Eltic stuttered with his hands trembling in this misty expanse owned by Yanza; he gaped in horror at the weak-looking old man whose legends terrorized the shady parts of the city to kingdom come.

Yanza Kinara, the lead commander of ASI: Arelin Shadow Institution.

Yanza was a middle-aged man who sported a smoky-gray hanfu that neatly swam across his body, while he wore baggy trousers and white-shaded slippers.

And Yanza's gray hair wafted with the breeze while the man had a face ridden with wrinkles on the left side, and his right eye housed a bronze mechanical orb that glistened with a misty white light.

"Haha… I thought you would keep calling me a scary old man… Eltic," Yanza jested as he grasped the knob of his slick walking stick. "I see Felipe sent you to exterminate those rat—"

"Don't call them that!" Eltic interrupted with newfound courage – one he would come to regret.

The interference caused Yanza to chuckle and say. "I'm sorry for my unruly statement, boy; I meant your previous compatriots." He 'corrected himself with a smile and a welcoming behavior – But behind it was: malice.

Upon seeing Yanza's devoid laugh, Eltic wanted to gut himself for his stupid act. Each moment he lingered here, the closer he was to dying.

"I am sorry for intruding on your territory Mr. Yanza, deeply sorry." Eltic bowed eloquently with sweat flowing down his chin and splashing on the floor.

He stood upright and said, "I'll be off," Eltic strode off with unsteady steps.

"Stop!"

Yanza's scream stopped Eltic in his tracks, and he thought, "fuck!"

Eltic got ready for a fight, however, the next words terminated his impulsive act.

"Remember to tell Mr. Felipe to congratulate you, because you are doing Aether's work, young man."

Eltic disengaged. "I will make sure that he gets it…sir," he replied before transforming into a transparent wave entity that zipped into the sky and faded away from sight.

Yanza smiled as he gazed at Eltic's fleeing back, afterward, a dark haze appeared next to him – it soon turned into a black-cloaked figure.

"Should we chase after him, Master Yanza?" the cloaked figure asked, eager to prove his loyalty.

Yanza held up his left wrinkled hand and waved his index finger left-right. "No, let him leave… Angering an important piece like that is unwise."

"Understood," the cloaked entity declared loyally before plunging into its shadow, momentarily, the figure vanished from sight.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Meanwhile, Yanza paid no attention to his subordinate as he peeked into the distance. "So many fetters in that man's heart… Yet, he has no weakness… The perfect chess piece; the greatest dagger." he muttered.

…

As Eltic fled while checking his rear multiple times consecutively, he thought. 'That man sure is scary… Why does this world have so many damn monsters, fucker reminded me of Revan. Hmm, I wonder how that bastard is doing. His boy should be like… three years old I guess!'

Eltic eyes lost focus as he mindlessly hopped on houses in the dead of night. Soon, he stopped because he noticed a scene from the corner of his eyes.

He veered his head in that direction, and a red-black-themed sidewalk appeared in front of him; a blue-haired girl fighting a bunch of other kids – she was losing.

"Give us that bread!" One of her attackers said; it was a short and bald 3'9 boy with a face only a mother could love. He seemed to be the leader of the trio of misfits.

"Yeah, what he said," the goon said as he kicked and shoved the girl to the floor while grinning like he just did a good deed for humanity.

The girl kept silent as she held the piece of bread close to her chest. She knew that if she let it go, then the rats of the streets would feast on her cold and starved carcass.

The last of the minions suddenly side-kicked her to the face, thereafter, her head fell slammed onto the ground.

Eltic, who watched from afar, knew that it was time to intervene in what would soon turn into attempted murder. As he prepared to jump down to the fighting trio and teach them 'manners,' the girl stood and—

— she screamed.

Her voice caused a visible air shake that ruptured the eardrums of the three boys in tandem.

Eltic's eyes widened as he witnessed the sudden turn of events. He instantly leaped down and left a gust of wind at his rear.

Eltic reached the three children with blood leaking out their ears as they held their heads, and he hurled them away from the attack's path.

After rescuing the trio from brain damage, Eltic stared at the blue-haired girl and thought. 'That attack contains the power of an Elim rank Etherist! How is that possible?'

The sound wave cracked the grounds of the sidewalk they stood. it was a miracle no one came out to see what was causing all this commotion, but it was more likely they minded their business and stayed in their lane (Common in these parts) Eltic became confused about what his next set of action should be: should he knock her out perhaps? Or leave and let it be some other poor sod problem?

Two different solutions; infinite ways they could ensue. If he knew how the girl's power worked, then this decision might have been easy — but he didn't — he wasn't Penelope.

However the girl didn't give him time to decide, all of a sudden, her eyes bled red, and a torrent of blood spilled from her mouth like a dam, veins protruded, body clasped. She slowly descended unto on the cold street floors the next instant.

Eltic immediately reacted and seemingly teleported to her back, catching her from falling head first to her back.

And he thought in melancholy. "All this for a piece of bread, huh!"

Then he laughed.

…

In an abandoned orphanage across the street, a periwinkle-haired lady looked out the blurry window; her green hands cleared the blinds that blocked her sight to see the scene ahead.

"The cursed child meets the thief of waves, fate really is an interesting thing. It almost quelled my anger at that man for burning this place down," the lady said to herself with a smile – one filled with malice, and purple eyes that glistened with curiosity.

"I so look forward to the far and bleak future already," the woman whispered and closed the curtain, tearing apart the only lively existence in this dim orphanage previously dubbed – The House Of Lost Souls.