October 18, Morning - Detective Harper on the Scene

Time: 9:00 AM

Place: Ravetham's outskirts, Area Zero crater

Detective Harper stepped out of her sleek black Ravetham-issued sedan, her black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, and her brown eyes sharp with focus. The scene before her was pure chaos. A massive crater stretched across the landscape like a wound torn open by something far beyond human comprehension. Heavy machinery rumbled around the pit, construction crews scrambling to fill it in, all under the guise of “municipal repairs” paid for by the state's tax dollars. But Harper knew the truth ran deeper than any cover story pushed by the city’s elites.

Adjusting her trench coat, she walked forward, her senses on high alert. The air crackled with an eerie energy, like the echoes of a storm that had long passed but left its mark on the ground. Alchemists and magical forensic teams were scattered around, analyzing the remnants of what could only be described as an unnatural event. The soil, scorched and fused, whispered of dark magic that left even the most seasoned experts baffled.

Just as she was about to approach one of the alchemists, the sound of rapid camera shutters filled the air. Turning her head, she spotted Gale, the relentless Kenku anchorwoman from Ravetham's prime news channel. Gale’s blue feathers glistened under the morning sun, her sharp eyes and pointed beak giving her an intimidating presence. Dressed in a tailored coat that matched the sleekness of her feathers, she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to sniffing out a story.

“Detective Harper! Over here!” Gale's voice cut through the din, a smooth yet commanding tone that demanded attention. Harper sighed, knowing there was no avoiding this. With a measured breath, she approached the cameras, mentally preparing herself for the verbal sparring match that was sure to follow.

Gale didn’t waste a second, shoving a microphone in Harper's direction. “Detective Harper, the citizens of Ravetham want answers. What really happened here at Area Zero? There are whispers that this is just another one of Mayor Don Cappo's cover-ups, while some are pointing fingers at President Kaelen Valrath’s family, citing one of their infamous experiments gone awry. Care to comment?”

Harper kept her expression neutral, her tone cool and collected. “We’re still in the early stages of the investigation, Gale. Right now, our focus is on finding out what caused this and if anyone is responsible. We’ve got experts combing through every inch of this site.”

But Gale wasn’t one to back down. She leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of the scoop. “But Detective, we’ve got reports from alchemic specialists who say the magical residue here is like nothing we’ve ever seen. The public deserves to know—are we looking at some kind of experimental weapon? Is the Valrath family trying to sweep this under the rug?”

Harper’s jaw tightened, a flicker of frustration flashing in her brown eyes. “I understand the public’s concern, but I’m not here to entertain conspiracy theories. The magical signatures we’ve detected are, indeed, off the charts, but as of now, there’s no evidence pointing to the Valraths or anyone else.”

Gale’s feathers ruffled slightly, a sign she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “No suspects, no leads, just a giant crater and a lot of unanswered questions. Are you saying Ravetham’s finest are just as stumped as the rest of us?”

Harper shot her a glare, stepping closer to make sure her words were clear. “I’m saying this investigation is far from over. I’ve got some of the best minds in alchemy, sorcery, and forensic science working this case. We’ll find out what happened here, even if we have to dig through every last lie and cover-up.”

The camera panned out, capturing the tension between the detective and the reporter, the sprawling crater serving as a grim backdrop. The scene reeked of power plays and secrets, the kind that could bring the city to its knees if they ever came to light.

As Gale turned to wrap up her segment, Harper couldn’t shake the feeling that she was standing on the edge of something much darker than anyone realized. This wasn’t just another incident. This was a warning, a harbinger of chaos yet to come. And she was determined to get to the bottom of it, even if it meant tearing down Ravetham’s untouchable elites.

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The sun was hangin’ low over Ravetham, casting a crimson glow on the cracked asphalt streets when Selene Drakov and Ennuy Null rolled up like bosses. The whole block turned to watch as their D-mechs Tyranno and Raptor-R7—thundered down the avenue, engines growlin’ like beasts ready to tear apart anything in their path.

Selene was ridin’ in her Tyranno, a monster of a machine that stood tall, painted a deep metallic blue with chrome accents that gleamed like polished fangs. It had a frame modeled after a T-Rex, with hydraulic limbs powerful enough to crush concrete and reinforced jaws designed to clamp down on anything that got in her way. Tyranno’s eyes, glowing a fierce crimson, scanned every corner with precision, its built-in AI synced directly to Selene’s neural link. This was her pride and joy, the ultimate weapon she’d pieced together from scratch, a testament to her mechanical genius—courtesy of learnin’ from her moms, Veil, and a little help from her big bro Adrian’s tech know-how.

Right beside her was Raptor-R7, the lean and mean machine piloted by Ennuy. Raptor-R7 was built for speed and agility, shaped like a sleek, futuristic velociraptor. The D-mech’s black and silver armor plates reflected the street lights as it zipped along, its long, segmented tail swishing like a blade. Ennuy’s D-mech was all about finesse and precision strikes, with extendable claws on its hands and feet for shredding through enemies like butter. His cockpit was modified for max stealth ops, with cloaking tech that could make it ghost out of sight in the blink of an eye. Ennuy sat laid back in his seat, cool as ice, letting the D-mech’s auto-pilot handle most of the navigation as he kicked back, hands behind his head.

They pulled up to Area Zero, the aftermath of that strange incident still hanging heavy in the air like a bad omen. Selene and Ennuy could feel it, that lingering dark energy messin’ with their senses. The once-bustling square was now nothin’ but a massive crater, the ground twisted and scorched like somethin’ outta hell. A swarm of city workers and magical engineers were hustlin’ to patch it up, courtesy of Don Cappo throwin’ state tax money at the problem like it was a bad poker debt.

But the real action was just outside the tape. Detective Harper, the sharp-eyed Aasimar with black hair tied back tight and a glare that could cut glass, was standin’ next to a flurry of blue feathers belongin’ to Gale, the ace Kenku news anchor, who had her mic ready to turn any soundbite into a headline.

The second they rolled up, Harper’s eyes locked onto the two D-mechs. The look on her face? Pure suspicion. “The hell you kids think you’re doin’ with those?” she barked, steppin’ forward, her brown eyes narrowing. “Ain’t no permit for minors runnin’ military-grade tech like that.”

Selene hopped down from Tyranno’s cockpit, her boots hittin’ the ground with a thud. She stood tall, chin up, dark hair flaring as she flipped it back with a smirk. “Built it myself,” she said, casually poppin’ the collar of her leather jacket. “Got my mom’s mechanical skills and my bro Adrian’s AI tech, so trust—we know what we’re doin’. This ain’t no toy.”

Ennuy slid out of Raptor-R7, arms crossed, leanin’ on his D-mech like it was a decked-out street whip. “Ain’t nobody breakin’ any laws, detective,” he added, his smirk challengin’ her authority. “We just checkin’ the scene, seein’ what’s left of this mess.”

Gale didn’t waste a beat, slippin’ in like the true opportunist she was. “Selene Drakov, Ennuy Null! Y’all sure made an entrance—care to tell our viewers what brings you to Area Zero?” she chirped, her blue feathers ruffled in excitement, mic pointed right at them.

Selene grinned, flashin’ a smile for the camera. “Just makin’ sure the streets stay safe, ya know? Tyranno and Raptor-R7 here are custom-built, top-of-the-line. We’re trackin’ residual energy, makin’ sure none of that dark shit spreads. Keeps us two steps ahead of whatever’s lurkin’.”

Gale’s eyes gleamed as she pressed for more. “Now, how exactly do these machines of yours function? What’s their power source? Is it true they can handle magical interference?”

Selene nodded like she was givin’ a masterclass. “Self-regenerative energy cells, with an alchemical twist. Runs smoother than a politician’s lie. And yeah, they’re built to resist magical backlash. Mama didn’t raise no fool—these babies are prepped for anything.”

Detective Harper, still side-eyein’ the kids, cut in, “This isn’t a game, alright? You two best be careful. I catch wind of any unauthorized activity, y’all are gonna have more than just reporters askin’ questions.”

Ennuy shrugged, “We ain’t worried, detective. We built these to protect our turf. But if you wanna try and stop us… well, good luck.”

Harper let out a sigh, clearly frustrated but also impressed. Gale, lovin’ every second, wrapped up her segment, signalin’ her cameraman to cut. “There you have it, folks! Ravetham’s future, right here in front of us. Selene Drakov and Ennuy Null—remember those names.”

With that, the duo hopped back into their D-mechs, engines roaring back to life. They left Harper and Gale in the dust as they sped off, leavin’ a wake of rumors, curiosity, and a whole lotta questions behind.