The silver moon hung over the city of Valerian, and from the top of a building, a dark figure watched the streets below.
People moved along the asphalt, crossing from side to side like a giant anthill, while the creature hidden in the shadows watched them the way a lion watches a herd of zebras. They were its food—its prey.
It had eaten only a few times since arriving in this world, but its hunger was devouring it from the inside. All its victims so far had been small fries—it savored every minute of it, yet its body craved something greater.
From that distance, it saw. The perfect prey was right there, within its reach. Its body trembled with hunger and lust. A wicked smile spread across the creature's face before it flickered—and vanished into the darkness of the night.
…
The news on TV shifted to a lighter topic. "Now for the entertainment news! This weekend, a grand gala will be held at the Valerian Museum," the anchor announced in a cheerful tone. It was almost hard to believe this was the same program that had just been reporting a string of murders.
"The event will welcome several celebrities from all over Gardenia, and one of the most talked-about names among them is none other than Alice Ashford," the anchor said excitedly.
"Big sis is coming here!!" shouted Emilia, completely surprised by the news.
"She's coming to the city, but mostly just for that private event," said Jaiden with a tone of indifference.
"But still, she's coming to the city! There's a chance we might run into her again," said Emilia, genuinely excited by the idea. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation at the thought of seeing her old friend once more.
Jaiden looked at the TV screen. Even after so many years, Alice still resembled the girl he once knew, though time had shaped her into a woman. She had blonde hair that looked like strands of gold, her eyes were sky-blue, and her features were gentle and friendly, as if she were a doll.
Maturity had shaped her body. She had a beautiful bust and a generous butt. Although she wore modest clothing for an actress, her curves were still well-defined.
The girl had already been pretty when she was younger, but now she had reached a completely different level, becoming truly gorgeous. It's no wonder she attracted so much attention in the media.
Jaiden met Alice when they were five years old; they were inseparable childhood friends, and along with Emilia, the three of them played together endlessly. There was even a time when the two pretended to be Awakened, while Emilia acted as a fire dragon.
'I don't know why I remembered this, but she really did have a beautiful smile,' Jaiden thought, recalling the two of them defeating his sister as she pretended to spit fire.
Emilia was very attached to Alice, treating her as if she were her older sister. Alice, an only child, seemed genuinely happy to be called big sis.
But in Jaiden's case, Alice had been his first love. He couldn't say when he started liking her. She had always been there, so maybe he had always liked her.
'But that's the past. I have no connection to that woman,' the boy thought, trying to push the memory rising in his mind out of his head.
Right after their parents' death, Alice simply disappeared. In one of the hardest moments of his and Emilia's lives, the person they believed was their friend vanished without saying a single word.
She also didn't answer calls; she had probably changed her number. Everything indicated that she was burning the bridge that once existed between them.
The only way they knew what was happening with her was through fashion magazines and movies, and Jaiden only saw them because of Emilia.
She was different—she knew what her brother thought, he had already told her. That had caused arguments between them when the topic was still fresh.
But the girl hadn't given up on Alice, and she followed everything he did: her modeling photos, and even the movies she starred in. Emilia was basically Alice Ashford's number one fan.
In other words, her obsession would occasionally spill over onto Jaiden in the form of "Jay, look at this photo. Big sis is so beautiful!" or "Sniff, Big sis is the best actress. I can't stop crying."
Over time, Jaiden's feelings changed, and he felt indifferent toward the blonde girl. He could see that she was very beautiful, but he didn't feel anything for her—except, of course, lust.
"There are rumors that she will play the heroine in 'Deep Hot Passion,'" the TV host said.
"Eh?" A surprised voice escaped Emilia upon hearing the news. "Really? I can't believe it."
"What kind of movie is that? I've never even heard of it."
"It's a movie that doesn't suit Alice at all," said Emilia, still stunned by the news.
"That doesn't really help me understand. From the title, it sounds like a romance or something," said Jaiden, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Close, but no cigar," said Emilia, still thoughtful. "It's an adaptation of a book—quite a popular one, actually."
"Really? It's that popular? Never heard of it," said Jaiden, frowning.
"Well, it's not your kind of book, big bro. And you don't really keep up with trends either, so it's no wonder you don't know what it's about," said the purple-haired girl.
Emilia then took a deep breath, steadied herself, and finally said what had been on her mind to her brother.
"'Deep Hot Passion' is a story about a girl who works as an assistant for a guild but ends up becoming the sex slave of the strongest S-rank Awakened there," said Emilia, dropping the bomb.
"Eh?" was all Jaiden managed to say after hearing what the movie's plot was about.
"It's basically a dark romance. I believe they'll tone it down for streaming, but the writing has so many sex scenes that even if they try to tone it down, it'll probably still show plenty," said Emilia, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Lia, are you saying our childhood friend is going to star in a porn movie?" said Jaiden, still in shock.
"That's exactly why I said it doesn't sound like Alice," Emilia replied, her tone starting to show irritation. "Something's off! Alice has never done a single obscene photoshoot or appeared in anything like that throughout her entire career."
"It could just be a marketing stunt, right? A hot girl with a pure aura—that kind of mix attracts the kind of people who want to see her naked," said Jaiden, sounding completely uninterested.
"That's not something big sis would ever do," Emilia replied, trying to keep her anger in check.
"Who knows what goes through her head? Maybe she just wants attention…"
"Big sis would never do that!" Emilia shouted.
Jaiden had only been speaking his mind, but when he looked at her, frustration was written all over her face, and her eyes were glossy with tears.
"Lia…" he muttered, but before he could say anything else, she bolted from the room, leaving him standing there alone.
'What the hell got into her?'
Jaiden had underestimated just how much Emilia admired Alice. To him, she was just another celebrity—someone whose life revolved around hype, attention, and image.
The Alice he remembered probably only existed in his memories. If she wanted to reinvent her brand, shattering her "pure girl" image would be nothing new; that kind of rebranding had become a cliché in the entertainment world.
But for the purple-haired girl, it wasn't that simple. The Alice she remembered was a pure and modest girl—just like the roles she later played. That's why Emilia still believed she hadn't changed.
Jaiden walked up to Emilia's bedroom door.
"Lia," he called for her, but there was no response. Even so, he could hear the faint sound of muffled sobs coming from the other side.
He had seen this kind of reaction before. When she got like this, the best thing he could do was give her space.
'She'll probably stay like this until tomorrow,' Jaiden thought with a sigh.
"Lia, I'm sorry. I went too far talking about Alice, knowing how much you care about her. If you need anything, I'll be in my room. Good night."
After saying that, Jaiden turned around and walked back to his room, leaving his sister alone with her thoughts.
It wasn't the ending he wanted for the night, but Emilia could be really stubborn when she got like that, so there was nothing he could do.
He apologized for what he thought he had done wrong and said he would listen to her if she wanted. For Jaiden, that was enough.
The young man entered his room, and now that he was alone, he could finally analyze the reason why he was still alive that night.
With a spontaneous movement of his hand, the floating screen of the Supreme Lord System appeared before him.
"So… let's see what you can do."