Despite scouring the surrounding blocks for over an hour, Macaria couldn’t track down the mysterious girl she’d seen in the alley—the one with fox-like ears and a tail. The more she searched, the more that strange image haunted her. The way those ears twitched with urgency, the shimmering portal magic, the glow of power—it should’ve felt alien. But something about the girl struck an odd, impossible chord of familiarity.
She checked alley after alley, gncing through fogged-up storefront windows, scanning every figure that walked by. Still nothing. The girl had vanished, as if the city itself had swallowed her whole. And although those men had said she couldn't have gone far, Macaria didn’t know what that meant—how far “far” was to people who could wield shadow and ice like weapons.
She came to a crosswalk near the city square and joined a crowd of about fifteen people waiting for the light to change. The scent of fresh bread from a nearby bakery mingled with the chill of the night air. Her fingers curled deeper into her jacket pockets as the wind slipped beneath the hem. Somewhere in the distance, the familiar chiming of the clock tower rang ten times, each toll reverberating in her chest.
Macaria’s phone stayed silent in her coat pocket. No new messages from Natsuki. That was good. No panicked texts. No suspicion.
The light changed, and Macaria crossed with the group. Her eyes were drawn to the pulsing red glow of a neon sign ahead—The Burrow Bookstore. Its flickering light reflected in ripples across the damp sidewalk, transforming the pavement into a ke of bleeding color. The shop was usually quiet this te, but with exam season in full swing, it remained open into the night. Clusters of students passed her, arms full of textbooks and steaming coffee cups, their ughter and low conversation blending into the soft hum of the city.
Then she saw her.
A girl sat hunched on a bench just outside the bookstore, her long light brown hair pstered to her face with sweat. Her shoulders rose and fell in sharp, shallow breaths. She looked like she’d been running for miles.
Gone were the fox ears. Gone was the tail.
But Macaria knew it was her.
She froze mid-step, her heart thudding hard. The crowd pushed past, oblivious to her stillness, flowing around her like a river splits around a stone. The girl didn’t seem to notice anyone. Her head was down, her hands trembling in her p.
Macaria moved forward, not because she was certain—but because some invisible thread pulled her there. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe something deeper.
“Hey,” she said gently, stepping closer. “Are you alright?”
The girl flinched and looked up sharply. Her eyes—wide, alert, and full of fear—locked onto Macaria’s. For a breathless moment, neither of them moved.
Macaria’s gaze fell to the girl’s hands. Faint scars traced across her skin—bckened veins and patchy markings that pulsed faintly like dying embers. Not quite burns. Not quite shadow. Just... wrong.
“I’m sorry,” Macaria added, holding up her hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You just look like you need help. What happened to your—”
“You shouldn’t be here,” the girl cut in, voice barely above a whisper. There was steel in it, but it wavered. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
Macaria crouched beside the bench, trying to meet her eyes. “I saw what happened. Back in the alley. Those men—are they still after you?”
The girl’s lips parted, but no words came. She stood abruptly, swaying before bracing herself on the back of the bench. “You need to go,” she said firmly. “They’ll hurt you too if you stay.”
Macaria’s heart hammered. “Let them try,” she said before she could stop herself.
That caught the girl off guard. She studied Macaria, her guarded expression faltering. But before she could respond, she turned away, preparing to leave.
Then she froze.
Her eyes swept the street.
Without a word, she spun and grabbed Macaria’s wrist. “Come with me.”
“What—wait—!”
But it was too te. The girl yanked her into a sprint, pulling her through the crowded street.
They darted across intersections, leapt over fallen cones, and tore past startled pedestrians. Macaria stumbled more than once, barely managing to stay upright. The girl was fast—inhumanly so—and she didn’t slow down. They crossed a narrow bridge over the freeway, cars rushing below in a blur of lights and sound.
By the time they turned into another alley, Macaria colpsed to her knees, gasping for air. “H-How...are you not...tired?”
The girl didn’t answer. She pressed herself to the wall, peering around the corner with focused intensity. “Keep your voice down.”
“What the hell is going on?”
Before the girl could respond, a whirling orb of shadow crashed into the wall inches from Macaria’s head. She screamed as the impact threw her backward. Cracks spiderwebbed across the bricks, and glowing purple mist seeped into the air.
Above them—on a nearby rooftop—stood three figures.
“Come on!” the girl barked, yanking Macaria to her feet. Her grip was strong. Too strong for someone that small.
They bolted across a six-ne street, horns bring and headlights fshing. People shouted at them. A bus screeched to a halt, missing them by inches.
They turned again—another alley. But this one led to a dead end.
Macaria spun, chest heaving, just in time to see the three men nd at the alley’s mouth.
“Well, that was impressive,” said Felix, stepping forward with his hands csped behind his back. His white hair glinted under the moonlight. “Running through traffic while dragging someone along? You’ve got fir, Renley.”
The girl—Renley—gritted her teeth.
Macaria backed away, fumbling for her pocket knife. “I’m not an Unknown,” she said breathlessly. “But I have this.”
Renley snatched the bde from her and flicked it open without hesitation. “It’ll do.”
She lunged at Felix.
Sparks flew as metal met magic. Felix parried her strikes easily, but the other two men jumped in, drawing weapons of ice and shadow. Renley twisted and ducked, her movements sharp and precise—but Macaria saw the fatigue setting in.
She pressed herself to the wall, watching helplessly. Her legs refused to move. Her fear rooted her to the ground.
One of the men broke away, charging her directly.
She fumbled for another weapon—anything—but it was too te.
Raise your hands.
The voice wasn’t hers, but it echoed inside her like a command from something ancient.
Her body moved on instinct. Hands up. Palms out.
The air surged.
Wind exploded from her fingertips with a crack, hurling the attacker across the alley. He smmed into the wall and crumpled.
Macaria stared at her hands in disbelief. “That wasn’t...me.”
But it was.
It always had been.
Something awakened.
Another man lunged at Renley. Macaria didn’t think—she just reacted. She hurled another orb of wind. It struck him squarely, unching him into the dumpster and knocking him out cold.
Renley gnced over her shoulder, stunned. “Was that you?”
“I think so,” Macaria breathed.
But there wasn’t time to celebrate.
Felix surged forward, bde of shadows glowing.
Macaria’s next bst missed—she was dizzy now, her vision doubling.
The wind orb veered wildly—and smmed into Renley.
She screamed as it struck, bsting dust and debris through the alley. The fsh blinded everyone.
When the haze cleared, Macaria y crumpled on the ground, unconscious.
Renley was gone.
Felix stared at the spot where she’d stood. Blood drops led away.
“She got away,” he muttered.
On the phone, the voice hissed. “How?!”
Felix’s bde cracked and disintegrated, consumed in violet fme. “She had help.”
He looked at Macaria, unconscious and still.
“She did well.”
The sound of footsteps echoed from the street.
“We’re out of time,” said one of his men, tossing Felix a glowing green crystal.
Felix nodded. “Let’s vanish.”
They smashed the crystals at their feet—blinding light engulfed the alley.
When it faded, they were gone.
And Macaria, the girl who had thought she was ordinary, y alone beneath the cold silver moon.
Unchanged in appearance.
But never the same again.
