Selena remembered dying. The pain was seared into her mind—the tearing of her chest, the sickening sound as her heart was ripped out, and then the gaping emptiness that consumed her. She had thought that was the end. Darkness had enveloped her, and for a long time, there was nothing.
And yet, here she was.
Her eyes fluttered open to a strange, dimly lit room. The liquid around her was cool and viscous, embracing her like a second skin. She could feel energy surging through her body, every nerve alive with sensation. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, a rhythm she hadn’t heard in what felt like an eternity.
Through the glass of the vat, she saw a man. He had dark brown hair and wore military fatigues. His expression was a mixture of awe and disbelief, and his hand was pressed against the glass, reaching for her. Instinctively, Selena moved her own hand, pressing it against his. The connection felt surreal.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another figure—Reynard. He looked older, more worn than she remembered. His left arm was gone, and his face bore the weariness of someone who had carried too many burdens.
The vat hissed, and cracks spiderwebbed across the glass. In an instant, it shattered, the liquid spilling out in a wave that drenched the man standing before her. Selena fell forward, instinctively wrapping her arms around him for support.
She blinked up at him, her lips curling into a playful smirk. “Who is this cutie?”
Reynard’s dry voice cut through the chaos. “That’s Adam. Your soulmate.”
The man—Adam, Reynard had called him—stiffened, his face turning a brilliant shade of red. He flailed awkwardly, his voice rising in panic. “W-what—?! I—uh—!”
Selena blinked, tilting her head as she glanced between Adam and Reynard. “Seriously?” She raised an eyebrow, still clinging to the flustered man. “You promised me my soulmate after hanging around you for so long, but one-armed Reynard sure knows how to crack a joke.”
“Not a joke,” shrugged Reynard.
“S-soulmate?” Adam stammered, his voice breaking as he struggled to keep his gaze anywhere but on Selena’s very naked form.
With a flick of his wrist, Reynard tossed a towel at her. “Dry yourself off.”
Selena caught the towel and stepped back, letting Adam escape her grasp. She chuckled as he quickly turned away, though she noticed him sneaking glances over his shoulder. Wrapping the towel around herself, she began drying off, her eyes catching a lock of her hair.
“Wow, pink hair,” she mused, holding a strand between her fingers.
“A side-effect of the synthetic process to resurrect you,” Reynard explained.
Selena froze, her hand dropping to her side. “I really died, huh?”
Adam spun around, his expression a mix of horror and disbelief. “What the—? She used to be dead? No... no way... Did I just resurrect her?”
Reynard shrugged, his voice calm but firm. “Highly unlikely to be repeatable. This was a one-time deal, Selena.”
Selena’s gaze softened as she looked at Reynard. “And you used it on me.”
Reynard met her eyes, his face unreadable. “You’re worth it.”
Selena grinned, the weight of her past death momentarily forgotten. She turned to Adam, who still looked like he was trying to process the situation. “Well then, soulmate,” she teased, “looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”
Adam groaned, burying his face in his hands. “What have I gotten myself into?”
Selena adjusted the towel around her body, securing it snugly before giving her chest a teasing squeeze, deliberately catching Reynard’s eye. “Stare much?” she asked with a sly grin, enjoying the discomfort she hoped to provoke.
Adam, standing nearby, turned an even deeper shade of red, his eyes darting anywhere but at her. Reynard, however, remained as stoic as ever, his lackluster reaction only fueling Selena’s need to get a rise out of him.
But this time, something was different. Reynard took a slow, deliberate step toward her, his remaining arm hanging at his side. His expression darkened, and the weight of his presence suddenly felt menacing.
Selena instinctively backed away, holding up a hand. “Hey, hey! What are you planning to do? You have a wife, remember?”
Without a word, Reynard raised his hand and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
A sudden, disorienting shift rippled through Selena’s body. Her form shrank, her perspective dropped, and the towel slipped off entirely as her limbs became small and childlike. She looked down at her now pint-sized frame and let out a sharp cry.
“Motherf—! I hate that trick!” she yelled, her voice now high-pitched and squeaky.
Reynard stood over her, his calm expression betraying the faintest hint of amusement. “I told you time and time again—I already have a wife.”
Selena stomped her tiny foot, glaring up at him. “Turn me back!”
“No,” Reynard replied, his tone final.
Adam, meanwhile, stared at Selena in her chibi form, his blush returning with a vengeance. “Chibi… cute…” he mumbled under his breath.
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Selena whipped around to face him, catching the word. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she sauntered—well, waddled—over to him. “Oh? So you like what you’re seeing?” she teased, striking a playful pose despite her diminutive stature.
Adam flailed, his words tumbling out in a panic. “Uhh... no! I mean—uhh—”
Reynard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Makes me want to call the FBI.”
Selena tilted her head, confused. “FBI? What now?”
“An inside joke,” Reynard replied. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Adam waved his hands frantically, his face red as a tomato. “Wait, I can explain! I don’t have any weird fetish or anything! I just thought the two of you looked like a cute father-and-daughter duo!”
Selena blinked, processing his words. Then, with a devilish grin, she leaned in close, her childlike features betraying the mischief brewing in her mind. “Really? I see myself more as his mommy, though… and you’d be hubby.”
Before Adam could react, Selena’s aura flared. She moved with surprising speed, appearing behind him and wrapping her small arms around his waist in a playful hug.
“Uwah! Uwah!” Adam stammered, his composure crumbling as he tried to escape.
Selena’s aura shimmered again, and with a decisive effort, she undid the chibi transformation, forcibly breaking Reynard’s hold on her. Her body expanded back to its full size as she leaned into Adam, her chest pressing against his back.
“Now, this feels much better,” Selena purred, her voice low and teasing.
Adam let out a strangled noise, his face impossibly red as he struggled to form coherent words. “I-I—uhh—!”
Reynard crossed his arms, shaking his head. “I’m surrounded by children.”
Selena flashed him a cheeky grin over Adam’s shoulder. “Well, someone has to keep things interesting.”
Reynard crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on Selena. “Let’s get down to business. As you can see, I only have one arm now. A lot happened since the last time you were alive.”
Selena tilted her head with a smirk tugging at her lips. “Undead Troupe?”
“They were involved,” Reynard replied, his tone clipped. “But the real culprit was the World Order.”
Selena raised an eyebrow, her amusement shifting to mild surprise. “So many twists. What about Leora?”
Reynard’s expression darkened. “Missing. Ulrich got the jump on her. I barely survived the confrontation myself. Managed to kill one of them and scare the rest off.”
Selena let out a low whistle. “So ferocious, huh?”
Reynard didn’t respond, turning instead to lead them down a hallway. Adam followed silently, his gaze darting nervously between the two.
They reached another atrium, its minimalist design leading to a concealed basement door. Reynard opened it, revealing a high-tech room filled with glowing screens and machines humming softly. He gestured toward a sleek console. “There’s a 3D printer there. Pick whatever clothes you want.”
Selena sauntered over to the complicated interface, her naked form moving with an ease that made Adam avert his eyes quickly. She browsed the options, her fingers gliding over the screen as she selected her outfit: cute lingerie, combat boots, fitted trousers, a red jacket, and a baseball bat.
The screen displayed a progress bar, indicating a fifteen-minute wait. Selena turned back to the room, catching Adam’s cautious glance in her direction.
“So,” Adam began hesitantly, “what can you do? What’s your Gift?” He was careful to keep his gaze above her shoulders, fully aware that ogling might earn him a swift and painful punishment.
Selena blinked, her expression shifting to confusion. “What Gift?”
Adam hesitated, his brow furrowing. “Just asking… since we’re going to be on a team together.”
Selena crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “No, seriously. What Gift?”
Before Adam could clarify, Reynard cut in from across the room. He was focused on his smartphone, speaking to someone on the other end. With a sharp motion, he lowered the phone briefly and addressed them.
“Selena’s been dead for five years,” Reynard said. “Catch her up to speed.”
Then, without waiting for a response, he returned to his call and walked out of the room, leaving Adam and Selena alone.
Selena leaned against the console, watching Adam with a raised eyebrow. “Well? Start talking, kid.”
“I’m not a kid, you are the kid,” Adam cleared his throat, trying to collect his thoughts. “A lot has changed in five years. For starters, aura knowledge has been publicized. It’s not some big secret anymore.”
Selena’s eyebrows shot up. “Publicized? Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Adam continued. “Anyone can become a hunter now, as long as they train for it. They even built a Hunter Academy recently to streamline the process.”
“A Hunter Academy,” Selena repeated, her tone a mix of disbelief and curiosity.
“And Gifts,” Adam added. “They’re a new concept—tools to help people learn aura more easily. They’ve made things… a lot more accessible.”
Selena tilted her head, processing the information. “Sounds like the world’s gone soft.”
“Not exactly,” Adam replied. “Things are still dangerous out there. But the rules have definitely changed.”
Selena leaned back, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Well, well. I guess I’ve got a lot to learn.”
The hum of the 3D printer grew louder as the progress bar neared completion. Adam shifted awkwardly, unsure what else to say.
Selena glanced at him, her smirk returning. “Don’t look so nervous, Adam. I don’t bite… much.”
Adam gulped, deciding it was best to stay quiet.
The two of them continued talking, Selena’s curiosity leading the conversation while Adam answered to the best of his ability. She leaned against the 3D printer console, watching the progress bar inch closer to completion as she peppered him with questions.
“What is this Self-Divination thing I keep hearing about?” Selena asked, her tone both intrigued and skeptical.
Adam scratched the back of his neck, feeling slightly out of his depth. “It’s a meditative technique. You use it for retrospection, to learn the name of your Gift and to center yourself. Once you know your Gift’s name, you can figure out what kind of techniques you might be able to manifest. It’s really streamlined things for people. In as short as a month, even a mundane person can manifest aura and potentially develop an ability.”
Selena’s eyes widened. “That’s crazy… Five years ago, most hunters were unofficial, and learning aura was a grind. I have no idea how fast they learn it now, but it took me two years to manifest an ability.”
Adam shrugged. “Times have changed. So… what can you do?”
Selena grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. “Do you know about the Seven States? Like how matter has three states—solid, liquid, and gas—well, aura has seven.”
“I know enough,” Adam replied, his tone slightly defensive. “I used to work for DERT.”
“Good,” Selena said, nodding. “That makes things easier to explain. I have the strongest affinity with Trickster aura, and I’ve developed something I call a disguise attribute. As long as it’s within reason and within my aura pool, I can disguise myself as anyone. It’s kind of like shapeshifting.”
Adam’s interest piqued. “That sounds… really useful.”
Selena smirked, her expression turning mischievous. “Oh, it’s more than useful. Let me show you.”
With a flicker of her aura, Selena’s appearance began to shift. Her pink hair darkened into a sultry blonde, her features softening into the visage of a seductive bombshell. A moment later, her form morphed into a brunette with striking oriental features, then into a fiery redhead, and finally back to her original self.
She leaned toward Adam, her grin playful. “If you fall for me, it’s like having a harem all to yourself.”
Adam gulped, his face turning bright red. He stammered incoherently, trying to find a way to respond without embarrassing himself further.
Selena burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the room. “Relax, kid. I’m just messing with you.”
Adam forced a nervous chuckle, scratching his head awkwardly. “Yeah… sure. Just messing…”
The 3D printer let out a soft chime, signaling the completion of Selena’s outfit. She sauntered over, her laughter still lingering in the air, and began dressing herself in the combat-ready ensemble she had chosen.
Adam, still flustered, kept his gaze firmly fixed on the wall, silently wondering how he had ended up in this bizarre situation.