Gadina slouched down in a seat on the subway. She couldn't believe that she had just ran through almost half of the streets and roads of a city in a single day. Hanister was sitting right beside her. She looked just as tired, but her eyes were gleaming.

"What did you say the restaurant's called?" She asked, obviously very excited.

Gadina did not respond immediately. She only cocked her head to look at the ticker above the door.

"A couple more stops," she said. If everything goes well, this should be their last stop of the day.

They had visited around seven to eight sites nonstop. Most of the spots were what she had discussed with Hanister before they entered the city. In any case, it was coming close to the coda of the journey.

It's finally over.

Gadina leaned her head on the glass next to her seat to take a brief rest.

Hanister was more out of control than she had expected. She was constantly touching and looking at things, and seemed to be interested in every little detail. One blink and she would have completely disappeared, just way too inquisitive.

Gadina had seen her mischief, her briskness, and her rudeness. However, when returned to the ordinary world, Hanister's childishness only seemed to have gotten worse. It was as if her nature that was suppressed by the system and rules was suddenly released.

After a day together, Gadina felt like she was taking care of her rather than accompanying her. Like she was her nanny or her parent.

Why did I agree to this...

She suddenly felt tired. So Gadina shut her eyes, almost falling asleep before

Hanister shook her.

"Is it this stop?" The girl asked.

"Oh..." Gadina's eyes blinked open. She stared at the opened door and quickly got up. The pair left the car and walked to the platform before taking the escalator.

"What a bummer," Hanister said. She was leaning against the handrails. "There's nothing for us to take pictures of."

Gadina rolled her eyes, with 'thank God we didn't' written on her face. She couldn't even imagine what would happen if Hanister had a camera.

I might go insane.

She told herself.

The escalator reached the top. Hanister took a step off the tread and almost hopped her way to the turnstile. One of the best things about serving in the S.D.A was that they got to have discounts when taking public transportations, including the hover train they took into the city.

How is she still so full of energy?

Gadina wondered, staring at the girl that had no trace of exhaustion. Soon after, she turned around and waved.

The subway was located in the downtown area near the Black Garden District. This was where Gadina was born, and the place she was most familiar with. Unfortunately, it also had the worst public safety in all Rodenzel.

Of course, Gadina herself wasn't that afraid. Technically, she used to be one of the people who made the district unsafe. As for Hanister, she just had lower crisis awareness.

"Hey. Do you know what they sell in that restaurant?" She pointed at the blinking sign on the street. There were a couple words from an exotic language written on it.

"Sushi." Gadina answered without even turning back.

"Sushi?"

"Trust me, you won't like it."

"How would you know?"

"They put raw meat on cooked rice. Does that sound good to you?"

"Raw?" Hanister caught up with Gadina before taking one final look at the sign, then she started imagining the food she described in her head.

"We're almost there." Gadina said, interrupting the girl's thoughts. "It's in the alley right in front of us." The speaking girl slowed down and turned into a small lane that was comparably quieter. The buildings on the sides of the lane were more like houses rather than stores. But one specific building's first floor was brighter, and it also had a sign.

"Right here." Gadina stopped beneath the sign.

"Yosus's Grave?" Hanister read the words on the metal plate out loud. The sign itself wasn't a light box. There was also no neon lights attached to it. There was only a rusty spotlight hanging on the edge of the sign illuminating the words. "It says Yosus's Grave." She pointed at the sign and repeated.

"I know, I can read." Gadina rolled her eyes before pushing the door open and walking in.

Inside was a single-floor bistro. The lighting was dim. It was somewhere between a regular bar and a normal restaurant, with a faint smell of cigarettes.

"Give me one second," Gadina said to Hanister. She walked towards the bar. A man wearing an apron was standing right behind it, reaching for a bottle from the shelves. "Steve," she called out to the man.

The man turned around; his face filled with surprise. "Gadina?" He opened up his arms even though he was still holding a bottle.

Gadina moved forward. She tiptoed and hugged the man over the counter.

"Long time, Steve." She let go.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He said after finally placing the bottle down.

"Pft. I joined in the S.D.A, not some suicidal mission."

“So you haven't..." Steve made some gestures with his hand. "I mean like those people from the S.D.A. Don't they drop from the sky?"

"Too early for that," Gadina chuckled. "We had just finished half of the course."

"Oh." Steve wiped his hands on the apron. "So what brings you here?"

"We're on our break." Gadina answered directly, at the same time pointed towards the girl who was looking around near the entrance.

The man behind the bar cocked his head, looking up and down at the girl Gadina was talking about. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain jacket, with a backpack that could only be described as simple.

"She's your..." His eyes slowly widened.

"Knock it off, Steve. We train together, that's all."

"May I remind you that it seems like you guys didn't make a reservation." Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest. The corner of his lips were tucked upwards.

"Oh, come on." Gadina shook her head, forcing a laugh. "You know I don't need to." She arched one of her brows.

"You're no longer the Silver Owl."

"But we're still friends, right?" Gadina answered. "Don't make me doubt that."

"I'm just joking." Steve raised his arms in submission. "Alright. What would you like today? Same thing?"

"Is there any seat in here that's not surrounded by smoke?" Gadina asked.

"Not surrounded by smoke?" Steve frowned. "Don't you—Oh." He suddenly realized. "You're actually becoming someone that I don't know."

"Rules are rules." Gadina looked at the man, sighing in defeat.

"So you've quit?"

"I'm... still trying."

"Alright, that's not surprising." Steve teased, only to receive a death glare in return from Gadina. He walked out of the bar with two menus in his hand, then gestured for Gadina to follow behind.

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The two walked back to where Hanister was standing. Steve nodded at her, then took them to a table for two in the corner. "How about here?" He asked the two girls.

Gadina took a quick sniff and sat into one of the chairs with satisfaction. "Great," she said.

Hanister followed and sat down. The two were handed the menus before they started flipping through it. Steve did not leave. Instead, he stood right beside and waited patiently.

"Do you still have the fusilli that's really good?" Gadina asked after closing the menu.

"I forgot to mention, we've changed the menus." Steve showed a bit of embarrassment on his face. "But if you want it..."

"I'll have that." Gadina answered quickly. "Also a pastry soup. Then a Black Maria, served after." She added. "Actually, one more fried ravioli." She said again.

"Okay..."

"Are what you just ordered good?" Hanister dropped her menu.

"Tell you what, Miss Hanister. I have never eaten anything that's not good in this restaurant." Gadina said with pride.

"Then I'll have what you're having."

"Uh." That took Gadina by surprise. "You've never drunk alcohol, have you?" She squinted.

"Miss Hanister," Steve suddenly interrupted. "Your name's Hanister, correct?" He looked at the girl as she quickly nodded.

"If you don't normally drink alcohol based beverages, I would suggest trying Tomb Keeper, our signature drink. I can make it lighter for you."

"Sure." Hanister said shyly.

"You've never lived in a big city, huh?" Gadina asked immediately after Steve took the menus away.

Hanister shook her head in response. "A lot of stuff was what I saw on TV and the Internet."

"In all seriousness, why would you want to join the S.D.A to kill those monsters? Your life before wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Because..." The girl stopped herself, hesitating.

"Forget about it. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Gadina shrugged it off. "Anyway, you know you toss and turn a lot in your sleep?"

"Toss and turn?"

"Yeah. Do you frequently have nightmares?"

Hanister fell into silence after being asked that.

Do I have nightmares that much?

She asked herself. "Maybe it's something to do with my dad," she said after taking a moment to think.

"You mind talking about it?"

Hanister shook her head. "It was when I was seven." She stared at the grain on the wooden table. "A Star Creature dropped in our field Dad and I were working in at that time."

The S.D.A didn't send any Chasers over?"

"No, because the predicted landing spot wasn't over here." Hanister paused for a second. "The S.D.A's worker turned on the wrong emitter."

"So you escaped the Star Creature's hunt alone?"

"To be honest, I don't quite remember what happened exactly. All I know is that my dad told me to run, and..." Gadina tried to recall, but it was just like what happened every time she wanted to recall this part. That segment of her memory was always blurry, like there was a fog protecting it. "Anyway, my dad didn't survive."

Gadina couldn't help but pursed her lips afterwards. She dropped her head in a condoling way, suddenly not knowing how to respond.

"Ladies." Steve walked back with two glasses and a jar of water in hand. He placed the glasses on the table and poured some water into each of them. "Tell me when you need more," he said kindly and left with a smile.

"You've known each other for long?" Hanister picked up the glass to take a small sip. She asked curiously.

"Steve and I go way back. I used to come here a lot."

Hanister nodded and stopped questioning further. Instead, she took her time to admire the decoration around her. The walls in the bistro were mostly plain. There wasn't any paint on them. Some walls do have some avant-garde collages on them. One of them even has a wooden animal statue hanging from it. It looked like a brown bear. The columns have wall lamps on them in order to make up for the deficiency of lighting. The side facing the road was an entire wall of glass, like a display window. However, there was a sheer layer of curtains, so you can't really see through it from the outside.

The girl turned towards the bar Steve was standing behind. It was built from an entire piece of thick oak wood, and the edge was decorated with some metal pieces. Numerous lamps hung from the ceiling on top of the bar, illuminating the wooden gradevin. The gradevin was packed with wine glasses and different bottles of wine.

The decoration of the bistro was not luxurious or fashionable, but it was quite unique, elegant, and relaxing. That was if the smell of cigarettes did not count.

"Why do urbanites like to eat at gloomy places like here?" Hanister took a glance at the dining customers and turned back to ask.

"I'd say it's the atmosphere."

"And what's that for?" Hanister then pointed at a spot that she had spotted earlier. It was a platform right in front of the seating area that was slightly higher than the ground.

"It's the stage for amateur performers."

"Amateur performers?"

"Sometimes there would be gigs of underground singers and bands or stand-up comedians." Gadina answered.

"You mean the people who sing at a restaurant?" Hanister asked, not fully understanding.

"Sort of."

Soon after, their orders were served. Hanister stared at her food. She had eaten fusilli before, but it was her first time having pastry soup. She looked at the soup but did not know where to start. She could only tell that it was something like a piece of bread covering the bowl.

"What are you doing?" Gadina stared at Hanister, who was trying to lift the piece of bread off the bowl. Her eyes horrified.

"Are you not supposed to drink it like this?" Hanister asked in a serious tone.

"My God, no." Gadina shook her head and moved her soup closer to herself. "Drink it like this." She said and demonstrated in person. The girl used a spoon to poke the bread into the bowl.

"It's like eating cereal." Hanister said as she was copying Gadina's action, then she started swirling the bread that was soaking in the soup. But her words only earned her an eye-roll. Gadina clearly couldn't accept this kind of comparison.

After they had been dining for a while, the drinks were served as well. But it was not Steve who served it this time, it was just a random waiter.

Fine food and great wine are the best companions or a trip, especially after an entire day of being constantly on the move. Submerging in such a relaxing and calm atmosphere would make it easy for people to forget about their weariness.

This bistro was just like its name. A grave that was hidden in an alley, secluded and serene. The customers chatted intimately, but no one was making any racket. Noises of tableware clanging together and the cooking from the kitchen could be heard. It was small enough for people to be oblivious towards it, but loud enough to prevent the inside from feeling lifeless like the streets outside.

Yosus's Grave was literally a graveyard, distinctive from the clamor of the city.

"Oh yeah, Gadina?" Hanister said after drinking some wine. "You've never told me what you did before." She asked, slightly tipsy.

"Nothing honest."

"So, have you gone to school?"

Gadina shook her head.

"Then why did you want to join the S.D.A?" Hanister continued the question, raising her glass again.

"For the money of course. I think I've told you this before." Gadina answered. She sounded fairly sober compared to the girl. "I want to save up some money and buy an apartment here in Rodenzel."

"You're not planning to go back to your mom?"

"She's been dead to me for a long time."

"I recall you saying that your mom's a..."

"She's a sex worker."

"Sex worker? Sex workers are..." Hanister had her hand on the table, looking completely clueless.

"They get paid for having sex with different customers."

Hanister was frozen for a second, then her eyes widened. "You're saying that she does that with a lot of guys?" She said, her already-red cheeks grew even redder.

"That's correct. I'd suggest not asking for the details."

Hanister leaned back after hearing Gadina, falling into her fantasy. The girl's face was as red as a tomato. If there was a chimney on her head, there ought to be tons of smoke piling out now.

"So..." Moments later, some muffled and uncomfortable noises came from her mouth. "So, you and other guys..."

"You're drunk, Miss Hanister." Gadina sighed, interrupting her. "I'll get the bill first, you can pay me back later." She did not wait for a response. Immediately, Gadina stood up and walked to the counter.

"Lord of the Silver Owl, satisfied with your food?" Steve teased the girl walking towards him.

"Please, Steve. Do not call me that."

“That’ll be nineteen Phel for you two.” The man standing behind the bar said after taking a look at the bill.

"Nineteen..." Gadina opened her wallet and cursed.

"Hey. You're not trying to dine and dash, are you?"

"Am I someone like that?" Gadina glared at Steve. "I just didn't have enough on me," She refuted. "Give me one second, I'll fetch—" She turned around only to see Hanister knocked out on the table.

"Wow."

"Okay, I'll go out and withdraw." Gadina sighed in defeat and turned around.

"Wait up." Steve stopped her. "Forget about it. We've known each other for so long anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Steve smiled. "However..."

"However?" Gadina turned back, knowing that there probably wasn't going to be any good news coming from his mouth.

Steve did not say a single word. He only gestured at the area in front of the seating area with his chin —— the stage.

"No fucking way," Gadina immediately rejected. "Also, I had drinks."

“Come on. Stop being so petty, and we both know that you don't get drunk this easily." Steve smiled wryly. "Besides, Old Sher's guitar's still on the stage." He reached out and pointed at it for Gadina. "So? Head up and sing a song or two, and we'll make it even with the bills."

Gadina turned. She glanced at Hanister, who was dead asleep on the table, then at the stage, and at last back at Steve. "One song." Her face was as grim as it could possibly be.

"Make yourself at home." Steve smiled brightly then made a welcoming gesture towards the stage.