The chilly air whipped across Mira’s exposed skin as she left Noree’s lab. She used her data-band to signal another transport to pick her up. When one arrived, she hopped inside and requested a dropoff in district nine.

The five minute trip was more intriguing this time around. The ship’s screens showed various portraits with bounties. Mira perused all the faces, just to see if there was anyone she recognized. The images showed people from gangs and corporations. There were even a few so-called mercenaries, who were usually the ones to claim the bounties; but sometimes they ended up getting snagged with felonies in the process.

The taxi landed in a small clearing for vehicle drop-offs. Mira swiped her data-band over the scanner to pay for the trip before she stepped out of the craft. She took in her surroundings as the vehicle lifted away and the hum of its engines faded.

She pulled up a map from her data-band and headed straight for the vicinity Noree had mapped out. There was no way of knowing what she’d find there.

She was surrounded by warehouses, some new, some ancient and corroded. The further she traveled, the older the warehouses appeared. The composition of metals, the architecture, some looked as though they might crumble under a strong breeze. First City was a metropolis, but in the early days of the colony here, the city wasn’t nearly as populated. Structures were torn down and rebuilt all the time.

Dim ‘for rent’ screens flickered on the older structures. Insects the size of her fist—or larger, were making their homes in the dark and unused buildings. Mira wasn’t too fond of insects, but only because she’d seen what some insect species were capable of. As long as they left her alone, she wouldn’t turn the entire place to ash.

Mira checked her map as she approached a particularly rusted warehouse. It was massive but didn’t seem to be in use. She approached one of the side doors. There wasn’t even a keypad by the door, only a handle with an old key and lock mechanism.

She looked over her shoulder, taking in her surroundings for a long moment. The chill of the night air wrapped around her. She curled her fingers around the doorknob and intensified the heat emanating off her hand. The metal of the doorknob melted away until her hand pushed through to the other side. The lock was no more.

She pulled the door open and entered the old warehouse. She was greeted with a drab and dusty hallway. There were footprints and tracks from wheels in the dust. There was no telling how long ago they were made.

She walked through the compound. It was like any other warehouse she’d ever been in. Some of the doors led to large open areas for storage. There were small offices, devoid of any equipment. It looked as if this place hadn’t been in use for quite some time.

Why was she here? Her fingers clenched into fists as there were no clues or leads. Noree’s information pointed to this warehouse being used in the manufacture of the drug ‘ero’. Mira checked over the nav feature of her data-band. There was no mention that this location was necessarily used for manufacture. Perhaps it was a storage site for the drug?

Mira headed towards the opposite side of the warehouse. When she entered the storage bay, it was utterly empty. All that was left were large imprints on the floor where cargo containers had once sat. There was no dust in those spaces—in fact, there was no dust in the entire bay. Mira headed for the closest office that would’ve been associated with the bay. It was empty, like everything else, but it was also devoid of dust.

Mira’s body temperature rose with her frustration.

After several seconds, she let her temperature normalize as she regained her composure.

“Command, ping surroundings,” she issued a command to the data-band she wore. It was common for people to setup custom commands which could be executed with a word or gesture. With the right implants, a command could be executed with a thought.

Her data-band emitted a pulsing sound for several seconds. When it was complete a display formed in front of Mira. It was a three-dimensional depiction of the room she stood in. The command she’d issued to her data-band was something that investigators, smugglers, or even pirates made good use of. There were always hidden rooms and compartments to be found. A data-band with the right sensors could scan a room and find hidden doors and other secrets by vibrating the room’s every crevice.

She looked over the hologram of the room. Nothing eluded to any secrets here. She swiped her hand to dissipate the display and walked back into the storage bay she’d just come from.

“Command, ping surroundings,” she said again. After several seconds another, much larger, graphic display was produced before her eyes. She looked it over and spotted an empty space in one of the adjacent rooms.

She walked through a doorway into a nearby office. She spotted a dark circle in the corner of the room and approached it cautiously. She took in a deep breath, preparing herself for anything. The spot on the floor was dark, but had an odd rust to it. She pressed the tip of her boot down at the blemish and it immediately crumbled.

A shrill screech filled the room as chitinous appendages clamoured out from the crumbling floor.

Mira back-stepped and drove her hand forward. Flames burst from her palm and scorched the floor and filled the pit. A multitude of screeches sounded in crescendo as her fire burned deeper into the ground and the nest of insects she’d happened across. She stopped the out-pour of fire only when the nest had gone silent, save for the burning ground.

“Not what I was after, but always a good feeling,” she mused and released a held breath.

After cleansing Malstyx of a few dozen insects, she continued to ping the walls and floors of each room she found. Each time she came up empty. Soon enough, the entire warehouse had been scanned. There was nothing there.

She left the rear storage room with clenched fists. The cool air nipped at her flesh and she immediately raised her temperature to compensate. Outside the back of the warehouse was a landing area for transports—so that cargo could be brought inside with security and semi-privacy. But the warehouse was abandoned and the fence surrounding it was torn down in places.

Mira glanced around. There was nothing left to look for. Only a vacant slab of metal for transports to park on. Her eyes narrowed. She walked towards the center of the landing zone.

“Command, ping surroundings,” she said.

After several seconds, an image of the metal slab she stood on appeared before her eyes. She gestured with her fingers to lift the slab up so she could see under it.

There it was.

A foot beneath her was a circular empty space. A tunnel or passage? Perhaps it was just a drain? She looked down to her feet. She knelt down and placed a hand to the metal beneath her. Her hand heated up. The metal under her fingers began to glow a bright orange. She clenched her hand into a fist and focused the heat into a wider area. The metal gradually gave way. It warped and fled from her touch as it became liquid. As the intense temperature rose, some of the metal began to vaporize—which created flashes of light until she was able to see down into the hole.

The passageway was unusual. Where the metal ended, stone began. Stone rungs descended straight down into the darkness below. There was enough space to fit someone twice her size.

Mira stared into the darkness. She’d have to descend into the depths in search of answers. Her hands trembled.

She was the incarnation of the sun’s will made manifest. What did she have to fear of the darkness? With an iota of will, she created an orb of swirling flame in her hand and lowered it towards the darkness.

Mira wasn’t concerned about her masquerade here. This place was hidden and wasn’t supposed to be found. Who knew how long it’s been sealed? She needed to be prepared for what lurked in the shadows.

She shifted herself around to take footholds on the rungs, the stone was cold to the touch as her fingers wrapped around them. Carefully, she made her descent. The stone was coarse and unpolished. Mira kept her right hand facing down towards the depths as she made her descent. A floor came into view a ways down. Mira’s anxiety escalated. She dropped from the last few rungs and turned to face into the structure. There was a doorway which led to a stairwell. With her intrusion, dust kicked up into the air. It smelled as if she was walking into a tomb.

Mira held her hand up as she illuminated her surroundings with the swirling light of the fire in her palm. The stairs made a partial decline and she followed them down. She proceeded further into the depths until she was stopped by a wooden door. The wood resembled the dark trees of the wilds; it was covered in white markings. Age had worn away some of it, but she recognized the ancient symbols.

“Djinn?” she whispered. To Mira’s knowledge, there were no djinn on this world. The djinn homeworld was on the other side of inhabited space. Djinn were tribal, but also nomadic. It wasn’t out of the question that they could have been here before, but how long ago? Perhaps these markings weren’t put here by the djinn, but by someone who knew djinn warding symbols? Mira studied the markings for a little while longer.

Words of power—invented by the djinn, meant to counter demons. This had to be the place she was looking for, but still it didn’t make sense. Hungry for answers, Mira grabbed the handle of the door and pulled. It didn’t budge at first, but with a few more hard tugs, she managed to pry it from its stiff state. Dust fell from the frame as the light from her fingers illuminated another hallway made of stone. She stepped through the doorway, there was a hall with five doors on the left side and five on the right. Each of the doors were made of the same wood.

Mira approached the one directly to her left. She pulled it open with a firm jerk. The ward-painted door gave way and her light shown inside. It was an empty room. There was nothing inside, just a stone room covered in more of the symbols.

Upon closer inspection, Mira noticed a stone ring outlet on the floor. It was the kind used to attach a chain to secure a beast or prisoner. To Mira, It seemed archaic. Mira turned and approached another door. With another rough pull the door gave way to a similarly empty room. Annoyed, she went down to each door, yanking them open one by one. Each was empty. She stared into the the last room on the right side of the hall. There was nothing here.

The djinn were technologically superior to every known specie in the universe. Their ingenuity, especially when dealing with demons, was impressive to say the least. Yet all Mira found was a bunch of empty cells with djinn markings everywhere. In her frustration her right hand clutched the flames she wielded, causing the flames to lick around her fingers intensely. The light from her flames danced around her surroundings. One of those flickers glinted on the stone to her left. Her gaze was drawn to the end of the hall. It was only when she stared directly at it, that she noticed it wasn’t just the end of the hall. It was another door, covered in more djinn writing. Two large stone slabs with a sealed crease between them. Beside the center crease was an indented hand-hold for each slab. Her eyes narrowed. The door appeared especially heavy. She reached over and lit the door to her right on fire. She needed to free her other hand and also create a source of light. The wooden door began to burn brilliantly and made a soft crackling sound. Mira returned her attention to the stone door. She pulled at the left slab. It didn’t budge.

If Luca had been able to join her, he would’ve made short work of this door. An ursari could tap into their adrenal glands at a moment’s notice. He could have pulled the door apart with ease. Mira shifted her weight around and tried again. Something must’ve loosened. The slab made a rough grating sound as it budged and started to slide. She increased her efforts, managing to pull it just enough with some centimeters to spare to fit herself through. She looked through the opening. Another dark room awaited her. She lifted a hand and created new flames around her fingers as she slid through the opening. This room was larger than the cells she’d looked through. Her hand was encased in flames and the radiance illuminated the entirety of the room. There was nothing here.

Except for the body on the floor.

Mira stared at the body laying in the center of the room. She waited for it to move—to jump up and attack her. It didn't, yet. Mira took her first step towards the figure, then another. Even with all the power of the sun at her disposal, she was still vulnerable. If her body was mortally wounded, she would lose it. It was a situation she never looked forward to. She considered lighting her entire body in flames. Heat and flame was one thing her body was immune to. It had worked many times in the past as a cautionary defensive measure when she didn’t know what she was getting into.

Her eyes scanned the body. It was draped in what were practically rags. The person had a mess of white hair splayed against the floor. It wasn’t until Mira was half a foot away that she noticed the clothes had more djinn inscriptions written on each layer. Mira leaned down to find out if this was a deceased djinn.

The body squirmed and the head lifted. The snowy locks of hair fell around a face. It wasn’t the face that caught Mira’s attention, but the pair of short black horns that poked from the top of the figure’s forehead. Mira clenched her right hand into a fist, causing the glow of the flames to shift and cast new shadows about the room.

The demon’s face illuminated under the glow of her flames as the creature sat up with its knees bent. The wrappings bulged out around her chest, Mira was dealing with a demoness. Was she a disciple of wrath? would she lash out at her? or did the demon belong to any of the other possible sins? Knowing which sin a demon was beholden to was half the battle.

“Who are you?” Mira questioned. It was only now that the demon’s eyes slid open to reveal purely black orbs. Her skin was a cherry red. She wasn’t hiding that she was a demon in the least. Her lips parted as she let out a cough. Mira caught movement behind the demon, watching as it was just her tail slowly uncoiling from the shadows beneath her. The appendage was thin and cord-like with an arrowhead tip.

“What took you so long to come for me?” the demoness whispered. Her voice was soft. Her statement wasn’t what Mira expected the demon’s first words to be.

“Pardon?” Mira replied. She was unsure how to respond to such a question. Mira felt the demon’s gaze upon her, despite the demon’s lack of pupils. The fire from Mira’s hand caused little glints and shimmers in those black eyes.

“I waited for you, right where you left me. You betrayed me!” Her words came out in a raspy gasp. She coughed several times as her body moved. The demoness crawled towards Mira, but an audible clink of metal sounded and her movements were halted. Mira looked down to the demon’s clawed feet. Her ankles were clasped with metal rings with chains attached to the floor. The chains had djinn inscriptions on them. Mira took a moment to look about the room. From the markings on the walls and what little she knew of djinn inscriptions; it wasn’t difficult to determine that this cell was designed to sap the demon’s strength and power—placing her on par with the strength of a human. The fact that only a pair of shackles kept her physically in place was a testament to that.

“I’m obviously not who you think I am. My name’s Mira, What do you know of—” Mira cut herself short. How could this demoness possibly be responsible for anything happening on the surface if she was stuck down here? “How long have you been down here?” She asked instead.

The demon’s eyes didn’t shift as she was focused intently on Mira.

“Eva,” the demon whispered. The demon blinked several times, her head tilted to the side. “You...you’re one of those crimson birds,” she said. Her tone became colder and less confused.

“Answer my question and who is Eva?” Mira asked. As soon as the words left her lips, the demoness laid back down on the floor, placing her cheek against the stone.

“I am Bel. You smell peculiar,” she said. “There’s a hint of a demon about you.”

“Bel?” asked Mira. “I encountered a demon of greed earlier.”

“No, no no no...not greed. This scent is different, or have I forgotten it? Not greed...but I can’t remember which. Are there more than seven? More than eight?” the demon rambled.

Mira tensed and her eyes narrowed. Her hands tightened into fists as she wondered how this demon could possibly smell—

“Eva is everything, why did she betray me?” The demon whispered as she lay there, having interrupted Mira’s thoughts. Bel’s eyes closed. “Why is a crimson bird here? I don’t recall phoenixes being so inquisitive with demons.”

Mira tapped her foot on the dusty floor as this discourse dragged on. It seemed she wouldn’t get any answers from this imprisoned creature.

“I stumbled across your prison while searching for the source of a demonic drug,” said Mira. “It’s being distributed among the city’s populace and changing some of them into monsters.”

Bel’s eyes went wide. Her head turned to look up at Mira.

“City?” She asked.

Mira gave the demon a curious look.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been down here since before the city was founded?”

“There were only villages and caves when I was last on the surface of this world. There was no city. I cannot count the days,” the demon replied.

“The city has been standing for centuries,” said Mira.

“As you say,” Bel remarked.

“Why were you placed down here so long ago?” Mira asked.

“If I tell you,” said Bell. “Will you release me from these bonds?”

“Of course not,” Mira scoffed.

“Then leave me to my solitude,” she said. “I shall wait centuries more if I have to. She will return to me.”

Mira was about to ask again who this woman was that she kept referring to, but she doubted the demon would be forthcoming with answers, unless she was offered something in return. Mira didn’t have the patience to negotiate with another demon. The entire situation had been a waste of time. Mira turned from the demon and headed back out the way she came. Bel said nothing as Mira left her to rot in the prison. When Mira made it through the stone door, she closed it back up. The door she had set ablaze was still burning. Mira gazed upon the fire and extended her will towards the flames. She squelched them with a thought and continued towards the steps.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

It didn’t take long for Mira to return to the surface. She took account of her surroundings and ran her fingers through her crimson hair. She had nothing to show for the time she’d spent here. There didn’t appear to be any connection between Bel and the drug being used in the city. It was mere coincidence that she stumbled upon the demon’s cell. Mira had run out of leads. She’d searched every inch of the facility and come up with nothing. Whatever had been here, was long gone.

Mira looked down at the hole in the metal slab. If she left it as-is, anyone could come along and potentially free the demon. Mira still had questions for Bel—such as what she knew and why she was down there. But that could wait. The demon wasn’t going anywhere and Mira could return when she had more time. She wasn’t going to spend hours interrogating a demon who couldn’t help her with her current pursuit.

Mira stepped away from the hole and brought her arms up. Heat emanated off her hands and a stream of licking flames poured from her palms. She shifted her hands, sending the flames along the edge of the tunnel. The metal softened and began to melt inwards. She walked a circle around the hole and continued this for a solid minute before cutting off the stream of flames. With this, It would seem like a chemical burn or small explosion had damaged the spot. Hopefully no one would be the wiser. Satisfied, she hailed another transport to take her to her apartment.

While she waited, she sent a message to Noree, letting the woman know that she’d found nothing of interest at the warehouse. She decided to leave out the part about finding a demon hidden underground. Minutes later, a transport arrived and whisked her away.

The sun no longer lightened the clouds above, the dreariness of the atmosphere was now gone and in its place was a black sky. With all the overcast, it was a rare occurrence to ever see a star. It left a sense of isolation, as if no other worlds existed out in the universe.

When she arrived at her apartment complex, Mira made her way inside. She passed through the gold-pillared double doors and into the lobby. A scanner took notice of her, but did nothing to impede her entrance. There was a man in a security box in a room nearby who could be out there in an instant if need be-–if he wasn’t sleeping.

Mira walked down the hall. Her feet scuffed the floor with each footstep. She arrived at room seventy-two. She waved her data-band in front of the scanner, it unlocked the door and she made her way inside. The lights flipped on at her entrance. The door closed and locked behind her. She knelt and undid her boots, slipping her toes from them and onto the warm tile. The apartment was simple. The room she stood in now was a combination of kitchenette and living room. There was a single bedroom directly to her right. She turned to walk into the open bedroom and the lights flickered on. Mira slipped her top off and tossed it into the clothes basket.

A figure lay naked on her bed.

“Why can’t you ever greet me in a warm and affectionate way when you come in?” the person asked.

Mira leaned down and undid her pants and slipped them off, leaving her in her undergarments. She finally looked over to the bed. The figure on the bed had soft purple skin; her toes and fingers came to subtle points. A corded tail with a hooked tip slid across the bed sheets. A pair of gray horns poked out from beneath her black hair which cascaded down against her shoulders.

“You look tense, did that ursari upset you? He seems rather fond of you. I wish I could walk around with you in plain sight as he does,” the woman spoke.

Mira walked towards the bed and sat down on the edge. Her hands rested on the bed as she stared at the floor. Seconds later she felt the woman’s bare chest press against her back. The woman wrapped an arm around Mira and rested her hand on the phoenix’s belly. Her other arm came around so that she could drift her fingertips over Mira’s shoulder and along her collar.

“I acquired the services of a demon of greed to act as a bankroll,” Mira told her, ignoring the woman’s comments.

“Was she prettier than I?” the creature behind her questioned.

“Of course not,” Mira replied.

“Is she why you look so downtrodden?” the woman asked.

“There’s a drug spreading throughout the city. It’s widely available and creating abominations, and I have no leads to put an end to it or to find out who’s responsible,” Mira answered. The woman’s teeth nipped at the back of Mira’s ear.

“We should try this drug, I bet it would be a splendid experience. Don’t you think?” she whispered into Mira’s ear like a succubus trying to seduce their prey.

“We will do no such thing,” Mira replied. Her response was met with a soft pout from the woman’s lips.

“I met an interesting demon at the depths of a hidden dungeon in the city. She’s been down there for centuries. She thought I was someone else at first. I couldn’t determine her alignment and wasn’t able to garner any information from her in the least. She said her name was Bel. Are you familiar with such a demon?” Mira asked.

“Was she prettier than I?” Mira heard the familiar words leave the woman’s lips. The woman ran her fingers over Mira’s shoulder and along her arm.

“No,” said Mira. “I decided to leave her as I found her, for now. It was strange, to say the least. An old hidden dungeon with djinn markings everywhere, holding a single demon prisoner.”

“That’s two demons you let live today. My my, are you still a phoenix?” The woman asked.

Mira’s fingers tightened on the sheets. The woman at her back was the only one who could get away with such an accusation, even in jest.

“The demon of greed was useful to me,” Mira said in her defense. “The one in the dungeon could still be of use when I have more time to deal with her.”

“As you say,” the woman replied. Her knees slid forward to rest on either side of Mira’s body as she held close against her.

“Don’t you think Bel is a bit short to be a meaningful name for a demon?” asked the woman. “She obviously didn’t divulge her full name to you, you certainly realized that.” Mira listened as the woman’s cheek nuzzled the nape of her neck.

“I wish you were more helpful,” Mira muttered.

“I wish you would remove the rest of your clothes,” she replied.

“I’ve had a long day, longer than I expected. I need some sleep.” Mira whispered as her eyes grew heavy.

“If you’d rather sleep than pay attention to me, I’ll not bother you further,” the woman said.

Mira shifted to lay down. A sigh left Mira’s lips and slumber took her soon after.

***

Mira opened her eyes at the buzzing of her data-band. She leaned up and rubbed at them. Her arms stretched into the air. She yawned and fell back to the bed, of which she was the only occupant. She stared at the ceiling. Her data-band was still buzzing and keeping her from falling back to sleep. With a groan she sat back up and slipped off the bed to stand. She stretched again and tapped her data-band a few times to turn it off. She pulled up her notifications to see if she had any messages waiting. There were none.

Mira wrote out a quick message to Noree, asking if there were any new leads with the drug. After sending the message, she headed into the bathroom. She stepped into the small shower bay and pressed her preferred setting for the water jets and soaps. Steaming water sprayed over her as she closed her eyes. Mira’s thoughts went to Noree and if there had been any new developments. Surely Noree would’ve contacted her by now. Perhaps she was still asleep. Dryte tended to have strange sleep habits.

Mira let the hot water pour over her. With the slightest effort, she could create a burning heat, but the outside source of warmth on her bare skin was tantalizing.

A soft vibration came over her wrist. With a disappointed sigh, Mira brought her hand up to tap the data-band. The display materialized in the confines of the shower. Water sprayed through the image in the air and distorted it. The message was from Luca. It read ‘hope you’re still alive, you never got back to me about what happened with Noree. You forgot about me again, didn’t you little bird?’

Mira scanned over the message and frowned.

“Yeah,” she whispered and placed a hand to her forehead. “I did forget about you, again,” She reached over and pressed a button on the shower bay to have it finish up. Within twenty seconds Mira was fully cleaned and dried, not that she couldn’t have just flash-dried herself of course. She stepped out of the bay and finished up in the bathroom. Once she was back in her bedroom she proceeded to get dressed. Heading over to her closet and dresser, she slipped into a clean pair of undergarments. She opted for a pair of dark blue denim pants and a purple short-sleeved shirt. Having no reason to head outside yet, she didn’t get anymore dressed than that. She headed into the living room and tapped the data-band again and brought up a keypad. She responded to Luca’s message, telling him about everything that happened the day before, even mentioning the underground demon. She trusted Luca with this knowledge far more than the dryte woman who she’d only known for a day. She hit send and went over to the kitchenette to find herself something to eat.

After finishing a meal, Mira’s data-band vibrated again. She quickly checked her notifications and had the message she was waiting for. She tapped it quickly, her anxiety building as she read Noree’s message.

‘No new developments.’

Mira slumped in her seat and her arms lowered to the table. She stared at her hands. What was she going to do? She put her arms together and placed her head upon them. Her eyes slid shut as her mind wandered over every little facet of the previous day.

***

“INTRUDER ALERT MAIN DOOR, INTRUDER ALERT MAIN DOOR.”

Mira’s eyes bolted open. She’d fallen asleep? The words coming from the apartment’s system echoed in her ears. She looked towards the door as she rose from her seat. Instinctively she escalated her body temperature.

“Luca?” she asked. Her ursari friend stood in the broken doorway. Pieces of the door lay scattered on the floor. Luca’s eyes looked directly into Mira’s and he started walking towards her.

“Mira,” he said. The word was sluggish and strained as he spoke her name.

“Luca, what’s wrong?” she asked.

Mira’s eyes narrowed as her friend closed in on her. His movements appeared forced as he took each step. In just a few seconds he was in front of her. He reached out and grabbed Mira’s shoulders. She expected one of his usual invasive hugs, but instead his grip became like a vice. Mira pushed against his chest to separate herself from his strong grasp.

Mira gasped “What’s going on?”

Luca had never acted like this before. There was no greeting, no jaunty voice. Just a dead stare and the monotone voice.

“I...can’t,” his voice strained for each word. He tightened his grip and pushed her against the kitchen wall. His physical strength was easily greater than that of a human hosting a phoenix’s consciousness.

Mira raised her voice, “Luca, what’s wrong with you?” She shoved his chest to no avail. She couldn’t get any leverage against him. Mira looked into his eyes. His pupils were dilated.

“Did you take something?” could she even reason with him? It was unlike Luca to get involved with drugs.

“Someone...injected me,” he grunted. “Wanted...to help...but I...I can’t...stop it,” his hand raised and grabbed her neck. Mira’s patience dissipated.

“Enough!” she shouted. In an instant, she created a micro-pocket of heat between their bodies and inflated it like a balloon. The bubble separated them as flames singed his shirt. The pocket of flame burst in a fiery explosion. It sent Luca sprawling back onto the floor. There was a loud thud when he landed. Mira stepped towards her fallen friend. The fire had left her unscathed but there were burn marks all around the walls and floor as well as on Luca’s clothes and skin.

He lay there with closed eyes. There were a series of lumps in his arms. Mira stared at his skin, worried that she had broken his bones with the force of the explosion. Her fears elevated when those lumps began to move beneath his flesh. Her heart sunk in her chest as the reality of the situation hit her.

“No!” she screamed as long tendrils burst from beneath his skin. His arms became a mass of writhing tentacles. His pants were pierced through as the slick appendages coiled about his legs. All she could do was stand there in horror as her friend became one of the monsters she’d sought to prevent.

Luca shifted and rose up, his blank eyes stared down at her. She could still see a tinge of life in them. Was Luca still in there? His fingers were gone and in their place was a writhing mass. His arm came up like a whip, which wrapped around Mira’s neck. The tentacles wrapped and strangled her throat. Their grip tightened with each passing moment.

Mira had no choice. She caused her right hand to burn, the heat radiated off her skin as she jabbed her open palm into his chest. His skin and bones gave way to the intense burning heat of her fingers. She wrapped those digits around his heart and hesitated for just a moment, before squeezing her fingers shut.

Luca’s eyes widened as his lips moved, breathing his last words. “Sorry, little…bird.”

She stared into Luca’s eyes as the light faded from them. His life snuffed out by her clenched fist. The tentacles around her neck loosened. His body slumped to the floor. The charred scent of meat permeated the air. All Mira could do was stare down at his lifeless corpse. Luca, her only true friend on this wretched world. A world she was supposed to save. It was her fault, she couldn’t even save one man. All she could do was end his life. Ending life was all she was capable of. She let demons live while her only friend in the world died by her hand.

Mira fell to her knees beside what had once been Luca. Tears evaporated from her eyes before they could run down her cheeks. Her body scorched the floor. Her hand had vaporized anything that had been on it. She let her heat dissipate as she stared at the corpse. What sort of phoenix was she? What great protector was she supposed to be?

The sound of footsteps echoed into the room. From the corner of her eye she caught someone enter the doorway to the apartment.

“How long has he been transformed? When did he die?” came a quick female voice. Mira’s eyes looked upon the figure.

“Noree?” Mira murmured. The dryte woman strode towards Luca’s corpse. She knelt by his head and reached into her labcoat.

“Five...six minutes ago?” Mira responded in a dull tone. “What does it matter? He’s dead,” her thoughts turned to anger and frustration. The dryte woman pulled a syringe from her pocket. She placed a hand to Luca’s head as if she was steadying it. Noree placed the syringe above his eye and slid it through the pupil.

“What are you doing?” Mira yelled.

Her tone didn’t change the dryte’s demeanor in the least.

“I’m making sure his death means something. I would think that’d be important to you, as his friend,” she said. Noree didn’t so much as look at her.

Mira’s anger spiked as her friendship with Luca was questioned. She was seconds away from striking the plant woman. But the desire subsided as Noree’s words broke through her haze.

“What do you mean?” Mira asked as calmly as she could manage.

“Luca messaged me a little while ago,” Noree replied. “He said he had been dosed with Ero when he was speaking with a dealer. He was trying to investigate Ero on your behalf. The latter part of his message started to ramble, most likely as the drug started to take effect. I can only imagine that he contacted me in hopes of a cure, but I had none to give. In his rambling, he mentioned you and wanting to see you. Surely you were the focus of his drug-addled state, or perhaps he thought you could help him. Regardless, I had a friend track his data-band for me, which led me here. I sent you a message.”

Upon hearing this, Mira checked her data-band and sure enough, there was a message from Noree. Mira must’ve put her data-band on silent at some point before falling asleep at the table.

Noree began to speak again before Mira could read the message. “My research showed that the ursari were highly susceptible to change when taking Ero. The details are a bit complicated.” Noree filled the syringe with a pale fluid and slowly pulled the needle free from Luca’s eye. “This will help me isolate the blood traces of the demon responsible for the drug. With that and a little more time, I can help you track this demon if they’re on Malstyx.”

Mira stared at the syringe, then looked to Noree.

“How soon?” Mira asked.

Noree pressed something on the syringe to retract the needle and slipped it into her coat pocket. Noree rested a hand on Mira’s shoulder.

“Calm down,” said Noree. Her demeanor unwavering. Mira glanced back to Luca. His skin darkened as if a mold was slowly consuming him.

“What’s—” Mira began.

“This is what happens after death. They become a monster for a short time and then they become nothing,” she spoke in a soft voice as Mira watched her friend. “It may not be safe for you here anymore. You have no idea the things he may have divulged, even accidentally to agents in league with demons. They can find his apartment, they can find you—as I did. You would be safer elsewhere,” Noree pointed out the things Mira would have concluded to in a less emotional state. The dryte woman was Mira’s much-needed compass and yet she knew so very little about her.

“I have nowhere to—”

“You will stay with me,” said Noree. The woman had a penchant for cutting off her sentences. Mira would’ve refused out of instinct. She had already burdened Noree enough already. But the truth of the matter was that Mira had no alternatives.

Mira nodded her agreement. Noree’s lips curled as she smiled at Mira for the first time. Noree gave her shoulder a squeeze before releasing it and helping Mira to stand.

“Gather your things,” said Noree.

Mira set about the apartment to ready herself. She would leave Luca’s apartment behind. His selflessness had shown her that there were people worth fighting for and saving on Malstyx. With Noree’s kindness, Mira knew that she could redeem her failures as a phoenix.

She owed it to Luca.