The afternoon sun hung gently over Meridicus, casting a warm golden glow across the open park that stretched beside the calm Meridicus River. The place was lively—children ran across the grass chasing each other, couples strolled along the walking paths, and vendors nearby sold snacks that filled the air with the smell of roasted corn and sweet pastries. Laughter and chatter floated everywhere, giving the park a peaceful, carefree energy. Emma and Zack sat on a wooden bench under a large tree, sharing a few packets of snacks they had bought from a nearby stall. Emma was happily munching on her chips, her attention completely absorbed in finishing them before Zack could steal any more. Zack, however, looked distracted. He kept glancing toward the river, then at the sky, then back at the ground as if waiting for something. Finally he spoke. "When do you think they'll return?" he asked, breaking the quiet moment. "Have they said anything?" Emma shrugged casually, still focused on her chips. "Nope. Not yet," she replied between bites. Zack leaned back on the bench with a sigh. Emma noticed the tension on his face and slowly turned toward him with a playful smirk. "Why do you look so tense?" she teased. "Relax! It's not like someone's about to steal your balls or something!" Zack blinked at her. "Emma!!" She burst into laughter, nearly choking on a chip. "Hey, I'm serious!" Zack protested, though a small smile appeared despite himself. Then his expression softened again, the worry returning. "I'm just… worried for Rose." Emma stopped laughing. Her expression shifted slightly as she glanced at him. "Lux is there for her," she said more seriously this time. Zack looked down at his hands. "Yeah… but…" He hesitated before finishing the thought. "Do you really trust him? After everything we saw?" Emma's eyes narrowed instantly. Smack! Her hand lightly hit Zack on the shoulder. "Don't think like that!" she scolded. Zack rubbed his arm dramatically. "Ow! What was that for?!" Emma crossed her arms. "That was for being dumb." Zack blinked. "Hey!" She leaned closer to him, her voice firm. "Lux is Lux. If he had any evil intentions, he had plenty of chances in the past to do whatever he wanted." She pointed a chip at him like it was evidence in a trial. "And guess what?" Zack sighed. "What?" "He didn't." Zack looked away toward the river again, listening quietly. He understood what she meant… but the worry still lingered on his face. Emma noticed immediately. Her playful expression softened. "Hey…" she said gently. Without warning, she grabbed Zack's hand. "Huh—?! Emma?!" Before he could react, she pulled him up from the bench. "Come on!" "Wait—where are we going?!" Emma didn't answer. She dragged him toward the riverbank where a row of colorful paddle boats floated beside a small wooden dock. People were lining up for rides—families laughing, couples taking photos, kids cheering excitedly. Zack blinked in surprise. "A boat ride?" Emma grinned. "You need to relax." She tilted her head toward the boats. "And I need entertainment." Zack scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "There are… a lot of people here." Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh no! The horror! People existing!" Zack chuckled nervously. Still, he followed her. They stepped onto the wooden dock, the water gently rippling beneath them. A man at the booth handed them life jackets before pointing toward an open paddle boat. Emma hopped in first without hesitation. Zack hesitated for half a second. "Don't fall in," Emma teased. "Oh very funny." He stepped in carefully and sat across from her. The boat drifted slightly as they pushed away from the dock. Around them, the river was alive with activity. Boats moved slowly across the water while people laughed, waved, and took pictures. The sunlight sparkled across the surface of the river like scattered diamonds. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Zack slowly turned toward Emma. She was already looking at him. Just watching him quietly. Then she smiled. A warm, gentle smile. Zack blinked. Then he smiled back. The tension slowly melted from his face. Without saying anything, their hands moved slightly toward each other. Their fingers brushed. Then slowly… They held hands. The boat drifted peacefully along the river as the sounds of laughter, cheers, and splashing water surrounded them. For the first time that day, Zack finally looked relaxed. Emma leaned back slightly, still holding his hand. "See?" she said softly. "Told you this was better than worrying." Zack chuckled quietly. "…Yeah." And the paddle boat continued gliding peacefully across the Meridicus River. The paddle boat drifted lazily along the calm waters of the Meridicus River. The gentle splashing of the paddles mixed with distant laughter from the riverside, where people walked, talked, and enjoyed the warm afternoon. Emma and Zack sat facing each other. Their hands were still held together. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then slowly… Emma shifted a little closer. The boat rocked slightly with the movement. Zack blinked. Emma shifted again. And again. Until Zack realized something—he was almost pushed into the corner of the small paddle boat. He raised an eyebrow. Emma quickly looked toward the water and casually said, trying to sound innocent, "Uh… it's the stream! The water's pushing the boat this way!" Zack looked at the perfectly calm river. Then he looked at her. "…Yeah. Totally the stream." Emma avoided eye contact, pretending to be extremely interested in the ripples in the water. Zack couldn't help smiling. Slowly, he placed his other hand over hers. Emma stiffened slightly at the sudden contact. Both of them immediately looked in opposite directions. The silence that followed was… painfully awkward. Yet neither of them moved their hands away. Not even a little. Seconds passed. The boat continued drifting quietly. Zack slowly turned his head toward Emma. She was still facing the other direction, pretending to watch the river—but the slight redness on her cheeks gave everything away. Zack hesitated. Then gently lifted her hand. Emma blinked in confusion just as he brought her hand toward his lips. And kissed it softly. Emma's eyes widened instantly. "W-What are you doing, Zack?!" she whispered urgently, her face turning bright red. "There are people around!!" Zack smirked slightly. "What do you think I'm doing, stoopid?" Emma's face turned even redder. "And speaking of people," Zack added casually, pointing toward the riverbank, "I don't think they're any better than us." Emma followed where he pointed. On a nearby bench along the riverbank, a couple was openly kissing without the slightest concern about the crowd around them. Emma's brain short-circuited. Her face turned crimson. "Oh my God—!" She immediately turned away again, hiding her face. Zack chuckled softly. But then his expression softened. Slowly… he reached out. His hand gently touched Emma's cheek. Emma froze. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. "Z-Zack…" she whispered under her breath. Her voice trembled slightly. But she didn't move away. Instead… She slowly closed her eyes. The meaning was clear. Zack's heart skipped a beat. He leaned forward. Carefully. Slowly. Their lips touched. For both of them, it was their first kiss. Awkward. Gentle. And somehow perfect. The world around them seemed to fade for a moment—the laughter, the river, the people. It was just the two of them. Neither of them wanted to pull away. But after a few seconds— A loud kid's voice suddenly came from the riverbank. "Woaaahhh!! Look at them, Mama!!" Emma's eyes shot open. Zack nearly jumped. Both of them instantly separated and scooted to opposite sides of the boat like guilty criminals. Emma stared at the water. Zack stared at the sky. Neither of them dared look at the other. "Uh—w-we should… uh…" Zack stammered awkwardly. Emma nodded rapidly, still blushing. "Y-Yeah… you're r-right." They both grabbed the paddles at the exact same time. And started paddling back toward the dock as fast as possible.
The paddle boat bumped gently against the wooden dock with a soft thunk. Zack quickly stepped out first, tying the rope awkwardly while Emma followed behind him, still avoiding eye contact. Both of them were red-faced, pretending nothing had happened during the ride. For a moment, everything felt normal. But as they walked back toward the park, something felt… off. Zack slowed his steps. "…Emma?" She noticed it too. The cheerful energy that had filled the park earlier was gone. The laughter. The music from street performers. The relaxed chatter. All of it had been replaced by something heavier. Groups of people were gathering along the pathways now. Instead of smiling faces, there were tense expressions, raised voices, and heated arguments. Emma frowned. "What happened here…?" Zack's eyes scanned the area carefully. Near the fountain, a crowd had formed around several large posters pasted onto wooden boards. JUSTICE FOR RAY FIND THE KILLER TECHNIQUE USERS ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW Some posters had Ray's portrait printed on them. Others had rough sketches of a shadowy figure labeled "Mansion Killer." Emma felt her stomach tighten. "…Ray." Nearby, several guards in dark uniforms were patrolling the walkways, speaking to civilians and keeping watch on the growing crowd. The tension in the air was obvious. People weren't just talking. They were angry. "Someone killed Ray!" "We all heard it—guards said a technique user was inside the mansion!" "Then find him!" "Technique users think they can do whatever they want!" Emma crossed her arms, her brows lowering. "Great. A mob." Zack exhaled slowly. "Let's just get back to the inn." They tried to move past the gathering groups without drawing attention. But anger spreads quickly in crowds. And sometimes… someone remembers. A man standing near one of the posters suddenly squinted toward them. His eyes narrowed. "…Wait." Zack felt his chest tighten. The man stepped forward, pointing directly at them. "Those two!" Emma froze. "I've seen them before!" More heads turned. The man's voice grew louder. "I saw them with that strange technique user a few days ago!" Murmurs spread instantly through the crowd like wildfire. "What?!" "They know him?" "Then they know where the killer is!" People began moving toward them. Slowly at first. Then faster. The cheerful park suddenly felt very small. Emma muttered under her breath, "Oh, fantastic." Zack raised his hands slightly, trying to stay calm. "Everyone relax," he said carefully. "You've got the wrong idea." But the crowd wasn't listening anymore. "Where is he?!" "Tell us where the killer went!" "You're helping him!" Emma's temper flared instantly. "First of all," she snapped, stepping forward, "stop shouting like brainless parrots! None of you even know what happened!" A man shouted back angrily. "Ray was murdered!" Another yelled, "And you were with that technique user!" Zack tried to step between them. "Look, we're not—" A sudden shove hit his shoulder. Zack stumbled half a step back. Emma's eyes ignited. "Hey!!" She stepped forward immediately. "Touch him again and I swear—!" Before she could finish, another protester grabbed her wrist roughly. "Maybe she'll talk if we make her—" The sentence never finished. Something inside Zack snapped. His entire expression changed. The shy, awkward boy from the river was gone. "Let go." His voice was quiet. Cold. Emma blinked. "…Zack?" The man holding her laughed mockingly. "Or what?" Zack slowly stepped forward. The air around him felt strangely still. The noise of the crowd seemed to dull for a moment. Emma noticed it immediately. "…Zack…?" He raised his hands slowly. His palms hovered inches apart. "Sonic Pulse," he said softly. Then— CLAP. The moment his palms collided—
BOOOOOOM!!
A massive burst of compressed sound exploded outward like an invisible shockwave. The air itself seemed to crack. A thunderous blast tore across the park, kicking up dust, leaves, and gravel in every direction. People screamed. The shockwave shoved the crowd backward as if an unseen force had struck them. Benches rattled violently. Trash bins toppled over. The river's surface rippled wildly, waves crashing against the shore. Even the nearby trees shuddered from the impact. People fell to the ground, covering their ears in panic. Others staggered backward in pure shock. Within seconds… The space around Zack and Emma was completely empty. Silence followed. Heavy. Stunned. Zack stood at the center of the cleared area. His hands slowly lowered. The faint vibration of sound still hummed through the air. One protester whispered in horror, "…A technique user." Another backed away. "T-that was sound…" Emma stared at Zack in surprise. She had seen him fight before. But never like this. Never with that level of control. Zack didn't even glance at the crowd. His eyes were still locked on the man who had grabbed Emma. "Next time," Zack said quietly, "keep your hands to yourself." The man scrambled backward immediately, nearly tripping over himself. No one stepped forward again. The crowd only stared now. Not with anger. But with fear. And then— A voice from somewhere in the crowd shouted: "Guards!! Over here!!" The distant sound of armored boots began approaching rapidly. Emma looked toward Zack. "…Well." She cracked her knuckles. "This just got interesting."