The plaza emptied more slowly than Astor would have liked.

  Some citizens lingered in small clusters, voices low, faces tight with fear or anger. Others moved with purpose, already discussing routes, supplies, and where their families would regroup if they chose to leave Almati.

  The words Devourer's offspring had settled into the city like ash.

  Astor waited until the crowd thinned before he began issuing orders.

  The Magus were summoned to the walls first. Earth-shapers reinforced the foundations beneath the ramparts. Wind magi mapped air currents above the city to keep spellfire from turning back on the defenders.

  Along the ramparts, the enchanters were assigned to the newly installed magic cannons were hauled into position. Their frames were heavy, reinforced with layered runes meant to withstand recoil rather than amplify it. Astor had learned long ago that raw power meant nothing if the structure failed after the first shot.

  Outside the gates, Magi were already at work. The terrain was being reshaped with grim efficiency — the trenches were hardened with stone, some zones were scorched bare to deny cover, runes were buried deep beneath the soil to detonate or bind on command.

  Along the outer streets, evacuation routes were marked with glowing runes. Supplies were redistributed from city stores. Healing halls were cleared and reorganized as triage points.

  All those were preparations so the city could last, the true powerhouses were the current Ascendants who would fight the Shade.

  When the last of the civilians dispersed, Astor turned back toward the plaza. Khiel, Naro and the others were still present; it seems, well, there was someone else actually.

  "Come out, I know you're here."

  The words had barely settled when something shifted near the evacuation wagons.

  A girl with long verdant green hair wearing loose and baggy clothes stepped into view.

  At first glance, she looked young, light-framed, almost fragile. Then the details refused to line up. Her pupils were too wide and caught light at odd angles. Fine, pale filaments traced faint lines along her neck and jaw, like veins or maybe antennae that had never fully formed. When she moved, her steps were soundless and unnaturally precise.

  Behind her, half-hidden beneath her cloak, something stirred.

  Translucent wings folded tight, veined like stained glass caught the starlight for just a moment before she pulled the fabric closed again.

  She smiled anyway, bright and unapologetic.

  "Ah. Caught already," she said cheerfully. "I was hoping to last a bit longer!"

  Yidra stiffened.

  Then her eyes softened in recognition.

  "...Rikaen!"

  The girl froze.

  Her smile faltered. "Wait, what? How do you know my name?!"

  Yidra stepped closer, her voice calm, almost gentle. "You accompanied Scylla and Eolka to Rikshasha, you were quite helpful to them, you know ? So much so, Scylla gave you her scarf."

  Rikaen's breath hitched.

  "That..." She swallowed. "IS SO CREEPY!"

  She took some steps away from Yidra immediately

  For the first time since she appeared, Rikaen looked unsettled. Her wings twitched beneath the cloak, reacting on instinct. She reached up and clutched the blue scarf at her neck, her fingers curling into the fabric like an anchor.

  "How the hell did you even see that?!"

  "Ah..." Yidra seemed to have realized that not everyone accepted being stalked by her.

  She cleared her throat "Yes, I guess it might be creepy to some..." Yidra admitted begrudgingly.

  She smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I had to make sure they had a nice journey and that nothing dangerous happened."

  Rikaen exhaled slowly, then forced a grin back onto her face. "Well... That's embarrassing."

  "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what happened." Yidra winked, or at the least tried to because it wasn't visible at all.

  Rikae, eased at that.

  Naro left Rami's side and approached the energetic girl "You're an Ascendant, aren't you?"

  'Of Fatale's Authority no less...'

  She nodded immediately, almost eagerly. "Yes! As you can see, I'm an Authority-born, which explains my features!"

  "And yet you hid, why?" he asked while tilting his head.

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  "Because this wasn't about me," she replied, just as quickly. "But then you spoke." Her eyes lit up again, fervent this time. "And I thought that if someone like you is standing against what's coming, then I should fight too!"

  Her bright excitement almost blinded his sight.

  "Scylla talked about you a lot! Apparently you beat her in a fight, that means you're crazy strong!"

  Naro internally winced 'Oh Guardians, I'm a role model for kids now...'

  The fight had been one fought with wooden sticks, and moreover it was when they were eleven years old. But the little one didn't need to know that.

  He smiled "Rikaen, right ?"

  She perked up "You can call me Riku, all my friends call me that!"

  "...Little Miss Riku then,"

  "The answer is no. You will not fight."

  The words cut cleaner than any blades.

  Her wings flared beneath the cloak without her meaning to, the membranes briefly visible as they strained against fabric. "What? Why nooooot??"

  "The battlefield isn't a proving ground," he said, stepping closer. "And you're not expendable, especially not if you met Scylla."

  Naro leaned down and ruffled her hair with a smile "That woman would probably halt her journey and come here to kill me if she knew about it"

  Her face flushed, she grit her teeth and slapped Naro's hand away. "I'm a natural born Ascendant, I didn't need Fatale to bestow me anything !"

  "I'm strong! Eolka said it too!"

  "You don't get to decide whether I can fight or not!"

  "You're right, I don't," he answered calmly with a soft voice, "I'm not the leader here after all."

  "But let me tell you this, this cool left arm here," Naro put the palm in front of her. "It wasn't there when I first went to Kresha. I wasn't a cripple before going there."

  "What we're going to be up against could be worse than the demigod I fought." He chuckled, "heck, it will probably be worse."

  Naro looked her in the eyes.

  "I don't want the youth to be part of that, you have enough time to get a lot more experience in fighting the dusk-creatures. There is no need for you to throw your life away when the chances of survival are slim."

  She opened her mouth to argue then closed it.

  Naro turned to look at the others.

  Khiel nodded with a hint of pride on his face, Rami and Yidra smiled warmly and Agir... where the hell was he anyways?

  Astor's laughter echoed in the plaza, prompting everyone present to look at him.

  "I didn't expect you to be so passionate about the youth, Naro! You surprised me!"

  "What surprises me more is that you excluded yourself from this as if you didn't just recently turn twenty."

  "Ack-!"

  He looked at Riku with measured interest. "If you wish to help, you can escort the civilians to Kresha. You'll fly ahead, watch the flanks and respond to threats before panic spreads."

  Her shoulders slumped.

  "...That's not fighting," she muttered.

  Astor was quiet for a bit then exhaled "'Fighting, fight this, fight that, I wanna fight!' It's always this with you youngsters."

  The broad green haired Ascendant approached Riku with a crooked smile

  "Do you know what's more important than fighting ?"

  Riku raised an eyebrow "Surviving?"

  "...Well I guess that works... but the actual word is,"

  He opened his arms.

  "Protecting."

  "It is the most important thing in Gaon."

  There was a pause, she seemed to think for a bit.

  Then Rikaen straightened, her wings settled, and her posture firmed. She even got as far as to make a salute.

  "Alright!" she said. "I'll make sure they get there!"

  As she turned toward the evacuation line, the scarf shifted in the wind, its color stark against her pale skin and insect-veined wings.

  Naro watched her go with a small smile.

  "She's not reckless, I've seen how she fights," Yidra said quietly. "She's just young is all."

  "Thanks for telling me what I've already said," he replied sarcastically.

  She chuckled, "You're right."

  Naro glanced at her "What is an 'Authority-Born'?"

  Yidra was quiet for a bit, then sighed "I guess you don't know since we're rare..."

  Naro raised an eyebrow 'Rare? We?'

  "Do you know how Magus are born, Naro?"

  The knight nodded "I've learned the Authority of the original Ascendants was diluted and eventually became something else, right?"

  She snapped her fingers "Bingo! So you did pay attention to some classes!"

  He continued with a pensive expression "Most Gaonians still have a small part of the Authority their ancestors had, but the only way to awaken it needs a Guardian's intervention...so what the hell are Authority-borns?"

  Yidra looked up to The Scar in the sky with a small hint of melancholy "It's just as said, we were born with a part of the Authority of our respective Guardians without the need to have anything done to us."

  She cast her gaze to the ground "We're deviants, or mutants...Whatever they call me, Agir, Rikaen and others I don't know of."

  Yidra pointed to her face "I am not a full-fledged oracle like my aunt Arielle, I also have those weird eyes that need to be covered up if I actually want to see the world the way normal people do."

  "Not everyone in Rit is kind to people who can't predict the future, not even Spike himself... and that's even worse if you're supposed to be an Ascendant.'

  "..."

  'Looks like there's a reason why Agir prefers to stay alone despite his easy going demeanor... Could it be why they don't have titles? No, maybe it runs deeper.'

  Suddenly Naro wanted to know a lot more about Spike, but he felt like none of the Ascendants that were near him wanted to talk about him.

  The blindfolded Ascendant continued while looking at Rikaen, unaware of his thoughts.

  "Rikaen is lucky to have been born in Rikshasha, she didn't face hatred since Fatale and her insect features are actually worshipped there... Actually maybe it's worse somehow."

  "I can't help but see myself in her. I want her to be stronger, stronger for herself, strong enough to withstand this cruel world..."

  Naro cut her off "Why are you telling me all this?"

  Yidra shuddered and looked at the ground again "Sorry, I was rambling..."

  "That's not what I meant."

  She looked up at him in surprise.

  Yidra thought that when looking at him, she'd find annoyance or a frown but all she saw was genuine confusion.

  "Aren't you supposed to be scared of me? Why are you telling me all your worries like I'm a close friend?"

  "...I thought you would sympathize, you were born with nothing after all. You're a deviant just like us."

  Naro gestured with his hand "No I mean, I do but like..."

  He rubbed the back of his neck "We just met yesterday..."

  Her eyes widened.

  "..."

  "Pffft-"

  "BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

  She laughed.

  To Naro's dismay...

  She laughed.

  'What is up with that woman?'

  Naro glanced to the side "You said you wanted Rikaen to be stronger, right? I'll need a guide to travel to the Dark Forest one day, maybe I'll train her as we travel."

  The blindfolded Ascendant removed the cloth to a wipe a tear at the corner of her golden eye

  "I was going to ask you to do just that! Thanks for granting my non-asked request!"

  He nodded then walked back to Rami and Khiel.

  "Hey, Beastly Knight!"

  Naro turned his head to look back at Yidra

  He saw someone with dark hair that wore a bright smile.

  "Thank you."

  'Weirdo.'

  He waved at her then continued walking toward his fiancée and his rival.

  "Rami, is this behaviour in your family?"

  She tilted her head in confusion "What is in the family?"

  "...Nevermind."

  "Naro." Khiel said with slight irritation and maybe impatience.

  "Yeah, what's up? He asked innocently.

  "To the training ground. Our Rematch. Now."

  Naro sneered "Ehhh I actually saw a nice blue dress I could buy for Rami while I was wal-"

  Khiel headbutted him "Now."

  Naro headbutted him back.

  "HELL NO! YOU AND THAT RAT TAIL OF YOURS CAN FUCK RIGHT OFF!"