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Soren Wolfe was just about to leave.
High above Emberfield, the wind tugged at his coat, last sparks of battle still crackling in the air like fading fireworks.
Then—he felt it.
A flicker.
Faint psychic static scraped the edge of his awareness. Subtle. Invasive. Like a whisper crawling behind the ear.
His gaze dropped.
Through the blood-drenched mist, he saw her.
A girl.
Dirt and dried blood streaked her cheeks. Hoodie soaked. Face half-obscured by clumped bangs. Eyes—locked with his.
Unmoving. Unblinking. Unafraid.
[ALERT!]
Psychic detection triggered!
LUSTRA screamed in Avery's head.
She froze.
Hands clenched. Shoulders tight. Eyes cast down.
Soren's stare lingered for half a second longer.
Weak. Just that rookie again. Barely a spark.
He turned away.
Above, the suspended blade—frozen in the clouds—shattered in perfect silence. Ice crystals rained like glass feathers across the rooftops.
By the time the mist cleared, he was gone.
"He actually pulled off a tier skip? You serious?!"
"That was Emberflame—Hidden Gate's Infernal-class! High-grade, Mid-Tier!"
"Wolfe family's built diff, man. Two Judicators in ten years?"
Avery wasn't listening.
Her stomach had filed for mutiny. Legs jelly. Head pounding.
She staggered toward the only solid thing ahead—a dull blue-gray structure half-swallowed by shadow.
Emberfield Public Safety Bureau.
Welcome to the world of Espers.
Fight. Bleed. Survive.
The PSB lobby was all sharp lights and cold tiles.
Two officers were still reenacting the sky-fight with dramatic hand motions when the door creaked open.
The female officer crinkled her nose. "Ugh."
Avery stumbled in.
"My name's Avery Blake," she said, voice shaky, just enough to sound real.
Her hoodie was sticky with blood. Face hidden under dried gore and sweat.
"Someone tried to kill me. Miss officer, please… I don't know where else to go."
She'd built a business empire by being ruthless and flexible. Right now, she could sell "helpless teen" with no shame and perfect pitch.
"I got pushed off a roof…" she added, throwing in a breathy tremble.
She watched their expressions change—
Officer mode: engaged.
"And I killed them," she finished.
Dead silence.
"…Shit."
The female officer's pen froze midair.
The guy leaned in, parting her bangs with a gloved hand.
"Wait. This wound's healed?"
Then he was gone—vanishing into a side office.
The woman stood straighter.
"This is above routine. You'll need a hospital intake for evidence collection. Please wait here."
Avery slowly exhaled.
Two kills on day one.
Her old moral compass was still flopping around somewhere, but reporting to the PSB gave her some anchor.
[ALERT: High-Tier Esper approaching!]
The sensor chimed overhead.
Avery felt it in her bones first—then up her spine.
She turned, slow.
Silver hair. Gold eyes. Tactical gear tailored to move. He looked carved from steel and moonlight.
He leaned back in the shadow between two lights, spinning his gloves like he wasn't standing in the middle of a murder report. The veins along his wrist glowed—dark red, writhing faintly under the skin.
"LUSTRA... that him?"
[Esper Class: Mid-Tier—High Grade.]
Even the system sounded smaller than usual.
"Lieutenant Wolfe, sir!" the officers jumped up.
Avery couldn't breathe right.
Her lungs stalled like a crashed server—air in, but nothing processed.
Soren's gaze swept past her. Paused.
Then he chuckled.
Low. Dry.
"This the rookie you were talking about?"
Third time today.
She awakened in crisis. Took down two men. And just now—she withstood a psychic glance without breaking.
Interesting.
[WARNING: Psychic scan detected!]
The system UI pulsed red in her vision.
She didn't dare move.
He stepped forward. Each footstep hit like a countdown.