Chapter One

Typical Krian Morning

Her morning alarm went off, filling the bedroom with the sound of music. Nikita rolled around in her bed, wrapped tightly in her comforter. It was way too cold to get up. Maybe in a few minutes.

An hour passes and she’s still in bed.

After a few more minutes of grumbling and complaining, she eventually gets off of bed and gets about her morning routine. The penthouse came to life around Nikita as she stepped out of the bedroom. Ambient lights bathed the kitchen and living room in a nice shade of blue. The sound of the air conditioning hummed around her, as she stepped barefoot into the soft imported carpets.

She gazed out into the city, still groggy and tired, through the large, glass walls of the house. The sun was peeking over the horizon, bathing the sky in orange and amber shades. The apartment was as clean as it always was. Classic and modern art shared the inner walls of the house. In a way, they made the place look like something of a museum.

Nikita liked it that way.

A large, flat-screen television turned on across the room. The kingdom’s biggest morning show was on.

“Wintersong College was attacked last night by Guardian entities, throwing a good chunk of the school in ruins. Twelve personnel and fourteen students were reportedly injured, but luckily no casualties have been found.” the news anchor announced. “Investigation of the event is still underway, with the City Guard refusing to release information on any suspects—”

Nikita sat down on the couch with a cup of steaming coffee, half listening and half thinking about the news.

“—Disaster was mainly averted thanks to the appearance of one of the Messengers. Her Worship appeared swiftly to singlehandedly to take control of the situation.”

Nikita appeared on the screen, standing triumphantly over the body of a large Guardian. It was a beautiful shot, capturing perfectly what a hero was supposed to look like. Her cardigan flapped in the wind, almost like a cape, making her look larger than life. But a second later the image was replaced with footage of Nikita standing and posing with a few bystanders. She looked more approachable then, more down to earth.

“­—as affable as ever, Her Grace spent the rest of the evening mingling with her fans. While people appreciated her presence, some still wondered why the other Messenger had not accompanied her—”

Nikita turned off the TV with a flick of her wrist, standing up. The music continued to play as she went around the penthouse, preparing for her morning. She cooked herself a simple breakfast of meat and eggs, before walking into a warm shower.

She closed her eyes as the water ran across her body, washing away the dust and memories of yesterday’s battle. Nikita finished her bath in ten minutes, a surprisingly short time for someone of her standing. Most noble girls took their time in the shower. For a noble, urgency was a completely unfamiliar concept.

Not for her, though.

Not for the Messenger.

Her phone rang just as she was changing. She already knew who it was. She tapped a button and let the call go to loudspeaker.

“Heeey, Takahashi~ are you there~? Oh who am I kidding, of course you are. You wouldn’t be answering this phone otherwise. Unless it’s Maxwell who’s answering this… and if so, it doesn’t really matter.”

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

Nikita had to remind herself that the girl on the other end was a noble herself.

“I just wanted to let you guys know that the Rift is nearing completion, and should be popping within the weak. Hah. Popping. What a terrible phrase. So uh, yeah, get ready!”

“Thank you, Risa. Has the king been informed?”

“Which king, yours or ours? Ardrian already knows, but your king and queen seem to be busy with things, so I’ll probably inform them tomorrow.” the sound of paper being shuffled went through. “Been taking to your Admiral of Shields, though. He promised that a couple of frigates should at least show up to help. Doubt that they’d do much, but their presence should be enough to calm people’s nerves.”

Nikita opened her cabinet and fingered through her wardrobe.

“I’m just glad that the Rift is finally materializing.” Nikita said. “That thing is like a bomb hanging over everyone’s head.”

“I hear you. Must be hard, worrying about your kingdom every day.”

“Mmm—hmm. It’s not like the other times. Kria is my home, you know? It’ll be a relief when we finally get rid of that thing.”

“Mmm-hmm. Anyway, I gotta go.” did she even listen? “Have some scientist duties to attend to. Bye~”

The phone beeped off and Nikita finished getting dressed. Today she decided on wearing an oversized off the shoulder sweater and leggings. On her way out, she picked up an extra loaf of bread, before double-checking for her phone and tablet. She passed by the penthouse’s open-air pool on her way to the elevator, but a few feet from the doors she found herself stopping.

There, lying on the glass bench overlooking the pool, was the sleeping figure of the Messenger.

Well, the other Messenger.

Frowning, she approached him cautiously. He looked so peaceful when he slept. Even now, in the cold morning air, he looked about as comfortable as a sleeping baby.

No wonder she didn’t feel him roll into bed last night. Nikita frowned deeper. He could have slept inside. There were plenty of couches inside the house that he could have used. Was this his attempt of making her feel bad for him?

She huffed and crossed her arms.

Well, it was working.

Still.

He shouldn’t have slept out here.

With a roll of her eyes, she paced back inside and prepared him breakfast.