The Red Paser became an overnight sensation.

An hour after her broadcast, shirts were sold online of a redbird, a symbol of resistance against the government. It was quickly taken down, and any depiction of this was labeled as support of terrorism. Multiple websites popped up afterward selling the same or similar-looking shirts, and it was impossible to take them down. By the end of the week, Red Paser shirts were sold by vendors in the red-light district, the Ruĝlumkvartalo, and were one of the most popular items there, especially for women.

The government instituted a state of emergency in Fadeno the day after the destruction of Supera Castle. Few districts were left open in Fadeno, but one was Ruĝlumkvartalo. It was never seen as a place that followed laws, to begin with.

The imperial police hoped if the people who lived there were killed by terrorists there would be fewer people to arrest later.

Kylan lived in the red-light district.

Not live per se, but spent most of his time there at night. The hotels there were the cheapest, and since he didn't have a home, he would sporadically rent out rooms at hotels in the area. That night he rented out a room in the Pasha Hotel. His room was on the 5th floor out of 26, making it the cheapest because there was no view of the skyline behind all the buildings.

He was lonely and bored so he called a friend to visit. He didn't want to because the hotel was quite disgusting, with frayed red carpet and weird brown spots on the wall.

There was also a state of emergency.

"There isn't one here," Kylan said. "Come here and you get to go outside."

"Aren't you worried that there's no enforced rule?"

"No one cares about us here. We're used to it."

Aster snuck out to visit the next day because hearing what he said made him sad.

That night, Kylan and Aster spent the night going around Ruĝlumkvartalo. Kylan was so excited to show Aster the neighborhood. Aster again regretted his need to save everyone the more they walked through Ruĝlumkvartalo.

Women, men, and everything in between naked, wearing nothing, or in some dress-up costume displayed themselves in large windows like clothing at storefronts. Strobing lights and music played out from several bars and holo advertisements of women roamed the streets, enticing customers to come to their place and not the other one. Vending machines sold not only candy but condoms.

He saw host bars and massage parlors, themed restaurants, and topless cafes. Friendly workers waved at Kylan from the windows above and he waved back, yelling back and forth in the middle of the night, having a conversation about something or other. The normalization of sex in the open was so foreign to Aster. He didn't even know this place existed until yesterday.

"What's there to do around here that doesn't involve me sleeping with someone," Aster asked.

"You like karaoke?"

"Sure, let's go. Where?"

"It's a bar."

"Isn't the drinking age twenty? You're nineteen."

"IT IS," Aster shouted. "No bar here has asked!"

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Of course, they haven't."

The first place they stopped was a horrible bar-strip club called Sword-Fight.

Since it was karaoke night, everyone was encouraged to dress up in any weird outfit they pleased. The red hue of the bar was replaced with normal lights, and the pole on the stage was removed. Aster felt weirdly underdressed at the amount of people in knight outfits and Kylan assured him that the outfit was not necessary. While waiting for the stage to be set up, someone unexpectedly arrived.

It was Ghost.

He wore his signature motorcycle helmet and gloves. This helmet had flames on the side and his entire outfit was meant to be scary. It was made of leather. The shoes had flames on the bottom and the gloves were made to look like a skull when his fists were clenched.

"O-o-oh, h-h-hello," Aster mumbled.

"I AM SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE, I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D COME," Kylan shouted.

"I got tired of being inside."

To his surprise, Ghost took off his helmet. Aster's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. He looked around, rapidly, as if some crime were being committed, if it were okay for him to see a man take off a helmet in public.

The indecency of it all.

Ghost's hair was silver, his skin brown, and his eyes green. Aster imagined him to look meaner and tougher, but he wouldn't have paid him mind if he saw him in the street. Aster was also surprised when he noticed again how short he was. The most astonishing thing to him was that he was a Kuraga, and Aster couldn't understand how a man who benefitted most from the system would be so ardent about destroying it.

Kylan looked surprised as well when he saw Ghost, and he squinted, cocked his head to the side, and made an odd noise as if he were inspecting a new car he was about to steal.

"I thought you knew what he looked like," Aster asked.

"He does," Ghost insisted.

"Then why-"

"Hey Kylan, I've never been here before, show me where the bathroom is."

Kylan shrugged and agreed. Ghost put his helmet down on the nearest table and followed him to the nearest restroom. Aster decided to walk around the bar and see what they had. It was surprisingly large. He ordered himself some visiko on the rocks and wandered around for a bit. It was getting hot inside from the amount of people now filling the bar. He went out the side exit of the bar to cool down for a moment and heard Ghost and Kylan arguing from far away. They were behind the bar, shoving each other, yelling, and it looked like it was about to get physical.

"I don't like this," Kylan shouted. "Let him go!"

"Is that why you invited me? Guilt trip me into letting him go? We need a doctor!"

"Find someone else. Aster's a good person."

Aster was touched that Kylan was trying to improve his behavior. That maybe he would leave. Maybe the recent destruction of Supera and Ĉielarko Castle made him understand that real people were being hurt by his support of dangerous factions.

"I can't let him go and you know that. Stop this."

"No."

Ghost tried to goad him into another fight by pushing him but Kylan didn't take the bait. He refused to fight him, and when he didn't get what he wanted, Ghost became nastier.

"There's only one way he can leave. I can't make exceptions, and I like him too. I have to kill him or else I look weak."

Aster was surprised that Ghost liked him but tried to focus on the murder part of the sentence.

"If he tries to run I won't make his death quick either. You invited him, you should have known better," Ghost said. "You've done nothing but fail me and everyone else. Now another group is taking credit for what we started."

"I'm sorry...please..."

Aster slowly walked closer to the back of the bar to see more of the fight and try to help Kylan if it became worse. He peeked his head out from the corner of the building and saw Ghost gripping the sides of Kylan's head.

"I'm sorry too. I can never stay mad at you."

Aster's left eye twitched from stress when Ghost brought Kylan close and they kissed behind the bar passionately. He looked away in shock, feeling the entire world spin. Kylan was being used because he was lonely. It was clear he was in too deep to see it.

"I don't like your new face," Kylan said. "How'd you do it?"

"Tune-up at the medical center in town last week. Now I can change my face whenever."

"I miss the old one," Kylan sulked.

"You can't want me for only my face, right?"

"No....this one's nice but the original flavor is best."

The conversation turned to flirting and Aster quietly left the alley and exited onto the street. He didn't know what to do. His idea to turn in Ghost if things got too rough possibly wouldn't work if he could change his face at will. The evidence would be useless and Aster could never hope to get a deal for himself or Kylan. He wanted to leave Ruĝlumkvartalo but it was suspicious to leave right after they fought.

Aster had an idea of how to get rid of Ghost without getting Kylan hurt.

He didn't want Kylan to die, he still believed that he had been tricked.

He told himself that Kylan was a brother, and you left no man behind.