Chapter 4: Secluded sector?Wele … baina gleefully opehe door thinking Miriam was back, until she noticed Mark and Eve looking back at her with an awkward expression.“I’m back”“Hi, um, I’m Mark.”“Hi, I’m Nina … hey Eve e here for a sed” Pulling Eve aside, she started questioning her with iy like rapid fire bombardment.“Who’s that? Where’s Miriam? What happened? Did you get a boyfriend?” Nina pressed for answers, taking a step forward with each question.In response Eve gave her a look that was somewhere between horrified and pouting. Feeling pressured, she took a step baotig that, Nina eased up, taking a softer tone.“Sorry, sorry, I know, to much. But seriously, what’s going on?”“… Miriam told me t him here”“And why isn’t she here?” She pressed further.“She went to speak with the mayor”“Why? Does it have to do with him?” Nina asked curiously.“He will be staying with us from now on”“A new member? What is Miriam thinking?”Drifting into her own thoughts, she felt a small tug on her arm. Looking down she saw Eve holding her wrist.“What?” Their eyes met for a sed, before Eve turned her head away.“ you … show him around?” Eve asked hesitantly.“Hm …” Nina pondered for a moment“Fine, but what do I get out of it?”“Eh?” Eve looked at Nina in surprise but turned away once more upoing her gaze.“It’s simple really, a favor for a favor.” Nina expined with a grin.“What do you want?”“I want a painting of a reeeaaal hunk” Her smile deepened.Eve let go and nodded in response. Seeing as they reached an agreement, she hurried inside.Nina sighed once she heard the door close behind her.“Ahhh, why do I always get stuck with this kind job? It’s got to be, because I’m so adorable, nothing else makes sense” She pio no one in particur.Meanwhile, Mark was deep in though, trying to uand the situation he found himself in. Since he couldn't hear most of the girls versation,he instead focused on his surroundings.(So this is the secluded sector. Aire block of the settlement is desigo it a I never even heard about this pce. Why was this kept a secret?)All things sidered, this was merely a small part of the settlement.Looking around, he noticed the entire block of buildings was uninhabited. Most of the buildings looked run down and in need of maintenance, except for theone he was standing in front of.(Even if I live here, it doesn’t mean I know every er of the settlement. However the raid team is also in charge of guard duty and I don’t remember seeingany team being dispatched to this part of the settlement)“Hey, there”(Miriam is talking with the mayht now, so the higher ups are in on this?)“Hellooo”Mark twitched in surprise, as he finally realizing someone was standing in front him.“There you are. Took you long enough”“S-Sorry”“No problem” Nina shrugged.“So … where did Eve go?” Mark asked, notig her absence.“About that, Eve is kinda bad at talking with people, so I’ll be the oo show you around the pce today.” Nina motioowards the building.“I see, thanks for that. But before you do that, I ask a couple questions?”“Sure, I don’t mind. What do you want know?” Nina tilted her head with a smile.“For starters, what exactly is the secluded sector?”“Huh?” Nina voiced her shock “Miriam didn’t tell you anything?”“She just said this pce could make me stronger” Mark awkwardly scratched his head.“Well, I guess that isn’t wrong, but there’s a bit more to it. To put it simply, the secluded sector is a gathering pce for people with rare or useful abilities.”“So that means, you and Eve-”“Yes, we joihe secluded sector because of our abilities.”“ I ask what your ability is?” Mark questioned cautiously.“Kinda rude to ask that without revealing your own” She responded in a serious manner, as the smile vanished from her face.“Ah, excuse me. My ability is called [Danger sense] and it does exactly as the name implies”“Hmm … you’re quite the ho one” She remarked in slight surprise “I like that”Both of them stood silently in pce for a few seds, until Ni out a small sigh.“Fine, you’ll find out eventually, if yoing to stay here. My ability is called [World traveler] and it allows me to teleport to pces I have visited before.”“That’s an amazing ability” Mark gave words of ho praise, making Nina smile iurn.“Even if you praise me, I’m not so easily charmed” She teased him, coiling her hair around a finger, pying with it seductively.“Umm …” Mark struggled to find the right words, as that statement threw him for a loop.“Hahaha, look at you getting flustered. Rex, I’m just screwing with you” She giggled.Hearing that left him stunned, as he made a stupefied expression.“Anyway, let’s get ba track. All members of the secluded sector have abilities, that were deemed useful for the settlement. However the problem is, noneof us properly trol them. Kai and Miriam are the stro in this settlement, thus they were pced in charge here. Their job is to train us and so themayor made this entire area avaible.”“So that’s what she meant” Mark nodded in uanding, as everything started to make sense.“Yes, this er of the settlement isn’t just living space. It’s also used for our training. After all some abilities are dangerous, not only to ourselves but to thosearound us as well” Nina tinued.“And that’s why this er is separate from the rest of the settlement?”“Yeah, that’s how the secluded sector came to be. So any other questions?”“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll have some more ter on but for now could you show me around?”“Sure” Nina poi the 6-story apartment building in front of them “First of all, this building is where we all live together. The ground floor is shared space,taining the kit and the living room. The first floor beloirely to Kai and Miriam. The rooms above that are split between boys and girls. The leftside is for the boys and the right side is for the girls” She expined.“Ok, got it. So then, whi is mine?”“Right now, the oy room on the boys side is the top left o we sort that out ter. First let’s go inside, so you meet the others”They made their way towards the building, onina made the suggestion, while they tialking.“That reminds me, hoeople live in the secluded sector?”“Right now, we have eight members. So you’ll be the ninth one”“Hello, Hello, boys and girls, we have a guest, so make yourselves presentable” Nina announced loudly, as she opehe door.“Nina, what’s going on?” A boy around Mark’s age walked out of the room on the left.His tanned skin trasted his bright red hair. He stood there, as an aroma wafted out from the kit behind him.“Hey, Marco. We have a new member.” Nina expined casually.Seeing Mark trailing after her, Marco stepped fgressively, until he stht in front of him.“Who the hell are you?” He growled, while gring at Mark in obvious distent.“That’s Mark, the new member I was talking about”“o meet you” Mark reached out his hand for a handshake, which Marco promptly ignored.“Huh? I see, if Nina brought you here, then you must be pretty talented” Marco’s eyes narrowed.“To be clear, Miriam picked him up, I didn’t do anything. Where are the others?” Nina started looking around.“Henry and Christian are in the living room. Eve just came back, but she immediately bolted upstairs and Lily hasn’t e back yet” Marswered, hisvoice shifting to a friendly tone.“Ok, the’s introduce you to the others”“Say, Nina, I’m on cooking duty today, so let’s cook something together. How about it?” Marco asked expetly.“Sorry, but I’m busy. Maybe ime.” Nina said in a cheery voice, while turning away.“Oh, ok, ime then”Mark observed how Marco walked bato the kit with a dejected expression.(Miriam, Eve and now this guy. Is the secluded sector full of weirdos?)Nina and Mark ehe living room, when suddenly -“Royal flush”“No way, you totally cheated”Two teenage boys were seated at the table in the room, pying a card game.“I simply listeo the heart of the cards” One of them excimed proudly.“What does that even mean?” The other oed.“Having fun?” Nina interjected, drawing their attention.“Nina, help me set Christian straight. This dude is btantly cheating in broad daylight”“It’s not cheating, you just suck at poker.” Christian grabbed the cards oable and started to shuffle the deck of cards.“By the way, who’s that?” the other boy ask nontly.His sky blue eyes turowards the pair, while his blonde hair dahrough the air with eaents. The face was so handsome, that it made himlook like the picturesque definition of a modern day Adonis“Hi, I’m Mark, the member, I suppose” Mark reflexively held out his hand for a handshake,The other boy stood up and shook his hand.“I’m Henry. Wele to the asylum, my friend” He said jokingly “If you need anything, feel free to ask me” the boy introduced himself in a friendly manner,wearing a weling smile on his face.“Thanks”“No, problem. Since you’re here, would you like to join us for the round?”“Sure, but Nina is still showing me around the pce, so I’ll have to miss this round”“It’s ok. The floors above are everyone’s personal rooms and you shoulder those without their permission anyway” She waved away his s.“You’re not going to win just because there’s one more pyer” Christian remarked as he started distributing the cards for each pyer.“As if I need help. My winning streak is just beginning” Henry stated fidently.He then picked up his cards and after a simple look, his face torted to one of anguish “What about you Nina? Want to give it a shot?”“No, thanks. I’m waiting for to back, so-”“Kids, I’m home~” Miriam’s melodious voice resouhroughout the entire building.“Speak of the devil” Nina grinned, as she made her way to the front door.