A crosshair marked the target.

Argon Aschenbrenner, the young man, rendered immobile, standing with his back against a wall.

He’s crying like a little, annoying brat, the spectator thought. Some things never change, huh?

The scope’s vision followed as the water soaked boy and girl left the alley.

The spectator aimed their weapon at the girl's head, watching as her unnaturally long white hair swayed with each step.

What if I shot her? they chuckled to themselves. Just like that?

For a moment they really considered the option. Eventually, they sighed and lowered their weapon.

Their compassion stood in their way; Argon’s ego was fragile like a vase, after all.

I should really get rid of my empathy…

It’s only ever causing me trouble.

----------------------------------------

Murmurs arose in the marketplace as a young woman shouted strange slogans from a podium of stacked boxes. The soldiers patrolling observed the scene, exchanging dubious glances, but cared barely enough to keep watching.

“The Oath Keepers will attack you! I mean– not all of them, but the Ambertrix kingdom! You all have to get out of here! Quick!”

People walked by, going about their business of buying foods, clothes, luxury goods, and other consumables. They acted as if it were the most normal thing in the world for some lunatic to try turning them against the Oath Keepers. She was just one of many.

Katy did not understand. How could they be so stubborn?! Sure, she wouldn’t be the first to agitate against Oath Keepers—humans were kings at that discipline, after all—but for an Oath Keeper herself to talk like that? Wouldn’t that catch some attention? Add at least some credibility to her warnings?

She shook her head, stepping down from the podium, which was the crate of an apple vendor. The woman, unamused by the trespass, glared at her with crossed arms.

“Pretty tough crowd,” Katy laughed sheepishly.

The woman shook her head. “It ain’t your fault. They know that trick already.”

“Trick…?”

“Yeah. Pretty good bleach you used there I must say.”

“It-it’s not! I really am an Oath Keeper,” Katy insisted, pointing at her eyes.

“Blue contact lenses. The classic. So what?”

Katy palmed her forehead. “Whatever…”

Something tapped on her shoulder and she turned to be met with a creepily wide smile.

“And?” Felix asked hopefully.

Katy scowled. “Nothing. You saw their reaction, didn’t you?”

“There wasn’t really a reaction if you ask me.” Felix shrugged.

“That’s the point…” Katy turned her back on him, walking off.

“What’s your plan now?” Felix asked, catching up to her.

“You’ll see.”

“Oh, I need to tell you something. I got a really important appointment. It might even help us–”

Katy ignored Felix’s brabbling and walked onto another crowd of people gathered around a cooking table.

There, thick rustic smoke hissed upwards in a cacophony of sizzling fat and burning ingredients. A young chef stood behind the stove, flipping meat in a pan like the next gourmet prodigy. People awed at his talent, cheering whenever he flipped the meat into the air to turn it around.

When the meat fell back down, the people’s excitement suddenly vanished. Everyone blinked in confusion. The chef, still convinced of his skills, remained unfazed, but eventually, he followed the crowd’s gaze down to the pan.

Or rather, where the pan had been moments ago.

A shrill, deafening sound echoed across the entire marketplace. The chef, still caught in his confusion, watched as within seconds, countless curious eyes flooded the apple stand. Having lost his entire audience in the blink of an eye, he shed tears of loss.

“Humans of Feratól, listen to me!” Katy’s voice rang out, a pan in one hand slapping against the arm guard on her wrist. “This is not a drill! The Ambertrix kingdom is planning to attack you all! You’ll have to evacuate immediately!”

Murmurs spread through the crowd, some afraid, but most annoyed, still doubting her words.

“Katy, is this really a good idea?” Felix asked, standing next to the apple crate. “They seem rather… angry.”

“What, do you want me to give up?! It’s their problem if they’re all gonna die!”

“That… doesn’t quite make sense, I think,” Felix wondered aloud. “But keep trying! If they see how much you care about them, I’m sure they’ll listen!”

As Katy opened her mouth for a second round of alarm, the sound died in her throat. The crate she stood upon rattled, shifting left and right, almost throwing her off. Below, a couple of citizens pushed against it, trying to tip it over.

“Shut up, stupid conspiracy theorist!” a man with a long beard yelled at her.

“Give back my pan!” the chef shouted.

Katy almost lost her balance, flailing her arms wildly. “Felix! Do something!”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The boy paled, stuttering. “H-hey! What she says is true!” He tried to position himself between the people and Katy. “She’s told me—I mean, I saw them talking about it with my own eyes!”

“Heard,” Katy corrected.

Felix nodded vigorously. “Yes, I heard it with my own eyes!”

Katy palmed her face. “Good lord…”

The angry mob paused for a moment, eyeing Felix from head to toe. The boy, smiling with his otherworldly charm, laughed hesitantly. His dirty, ragged clothes and brown hair blended well into the surroundings; having him as a witness might add even more credibility to her warning.

Katy patted herself on the shoulder, proud that she’d made the right decision after all by adding this boy to her rebellion. “See? Even this local boy agrees! Please, you all must leave this place. Now.”

“Why does he have such colorful eyes, though?” a man asked suspiciously, pointing at Felix.

“Good question,” Felix pondered. “No clue.”

“C-contact lenses!” Katy corrected. “He’s wearing colored contact lenses!”

The man raised a brow.

“It’s totally in fashion right now, isn’t it?” she pointed at her own face. “See, I’m wearing them too.”

The man shrugged. “Matter of taste.”

Another voice spoke up, “Wait a second! I know that boy!”

Katy’s breath caught.

An old grandma walked up, hobbling on her cane. People formed a path, stepping aside, watching her approach Felix.

She still walked.

And walked.

“Come on, speed up, granny!” Katy sighed annoyed. “Our lives are on the line!”

The crowd glared at her for that comment.

“Okay, okay… Fine! We’ll wait. Not my problem if you’re all gonna die!”

“She keeps pointing that out,” Felix noted.

Finally, the grandma came to a stop, adjusted her glasses—whose lenses made her eyes look like balloons—and nodded self-assuredly.

“Yes… yes…! I know that boy!”

“You already said that,” Katy tried to keep the aggression out of her voice. With little success.

“Hello, Miss Aster,” Felix greeted her, waving.

“You actually know her?!” Katy asked.

“Yeah!”

“Then why– whatever.”

The grandma nodded yet again. "Felix helped me with the garden a few days ago. Such a nice boy."

"Great. Good for you. But what does that matter right now?! I'm telling you the world is going under! Go-ing-un-der!"

The grandma blinked at her.

Another voice arose. "Wait, now that she said it... I know him too! He helped me catch a jewel scarab yesterday! I’ve been hunting that one for weeks!"

"Oh~" Katy hummed excitedly before adopting a sarcastic tone. "Amazing!"

"Felix helped me decide which bread I should eat for breakfast!" another yelled from the back rows.

"And he patched the hole in my roof!"

"He organized a birthday party for me!"

More and more voices arose from the crowd until Katy felt like every goddamn person on this island had been blessed by Felix's magic somehow.

She whirled her hands wildly to shove the voices away from her. "Okay, okay, OKAY! I GET IT! He's the Samaritan of this island apparently!"

The crowd fell silent, watching Katy—this time with different looks.

“What? Did I say something wrong again?!”

The birthday girl walked up, smiling at her. "If Felix backs up what you say, then I'll believe you!"

A loud commotion of voices agreed with her.

"But... does that really mean—" bug boy began.

"We'll have to leave our homes now?" finished the roof-hole mother.

"Why are they attacking us?!" breakfast guy yelled from the back rows. "Isn't there peace right now?!"

Katy paused at that. Hopeful childrens’ eyes stared at her, along with the concerned faces of adults.

"Hey! What's going on here?!" a gruff voice demanded.

Katy turned to see the soldier—easily recognizable by the blue uniform. He looked unamused at best, staring at her with his brown eyes and black hair.

"Haven't you listened?" Katy hesitated. "You're a human too, aren't you?"

At least that’s what his looks indicated.

“I’m not in the position to side with troublemakers like you.”

"But if you are human, my fath– Lord Ambertrix won't make an exception. No matter if you follow his commands or not.” Katy explained. "Trust me, I know him. He's not what he presents himself to be."

The soldier exchanged glances with his comrades. They still seemed to doubt. Why couldn't Felix have helped them out with something?! That, for a change, would have actually been useful...

"Say..." the soldier began. "Could it be that you actually are an Oath Keeper?"

He examined her hair and eyes as if checking for authenticity.

Katy let her shoulders slump. "Guess hiding won't make a difference anymore," she sighed. "Yes, I'm an Oathless. More specifically, I'm the daughter of Amadeus Ambertrix."

Realization spread on the soldier's face. "He sent out a message calling to find you.”

"I know," Katy said, pointing at her injuries on her clothing.

"S-sorry for that. Of course you shouldn’t be harmed in the process.”

She waved a hand. "Nah, there was another incident, but don't worry, we got rid of him. Anyway, I assume you won't try to take me into custody anymore? Now that you know what's behind that order? Or do you still doubt my credibility?"

The soldier stared at her. Katy was demanding something absurd: the soldier should listen to her and thus defy one of the Big Five. She couldn't even blame him if he slapped the handcuffs on her right now. But what choice did she have? Without the soldiers at her side, her plan was damned to fail.

"I don't know what my father is planning exactly, but I beg you—flee.” Katy looked the man right in the eye, her voice growing more and more desperate with each word. “There are plenty of merchant ships at the harbor. If you ensure that everything proceeds in an orderly manner, you can prevent worse. As soon as my father realizes I’ve spilled his plan, he will make sure nobody survives."

She gestured toward the crowd of people that had only kept growing, housing more than a hundred people by now. "It's your job to protect them, isn't it?"

The soldier closed his eyes, massaging his forehead. He looked troubled, as if waging every outcome of each possible scenario. When he opened them again, he looked… determined.

Katy felt a relieved smile jump on her face.

Laughing, she looked at Felix.

Finally, she had been heard. Her efforts hadn’t been in vain. If war broke out between humans and Keepers, it would only hasten the invasion of Oathspawns. Now, it was more important than ever that humans and Keepers stayed united.

Mother would be proud if she could see this.

Felix’s expression, however, crumbled all the joy inside Katy like a hammer slamming onto a house of cards.

A soft clicking sound echoed from below.

"I'm afraid I must disagree," the soldier said, one half of handcuffs locked around Katy's wrist, "our job is not to protect the citizen, but to enforce the law."

Katy trembled, unable to get a single tone out.

Why…?

Why wouldn’t they listen to her…?

Anger arose within. How could she have been so stupid to trust the military?! Of course Father controlled them! They’re too scared to go against him! Even if it means their demise.

"H-hey, what are you doing there!?" Felix walked in front of Katy. "She's telling the truth, I know it."

He looked the soldier deep in the eyes. The man’s face twitched with something Katy couldn’t quite place before any emotion vanished from his face.

"Arrest them. The boy too."

More soldiers walked forward. Booing sounds arose from the crowd as soon as they touched Felix.

The man in front of Katy drew his sword. The hissing silenced the people like their throats’ had been cut for good.

"Miss Ambertrix, I’m arresting you on suspicion of high treason. In the event that this is confirmed, you will be executed before the sun has set. You have the right to remain silent."