Chang weaved through buildings, making his way back where he'd left his two students. The midday sun hung in the sky, its rays casting a blinding glare on the wet ground, where melting snow revealed the slick, dark road beneath. He couldn't feel the sun or the temperature. Instead, he observed the bundled figures around him—strangers with arms tightly wrapped around themselves as they braved the windy streets of Delphi City.

So many people. A far cry from the quaintness of Wu village. He would have been overwhelmed by the sight if not for the countless souls he'd already seen pass through the Heaven Gates. They were strange, though. Men and women with oddly revealing and form-fitting clothes. Some women even wore pants! A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Some changes, he thought, were certainly for the better.

When he'd arrived at the street where he'd left them, Chang found the two menacingly staring at passersby. Simon's narrowed eyes fixed on a young man who, upon catching the gaze, hastily turned away, only to stumble into an elderly gentleman with a cane. Nearby, Ros pointed at a woman with ridiculous pink hair and piercings. She pointed back and raised a finger at him.

"What are you imbeciles doing?" Chang asked.

Simon relaxed against the wall of the building behind him. He spoke but kept his eyes focused on Ros. "You told us to read people's auras. It's not as easy as you made it seem."

"I thought I saw one earlier," Ros said. "But it was just a reflection."

Chang's expression darkened as he pinched the bridge of his nose, the weight of their ineptitude pressing down on his patience. "Focus your energy into your sight," he instructed, his voice now measured but strained. "Your psychic power is the fuel that sharpens your senses. Imagine you're a spirit—unable to touch, unable to feel the world around you. Then envision your power as a cloak, draped over you. After that, focus on the part of your cloak that covers your eyes. It's what will grant you the ability to see beyond."

The boys exchanged glances, clearly not fully understanding, while Chang silently prayed for a sliver of progress.

Ros clenched his jaw and stared at a man exiting one of the metal carriages. Of course, nothing happened. He focused intently, willing something—anything—to happen. But, as expected, there was nothing. Chang watched him closely, his doubts about Ros's potential still lingering. Whatever Ros was, it was becoming clear that he was not a psychic.

His gaze locked onto a tall, dark-skinned man walking by. For a moment, nothing happened, and then, suddenly, the man halted mid-step. His veins bulged visibly across his bald scalp, his entire body trembling as if straining against some invisible wall. Simon's eyes flared with a brilliant gold light, the same as before. A surge of joy and triumph filled Chang's chest, though he worked hard to keep his excitement contained.

Simon had the man immobilized—trapped in place with nothing more than a single, piercing look. The King's Eye.

Simon blinked, breaking the spell, and the man collapsed forward, gasping desperately for breath. Confusion spread across his face as he scrambled to stand, while nearby onlookers rushed to his aid, asking questions the man would never be able to answer.

Ros slapped Simon on the back. "How the hell did you do that?"

For the first time that day, Simon turned to Chang, his expression still one of mild disbelief. "I just... did what you told me."

Chang's lips curled into a smile he could no longer suppress. "The King's Eye," he said, "It's an advanced psychic ability, combining both telepathic and telekinetic powers to paralyze an opponent completely."

Simon blinked in surprise. "Did you know I could do that?"

Chang shook his head. "There are many parallels between psychics and spirits. Both draw their abilities from the spiritual realm, but there's no way to know exactly which powers you'll manifest until you do it."

In truth, Chang had only witnessed the King's Eye a handful of times, and only twice by a mortal. His warden, the first human he had seen wield the ability, had a particular affinity for it—though human was a relative term for that creature. Simon, on the other hand, was far less refined, his potential untapped, but Chang could sense it—the boy would grow stronger with time and one day he would return Chang to his home.

"Try it on me!" Ros chimed in, his eagerness bubbling over as he shifted his weight impatiently.

Before either Chang or Simon could respond, a figure burst through the trio—a dark-skinned man with long hair, crashing into Simon and slamming him against the wall while sending Ros stumbling into the street. The man radiated power. Crimson light poured from his skin, swirling chaotically around him

Simon must've noticed because, after a second, he took off in the man's direction. Chang and Ros followed closely behind.

The man looked older than Simon and Ros, but not by much. His thick eyebrows rested heavily on a square, stern face, framed by a wide nose and intense, penetrating eyes. He was built like a warrior, with arms like carved stone and the same height as Ros. The kind of person Chang preferred to avoid—too unpredictable, to punch first ask later. A man like that could shatter the best-laid plans with a single misstep.

The streets of Delphi City seemed endless, each one branching off into countless others, teeming with people at every turn. Chang pushed forward, staying close to Simon, their path constantly obstructed by the bustling crowd.

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Ros's breath came in ragged bursts as he struggled to keep up. "Wait! Isn't that Andre Laguerre? Why are we chasing him?"

Simon pointed at the man. "Don't you see that? The red light around him. I think there's something wrong with him."

Ros, staggered alongside him. "I... can't... see anything," he panted. "Can't you use that king thing of yours to stop him? Chasing the school quarterback... isn't exactly easy on foot."

They skidded to a halt near a low stone bridge. Andre stood a short distance away, his back turned to them. His posture was tense, as though he were in pursuit of something. But what? Chang's eyes narrowed, searching his surroundings.

Down the street, a small girl in a bright pink dress stood in the middle of the road, with her arms outstretched. Carriages swerved wildly around her, their drivers barely managing to avoid catastrophe at the last second. Beside Andre, a woman in a purple jacket was frantically chasing after the child. But before she could reach the girl, Andre snatched her wrist, pulling her back to the safety of the sidewalk. He raised a small bag—its contents indistinguishable to Chang—and at that moment, the little girl let loose an ear-piercing, unnatural shriek.

The woman's panicked scream cut through the air, instantly drawing the attention of the onlookers. People rushed toward her, oblivious to Simon, Ros, and Andre standing just feet away. Out on the street, the girl began to cackle, a cold, unsettling sound that echoed eerily as she stepped into the path of an oncoming carriage.

A man in a yellow shirt bolted toward her, desperate to intervene. But his heroism was in vain. He found himself plastered on the front of the vehicle and onto the street below. Chang watched without flinching. Disgusting, he thought. But definitely not the worst way to go. That was the price of foolishly helping people.

As the man's lifeless body crumpled beneath the vehicle, his spirit shot upward in a gleaming beam of white light. Far above, the clouds churned and twisted, forming a massive blue ring in the sky. At its center, a portal yawned open, and the man's soul passed through effortlessly.

Lucky bastard must've lived a good life, Chang mused. Whatever that meant. The gods were fickle creatures, after all, and each held wildly different views on what constituted a "good" life. The man's soul ascended peacefully—no reapers, no complications.

It's always the stupid ones that get lucky. Chang thought, his mind already shifting back to the chaos below.

Below, Simon's shocked expression snapped Chang back to the task at hand. "Simon, Ros, we need to catch that thing before it hurts someone else."

Chang felt proud of himself. Those words—urgent yet concerned—were the words of a good man. Simon would surely start trusting him soon.

All three boys nodded. Even the larger one called Andre. They sprinted around the mess left by the dearly departed and headed towards the child. Their chase took them to a playground in one of the many parks in the city. Despite the towering skyscrapers and overwhelming technology surrounding them, these people still longed for spaces filled with trees and patches of dirt.

For a little girl, her speed was blinding. Chang tracked her easily enough at first, but even his eyes began to falter. Her high-pitched cackling was the only tell that she was still near them. She was toying with them, no doubt.

"Simon, be careful," Chang warned, his voice grave. "With that speed, we're dealing with an advanced form of possession. The longer the spirit stays inside, the stronger the host becomes."

Simon and Andre nodded, their eyes sharp with determination. But Ros had yet to catch up. The pace had clearly taken its toll on him.

Andre spoke up. "I think it's at least had a year inside of that girl."

From the shadows of a nearby grove, the child's eerie voice rang out, chilling and mocking. "A year? No, no. I've had her since birth. So that would make it seven years."

Chang cringed within. Seven years was enough to leave an adult fully insane even after an exorcism. The effect it would have on a child—a child who had never once controlled her own body— would be disastrous.

"Simon." Chang whispered. "That thing cannot leave here. Take it out and save that girl."

Simon didn't even nod. His eyes brimming with a golden light. He shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, exposing his arms. The kid was ready for a fight, though Chang doubted he fully understood the gravity of what was about to unfold. But he could feel it.

Ros, breathless and pale, finally caught up with the group. "Where is she?"

Andre closed his eyes. His hands pressed together in a prayer-like gesture, the white bag dangling from his wrist. A crimson smoke began to seep from his fingertips, swirling in the air. He pointed to a nearby sandbox, the plume of smoke coiling toward it.

"There."

In an instant, Simon was there. His movements were a blur. He struck down at the mound of sand. The child rolled away just before his fist made contact, a trail of thick, black liquid pouring from her ears.

"You will not take me from her!" The spirit's voice screeched, resonating from the girl's small body. "She needs me!"

Chang squinted, focusing hard, and the faint, translucent figure of a woman came into view. She had short, disheveled hair, and swollen, tear-filled eyes.

Simon sprang into action again, launching himself toward the girl, his body a coiled spring of raw energy. His fist flew at her, but just before making contact, he pulled his punch, gently tapping her forehead instead. He flipped over her, pushing her forward.

Of course. The boy still believed in being good.

As Simon pushed her, Andre moved in swiftly. His face was set with determination. He released the secret contents of his bag—five black marbles. Chang blinked in surprise. Marbles? It looked like a joke. But he knew better than to trust appearances in matters of the spiritual realm.

One by one, each marble sparked with light the moment they hit the ground, igniting the grass beneath them. Then, they floated up and struck out at the girl spinning around her. Flames burst from the marbles, growing higher and higher, encircling the possessed child in a blazing inferno. Every time she tried to flee, the flames closed in tighter, searing the ends of her hair and charring her clothes.

"No! You can't have her. She's my little girl!" The spirit yelled. "I will protect her until she joins me in the afterlife."

Andre pressed his thumbs together. The fiery circle closed in, transforming into a blazing sphere, a prison of fire that trapped both the girl and the spirit inside.

Pyrokinesis. Chang's eyes widened. Impressive. Pyrokinetics were rare. They specialized in the manipulation of fire and the purification of souls. Andre's control over the flames was remarkable, far beyond what Chang had expected from the seemingly brutish man. Another potential pupil, another psychic to add to his growing collection. Where had this sudden surge of luck come from? Why hadn't he had this kind of fortune when he was alive?

He hovered closer to Andre, intrigued by the man's display of power, but stopped himself. Now wasn't the time to admire his new discovery. He needed to focus. They still had a monster to deal with.