Well this was cruel, Shaira thought bitterly, slumping against the cold wall. Far from the fantasy land I imagined.
When she first read the Glyph Codex, she'd half-hoped for an adventure — a world of magic, maybe even beauty. But this… this was closer to a nightmare.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
Was Uncle Ben wondering why she hadn't returned to help reopen the Cheap Food House?
Was Miss Venia searching for her, waiting to finish packing the remaining books from the Terra Library?
Her eyes drifted to the strange collection bag — the one that had suddenly poofed into her cell earlier.
How did you get here…? she wondered, staring at the battered old thing.
Across the cell, Mira — the mysterious silver-haired woman — sat watching her with an amused smile. Her eyes gleamed with a knowing look, like a cat toying with a bird.
"Where do you come from, little mortal?" Mira purred.
Shaira hesitated but answered cautiously:
"I'm from… Slum District Nine. It's an underworld beneath my city."
Mira tilted her head. "Hmm… what a curious name. Perhaps someday, I will visit this 'Slum District Nine' myself."
Shaira frowned. "Why are you here? Why are you imprisoned?"
Mira's smile widened mischievously. "Ah… if you want to know my secrets, you'll have to gamble one of your own, dear girl. Tell me your darkest secret… and I might share mine."
Shaira snorted. "I don't have any big secrets."
---
Meanwhile, high in his office, Riku frowned.
Through the wards surrounding the cells, he sensed something odd — Shaira was speaking with Mira, the Black Witch. His instincts sharpened. He couldn't allow the two to stay together.
Without delay, he strode down the stone corridors.
As he walked, a voice echoed in his mind — Chief Rei's telepathic message:
"Go ahead. Separate the girl from the Black Witch."
---
When Riku reached the cells, he wasted no time.
With a sharp snap of his fingers, the entire floor beneath Mira's cell shimmered — then sank swiftly into the earth, sealing the witch away in her own private prison.
Shaira gasped. One moment Mira had been there — the next, gone.
Before she could react, Riku stood before her cell, eyes narrowed.
"Tell me — who the hell are you?" he demanded. His voice was hard, piercing.
"I'm Shaira! A human! I live in Slum District Nine!" she snapped back. "And stop shouting — I can hear you just fine!"
Riku blinked in surprise. Her tone was sharp — honest. It didn't feel like a lie.
But what troubled him most… was how she had entered Raco Land at all. Their lands were shielded by ancient wards — mortals could not cross them.
---
He studied her for a long moment. Then he asked:
"Do you want to remain in this prison?"
"Of course not!" Shaira shot back. "I need to go back — there are people who need me. And I hate strangers like you, accusing me and locking me up with no reason! Your rules… suck!"
Riku's brow twitched. "Setting foot on this land without permission is a crime," he said firmly. "We maintain our laws to protect our people."
"But I didn't choose to be here! I was dragged here by that stupid book!"
---
Just then, Riku heard Chief Rei's voice again in his mind.
"Reiko won't stop begging me to release the girl. Move her to the guest quarters — for now."
Riku sighed. That stubborn child…
Without another word, he opened the enchanted gate with a wave of his hand. The glowing bars faded, and he stepped inside.
Before Shaira could protest, he grabbed her wrist.
Her heart skipped — his grip was strong, but oddly gentle.
"You are not allowed to leave. Chief Rei's orders," he said quietly.
"But why?"
"Because your presence may endanger this world," Riku replied. "The return of the Etoile… is a dangerous sign."
---
Shaira's brows knitted. "How do you even know I'm an Etoile?! I don't even have the Codex anymore!"
She frowned. "If only I still had my journal — I could prove it…"
Suddenly — with a faint pop — her old journal appeared from thin air, landing on the stone floor beside them.
Riku jerked back in shock.
"What the—?!"
His grip tightened instinctively on her wrist.
"Ah—! That hurts!" Shaira winced.
Riku released her quickly, eyes wide.
She… summoned the journal? Out of nowhere…?
---
Rather than taking her to the guest room, Riku now led her straight to the main hall — to face Chief Rei directly.
There, seated upon the high seat, was Chief Rei — tall, commanding, his orange eyes calm and sharp.
Beside him stood a slender woman — violet hair cascading over her shoulders, gray eyes gleaming behind round glasses. Her expression was cool, judging.
"A stray one," the woman murmured. "What an odd creature to appear here."
---
Chief Rei's gaze swept over Shaira.
"This woman is not ordinary," he said softly. "There is power inside her."
"I saw it," Riku added. "She summoned an object from thin air."
The woman's lips curved in a faint smile. "How fascinating. She can call items… not simply bring them."
"You mean like… teleporting my stuff?" Shaira asked.
The woman tilted her head. "Yes. A rare and dangerous power — if uncontrolled."
---
Chief Rei turned to the woman. "Quera — your thoughts?"
Quera adjusted her glasses. "She is connected to the lost Codex, no doubt. And if the Codex has resurfaced… so too has the fate of the Etoile."
Riku stiffened. "You mean… the Etoile truly has returned?"
Quera's voice darkened. "The signs are clear. Dark forces stir in the West. The Ice Queen Fiora… has awoken from her frozen castle."
Shaira blinked.
"Wait—! I'm so lost. What's an Etoile?! And what does this have to do with me?!"
---
Quera arched a brow.
"My, such boldness. You interrupt the council… but very well. You wish to know? I shall tell you — if you are prepared to face your fate."
Her tone was calm — but in her eyes, a strange gleam sparkled.
And so… Shaira's destiny began to unfold.