“The City is still celebrating the fact that the Voiced from Brosnock arrived in Water’s Bastion. People are rowdy. Crime is up. Our jobs are that much harder,” Remi tells a group of fellow intelligence agents as we stand in a firm line before her.

We all say at the same time, strutting to attention, “Ma’am!”

In an open field just outside the city in a place with little light or visibility, we listen to Remi.

Myself included, six other individuals line up beside me for a total of seven. If you add Remi, there are eight of us here tonight. We all wear the same type of black clothing. Black pants. Boots. Long-sleeved shirts that are, of course, black. Long, dark overcoats with hoods. The materials are thin. The outfit is relatively comfortable. At night, we easily blend in with the darkness.

Unlike everyone else, I wear a face mask to cover my features. My hood is already up. It conceals my red hair. That mass of fire is currently swirled and tied into a tight bun atop my head. Some strands break out and dangle down from my temples, but the hood still hides me.

I’m given some odd glances here and there from these men and women who have no idea who I am, but they trust Remi. I came with her. They won’t say anything. It also helps that they’re still all relatively young, probably a few years younger than me. Fifteen or so? It’s hard to tell with all the layers, but I’m sure they’re around that age. If they’re older, it’s not by a lot.

“We have a guest cadet with us tonight on lend from Sun’s Bastion,” says Remi. “She’s been struggling. As a favor for the officer in charge over there, I’m taking her under my wing for the night as she rotates through towns along the lake.”

I bow thankfully but do not say a word.

“Right.” Remi eyes me. She turns to the rest of the team. “Keep the peace, people. Let no one embrace you but the night. You know the drill. Keep me updated. I want reports on notable intel into me tomorrow morning before lunch. Are we clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” says everyone, including myself.

Remi casts out a hand. “Dismissed.”

Everyone seems to fade away into the night at high speeds.

I’m left standing with Remi.

“You’re kind of amazing,” I remark. My fingers remove the suffocating mask from my face now that no one is around.

Remi cocks her head to the side. “Why do you say that?”

“You’re so young, yet you’re leading an intelligence unit by yourself. It’s one directly linked to the castle. Anyone in that job has to be a cut above the rest. You’re amazing, plain and simple.”

Remi kind of blushes. She looks away, clearing her throat. “It’s not like I’m in charge of the whole department. That’s Master Talbert’s area of expertise.”

I blink in surprise. “What?”

“He’s your father’s advisor and has taken it under his purview to control the intelligence division for the entire territory. He’s the reason why I was promoted,” Remi explains. “Did you not know that?”

“I…don’t really like to ask personal questions about people. It’s embarrassing.” My face pales. “I always feel like I’m annoying people when I do. Like they’ll get angry or something. It’s stupid…”

“Well, you need to work on it like a normal fucking human being,” says Remi, annoyed. “Did you really think someone with his background would be sidelined like that? Master Talbert is as brilliant a tactician as he is a warrior.”

“I know at least that.”

“Yet you’ve never thought to ask him about his job?”

“I haven’t thought about it if I’m being honest.”

“It never came up once in nearly a decade?”

“We mostly fight. Master Talbert’s not a big talker if you haven’t noticed.”

“Geez, I wish you’d be a little more curious about things that mattered.”

“I’m plenty curious about stuff!”

“About swords, war, politics, religion, cooking, and a host of other things,” lists Remi. “How long did you know Nigel and Alexander before you knew their family situations, Scarlet?”

I lower my head in shame. “I’ll do better.”

Remi frowns as she thinks for a moment. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

“It annoys me that you think I wouldn’t know any of that after so long. Common sense should have told you I was lying immediatly. You are soooo cute,” I mock in confirmation. “That’s how you really think of me, huh? That I am that selfish and dense? That kind of hurts, Remi.”

“I was just so appalled that you might have been telling the truth that I wasn’t thinking straight.” Remi sighs. “Anyways, you ready to work your very first job?”

“Doing what exactly? I’ve got the clothes.” I pluck at my threads. “Only got one sword.” I smack the long steel hanging from my waist. “What are we doing going forward exactly?”

Remi throws on her hood. She walks over to me and puts an arm around my shoulder. “We keep the peace from the shadows. Follow my lead. Listen to my orders. You’ll be fine. I can’t promise anything exciting will happen, but it might. So be ready. And try not to kill anyone.”

“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to,” I say with a half-smile.

Remi pats my head. “That’s a good thing. It means you have a kind soul.”

“I can cut off someone’s hand, though.”

“So I’ve seen.”

•

With our attire and our short statures, we trek through town unnoticed. Blending into the crowds, we hear many interesting things.

Affairs.

Good deals on products.

Potential crimes.

Happy stories.

It’s a mixed basket, sadly, and we haven’t done anything actionable yet.

“You do this a lot?” I ask Remi as we continue walking through the streets.

“More so around five years ago. Ever since my promotion, I’ve spent most of my time at the castle coordinating information and writing reports,” admits Remi. “When I have time, I like to come into town myself. Otherwise, I’ll get rusty.”

“I bet. Heh, badass.”

“I know I am.”

I scoff. “Humble, are we?”

“Not very. I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I like it. I’m good at it.” Remi shrugs. “There are worse things I could be doing.”

“You’d probably be good at those things, too.”

“Correct,” Remi agrees with a short flick of her wrist.

“The promotion is why you’re at the castle more than you used to then?”

Remi nods. “Yeah. It’s been nice. I can catch up with you, Nigel, and Alexander on a more frequent basis. My sleep schedule isn’t as screwed up. I used to sleep around four to five hours every night. Now I’m back on a normal schedule. It feels great not to be tired all the time.”

“Oh? I don’t have that problem.”

“Oh? I think that’s because you’re a wealthy noble and I’m a filthy peasant,” says Remi with a fake smile.

“Now, now.”

Remi peeks over my shoulder. “Hold up. Got something.” She brushes past me. “Come along sweet friend of mine.”

“So sassy tonight,” I mutter.

I catch a glimpse of what Remi noticed after a few seconds. Two men are yelling at each other in the street. Both are drunk, and a crowd is starting to develop around them. They give the men space.

“Are we going to stop them?” I ask Remi.

“In a sense. I prefer to call it de-escalation.”

“Are you going to try talking with them then? I didn't take you for a conversational negotiator,” I tease.

“I have absolutely no desire to do that. A scuffle doesn’t matter. That’s not why we’re headed this way.” Remi jerks her head the closest man with his back to us. “What about him screams ‘danger’ to you?”

My eyes scan the man. “He’s got a knife.” The handle of it sticks out of his waistband on his right side.

“Correct.”

“What about the other guy?”

“Likely not.”

“How can you tell?”

“His body language,” states Remi. “Our knife wielder is pushing his weight back on his right foot. His hand continually swings back on that same side like he’s thinking about the knife during their argument. The other man has all his weight and his hands forward. He isn’t even thinking about a weapon, nor are there indents in his clothing to indicate he’s hiding something. It’d be a one-sided killing.”

“Oh wow. Quick and impressive.” My brow raises in astonishment. “Then what do we do?”

“Get rid of the surprise element and rig the ending.”

Remi walks forward. She melds with the crowd. I keep an eye on her as I follow from behind but it’s still difficult. She’s a natural at weaving between strangers. My movements are significantly slower than hers.

On the edge of the crowd swarming around the men, people are still relatively close. Citizens are starting to egg them on. There’s shouting in the distance, likely guards, but they still seem a bit too far away.

Remi edges closer to the outside of the circle. Passing a few more people, she eventually ends up near the front. The man with the knife is right in front of her.

In a flash, I watch the knife disappear from the man’s waist. Remi turns and catches up to me from behind her. The crowd closes around where she once was.

“Score.” Remi briefly shows me the knife before securing it in her cloak. She turns back to the fight. “Now we wait.”

“I’ll skull fuck you with my kneecap!” says the man who never had a weapon. He makes smashing gestures using both his hands and right knee. It’s easy to imagine what he’s describing.

“Come at me, bitch!” says the man now down a dagger.

The other man charges.

Dagger-less reaches for his weapon. His hand pats around his waist but finds nothing. “Huh?”

“Bitch!”

As described, the charging man grabs the other guy by his head. He brings it down upon his knee in quick succession.

Immediately, dagger-less falls asleep, face dripping with blood. His body flops to the ground.

“Oh, ouch,” I cringe.

“Better that than life in a cell followed by a swift decapitation,” remarks Remi. “They’ll both sleep it off in a cell to sober up with their futures still intact. See?”

Guards break through the crowd. They separate the first man from the unconscious one, restraining them both.

“He’d have died in that same time period if we hadn’t done anything,” says Remi. “But things are settled. Quick. Easy. No one knows I was involved. Simple enough, right?” She jerks her head beckoning to follow me out of the crowd. “Come on. Let’s move on to somewhere else.”

•

Moments later, we arrive in the middle rung of town. The rich district. Commerce and merchants live here. The canals are prettier.

Remi has remained quiet since entering this part of town. She instructed me to do the same. Most of her best intel comes from this area.

People are constantly discussing the Voiced. It’s the topic of the day between everything else we’ve heard.

“The Prophet was very easy on the eyes,” says one man to another.

“It made me wish I wasn’t married,” grumbles his friend.

They laugh.

“She touched me! She really touched me!” exclaims a young woman. She’s dressed rather nicely. Her parents must be wealthy. “Surely, I am blessed.”

“You’re lucky,” the elder lady the young woman was talking to responds. “Hopefully, her reverence will keep you safe.”

They chatter away with their religious dogma.

“That bitch had a scary look in her eyes,” mutters an older man to a younger woman.

“The prophet?” the woman asks.

The man nods. “I don’t care what the people think. She’s evil. Probably can’t even remember how many people she’s killed. When she looked at you, you could almost tell she didn’t see you as a human.”

The couple continues to argue.

“Lots of varied opinions,” I mutter to Remi.

“That’s a good thing. Roaming consensus usually means revolution or ideological change,” Remi whispers back. “When people have opposing thoughts, there can be no consensus. Power cannot be challenged without that.”

“Wow. You’re scary,” I note with a short, morbid chuckle.

“It’s my job.”

We continue to wander through the streets. We pick up on more information here and there, but nothing too interesting. Everyone’s still discussing the Voiced like she’s the only thing of value that’s happened recently.

“It must be hard hearing all these people talk about the Voiced after what happened to you,” says Remi quietly.

“Not really. It’s interesting to see the contrasts between reality and public perception,” I reply.

“If it helps, you and Gai are now officially the closest things we have to ‘Voiced experts’ in the region.”

“Yes, the subsequent trauma has made the minor knowledge I gained totally worth it.”

Observing Remi’s body language, I sense nervousness in her subtle gestures. Speaking, I note her demeanor. “You seem kind of nervous.”

“How so?” Remi ignores me. Her eyes continue to glaze over the people in the crowd, specifically the women.

“This has something to do with that serial killer, doesn’t it?”

Remi jerks in my direction. “How do you know about that?”

“Master Talbert told me. He said he was putting you in charge of the investigation.”

“How much more did he tell you? Anything specific?”

“Not much. He said I should be wary since I’m roughly in the age range of the dead girls. What’s going on? Tell me. I’ve never seen you like this.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.”

Remi frowns.

“How many women, Remi?” I ask.

Remi does not respond.

“If it affects me, I want to know,” I argue.

“All right,” Remi relents. She holds for a second to breathe in. “Four.”

I can’t help but yelp. “Four?!”

“Shhh! It’s bad, and it’s the same modus operandi.”

“Then how a—”

“Stop! We are ordering you to stop!” A voice suddenly shouts. It breaks our chain of thought. “Halt, thief!”

Thief?

Remi puts a hand on my shoulder. “Chill.” She escorts me into the crowd that has thus parted for the thief.

The suspected criminal runs down the middle of the street as people easily part for him. No one goes to stop him. Behind the man a few paces, five guards run after him as fast as they can. They’re in full armor, so they’re barely keeping up. In the game of stamina, my money’s on the thief. He’s nimble in his light clothes and has so much more to lose.

“Should we intervene?” I request.

“I will,” Remi conveys. “Our goal is to never be in the limelight. We strike from the shadows as unsung saviors,” she jests. “Watch and learn.”

The thief nearly passes us.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I watch as a potted plant from the building across from us lifts into the air. It floats until it’s just before the thief’s path then drops. The shards land in front of him.

“Fuuuuuu—”

The thief trips. He flings forward, flips twice, and collapses.

The guards close the distance.

“Scum!” one shouts as they restrain the man. “You’re going away for a long time, you garbage!”

The crowd cheers lightly.

“See?” Remi turns to me. “I helped.”

“Your abilities are too overpowered,” I mutter. My eyes stare at the criminal. He’s manhandled until metal restraints are placed upon his wrists. “Remi?” I turn to her after hearing no response.

Huh?

I look around. There’s no sign of her familiar black clothing.

She’s gone.

Stolen story; please report.

A little rock hits the back of my head.

I follow the direction until my eyes are gazing up at the roof of the nearest building. Upon it, Remi stands. She waves at me, though her body is mostly hidden in the darkness.

I stare up at her in awe. “She’s scary.”

Remi gestures for me to reach her position.

Nodding, I sneak out of the crowd into the nearest alley. Once flushed in darkness, two tendrils jut from my back. They lurch upward until they find an object to latch onto. My dark abilities pull me up until I’m safely on the roof. “That works too well,” I say, reflecting on my abilities as I rejoin Remi.

“You’ve got a small taste for what I do. What do you think?” Remi asks. She’s sitting down overlooking the town on the edge of the roof. “To be fair, that’s more excitement than normal, but still, I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought it was mostly boring. Thoughts?”

Sitting down, I breathe out with a sense of defeat. “I envy you. I envy Astria. Hell, I’d probably even envy Alexander if I got to follow him around for a day. You all chose your paths in life. You’re lucky. I don’t have much going for me right now.”

Remi looks at me for a moment. She pouts. “Is that what you think?”

“Is that not true?”

“Life is what you make it,” begins Remi. She stares up at the stars. “Watching my mother, I assumed that I’d have to sell myself to keep the family afloat. I was always afraid of that. I accepted that as my inevitable future for a while, but I made a change. I can’t really say why. One day, I got tired of feeling bad for myself and decided to do something. Maybe it was when I walked in on one of her clients trying to kill her. Maybe it was when I was forced to stop him with a knitting needle and did.” She pauses. “That’s when I felt strong. Like I could be something to protect the ones I love.”

My eyes soften. I gently lift my gaze towards the stars as well. “How old were you?”

“Ten,” Remi mutters.

“That’s terrible,” I murmur. Guilt rises within me. “All I ever do is bitch, don’t I?”

“Oh yeah. All the time.” Remi shoves me playfully, alleviating some of the tension between us. “Eh, I’ll only blame you if you decide to do nothing about it. Then you wouldn’t be worthy of comfort.”

“…I agree,” I say slowly. “I am…trying.”

“You are,” Remi agrees. “You haven’t done nothing, Scarlet, even if it may feel like you’re stuck. You’ve been improving yourself your entire life whether you know feel it or not. You never stopped learning or trying new things. To me, it seems like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to find that tunnel. Why don’t you think so? Did Astria really scare you that much?”

I frown. My head nods against my will. “Yes,” I whisper. “She did. It’s like she read my soul.”

And in a sense, she did. She knows a part of me that no one else knows. This is my second chance at life. Her words were validated with personal knowledge regarding the nature of my existence. It made them hurt so much more.

“What if there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel? What if Gai and I aren’t allowed to leave? What if, after everything I’ve done, it all breaks down in the end?” I question.

“You’ll be able to—”

“Once my wedding comes, even if it is a sham wedding in a sense, it isn’t to our families. How will our obligations change? Our lives? Will we earn the freedom Gai tells me we will have or is that an unlikely dream I have no right in desiring?” I say. “Plus, Gai won’t talk about his family. I know he’s estranged from them, but they’re coming in for the wedding after so many years apart. That means they’re somewhat invested, I would think. Astria’s implications are right, things won’t go smoothly. I feel it. It annoys me Gai doesn’t feel the same.” I laugh. “My hope is fucking strained, it feels more like stress than anything else.”

Remi is stricken into silence.

“I’m not doing enough to chase my dreams,” I mutter. “Even then, my dreams are so vague, I don’t know the right path to take. Be a hero? Help people? That’s so broad. I’ve tried in the past. It feels like a lifetime ago.” I chuckle at my inside joke. “I don’t know the answer yet, but there is something I am meant to do.” I grab at my chest right where my heart should be. “This emptiness is so painful. If I could define it, then maybe I could take action. How am I supposed to reach a destination when I don’t even know why I’m leaving?”

Remi moves closer to me. She puts an arm over my shoulder. “Regardless of what happens, you’ll always have me by your side.”

“I don’t know why you like me.”

“Why does anyone like their friends? They just do. When it’s right, it’s right. Overthinking it is stupid.”

“Ha! Makes sense. Thank you. You’re probably my best friend in this world.”

“You’re just now realizing that?” Remi lightly pushes me with a grin.

“Gai’s trying to push you out of the running, but I don’t think that will happen,” I tease.

Remi raises an eyebrow. “Oh? You think that highly of that piece of shit?”

“He’s become a dependable piece of shit,” I jest. “Sure, he wants me to sleep with him, but he’s not forcing the issue. Well, he does kiss me randomly when he’s drunk, but I’m sadly getting used to it.” I chuckle weakly. “But he always seems to know how I’m feeling and helps me when I feel troubled. It is a side of him I did not think existed when we first met. I don’t feel as lonely anymore with him around, so maybe he feels the same. Heh, I doubt he actually knows how he feels. If I had to guess, I think that’s why he’s okay with us getting married. I can’t imagine his life thus far. Maybe he’s lonely. I don’t want that for him, for anybody. It’s probably why I tolerate his…less desirable attributes.”

“Damn, I really might be nudged out of the way.”

“Don’t worry, you’re safe. Mostly cause you’re not trying to get into my pants.” I wave off her fake worries. “Not that I wouldn’t mind you trying,” I half-joke.

“He hasn’t succeeded yet?”

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

“Sex is not that bad. I don’t know why you’re holding out.” Remi shrugs. “If you’re comfortable with him now even after all the shit he’s put you through, go for it. I’ll think less of you, but what does that matter?” She smiles then immediately frowns. “With the way he whores around town, I’m sure he’s good at it.”

“I don’t like him in that way.”

Obviously, that’s not the real reason I’m holding out.

If chastity is something that holds with the body, and I think it is, then in this reality, I’m a virgin. If it were to follow the conscious mind, then I’m not. I’ve had sex before. It was very different at that time than it would be this go around. Nothing was going in me. I was doing that part. Now? I don’t even want to imagine it. I’m scared to know what that feels like.

Then there are the risks since birth control doesn’t exist in the same convenient way I’m used to. Not to mention, and it’s honestly the most important reason, I very much remember my life as Felix. I’ve never slept with men nor had a desire to do so. Ever.

I mean, I’ve been able to kiss both Christopher and Gai, but it made me physically ill. At the same time, that type of contact has gotten easier to the point where I don’t even feel queasy. I was able to tease Gai voluntarily and didn’t vomit. That kind of scares me a little. Then again, I’ve been raised as a woman for eighteen years. My life as Felix isn’t as visible. Rather than clear pictures, it’s more like vague after images I have to squint hard to see. Scarlet’s life has become my reality. Ignoring that, ignoring that I’ll be a woman until my eventual death, is something I still have trouble dealing with.

Honestly, I’d prefer to be bi-sexual at this point. It’d make things less confusing. I mean, I could be if I wanted. There’s no stigma. Nothing is holding me back except myself. If I didn’t have my memories of a past life, Scarlet would have already slept with men. I can feel it in my body. There’s attraction. Felix is getting in the way.

Hell, it’s my biggest fear. If I think my about interactions with Christopher and Gai, I’ll admit it, I start to have some bodily reactions. My face flushes. My skin starts to tingle. Little unfamiliar sensations build below my waist. I know exactly what that feeling is. I used to get it back when Remi and I bathed together in the pond during the early days of our friendship. It’s lust. A terrifying feeling.

Gods, I’d be lying if I said Gai’s constant advances, his looks, and the casual touching weren’t wearing me down, if only slightly. It’s not like he’s special to me by any means. If it weren’t him, it’d probably have been someone else given enough time.

Maybe I’ve already crossed a mental threshold there’s no coming back from...

Dammit, I hope not.

Or do I?

Do I even care?

What is the point of letting my life as Felix dictate my existence as Scarlet? Wouldn’t it be better to let go of that entirely?

It’s just another aspect of my cowardice.

As much as I fight against using my body physically, be it towards men or women, there’s a part of me that’s clawing desperately for those boundaries to fall apart. I’m human, not a God. Even with all my beliefs, thoughts, and restriction, at the end of the day, I’d like to be with someone again eventually. Finding someone to love is the most important thing a human can do.

But…

I openly sigh. It causes Remi to furrow her brow, but she says nothing in response.

I’m a walking contradiction.

There are too many “questions” about myself I cannot answer.

Or maybe I’m just avoiding them.

It terrifies me.

“As good a reason as any to hold out,” Remi relents after witnessing my distress.

My cheeks tint red. “What’s…what’s it…like?”

Remi talks as if she has experience. It’s not like I’m not curious about it. If I were to ever let down my guard…well, I want the woman’s perspective since it now matters.

“It can be good. It can be bad. It’s usually bad the first time,” Remi answers. She doesn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest. “We as women have control over who and when. Unlike the guys, if we want it, we can get it whenever. But that’s because we hold the risk factor.” She touches her stomach. “A child.”

Makes sense. I already know that. Wow, she’s talking to me like my current mother probably should.

Shit, my best friend’s having to give me the sex talk. Gods, my parents suck.

“There are ways to stop that from happening. I can tell you if you’re interested, but that’s beside the point,” continues Remi. “I’ve never been in love, so I can’t tell you what it’s like from that standpoint. In general, sex is relaxing. It can be fun. It can hurt. It can be passionate or aggressive. Loving or rough. It depends on your preference, but you learn that with practice.”

“When did you even find the time?” I ask. “Like, who was it? Someone I know?”

“No one you’d know.” Remi shrugs. “I have a low-profile job where I’m constantly surrounded by men. I had no desire for relationships. For the longest time, I avoided them. I still do. Then, one day, I wanted to feel like a woman. Got some drinks. Let my guard down. I don’t even know who it was if I’m being quite honest…”

“Oh, it was Alexander. He talks about it all the time,” I joke.

Remi lightly slaps my hand. “Shut up.” She chuckles. “But no, I find it to be a good stress reliever every once in a while.” She looks at me out of the corner of her eyes. “Can I be blunt for a moment?”

“Please.”

“In terms of first times, Gai would probably be very good. I don’t like him because of your ‘first date,’ but if you’re over it…who am I to hold on to such a reasonable grudge?” Remi raises her arms defensively. “Based on what the people I had tailing him reported, he’s rather skilled and elicits rave reviews. Do you remember Leone? The maid?”

“Of course. I haven’t seen her in a while though.”

“He slept with her a few weeks back when you turned him down. Again. She fell in love and tried to instigate relations with him a few times since, but he kept turning her down. It got to a point where she was released from service.” Remi pauses. “You know, other than from you, I haven’t heard word of a single woman having a bad experience with him.” She pauses again in thought then shakes her head. “What I’m saying is, he’ll treat you well. Probably.”

“Great. I can be number one-hundred and thirteen on his conquest list,” I mutter.

“Why does that matter?” Remi asks, genuinely confused.

Ah yes, sexual morals are different in this reality. Marriage in this world is seen largely as a union to create kids, not to form a loving relationship. As such, pre-marital sex is not taboo. Polygamy is the religion of the world. The general consensus is, if you’re a consenting adult, have fun! There’s no real stigma, not in a world with murderous creatures, war, famine, gifts, and Voiced.

Some people prefer a singular person and value that concept, as there are concepts of “true love” and “soul mates.” They are rare, but they exist. It’s not like this society is extremely whorish. The side effects of sex are on the table with pregnancy. It’s more like there’s a cultural realignment towards extreme sexual liberalism. Like hook-up culture without the religious or societal stigma, I suppose. The concept of having “many true loves” is extremely popular.

“I’m a weirdo, what can I say? Never done it before, so I’m a prude. Is it wrong for me to want to be careful?” I rub the tip of my nose. “Anyways, let’s talk about something else. Unless we’ve got to get going?”

Remi stares at me for a moment. After a while, her gaze turns to the street. “No, I want to watch the crowd for a second. See if that guy has a buddy.” Remi points to the thief being marched away.

“Keep telling me about the serial killer then.”

Remi darkens. “Are you sure?”

“I want specifics. What’s happening? We could run into this guy.”

“We won’t. I wish we would. The morning shift will report in a body if there is one,” Remi voices. She seems defeated.

“It’s happening in the mornings?”

Remi looks at me for a moment. She appears apprehensive. Eventually, she relents, but her gaze goes up to the sky. “Young women between the ages of sixteen and twenty are kidnapped in the middle district. They belong to wealthy families. The women are usually reserved but beautiful. Admired by their peers. They disappear one night and are found another morning much, much later. It’s bad, Scarlet.”

“How bad?”

“We find the bodies floating along the water in makeshift rafts along the canals in the inner city. The bodies are sliced apart. Every inch of the corpse has cuts on it. The women were tortured before death then abused after. The head is always removed and placed upon the body right between the breasts. The hands of the victim are restrained over the head’s ears while the eyes are removed.” She turns to me, her gaze hollow. “Four times, Scarlet. It’s happened four times to four different women. We don’t have a lead. We don’t have a suspect. We’re keeping it under wraps for now so as not to incite panic as we chase down something, but sooner or later, the public will have to know.”

“They should know now,” I reply breathlessly.

“The Baron and Master Talbert want us to keep it under wraps. The city’s at a crucial inflection point. They at least want to keep it quiet until after your wedding,” Remi remarks.

“That’s bullshit.”

“It kind of is, yeah, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Trust me, I’ve tried. Talbert said he agreed with me, but I’ve seen otherwise in meetings where it mattered. It’s annoying.”

“Shit, then wh—”

I’m interrupted for the second time tonight.

“Nooo! Stooop!” a woman shrieks.

Remi immediately takes off running in the direction of the voice. “Keep up, or I will leave you!” she shouts without looking back.

For a moment, I’m startled.

Remi uses her abilities to lighten the gravity weighing down her body. She runs across the roofs, jumping effortlessly to the next one without hesitating for a moment. It’s almost like she’s on the moon, but her movements are faster than they could ever be on that lunar surface.

Cursing, I charge after her. Light energy surges throughout my body. The glow is hidden by my clothes. With my body enhanced, my speed easily keeps pace with Remi’s lightened load.

We close in on the sound. A small home nestled between a shop near an alley.

Remi drops to the ground. I follow her, rolling as my legs hit the concrete.

The shouting is clearer now. There’s a male and a female voice. Crashing objects. Crying. Curses. Threats.

“This…might just be a domestic issue,” Remi observes as we arrive on site.

“Seems like it,” I reflect. “I thought it was—”

“Me too.”

The crashing noise increases in loudness. Out of the second-story window, a man comes thundering out of the top. He lands before us shirtless, rolls, then begins running away from us down the street.

Remi and I stare after him.

“That man screwed my wife!” a voice suddenly shouts. It’s a different man standing on the threshold of the broken window. “Get him!”

A woman hangs from the man. “Stop! Don’t hurt him!”

“What should we do?” I ask Remi.

“It’d probably be best to go after him,” murmurs Remi. “Anyone willing to jump out of a second-story window so confidently is bound to be trouble.” She begins running after the fleeing man.

I take off after her. “You’re probably right.”

We close the gap rather quickly.

“Shit,” the man grumbles. He cuts left suddenly.

Remi and I pass him, cursing.

I divert, dipping down and using my hands to kick my momentum backward to redirect my momentum before continuing my pursuit. Remi jumps into a wall, presses off with her foot, repositions herself a full one-hundred-and-eighty degree, and rejoins me by my side.

Objects are thrown in front of us. Trash cans. Boxes. Glass. Nothing abates our pursuit.

Our trials end in a dark alley. The man stands cornered with his bareback to us, staring up at a wall obstructing his way.

“Well damn. Not lucky today,” says the guy. “Guess I’ll have to use it,” he whispers to himself. I almost didn’t hear it.

“Stop resisting. We only wish to question you,” Remi communicates.

The man’s ears seem to perk up. “That voice is familiar. Remi?” He pivots.

Remi and I deadpan. “Gai?!” we shout.

“Yo!” Gai flashes up the peace sign. “Oh! Scarlet! You’re here too! What’s up?” He scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

“Really?” is all Remi says. She judges him up and down with bland eyes.

“What?” Gai caws.

“Why was he mad at you?” I ask. “Could it be that husbands don’t like it when you screw their wives? Weird. Who would have thought?”

“To be fair, I did not know she was married until a few minutes ago. She always kept complaining about how her former lover could never longer please her and I appreciated a good challenge! If I had known she was lying, I would have found someone else to be with. Husbands are burdensome. That one waited for me to come by and tried to thrash me. I fought back as meekly as possible but I still ended up hurting him. He ended up pulling a knife on me. I was naked so I pulled on some pants and jumped out the window, now here we are,” Gai explains rather effortlessly without a hint of shame.

“He could no longer please her?” I chuckle. “Please.”

“I’m quite good. I’ve been telling you.” Gai appears slightly agitated by my words. It’s not like him. Then again, given the situation, he might be aroused and unfinished, so the personality is understandable.

Poor him. Guess he’ll have to sleep it off.

“Moving on.” Remi wants nothing more to do with the conversation. “Stop disrupting the city. It’s bad enough we’ve got a killer on the loose. Someone like you fits the rough idea we have for the killer. A young man too into women.” She pauses. “The killings did start occurring around when you arrived. Huh. Guess you’re a suspect now.”

Gai’s shoulders slump over. “Really?”

“Think about that when you’re dicking around from now on,” chirps Remi.

“Yes, ma’am.” Gai nods sadly. “By the way, what are you two doing out here?” He points between us. “You pretending to be a soldier?” He directs towards me.

“Kind of, yeah,” I respond honestly.

“Oh. Well, that suits you.” Gai shrugs his shoulders. “You having a good time?”

“Yes. We stopped a robbery and a pervert.”

“Hey now.”

Remi giggles. “It’s true, though.”

Gai scowls.

“Don’t pout because you hate being called out on who you are.” Remi shakes her head. “I don’t know what Scarlet sees in you.”

“Sees in me, huh?” Gai raises an eyebrow. He moves closer to me. “What do you see in me?”

I beam. “Absolutely nothing right now.”

Gai shuffles close. “But later?”

“Anyways…” Remi moves between us. “We need to head back. Our shift is almost over. I'll have to debrief everyone and give orders to the next shift. Gai, can you take Scarlet home? It’ll save me some time.”

“Awww, am I that much of a burden?” I whine jokingly.

“Well, before I was going to have to bring you home, then come back out. Now I get to save a step,” Remi explains. “I’ll come up with an excuse to the others for why my cadet is no longer present if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not worried at all. When are we coming out again?”

Remi thinks for a moment. She mutters for a few seconds in thought before speaking loudly. "I think I can do...hmm...two weeks from now? No, probably three."

My mouth drops. “Three weeks?! That long?”

“I'm stuck at the castle these days, remember? It's not like I can shove you off onto someone else in the unit. Nigel and Alexander usually do stuff during the day and in groups, so I can't reasonably coerce them into helping either," explains Remi. "Don’t worry. Be patient. I don’t plan on pulling the plug on this since you enjoyed it so much. It’d make me an asshole and I promised I would help you, so I will. There's got to be more ways to get you out here discretely,” she ponders. Remi half-smiles. “I’m glad you liked my job, though.”

“You two were very fast and scary, if that helps,” Gai awards.

I sigh. “Sure. It does. Just let me know, okay?” I redirect back to Remi.

“Of course.” Remi jumps into the air. Her lightened body makes it so that she lands on the nearest roof. “Keep her safe, Gai. And put a shirt on!” she orders before disappearing into the night.

I toss Gai my cloak. “Here you go.”

“You don’t seem that happy,” Gai notes, astute as ever. “Was this really that fun for you?”

“I don’t know if fun is the right word. Fulfilling is probably better. I can’t remember the last time I’d done any meaningful work. Dammit! I was on the brink of a eureka moment and now I have to wait three shitty weeks!”

“Do you even need Remi to keep doing this though?” Gai questions. We begin walking into the streets.

“I suppose…not,” I concede.

“You know, I’ve done some mercenary work here and there. Enough to know what I’m doing at least. Let’s go out tomorrow night, you and me. We’ll be regular vigilantes working outside of the law.”

I freeze. “Vigilantes...that…sounds awesome...really?” I can’t help but ask, astonished.

No, wait. I shouldn’t be too hasty. That’d be crossing a line. I’d be doing something pretty reckless.

My head shakes.

What the hell am I talking about? This type of thinking is why I’m in this situation in the first place. I’m doing it! I need to take the leap. Sometimes, bad decisions can be good for you.

Clearing my throat, I speak again, “Are you sure? I don’t think we’ll be able to get out of the castle like we used to. The guards are tightening up security around the castle. I wouldn’t be surprised if more people get tasked with watching my movements. This serial killer Talbert mentioned has got everyone freaked out and for good reason.”

“Um.” Gai pauses. He suddenly sighs. “We’ll be fine.”

“How so?”

“Uh…well… I’m…shit.” He takes a breath. “I’m an Admix.”

I stop walking. Gai continues ahead. He turns around, noticing I stopped moving, and cocks his head to the side.

“You are?”

Gai nods.

“What can you do?”

Gai moves back towards me. He whispers in my ear. “I vanish.”

“You can—”

Gai temporarily disappears.

I blink rapidly.

A hand slaps my ass. Gai reappears laying an arm over my shoulder. “Convinced?”

My eyes widen. I jab a finger into his chest. “That’s how you were in my room that one time!”

“Guilty.”

I frown. “Someone like you doesn’t need that kind of power.”

“Probably,” Gai agrees with a cocky grin. “But I have it, so there’s no point whining about it. Whenever I touch something, it turns invisible at my will. It even mutes the sounds I make. We can literally walk out the front gates. No one will see us, so no one will stop us.”

“Why didn’t we use that the first time we went into the city?! Or when you were running away from Remi and me?!”

“What? I’m not allowed to keep some secrets?” Gai smiles. “I didn’t know you guys yet. I thought I’d be ditching you after a quick screw or two. I didn’t want to show my hand.”

“Asshole.”

“True.” Gai laughs. “No, sorry. I keep it hidden from everyone. It’s one of those powers that makes people distrust you immediately.”

“I don’t—” I cut myself off. “You’re right. I understand. You still should have told me a lot sooner than now, though.”

“You can spank me if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Why are you like this?”

“How about it? Tomorrow night sounds good?”

I pause. “Are you sure?”

“Regardless of what I say and do, I’d like to think we’re close at this point. If it’ll make you happy, let’s do it. If someone catches us, all we need to do is obscure their vision. Then I can hold onto you, we turn invisible, and everything is fine again,” explains Gai. “Doubt it would have worked around that Voiced, but for most people it will. You’ll be perfectly safe with me. Not that I’m worried. You could probably destroy a few buildings if you got angry enough.”

“That…okay. Again, are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Sorry, Remi. I can’t wait a month to do this. I’m having too much of an existential crisis to sit around, stressed, hoping to find some sort of purpose in life.

I can’t help but smile.

“Tomorrow then.”