Katie and Vernisha exited the building and crossed the road after a bike zipped past, the same weird, enclosed one from earlier.

  Vernisha nodded toward it. “What’s that called?”

  Katie turned to look. “A Quick Wheeler.”

  “How creative.”

  Katie smiled and shrugged. “I like simple names.”

  Suddenly, a bright white flash erupted in the distance, near where Caren and Ulah had rampaged.

  Both girls stopped.

  So did everyone else nearby.

  The light, somehow brighter than even the Silo, kept intensifying. It shifted through multiple colors, then gradually formed the figure of a huge man.

  He wore a massive silver coat and a crown of the same metallic sheen. The swirling colors around him matched the strange brick room he stood in, though most of it remained obscured.

  Two children stood at either side of him.

  They looked around Vernisha’s age.

  Katie muttered, “He looks so old.”

  He did have a fair amount of gray hair, but no wrinkles. Vernisha frowned slightly. “You think so?”

  “Yeah. He’s only twenty-six.”

  “What?” Vernisha shot her a look, visibly cringing. “Then who are those kids? I thought his siblings were dead.”

  “They’re his. And no, they’re not the queen’s,” Katie said as she scooted closer and slipped an arm loosely around Vernisha’s shoulder, whispering near her ear. “You don’t want to know who the mother is.”

  She pulled back, but Vernisha immediately said, “Of course I do. Tell me.”

  “I can’t.” Katie shook her head. “I only know because of my dad. It’s top-secret stuff. No one’s supposed to know.”

  Vernisha groaned. “Is it like… super gross?”

  Honestly, the guy must have been around fourteen when those kids were born. That was already gross by default. Still, she remembered her high school friend Barlon. He had a kid with one of their classmates. Maybe it was just dumb teens being dumb.

  Or maybe it was worse.

  Katie gave her a flat look. “Just look at the age difference and tell me what you think. Super gross. Like, really gross.”

  If a Starlight, a family infamous for royal-grade incest, thought it was gross, then maybe Vernisha really did not want to know.

  Still, curiosity itched.

  “How old are they?” Vernisha asked.

  “They’re only like… eight.”

  “What? How’s that even possible?” Vernisha frowned. That was not nearly as bad as she had expected.

  But Katie had called it super gross, so something still did not add up. Was it because adulthood did not start until twenty? Vernisha doubted that was the issue.

  Katie shrugged. “No idea. My father wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Could they be Vlandos? Modifying their bodies or something?” Vernisha considered it, though the logic felt shaky. Maybe the king was dying and forcing them to mature fast so they could replace him.

  “Hm. I doubt it. What are the odds both of them would be?”

  “Good point.”

  Still, in Terrafall, almost anything was possible.

  But it did not explain why the girl would be growing fast. As far as Vernisha remembered, there had only been five female “kings” in Terrafall’s history, and only under specific circumstances: no sons, no brothers, or unfit heirs. In those cases, the throne usually passed temporarily to a sister, aunt, or mother until a male heir emerged.

  For example:

  Jazmell, mother of King Donell III. Rumors said she killed the king and the eligible heirs to rule until her toddler grew up.

  Eskella, sister of King Gorgin. She ruled for two and a half years after King Gorgin was murdered by their brother. The reason? Gorgin had been sleeping with that brother’s wife.

  Tanell, King Mashell’s daughter. She had been his favorite, and she knew. She threatened suicide if she was not given the throne.

  So yes, very little about this country made sense.

  Like the fact that the king was only allowed one wife and no concubines, despite the monarchy’s obsession with keeping the throne within the family.

  The hologram suddenly spoke, his booming voice rolling across the streets.

  “Good day, my citizens. People of Sundawn.”

  He continued for a while, but there was no passion in his tone. To Vernisha, he sounded half-awake, like someone had shoved a script in his face and told him to read.

  “I tell you now, and I mean it… Those responsible for the death and destruction in this city will be found. And when they are… they will be dealt with. Justice will prevail!”

  People nearby muttered among themselves.

  “I bet it was the HOV.”

  A terrorist organization.

  “Yeah, definitely HOV. They know it. They just won’t say it.”

  “The better question is how the hell did something like that get into the city?!”

  Voices rose, emotions boiled over, and people started yelling:

  “Do your job and find those bastards!”

  “What about the Knights, huh?! Bet they let ’em in!”

  “Yeah, yeah!”

  “Do your job as a damn king!”

  “He doesn’t even have the guts to show up in person, hiding behind a hologram like a coward!”

  “Start acting like a real king, you useless shit!”

  Normally, something like that would have made Vernisha laugh, or at least crack a smile on the inside. But she could not stop thinking about what the King had said.

  They were going to find the ones responsible for all this?

  Did that mean… her?

  An entire nation, a world power, about to come down on her?

  The thought terrified her.

  She could be hanged. Or eaten by some monster. Burned alive. Frozen. Or something even worse. People always came up with the most disgusting and inhuman ways to make others suffer.

  How long would they torture her?

  What if she were boiled alive in oil for hours before finally succumbing to the pain?

  Or tied up and thrown into a monster zone.

  Her stomach twisted uneasily. Vernisha licked her lips, suddenly aware of how dry they were. How hot it felt. How her shirt clung to her.

  How loose her shoes felt.

  Then a warm hand touched her shoulder.

  Vernisha flinched and spun fast, fist already tightening.

  Katie jerked back. “Sorry?”

  Shit.

  Vernisha shook her head, forcing herself to remember the lies she had already told.

  “It just reminded me of my parents… I really hope the person who did this is found and killed.”

  Katie stared at her for a long moment.

  It felt like she was trying to see through the solid wall Vernisha kept between them.

  She would not succeed.

  Katie forced a bright smile. “Yeah. For sure.”

  Vernisha stared back. Then, for some reason, she did something stupid. Something she would never normally do.

  There was a strange itch in her chest that refused to go away.

  “You don’t believe me,” Vernisha said.

  Even after everything at the park, Katie still doubted something that was completely reasonable for a twelve-year-old to say.

  Ridiculous. So what if it was a lie? It could have been true. It was not harmful. It was not said with malice.

  Katie shook her head.

  “I don’t. You have your secrets, I get that. But you can tell it’s private stuff. I want to be your friend. I want us to be friends.” She sighed and glanced away.

  Katie clicked her tongue. “So when you lie to my face, it feels like I’m being spat on. Just tell me it’s none of my business. Don’t… spit in my face.”

  They stared at each other in silence.

  The angry crowd’s screams did not break it.

  The loud screeches from the birds did not disturb it.

  Nothing could, not even the King’s increasingly loud voice.

  What Katie said made sense.

  But if Vernisha admitted she had secrets, it would only make Katie more curious. And people loved digging up secrets. If Katie ever asked about Vernisha’s left hand, Vernisha could not just say it was none of her business. That would basically be suicide. It would draw attention. Katie would want answers.

  Maybe she would forget.

  But someday, something would trigger the memory, and Katie would start wondering again.

  If even a tiny piece of the truth slipped out, Katie would remember. She would follow the breadcrumbs.

  Some might call Vernisha unreasonable.

  Paranoid.

  Overthinking.

  Vernisha did not give a fuck.

  Her fear did not come from nowhere.

  Natasha had taught her exactly why she should fear people discovering what she was.

  Natasha had chosen Caren because he was naive. Arrogant. Incompetent.

  She had lived in a poor village, in an even poorer house, and rejected advances from people who could have given them a better life.

  No one did that without a damn good reason.

  Vernisha had heard how people talked about vlandos.

  And what she was… was far worse than a vlandos.

  Caren had said it himself. She had given her life to an evil person.

  Not by choice. But the spider symbol, the one she still had not explained, made everything worse.

  There was no reasonable way to talk about it.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  No normal person, naive or educated, kind or cruel, would accept her.

  No mob boss. No tyrant. No sadist.

  No one with a functioning brain would.

  But Natasha had been different. Strange.

  She had not seen it as a curse. She had seen it as a blessing. The healing powers. The strength. She had believed they were gifts.

  Vernisha would never understand why.

  No one else was Natasha.

  Nobody could be Natasha.

  Because Natasha was Natasha.

  After a long silence, Vernisha finally said, “I don’t want to lie. It’s just… self-preservation. I’m sure you have secrets you wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Yeah… everyone does. But…” Katie sighed. “You know what, never mind.”

  Vernisha wanted to agree. To drop it. But she found Katie interesting. Fun. Even if she wasn’t really having fun. Even if that park didn’t bring her joy.

  She liked that she was doing something normal. Talking casually with someone. It felt nice, feeling like a normal (ironic) person for once.

  “No, you’re right…” Vernisha thought it over, stepped a bit closer, and whispered, “This is something only a few people know—”

  She didn’t need to lie about everything. She just needed to leave out the dangerous parts.

  “My father and brother were sick… poisoned by bread from a Balash Temple. They were brought here to be healed, but something went wrong. They mutated. Became those freaks. If it weren’t for your brother… I’d be dead.”

  Katie’s eyes widened. Vernisha tried to guess what she was thinking. Would she react like Ferzan? Or the opposite?

  Katie came here often, so she had a stronger tie to this city than he did. But she didn’t really care about the destruction.

  Katie reached out and squeezed Vernisha’s shoulder gently.

  She aggressively whispered, “Why would you tell me this…? Who else knows? What if someone thinks you’re involved? I told you—just say it’s none of my business.”

  “Your brother knows. Tarnisha knows some of it, too… I just didn’t want you to grow to hate me. Or, you know…”

  “Yeah… but don’t talk about this here.” Her eyes shifted, scanning the area. “There are always people, something listening. Especially now. With all this going on, Vanquishers will have their ears wide open. Monsters, tech, whatever.”

  Vernisha hadn’t thought of that.

  But they were whispering. And these safety zones were supposed to keep monsters out. Even Ferzan couldn’t—

  Then it clicked for her.

  They might’ve temporarily disabled those protections for investigation. That actually made a lot of sense.

  Vernisha gritted her teeth and pulled back. “You’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right. Now, let’s drop this conversation. We’ll talk more at home—if you want.”

  Vernisha shook her head. “Not really.”

  “Got it.”

  The bright light in the sky began to flicker out, and before long, the King vanished.

  Lo’jul Sons-Ver’mol’yu is trying to form a communication line with you

  Vernisha hadn’t expected that.

  She had forgotten about him, and the medicine he was supposed to get for her. If it weren’t for Ferzan, she would be in shit.

  Hm. Whatever. She was sure something came up. Besides, he was doing her a favor.

  She accepted the request, obviously.

  'You’re alive? That’s great to hear.'

  There was a moment of silence, then in a more apologetic tone, he said telepathically, 'Listen… about the Geio tablets, sorry. Something came up, and by the time I woke up, I heard what happened. How’s your family?'

  Katie looked at Vernisha, confused by her distant expression. She must have looked like she was daydreaming.

  Vernisha replied to Lo’jul, 'it’s okay. Someone else helped me. And no… they’re not. I’d rather not talk about it, to be honest.'

  'I see… Again, I’m really sorry. Where are you? I feel like crap about what happened, and since I can connect to you now, I’m guessing you’re not too far away.'

  'Uhh… the road that leads to that horror park. Isn’t there some way I can send my location through the system?” Vernisha had forgotten the name of the spot. “But… why?'

  'Partly because I messed up really badly. And my wife wants to apologize on my behalf, even though I already did. Also, lunch—have you eaten?'

  Lunch too? Damn.

  Vernisha turned to Katie and asked, “What was the name of that park we just visited?”

  “You telepathing with someone?”

  “Does having God genes make you psychic or something? And yeah. He helped my family and was supposed to help me with an illness.”

  “Oh. Then it’s Mavill Towers Park.”

  “Right. And do you want free lunch? I’m being offered.”

  “Uh, sure, I guess. As long as you don’t say a word about it to my mom.”

  “Now I’m thinking about that. Is she okay with you being here?”

  “Yes… for the most part. As long as I don’t do anything dangerous or draw attention.”

  'I’m back. And yeah, that’d be cool. Can a friend come along?'

  He gave Vernisha directions to a restaurant, a simple one, and even offered to guide them if needed.

  So they walked. And walked for what felt like forever.

  One thing Vernisha noticed was that the entrance to Terrafall didn’t do the place justice.

  The deeper they went in, the bigger and more extravagant the buildings got.

  Some were spirals that climbed up to 15 meters. Others were built like a tree, a tree made out of concrete and glass.

  What really caught her eye was a floating triangular restaurant made out of glass that had a lot of odd vehicles parked around.

  Mechanical tiger vehicles. Judging by the black smoke being released from the exhaust pipes, that one ran on oil, which this world didn’t have much of.

  There were ads on giant screens, but hardly any holograms. Vernisha figured holograms were more expensive, especially in the daytime.

  “Want cool-looking wings? Want to look absolutely stunning? Come to Judgeon Fixer-Up Hospital!”

  The red-and-white hospital on the right of the sidewalk had a hologram at the front gate and loud soundrecorders.

  Considering how massive the hospital was, it made sense that the company could afford it. Vernisha hadn’t seen anyone with wings yet, though.

  At the glass restaurant, she did see a human person with goat horns, which was definitely from surgery.

  If social media existed here, she probably would have seen wings. She had never seen someone with a BBL back on Earth either, but thanks to the internet, she knew they were real. Whether that was a good thing was another matter entirely. The insecurities she had as a teen, the ones that stuck with her into adulthood, were ridiculous.

  And algorithms only made it worse. Once Vernisha clicked on something even remotely related, it would haunt her forever.

  God, she used to feel like such a loser inside. Ughhhh. Thinking about it now was embarrassing… and kind of painful.

  One thing was certain. She was never going back to that place mentally. Ever again.

  Katie muttered, “We should’ve taken transport. You said it’d be just there...”

  “We’re almost there. Spending money would’ve been a waste.”

  “Do I have to remind you I’m rich? Or at least my family is.”

  As if Vernisha had forgotten. She was just used to walking.

  They kept moving along the sidewalk, passing a ton of people. It was common to see someone reading a book while walking, glancing up every few steps to avoid crashing into others.

  Vernisha spotted something like a train with regular wheels rolling down the sloped road. Not quite like Earth trains. More like a super long bus with a pointed front and segmented parts. Probably to help it make turns, like a bunch of cars stuck together.

  Still, it looked cool. Especially the glowing blue lines running over the white body. The only thing that ruined it was the Light for All text burning in blue fire at the front.

  Eventually, they reached the restaurant.

  It was decently sized and styled like a gnome hut, a rectangular building with a tall cone-shaped roof made of dark wood. Not cheap-looking either. Definitely intentional.

  People here seemed to like the fancy fantasy or natural earthy vibe, at least in commercial areas.

  They got in line and waited a few minutes before entering.

  Vernisha asked quietly, “Think there are listening devices in places like this?”

  “Pretty sure that’s illegal. It’s a private place. But… that doesn’t really mean anything. So… be smart.”

  “Got it.”

  They walked across blue carpets, and after a short while Vernisha spotted Lo’jul.

  He sat in front of a wooden table on a wooden chair.

  “Hello,” Vernisha said, taking the seat next to him.

  “You walked here?” he asked, eyeing the sweat on her face.

  “Yeah. Sorry for the delay.”

  His wife smiled. “We just arrived, so it’s fine.”

  She adjusted the strange chain wrapped around her head. It held a thick emerald resting on her nose bridge. A Punchio nose ring, most likely.

  They were not dressed casually, but that did not stop the gems. Lo’jul wore a long green coat and black pants, while his wife had on a thin yellow jacket reaching her knees. It split down the middle, revealing a long white inner layer, probably a dress.

  Lo’jul gave Katie a polite nod. “Nice hat.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  “So…” his wife said, turning to Vernisha, “sorry about Lo’jul not bringing you that medicine. Something unexpected came up. It was partially my fault. I feel awful about it.”

  “It’s okay. I was worried at first, but things worked out.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Really.”

  Lo’jul looked at Vernisha. “You mentioned your parents weren’t okay. What did you mean?”

  “Uh… they’re dead.”

  Both of them froze.

  His wife asked softly, “During the man-eating incident?”

  “Yeah.”

  Lo’jul partially covered his mouth, clearly shocked as he thought. “So, how are you surviving? Do you have enough food? A place to stay?”

  Vernisha gestured toward Katie. “Her mom’s been kind enough to take care of me.”

  He nodded slowly. “That’s good. Very good.”

  After a pause, he asked, “Do you want to go back to your home? Assuming you’ve got family there.”

  “Got nothing back there. So, no.”

  He nodded again, then said, “I’m definitely wasting you two’s time, ain’t I? Blame Nub’ol.”

  Nub’ol looked taken aback, mildly offended. “Excuse me? Apologies should be made in person. Always. Kultura Terrafolla tebya razvraschayet.”

  Something about Terrafall and culture, probably.

  Lo’jul raised an eyebrow at his wife like he was still right.

  Vernisha smiled faintly. “I appreciate it.”

  “Either way…” Nub’ol picked up a menu and lifted her hand to signal a server. “We eat. I’m fond of children anyway, so as long as you two don’t mind staying a bit, it’s all good to me. Especially after all the nonsense yesterday.”

  “You lived far away from the affected areas?” Vernisha asked.

  “Yes, but my workplace didn’t. It got hit with a stray pillar. It’s partly why I’m not at work right now.”

  “Oh, sorry to hear that.” Vernisha turned to Lo’jul. “I’m guessing no adventurer work for you too?”

  “There is. In about six hours, I and another will be hunting down a Broken vlandos.”

  Katie suddenly leaned forward. “Really? I’ve heard a lot about them but I’ve never seen a live one. Do they really… howl like monsters?”

  “If the monster controlling them howls, then yeah, I guess.”

  That immediately caught Vernisha’s attention. The fact that it would happen at night made it even more appealing. She would not be entering a monster zone, just tagging along with someone who had already helped her. Abella probably would not have an issue with that.

  She quietly opened a communication line. 'Can I join? I’m level 20, so I can handle myself.'

  Lo’jul’s eyebrow shot up, but he didn't seem convinced.

  Vernisha added, “Check my level. I’m not lying.”

  He blinked several times and pursed his lips. For a long moment, he said nothing.

  Then, out loud, he blurted, “How the hell did you do that? What the hell?”

  So much for subtle telepathy.

  Still, without context, the word “levels” did not mean much to anyone listening.

  Nub’ol noticed the sudden shift. “What?”

  Lo’jul mouthed silently, Levels. 20.

  She frowned. “That’s rare?”

  “Of course it is. Went from basically nothing to that in… one day? How?”

  “Two days. I had a lot of help.” Being able to heal had let Vernisha fight longer, and she had gotten lucky with high-yield opponents.

  Lo’jul leaned back, muttering with open jealousy, “I don’t like the fact a kid is near my… level.”

  Level 27.

  Given how long it had taken her to move from level 19 to 20, reaching 21 would probably take much longer.

  But if she killed something like a Broken vlandos, she would gain from five separate sources. Old video game habits still wanted to call it experience.

  Either way, she needed in on that mission.

  “So… can I join?” she asked.

  Lo’jul clicked his tongue, clearly disappointed. “You can’t. This is adventurer business. You could get a license and request placement on the mission, but there’s no way you pass all the evaluations and requirements that fast.”

  That would have crushed the plan if Vernisha were stupid.

  Nub’ol added after speaking with the server, “I’d advise against the adventurer route. There’s a lot of conflict and mistreatment inside it.”

  Lo’jul agreed silently through body language. “Besides, I was told Jim warned you against it. Not that his opinion really matters to you.”

  They were wasting their breath. Vernisha had no interest in becoming an adventurer.

  She nodded anyway. “Yeah, but isn’t there some kind of exception?”

  “Nope. The fact that you even have monsters is illegal. Having levels, for that matter…” He paused, rubbing his chin. “Actually, it might be in your best interest to become an adventurer now. Just so you don’t get in trouble for all of this.”

  “Or immigrate to Holvious. Heard vlandos do whatever they want there,” Nub’ol said.

  “That’s a lie,” Katie replied. “If anything, Emermyne would be a better choice for her, if that’s all she cared about.”

  Lo’jul laughed loudly, drawing glances from nearby tables. “Sure. If you want a bomb planted in your head, go for it, kiddo.”

  Vernisha was shocked. Not by his words, but by the laugh itself. Lo’jul was usually serious, so hearing that from him was unexpected.

  “Lo’jul!” Nub’ol grunted. “Don’t say such disgusting things to kids.”

  “I was being sarcastic…” he muttered.

  “I did say if that was the only thing she cared about,” Katie added. “But I somewhat agree with you on the adventurer thing.”

  “Too bad,” Vernisha said. “It’s not gonna happen. I’ve seen how adventurers are treated. I don’t want that. Nor do I want to be forced onto missions without a say. Like…”

  “A slave?” Lo’jul asked, his tone turning serious again. “But what choice do you have, little Vernisha? Being a kid means nothing. You’re a vlandos.”

  “I will get lucky,” Vernisha said, meeting his gaze. “If it comes to that, I’m sure they’d rather force me into being an adventurer than kill me or whatever they usually do. You’re shocked I’m level 20. You and your wife are witnesses to my rapid development. I’ll use that to bargain for my life. Nations always want powerful soldiers, don’t they?”

  He stared at her, clearly surprised.

  His wife, however, smiled as if she were looking at something beautiful. Something precious.

  For a brief second Vernisha wondered if Nub’ol was seeing her like a gem. The thought immediately felt a little unfair, and Vernisha mentally brushed it aside. She had nothing against punchios.

  “Hmph.” Lo’jul crossed his arms. “I hope you do. I don’t like seeing kids die, regardless of species. You’re a smart kid. Stay that way.”

  “Thank you. I will.”

  But Vernisha knew she was not as smart as he thought. She had made plenty of painfully foolish decisions. Part of her wished she were one of those cold, untouchable geniuses.

  Then again, she did not entirely hate having emotions. Sometimes.

  Still, his comment about kids dying stuck with her. Vernisha was fairly certain Lo’jul had lost a child. He had said something similar to Natasha before, about how losing one hurt.

  That would explain Nub’ol’s earlier reaction. Wanting to apologize in person suddenly made more sense.

  Vernisha noticed Nub’ol’s smile slowly shrink as the woman grew pensive, her fingernail tracing the white table runner.

  Trauma really was a powerful motivator. Even when people thought they had moved past it, it still pulled strings in the background.

  Eventually they finished eating and spent a while talking about the food. When it was time to leave, Vernisha stood and offered her hand to Lo’jul.

  She smiled. “Shake my hand, and I’ll fully accept your apology.”

  He looked confused by the gesture but took her hand anyway. “You’re an odd kid. But do well.”

  “I will.”

  Vernisha waved goodbye to Nub’ol, who smiled warmly and clasped her hands in farewell.

  Katie tapped her belly as they exited. “They’re nice.”

  “Yeah… very.”

  There was an old story about Wanda Starlight and Eren Starworth. An interesting love story, depending on who told it.

  According to the popular version, Wanda had loved Eren for a thousand years but kept quiet, afraid of what she might do if he rejected her.

  Eren, for most of his life, had shown little interest in love and made it seem as though he would never start a family. Then one day, he fell for a mortal.

  That young woman could not keep her mouth shut.

  She was thrilled that a Mortal God had taken interest in her, so she told others. Whispered secrets that should have remained private. She thought the volume of her voice mattered. Thought that if she could not see an ear, then no one was listening.

  Wanda Starlight had been listening. Far beyond Kornu’s Surface, out in space.

  The story claimed that in a fit of rage Wanda sent a meteorite crashing down on the woman, devastating the continent about 765 years ago, in the year 29,302.

  Rael had always considered the tale ridiculous propaganda. Enemies of Terrafall loved repeating it, and the Holvions still taught it in their schools.

  He brushed the holographic interface on his mark-stone and replayed the data gathered from the stealth sound recorders hidden across the city.

  Rael stretched, then leaned against the wall, watching Lo’jul and his wife head toward a carriage.

  He could move now.

  But it might be smarter to wait. If Lo’jul spoke to the girl again, he might reveal more.

  Still, Rael doubted the man knew much. Confronting the girl immediately was an option, but preparation would be better. He wanted every lie and half-truth mapped out before he moved.

  When he finally brought her in, he wanted it clear that the investigation had been his work alone.

  That was why Bahmos mattered.

  Bahmos almost certainly knew more. It was too clean to be coincidence that they had all ended up in this city together.