,"

    "Of course you don''t. Because that would mean facing the past¡­ We''ve never been very good at that, have we?" Her soul sighs, stopping right in front of Kita. So close that Kita''s breath subtly wafts the smoky figure before her.

    ¡°You''re¡­ my soul,¡± Kita says, feeling the ever-rising fear of her memories at the back of her mind as the words escape her lips.

    ¡°Ding ding ding, the dummy figured it out,¡±

    "Why are we doing all of this? Let''s just merge and get our life back," Kita asks, feeling exposed and far too uncomfortable to accept what her mind¡­ what her soul is suggesting.

    "Get our life back," The dark one chuckles. "I''m going to answer your question. But only because I can see that you''ve conjured up a way to stop hating yourself¡­"

    Kita''s body jolts in a momentary panic when she feels the hand of her soul pass into her chest. She feels a warmth like that of the myst wrap around her heart as the hand extends deeper. But, with it, she feels no pain. Only a sense of incomplete belonging as she feels this portion of her soul reconnecting with her.

    "Who do you think turned this world into the barren wasteland it is?" Her soul asks.

    Kita stammers, knowing she doesn''t have the answer to such an ancient question. "I don''t kn-"

    "We did this, Kita," Her soul whispers with Kita''s soft voice. "We killed them,"

    "Killed w-who?" Kita stutters, now frozen in place as her back presses up against one of the few standing walls that she didn''t realise was behind her.

    The heat in her chest grows hotter.

    Her soul grins as it leans forward to whisper, almost seductively into her ear, ¡°Everyone,"

    The image of flames scorching the world and the Myst taking the lives of screaming civilians as they run through the city streets of an ancient metropolis flashes in her mind''s eye.

    "I didn''t," Kita stutters. With her voice too shaky to continue.

    "We were taken from that peaceful life. Remember?" Her soul asks, prying into Kita''s insecurities. Taunting her with the memories she knows Kita''s entire being desires but rejects. "We are an ancient weapon, Kita. One the old humans created to obliterate nations,"

    Kita looks deep into the abyssal eyes resembling her own. She can feel a well of tears as a deep sadness grows amongst the swell of the warmth around her heart. The image of the testing facility and Dr Monroe flicker before her, and the feeling of being taken away from her Mother and Brother brings up the eternal well of despair she¡¯s been avoiding.

    "They took us from our family when we came of age," The dark one says, with a sudden vulnerability in her voice. "The children in our village had a genetic affinity towards their enhancements,"

    Kita can see it more clearly as the words meet her lips. The first day they arrived in their trucks mounted with weapons. Regardless of our people''s attempts at solace, we were beholden to the government that controlled our continent.

    "Damn it," Kita mumbles as she feels the sorrow bubble past her breaking point.

    "I know it''s hard¡­ But you must remember," Her soul whispers.

    Those men in their barren uniforms and masks stormed into every tipi in the village. Dragging out the children in any family that had one under the age of seventeen. Many of the kids scrambled and ran for the forest, but they wouldn''t get far before the gunfire.

    They were resilient people and many were trained to fight. But, they chose not to fight back when the soldiers started killing the young.

    "Why?" Kita asks as her mind shuffles between the vivid memories of that day, and her soul before her.

    "What happened in our tipi?"

    "No!" Kita screams in horror as she tries to move her body away.

    But she can''t.

    She¡¯s paralyzed, and stuck having to replay what she knows is a nightmare.

    "What happened in our tipi, Kita?"

    Kita shakes her head, trying to rationalize the words she''s hearing. It can''t be true!

    "Stop it!" Kita yells, bursting a swell of energy through the room that momentarily blows away portions of her soul before its shadowy figure reassembles, with its hands still around Kita¡¯s heart.

    Why would I do any of this?

    "Because we were grieving. We regretted everything we had done. What they had trained us to do. All the souls we took would scream in the night,¡± Even her soul whines at the memory, ¡°So loudly that we stopped sleeping altogether- and would use our magic to keep our brain operational,¡± The heat continues rising, to a point Kita is certain it is scorching but she cannot move, no does she feel the motivation to. ¡°But, this strategy of ours only made things worse when it brought us to the brink of madness. We lost our mind, and killed everyone on Earth,¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kita shakes her head as a stream of tears fall from her eyes. Her mind trying its best to reject all of the information but the memories are clearer than ever, and despite all rationalizations, she knows it''s the truth.

    All of it.

    ¡°In the depths of our regret, we separated our soul from our body. So that we may never feel this pain again,"

    Kita doesn''t know what to say. She can only keep shaking her head.

    "You are the monster, Kita."

    ¡°No,¡± She denies.

    "Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Oh, Kita,¡± Her soul sighs. "Do you really believe that changing how you think absolves you of the past?"

    Kita doesn¡¯t know what to say, nor does she know what to think about the feelings surging inside of her- Is it all true? She knows it is but she doesn¡¯t want to believe it. She can¡¯t.

    As the pain of a blazing fire rages inside of her, she is completely unconcerned with the pain. One that hurts more than anything she remembers experiencing, but with the weight of the memories her soul is showing her she knows it isn¡¯t the worst pain she¡¯s experienced.

    Kita slowly starts to lose the sensation of her body when she looks down at the arm of the dark one extending into her- and the black ash floating from the scorching heat in her chest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Her soul whispers, ¡°You¡¯ll remember it all when you wake up,¡±

    Kita''s vision slowly starts to fade, and she can feel her back sliding against the wall and she falls to the floor- guided by her soul before it gently rests Kita on the ground, and slowly removes its arm from her chest.

    ¡°Goodnight, Me,¡± Her soul grins one last time before Kita¡¯s eyes encase her in darkness, ¡°I¡¯ll see you when you¡¯re ready to try again,¡±

 !!STUB ANNOUNCEMENT!!

    Hey everyone, I''m excited to let you know that I''m releasing SOUL STEALER on 17 January 2025 through Amazon and it will be exclusively on KU for 90 days after release.

    The book is available for PRE-ORDER </a>if you''d like to pick it up and I will be stubbing the RR version on 15 January 2025.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I''ve made many edits to the book, having worked on the prose and dialogue more. I''ve also decided to write it all in past tense instead of the super inconsistent present tense that I attempted it in, so the reading experience will be much better.

    Anyway, thanks for supporting the series this far and if you''re still around, you''re an absolute legend!! <3

    P.S. I''ll be continuing Book 2 on RR in March

 !!BOOK 1 IS OUT NOW!!

    Hey Everyone! I have officially released my Debut Novel SOUL STEALER: Book 1</a> on Amazon and KU!

    I''m super excited and it would mean the world to me if you could drop an honest review of it :D

    Link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DS8WZHXD</a>

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    BLURB:

    In a world where death is only the beginning, Kita must reclaim what was stolen from her¡ª the essence of her very being... Her soul.

    Haunted by memories of her countless deaths at the hands of ''The Dark One'', she discovers that her own magic is fueled by souls too. As she embarks on a treacherous quest, Kita faces a harrowing choice: Will she succumb to the darkness within, becoming the monster she fears by consuming the souls of others, or will she defy fate and seize her soul''s redemption?

    In this anti-hero fantasy, salvation comes at a cost, and Kita will stop at nothing to reclaim her stolen soul.

    Book cover by: https://www.miaillustrations.co.za</a>

 BOOK 2 - Chapter 1

    From the floor of Level Zero, Raya and Myra sat in Reiku¡¯s tent with three black-eyed children. As they sat quietly, they could hear the commotion on Level One. The wood and steel ceiling of the city¡¯s basement rumbled as screaming seeped through the cracks and gunfire erupted amongst the cries. Raya couldn¡¯t help but stare at the falling dust above her, watching anxiously as her mind imagined the carnage. Would a Queen sit idly whilst the innocent are slain? She asked herself, itching to get off of her ass. She may not be a queen anymore, but the words of her Father echoed in her mind, ¡°A warrior doesn¡¯t need a Kingdom to fulfil their duties,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Myra glanced at her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit here any longer,¡± She answered, standing to her feet.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the one that¡¯s going to ruin Reiku¡¯s plan?¡± Myra chuckled.

    ¡°You can hear what is happening above us, and don¡¯t care to help?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Myra shrugged, ¡°Why should I?¡±

    Raya didn¡¯t care to answer, nor did she expect much of others after she¡¯d met Kita. Everyone had to do what was needed to survive, which meant there wasn¡¯t much room for helping others do the same. Raya was well aware of her morality being a rarity in their world, but that only made it more valuable to her.

    ¡°Stay with the kids,¡± Raya said as she left the tent.

    She took the elevator to Level One and made her way to the border after pushing through the sea of civilians retreating in the opposite direction. It had been a long time since she¡¯d seen a city in such disarray, and it reminded her of the battles Casiim faced both as the oppressors and the oppressed. The most consistent detail was the collateral damage. The innocent lives that were taken amongst the squabble of the powerful. She¡¯d always hated that the most about her family¡ªtheir lack of awareness.

    The screaming and gunfire grew louder as she drew closer to the border, prompting images of distant battles and soldiers she couldn¡¯t help. She started running and unsheathed her dagger when she saw a group of Vlad''s raiders firing at Chevo¡¯s assassins. With the element of surprise, she approached them from behind and dashed straight into the group, using her shoulder the push one of the Raiders off their feet, stabbing them in the chest at the same time. The remaining three Raiders turned to see what happened, but Raya already had the drop on them. She pushed the barrel of the nearest Raider¡¯s gun to the side and threw her dagger at his throat. His muffled gargling allowed her to advance, sliding between the now-dying Raider and the one beside him. As she slipped by, she retrieved her dagger from the Raider¡¯s neck and in the same motion, used it to slit the second Raider. The second Raider squeezed the trigger in panic, and Raya moved behind him as he unloaded the rest of his clip¡ªhitting several civilians in the process. The last Raider took the fight to Raya, and threw a hefty kick at her shoulder that nearly threw her to the floor. But she maintained her footing and swung her blade at the Raider who successfully dodged the attack before taking out his own dagger.

    Before they could fight, Chevo¡¯s assassins encroached, firing their weapons at the both of them. Raya ran for cover and found it just in time to see the last Raider get gunned down, and she proceeded to wait for the assassins to reload.

    ¡°Pests,¡± She grunted as she wiped the blood off her dagger and crouched in preparation to spring around her cover.

    The guns stopped firing, and she immediately swung out of her protection to attack the nearest assassin, who already had a knife in hand. They exchanged a few slashes, colliding daggers as they both attempted to finish the fight quickly. However, she was interrupted when one of the other assassins kicked her in the thigh. She stumbled, and a third assassin kicked the dagger out of her hands before the fourth one grabbed her.

    ¡°Look what we caught,¡± The first assassin chuckled as he encroached with his blade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill her,¡± Another assassin exclaimed, ¡°She knows where the children are,¡±

    ¡°Fuck you¡± She spat in the assassin¡¯s face.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± The assassin feinted forward, trying to intimidate her.

    But Raya didn¡¯t budge, and glared at him when their eyes met. He dropped eye contact and grunted in frustration before he slapped Raya across the face. She took a moment to cool her nerves and spat out the blood in her mouth before looking back at him, without saying a word.

    ¡°Move it,¡± The assassin that had a grip on her pushed, trying to get her to move where he wanted.

    She briefly resisted, before she decided to co-operate. Now that she had calmed her nerves, she could think again and decided she would wait for an opening. The grip the assassin had on her was quite shoddy, and she could break free but she needed the other two assassins to be close enough for her to attack immediately afterwards.

    She watched closely, and they pushed her through Level One, presumably taking her to Vlad. Fortunately, they were going towards the border, which is where she was headed, but as they got closer Raya witnessed the extent of the battle. The bodies of Level Zeroers were what she saw first¡ªscattered across the border like a mass graveyard. It wasn¡¯t only Level Zeroers, however, as she could see the clothing of Level Oners and tourists scattered amongst the mess.

    Munitions were still being exchanged between the two gangs as they all searched Level One for the soulless children.

    ¡°How are we supposed to get through all that?¡± One of the assassins worried.

    ¡°Through here,¡± Another replied, pointing to an alleyway.

    They pushed Raya through the tight space, and she noticed the compacted alley forced all of the assassins to line up. This is it. Her opening.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    With all of her strength, she dropped her weight to the ground, breaking free of his hold before she shoved him backwards using her shoulder. He stumbled back into his crewmates, and they all crashed into one another. In the same move, she slipped his knife from its sheath and cut a large wound across his chest. He fell to the floor¡ªand she kicked the next assassin in the chest, pushing into the other two assassins again. This time, however, they all fell to the floor and Raya sprinted through the alley to escape out the other side.

    ¡°The hell do you think you''re going!?¡± An assassin yelled alongside the sound of a cocked pistol.

    She managed to turn the corner before bullets whizzed by, one of which snagged a lock of her sway hair as she took cover. When she looked ahead of her, she saw she was at the edge overlooking the dried river that the City was built in, and as she glared into the distance, her stomach dropped as she noticed the ruinous storm rolling over the hills. The myst, she immediately sprinted down the outer corridor, looking for another alley that would take her to the main corridor. She took a turn into the next alley, and a few more bullets whizzed by; the assassins weren''t far behind, and she¡¯d be an easy target in there. Shit, she immediately stopped beside the entrance of the alleyway, taking close cover to the encroaching assassins. The moment she peered down her alleyway, she attacked and spear-tackled the nearest assassin¡ªpushing him over the railing of the city and dropping him out of view. She then threw a sidekick at the assassin in front of her, pushing him into the assassin beside him. He stumbled over, and she kicked the pistol out of his hand before striking his chest with her dagger. He falls to the floor and the last assassin doubles back in fear, seated on the ground. Raya flicked the dagger out of her hand and it stabbed deep into the assassin''s eye, killing him.

    Raya exhaled, and the tension in her body vanished as her adrenaline began to wear off. She looked in the distance and her adrenaline returned when the darkness of the myst swept through and threw her off her feet. It funnelled through the alleyways and in an instant, the city was in an isolated night.

    The moment she was exposed to the gailing winds she could feel the shards of Myst tearing away at her skin, trying to pry its way to her soul. But, before any of her muscle and bone could deteriorate, it is quickly regenerated by the souls within her body. The pain was consistent and overwhelming, but she¡¯d experienced worse than this. Raya could feel the souls in her arsenal depleting faster than she ever had before. But, based on her instincts and the experience she¡¯d acquired having so many souls¨C- she was certain she could last more than an hour before her body started truly deteriorating. All those people, she thought to herself as she pushed her way through the darkened alleyway, struggling to reconcile her helplessness amongst the myst. There was nothing she could do to help them now. She needed to find shelter, and if there were any stragglers yet to be consumed, she¡¯d aid them too.

    As she arrived at the main corridor of River City, the cries of anguish roared as the myst ate away at the bodies of the unsheltered. The screams of pain and suffering called out from every direction. She couldn''t see further than a few metres as she searched for those in need.

    ¡°Please!¡± Someone yelled from nearby, ¡°Aahh!¡±

    ¡°I''m here,¡± Raya responded, ¡°Call out to me,¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to die¡ªAah! Please!¡±

    Raya moved to where the voice called out from, but with her reduced vision she still had nothing in sight.

    ¡°Where are you!¡± Raya called out, trying to keep the person talking to locate them.

    But, all that responded was the sounds of the raging mysts.

    ¡°Hello!?¡± Raya called out to the emptiness.

    But this time, she heard a subtle rambling. Like that of a conversation being held amongst the storm, and a familiar voice fell upon her.

    ¡°Kita!?¡± She yelled, holding her hand in front of her eyes and squinting amongst the swirling void.

    I should have told her, Raya begins arguing with herself. But how could she have told her? It wasn¡¯t the easiest concept to grasp and it''s not like Raya could explain how it happened to her. Kita¡¯s soul is ¡®the dark one¡¯. It¡¯s not like Kita would¡¯ve believed her anyway- The girl had a habit of ignoring others until she learnt the hard way.

    ¡°Kita!¡± She yelled again as she continued walking.

    In the distance, behind the winds, she could see two shadowy figures facing one another- and it could only be Kita and her soul! Raya started running towards them, calling out to Kita and readying her dagger. As she approached the eye of the Myst, where they stood, Raya barely reached her hand into the calm eye of the storm before the Myst in its entirety, vanished.

    As did the two figures ahead of her.

    River City slowly came into view amongst the rapidly fading myst; Raya couldn''t see the two silhouettes anymore and hesitantly looked around, trying to see where they''d gone before realising the dark one must have taken Kita away. Raya searched for a while longer before she eventually dropped her head and accepted the situation.

    It could be hundreds of rotations until she saw Kita again, and she''d lost count of how many times this had happened. Kita always does this, she grunted in frustration.

    Not much later, civilians and inhabitants of Level One exited their shelters, doe-eyed and paranoid about the state of the city. Out of a hostel in the distance, she noticed Reiku and Ms Eeve exit with Jan and Chelsea.

    ¡°I see you didn''t trust my plan,¡± Reiku grunts as he approached Raya, aiding Level Zeroers on his route.

    ¡°I see it was the right call,¡± Raya shrugged.

    Reiku chuckled, before looking around, ¡°Where¡¯s Kita?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± Raya responded.

    ¡°Gone? Gone where?¡± Ms Eeve asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The dark one took her before I could get to them,¡± Raya sighed.

    ¡°So what do we do?¡± Jan asked, "Where can we find her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Raya said as she, ¡°But I¡¯m going to find her,¡±

    ¡°Chevo¡¯s going to be coming for Myra- She¡¯s still a traitor that he wants dead,¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± Raya mumbled, ¡°She¡¯s still on Level Zero with the kids,¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re making our way down there,¡± Reiku responded, gathering all of the Level Zero inhabitants that hid away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you-¡±

    ¡°No. Go look for your friend,¡± Reiku added, ¡°She is a vital piece to this mess. It would be best she doesn''t fall into the wrong hands,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she already has,¡± Raya sighed.

    ¡°All the more reason to make haste,¡±

    ¡°Chevo and Vlad will know that we¡¯re going back to Level Zero,¡± Ms Eeve said.

    ¡°We face death in both directions,¡± Reiku grunted, ¡°If we go back, and Chevo is to arrive. Do you really think we could convince him that Kita suddenly vanished?¡± Ms Eeve asked.

    ¡°And what¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t kill you all anyways?¡± Raya added, as her eyes drifted to thought. ¡°You should leave River City. Now- You could escape before they realize you''ve left,¡±

    Reiku grunted at the idea, grappling with the injustice of Level Zero inhabitants having to leave their homes. ¡°Where would we go?¡±

    ¡°I''m not sure,¡± Raya sighed.

    ¡°There''s a city to the East- Varum, I believe,¡± Ms Eeve added.

    ¡°The underground city?¡± Raya asked.

    ¡°Nobody knows where the entrance to it is. If it even exists,¡± Reiku added.

    Ms Eeve nodded, ¡°I know the way in,¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°There''s no information that money can''t buy,¡± She grinned.

    ¡°And you''re ready to part with that fortune of yours? The greedy have a hard time letting go,¡± Reiku raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Greedy?¡± Ms Eeve scoffed, ¡°You think I''m an idiot whose only love is money?¡± She waved her hand dismissively, ¡°I made my fortune once. I can make it again,¡±

    They all pass a few looks amongst one another after Ms Eeve''s words- wondering if anyone was going to present a better plan, but in the end. Finding the city of Varum was their best bet. If Ms Eeve was this confident, then it must be true. After all, Raya knew the power of wealth all too well.

    But with each day that passes, the foggy memories of her old life clash with the winds of her new experiences.

    ¡°Then let''s get moving,¡± Reiku confirmed, ¡°We have no time to waste,¡±