The blonde girl stares at the being seated before them, while the black-haired girl slowly begins to slide her katana from its sheath. Before the blade can fully emerge, she feels her companion's hand push it back into place. She nods, understanding, and both lower their guard, raising their hands. The blue-eyed girl fixes her gaze on the wall behind Craid, imagining that to escape successfully she would need to launch a Flying Blade at the enemies behind him, giving the green-eyed girl time to create a sphere of wind and shatter the wall. Her thoughts are interrupted by the words of the being with reddish spikes crowning his skull:
"Officers, withdraw. Please. We cannot mistreat members of the Society of Users. After all, they do not know our culture, so this time their interference will be forgiven."
The two girls take seats in front of the desk of the being with three white lines where his face should be. He opens a lower drawer, removing a round seal and a document, which he places on the desk. Taking the files of the disappearance cases, he reviews them and asks,
"Tell me, why are you here?"
The black-haired girl hesitates, unsure whether to answer, but the blonde responds quickly,
"We are accompanying our master on a mission commissioned by the Society of Users."
The reddish-skinned being accidentally drops one of the documents and bends down to pick it up, asking,
"May I know what the mission is?"
Again, the blue-eyed girl answers,
"Through Fiu, it has been detected that multiple people on this planet have disappeared. Somehow they cannot be sensed or tracked, so our master was sent to resolve the matter."
Alexa is left completely baffled, having no idea where her companion is pulling these words from.
Craid (stamping the documents): "I see. But then your master will understand that I cannot hand over the entire registry—we need to continue our own investigation."
Francesca (serious): "I don't know. If you'd like, we can call him and you can tell him that yourself. I just hope he takes it well. You should know him—our master has a terrible temper."
Craid swallows, smiles nervously, and stamps the remaining papers.
"No, no, that won't be necessary. Take everything if you wish. One last thing—how does Mr. Niter fit into all this? After all, he's the one who authorized your access."
Alexa (smiling): "It's standard procedure. When we come by order of the Council of Masters, we first consult the Society of Users' minister of the planet. After that, he assists us with everything necessary to keep the process fair, legal, and clean."
The two girls stand and leave with the disappearance records, followed by Craid's faceless gaze as he thinks:
They're lying. Whatever their reason for being here, it means danger. Sending a Barrier over disappearances makes no sense. These could be excuses—they know about the deals with the Confederation… Either way…
Two red Oksilis in blue armor enter, asking their leader, "What should we do, sir?"
Craid sits back at his desk.
"Observe. Avoid detection. One mistake and we could be dead—if it's true a Barrier was sent over Muster's dealings."
Outside, the black-haired girl whispers to Francesca,
"Why did you lie? Are you crazy? One thing was the initial excuse, but saying the disappearances were sensed through Fiu—that's impossible."
Looking straight ahead, Francesca replies,
"I'm hoping only you noticed the lie. If he did, we've lost our advantage. We must avoid making it clear that Mr. Niter called us here. I had to find a way to persuade him. I remembered your sister is a criminal—your name would bring more problems than solutions. But our master? Whatever we invent about him, they'll be afraid. And as you saw, they were very cooperative."
The green-eyed girl is stunned by how quickly her companion devised a solution. With nothing else to do, they continue back toward Niter's home, while Craid watches the two hooded figures disappear.
The brown-haired pair follow the trail of dust left by the floating motorcycles, leaping from roof to roof. They land inside a house whose roof is barely holding together and move into the living area as the dust trail fades. The girl scans the surroundings, then raises her left hand, moving it side to side—signaling her partner to cross into another building on the verge of collapse. As they approach, the door falls backward. In a swift motion, the dark-skinned boy catches it, clearing the way for his companion, who jumps through and holds the door so both can slip inside.
They move on tiptoe, trying to remain hidden. The boy with yellow-tipped hair notices the trail vanishing toward a warehouse barely standing. Without hesitation, they hurry to nearby ruins. Sitting beneath a window, Emily points at Tyron's forehead, reminding him to focus his energy there so their minds can't be read. He gives a thumbs-up. About fifteen minutes pass until four gray-skinned guards with red markings speed away from the area.
The pair approach the crumbling warehouse but duck when they hear a voice shout, "Load everything and let's go!" Three thin blue Oksilis emerge, their head spikes dyed, wearing gray jeans and tracksuits. One stands out—a black hoodie with yellow sleeves, clearly the leader. Seizing the moment, Emily raises her phone, disables the flash, but it's too late. She only manages to capture an image of a purple vehicle.
With no one left, the two hooded youths enter the building to find dirt floors covered in footprints.
Tyron (serious, studying the tracks): "What do you think they were doing here?"
Emily (uneasy, noticing a long tube-shaped object on the ground and photographing it): "I don't know, but it's worrying they'd come all the way here for something—especially since they could be seen from the walls or higher sectors."
Tyron (looking toward the wall): "I doubt the wall guards can even see this area."
At that moment, Emily turns and gasps. A section of the city wall is completely destroyed, as if something had melted the massive bricks.
Tyron (grim, surveying the craters and ruined houses): "What do you think happened here?"
Emily (swallowing nervously): "A meteor? An earthquake?" She lowers her voice. "Do you think the magnetic source keeping everything afloat failed?"
Tyron (cold sweat): "Heh… let's hope that's it—and that it doesn't happen again while we're here."
Emily (glancing toward the red Oksilis sector): "What's strangest is that whatever happened only affected this area. Why didn't it spread upward or across the sector?"
Tyron (following the tracks): "There has to be something. Whatever those guys were doing here must be a clue."
Emily (serious): "I don't think so, Ty. You heard the red-skinned guys—they made sure to leave nothing behind. To know for sure, we'd need to learn that technique from the First Grand Master's story."
Tyron (curious): "You mean sensing by releasing our Fiu outward?"
Emily: "Yes—but not now. The way back to Mr. Niter's is long, and they could return while we're here."
He nods. They take a few photos and head back to rejoin the others and the adult.
After several hours, they reach the blue-and-black Oksilis sector. The red-skinned servant opens the door, inviting them inside while glancing outside with what seems like a faint smile. Upstairs on the third floor, they find their two companions seated on the floor at opposite ends of a low table, taking notes from various documents. Tyron removes his hood and sits beside the blonde, who immediately moves to a single sofa and continues writing.
Emily notices something—Niter is missing.
"Where's Mr. Niter?" she asks.
Jayden yawns.
"I sent him to fetch something while you finish compiling today's information. Then we'll leave."
Emily nods and sits beside her companions. Tyron watches the blonde write without looking up, amazed.
How is she doing that? The script looks like incomprehensible scribbles. Even Alexa, who might know the language, shouldn't be able to read it. Confused, he asks,
"How are you understanding that?"
Emily (surprised): "Don't tell me it's like focusing Fiu on our ears to understand speech—but with our eyes?"
Jayden (staring at the ceiling): "Similar, but no. Spoken language is energy transmitted to the ears. Written language requires knowledge. Concentrating Fiu on your ears translates sound; on your lips, it lets others understand you. Writing is different."
Tyron (excited): "So we can basically understand and speak all languages now!"
Alexa (smiling): "That's right."
Emily: "Then how are Alex and Fran reading?"
Jayden sighs, annoyed.
"You two, come here—and help your companions."
Emily and Tyron comply.
"First, concentrate your Fiu in your eyes," Jayden instructs. "You'll see greater detail and distance. Once you notice that, close your eyes while maintaining the flow."
He retrieves two dark greenish-black pills from Niter's desk.
They do as told.
"Open your mouths."
Startled, they feel the pills land precisely in their throats and swallow them. Jayden tells them to open their eyes and stop focusing their energy. Instantly, a crushing headache drops them to their knees, tears streaming. Minutes later, the pain fades.
"As I said," Jayden explains, "Fiu lets you understand speech, but written language needs knowledge. The Society of Users developed these pills—they grant that knowledge temporarily."
He chuckles.
"And yes, the side effect is intense pain."
Emily (alarmed): "Does it have any other side effects?!"
Jayden (serious): "Long ago, it caused memory loss. Not anymore. You have two hours to understand Oksilis writing."
The four youths work quickly, noting every report of missing gray citizens. As the effect fades, their task is complete. They stretch as hurried footsteps approach—Niter returns, waving a paper.
"I got it, Mr. Jayden!"
Jayden thanks him and addresses the students,
"Pack what you need. Tomorrow we'll return for something important."
As they gather their notes, Emily recalls the devastation they saw.
"Mr. Niter—what happened to that area in the first sector?"
Niter sighs.
"You found the aftermath of a Viudent attack."
Francesca: "A what?"
Niter explains gravely: a massive winged, acid-spitting serpent-like creature that destroyed the walls in minutes before retreating.
They return home. As the green energy fades, relief washes over them. Emily collapses face-first onto the stone platform.
Jayden sighs.
"You need rest. You held Fiu for over twelve hours under higher gravity."
They help her sit. The sun sets. The black-haired girl smiles.
"Today was fun—I never thought I'd visit another planet."
The others agree—until the blonde speaks coldly:
"Don't be amazed. Their society is rotten. Racist. Unequal."
A heavy silence follows.
Then, suddenly, four glowing orbs rush toward the youths.
"Enjoy the pain," Jayden says cheerfully.
The orbs slam into their heads. They scream.
Francesca (through agony): "The clones—when they dispersed, all their memories came back to us, right?!"
Jayden nods.
"Yes. Hope no one saw four kids turn into piles of clay."
They cry out together, denying it.
Jayden sips his tea.
"Get used to it. You'll be using clones a lot."
Far away, aboard a massive ship, soldiers train. A blond man in red armor observes. Deep inside, a violent sparring match ends as a powerful voice declares:
"That's enough for today. Infirmary. We continue tomorrow."