C05-R11-3448 A.E. — Evening 

By five o’clock, Kael decided they’d done enough for the day. His mouth still tingled faintly from the last building he’d devoured, and Malik had practically melted into the pedicab’s bench, eyes half-shut, shirt glued to his back with sweat.

They had cleaned up twelve sites and made another ₥80,000, ₥25,000 of which Kael transferred to Malik despite his protest.

Kael wiped his hands clean with a wet rag and pulled out his ArkSeal interface.

Call: Lira Taryn

It didn’t take long. Her voice came through, clear and warm.

“Hey, Kael.”

“Hey. You busy tonight?”

There was a brief pause, then a smile in her voice. “Depends on what you’re asking.”

“I wanted to take you out. Dinner. That place I went to with my mom and Sera… it’s nice. Just... thanks. For everything.”

“You’re being suspiciously sentimental, Kael Voren.”

“Yeah, well. I’ve been swallowing buildings all day.”

She laughed. “Alright. Pick me up around seven?”

“You got it.”

After dropping Malik off outside their old block in Brinewatch, Kael watched him hoist his duffel bag and disappear into the tight alleyways they both knew too well. Malik had said he was going to settle his affairs, maybe look for a rental close by. Kael had no doubt he’d be back.

He headed home, showered until the water ran cold, and pulled on something nicer than his usual work gear.

Kael’s pedicab slowed to a gentle halt in front of Taryn's Goods. He stepped out, the early evening breeze brushing over his freshly cleaned skin and neatly groomed hair. He wore a dark-gray collared shirt tucked into black slacks, a thin silver chain around his neck, and a polished pair of boots that almost made him look like someone from Tier 2. Almost.

He was at Lira's doorstep by 6:57 PM, when the front door opened, and Lira stepped out. They both froze at the sight of one another—mutual astonishment adorning their faces. 

For a moment, Kael forgot how to breathe. She wore a sleek, sleeveless black sundress made of a lightweight, flowing fabric that shimmered ever so slightly as it caught the evening light. The dress clasped elegantly around her neck, leaving her shoulders bare, and tapered down in soft, graceful waves—ending just above her knees in the front and cascading slightly lower in the back.

Golden sandals coiled around her feet and ankles like threads of sunlight, their polished sheen catching the last warm glints of day. Their raised heels lifted her posture, adding a few extra cEls to her height, though Kael would’ve sworn she looked taller even without them.

Her hair, usually pulled back in her signature braid, now flowed loose and free, swept to one side over her left shoulder. A golden hair clip nestled among the strands near her collarbone, flashing amber as it reflected the sunset.

Kael stared for a second longer than he should have. Now he understood why she wanted time to get ready.

Then her eyes narrowed with mock suspicion as she approached the cab.

“Well, look at you,” she said, her voice teasing but warm. “Clean face, no grime under your nails, and you’re standing up straighter than usual. Grooming suits you well, Kael Voren.”

He smiled faintly, trying not to puff up at the compliment. “Don’t get used to it. I only do this for special occasions.”

Lira circled him once, arms crossed. “You even look taller,” she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “And somehow more muscular. Are you sure you’re not secretly a Tier 3 model pretending to be a slum rat?”

Kael chuckled. “Don’t make me blush, Lira. I’ll sweat through this shirt and ruin the illusion.”

She laughed, and for a moment, the tension Kael hadn’t realized he’d been carrying melted away. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.

“I, uh… wanted to give you somethin',” he said, suddenly more hesitant. “It’s not a replacement for what you lost. I know that. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. You used it to save my life. The least I could do is replace it.”

He opened the box to reveal a delicate bracelet, forged from interwoven strands of gold and orichalcum. It shimmered subtly under the fading light, a gentle warmth pulsing from its core. The craftsmanship was clearly custom—slim and elegant, but durable, with an embedded pulse rune to attune to its wearer’s lifeforce.

Lira’s breath hitched. Her eyes stayed locked on the bracelet as she reached out and touched it, just once.

“Kael…” Her voice was soft now, wavering. “You didn’t have to…”

“But I wanted to.”

She said nothing more. Instead, she stepped closer and let him fasten the bracelet around her wrist. When it clicked into place, she looked at it for a long moment, then back at him.

“I love it,” she said, and though the words were simple, the look in her eyes made them feel heavy. “Thank you.”

Kael cleared his throat and gestured toward the cab. “Shall we, Lady Taryn?”

Lira rolled her eyes but smiled. “Let’s.”

They climbed in together, the warm silence between them saying what words couldn’t.

 “Brogan, Grays District, Marni's Hearth.”

Brogan grunted from up front. “On it, Boss!”

The streets blurred around them in a haze of bronze and gray as the sun slipped lower. Lira rested her hands on her lap, watching Kael from the corner of her eye.

“So… why this place?” she asked.

Kael shrugged. “It's the first restaurant I've ever experienced. My family and I loved the food and experience, so I wanted to experience that with you.”

Lira smiled softly, then looked out at the passing alleys. “My parents used to take me to this one place in Glassmere—the SE-2 district of the inner area. Real old-fashioned. Candles and music and all that. I think they were trying to pretend we were normal back then.”

Kael’s ears perked. “You remember where it is?”

She nodded. “Yeah, but it’s probably gone now.”

Kael turned to Brogan. “Change of plans. SE-2 Inner Ring. She’ll guide you.”

Brogan’s brows rose. “That's the other side of Ashport. We’ll need a mana cab to get there, chief.”

Kael opened his ArkSeal, summoned a cab. “Already on it. You can head home for the night, Brogan. Thanks for the haul.”

Brogan gave a mock salute and coasted to a graceful stop. A sleek, glass-topped mana cab rolled in moments later—polished blue crystal plating and a glowing seal on the hood. The driver waved them in with bored eyes.

They climbed in.

As the cab hummed through the skyrails—soft, weightless, fast—Kael turned to Lira.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you somethin',” he said. “Somethin'… strange.”

Lira tilted her head. “You’re not about to propose, are you?”

Kael chuckled. “Though seeing you like this tempts me, not today. No—my talent. It’s not normal. It doesn’t act like anythin' I’ve heard of before. It might not even be a talent. Or maybe it is, but it’s something else too. A ‘trait.’ I saw that word… somewhere else.”

Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean, ‘somewhere else’?”

Kael glanced out at the lights of the city blinking beneath them. “I know I'm being vague. I’ll explain everything soon. I just don't want to keep secrets from you because I trust you more than anyone and it feels wrong to hide things from you. I'll explain everything when we're alone.”

Lira didn’t press. She placed a hand on his, and the silence between them was full of questions left wisely for later.

The cab touched down just outside a gated plaza in Glassmere. Clean stone, hanging gardens, decorative glass statues—this was a world apart from the outer districts. The restaurant was tucked into a hill of marble, its sign carved elegantly in stylized Dravaran script: The Verdant Grove.

They walked up to the entrance, where a hostess in a crisp black uniform greeted them.

“Reservation name?” she asked with a practiced smile.

Lira hesitated. “I… don’t have one. I used to come here with my family.”

The hostess’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyes flicked briefly to a screen. “I’m sorry. We’re booked solid until next quartermoon.”

Kael stepped forward, reaching for his Seal. “I can pay extra. Double.”

“It’s not a matter of price, sir. We simply don’t have any—”

A loud crash echoed from inside the restaurant.

Shouts. A chair knocked over. A slurred voice yelling about unfair bills. Security rushed forward, and within moments, a group of five well-dressed but clearly intoxicated young adults stumbled out the front door, one guy flinging an empty glass to the pavement.

As they passed Kael and Lira, one of them stopped dead in his tracks.

“Well, well, if it isn’t little Lira Taryn.”

Kael turned slowly, eyes narrowing.

The speaker was tall, probably seventeen or eighteen, with golden brown hair in an expensive cut and a silk vest unbuttoned halfway. His words slurred but his eyes were sharp.

“You filled out real nice. Missed you at the old parties.”

A girl beside him snorted. “Didn’t she die or something? Or end up in the slums? What’d they call her—oh, right. Little Rat Lira.”

Kael stepped forward. “Watch your mouth.”

The group tensed. The boy raised an eyebrow. “Who’s this? New pet? Lira, you’ve downgraded.”

Kael’s jaw tensed, fists curling. “Say one more word—”

Lira grabbed his arm. “Kael. Not here.”

Two security guards shoved their way between them. “Out. Now.”

The group was pushed away, still laughing, but with an edge to it now.

As they were escorted down the hill, the boy looked back, gaze hardening. “Don’t get too comfortable, Lira. This city forgets nobodies real fast.”

Kael was still watching them when the hostess turned back.

“You’re in luck,” she said stiffly. “A table just opened.”