Eliza’s eyes opened again, she felt the slight vibrations of the shuttle she was seated on. Well, she wasn’t exactly seated, instead laying down with her feet on the opposing seats. Huh… So was it just a dream? She twisted her head around, it was quite stiff…

“Finally, you’re awake. You missed the entirety of what Lautrasia had to offer,” said Kazuki. She looked up towards him, he was seated beside her, unmoving. “We’re going straight to the Ball Palace.”

The Ball Palace?! Huh? Wait… Of course! The two were going to the Ball Palace for this years dassant. Wait…

Eliza took a moment to think, she yawned. Then, she sat up, looking around—WAIT WHAT? Her head snapped to Kazuki. “I beg your pardon?!”

Kazuki paused, then simply shrugged. “I was being sarcastic. You were asleep only for a bit,” he said. “You kept moving around, though.”

“Ah, my apologies, then,” she said.

“It’s fine. You only smacked me fourteen times.” He was looking at an invitation… Eliza glanced over at it.

Eliza’s jaw opened. “I…”

“I told you: it’s fine.” He shifted his head towards her. He was wearing a large coat, passing the physical letter to Eliza.

She felt the crease and ink splodged on the paper. It felt so real… so elegant. It’s been the seventh time she’s done this, yet the feeling of physical, paper felt so in line with the highest echelons of the galaxy. It read as followed: ‘On behalf of the Galaxy’s Aristocratic Plutocrats Governance Body, I, the Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota, invites you to partake within the Dassant on behalf of House Celeste-Delmara.’

“Even as one of this year’s Consuls, he finds the time to throw extravagant parties,” Eliza commented, jokingly.

“Showboating is part of politics,” Kazuki stated with all seriousness. I

Looking up at Kazuki, he didn’t have one for himself… She looked back down at the letter, continuing to read it. ‘This is a personal invitation from the Marquis… PERSONAL MESSAGE: Elizabeth, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I apologise for your suffering the previous Dassant and I look forward to meeting you again, you may be permitted to take an additional friend to accompany you. I believe you are to bring Prince Kazuki of the Imperial Trasian family…’

“I’m… sorry…” she trailed off, knowing that it was not what Kazuki wanted, but she still had to say it nonetheless. She gently folded the letter, placing it into her pockets. He dismissively nodded. “I think I was having a bad dream, I don’t typically toil around in my sleep, at least I think I don’t.”

“Oh…” Kazuki paused for a moment as he unzipped his coat.

He was wearing a hoodie. At first, Eliza was perplexed, then realising that it was basically the exact same hoodie that she wore.

She asked, “Wait… Is that the same hoodie you lended me?” It looked just like the hoodie she wore during the gunrunner attack.

“No, I have around ten of the same hoodies. You have one of them,” he said.

Eliza was still confused, scratching her head as she stood up, stretching her legs. Glancing out the view-ports, she could see the bright barriers of the voidway.

She looked down at Kazuki. “I still don’t get it, something peculiar about them, then?”

“All my clothing is intertwined with materials that have… anomalous properties,” said Kazuki. Alright, now Eliza was even more confused, anomalous properties?

“Like Hazard-Shards?”

Her face slowly went even paler than she thought it could have. Was she being influenced and connected to an unstable Hazard shard the entire time?!

“No. Phoenecian-Leviathan feathers,” said Kazuki. “Phoenixes have sixth sense. Its feathers maintain some of its abilities. That’s why it was tight. It was warning you.”

It clicked inside of Eliza’s head. “OH!” she shouted out loud, waking Karl up, he glanced back at them. “Sorry…”

“All good…” Karl muttered, before falling back into a slumber.

Kazuki glanced at Karl, then back at her as the vessel started to slow down. The shuttles were exiting out from the voidway.

“Its feathers also have the ability to ‘connect’ with its user. Phoenixes also have excellent memory.”

“So the feathers you used in the hoodie caused me to have a dream?” she asked. “But… I’ve fallen asleep with it a few times before, hasn’t really happened except for… some occasions?”

Kazuki slid the datapad into his pocket, its holographic visage turning off as he pressed down on his ICAPAD. “Yes. It normally needs a prompt first. Like Synthia, you prompt it and it goes on and on.”

‘At your service?’ A voice crept up from Eliza’s shoulder and uplink. It was Synthia, her holographic figure was yawning, audibly. ‘Oh, travelling are we?’

“Sorry, Synthia… didn’t mean to wake you up,” said Eliza, covering for Kazuki. Kazuki merely remained motionless both in muscle and expression.

“As I was saying…” Kazuki continued, “You need a prompt for its effects to proc. Phoenixes are very emotional creatures. That may have influenced it. Though research is limited, given how few there are in the galaxy.”

“Then…” Eliza’s face grew in slight horror.

Just how does Kazuki have these hoodies, then?! Did… No, she refused to believe that.

Kazuki’s eyes skidded away. No, Eliza thought, don’t do that. He opened his mouth. “What I am about to tell you is a classified secret. You can keep a secret, right?”

No. This cannot be what she thinks it is, right? Kazuki wouldn’t do that, but… would he? She has no idea. After all these months, she really can’t get a good read on him, can she? Back during high school she didn’t know who was, and in university she happily went on with her life as he bled.

‘Miss Elizabeth?’ asked Synthia. ‘Is something the matter?’

Kazuki shrugged in response, then Synthia returned a slow nod.

He continues to bleed, yet he’s fine with this? Kazuki’s only known death for the past ten years. However, she felt confident in knowing she could understand him, just a little bit.

And even now, just who was she to him? A burden, perhaps? Her thoughts quickly silenced as Synthia leaned against her cheek.

‘Well, I see you two are in a secretive mood, are we? I’ll leave you two be, then.’ Synthia said, as she deactivated, the holographic visage forming back into Eliza’s uplink and glasses. ‘I’ll keep an eye on, however.’

“Fine… I’ll keep another secret, then.” Eliza thought to herself.

“Thank you,” he said.

She braced herself to hear what he had to say, knowing that it might be something even she can’t forgive him for.

“I have a pet Phoenix hidden in the Trasian Imperial Palace. It sheds its feathers and I have my tailor produce clothes utilising it.”

Oh… so that was it! Eliza heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that Kazuki’s family would have hunted the Phoenixes down. But why would they?! They’re the family’s sigil. “Well, it’s nice to protect endangered animals,” she said. “Especially if it's domesticated.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Tamed. Not domesticated. You can never domesticate a Phoenix. Trust me, my ancestors have been trying for centuries.” Kazuki crossed his arms. “My aunt was the ‘closest’ to properly domesticating them.”

She stopped, as her head slowly tilted towards the viewport. An explosion rattled around the shuttles as they left the voidway. And alas: real space. It was dark, filled with dots and lights - nothing like the colourful chaos of the interdimensional warp.

“Also… do you like the black variants? I don’t see you with any other colour,” said Kazuki. Eliza’s curiosity was piqued, though her face showed anything but that: mainly showing confusion more than curiosity.

Kazuki quickly extended out his hand, grabbing onto her hoodie’s hood. She felt his rough hand pull on something within it as the hoodie morphed colour. Huh? She looked down at her chest… It was a different colour. She then looked back up at him.

“Wait… it can do that?” she asked.

“Yeah?” He sounded too nonchalant with it. Colour changing clothes aren’t new to the galaxy, but Eliza hasn’t exactly had the use for them; plus they’re normally used for professional or formal clothes! “Is there a problem?”

Eliza immediately grabbed onto a loose string within her hood, pulling against it light a light switch. And the colour morphed again, and again, and again. She smiled, seeing a full rainbow of hoodies packed into one…

‘Must be quite expensive to make these hoodies, then?’ asked Synthia.

Kazuki nodded and sighed. “Not as expensive as you think they are. Tailors just ramp up the prices because people think it's expensive.”

Switching through the wheel of hues, Eliza chose violet. “I didn’t think colours were your thing.”

“It’s not,” he said. “My sister forces me to share hoodies. And… she complains about my lack of colours.”

With everything Kazuki’s said about his sister, Eliza wasn’t all too surprised at that. Still, she found it quite nice that he’d do something like this.

‘Arbiter! We’re here,’ said a voice over the uplink. Luckily, Eliza’s clearance within the AGENCY allowed her to hear the communication links.

“Huh?” Karl was awoken once again, as he shifted back into his pilot position.

Eliza realised that this would be her first taste of Lautrasia, the savvy business brain of the Grandé Republic.

Looking out of the cockpit view-screen, she saw it. A verdant blue planet, littered and dotted with islands all over it. Rims of stations orbited around it, glittering with lights.

“Lautrasia… Must be nice to finally be home, right Kazuki?” she asked, feeling warmth and determination. “So… what are we doing here anyways?”

She looked back at him, though he kept his face and eyes firmly planted forward.

“Simple. This Dassant is being hosted by the Marquis Fer-Charelota. There’s a lot of people. First impressions are everything,” said Kazuki. His voice maintained a level of authority and ruthlessness that she was all too familiar with from him, yet this felt even more… brutal. “And I intend to make the right first impressions.”

∗ ∗ ∗

No problems with traffic, as expected. They knew he was coming. And for once, that was a good thing. The shuttles broke off in various directions, with Karl’s shuttle heading straight towards their location. Kazuki kept still, as Eliza peered through the cockpit’s view-screen, her eyes wide open.

Kazuki glanced over her shoulder as he stood up. They were driving straight through suburban Lautrasia, in one of the bordering towns.

“Something wrong?” he asked, expecting trouble… There shouldn’t be any, but better safe than sorry.

“I’ve… seen the photos, but… It looks amazing!” She shouted, twisting back towards Kazuki. He took a good look at the street they were on. He’s been here before. “So many stalls…”

Holographic signs and posters plastered the lamp posts and walls, a thousand street stalls lined up as people made way for any oncoming traffic. It was just a regular Lautrasian country town.

Sure, it had many architectural designs similar to the old cultures on the eastern fringes of the Eurasian plate, but it was also integrated into the new technology of the modern age. It was an amalgamation of all those cultures, mixed into a boiling pot from the crusades.

But to him, nothing changed. What was so special? He wondered for a moment.

“I… don’t get it. It’s always looked like this,” said Kazuki. “Though… I guess seeing a massive street food market for the first time would be daunting. It was for me.”

Whilst Anagora was most definitely the most built up and urbanised planet in the galaxy, Lautrasia wasn’t too shabby either.

“Oooh, that’s a shrine!” Eliza exclaimed, looking at a passing temple shrine to the Goddess Iris. It was the Zen interpretation, yet Kaz didn’t care. He knew that entity was little more than a saving diety.

A trade hub along Liberator’s Corridor, it benefited greatly from galactic trade, even after the Crisis’ economic downturn. Said downturns that the galaxy has not recovered from.

“Well, it’s like I’m a tourist here,” she said. Well, she wasn’t wrong, Kazuki thought. “So this is Lautrasia?”

“A part of it.” He nodded, sitting back down as the shuttle veered off to the side onto one of the side streets. He glanced out of the window, seeing mainly red, chestnut and black haired people.

“Just wish we knew more about our ancestors… Apparently many storage banks were destroyed during the many wars aeons ago.”

Her head looked towards some of the food stalls. Even at a mere glance in a slow vehicle, Kazuki knew what it was. Hot, spicy ezels. “Woah…” Food in the countryside was far more wild and flavourful than the savoury smoothness of the big cities, Kaz thought.

Kazuki nodded his head. “Go back far enough and the data trail goes cold.”

Nodding in agreement, she sighed. She must be thinking about how much knowledge was lost across the ages.

Theonars mainly had blonde features with their distinctive tattoos. The Yamikoi were generally sun scorched tan and face paint. Feonar-Theonars and Justicari-Theonars were characterised by pale and blonde hair… The Bellicanos, people from the High Table like Eliza, his mother and the Marquis, were characterised by their pale skin. The Sari had white and silver hair, though their hair necklaces were much more noticeable.

Kazuki spent some time unwinding the various things and theories of old about humanity’s pre-stellar history. And Trasians? Red, Chestnut or Black hair, with red eyes to boot.

“Humanity use to mainly eat bread as well…” Eliza trailed off.

“Seems like we’re thinking of the same thing,” Kazuki commented, as Eliza chuckled.

He didn’t get the joke.

Kazuki felt a small measure of sorrow at the thought of the old planet. It was strange… But he did wonder what wonders lied on the cradle world of mankind…

“Differing cultures intermingled. Over the generations, it blended into one giant mess,” Kazuki said. He sat back down beside her.

“You know, you seem quite fond of talking when it’s a topic you’re interested in,” Eliza remarked.

Kazuki stay quiet for a moment, before responding, “I speak when I need to, and only for as much as I need. My hands do most of the talking.”

Chuckling, Eliza remarked, “So you still don’t like talking, do you?”

Maybe. Kazuki didn’t give her a verbal answer. Instead, he looked at her, with a calm expression. Her face immediately recognised the aura of tranquillity. It was not one that Kazuki held in high regards.

Even so, Eliza picked his ‘happy’ feelings up. She ran with them. “Awh, so Barclay was right after all! You can be happy when the times get high!” Eliza teased him.

He sighed, dropping the face. It wasn’t a facade, like Archius’, rather a blend of truths and lies into a concoction he directs… Still, Kazuki did feel somewhat ‘happy’. Whatever the word meant. He thinks it means somewhat to be at peace… or is linked to it. If that is the case, then yeah. He is happy…

Perhaps not. The sentence was alien to him. Eliza started to peer out once again, looking around like an enthusiastic tourist.

“How good is your Trasian?” Kazuki asked.

Eliza raised an eyebrow... “Not particularly well?” she admitted. “Will that be a problem.”

Kaz felt as if he wanted to get back at her... “Trasians are isolationist by nature. Many of us don’t speak Galastand,” Kazuki lied. He crossed his arms, staring blankly at her.

Her face slowly went pale, highlighting her freckles and blood-red eyes. “Wait... Really? Barely?”

“No,” Kazuki interjected. She looked relieved. “None of us,” he sarcastically remarked – but with his voice and tone he sounded serious.

Eliza’s eyes went dead. “I... Can I even... converse with them?”

Kazuki nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t we speak Galastand... If... Archius tells you that it says gullible on the ceiling... Don’t.”

She heaved a small sigh of relief... “Kaz...” She then chuckled slightly.

Hovering, holographic lanterns inscribed with the street names floated above the streets. It was rows and columns of houses, restaurants, bars and markets - as he remembered. And just as traditional. Each corner and street had the brightness, colour and grit that placed even Anagora to shame, at a much more compact package.

Kazuki hated to admit it, but he felt some level of pride in his people. The shuttle started to slow down, turning into a side street.

“Oh, we’re stopping here?” Eliza asked, stepping away as she sat down opposing Kazuki.

He nodded. “When the door opens, follow me.”

As the shuttle slowed to a halt, Karl looked back towards them. “I’ll keep the shuttle ready, you’re good to go.”

“Good.”

Kazuki walked towards the side door of the shuttle, opening it up as lights blared into the shuttle from outside. Warmth hit his face. It was hot, dry and arid. It felt nice. Anagoran Chyari lls and Narisan wastes probably sapped the heat from him.

He lingered a moment inside, before stepping out. The streets were paved with ornate symbols, of a dead language aeons ago. It was mainly for show, the tourists don’t speak dead languages.