His suit fits perfectly. It's dark green, and it makes his athletic build impossible to miss.
Panic floods me as I try — desperately — not to think about what I absolutely shouldn't be thinking about.
Try not to imagine a pink rabbit.
I press my fingertips to my forehead. "Think in Korean. Think in..."
That worked last time.
And when I see his brow furrow, I know it's working again.
Ha. Not this time. Not with me.
One of his eyebrows has a small cut through it. Apparently, I'm staring too long, because he starts to grin again.
Then he leans closer. I smell pine needles, cold air, and the promise of rain.
"Do you have secrets from me?" he whispers.
I take a small step back. I've definitely been whispered to enough today.
"Are you flirting with me?" I ask, my voice dry as sandpaper.
"Isn't that…" I gesture vaguely with my hand. "…against your regulations?"
He laughs. His laugh is deep and warm. Like liquid chocolate.
I bite the inside of my cheek. Somewhere, I once read that mana makes people more attractive. Physically. But also in the way they carry themselves.
Is that why I find him so appealing?
Or is this mana doing the thinking for me?
And how can I find him appealing when I just kissed someone else?
I feel my face heat up again.
He definitely takes that as a reaction to him.
"We're all adults," he says. "So no, I'm not breaking any rules by flirting with you."
I almost choke on air.
Did he just admit that he's flirting with me?
Why?
Why me?
I've gone twenty years without attracting male attention. What is suddenly happening?
I'm overwhelmed.
Jaxon and Tommy seem to feel the same way.
"Uh, I think Marie Heart is over there. I really wanted an autograph. We'll be right back."
He cannot be serious.
Indignant, I stare at his back as he's already grabbed Tommy by the arm and dragged him away.
How could he just leave me here alone?
The agent, who has clearly caught my betrayed look, lets out a soft chuckle.
"He's good at reading a room."
I turn back to him, irritated.
"Apparently, you're not. Did I signal in any way that I wanted to be flirted with?"
"If so," I add, "please tell me. I'd like to avoid that in the future."
Still grinning, he ignores my snippy remark.
"I'm Alexander."
"And if you were the King of Macedonia," I reply, "that still wouldn't change the fact that you're standing in my personal space."
I wave my hands again, as if trying to shoo away an animal.
To my surprise, he actually steps back. Instantly, my thoughts feel clearer.
I wonder if his ability affects a person's focus or their ability to think.
"You're interesting, Mirelle."
For a second, irritation sparks.
Sharp and hot.
Then reason catches up how he knows my name. But there are official lists. And an even higher chance he heard it in Jaxon's or Tommy's thoughts.
"Congratulations," I say coolly. "Buy yourself some flowers about it."
I refuse to address him informally. Some boundaries have to exist.
"Is there anything else I can do to entertain you?" I ask.
"Otherwise, I'm going back to my friends. I actually enjoy spending time with them."
Alexander draws in a sharp breath, theatrically clutching his chest.
"Ouch. Though I doubt you can judge that," he says. "You've only just met them."
I freeze.
He read that.
And what unsettles me most isn't that he did but how unbothered he is by it.
He doesn't even pretend he didn't.
"I don't need long to decide whether I like someone," I reply.
Then I turn away.
"Maybe I'm the first one you need more time with," he calls after me.
I scoff. How arrogant can one person be?
I'm already far enough away that I barely hear him when he says,
"See you tomorrow."
Yeah. As if.
As the crowd swallows me, I wonder why he gets under my skin so much.
If I'm honest, he looks insanely good. And objectively speaking, you could say he's a great catch.
But the mind-reading? That's a hard no.
It feels like standing naked in front of him. And if I didn't speak several languages, I wouldn't stand a chance against it. Almost everyone is completely defenseless around him.
That realization changes something in me.
And in the way I see him.
What bothers me just as much is that I don't know how far his ability actually reaches –I assume he hears thoughts rather than reads them.
Which means I can never really be sure.
Not around him.
Exhausting. And incredibly annoying.
Just to be safe, I keep forcing myself not to think in my native language.
I don't know if you've ever tried to shape your thoughts in another language, but over time, it's… draining.
I spot Jaxon and Tommy with Marie Heart.
She's tall and athletic, with a perfect hourglass figure, long blonde hair, and sky-blue eyes. A born Scandinavian, recruited by our government to work for the Association.
Unlike most hunters, she belongs to two classes. Which means she has six abilities in total: her baseline active and passive, plus an extra active and passive for each class.
She's ranked as an A-class damage dealer and a B-class healer.
With that — and her almost angelic looks — she's the ultimate male fantasy.
And honestly? I find her pretty attractive too.
Apparently she's also genuinely nice. She's actually talking to Jaxon and Tommy, and she doesn't look arrogant or annoyed. Not even a little.
With a smile, I join them.
Fully aware that I won't be staying at this party for much longer.
-----
The next morning, I'm not woken by my alarm, but by the arrival of a message.
I blink against the light, irritated, and fumble for my phone. I'm pretty sure I left it on silent.
Ah. A government system message.
Since the Worldbreak, the government has had the ability to reach every phone in emergencies, overriding settings like "silent" if necessary.
But this isn't an emergency alert.
I frown.
Applicant,
we hereby inform you that your dungeon test run will take place today at 12:30 p.m.
Please report to the address below at the specified time.
You will receive your equipment and further instructions on site.
So that's what Alexander meant yesterday with "See you tomorrow".
He already knew.
With a groan, I push myself upright in bed. This can't be serious. My stomach drops as I read the message again.
Today?
I had planned to spend the day in a comic shop.
I puff out my cheeks in childish defiance.
I don't want to.
I know exactly what will happen there.
They'll find out that I'm a hunter.
And worse — what truly terrifies me — they'll find out what kind of abilities I have.
Something with portals. Spatial displacement. Something like that. It's obvious.
What would happen to me if the government found out?
Could I call in sick somehow?
My gaze drifts to my MySy.
Had the system already registered my visits to the Labyrinth?
Maybe even reported them?
Was that why Alexander approached me yesterday?
My thoughts begin to spiral.
Should I talk to my parents?
But I don't want to worry them unnecessarily.
My parents still think the Labyrinth is something that happens to other people.
It will be hard enough for them when they find out that I belong to the hunters.
Because they raised me for a future that was supposed to be safe.
And this is anything but.
No parent wants to know that their child's job comes with a countdown.
That every goodbye might not be temporary.
My parents are intelligent and realistic enough to know that.
And they wouldn't just be afraid for me.
They would also be expected to be proud.
The government doesn't force anyone into this job.
But there is enormous social pressure. Anyone who dares to turn their back on their abilities is criticized behind closed doors.
It's never said out loud.
Just looks. Pauses. The question everyone pretends not to ask:
Why wouldn't you?
Even the celebrity chef regularly joins expeditions into the Labyrinth.
If even someone who has everything still goes down there,
what excuse would I have?
That's exactly why.
It's considered a service to humanity.
And even though I like to act tough, I don't think I could handle that kind of judgment.
So it will probably come down to this:
I'll become a hunter.
In my mind's eye, the future I always imagined for myself collapses all at once.
As if the path I meant to walk crumbles beneath my feet.
I can almost feel it: the ground giving way, grain by grain,
until there's nothing solid left to stand on.
And the new path ahead is shrouded in fog.
I can't imagine what it looks like.
Because to do that, I would need to know what abilities I have.
And which class I belong to.