Time passed…
-
Somewhere else, our camera slowly tilts to an inconspicuous young man in the middle of the road.
This young man's name was 'Lace!'
The name had no meaning, and he had no surname. Throughout his entire life, he had received one thing and one thing alone, and that was his name. He had received this name not because it sounded cool, no, but because his mother had simply liked the word!
Lace walked through the busy streets with his hands in his pockets and a bend in his back. His eyes flickered from pouch to purse, then belt to boot. The city was loud, too loud. People were careless, stupid, and often forgetful, which was perfect for his 'profession'…
He had lived a life of hardships!
He grew up poor, very poor! He was so poor that hunger felt like a constant companion! It was the kind of poverty where adults looked away when children struggled, when children died, and the only lessons learned were how to survive or how to endure! Most turned a blind eye, but there was also that group of 'very specific' people that just made it worse! So, Lace learned early that if the world wasn't going to look out for him, he would have to look out for himself!
He had no family, no friends, and never experienced love…
From the moment he could walk, he had already been swallowed by the shadow of the underworld that lurked just beneath the surface of the city. Naturally, as a thin and dexterous youth with a sharp mind and stable hand, he quickly developed a powerful instinct for selecting a target.
Soon, he became a thief!
It wasn't some tragic decision born from desperation or misunderstanding, no-no, he wasn't some victim of circumstance either, and he certainly wasn't someone with some great goal!!
He was just a generally bad person…
To make this slightly awkward backstory just a little bit worse, it wasn't like he hadn't received opportunities either…
Over the course of his short life, he had been offered opportunities to study, to train, and to step away from the undercity entirely! He had even received invitations from 'two' of the Four Great Families, the kind extended only to talented youths worth cultivating!
Lace had potential, an extremely enormous amount of it!
Unfortunately… he also had a bit of a problem…
A very, erm… specific one?
Cough! No matter how many chances he was given, no matter how great his potential was, in the end, he simply couldn't keep his grimy little paws to himself!
And so—
Here we are…
As he moved through the crowd, something finally caught his eye!
A woman…
She was tall, elegant, and incredibly beautiful! There was the unmistakable air of wealth, yet her face carried the soft allure of a naïve young miss, the kind that rarely went out. Her clothing was plain but unmistakably expensive, and her steps were light yet unhurried. Every movement was quick yet supple, and her skin was smooth and white. Her bright eyes were clean and untouched, untainted by the hardships of the world.
She moved through the crowd as if expecting the world to make way.
Lace licked his lips.
That's her!
He knew it instantly!
This woman was perfection personified!
He slowed down, letting a few people pass him by. Slowly, he fell behind, moving too slowly shadow her steps. He watched carefully, his eyes trembling. He swayed, following her steps, step by step, and memorized her movements. His eyes rolled like a pendulum, dissecting the swing of her purse and the rhythm of her walk.
She didn't turn, she didn't check, no, not even once!
She was completely defenseless! A pig on the chopping block!
It was easy, too easy!
She turned—
Into an alley!
She disappeared, discarding her last defenses!
Lace's heart jumped! His excitement began to bubble up…
He followed like a silent shadow.
The alley was thin—then wide. It soon opened into a long, roofless corridor concealed between two abandoned buildings. Shadows shrouded the surroundings as a quiet atmosphere slowly took the stage. Brick walls rose on either side, blocking the noise of the festival and isolating the stagnant space.
He stepped after her without hesitation, but—
That was his first mistake!
He quickened his pace, quickly closing the distance!
Swoosh!
She finally noticed him!
Her shoulders stiffened as her head turned.
Her eyes widened in terror!
"Ah—!" she gasped, stumbling back, and nearly collapsing in a drainage ditch!
Her voice was strange, unnatural even! It was high, breathless, and uncanny in an inexplicable way. Lace frowned for half a second, but adrenaline drowned the thought!
"Hand it over," he growled, pulling a knife from his pocket.
"All of it! Slowly…"
She panicked, fumbling as she reached for her money pouch.
Her hand shook, and her breathing caught. With each hiccup, she unconsciously backed up until her dress was soon pressed into the cold stone of the back wall.
The chill caused her to jump, then trip—
"Ah!" She cried!
She collapsed, her body spilling across the ground in a helpless display of weakness. They were too far away from the main street! Here, no one would hear her screams!
Perfect!
Lace grinned, stepping closer.
He felt his heart quickening in his chest…
"Don't scream," he said in a gentle voice. "I don't like—"
Suddenly, he paused—
Only now that the distance had closed did he notice the strange green thread that seemed to extend from the top of her head!
"—What?"
His brain seemed to glitch as it ran through the possibilities.
Unfortunately, before he could figure it out…
The woman disappeared!
His eyes widened in horror!
She didn't fade or dissolve, she collapsed and 'unfolded', her body opening outwards like origami, flattening into sharp green lines that snapped together to create six large squares.
Click!
A series of squares unfolded around Lace, then—
Lace: "!!"
Swoosh!
—Boom! The squares pulled themselves together and slammed into a six-sided prison!
This was a trap!
Lace stared through the bars on the glowing green walls in utter disbelief as he was quickly wrapped in a prison of translucent Mental Energy! Lace slammed his fist into the wall, but there wasn't even a ripple!
He screamed for help…
There was no response!
They were too far away from the main street! Here, no one would hear 'his' screams!
-
Meanwhile, 'above' the alley—
Three small figures sat on a stone ledge, overlooking the alley.
Petra held a long 'fishing rod' in her hands.
It was a large two-meter pole with a long green thread trailing down and connecting to the green cage. Upon closer inspection, the intersection point would have been exactly where the head of the woman originally was before she 'transformed'.
She giggled happily, rocking back and forth on her butt.
"He didn't even notice," she said with a smug smile.
Luna loyally sat next to Petra, while Lilly nodded at her words. Lilly leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "That one was pretty fast! Why didn't he hesitate at all?"
Petra hummed to herself, "Maybe he was a pervert?"
Luna furrowed her brows, looking down at the idiot locked in the cage with a disdainful gaze.
In truth–
The 'woman' Lace had followed wasn't real! Duh…
More accurately, it was Petra's Mental Energy shaped into the form of a human, then wrapped in illusory skin and operated remotely through the fishing pole, a bit like a puppet. To make it more real, the girls had helped 'doll up' the doll, adjusting and training its natural posture, then added some special effects and 'painted on' some artificial emotions, and gave it an alluring outfit before releasing it into the streets! For a skilled 'fisherman' like Petra, it was the perfect piece of bait, designed to feel real enough to fool the stupid and the greedy! Kek-kek-kek-kek!
"You're getting really good at this," Lilly added…
Petra puffed out her chest. "I know, right? Who knew it was so profitable to go fishing in the capital!"
She hopped off the ledge.
Woosh—! Poof! Tock!
Petra landed lightly in the alley, her fishing rod resting on her shoulder as she skipped towards the cage.
Lace twitched then turned, wildly wailing inside!
Seeing the small child approach, he even pointed the knife at her!
"I'll kill you!" he shouted.
"Let me out, damn it!"
Petra stopped in front of the cage.
She stared up at him, her big black eyes unblinking.
She thought to herself, 'he really is just a monkey in a cage'…
Then casually swung the fishing pole.
Thwack! The rod smacked Lace square across the face. He fell down instantly, falling unconscious.
Petra blinked…
"…Oh?"
She hadn't expected that to be so effective! She shrugged her shoulders and flicked with her mind. The cage dissolved into green motes of light, the thin line connecting it to her rod dissipating alongside it. The illusion unraveled, leaving only an unconscious thief sprawled across the cold stone floor.
Petra crouched down and began rummaging through his pockets.
It was a concerningly natural behavior…
"Coins—" she muttered. "—Knife… hmm, snacks…" She paused. "Eww, gross… This one was a real loser!" She stood up and stretched, her back gaining a few centimetres.
Behind her, Luna stepped forward.
She grabbed the unconscious Lace by the collar and dragged him away, pulling him to the far end of the alley. There, hidden behind a stack of crates, was a strange stone well.
Luna opened it with an enthusiastic kick! Bang!
After the wooden top slid off—
She tossed him in!
Swoosh—! Plop-splash!
Following the sound of water, a series of ominous sounds rose from the dark depths…
- Yes, plural…
Luna dusted off her hands with a cute clap and quickly returned. She rejoined the duo, who were already counting the coins.
"Not bad, not bad at all," she said cheerfully.
"That's… today's seventh crystal coin!"
Lilly slowly nodded. "Umm, eighth… actually."
Petra paused.
"…Oh…" 'Was it…?' That's so awkward!
Petra's ears reddened as she quickly urged the twins to move on!
They slipped back into the streets—
And vanished into the crowd…
-
After leaving, back in the abandoned well that had already been sealed again, Lace slowly woke up. For a brief, glorious moment, he thought everything had been a dream...
Then, he felt it…
He was dangling upside down, suspended by his own shoelaces, caught on a rusty hook...
His knife was gone, and below him—
Was only an abyssal darkness, filled with the groans of a countless number of unknown creatures...
* * *
At the same time, somewhere else—
Omen, a deeply loyal city guard, stood at attention near the edge of a large plaza! His posture was straight, his gaze was forward, and he did his absolute best to look composed!
But—!
Before him, two terrifying shadows loomed overhead. Their presence was suffocating, their gaze was piercing. Their sharp eyes pressed down, spilling out from behind black helmets, suppressing him and causing his mind to shake!
Owen, this poor city guard, had experienced countless storms, endless wind and rain, but these two 'Dragon Guards' were in a league of their own!
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Omen was considered tall by every metric, yet before them, he felt small, insignificant, and frail, like a leaf lost in a storm! Who said that Dragons take on human form! How was this a human height!
He mustered up what little courage he could and stood straight!
Even so—
The constant 'dong' from his trembling leg armor betrayed him…
There was a short moment of unsettling silence, then—
One of the massive men held up a portrait.
"Have you seen the little girl in this portrait?" he asked in a deep, resonating voice…
Silence….
"I—" He didn't know what to say…!
-
Meanwhile—
Just a short distance away, Popo, the little girl in question, could be found standing on her tippiest of toes, right in front of an equally unfortunate Beast Breeder. The man had two-toned black-and-white hair, with a cute bell bear themed cap placed atop his head.