The harsh glare of the mid-day sun beat down on the cobblestones as we stepped completely out of the Bureau's heavily fortified headquarters. I immediately reached up with my right hand, pulling the thick canvas of my cloak tighter around my body, ensuring the fabric sealed out every single ray of light from my mutated, S-rank skin and the massive, bat-like blood wings folded against my spine.
Beside me, Evelyn didn't seem to notice the heat at all. She was lightly skipping, a soft, beautiful melody humming from her lips as her bioluminescent hair tips swayed in the breeze. She was radiating an absolute, infectious joy; tomorrow she would wear the uniform of a Luminous Knight, ready to use her terrifying strength to save lives instead of taking them.
As we walked past the outer courtyard, the heavy steel of my Death Chant Shotgun shifting slightly against my back, Evelyn suddenly slowed her pace and looked up at me, her twin jade-green eyes filled with a deep, longing curiosity.
"Big sister? Do you know where my other siblings are? Based on our mother Linera's lingering memories inside the network... I know I have three siblings. You, Elicia, and Elias. Can you tell me where they are right now?"
Her question made me pause in the middle of the crowded plaza. Beneath the deep shadow of my hood, a wave of vivid memories rushed through my mind, recalling the chaotic paths my family had taken over the last few years.
I remembered the sheer panic of almost being caught by Elias inside the Luminous Knights headquarters not too long ago. During that brief, tense encounter, he had explicitly mentioned to his subordinates that he was preparing a deployment to Sisiphon City… the bustling metropolis where he was scheduled to meet up with our eldest sister, Elicia. And Elicia, naturally, was thriving in her element, serving as the prestigious Principal of the world-renowned Sisiphon Magic Academy. I remembered traveling to that very academy in secret, using my abilities to shapeshift into a common student just to catch a glimpse of her from afar. Neither of my older siblings had any idea what had truly become of me, they had never seen my true, mutilated form, my jagged Glasgow smile, or the terrifying winged demon I transformed into under the moonlight. They still thought of me as their quiet, missing sister.
I pulled out my notepad and charcoal pencil, quickly scribbling down the exact details and pinning down their current locations on the paper. I handed the note to Evelyn.
She held the paper in her pale hands, her eyes scanning my messy handwriting as a look of profound surprise and hope washed over her face.
"Sisiphon City... and a Magic Academy, If I become successful as a Luminous Knight... if I prove that I am human by saving enough people, I will finally be able to meet my other siblings face-to-face. I won't have to hide from them." Evelyn murmured, clutching the note tightly against her chest core. A brilliant, determined smile broke across her face.
Just as she spoke those words, we reached the final outer checkpoint of the 8th District. Standing guard at the iron gates was Damien Morkov, the towering gatekeeper. Seeing us approach, he lifted his visor and gave us a respectful, lingering nod, his eyes tracking Evelyn's proud stance.
"Leaving so soon, Eirene? I saw the terminal updates from the inner hall. A Luminous Knight draft on the first try? Looks like your little sister is going to make the Rynd name even bigger around here. Stay safe out there, girls." Damien greeted us, his deep voice carrying across the gate. He looked down at Evelyn with a faint smirk.
"You bet I am!" Evelyn chimed in, tossing her head back with a proud, confident grin that made her bioluminescent hair tips flare with a playful turquoise light.
Damien let out a hearty laugh, clearly charmed by her spirit.
"Alright, alright. Let's see those cards so I can log you out."
We stepped up to the podium. I reached into my cloak and handed over my status card along with our departure toll. Damien barely glanced at my card, he tossed it back to me with a dismissive wave of his hand. He'd seen my profile a thousand times, and as far as he was concerned, the bounty hunter was just doing her usual grim business.
But when Evelyn slid her pristine, metallic Luminous Knight status card across the stone counter, Damien's casual attitude evaporated.
He picked it up, his eyes scanning the engraved parameters. Slowly, his jaw dropped beneath his iron helmet. His eyes darted from the card, to Evelyn's 5'3" frame, and back to the card. The sheer shock on his face was absolute gold.
"What in the high heavens… S-Rank Magic... S-Rank Mastery... S-Rank Battle IQ?! Kid, you aren't just joining the knights, you're practically a walking tactical division! I've seen veteran commanders with twenty years of service who don't possess half of these readings!" Damien stammered, his fingers trembling slightly against the metal.
Seeing the usually stoic, unshakeable gatekeeper completely lose his mind over my baby sister's genius brought a sudden, overwhelming wave of pride to my chest. Beneath the shadow of my heavy hood, my jagged Glasgow smile widened into a genuinely joyful, radiant expression. I couldn't speak, but my single jade-green eye crinkled with pure, affectionate warmth as I stood tall beside her.
Evelyn noticed my joy and beamed, turning back to the gatekeeper with a polite, elegant bow.
"Thank you for the compliments, Mister Gatekeeper. I will use these skills well to protect the kingdom."
"Y-Yeah... you do that, Lady Evelyn," Damien mumbled, completely struck by her humility as he quickly stamped her exit log and handed the card back like it was made of fragile glass.
We officially left the pristine, porcelain-tiled borders of the 8th District behind. Standing right outside the plaza gates was the exact same heavy ironwood carriage we had boarded earlier from the mines. The exhausted driver, thinking we'd be inside the Bureau for hours, was slumped over the wooden reins, snoring loudly under the afternoon sun.
I didn't have the voice to yell, so I walked right up to the side of the vehicle and delivered a sharp, echoing kick to the heavy carriage wheel.
BANG!
The driver startled awake, violently snapping his head up as his hat nearly tumbled off.
"Gah! Monsters?! Ambush?!"
He blinked frantically, wiping the drool from his chin until his eyes landed on my dark, imposing cloaked figure and the shotgun on my back. He swallowed hard, nervously adjusting his collar.
"A-Ah! Lady Eirene! Forgive me! Where... what is your destination, ma'am?"
I whipped out my notepad, my charcoal pencil flying across the page with a fluid, practiced motion, and flashed the paper right in front of his eyes:
3rd District, Residential District. House 132.
"Understood! The 3rd District it is!" the driver squeaked, quickly scrambling to unlatch the carriage door for us.
Evelyn and I climbed inside, leaving the chaotic military world of the Bureau behind. As the door clicked shut and the horse carriage began to rumble over the cobblestones, the realization finally washed over both of us, we were finally going my home.
The carriage rolled past the borders of the bustling commercial sectors, the noise of the city slowly fading into a comforting, quiet hum as we finally entered the 3rd District. This was the residential heart of Caria… a place of winding cobblestone streets, rows of warm brick houses, and the peaceful rustle of autumn leaves.
When the horses pulled to a stop in front of a familiar, ivy-draped fence, I tapped the wooden wall of the interior to signal the driver. Evelyn and I stepped out onto the clean walkway. Reaching into the leather pouch tied to my slime bodysuit, I fished out my very last silver coins and dropped them into the driver's palm.
"Bless you, Lady Eirene! Thank you kindly!" the man beamed, tipping his hat enthusiastically before snapping the reins and guiding the carriage away.
Left in the quiet evening air, we stood before House 132. It was my personal safehouse… a modest, two-story structure of dark timber and cobblestone, nestled tightly between two larger estates. On the front porch, a neatly rolled newspaper lay waiting near the doormat, likely tossed there by the neighborhood paperboy a few days ago during my long absence in the mines.
Evelyn stopped dead in her tracks, her twin jade-green eyes widening to the size of saucers. Her mouth hung slightly open as she took in the sight of the small flower boxes under the windows and the gentle smoke rising from a neighbor's chimney.
"This is where you live, big sister?" Evelyn whispered, her voice overflowing with pure awe.
A bittersweet ache tightened in my chest as I watched her. To anyone else, House 132 was just an ordinary, unremarkable middle-class residence. But to Evelyn, it was a palace. This was the very first time her physical feet had ever touched the threshold of a real, normal home. For the past six years, her only reality had been the cold, damp, and terrifying darkness of the underground ravines… a chaotic breeding ground of predatory bio-slimes that she had been forced to call home. Until today, a cozy, safe structure like this only existed as a fragmented, untouchable concept locked inside the stolen memories of the knights she had devoured.
Seeing her practically vibrating with excitement, a soft, rare warmth flooded through my silent demeanor. I reached under my canvas cloak, pulled out the brass house keys attached to a simple leather strap, and held them out to her.
Evelyn blinked, looking from the keys to my face, realizing what I was offering.
"For me?" Thank you... thank you so much, big sister!" she squeaked, her hands trembling slightly as she took the cold metal from my fingers. She clutched the keys tightly to her chest core, tears of happiness threatening to well up again.
With boundless energy, she skipped up the wooden porch steps, bypassed the discarded newspaper for a moment, and carefully slotted the brass key into the lock. With a satisfying click, the heavy oak door swung inward, revealing the dark, cozy, and dusty interior of a place where she would never have to fight to survive again. Evelyn stood by the frame, holding the door open with a radiant, beautiful smile, proudly welcoming me into our sanctuary.
"Welcome home, Evelyn."