In the outskirts of the second commercial district in Midnight, Casey and Maria were walking through the city, heading toward the location they were supposed to investigate.
Casey (walking): Isn't the place supposed to be nearby?
Maria (walking ahead): Yes, that's right. It should be in the vicinity.
They continue walking through the city, and suddenly a person passes by them, bumping into Casey before continuing on.
Maria: Make sure you didn't steal from him, because that happens often.
Casey checks whether she took anything from the person and finds that she didn't.
Maria: Strange… normally someone like him would take one or two things.
Suddenly, a person runs past them carrying some kind of package at high speed.
A person from afar chasing him: Stop! He stole from me!
Immediately, Casey and Maria start chasing the person. Maria jumps on him and grabs him, but suddenly he pulls out a gun, trembling so violently that Maria isn't sure if catching him was the right thing. The person tries to shoot, but Casey pulls her back as the thief starts to escape.
Casey (running after the thief): I guess I'm not the only one who makes mistakes.
Maria (following): I never said I don't make mistakes.
The thief runs into an alley, and they are shocked when he suddenly disappears without a trace. Maria takes a pendant from her pocket and begins chanting something.
Maria: Chimera, open the path.
A halo appears, showing the thief's footsteps. Maria puts the pendant back in her pocket and starts following the trail while Casey chases the other side.
Elsewhere, in the middle of a theater, the thief is running with the box, terrified, until he reaches a person with unmatched cunning features and snake-like green eyes.
Person with snake eyes (cold and cunning): Did you bring what I asked for?
Thief (very nervous): Yes.
The thief hands over the package to the person with snake eyes.
Person with snake eyes (smirking with cunning): Well done. Now you can meet your family; they are waiting for you.
The thief becomes overjoyed and starts running out of the theater.
Person with snake eyes (maliciously): Enjoy paradise.
Suddenly, crows appear from everywhere, attack the thief, and tear him to pieces, leaving nothing behind.
Casey and Maria reach a somewhat abandoned area filled with green gas, which doesn't affect humans.
Casey (curiously): Why would a thief like him come to a place like this?
Maria (deducing): He must be hiding until we lose his trail.
Maria enters the area, followed by Casey. Suddenly, Casey hears whispers coming from a house and decides to go in, leaving Maria to continue searching for the person, unaware that Casey has disappeared.
Inside, Casey finds a little girl crying, her hair identical to hers.
Casey (kneeling to check on the girl): Are you okay, little one?
The girl gradually stops crying.
Girl (sadly): Where is my father?
Casey: I don't know where your father is right now, but I'll help you find him. Let's get out now; it's dangerous here.
Casey extends her hand, and the girl grabs it. As they start moving out, Casey feels the girl's hand vanish. She looks around but finds the girl nowhere; it's as if she never existed. When she examines her hand, it's covered in blood. Before Casey can process this, she hears the girl's screams from somewhere. She rushes toward the sound outside and finds another house where a gang is fighting police detectives. One of the detectives has a face identical to Casey's father.
Casey (shocked): No… this can't be.
Casey tries to stop the fight but stumbles. Suddenly, the little girl appears beside her, running toward the man resembling Casey's father. The man notices her and runs to stop her, and she is hit multiple times, resulting in her death, shocking Casey deeply.
Casey (devastated): No… this is impossible. Why is this happening?
Casey steps back, growing more and more sorrowful.
Casey (shocked and heartbroken): Why… how could this happen to me?
She retreats further, crying and screaming:
Casey: Enough!
Suddenly, she feels a slap on her face. She sees Maria in front of her, and Casey is back inside the house she first entered.
Maria: Casey! Finally, you woke up. I thought you'd never wake up.
Casey: What happened?
Maria: You fainted and came here without me knowing.
Casey (feeling a headache): Where's that gang?
Maria: What gang? I didn't see anyone here but you.
Casey: Maybe it was a dream.
Casey stands up, still feeling a little headache.
Maria: Are you sure you can continue the mission?
Casey: I think so.
Maria continues following the trail, with Casey behind her, until they reach an abandoned theater.
Casey: Is this the place?
Maria (confidently): Absolutely.
Suddenly, they hear sounds of a strong fight inside. Maria emits a massive dust cloud from the entrance, blocking visibility and causing many chairs, bags, and debris to fall, sealing the main entrance.
Maria: What luck…
Maria starts searching around the theater to see if there's another entrance.
Casey: Aren't we supposed to investigate that merchant?
Maria: They said to search the area, not look for a person. This counts as a search.
Casey: You have a point.
Maria finds a back entrance to the theater and enters, with Casey following.
Maria: Oh, right… what were you dreaming about when you fainted? You were screaming like crazy.
Casey (with suppressed sadness): Something from the past.
Maria: I won't press you.
They continue through the back entrance, climbing stairs leading to the VIP seating area. All VIP rooms are either blocked by old restoration crates or large fallen wood beams.
Suddenly, they hear two people talking—one loudly, the other cold and arrogant.
Second person (angrily): I know you're crazy, but I didn't think you were this insane.
Casey: What the…
Maria stops Casey from speaking.
Maria: Shhh…
Maria finds a small opening overlooking the stage. A man in a formal suit with snake-like green eyes and blonde hair is looking at another person in a traveler's suit (they can only see his back) and a blue-haired unconscious girl tied to a table in the middle of the stage.
Person with snake eyes (maliciously): What's this, legendary warrior? I thought you'd know what I intend.
Second person (angrily): Everyone knows you're obsessed with power, but not to the level of kidnapping.
Person with snake eyes (maliciously): You mean this girl?
Suddenly, a dagger appears in the first person's hand, lightly cutting the unconscious girl. The second person gets enraged, runs toward the first, draws his sword, and tries to stab him. A fluctuating gravity barrier acts like a bag in the air, blocking the strike and throwing him away. But the second person stabilizes himself in midair and lands on the ground.
Person with snake eyes (maliciously): Bravo, what an amazing show.
Second person (angrily): I will kill you, scoundrel.
The second person lunges at the man with snake eyes, but a flock of crows surrounds the area, forcing him to retreat.
Person with snake eyes: Until we meet again, warrior.
The man with snake eyes disappears into the crows. The second person rushes to free the girl and carries her out of the theater. Casey and Maria follow, but the trail disappears. Maria tries her technique again, but it doesn't work for some reason.
Casey: We have to find him.
Maria: Calm down. We don't have time for this.
Casey: But…
Maria: We need to return to the café to inform the others. That will help us more than searching like this.
Casey: Fine.
After a while, heavy rain begins to fall as Casey and Maria reach the café.
William: Any news?
Maria: We didn't get confirmed information about the merchant, but we witnessed something very interesting.
William: What is it?
Maria: Remember the theater in the abandoned area? There was a clear fight between magic users of at least the second rank.
William (slightly shocked and surprised): Second rank? Do you have details about them?
Maria: We could only see one of their faces; we couldn't even follow the other's trail.
William: Describe what you saw.
Maria: A man in a formal suit with blonde hair and green snake-like eyes.
Suddenly, the cup Lorath was washing falls to the ground.
Casper: Do you have something to tell us?
Lorath (shocked): It's Reinhart