– I –

“Princess, before I proceed there is something I must ask.”

“I thought I was doing the asking.”

“Princess, please oblige me.”

“Fine. What’s the question?”

“Where did you see her?”

My gut twinged. “Where did I see her?”

“I was unable to establish a visual lock on her. In other words, I lost sight of her. Therefore, Princess, where was she?”

I exhaled loudly but slowly, giving myself time to choose my words carefully. “I saw her on the side of the building. She was standing on a ledge of some sort. I caught sight of her when I happened to look up.”

Though she was hiding behind a thermoptic camouflage field, her lifeforce aura gave her away. That was what caught my eye against the building’s bleak exterior façade moments before I ran into the megascraper.

Ghost was quiet for a long while before asking in a slow, troubled voice, “Princess, you…saw…her?”

At first, I scowled at the question but then stiffened sharply as I realized something so obvious that it stunned me.

Ghost couldn’t see everything that I could.

He was partly aware of my surroundings because he was tapped into Mirai’s senses, but he wasn’t able to see the life force aura surrounding people. It explained why he was surprised that I could see the woman standing on the side of the building, and why he was puzzled when I referred to my pursuer in the female pronoun.

“Princess?”

My thoughts circled fast like the ball bouncing on a roulette wheel, and when it stopped spinning, they landed on one question.

Should I tell him the truth?

“Princess, how did you—?”

No, bad idea.

“I saw her glider pack,” I blurted in a hurry. “I saw her camouflaged glider pack.”

Ghost was quiet…unnervingly quiet…so I decided to fill in the silence.

“There was light behind her on the ledge. Because of that I was able to see her ghostly glider pack. That’s how I knew it was her.” What I told him wasn’t entirely a lie which was why I took a chance to suggest, “Why don’t you replay my memories?”

“Princess?”

I smiled resentfully. “You can see what I see, hear what I hear, so why not replay my memories? Aren’t you recording everything I see and hear for posterity?”

Once again, Ghost was disconcertingly silent for a long while.

Come on. Don’t disappoint me, Ghost. I know you’re riding my senses. Take a look, see for yourself if I’m lying.

That was what this little exchange was about. It was about trust, and whether we were being honest with each other, so who would come out on top?

“Very well, Princess.”

His solemn response made my heartrate quicken as I waited with bated breath.

Would he confirm what I’d seen, or would he lie about it because truthfully, I didn’t know for certain if he could see through Mirai’s eyes. However, when he spoke again, Ghost sounded humbled.

“Aye, Princess. She was there all along. Your eyesight is truly remarkable.”

I slowly frowned, puzzled about how his words made me feel.

On one hand, I was relieved that he’d confirmed what I’d told him, but on the other hand, I felt somewhat violated knowing that he was in fact looking through my eyes, though he wasn’t able to see everything that Mirai could. Caught between the two emotions, I bowed my head and exhaled heavily as I leaned on the guardrail.

In the end, I guess it made me feel dirty, and it was hardly pleasant.

Raising my head, I stared across the open expanse of the atrium. “Okay, Ghost, your turn. Start talking.”

This time he was quiet for a short while before asking, “Princess, before I begin, please tell me what you intend to do?”

“Ghost, answering a question with a question is rude.”

“I acknowledge that. Nonetheless, please tell me what you intend to do.”

“About what?”

“Do you intend to continue running?”

I had the impression that wasn’t what he really meant to ask me, thus I found his beating-around-the-bush most annoying. However, at face value it was a fair question that he’d posed, so I took a page from his book and replied with one of my own.

“What’s the point of running if she can track me?”

“Indeed.”

“Indeed?” I sharply narrowed my eyes. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Spit it out before I get angry.”

“You may not want to hear what I have to say.”

I snorted loudly. “That’s for me to decide.”

“As you wish, Princess. Then allow me to come clean, so to speak.”

“About what?”

“I did not stop the maglev.”

I was confused at first, but when I caught his drift, my eyes grew wide open. “You didn’t?”

“No. I did not trigger the maglev’s emergency stop, nor did I accelerate its departure from the station in your time of need.”

I quickly reviewed both events in my mind.

Back when the maglev had rushed out of the station, I’d thanked the Goddess of Good Fortune for saving me. At least now I knew it wasn’t Ghost who’d been acting in her stead.

“Does this mean I’m blessed?” I wondered aloud. “Is the Goddess of Good Fortune really looking out for me?”

“Princess, I am not sure how to answer that.”

I shook my head and waved a hand. “Well, if it wasn’t the Goddess who saved me, then who did?”

“While I sincerely doubt a higher power was involved, it is nonetheless a very good question.”

But was I ready for the answer?

I considered Ghost’s earlier question regarding what I intended to do next, and ended up looking in the direction of the wide corridor leading northward out of the megascraper – the same corridor through which I’d entered the building a few minutes ago.

Staring hard at it, I asked myself a simple question with no simple answer.

Would she come after me? In other words, with her thermoptic camouflage, would my pursuer make her way into the building?

The only way I could see her would be if I spotted a lifeforce aura surrounding nothing but empty air. However, with numerous people coming and going into the building, and hundreds more ambling about on the various balconies encircling the atrium, it would be difficult for me to pick her out from the crowd because there were too many auras radiating from too many bodies. That worked in her favor, and she could hide herself from view while tracking me from a distance.

In short, I was at a disadvantage…or was I?

Would she make a move on me with so many people around? Would she risk sneaking up on me?

No, something in my gut told me that we’d moved onto the next stage, and the chase was now a game of wait-and-see, but was the next move mine to make or was it hers?

And then there was Ghost’s admission to consider.

“So, you have no idea who helped me out?”

“I have one or two suspects…none of whom are deities.”

I sneered at his jibe, then cocked my head slightly. “How about the Sanreals?”

“Possibly…though unlikely.”

“Then who? Who else do you suspect?” When he answered me with silence, I whispered harshly at him, “Ghost, tell me…now.”

“I would rather not say until I have collected more information.”

That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, and I exhaled in exasperation through clenched teeth.

If the Sanreals hadn’t lent me a helping hand, and it wasn’t Ghost or the Goddess, then who had? Were they friend or foe, in which case, had my running away from Erina exposed me to danger from them? Thus, was I at risk of falling into somebody else’s clutches?

“Damn it.” I growled under my breath. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

Looking down, I noticed I was clenching my hands.

I forced them open, and then shook them to relax my fingers.

However, the oppressive combination of despair and frustration in my chest was something I couldn’t dispel. It pressed upon my lungs, making it uncomfortable for me to breathe. Adding in all the uncertainty surrounding me, I felt as though the ground would swallow me up without warning.

In a panic, I looked away from the corridor, while simultaneously turning my back on the atrium that I now regarded as the proverbial abyss.

Struggling to calm down, I found myself facing the shops on this floor.

Many of Ar Telica’s megascrapers had retail outlets occupying their lower levels – say the first 10 to 15 floors out of a few hundred. This building was no different from them, and there were dozens of shops encircling the atrium on the level I was standing on, and almost all of them were still open for business, catering to the slow moving crowd of shoppers ambling by.

Standing directly opposite me and across the crowd was a ghostly girl.

At sight of her, my heart jumped in fright and a cold shiver raced through me.

It took me a few seconds to realize it was Mirai’s reflection in a shop window about a dozen meters away. It took a while longer for me to calm down, and when I’d sufficiently recovered, I walked away from the balcony railing, through the crowd, and over to the front of the store.

“Princess, where are you going?”

I ignored Ghost as I stopped before the windowpane, then quietly studied Mirai’s reflection. Unlike the VTOL’s cabin windows, the shopfront window clearly reflected her tousled state, and my chest filled with deepening regret the longer I stared at her battered appearance.

“What have I done…?” I whispered softly as I met Mirai’s eyes.

Not only had I taken her for granted, but I had also made her suffer because of my impulsive nature. It was true that she had presented a defensive posture to the Simulacra Sisters, and that had sent them the wrong message, but it was my loss of control that gave Pearson a reason to hit the panic button, and Mirai had suffered for it. Now with the distinct possibility that someone else was toying with me, I deeply regretted how I’d treated her.

There was a saying, “My body is my temple.”

I certainly hadn’t treated my temple very well.

To take the analogy further, Mirai wasn’t a car that I could drive around madly and then hand back. Granted, she was more of a tank, but that wasn’t an excuse to drive her through walls and expect her to come through without a scratch. That said, my shoulder felt healed and I doubted there was even a blemish on her belly after all the scorching it had received. Either way, in holding true to the analogy, Mirai wasn’t something – or someone – I could trade-in when I was done with her.

It forced me to admit a very bitter truth.

“Maybe, I could have done things differently….”

Overwhelmed with guilt and regret, I was unable to look her reflection in the eye, and so I turned away from Mirai and stood with my back to the windowpane.

I knew that by doing so I was shutting her out, but I simply couldn’t face her.

“Princess, are you all right…?”

I shook my head slowly. “No, no I’m not….”

Deep regret wrapped itself around my heart – regret at the toll my actions had inflicted on Mirai.

I sighed heavily and my breathing was shaky. “Ghost, did I make a mistake by running?”

“Perhaps, Princess, perhaps.”

I took another deep breath that I then slowly released as I regarded my surroundings.

If Ghost was to be believed, then I had many problems to contend with, however, the woman hunting me down was the most immediate of them.

“What do I do?” I whispered to myself. “What do I do if she comes after me?”

However, it was Ghost who replied, “The question, Princess, is whether you intend to continue running.”

I mulled it over, then decided, “I’ll stop running when they stop chasing me.”

“That will take some time to arrange. Indeed, I believe it best to allow your sister to handle that matter. I can lend her my support, but your actions are difficult to justify.”

I clicked my tongue at him. “You’re blaming me for this?”

“No, I blame Doctor Pearson. However, while she lit the fire, you gave her the fuel that turned a candle flame into a bonfire.”

“Thanks for your support,” I groused.

“I am simply saying it like it is,” he retorted.

I huffed loudly, then turned around to glance at Mirai’s reflection.

Again, the deep regret I felt pushed my other feelings aside.

I despised what Erina had done to me, but had I subconsciously vented out my feelings on Mirai because she was Erina’s creation?

Since waking up inside and in control of her, had I ever treated Mirai with care and respect?

What have I been doing all this time?

The answer was simple.

I had run her ragged from the get-go.

I had put her life on the line numerous times.

I had used her like she was someone else’s property…and someone else’s problem.

However, Mirai was an innocent just like I was, and while I had yet to accept her as me – or myself as her – I couldn’t continue treating her this way. I had to stop subjecting Mirai to the anger, resentment, and hatred that I felt toward Erina because Mirai wasn’t my punching bag.

My body is my temple, and Mirai is my temple.

Ghost intruded into my thoughts as I arrived at a painful, yet necessary understanding.

“Princess, I ask you again. Do you wish to continue running?”

The question made me shudder involuntarily, and I forced myself to meet Mirai’s eyes reflected in the permaglass window.

She had taken a beating, yet her gaze remained strong and unyielding.

I also believed that she understood how I felt, and that she was forgiving me, or at the very least, she was willing to give me another chance.

Honestly, I wasn’t ready to forgive myself for treating her – and thereby me – without regard, but I needed to make a change, and now was as good a time as any.

Taking a deep, quiet breath, I then released it loudly in a rush. “Ghost, I don’t plan on getting shot.”

“Then you intend to continue running?”

I wet my lips slowly. “Maybe….”

“Very well, Princess, then I suggest you change your clothes. I am now certain there are tracking filaments embedded into them. If you wish to improve your chances of eluding pursuit, then a change of clothes is in order.”

A slow frown spread across my forehead as I looked behind Mirai’s reflection at the mannequins inside the store modelling this summer’s fashion, and at the previews of the upcoming spring lineup displayed on rotating holovid billboards.

“Maybe,” I murmured again, feeling uneasy all of a sudden, and the longer I looked at the clothes on display, the more unsettled I became because changing clothes and running was beginning to feel like the wrong choice to make, but I wasn’t ready to give it up just yet.

Keeping my voice at a mere whisper, I gave the mannequins and holo-billboards a steady look. “Ghost, there’s a shop right in front of me, but I don’t have any money on me. I don’t even have my phone. So how can I get a change of clothes?”

“Princess, I have access to your accounts. I can quote to you the sixteen digit security code that will grant you access to a stipend from your trust fund.”

My frown deepened and so too did Mirai’s. “My trust fund?”

“Yes, the trust fund containing your three hundred and sixty million dorans.”

My thoughts shattered like a stained-glass window with a brick thrown through it, and my mind blanked out for a moment.

When I could think again, I was still at a loss.

Three hundred and sixty million dorans? THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY MILLION!

The things I could do with that money.

I could buy myself an island, or a starship, or an asteroid retreat somewhere in the Kempfer Belt at the edge of the solar system.

Wait—why would I want to buy myself a rock in the middle of nowhere?

Thinking the idea ludicrous, I didn’t notice Ghost was calling out to me. He sounded very far away, though gradually drawing nearer.

“…Princess…Princess…Teloria to the Princess. Anybody home?”

I closed my eyes for a moment. “Ghost, I can hear you. I just need a moment.”

“Princess, a moment is something you do not have.”

Opening my eyes, I drawled out, “Fine. I get it. But if I use that money, won’t they know that I’ve accessed the account?”

“Indeed, they will. Therefore, I have another suggestion.”

I grimaced in anticipation before muttering, “I’m all ears.”

“The charity donation bins.”

I might have been wrong, but Ghost sounded a tad cheerful when he said that. However, I paid it little mind. Instead, what forcefully grabbed my attention was suddenly realizing what I’d failed to pin down earlier – that changing clothes was a bad idea.

I shook my head slowly. “I can’t do that.”

“You will not raid the charity donation bins?”

“No, Ghost. I mean changing clothes. I won’t do it.”

Ghost paused before guardedly asking, “Why not, Princess?”

“Because it’s a bad idea.” I crossed my arms slowly. “If I change clothes, the Sanreals won’t send just one person after me. They’ll send an army. And I can’t run from an army.”

It would also escalate my already dire situation into a really, really bad one.

However, there was another option to choose from – one I’d been subconsciously considering ever since I lamented putting Mirai through the wringer.

It was the unpleasant notion of reaching a compromise.

I exhaled slowly, suddenly fatigued as I made a most difficult decision.

“Ghost, I want to talk Erina.”

– II –

I chose not to change clothes – at least for now – since doing so would impact on my negotiations with Erina.

Instead, I decided to purchase a phone.

Courtesy of Mirai’s wetware, I knew the local time was 1:30 in the morning. However, since Ar Telica and its sister cities never slept, almost every retail outlet in the building was open for business until 3:00 am. Considering the sheer number of stores, there had to be one that sold photronic equipment such as phones.

But first, I needed money.

Following Ghost’s directions, I took an elevator down to the ground floor of the megascraper’s atrium shopping mall. From there, I headed to a bank outlet. The bank was closed for business, but the teller machine wasn’t.

Ghost’s instructions allowed me to access my trust fund account. That required entering my sixteen digit PIN, answering a few security questions, granting the machine permission to scan my features, and then signing my name on the console as a last ditch measure to prove my identity as Isabel val Sanreal.

Once completed, I had access to Isabel’s monthly allowance: ten thousand dorans.

That was more money than most people earned in a month.

I can’t say I didn’t salivate a little at the thought of what I could spend it on.

However, I mentioned that the Sanreals were being stingy with Isabel’s money. Ghost countered by declaring that I needed to demonstrate I could be responsible with her money. For that matter, he questioned why I would want a larger monthly allowance, but I told him I’d give him an answer when the need arose for more than 10,000 dorans a month.

In the end, I transferred half that amount onto a cash card. Once I had a phone, I would install the app into it that would allow me to make purchases with it, but for now, the cash card would do. Also, it couldn’t be blocked by the Sanreals. It was just like paying with soft plastic money in the old days. Thus, even if they noticed the transfer of Isabel’s money, the Sanreals couldn’t stop me from using what I had on the cash card.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Then I was off to buy a much needed phone.

It may sound strange that despite all the advancements in tech made since the first cell phone hit the market in the late 20th century, it was still as popular as ever. There have been cyber implants since the mid 21st century, but they were troublesome and costly if they had to be replaced or upgraded on a regular basis. And some people weren’t cut-out for them, suffering from immune system rejection issues. Naturally, those issues have attracted lawsuits, court cases, and a lot of finger pointing as to who is responsible for them.

Wetware aside, even though other comm devices got smaller and more powerful, and augmented reality enhanced how people stayed connected with each other, the humble handheld cell phone had nonetheless endured for almost three centuries. I guess there was something about having the device in hand, holding it up to your ear, and not looking like you were having a conversation with an invisible friend that only existed in your head.

I followed Ghost’s directions and travelled to a store on the twelfth floor that sold a vast variety of photronic equipment. That meant everything from home appliances to personal items like cell phones. I was attended to by a middle-aged lady with a somewhat languid disposition that suited me fine because she didn’t ask any questions regarding my shabby appearance.

The problem was Ghost.

He prattled on and on about which phone I should buy.

Eventually I grew furious, hissed at him to shut up, and then picked out a snazzy flip-top simply because he’d been telling me to avoid their kind. That said, I happened to like the design, so I felt comfortable with my selection.

The next issue was the service plan. Since I lacked ID, the best I could do was purchase a disposable SIM card that would allow me to make a few hundred calls before it ran out.

Naturally, I paid for both using the cash card.

With my priority purchases completed, I rode the escalators up another handful of levels to a floor with cafés and restaurants. Choosing a trendy establishment with balcony seating, I went inside to order a ham and cheese croissant sandwich and a light, lemon soda. My selection did furrow the brow of the sales lady serving behind the tall display counter that was brimming with a delicious range of cakes and pastries that made my stomach rumble. In the end, I added a crème brulee to the order, and oddly that seemed to appease her.

Taking a seat at an empty table out on the balcony facing the atrium, I proceeded to activate my phone while I waited for my order to be delivered. I had the phone up and running a few minutes later, by which time a young waitress brought my food to the table.

The first contact I added to the phone was Erina’s number.

Ghost quoted her phone number to me, and I saved it away under the name, BITCH.

Needless to say, he wasn’t impressed though he did understand why I chose that label for her. However, what puzzled him was that I then chose to dig into my sandwich rather than make the call to Erina.

I washed down a mouthful of the croissant with a healthy swig from the soda bottle. “I refuse to speak to that bitch on an empty stomach.”

Ghost sighed despondently. “Princess, are you implying you would lose your appetite?”

I paused with the croissant halfway to my mouth. “That’s a good question.” I then shrugged. “Yeah, probably.”

Wolfing down the remainder of the sandwich, I then gulped down the lemon soda, wiped my lips with the back of my hand, then sat back and patted my belly.

“Princess, please use a napkin.”

“Argh—you are so annoying,” I grumbled as I plucked a napkin from the dispenser on the table. Wiping my mouth dry, I sat back again and stared across the atrium at the various floors I could see.

“Princess?”

I swallowed heavily, forcing down the burp I could feel working its way up my chest.

“Princess?”

“What?” I grumbled at him.

“Are you going to make that call?”

“What’s the rush?” I retorted. “If they know I’m here, then so be it.” I drank down some more soda. “Let them stew for a while.”

Ghost fell into what I presumed was a contemplative silence, but it didn’t last for long. “Princess, are you planning on talking to your sister—”

“Former sister,” I corrected him.

“—or are you planning to draw her in.”

I hesitated for a handful of heartbeats before asking, “Draw who in?”

“The woman hunting you.”

The corners of my lips curled into a sly smile. “The thought had crossed my mind.”

I had toyed with the notion of waiting her out.

Was she waiting outside the building? If so, how long before she got tired of standing on a ledge and came inside to look for me? Or was she the kind to follow orders down to the letter? For example, if her superiors told her to stay outside all morning, would she do it?

It made me wonder what kind of person she was.

“Ghost, do you know who she is?”

“Princess?”

“The woman following me—the one who chased me across the rooftop. Do you know who she is?”

Ghost sounded surprisingly hesitant when he replied, “Since you insist that she is a woman, I have narrowed the list of suspects down to a handful of candidates.”

“Really? Wow, you work fast.”

“But of course I do, Princess.”

“So, is she someone I know?”

Again, there was a telling pause from Ghost before he replied, “Well, perhaps….”

I arched an eyebrow. “Who is she?”

“I will tell after you make the call to Doctor Kassius.”

I slammed the soda bottle onto the table. “Ghost, who is she?”

“No dice, Princess. My lips are sealed until then.”

“Ghost,” I growled.

However, there was no reply.

Bastard, I cursed him inwardly as my gaze fell on the flip-top phone lying on the table.

“Better keep your word,” I warned him as I picked it up, “or there’s going to be Hell to pay.”

Flipping the phone open, I hesitated for a handful of seconds before calling Erina’s number.

She answered it promptly with a brusque demand.

“Who is this? How did you get this number?”

It was so like Erina to answer an unknown caller that way, but hearing her voice made me suffer a reflux of contempt that burned my throat.

I had to swallow twice before I could muster a suitable reply.

“Guess who, bitch.”

There was a lengthy pause before Erina anxiously asked, “Isabel?”

“That’s a hole-in-one. Give the—”

“Princess,” Ghost warned me sharply. “Negotiate. N. E. G. O. T. I. A. T. E.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and reconsidered my choice words. “Give the woman a cigar.”

Another heavy pause followed before Erina asked, “Where are you?”

“You already know where I am. My clothes are bugged. I bet you’re watching me on a holovid map of the city right now.”

For a third time, Erina was silent for a long while before bluntly demanding, “Isabel, we need to talk.”

I nodded at an imaginary image of the accursed woman, then quickly tossed it out of my head. The phone did have a holovid call feature. But truthfully, looking at Erina’s face right now – even an imaginary version of her – was likely to set me off like a freak accident in a fireworks factory. I needed all my faculties operating at Grandmaster level when facing an Alpha of her caliber. Yet, the desire to throw knives at her was strong – very, very strong – so much so that I needed several seconds to gain a firm grip on my emotions.

When satisfied that I wasn’t going to lose it, I replied in agreement with Erina.

“Yep, we need to talk. That’s why I spent a thousand dorans of Isabel’s money on this fancy new phone. Oh, I chose a flip-top. Remember when I wanted a phone and I picked out a flip-top. But you told me only girls use those. Well, guess what? I’m a girl now!”

I felt like flipping her the bird, but instead pumped a fist in the air.

Erina exhaled loud enough for me to understand she was annoyed. Then again, when was she ever happy with me?

“Congratulations. I won’t ask how you gained access to your money. Was it Revenant?”

“You just said you weren’t going to ask.”

“Isabel, come home.”

I sneered weakly. “I’m surprised you didn’t demand that right off the bat.”

“Come home. It’s for your own good.”

I shook my head. “No, not yet.”

“Does that mean you will come home?”

“In due time.”

“Isabel—”

“Erina, I need some time alone.”

My declaration was met with stony silence that lasted at least half a minute before I heard from her again.

“I can’t authorize that.”

My eyes widened, then narrowed quickly into thin slits as I realized my suspicions were on the money. Somebody was either undermining her authority or pulling rank on her. This presented a distinct problem that I needed to approach cautiously.

“Then who can?” I asked her in a clipped tone. “Who can give me permission?”

The sound of her breathing was all I could hear on the line for a handful of seconds. “Isabel, the situation is complicated—”

“You mean because somebody helped me out and you don’t know who it is? Is that what you mean by complicated?”

I could picture Erina narrowing her eyes at me.

“Isabel, tell me one thing. Are you in contact with Revenant?”

I pursed my lips for a second, puzzled as to why she was asking. “Yeah, Ghost is with me. He’s been a big help keeping me safe.”

“I see….”

I sat forward in the chair and rested an elbow on the table. “Don’t you know that already?”

“Revenant has been less than cooperative with us. Getting in touch with him has proven fruitless.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

Ghost wasn’t playing ball with them? Why not?

The question made me frown.

For that matter, why haven’t they pulled they plug on him or yanked him back in line? Just what kind of authority does Ghost have?

A cold, shiver trickled slowly down my back.

Could it be…they’re afraid of him?

I wet my lips slowly. “Erina, as I said already Ghost has been keeping me safe. I’m not lying to you. He’s been…invaluable.” I paused before stressing, “Don’t you dare take him away from me.”

“I have no intention of doing so.”

She sounded distinctly annoyed, so I decided not to press her further on that matter. Instead, I changed tracks on her.

“Erina, do you know who interfered with the chase? Who stopped the maglev?”

“We’re still looking into that, which is why I would prefer that you return to the apartment.”

I swallowed quietly while in thought. “Can I be spirited away like last time?”

“Spirited away?”

“Translocated. Can that be done to me like it was”—my voice caught for a moment—“like it was done to Ronin?”

“No, not without a beacon to establish a point-to-point translocation.”

“Like the one you have in my clothes?” I sniped unhappily.

“Absolutely not. It’s simply not powerful enough to act as a beacon for the translocator. The output required is a hundred fold what the tracer can provide.”

That genuinely puzzled me. “Then how was Ronin zapped from place to place. I don’t remember ever having had a beacon on me.”

“The beacon was installed into the light-guns you were using.”

That was surprising to hear. “Really? The guns gave me away?”

“I don’t have time to make things up, Isabel.”

I huffed loudly. “Fine. I get it. So unless I’ve got a sizeable beacon on me, I can’t be spirited away.”

“Why do you insist on calling it that?”

“What—you have a problem with my terminology?”

Ghost whispered into my ear. “Princess, calm down.”

“Shut up,” I snapped at him.

“Did you tell me to shut up?” Erina demanded tersely.

“No, not you,” I replied to her. “Just tell me. How close do I have to be within the range of the beacon to be zapped from place to place?”

“At least within six feet.”

“Is there any way for me to know if a beacon is active around me?”

Instead of Erina, Ghost answered my question. “Princess, the wetware inside your head should be sensitive to the translocation field. You should be able to sense its presence as it manifests.”

I quickly muted the call so Erina couldn’t hear me ask, “Are you talking about that nauseous feeling I get in my gut?”

I had the impression Ghost was shaking his head at me. “No. The wetware should be able to detect the beacon’s signal.”

I thought back to the occasion when I was transported from the island known as the Training Grounds to the desert location where I encountered the Gun Queen of Ar Telica. “Ghost, I don’t remember feeling anything back when I was first yanked from the island to the desert.”

“That’s because that feature was turned off.”

I closed my eyes slowly. “Ghost.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“After this, you and I need to have a long talk.”

“Regarding?”

“Regarding all my hidden features.” I opened my eyes. “Am I making myself clear?”

“Perfectly, Princess.”

“Good.” I unmuted the call. “Erina, are you still there?”

“Where the Hell did you go?”

“Relax. I was having a private conversation with Ghost.”

I listened to her exhale loudly. “Isabel, listen to me. For your own good, please return to the apartment.”

“Or what? You’ll have that bitch chase me down?”

“Isabel—”

“Erina, I told you before. I need some time alone. Okay? I just need to get away from you. Right now, I can’t stand the thought of being anywhere near you. You get me?”

The phone’s audio quality had amazing clarity, because again I could hear her frustrated breathing on the open line.

“Isabel, I am trying to protect you.”

“What?” I glared at the phone for a moment before bringing it back up to my ear. “Did you say protect me?”

“Yes, Isabel.”

Someone how I managed to keep my anger in check, but it sure as Hell wasn’t easy. “Erina, you’ve got a frekked up way of going about it.”

“Isabel, until we know who interfered—”

“You mean saved my ass!”

“—you need to return to the apartment. I’m telling you this for your own safety.”

I started shaking my head but quickly stopped. “Erina, you’ve got that crazy woman shooting electro-flechettes at me and chasing me across the skyline. In my book, that’s not safe.”

I heard something that sounded very much like an exasperated huff. “I understand. That situation was out of my hands.”

I cocked my head. “Are you telling me you’re back in control?”

“That will depend on you.”

“Why?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“Yes, please do!”

“Then I’ll make this simple. If you continue to misbehave, someone else will deal with you. When that happens, your fate will be out of my hands. Is that clear enough for you?”

Yes, it was.

However, I was angry and needed a few moments to keep a lid on it before I risked giving her an answer.

Sitting back in the chair, I stared across the expanse of the atrium, then counted shops at random for a short while, hoping it would help me calm down.

“Isabel?”

I sucked in a lungful of air, then released it slowly.

It was time to do some proper negotiating.

“Erina, I just need some time, okay? I need some time alone. I’m not going to run away. I can’t run away. I mean, where the Hell would I go?”

I was growing accustomed to the lengthy quiet that preceded her replies, but I can’t say I didn’t find it annoying.

“All right, but you’ll need to make some concessions.”

Frankly, I was a mildly astounded that she had agreed, and I needed a moment to regain my mental footing. “I’m listening.”

“First. Tell Revenant that he is to reestablish communications with us. No more ignoring our calls. Is that clear?”

I moved the phone away from my head, then whispered to Ghost, “Did you hear that?”

“Aye, Princess.”

I spoke back to Erina. “He got the message.”

“Second. Make no attempt to change your clothes.”

I grimaced as I glanced down at myself. “But they’re not looking too good. I could get arrested for public indecency.”

“Isabel, it’s not up for debate.”

I snorted unhappily. “Fine. I won’t change my clothes. But if I get arrested for public indecency it’s your fault.”

“Thirdly. If there is any trouble, you will contact us immediately. That applies to Revenant as well.”

“Couldn’t he just summon my Sarcophagus?”

“Isabel, I don’t want you running around the city in your Princess Regalia.”

I rolled my eyes. “…fine…I get it, I get it….”

“Fourth. I can give you until morning.”

“It’s already morning,” I pointed out.

“Mid-morning. I can give you until mid-morning. You have until then.”

“What about that trigger-happy chick following me?”

“She’ll still be following you. Or do you have a problem with that?”

I leaned back, surprised by Erina’s admission. Whether voluntary or not, she’d just confirmed that it was a woman who’d chased me across the skyline and onto the train. I then wondered why the most troublesome people in my life were women?

Am I cursed by the opposite sex?

Realizing what I’d just asked myself, I palmed my face.

What am I talking about? Now, I’m the opposite sex!

In any case, Ghost had undoubtedly heard Erina as well, and I was certain he’d wonder how I knew that my hunter had been a woman. However, I was a little worried because the issue seemed more like a can of worms that I’d failed to shut when it first came up.

What do I tell him if he asks me again?

I sighed slowly, then took a deep breath to steady myself.

Worry about that later.

After another slow sigh, and another deep breath, I turned my attention back to Erina. “If you piss me off, I’m hanging up. How does that sound?”

“Then do you want to be dragged back in?”

“Just try it,” I scoffed at her, then slyly added, “or maybe I’ll get in touch with whoever saved my butt. Maybe they’re open to negotiations. At least they’re not shooting electro-flechettes at me!”

Noticing my loud voice had garnered some passing looks from the people walking by, I played it cool and sipped from the soda bottle. Then I spotted the untouched crème brulee on the table and started reaching for it.

“Isabel, do you know how dangerous that could be? Are you forgetting who and what you are?”

I stopped reaching for the cup of crème brulee and gave Erina’s remark some thought. “Okay, you have a point. But aren’t you curious to know who stepped in and offered me a helping hand?”

“I’d rather you were not so curious. If you go looking for trouble, you will find it.”

I sat back in the chair. “Yah, yah. So says the woman who made me the way I am.”

“Isabel, I am being serious here.”

Irritation flashed through me. “How about I prove to you that I can take care of myself?”

That came out a little harsher than expected, but I couldn’t help it.

I waited for Erina’s retort…while eyeing my crème brulee.

“Very well…you have until mid-morning. But don’t make any attempts to contact whoever they are. Is that clear? If you do, I won’t be able to protect you.”

I broke into a slow frown.

Who is she protecting me from?

I had the oddest impression it wasn’t from whoever had helped me out but from someone else.

Could it be the Sanreals?

Ghost interjected cautiously, “Princess, may I suggest that you ‘give a little ground’ as they say?”

I felt like sneering at him, but he’d reminded me of the reason I’d made the call in the first place which was to negotiate for some breathing room.

After a deep breath, I spoke to Erina. “Fine. I agree to your terms. Anything else?”

“Yes, tell Revenant to stop acting in his own interests.”

Ghost sounded faintly indignant. “I do resent her insinuation….”

Rolling my eyes, I grimaced sourly at Erina’s image in my head. “Yeah, whatever. You can tell him yourself. I’m not playing messenger anymore.” I felt an overwhelming urge to hang up on her. “If there’s nothing else, then we’re done here.”

“Don’t forget your promise—”

“I haven’t promised you anything,” I snapped back at her, then ended the call by abruptly flipping the phone shut.

I almost tossed it onto the table but held myself back by the skin of my teeth. It was a new phone after all, and I’d bought it with Isabel’s money, so mistreating it was a No-No. Thus, I placed it carefully into a pant pocket for safekeeping.

“Now what…?” I mumbled to myself.

“Princess, perhaps you should have been a little more agreeable with her.”

I scowled unhappily at Ghost’s criticism and then reached out for the crème brulee on the table. Picking up the spoon that came with it, I began scooping generous portions into my mouth. When I’d consumed around half of the cup’s contents, I paused and gave the atrium a glum look.

Most, if not all the shops, would close down at 3:00 am, so I had more than an hour to kill if I wanted to stay here. However, I wasn’t in the mood for remaining put, and yet I was also reluctant to head out. After my unpleasant conversation with Erina, I strongly suspected – no, I truly believed – that the woman who’d been hunting me was in the area. Even if the hunt had been suspended, I was certain she was loitering to keep an eye on me, and the notion of having her watching me from on high like a vulture grated on my nerves.

But what was I to do?

I could try giving her the slip by changing clothes, then dropping them off in an auto-cab. I could send the cab in one direction while I fled the other way. It was a classic action holo-vid maneuver that was likely to land me in hot water.

Why you may ask?

Because I was akin to a dog tied to a very long leash. If I pulled on it too hard, someone on the other end was likely to give it a very hard yank, and that was something I wanted to avoid. Yet the unfairness of my situation made me seethe inwardly until it suddenly wore me out. Exhausted, I pushed aside the half empty cup of crème brulee, planted both elbows on the table, and then dropped my head onto my hands.

“…this sucks….”

I felt like a convict who’d been given time off for good behavior but was expected back in jail by mid-morning.

“…urgh….”

Grumbling in my throat, I slumped forward onto the table, but Mirai’s breasts acted like big cushions beneath me.

“…damn it….”

Feeling uncomfortable, I lifted my head off the table.

Mirai’s long black hair veiled my face, and I had to look through it at my surroundings.

A clothing shop situated across the atrium snagged my attention. Located a level below me, it was open for business, and it had a thin stream of customers walking through its entrance.

Tossing back Mirai’s hair away from my face, I took a better look at the shop.

Judging by the holo-mannequins on display, it appeared to retail sporting outfits for women.

“Well, well, well,” I muttered thoughtfully to myself.

“Princess, is there something on your mid?” Ghost inquired a tad cautiously.

I snorted at the question. “Don’t you mean something on my chest?”

“…Princess?”

I slowly sat upright.

Let’s see how long my leash is.

After downing the remaining soda in the bottle, I capped it, then plonked the empty container onto the table with renewed spirits.

“Ghost, I’m going for a walk.”

“Where to, Princess?”

I grinned faintly at the hint of worry in his voice. “I wanna see the city.”

And I want to see if she’ll take the bait.

Ghost sounded a smitch perplexed. “You wish to see Ar Telica?”

The grin on my face widened as I gently nodded. “Yeah, I wanna see the city through Mirai’s eyes.” Pushing the chair back, I stood up, then stretched my body. “And I know just where to go….”

“Princess, you have somewhere in mind?”

“Indeed, I do, Ghost. Indeed, I do.”

“Might I inquire where that would be?”

“Ar Telica Tower.” I worked my shoulders, then arched my back a little. “Tallest spot in the city.”

“Is that so…?”

When I finished stretching, I stood arms akimbo and stared grimly at the clothing shop that had caught my eye. “But first…I’m buying a sports bra.”

“Ahem.” Ghost coughed politely. “Princess, are you not forgetting something of grave importance?”

“Nope. Buying a sports bra is a grave importance.”

“Princess, I am being serious here.”

I was growing weary of him pestering me. “Ghost, so am I.”

“Princess, I am talking about the curfew!”

I jerked sharply then grew very still. “…the curfew…?”

As though all my strings had been cut, I slumped down in the chair and stared vacantly at the floor.

“Frek…I forgot about that.”

– III –

Ar Telica had a 10:30 pm curfew for teenagers.

To clarify, the system applied to underaged citizens, namely those that had yet to turn eighteen. I vaguely recalled that Isabel val Sanreal was sixteen years old, so if I was stopped by the authorities then I was proverbially screwed. There was one proviso, and it involved being in the company of an individual recognized by the city-state as an adult.

In other words, I needed a chaperone.

“This really does suck,” I morosely complained.

When I thought it about it calmly, it was surprising that I’d made it this far without being detained by the authorities. I’d run through two megascrapers and into a third within which I’d spent the better part of an hour. I’d walked past dozens of cameras, made purchases, and sat at a café to eat a light meal in full view of the people strolling by. Yet no one had reported me, and not one city-state Enforcer had lumbered up to arrest me.

How could this be?

I could understand the people not giving a crap about an underage girl like me, but surely the surveillance cameras would have no qualms about dobbing me in.

As a matter of fact, I was sitting right under a camera disguised as a domed light fixture just above the entrance to the café.

I was giving it a glum look when I heard Ghost sigh loudly in disappointment, undoubtedly directed at me.

“Princess, Princess. What are we going to do with you?”

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s a good question….”

This was met by another sigh from him, but true to form, he recovered his poise rather quickly.

“Princess, if you are intent on embarking across the city, then you will need—”

“A chaperone,” I finished for him. “I know, I know….”

“And here she is,” Ghost finished smoothly.

“Huh?” I heard the words, but they didn’t sink in until seconds later. “What? Where—ah!”

Ghost materialized abruptly beside the table, startling me.

His appearance was the same as it had been when he dragged me into that virtual representation of the arcade plaza.

“Look over there,” he suggested and pointed with a finger off into the distance.

I glared at him for surprising me, but then turned to look at where he was pointing.

On a balcony across the atrium stood a young woman with bluish-black hair tied back into a long ponytail. At sight of her, Mirai’s chest tightened anxiously and a faint shiver raced through her body. Then the unsettling sense of déjà vu returned, making the hairs on my nape tingle.

“What is she doing here?” I asked in a low voice.

“Princess, she is your escort.”

As though that was her cue, the young woman began circling the atrium toward me.

I swallowed hard. “Ghost, if this is your idea of a joke—”

“I assure you, Princess, this is not an attempt at humor.”

“Then tell me you didn’t pick her as my escort.”

“I did not pick her as your escort.”

As I watched her walk closer, various doubts, fears, and suspicions pulled my thoughts and feelings in different directions.

I was faced with the question of fight or flight, or simply hold my ground.

In the end, I chose the latter.

Sitting with my legs crossed, I radiated the aura of a Queen Bee while waiting for the woman who’d treated Erina with veiled disdain, and who had such an unsettling effect on Mirai, to arrive. She stopped a few feet away, then quickly studied me from head to toes. I noticed her gaze lingered on Mirai’s dark hair and it made me wonder how much she knew about me. I also wanted to ask Ghost if he knew who she was, but that would have to wait for later.

For now, I studied her as closely as she’d studied me.

Her outfit was the same as when I first saw her, and that meant dark grey pants and shirt, and a black bomber jacket. She seemed a little taller than Mirai, but I couldn’t be certain unless we stood barefoot and nose to nose.

The prolonged silence between us grew heavy until she broke it. Her tone was civil and perfunctory, with none of the contempt she’d expressed toward Erina.

“You must be Isabel. I failed to introduce myself earlier. My name is Renew. Raine Renew.”

I slipped into my Queen Bee role. “Why are you here?”

“To escort you,” she replied without a hint of hesitation.

I arched an eyebrow at her. “Escort me?”

“I was informed that you intend to see Ar Telica. This is your first time here, is it not.”

She made it sound like a statement of fact, but I chose to treat it like a question.

“That’s right,” I replied, then casually shrugged. “First time in a big city.”

Renew acknowledged that with a short pause. “Since you’re new here, you may not know that Ar Telica has strict curfew laws for minors.”

“I may have read about that in a brochure,” I wisecracked.

Again, Renew paused. “As a minor, you are in breach of those curfew regulations unless you are in the company of a registered adult. Hence, I was assigned to accompany you while you tour the city.”

I snorted ever so softly. “And you just happened to be in the area.”

“Correct.”

I smiled bitterly. “I’ll bet you were.”

Renew ignored my jibe and half turned to gesture off into the distance. “Shall we?”

I folded my arms with deliberate care. “What if I choose not to?”

“You are still a minor that requires supervision,” she explained.

“But it was agreed that I was to be left alone until mid-morning.”

Renew turned toward me. “Your family instructed me to ensure that you are not arrested.”

“My family?” Puzzled, I cocked my head slightly. “You mean Erina?”

I could have been wrong, but I thought I saw a smirk grace Renew’s lips for heartbeat.

“My orders come from the Sanreal Family,” she answered. “To be specific, they come from your older brother, Simon Sanreal.”

I recalled the name. He was Clarisol’s older brother who oversaw the Sanreal Family’s interests in my universe. Obviously, I was one of those interests, and it seemed he had a hand in this encounter.

Ghost chose that moment to smoothly butt in. “Princess, you did say you wanted to see the city from the Tower.”

That was true but the city-state curfew and the arrival of this woman complicated the situation.

Ah, damn it! Damn it! I’ve lived in this city my whole life. How could I forget the damn curfew? And damn Erina for not reminding me about it!

Ghost sidled up to me. “Princess, there is no harm done in accepting her assistance.”

I glanced away and shook my head ever so faintly because I couldn’t bring myself to agree with him.

I felt the price was too high.

If I accepted Renew’s help, I would be indebted to the Sanreals, and that was something I wanted to avoid for as long as possible. Yet by being difficult, I wasn’t making the situation easier on myself either. In fact, I’d left myself with little choice in the matter, yet I stubbornly refused to give in.

When I looked up, I found myself staring at Renew’s lifeforce aura.

It was calm and collected, much like her appearance, but I noticed something that made my gut clench.

What the—?

“Have you made your decision?” Renew asked while standing so still she put the Cat Princess to shame.

I didn’t reply

Instead, I continued carefully studying the undulating waves of her aura with mounting unease.

Is it her? I asked myself.

Yet subconsciously I knew the answer to that question, and so too did Mirai because she was suddenly on her feet. She moved so quickly it must have surprised Renew because she shifted her stance into a wary posture.

I was reminded of what happened back at Erina’s apartment when Mirai presented a strong front to the Simulacra Sisters.

Fearing a repeat, I felt as though I was poised on a knife edge.

One wrong move and things could go south for me in a heartbeat.

Damn it! This is not what I wanted!

I needed to restrain Mirai’s tendency to face fire with fire, and I needed to throw Renew off. Thankfully, she was waiting for me to make the first move.

Tightening my grip on Mirai’s emotions and mine, I swallowed to clear my throat, and then sullenly remarked, “It’s no fun being chaperoned.”

Renew’s eyes narrowed for the first time since arriving before me. “I assure you, Lady Isabel, you won’t even know I’m there.”

Hearing her say that almost made me laugh.

Oh, I’ll know you’re there. Trust me on that.

Beside me, Ghost was giving me a look that practically yelled ‘What are you doing?’

I spared him a glance as if to say, ‘I know, I know. Give me a moment.’

Then, with a low, deep breath, I was able to visibly relax my stance.

As I’d thought, Renew was sticking to a wait-and-see approach, and she soon followed suit though she continued watching me alertly.

Feeling as though I’d survived a near-miss, I breathed a tad easier.

As for Ghost, the relief he expressed was quickly marred by confusion.

I wondered if I should tell him of what I suspected, then decided it was something for later when Renew wasn’t around.

For now, I met her eyes with a dash of fire in mine. “For the record, I don’t trust you.”

Renew nodded subtly. “Understood. What is your decision?”

Her rather mechanical response stirred up the dark, mixed feelings swimming in my chest.

After everything that had happened, I found it irritating that she could maintain such a calm, business-like disposition. It also made her difficult for me to handle because she wasn’t like Erina. In other words, I couldn’t push her buttons because she didn’t seem to have any, and that made me wonder if she treated me this way because I didn’t matter to her? Could it be that unlike Erina, Straus, and Clarisol, this woman had no self-serving interest in me?

In other words, she was given an assignment and I was merely a part of it.

Surprisingly, being treated this way was both refreshing and disappointing. It also clarified that treating Renew like I treated Erina wasn’t going to yield the same results, and there was something else to consider. Renew was like an unsheathed knife – a naked blade who wouldn’t hesitate to cut me if ordered to do so – and she wasn’t taking orders from Erina, but from Simon Sanreal and that made her dangerous. After all, she’d demonstrate a distinct lack of restraint when shooting flechettes at me.

Inhaling deeply, I remembered Straus asking me when I would stop lashing out at the world. To that end, I’d made a start by negotiating with Erina, albeit not face to face since I couldn’t tolerate even a glimpse of her arrogant mug.

However, this wasn’t a negotiation.

It was a Take-It or Leave-It offer that Renew had handed me…undoubtedly from her superiors.

I could either see the city with her assistance or run the risk of being arrested. If I declined her offer, how far could I rely on Ghost to interfere with the city’s surveillance grid? And wasn’t I depending on him too much? Sooner or later, I would attract the attention of the authorities and when that happened would I run from them as well?

The end justifies the means, doesn’t it?

That more-or-less summed up Erina’s mantra on how she approached everything that had to do with Mirai, and it was why I had such a bitter taste in my mouth when I gave Renew my answer.

“Fine. We’ll do this your way.”