Before pressing play, Ken hesitates for a few seconds, unsure if he is prepared to hear Senzo's voice so soon. He stares at it for a minute or so, frozen in place.

  Taking a deep breath, he presses the play button. The echo plays without issue.

  A sound of the phone being put down is heard. After a few seconds, Senzo's voice comes through in a hushed tone, “Hey, K. I'm hoping this finds you. I will be honest, something weird has been going on since Byron woke up. He is behaving strangely.” Senzo pauses briefly before returning.“ I am not sure what's happening, but- “ A sound of blinds opening is heard, and Senzo becomes quiet. After a couple of seconds, there are sounds of the phone being put away and moving.

  Bristol is listening to the conversation. He leans in closer and asks, “Who's that?”

  Unbothered by the eavesdropping, Ken replies, “Someone I used to know. They made an echo for me.”

  “Sounds like he is in a bit of a bind there, huh?”

  “It’s too soon to tell,” Ken replies.

  Returning his focus to the echo, the sound of a door slamming is heard, and Senzo's voice is heard again: “Tch, they're everywhere. I don't know how or why, but there has been a weird amount of activity outside lately. I tried to grab a pack of cigarettes, but whenever I looked outside, there was always someone just watching the door. They have the windows locked down, too.” Senzo's voice sounds desperate as he speaks.

  After a moment, Senzo sighs and speaks again, sounding calmer, “I honestly hope you don't come back here. I knew my actions would come back for me, but in a different way.”

  Did he know he was going to die?

  “I suppose this echo is going to be my will or whatever it's called. Ken… In case I don’t make it… I'm leaving you all my stuff. You know where to find them and my codes for each. I don't know what you're going to do or where you are… But if you find this, I want you to enjoy life, be free, have kids…or don't, it's your choice. Get out of this life. I know with your circumstances it's tricky, but there is one way to get out of that debt your father put on you…get pardoned by The Maximus. The money I have left around the city should cover a good chunk of the price over your head…”

  Ken pauses the echo, his mind swirling with thoughts, unsure what to think of what Senzo is telling him. Melanie and Bristol quietly listen to the echo as an unintended audience. After recollecting himself, Ken continues the echo.

  “But if I have to be straight with you, the debt route will never work. I don't think you have ever viewed the entire picture so closely, have you? There's a reason he is called The Maximus. He is the one who rules everything. Money is useless to him. All he wants is control. I was going to handle what I’m about to tell you myself, but considering the situation, that isn't going to happen.” Senzo is cut off as the sound of doors opening is heard.

  The sound of the phone being picked up is heard, and his voice becomes hurried, “Look. I know it's an impossible task, but you always come through, one way or the other. I don't have any information regarding The Maximus except for the fact that they aren't in Phanasma. Listen closely, Ken, I need you to hunt them down. While they are in power, this will be a repeating cycle. But to do that, you need to escape Baltro. I don't know how you will do that, but-” Senzo is interrupted as there is a knock on the door. Senzo curses, and a sound of the phone being put away is heard.

  “Who is it?” Senzo asks.

  Byron's voice says, “Come, we have guests.”

  A sound of the door swinging open is heard. After a couple of moments, footsteps walking and going down stairs are heard.

  “Who are these people?” Senzo is heard asking.

  An unfamiliar voice is heard, telling Senzo, “Be not afraid. Fellow Byron has invited us to come speak with you.”

  After a couple of seconds, the sound of the phone moving is heard, indicating that Senzo is taking a seat.

  “Put everything in your pockets on the table,” Byron commands.

  The sound of the phone being placed on the table is heard.

  “Search him to be sure,” The voice says.

  Footsteps are heard shuffling around the room before going silent. The stranger then speaks again, “I believe we haven't met. I am Hershel, a close follower of our Navigator and head of the Fullwell congregation here in Phanasma. As I understand, you are Senzo Purlock, yes?”

  “Yeah…” Senzo answers carefully.

  “Well, Mr. Purlock. It is a pleasure to meet you. I heard your benefactor, Phenton, has recently passed, so I am sure you are looking for a new one. Fortunately, the Navigator is willing to welcome you onto our voyage, as he is welcoming Byron here.”

  “Thanks?” Senzo pauses for a second before continuing, “But-”

  Hershel interrupts him and says, “‘But what about Markov?’ is what you are thinking. That is what I wanted to get to. Our Navigator wishes for proof of loyalty as we all wish for as well.” Hershel pauses, and the sounds of various voices agreeing are heard. He continues, “Unfortunately, we can't invite someone who has brought harm onto one of our own, especially onto one of the Chosen. So, to prove your loyalty, bring us the head of the wolf, Ken. Or if you don't wish to, let us, the Blind Fellows, be led to him and bring unto him justice.”

  The room goes quiet after Hershel brings forth his proposition. After a minute, Senzo asks, “Is there no way for you guys to spare him? He was just following orders; in fact, if there is anyone you should go after, it's Phenton or Byron!”

  Byron's voice can be heard, angrily saying, “Tch, you backs-” He suddenly goes quiet.

  Hershel speaks again, “Now, now, Fellow Byron has shown his willingness to face penance. Coming to us of his own free will and offering us the others who played a part in our Chosen's death. And besides, we cannot show that those who harm us can go unpunished. Surely, you understand?”

  The room goes quiet for a moment before Senzo speaks again, “Say I bring him to you, what then? You are going to get rid of Byron and me? Because, according to your logic, we should also be punished.”

  “A sharp one, I see. As correct as you are, the Navigator is willing to forgive, especially since you and Byron are knowledgeable. It would be a shame to lose you. Once you help us, we will welcome you with open arms at the Milton Recreational Center in three days. There, a ceremony is being held in preparation for The Ascension, the grand second phase of our Navigators' grand plan. On the nights we will be receiving new members, hopefully, you two will be among them.”

  The room goes silent again as Senzo thinks. After a moment, he takes a deep sigh and says, “You know what, you make a lot of sense…”

  Ken feels his heart suddenly sink in his chest upon hearing Senzo's words.

  Senzo continues, “If you want to know where he is, he is by the Murlows Hospital. If you go skulking around there, maybe someone will be able to help you delusional psychopaths that spawned from the reject bin. Go tell that to your ‘Navigator’ as you huff his pretentious farts.”

  A sound of chairs moving is heard, and a gunshot goes off. Suddenly, Senzo's screams are heard, and the room becomes silent again. “Honestly, how disappointing. You would rather remain blind than save yourself,” Hershel's voice is heard with a disappointed tone.

  “The only blind one here is yo- AUGHHHH!” Senzo’s voice is cut off as he screams in pain.

  Footsteps are heard leaving as Hershel's voice moves away.

  Byron is then heard saying, “ I believe these eyes are defective, brothers and sisters. Let's help him see. For all ignorant of the Ascension are truly blind.”

  Senzo's voice is then heard screaming, and unable to handle it, Ken stops the echo and begins to hear a loud ringing.

  Melanie stares at the phone in shock, unsure of what to say, while Bristol can only say, “Damn.”

  Ken remains silent as he slowly digests everything that he heard from the echo, trying his best to tune out Senzo’s torture. Initiation of the Ascension at the Milton recreational center in three days. Wait, that recording is two days old; it ended an hour ago since I collapsed. Ken quickly turns to the clock and sees that it is 7 a.m. It’s happening tonight! Ken takes out the phone Gearfried gave him and opens the directory. There is only one number listed in it. It has got to be Gearfried's.

  He stands up and walks toward the living room. After a moment, he presses ‘dial’ and the phone rings. Melanie and Bristol suddenly look uncomfortable. Melanie asks, “Who are you-”

  “Gearfried.” Ken quickly answers after interrupting her. A few seconds later, the call connects, “Gearfried?”

  A gruff voice responds after a couple of seconds, “Ken. You have information?”

  “Yes, I found o-”

  Before Ken can continue, Gearfried interrupts him, saying, “Not over the phone. Meet your contacts 2,723 meters northwest of your current location.”

  “How do you-”

  “No time. Network is risky. Turn off your phone and be there before 10 am. Out.” The call suddenly cuts.

  After the call, Ken takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment, and thinks about how he is going to get into the event. I can’t go myself. They will be expecting me…I could sneak in, but I can’t risk them finding me. It will be suicide. Maybe I can ask if Olya and Agami could sneak in. They aren’t famous enough to be known, nor have they had contact with Baltro. Okay, that could work, but how… sneaking in is still too risky. They will have to go the obvious route. But where am I going to get disguises? And if it's an exclusive event, there is going to be a guest list. Ken stands for a bit in the centre of the room, contemplating his limited options and time.

  After deliberating for a couple of minutes, he decides on the plan. He takes out his phone and calls another number.

  The phone rings for a bit until someone picks up, saying, “Good morning. This is Gusto’s Toy Emporium. You are speaking to Celia. How may I help?”

  “Hi, it’s Ken. I need you-know-who’s help.”

  “Sorry, Ken, it's good to hear that you’re alive, but Igor wanted me about taking calls from you,” Celia says, sounding worried.

  “I know, but I need Igor's help; it’s serious.”

  After a moment, she replies, “Okay, but please be quick.” The call connects to another line and rings for a bit. After a second, Igor picks up.

  “Morning. Igor speaking,” he says.

  “Igor, it’s Ken!”

  Igor suddenly speaks in a loud, hushed voice, “Ken, I thought I told you not to cal-”

  “I know, I know. But I need your help. Listen, I found the target and spoke to the Slayers.” Ken interrupts.

  “You did? And you’re still alive?!” He responds in shock.

  “I am… look, things are getting serious. I am working with them to take down Baltro, I don’t know how, but they sound confident.”

  “Take down another benefactor? Interesting, so my grandfather wasn’t going senile then.”

  “Yes…But I was tracking them down to learn more…” Ken pauses and takes a deep breath, “Byron is working with Baltro and screwed me and Senzo over. Senzo…didn’t make it…”

  The call goes silent. After a second, Igor responds, “Oh, Ken…I am so sorry. Senzo of all people. The bastards…I know how much of a brother he was to you.”

  Ken pushes past his feelings and continues, “Look, I need a couple of things. I need a disguise for a man and a woman. For the man, get clothes in my size, and for the woman, check if you can get some info on Olya something. She is with the Slayers. From there, you should get information on her. Then I need some hidden recording devices and an entry ticket. The event is happening tonight at the Milton Recreational Center.”

  “That is a pretty big order, Ken. And with so little time, too.”

  “I know. I will get the money to you one way or the other. Please just help me with this. You’re the only one I know who can get the job done.”

  After an audible sigh, Igor responds, “Alright, I will do my best. But just don't die on me, alright.”

  “Not until I complete Senzo’s final request,” before Ken finishes the call, he asks for one last favour, “Oh, and one last thing. Could you please send someone to handle Senzo’s corpse? I’ll send over the address via text.”

  “Alright. Are you using this number from now on?” Igor asks before leaving

  “For the time being,” Ken responds.

  “Alright. Keep this phone with you, and I will be in contact with you. Again, my condolences, Ken. Senzo was an annoying yet outstanding person. Please take care of yourself and don’t let it weigh you down. Igor out.”

  After the call cuts, Ken puts the phone away and stands in silence. After a couple of moments, Bristol walks up to him and asks, “So what now?”

  Ken looks toward them and thinks for a moment. He contemplates whether or not he can rely on the three. They have saved his life when he needed it. There is no doubt that they are good people, but involving themselves with him could be dangerous. I could spare them and lie. Just find an excuse to- No, they still have my stuff. I guess the question is, ‘Should I trust them?’ Ken stays silent for a couple of seconds, contemplating what to say. Bristol and Melanie wait for a response. You know what, I’m tired of all the lying. They have helped me when I needed it. So I will give them the truth, warn them, and convince them that it would be better to avoid me.

  After a couple of seconds, Ken finally answers, “They just gave me a meeting location. I need to be there before 10.” He quickly looks around to see if Stella has returned. From the corridor, he can see that she is preparing in her room. He asks in a hushed tone, “Is there any way for you to convince her not to come with me? What I am doing right now is extremely dangerous, and I don’t want anyone to get caught in the crossfire.”

  “If you know a way, we are all ears,” Melanie defeatedly says, “She is stubborn about this kind of stuff.”

  Bristol crosses his arms and nods in agreement, adding, “She’s a bit of a wild card, even for us. Once she has her mind set on anything, she won’t listen to anyone.”

  “But you don’t und-”

  Ken is interrupted by Stella, who walks in, “I’m ready to hit the road. Let's go!” She stops as she notices them gathered, “Did I miss something?”

  Ken looks at Melanie and Bristol one last time, asking them to try to change her mind. Melanie sighs and says, “Stella. We were talking to Ken and thinking that maybe it isn’t really a good idea to g-” She is interrupted as Stella loudly groans.

  “Let’s go, Ken,” She says as she grabs him by the arm and drags him out through the front door. She yells, “Don’t worry, I won’t waste our money!”

  Ken looks back at them as he is dragged out and sees Melanie shrug her shoulder and mouth the words, “I tried.”

  Ken and Stella stop outside the house, and she excitedly asks, “So where to, Kenken?”

  Ignoring the nickname, he straightens his clothes and pulls up his collar, answering, “Gearfried told me to head about 2700 meters north from your house before 10.”

  “2700 meters?” She quickly takes out her phone and opens the map. “From the looks of it, we have to get to the city center by the Founders' statue. Let’s go!” She immediately pulls Ken’s arm in the direction of the statue.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  As they made their way there, Stella hummed excitedly to herself, treating the whole thing like an adventure. In the meantime, Ken remains vigilant to ensure they aren’t being followed. From the looks of it, they hadn’t found him yet.

  Once they reached the statue, Ken checked his watch to find they were nearly two hours early. He looks at Stella and tells her, “We should find a spot to wait. Maybe there is a restaurant or somethin-”

  “Oh,” Stella interrupts him as an idea hits her, “Let’s get you some new clothes!”

  “Clothes?” He asks confusedly.

  “The trenchcoat you’ve been wearing smells, and you kind of stick out like a sore thumb.”

  Ken looks at his clothing and checks his surroundings. Stella was right; everyone around him wore brighter and trendier clothes while his were dark and rustic. “You may have a point.”

  “Awesome,” Stella grabs his arm, and says, “And I already see a store I like!” She drags him toward the clothing store nearby. While Ken isn’t bothered by the excitement, he wonders if she understands the seriousness of their situation.

  The shop bell rings as they enter. Looking around, the store has marble white floors, and the smell of the city air is left outside, replaced with a strangely fragrant smell. The store was full of fashionable clothes that Ken could never have seen himself wearing. It reminded him a lot of Phenton’s old members. To show prestige, they would wear fancy clothing; Senzo was no exception to it either.

  Stella takes him to the men’s section and runs around while he stands and watches. After five minutes, she returns with a new shirt, pants, shoes, and a jacket for him. “This will definitely work!”

  Ken hesitantly complies and is directed to a dressing room to put on the clothes. After five minutes, Ken emerges to find Stella and one of the store's assistants waiting for him. “Who’s this?”

  “Oh, he is the store's stylist. He is just making sure your clothes fit for a subtle yet modern taste.”

  Ken squints as the stylist smiles and waves at him, “Hi, I am Marton, and I will be assisting you today. So to begin, the shirt and the jacket are definitely fitting the aesthetic you are going for, but those shoes and pants need to change.”

  “Really?” Stella says in surprise, “I thought they went well together.”

  “Well, yes, but that only works if you’re trying to advertise that you’re in a midlife crisis and are planning to live there. The brown leather jacket really doesn't fit the denim jeans.”

  Stella looks back and momentarily thinks before answering, “Oh, I see what you mean. Then maybe we can also change the jacket to a more loose-fitting one.”

  “Exactly,” Marton responds, “And we need to get him a bag; those things constantly bulging out of those pockets are giving me second-hand shame.”

  “A bag?” Ken says weakly, but it falls on deaf ears as the two are lost in their own world.

  After several wardrobe changes and a new bag, they finally decide on clothes for Ken. Stella and Marton have a proud look, while Ken feels as if he were just a victim of their dreams. After paying for the clothes and bag, they leave the store. Ken checks his watch and sees that it is 10:08 a.m. How long were we in there?

  Ken looks toward the center and notices Agami and Olya eating some weird pastry. Ken remembers Senzo eating one. Creeps or something. He turns to Stella, who, after reading, crumples the receipt and puts it in her pocket. Something feels off.

  “Look, I don’t have a good feeling about this, so you need to leave. I’ll meet you back at th-” Ken is interrupted as Stella puts a finger over his mouth to shush him

  “If you tell me to go home, I’m tattling,” She says with a slightly threatening smile.

  Knew that was a long shot. Ken looks back at them and back at her, saying, “Okay, then, if you want to continue, I need you to follow me from as far a distance as you can. Once things are safe, I will give you a thumbs-up in the air. You got that?”

  She smilingly winks and gives a thumbs up, acknowledging his instructions. I hope she listens.

  Ken turns toward the two while adjusting his new scarf and walks over to them. As he gets closer, he can’t help but notice the worried look on Olya’s face. For some reason, she seems nervous.

  Moving closer, he can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching him. He quickly looks around. There are too many people to pick out anyone specific. He glances back to where Stella was. After a moment, he sees she’s still where he left her, though she’s doing a terrible job hiding her stare.

  Taking a deep breath, he approaches them. As he got closer, he could hear Agami and Olya’s conversation.

  “...-rst of all, it’s Cosmic Shine, and secondly, he is not a hero, he is a bringer of justice,” Agami lectures the nervous-looking woman.

  Cosmic shine? Isn’t that for children? An amused Ken walks up behind them and can't help but say, “You still watch that?”

  The two turn around in surprise. Olya gives a sigh of relief and says, “Oh, cousin Bertu, you’re finally here. We thought you were lost.”

  Agami has a confused look as he says, “Cousin Be-”. But before he can finish, Ken picks up on the name and follows.

  “Sorry about that. Ran into some unexpected friends,” Ken weakly chuckles. This spot is more public than I thought. “Come, I found this lovely cafe I need to show you.”

  Ken begins walking toward the cafe Senzo used to take him, while Agami and Olya follow behind. Checking his surroundings, Ken says, “Sorry about that, can’t be too cautious. Baltro has been after me for the past couple of days. It's a miracle I got here without a hassle.”

  Turning into another street, Ken pauses at a stop sign and looks around, checking for Stella and anyone suspicious or following him. After a few seconds, he finds Stella hiding behind a cart, looking about as hidden as a forest fire. Trying not to let her sloppy tailing bother him, he sighed, “We'd better go this way.”

  After being quiet since they met, Agami suddenly says, “Wait a second, you’re Ken?”

  Out of shock and disbelief, Olya and Ken both stop and look at him, surprised by the situation going over his head. After the reaction, He continues, “Anyway, I had someone do some digging for me, and they found some leads on Baltro. According to some intel, he is avoiding the Cloudy River Hotel for obvious reasons.”

  “Due to Imino, Sora, and Gearfried?” Olya asks.

  “Correct. His followers are preparing for a mass gathering for the Ascension.” Ken looks around for any suspicious individuals. From what he could see, no one was looking their direction. Have I lost them?

  Turning back to Olya, a concerned look appears on her face as she asks, “The Ascension?”

  “Yes. I’m unsure what it entails, but from what I gathered, he said something about his second phase and initiation.”

  “Do you know anything more about it?” Olya inquires as they turn another corner, arriving on the street of Arduo Cafe, a spot Ken and Senzo frequented.

  “There isn’t too much to go on. All I know is, if the cult achieves their so-called Ascension, it can’t be good.” Ken opens the door to the cafe and enters, Olya following after.

  The cafe has a relaxing atmosphere, further enhanced by the smooth jazz playing in the background and the calm chatter of its patrons. What made this place attractive for people was that through the double doors at the far left, there was a library where people could take books to read and buy if they were for sale. The aroma of coffee brought back pleasant memories for Ken.

  After Olya steps inside, Ken looks around and doesn’t recognize anyone. The Baristas, waitresses, and chef were all new. A waiter comes to them and asks, “Good morning, table for two?”

  Ken eyes the waiter suspiciously and asks, “Sorry, do you know where Mabeline is? She usually serves me.”

  “Oh, Miss Rochire is off sick today, so I’m filling in for her,” the waiter responds, as if rehearsed.

  Ken places his right hand on the small pot plant on the table next to him, asking, “Oh, then what about Julipher? He is surely in?”

  The waiter grabs two menus before answering, “I am afraid he has a family emergency to attend to, so he can’t come in today.”

  Ascenders, damn it!. Ken’s left arm disappears, and the sleeve falls limp as he says, “Knew it!” He grabs the plant and smashes it against the waiter's head, forcing the man to make an ungraceful sideflip, crashing into the floor. After the waiter falls, Ken’s arm returns, and everyone in the restaurant looks at him. Olya looks at him in surprise, and Ken shouts, “IT’S A TRAP!”

  In a moment, the patrons and staff start moving toward them, but as if in waiting, Olya uses her legs to pull in a table in front of her and flips it in the air. In mid-air, she takes advantage of the large surface area and kicks the top of the table, sending it flying toward them and taking out several people caught by surprise.

  Olya takes the opportunity to jump over the counter and take out the chefs. While she is handling that, one of the patrons that weren’t knocked out by the table rushes at Ken, tackling him. Ken manages not to fall over and tosses him back. The aggressor grabs a butter knife from the floor and takes an offensive stance.

  Ken gives a confused look and shrugs his shoulders. Ken picks up a plate by his feet and throws it at him. He manages to dodge it and run after him. “Oh, wait,” Ken says to himself, “Senzo taught me how to deal with this.” As soon as the aggressor reached him, Ken immediately stepped to the side and stuck his foot out, causing the man to trip over and fall face-first into a table, rendering him unconscious.

  Ken returns his attention to Olya, but she has already managed to wrap up the rest of the fight. She quickly looks around while walking toward him, asking, “How did you know they were Ascenders?”

  “Julipher is a made-up name; them coming up with an excuse just confirmed my suspicions,” Ken answers as he looks at the aftermath, saddened by the cafe's state.

  “I see,” Olya says calmly, “But we need t-” she stops midsentence as she suddenly looks around in worry, “WHERE’S AGAMI?!”

  As she hurriedly walks toward the front door, it swings open, and Agami steps inside, slightly out of breath. He stops for a couple of seconds and looks at the mess they made.

  Ken walks toward the front door and curses under his breath, “Damn it. They were still onto me!”. But before he can leave through the door, Agami stops him.

  “Don’t. They’re waiting,” Agami warns.

  Damn it. Remembering the back entrance into the alley, Ken makes his way to the back. Agami and Olya follow. He finds the back door, turns the handle. Fortunately, it’s unlocked. As they enter the vacant alley, the door closes behind them. As he enters, Ken checks to see if they are still following. Once they are with him, he starts to sprint, the two following him. As they run, he ensures that they avoid the main street from where they started. As Ken runs, he quickly looks behind him, worried about Stella. I hope she didn’t get caught in all of this. Putting his worries aside, Ken continues.

  Remembering the route, they eventually leave the alley and enter a vacant street. Ken stops and looks to the sides. He notices roadblocks on both sides of the road, and a crowd of people climbing over them.

  “HEAD BACK!” Ken shouts, but it's too late; Ascenders that were hiding on the rooftops suddenly jump down, blocking the way they came from.

  They are surrounded.

  Ken looks around in worry, thinking of any way to get out.

  The crowd closes in, and one of them says, “Do not be afraid, the Navigator only wishes to speak.” Ken recognises the man's voice from Senzo’s echo. It was Hershel.

  Ken ignores Hershel and looks toward Olya and Agami. Olya is busy on her phone, and Agami is speaking to himself.

  “Are you serious?” Agami says to himself, “I have to die?!”

  “I see you won't come willingly. A shame as we will now have to take you there by force,” Hershel continues, getting ready to attack with an emergency fire axe.

  The crowd creeps closer.

  Unsure, Ken desperately asks, “Agami, Olya! Do you have a plan?!”

  The crowd is closer; now there is little to no space to move, and Olya is still speaking quickly on her phone.

  Still trying to figure out how to escape, Agami unexpectedly shouts, “FINE, JUST HELP US OUT OF THIS!”

  Ken tunes them out so he can focus on the situation. He thinks of all the tools he has, but none are useful or will get him out of this situation. A BET! THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMETHING! Ken frantically looks around, but he can’t think of anything.

  “Now, my brothers and sisters. Deliver unto the Navigator his wishes!” Hershel shouts, the crowd cheering, and is about to attack.

  Ken braces himself to accept his fate, but in a flash, the crowd explodes into organs and blood. Not a single person except the three stands there. The air suddenly becomes still, and another lone figure stands atop the pile of gore, clean and untouched. As a loud booming noise is heard in the distance, Ken looks at her with fear and relief. Imino of the Grey Twins had arrived.

  She looks around and removes her goggles. “Knew it was wishful thinking to have this go smoothly.” She sighs, “Come on, let's go. The cleanup will handle this.”

  Ken slowly follows her as she walks past them, unsure what to say. After a moment, she unexpectedly says, “Even beyond the dead, you still dote on me too much.” Ken looks around, unsure of who she was talking to.

  As he follows her, Ken takes extra care not to trip over the organs and bodies on the floor.

  As they enter the alley they came from, she asks him, “So where were you guys headed?” She takes a pill after asking.

  Ken feels a chill and cautiously answers, “I was planning to have us wait in a cafe. It was a quiet and relaxing place, and I thought it would be safe.”

  Imino gives him a side glance and replies, “Wishful thinking. You underestimate how deep Baltro has his claws in this city.”

  Ken tries to argue back, “He can’t ha-”

  “You haven’t met Baltro when he was alive,” She interrupts, “When he was around, he was a maniac and had crowds eating out of his hands within a few years. I fear to think how much he has after nearly three decades.”

  Ken goes silent, revisiting all of his encounters with the Ascenders. He was often overtaken by their aggression, such that their subtlety was always at the back of his mind. Imino interrupts his thoughts as they enter a busy street, “We are going to a restaurant where you guys can wait. As a thank you, you can foot the bill.”

  Ken nods his head in agreement, still lost in his thoughts. Looking back, he could see Olya and Agami walking cautiously behind them. Agami is checking his shoulders, and Olya is happily speaking about Imino’s grand rescue. As he followed Imino, she says, “By the way, that pink-haired girl has been watching us from a distance. I noticed her earlier standing by the blockade, too.”

  “Pink-hair?” Ken says as he looks around and notices Stella horribly tailing them. He sighs in relief.

  “You know her?” Imino asks, ready to deal with her.

  “Yes, yes. She is with me.”

  “I see. Please tell her she is too obvious, especially with that hair,” Imino adds as they continue.

  After an hour of walking, they arrive at a restaurant. Walking toward the entrance, Sora is waiting by the door on his phone. He looks up and grins, greeting, “Yo, I thought you were going to bail on the date! You know how much convincing it took to get Gearfried to watch the twins.” Looking behind Imino, he notices the three. “Ehhh, I was hoping it would only be us,” He groans, not hiding his disappointment.

  “It will. They are just going to wait here,” She responds.

  “For?” Sora asks, confused.

  As if suddenly realising something, they all looked at Ken, waiting for an answer.

  Caught off-guard, Ken clears his throat and answers, “There will be a meeting tonight between some of Baltros' chosen ones about the ceremony, for all his members and newcomers. With this, we can find out more about the Ascension. I just need Agami and Olyas' assistance to infiltrate. I can’t go because they are on the lookout for me.”

  Sora scratches his chin in thought and thinks for a moment. After a second, he says. “Oh, sounds serious. Well, wish you luck then.” He shrugs his shoulders as he puts his arm around Imino, her showing surprise as he does so. Sora gives a quick salute and walks into the restaurant with her.

  Ken gives a surprised look and turns toward Olya and Agami in confusion, Olya shrugging her shoulders in response. Elite ranks, elite standards, I guess.

  Entering the restaurant, they find an empty table and walk towards it, each taking a seat. He looks at Olya and Agami, saying, “Sorry for this, but I am also going to request your help for infiltrating the meeting tonight. I already arranged disguises and an entry for you two, but I just need confirmation on where you can grab them. I also requested some recording devices disguised as accessories. You’ll use them to record the meeting, and it's to make sure nothing is missed. Once done, you guys will need to get out, can’t risk a repeat of today.”

  After the explanation, Ken feels hungry, unsatisfied with the earlier meal at Stella’s. He looks around and calls over a waiter to take their orders. After placing their orders, Ken looks and notices the meals at Imino and Sora’s table. He especially notices the large portions Imino is eating. A few minutes later, Ken notices the waiter continuously bringing more food to Sora and Imino's table. As more food is brought to their table, the uneasy feeling in Ken continues to grow, unsure how he will be able to cover the expenses for their meal.

  After several hours, Imino's rampage finally stops. Surprisingly, she didn't gain any weight after eating all those meals. Ken notices the absurdly long receipt the waiter approaches them with, so long that it was even dragging across the floor. Imino speaks to the waiter and points toward Ken’s table. The waiter tells them to wait and approaches their table. Upon closer inspection of the name tag, it's not a waiter; it's the manager.

  The manager looks at Ken and introduces himself, “Good afternoon. I am the manager of this establishment. The lady over there has informed me that you will be covering their meals.” He then points toward their table, where Sora waves back.

  “Yeah, we are willing to cover it,” Ken says as he awkwardly smiles.

  “Good.” The manager places the bill on the table, and Ken quickly looks at the bottom.

  Ken’s eyes widen at the cost of the meal; he feels true fear looking at that price. He quickly glances at Olya for help, but she quickly looks away, hoping it will disappear if she doesn’t acknowledge it. He then looks to Agami, but only receives a shrug back, as Agami doesn’t have money.

  Letting out a deep sigh and accepting the price, he digs in his bag and pulls out his credit card. Fortunately, he has enough to cover the bill, but it feels as if he paid too high a price for the earlier help.

  After an hour, Ken suddenly receives a phone call from an unknown number. He steps away. Walking to a quiet corner, he answers, “Any luck?”

  Igor responds, “Yes. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get everything sorted. So for the address, they will need to go to an alley next to Ariks Boutique on Slivers road. To find it, tell them ‘Another man's trash dot dot dot.’”

  “Dot dot dot? Are we really doing riddles?” Ken asks in disbelief as he takes a napkin and writes on it using the multitool pen.

  “Hey, it's better to be safe than sorry. I don’t want my customers to lose their items.”

  “Alright, fine. Go on.”

  “Good, then the Milton Recreational Center is on Borna Valley on Uler Street. I managed to get them on the list. Their names should be on the list and on a piece of paper with the disguises. I also added a bit of a backstory to help them.”

  “Alright. Ariks Boutique on Sliver, another man's trash dot dot dot, and Borna Valley, Uler street. Thanks, Igor. I really appreciate the help on this.” Ken says as he reviews the details on the Napkin.

  “It’s a pleasure. Oh, and before I forget. I sent some guys to retrieve Senzo’s body, free of charge. I will keep you updated.” Igor finishes with a more remorseful tone.

  “Thanks, I am grateful for your help on this.”

  “Anytime. Just take care of yourself. From us. Igor out.” The call cuts, and Ken stands alone for a couple of seconds. Putting the phone away, he returns to Agami and Olya.

  After explaining the instructions, Agami asks, “A riddle?”

  “Don’t ask, my contact thinks that more ambiguity is better, although I think here he was rushed,” Ken responds defeatedly.

  After answering, Olya types the address in her phone. A concerned expression comes across her face as she says, “That’s far. We need to go now! Thanks for the help.” She grabs Agami’s shoulder and pulls him away from his dessert, denying him the pleasure of even eating it. As Agami is dragged through the front door, he quickly waves at Ken and rushes after Olya.

  After they have disappeared, Ken puts his hand up in the air and gives a thumbs-up. After a few seconds, Stella opens the door and sits across him, exhaustedly saying, “Phew, thought I was going to have to follow you guys all day.” She notices the untouched ice cream and cake left behind by Agami and wastes no time pulling it toward her.