Shuren turned her back on Zheng Yan's lifeless body without a second thought. The gravel crunched beneath her boots as she made her way to the truck, each step purposeful, each breath a struggle to remain steady. But inside her head, chaos reigned.
'Calm down, just calm down. You can't let it all unravel. Not here. Not in front of them, especially not in front of those kids. You're meant to be a role model, not someone who scares them.'
She took a sharp breath, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her face. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and she knew she had to rein in her anger, so she clenched her fists tightly to stop the shaking.
Finally, Shuren managed to steady her breathing. When she opened her eyes, the fury had subsided still there, but buried deep and under control. She turned slightly, her voice softer now, yet still carrying that undeniable authority.
"Mya."
The girl flinched at first, then cautiously peeked out from behind Assad's arm.
"It's time to find your sister," Shuren said. "You… remember her face, right?"
Mya swallowed hard, her small hands forming tight fists. She nodded quickly.
"Good."
Shuren stood tall and gestured to Tasia.
"Tasia. Scan her mind for her sister's face, and then create a pathway for her in the truck, guiding her toward her sister so she can at least say her final goodbyes. There's a good chance her sister is gone too."
Tasia nodded and stepped forward, crouching down to Mya's level, her voice warm and soothing, a stark contrast to Shuren's sharp tone.
"Hello," she said with a gentle smile. "I'm Tasia Murai. And you must be Mya, right?"
Mya sniffled and wiped her sleeve across her eyes.
"...Mya."
"Well then, Mya-chan," Tasia continued, still smiling softly, "I'm going to do something now, okay? It might feel a bit strange, so I need you to stay calm. Can you do that for me?"
Mya hesitated for a moment, glancing at Assad before nodding again, this time with more determination.
Tasia lifted her hand slowly, almost like she was trying to coax a scared animal. A soft purple light shimmered at her fingertips, warm and calming.
"Good girl. Now… let me into your memories," Tasia whispered.
Her eyes glowed gently as she navigated through Mya's memories, carefully discarding the blood-stained pieces, filtering out the trauma, and clearing the haze. Then, she discovered a girl with kind eyes and long, flowing hair—Mya's happy mermaid sister.
Tasia opened her eyes. "I found her."
Shuren nodded once. "Good. Bring her here."
Tasia led Mya forward. Mya looked a bit anxious but trusting, clutching Tasia's sleeve as they approached Shuren.
"Alright," Shuren said. "Tasia. Do it."
Tasia raised her hand, and a bright geometric shape began to form, lines bending and folding until a glowing cube floated in front of Mya.
"Don't be scared," Tasia whispered.
The cube dropped to the ground and then instantly expanded upward, enveloping Mya in its light.
Inside, Mya gasped as her feet lifted off the floor, the cube guiding her gently toward the truck, bypassing the others like a spirit on a mission. Then it entered.
The truck's interior flashed before her rotting flesh, torn scales, dismembered merfolk piled like trash. Mya gagged, covering her mouth with her hand. The cube carried her deeper.
She shook her head. "No… no… I don't want to."
The cube turned toward the top right corner where a shape hung ominously.
A head… dangling lifelessly.
Mya's breath caught in her throat.
Her eyes widened, trembling with disbelief.
Nēchan.
Her older sister—the one who braided her hair, the one who carried her through storms, the one who told her stories to soothe her at night. All those memories flickered, glowing gold, then vanished in an instant, consumed by the harsh reality before her.
"Nu… Nui-O nēchan…?" Mya whispered.
Then her voice cracked.
"NUUIIIII!! NOOO!!!"
Her scream shattered the cube, and the entire vehicle erupted outward in a brilliant burst of blue energy. The force knocked Shuren and Tasia off their feet.
"Damn it!" Tasia coughed, raising her arms to shield her face.
Mya floated above the wreckage, suspended in mid-air, blue light pouring from her skin like wildfire. Her aura radiated pure sorrow, sending waves of pressure rippling through the ground.
Tasia shouted, "Mya-chan! Please, CALM DOWN!"
But Shuren stepped forward, wiping blood from her lip.
"It's no use," she murmured. "She's already gone there."
Tasia's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean?"
"Yeah." Shuren loaded a single bullet, her aura flaring white-hot around it. "A True Failure."
The energy surrounding Mya crackled with intensity.
Shuren growled, "What a pain…"
She aimed upward, her aura wrapping tightly around the weapon, focused and deadly precise. She took aim at Mya and fired a single shot. In mid-air, the bullet's tip twisted, morphing into a slender needle of pure white light.
It struck Mya's neck.
Her power flickered, stuttered, then collapsed all at once as she fell unconscious, drifting down like a fallen star. The blue energy vanished, and Shuren holstered her gun with a heavy sigh.
"Tch… this is going to be a headache."
Assad stumbled toward the others.
"What just happened to her? Why did she suddenly explode like that?"
Sévon exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We… can't give you a full explanation," he said, his voice low, eyes drifting to Mya's unconscious form. "But what you need to know is this."
He paused.
"Mya is now… a Sionel."
Assad froze.
"A… Sionel?" His voice trembled. "How is that even possible…?She didn't get a syringe."
Sévon didn't respond. He simply nodded grimly, the kind of nod that said, That's all you're getting.
Shuren bent down and lifted Mya effortlessly into her arms.The girl's tiny body seemed even smaller now, her face streaked with dried tears, her breathing soft and uneven.
"Enough standing around," Shuren said firmly. "We're heading back to the Agency. All of us. Right now."
No one protested, and they quickly moved into action. Sévon, Esme, Taura, and Lokei hopped on their bikes and sped off toward the agency.
Meanwhile, Assad stood there, frozen, his gaze fixed on the spot where Mya had just been, the blue light swirling around her like a fading star.
But how? Mya hadn't been injected like I was. Even though I didn't get the complete picture, it still doesn't add up. Why did Sévon say it so casually… as if it were just another day?
"Assad! Move!" Shuren called out.
The sound snapped him back to reality, and he realized he had been lost in thought. "R–Right! I'm coming!"
He sprinted to catch up, but his mind was still racing.
Shuren carried Mya carefully and put Mya inside the car, Tasia went inside the driver's seat as always, Shuren took her seat at the passenger seat and Assad took his seat at the seat behind Shuren and Tasia drove off to catch up with Sévon and the others.