Setting: The romantic, lantern-lit canals of the Border-City, followed by the jagged, moonlit outskirts where the shadows grow long and lethal.
The Ghost of a Smile :
The night continued like a dream etched in gold and silver. Helios proved to be an impeccable guide, his golden-yellow eyes never straying from Riha for more than a second. It was as if he feared that if he blinked, she would dissolve back into the moonlight.
They wandered through the gourmet stalls, where Helios insisted she try the "Cloud-Cakes"—pastries infused with airy sugar and night-nectar. He watched, mesmerized, as she took a bite, the silver light catching the delicate movement of her throat. They laughed over simple carnival games; he won her a small crystal carvings, and she, in return, showed off her terrifying precision by hitting every target at the archery stall with a casual flick of her wrist.
Finally, they stood by the edge of the tranquil Lunar Lake. They bought two twin lanterns. Together, they knelt at the water's edge.
"Make a wish," Helios whispered, his blond hair glowing softly.
"I don't wish," Riha replied, her emerald eyes reflecting the flickering flame. "I take."
Helios chuckled, his heart swelling. "Then take a moment of peace, at least."
They released the lanterns. As the wood and paper drifted away, Helios turned to her, the atmosphere thick with unspoken words. "My Lady... I have spent the whole night in your shadow, yet I do not even know the name of the woman who has stolen my focus. Tell me, who are you?"
Riha opened her mouth to speak—perhaps to give a fake name, perhaps to tell the truth—but her body suddenly stiffened.
The Crimson Alert:
A sharp, burning sensation erupted against her chest. The communication pendant she had given Nalani was vibrating violently, glowing a frantic, bloody red. Through the psychic link, a wave of terror washed over her.
"Riha! Help! It's Lord Vane... he's here... he's taking me—!" The connection snapped.
Riha's face went from soft moonlight to cold, hard ice in an instant. Her emerald eyes flashed into a predatory Black.
"I have to go," she said, her voice like a whip.
Helios reached for her hand, confused by the sudden shift. "What? What happened? Let me help—"
"No!" Riha stepped back, her silver dress shimmering dangerously. "Important matters. Life and death. I cannot stay."
"At least tell me your name!" Helios called out as she began to move with a speed that shouldn't have been possible in a silk gown.
Riha paused at the edge of the bridge, looking back over her shoulder. The silver phoenix in her hair seemed to glow with a cold fire. "I will tell you the next time we meet, Hunter. Pray that day comes soon."
With a blur of silver, she vanished into the shadows of the alleyways.
The Blue-Haired Executioner :
Following the trace of the pendant, Riha arrived at a secluded forest road just outside the city gates. A black carriage, bearing the crest of a corrupt Imperial Noble, was galloping away. Inside, she could hear Nalani's muffled cries.
"Stop," Riha whispered.
She didn't use a horse. She used her Time-Manipulation ability, slowing the world down until the carriage wheels moved like sludge. She stepped into the middle of the road, her silver dress torn at the hem, her eyes glowing with a violet-crimson fury.
The carriage slammed to a halt as a man stepped down from the driver's seat.
He was striking—and lethal. He had shimmering blue hair that fell over piercing red eyes. He was the Lord's personal slave-executioner, a man bound by magic but possessed of a terrifying power. Riha felt her breath hitch. Her senses screamed a warning: Level 85. He was one level higher than her, and his aura was suffocating.
"Move, little moon-girl," the man said, his voice like grinding stones. "Lord Vane does not like to be kept waiting for his bride."
"You will give her back," Riha said, summoning her Thunder-Spear. Bolt of white lightning crackled around her, turning her silver dress into a suit of electric armor.
The man didn't flinch. He reached into the air, and suddenly, the space between them was filled with long, blood-red strings. They were thinner than hair but vibrated with a frequency that could slice through diamond.
"My name is Caspian," he said. "And I have never lost a hunt."
The Clash of Cores :
The battle was a blur of silver and red.
Riha lunged, her spear trailing thunder, but Caspian moved with a fluid, haunting grace. His red strings danced around him like a spider's web. Every time Riha tried to close the gap, the strings hissed, slicing through the trees and the ground like butter.
"A Neutron Star Core..." Riha realized, her eyes widening.
Caspian possessed a rare Neutron Star Core, just like hers, but his was focused on Gravity and Severance.
Riha activated her Time Weapon, forcing a pocket of frozen time to open. She moved through the stillness, aiming for his throat, but Caspian's strings were autonomous—they sensed the shift in gravity and lashed out.
Slash!
A red string caught Riha's forearm. She hissed in pain, backing away. Usually, her high-tier body would heal a cut in seconds. But as she looked at her arm, the wound remained open, weeping blood onto her silver silk. The effect of his Core was neutralizing her regeneration.
"You're fast," Caspian muttered, his red eyes showing a flicker of respect. "But you're bleeding out."
"I've bled for a throne before," Riha spat. "I won't stop for a slave."
She threw her spear into the air, using it as a lightning rod. "MAXIMUM OUTPUT: THUNDER REIGN!" A pillar of pure white energy descended from the moon, striking the road. At the same moment, she used her Time ability to accelerate her own movements to three times their normal speed. She bypassed the web of strings and delivered a devastating, mana-charged palm strike directly to Caspian's chest.
The explosion of mana sent them both flying. Caspian hit a tree with enough force to shatter the trunk, his eyes rolling back as he went unconscious, the strain of his own Core finally breaking his hold.
Riha landed on her knees, gasping. Her silver dress was ruined, soaked in blood and soot. Her arm burned with a fire that wouldn't die.
The Investigation Begins :
Riha didn't waste a second. She dragged herself to the carriage. Inside, the "Noble"—a fat, trembling man in gold lace—was cowering in the corner.
"P-please! I am a friend of the Emperor! You can't—"
Riha didn't let him finish. She reached out, her hand glowing with a Black-Magic Shackle. With a flick of her wrist, she bound the Noble in glowing purple chains that suppressed his voice and his movement.
She pulled a terrified Nalani from the carriage, hugging her briefly. "Are you hurt?"
"No... just scared," Nalani sobbed, looking at Riha's bleeding arm. "Riha, your wound! It's not closing!"
"It doesn't matter. Not yet," Riha said, her voice rasping.
She looked at the unconscious Caspian lying in the dirt. He was a monster in combat, but he was also a mystery. A slave with a Neutron Star Core? That was impossible. He was too valuable to be a mere bodyguard.
"Tie him," Riha commanded her shadow-guards, who had finally caught up. "Use the anti-magic shackles. Bind him so tightly he can't breathe without my permission. And take the Noble."
She stood up, leaning on Nalani for support. The moon was setting, and the festival was over.
"We aren't going to the Palace yet," Riha said, her eyes turning a deadly, focused Violet. "Take them back to our rooms at the inn. I want to know who sent a Level 85 executioner to a border-city. And I want to know exactly what kind of 'bride' Lord Vane thought he was getting."
As they carried the unconscious, blue-haired warrior and the whimpering noble away, Riha looked back at the city. Helios was still there, probably waiting by the lake.
Next time we meet, Hunter, she thought, clutching her wounded arm, the world will be on fire.