The distant sound of carriages mingled with the crowd's chatter and the yellow glow of magical lamps illuminating the city.
Yuta walked calmly along the cobblestone streets, hands in the pockets of his dark coat. The night wind swayed his purple collar and the strands of hair falling over his forehead.
He seemed relaxed—but every step he took was calculated.
> "Nothing like a good meal after almost dying to an immortal witch."
— he murmured, with a faint smirk.
People looked at him with suspicion. It wasn't common to see someone with that overconfident gaze, that air of someone who could vanish at any moment.
The most wanted thief of the underworld, and at the same time, the city's most mysterious man.
Yuta stopped in front of an upscale restaurant, its sign gleaming in golden letters: "Lunaxis Del Mare."
He entered as if he owned the place.
All eyes turned.
Some whispered.
Others simply looked away—they knew who he was.
— "Table for one." — he said, tossing a silver coin at the reception.
The attendant gave a nervous, small smile, confirming the reservation.
Yuta sat near the window, observing the streets outside. He pulled out a thin cigarette, lighting it with a snap of his fingers—a small magic trick he had stolen from a fifth-rate mage.
As he inhaled, he mentally analyzed his next targets, the rumors, the rewards.
But fate—or chaos—had another plan for that night.
— "That scent… far too expensive for someone dining alone." —
A feminine voice sounded, sweet and teasing.
Yuta looked up and saw her.
Light pink hair, reflecting the light like colored mist.
Intense, sharp blue eyes.
A slender, elegant body, dressed in a short jacket and tight pants that accentuated her curves.
She smiled at the corner of her lips, tilting her head.
— "May I sit?" — she asked, already pulling out a chair.
Yuta raised an eyebrow, intrigued and slightly amused.
— "You've already sat, so I guess I can't say 'no,' right?"
— he replied, extinguishing the cigarette.
Lyra rested her chin on her hand, studying him.
— "You seem like someone who enjoys danger."
— "I only enjoy it when danger pays well." —
Yuta answered with that half-smile that could melt any emotional armor.
They both laughed.
The waiter brought wine and expensive dishes.
He ordered two more—one for her, without hesitation.
The conversation flowed.
They spoke about the city, magic, and rumors of powerful artifacts.
Yuta kept his gaze fixed on her, analyzing every word, every gesture.
Lyra also studied him—but hid it well.
For a moment, it seemed like just a casual meeting.
Two strangers, connected by chance.
But then…
Lyra got distracted.
A slip.
— "You don't seem like the type Lilith would leave alive." — she said, unaware.
Yuta's fork froze in midair.
Silence fell between them like a blade.
His eyes glowed—a cold, threatening purple.
— "…Interesting."
— "What was that?" — she asked, trying to sound innocent.
— "Nothing." — he smiled — "Just remembered I'm afraid of heights."
Before she could understand what he meant, the ground vanished beneath them.
The restaurant disappeared in a magical snap.
In the blink of an eye, Lyra felt the cold air slicing her skin—they were falling from the sky, hundreds of meters above the city.
— "What…?!" —
The wind tore through her hair, her heart racing.
Yuta hovered above, upside down, wearing the same teasing grin.
— "Never heard of dinner at altitude?" — he shouted, laughing.
Lyra narrowed her eyes and summoned her magic.
Pink circles formed beneath her feet—purple energy with black reflections, dense and pulsating.
She floated, controlling the fall.
But before she could exhale in relief, a violet light streaked across the sky—a spell coming straight from him.
— "Reverse Shadows!" —
The impact hit her, and Lyra lost balance.
She fell like lightning, cutting through the wind, landing on her knees as the stone floor cracked beneath her.
— "Son of a…" —
She looked up, furious.
Yuta stood on a distant rooftop, hands in his pockets, coat fluttering in the wind.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, time stopped.
Two worlds, two sides—the thief and the hunter.
And a smile that promised destruction and destiny.
Lyra raised her hand, preparing another spell.
But he just waved and vanished—like smoke in the wind.
Only the echo of his laughter remained.
Lyra looked at her trembling hands, heart racing, caught between anger and curiosity.
> "How… can a human… use magic like that?"
— she whispered, staring at the sky where he had disappeared.
That night was far from over.
She felt it—the game was only beginning.
The wind cut like sharp blades as Yuta and Lyra fell from the sky.
The city of Velmara looked tiny far below, its lights flickering like distant stars.
Lyra felt the cold tearing at her skin, her light pink hair floating in the air.
Her blue eyes widened.
— "What…?! — she shouted, struggling to control her panic.
— "Relax, it's just dinner!" — Yuta replied, his voice echoing through the wind, cold and teasing.
The air twisted with energy. Magical circles glowed beneath Lyra's feet. She used her magic to slow the fall, floating as if in water, though her heart was still racing.
Yuta watched her every move, a smirk at the corner of his lips.
His purple eyes, intense and cold, missed nothing.
He knew: she was fast, skilled—but still human.
— "Impressive." — he murmured, almost to himself. — "But not enough."
He snapped his fingers. The air warped, and a beam of purple and black energy shot toward Lyra.
She barely had time to react. The spell struck her force field, the impact pushing her downward, accelerating her descent.
— "Tch!" — she muttered, reinforcing her magic to stay afloat, her hands weaving intricate circles, controlling gravity around her.
Yuta descended beside her, moving with almost impossible agility.
Every step he took was calculated, every gesture a silent provocation.
The smirk at the corner of his lips only heightened his threatening presence.
— "Why are you stealing that item?" — Lilith's voice echoed in his mind through the magical link, but Yuta ignored it.
He knew asking Lyra that now would be pointless—but he wanted to provoke her.
— "It's for someone quite important," — he said disdainfully. — "And after that? Fame and money enough to fill any pocket, even yours, I imagine."
Lyra frowned, confused and irritated.
She didn't understand his motive, but she felt his energy—a mixture of arrogance, power, and charm that made her want to react, yet study every move he made.
Suddenly, Yuta moved his hands, opening a portal beneath them.
Lyra looked down, her stomach twisting.
The city lay dozens of meters below, glowing under the moonlight.
— "You… can't do that!" — she shouted, struggling to stabilize herself in the air, but gravity and the distorted magic pulled her down.
She conjured black circles with purple edges, beginning to float slowly, controlling her descent.
But before she could fully recover, another spell from Yuta struck her, sending a shockwave that slammed her into the ground.
Stones and debris flew in every direction.
Yuta hovered above her, floating casually, hands in his pockets, still smiling.
— "I'm impressed…" — she said, breathing heavily, her blue eyes fixed on him.
— "Impressed?" — he replied sarcastically. — "I think you haven't seen anything yet."
They stared at each other.
Tension. Anger. Fascination.
Two opposing worlds: a dedicated hunter, an unpredictable thief.
But there was more: chemistry, that strange feeling that they were too dangerous for each other, yet irresistible.
— "You're really… different." — Lyra finally said, her voice low.
— "Different is my middle name." — Yuta murmured, crossing his arms. — "But you… aren't ordinary either, huh?"
She frowned, lips pressed tight, trying not to be drawn in.
But she couldn't deny that something about him fascinated her, irritated her, and kept her on alert at the same time.
With a swift gesture, Yuta vanished.
The wind abruptly stopped.
Lyra was left alone in the warehouse, breathing heavily, frustrated at having been distracted.
She looked up at the sky, trying to locate Yuta, but all that remained was the echo of his teasing laughter.
— "How… can a human… use magic like that?" — she whispered, feeling her adrenaline surge.
She activated a special ability Lilith had taught her: advanced magical tracking.
A thread of purple energy extended, connecting to Yuta's residual essence in the air.
She could sense every movement, every invisible step, every breath.
The thief was heading toward an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Velmara.
Lyra gritted her teeth, determined: she wouldn't let him escape that easily.
As she ran, thoughts crowded her mind:
Who was he, really?
How could he manipulate magic so freely?
What was the true purpose of that theft?
But there was another feeling, deeper, more confusing:
— "He's so… irritatingly attractive…" — she murmured to herself, blushing slightly.
The warehouse loomed closer. The old building groaned in the wind, its rusted iron doors seeming ready to collapse.
Lyra landed on the nearby roof, watching Yuta enter calmly.
The thief seemed to know exactly where he was going, every step calculated, every gesture provocative.
She took a deep breath.
— "Time to find out what he really wants."
Magic pulsed in her hands as she entered silently through the roof, floating into the warehouse, the atmosphere thick with magic and tension.
Finally, Yuta appeared in her line of sight.
He was calm, sitting in the center of the warehouse, hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his lips.
— "I was expecting you." — he said, without standing.
Lyra swallowed hard, her eyes scanning every detail: his confidence, the quiet power radiating from his aura, the subtle provocation in his smile.
— "Seems like you're more interested than you should be." — he murmured, sarcastically.
Lyra raised her hand, ready to strike, but something in his gaze made her hesitate.
He wasn't just an ordinary thief; there was something deeper, something she still didn't understand.
> And in that moment, she realized: Yuta wasn't just dangerous.
He was unforgettable.
The metallic sound of creaking doors echoed through the warehouse, mingling with residual magical energy.
Yuta slowly stood.
— "But don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you…" — he said, with that provocative smile, disappearing suddenly, leaving only a residual clone that Lyra hadn't yet recognized as fake.
She looked around, confused and furious.
— "This isn't over…" — she muttered, clenching her fists, feeling the mix of anger, confusion, and… curiosity about the most incredible human she had ever met.