As Brian and Serdna emerged from the government's headquarters, they were met by Sophia's radiant smile. The valtite infused light pole caught her eyes, making them sparkle like sapphires.

The payment received came in the form of a beautiful velvet-leather white pouch, embroidered with the word ‘Arcasium’ near the bottom right side in the typical aestari lettering. Inside were physical solars: about ten of the normal coins he had seen, as well as others of different sizes, most valued at more than one solar. In total, there should have been 200 solars in the pouch. Additionally, they received a card. However, it didn't look like a typical credit card; it was as thick as a smartphone, had a white futuristic design, and was supposed to contain their balance encrypted with valtite.

"Hey, you two!" she called out, jogging towards them. "How did everything go in there? That pouch looks heavy."

"Um, well," Brian began, rubbing the back of his neck. "It went okay, I guess. Actually, it went better than expected. But something about it just felt... too easy, you know?"

Serdna clapped a hand on Brian's shoulder. "Don't worry so much, man. If they turn out to be helpful, great. If not, we'll probably won’t be able to do anything about it. In the meantime, we have solars to spend!"

Sophia nodded in agreement. "Exactly.... I mean Serdna is half right. Just keep working with them until they no longer benefit you." She paused, studying Brian's face for a moment before grinning. "Now, are you ready for some good news? While you guys were meeting with the bureaucrats, I found this incredible káfx!"

“Ka-fa what now… What in the world are you talking about?” Brian said, confused.

“Uh, I wanna go too, I love kofrix!” Serdna started chattering animatedly about his favorite drinks and pastries after the mention of kofrix, his hands gesturing widely as he spoke. “It’s so smooth, creamy and gives you more energy than my lyre.”

Brian stared incredulously. "Wait, when you say 'káfx,' is that like a… Coffee? Like actual caffeinated beverages?" It had been months since he'd tasted the bitter brew that used to fuel his late-night gaming sessions. Despite suffering severe caffeine withdrawals during his first few days in Valteria, he was willing to endure them again, just for the divine taste of that concoction to grace his palate.

“Yeah!”

“Sophia! This is an astronomical discovery!” Brian said, chuckling passionately.

Sophia smirked and nodded, clearly enjoying Brian's reaction. "Yep! So, let's get going, shall we?"

"Definitely!" Brian agreed, reinvigorated by the prospect of caffeine.

“Sounds gud!” Serdna said with a quirky voice. “But unfortunately, I’ve got to see what Mandrix’s been up to. The giant doesn’t stop vliting me.” He pointed his fingers in the opposite direction. “Can you grab me a cup?”

“Of course!” said Sophia.

Brian waved goodbye to Serdna as he set off with Sophia. He strode forward with a newfound sense of purpose, each step bringing him closer to his personal magical elixir.

They turned a corner and navigated through the narrow alleyways, a scent similar to roasting coffee beans growing stronger with each step. As they approached the káfx, Brian's senses suddenly sharpened. He halted mid-step, his gaze drawn to an alcove between two buildings.

"I know you're there," he called out firmly.

In response, a shadowy figure materialized from the shadows, a menacing presence now standing before them. The man stood tall, dressed all in black, his features obscured by a dark cowl. Only his piercing eyes shone through, fixed on Brian with unsettling intensity.

With lightning speed, Sophia teleported behind the mysterious man, her katana pressed against his throat. Brian was thankful and relieved by Sophia’s intervention, but he was equally concerned for her safety. As he shifted his weight and subtly moved his hand toward the dagger on his belt, he was haunted by the fact that in Valteria, people could die in an instant.

Did Aleron have a spy following him? Brian thought, feeling like he was starting to sound as paranoid as Mandrix. Still, he didn’t discard it as a possibility. His brain worked overtime as he tried to make sense of the situation. What other tropes are there? He also wondered if it was normal for people to get attacked in the city. The situation was simply too mystifying. Finally, turning his attention to the man, he asked, “What do you want?”

"I only want to know what you discussed inside the government building," the man demanded. His tone was deep, resonant, slightly distorted, and he was unfazed by the pressure of Sophia’s blade.

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Brian scrutinized the stranger while keeping an eye on their surroundings, making sure no other enemies were nearby. The man in black had a flicker energy level, matching Brian's own. With Sophia, he felt confident that if a fight ensued, they could take this guy down.

"Sorry, but I don't think you're the one who should be asking questions here," Brian replied, using his most authoritative tone. He kept his breathing measured, hoping to project a veneer of control despite the adrenaline spike.

The mysterious man scowled. "I'm not looking for trouble. Just information."

"Well, find it somewhere else," Sophia said fiercely, pressing her blade more firmly against the man's neck.

Using his Chronal Gaze, Brian noticed that Sophia was being careful not to harm the individual, in case this was a misunderstanding. However, her posture and the tension in her arm muscles indicated that she would need only a quarter of a nivosec to slice the neck of the man in black.

Brian suddenly realized how much more emotionally mature Sophia was than he was. Not only was she better at expressing her emotions than he could ever hope to be, but she was also ready to do whatever was needed without hesitation.

At that moment, a woman in a government uniform yelled at them from across the street. "Hey! Stop whatever you're doing right now!"

Sophia and Brian exchanged a look, both of them knowing that the situation had just become infinitely more complicated.

"Go see Mandrix at the Gritty Gauntlet," the mystery man hissed before suddenly thrusting his head backward, breaking Sophia's nose with a sickening crunch. Her grip on the katana slackened as she recoiled in pain, allowing him to vanish without a trace.

"Goddammit Mandrinx!" Brian uttered under his breath, scanning the area with his Valtite Vision, but finding no sign of the man's energy signature. He was gone, leaving them with nothing but questions and a broken nose.

Sophia stumbled toward Brian, one hand pressed against her bleeding nose.

"Is it broken?" he asked, though the answer was painfully obvious.

Sophia just nodded, still trying to stem the flow of crimson. “He just disappeared.”

"Was it like your teleportation? Or did he go through a wall? Not even my eyes detected him escaping."

“And he wants us to see Mandrix?” Sophia said through her stuffy nose.

“What is he up to now–”

The woman who had yelled from across the street now hurried toward them, her government uniform made her intentions clear. Brian recognized her instantly; she was the chief enforcer. He flashed back to their first encounter at the Decimator Academy, remembering her no-nonsense attitude. This didn't bode well.

Wait, let me explain," Brian said quickly as Seraphine approached. "We were just walking here when this man came out of nowhere and confronted us. We didn't intend to fight or anything."

"Drawing weapons within the city is absolutely forbidden, unless there’s an emergency," she scolded, her tone razor-sharp. "What do you think you're doing?"

Brian nodded. "We were just trying to defend ourselves.”

"It's true," Sophia added, still holding her injured nose. "When I stepped in to intervene, he attacked me and vanished before you arrived."

Seraphine studied them for a moment, considering their words. "Even if that's true, rules are rules," she finally said. "I understand you felt threatened, but fighting here endangers others. Please be more careful in the future."

"Understood! Thanks..." he began sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Could you remind me your name? I’m sorry I'm bad with names."

He held her glare, feeling like a delinquent kid in the principal's office. But he knew that remaining calm and complying was currently the best course of action.

"Seraphine," she replied, eyeing him with annoyance. "You're that troublemaker from the Decimator Academy, aren't you?"

"Sorry," Brian averted his gaze. “It was more of a misunderstanding.”

Seraphine sighed and seemed deep in thought for a moment, then muttered, "The High Director was quite fond of you, if I recall correctly. What should I do with you? Ok, listen. I’m going to write you two a warning because you’re new to the city and,” She paused and her expression softened. “Are a guest of the High Director."

“I appreciate that. We need to move and get her healed,” Brian said, gesturing to Sophia’s face.

Brian started thinking that his alliance with Aleron was already proving useful. But he knew better than to get too comfortable. In life, and now in Valteria, everything had a cost.

"Thank you," Sophia managed to say through the pain, her voice strained.

Seraphine introduced herself and her position to Sophia before addressing them both once more. “I'm letting it slide this time, but I must remind you that there's a strict rule against fighting or drawing weapons within Arcasium. We Aestari have enough monsters to deal with; we don't need to fight amongst ourselves. You're lucky this time, but don't let me catch you again. I don't usually give warnings, so you won't get a second one.”

"Understood," Brian nodded. "I promise it won't happen again."

"Have a good lum. Don’t forget what I said," Seraphine said, her tone softening slightly as she turned to leave. Once she was out of sight, Sophia spoke up, still holding her nose to stop the blood.

"She seemed nice," she observed with a small, pained smile.

"Yeah, she did," Brian agreed, trying to force a sense of normalcy. But quickly panicked as he saw the blood pouring from Sophia's broken nose. "Come on, let's get you some help. The káfx can wait. I bet Serdna can fix this easily."

He gently put an arm around Sophia to support her as they walked. Each pained breath she took amplified his feelings of guilt. This was yet another reminder of the power that he lacked; Darius would have instantly restrained the man in black with gravitational force.