It was quiet in hell. All the bodies were gone. The streets were covered in virgin snow. The oil leaking from the pumps crystallised into spiky icicles.

The city was whole, the skyscrapers standing as a labyrinth of monoliths. On each window, there were names and numbers written in frost. Each and every window in the city was someone's tombstone. A receipt for the lives lost around Belaphorde.

Arms reached around the young man, sharp claws digging into his skin. The Knave held Belaphorde and became his obsidian throne. Warm blood ran down his sleeves and stained the pure white snow. He sighed. Looming doom was an unusual comfort. The pain was something real when the rest of his brain was numb. His breath caught in his throat as the obsidian in his heart bloomed out into a bouquet of swords that stabbed through his arms and legs and skewered his head.

Belaphorde woke up with a familiar, painful feeling of home. They had stumbled through their mission the day before, but they won, got home, took warm baths, and went to warm beds. Belaphorde wanted to see the Knave again so he could understand what it had meant when it said. Outside his full wall-length window, Kaleido shimmered. The sun had yet to rise over the skyscrapers. He could not tell if it was this city that was cursed, bearing down on him with it’s inherent sickness, or if he was just completely incapable of finding comfort in soft things. He realised with dread that he wanted to go to the Outskirts. His body wanted to return to his kind of normal. Belaphorde didn’t understand this new world he was in and felt powerless before it. Kaleido shimmered. Belaphorde looked away and headed for the treadmill.

***

Bruised, irritated, and with a bottle of energy drink in his system, Belaphorde lined up along side the Espers for training. Kaigo had spent the whole evening arguing with management as the bodycam footage was analysed. After Xablé received a "warning,” he had been moved into the Kaiju-force. Both were pissed, throwing quips at each other while munching on their breakfast bars. But all the same, they lined up and listened as the large black woman took the stage.

“As your new coach, all I can say is that I'm disappointed in each and every one of you dipshits.” Valentina crossed her arms. Ever since the Knave’s Moon incident, she had been chosen to lead the Kaiju-force. She had a background in coaching high-level Espers and was licensed as a personal trainer. Though for the past year, with the lack of operating Espers, she had been turned into a solo agent, hopping in wherever she was needed. She gritted her teeth. She hated to be pushed around and wanted to whail on the Guild for it’s incompetence. Sure, it was good to be back in the chaocing position, but that was only because the Guild could not get anyone actually qualified and with Kaiju experience to show up. The Guild’s issues was a wider international crisis of too many monsters and not enough people. Valentina was supposed to improvise and turn this sad group of misfits into something that could take on a Kaiju, and most of these children hated each other already.

“Xablé was the one who set up a death trap. I did nothing wrong!” Kaigo threw his hands up in protest.

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“It was just a prank,” Xablé snorted. “I thought nothing in that Dungeon could possibly hurt our S-rank hero. My bad.”

“Fair point. You are correct. Easy breezy except for the part where I got back from the dead like yesterday!”

“Can you both be quiet? Mrs. Valentina doesn't want to hear it, and neither do I.”

Xablé whistled at Belaphorde. “Big words coming from the freak who started all this. Of course you'd be a bootlicker as well as an arse.”

“Shut up, Xablé. Need I remind you that you are on thin fucking ice?” Valentina shot Xalbé down with a look. “Today we are doing endurance training. You will show me all you got and won't leave this arena standing up straight. We'll start with running laps. Espers pick up weights for every lap. You run until I say you are done. Understood?”

“Yes captain. But before we begin I want to remind you I got a family meeting booked and will need to be dismissed with my husband at five latest.”

“Good. Then we got nine hours to go. Move it.”

Vigo rubbed his hands together. “That's one tough lady. Let's see how well we keep up.” He was filled with energy and ready for a challenge.

Belaphorde had no chance to keep up. Espers were simply built better. It didn't matter. The endurance tests kept Bel running. Exhaustion cured him of thoughts. Valentina kept a close eye on the Guide. She had looked over Belaphordes reports. Had seen the scene at the ruined tower with a stolen bike and Kaigo knocked out. Even had to track him down after suddenly disappearing to do God know what in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention the marriage thing with her best friend and taking up so much of her wife's time.

“Guide Belaphorde, come over here.” She called after he had enjoyed a few minutes sweating it out on a bench after a beep test.

“You called, Esper Valentina?” His body was flush. Steady. Gaze ice cold. He had no opinion of the woman in front of him, so he defaulted to acting polite enough.

“I’ve talked with Tina. You will continue to work with her since there’s no one better to develop your Guding capabilities. I don’t think I need to explain how crucial a Guide is to fight a Kaiju.” She paused to allow Belaphorde a chance to respond but was only met with an awkward silence. “Right,” she continued. “However she has told me that since your escapade that you have time and time again refused to have tests run on you. I hope you can see how difficult that makes it for us to help you.”

“With all due respect, I’m performing my role. I know in what areas I can improve. I’m not going to be examined by any machines. And I don’t believe this Guild isn't inhuman enough to force me to take any tests.”

Valentina didn't know how to respond to this snake. Did he have something religious against doctors? What was the angel?

“Is that all you wanted to say, Mrs. Valentina?”

“Yep. That is it for now. You have done the exercises I have asked of you so rest up and get some theory work in. I know Tina has left plenty of reading material for you. I do hope you reconsider your stance, though. It’s better to have clear data, and I promise the equipment is safe.”

“I know. Thank you.” Belaphorde turned on his heel and headed towards the showers. Once the water hit his back his legs begun to shake. He had performed his best and were too tired. His back against the tiles he slid down. For several minutes, he sat on the shower floor. He wanted to go back to the dream were was cold and numb. He looked at the water trailing between his toes. His life in Kaleido had become a fight to become cold and numb. He just needed to hold out until the Kaiju battle. He could disappear into nothing once the Kaiju was dead. He just needed to stay focused and endure.