After a long, chaotic day—keeping up with school gossip, gathering every drop of juicy tea, helping her bestie survive yet another breakup (the seventh this month!), and still managing to stay on top of her schoolwork—Xalani was what you'd call absolutely exhausted.
On her way home, her backpack hung halfway down her shoulders as she dragged her feet along the cracked sidewalk.
Xalani:Sighs… Damn… I really don't wanna go back home. I hope Mira's around… I can't deal with Father and—
"HEYYY, PRETTY GIRL!"
The shout cut through her thoughts, echoing from a car that screeched to a stop beside her.
Xalani rolled her eyes. "Why now, of all times…" she thought. She already knew how this would go—she'd been through this kind of thing too many times before.
Xalani: Uhm… who exactly do you think you're talking to right now?
The car window slid down, revealing a man's face with the cockiest grin imaginable. His eyes alone told the whole story—they glimmered with mischief and sleaze.
Simon: You see anyone else around? I'm talkin' to you, pretty mama. Name's Simon—aka Simon Says, you feel me? But you can just call me Papiii for short.
The car erupted in laughter, a chorus of idiocy echoing down the street.
Xalani stared at him—deadpan—before reaching into her bag. Simon's grin faltered as she pulled out… a can of Coke.
She cracked it open, took a slow sip, and smiled.Then whispered, "Oh yeah? Come closer."
Simon hesitated. He wasn't dumb—just painfully arrogant. He figured she'd try to splash the drink on him, but in his twisted little mind, that would just "justify" whatever he did next.
So, with a smirk, he leaned closer—eyes closed—expecting the cold sting of soda across his face.
PAWWWW!!!
Instead, a thunderous right hook connected square with his jaw.
The impact snapped his head against the car door with a sickening crack—three teeth flew out like shattered dice.
The laughter stopped. His boys in the car froze—shock painted across their faces—before they scrambled to jump out.
But Xalani was faster.
Before any of them could fully stand, she kicked the doors back shut, slamming metal against heads and hands, over and over again.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Then, with a quick breath and a flick of her hair, she snatched up her backpack and ran.
She ran—and ran—and ran.Straight down the opposite direction, her heart pounding but her grin unshaken.
Only after several blocks did she slow down.Her brows furrowed."Wait… why aren't they chasing me? They should've recovered by now. They've gotta be pissed."
Still looking over her shoulder, she turned—BUMP!
She collided hard into something—or someone.
Losing balance, she started to fall——but a firm hand caught hers and pulled her back to her feet.
To her surprise, standing before her was Yuri.Calm, composed, but with faint traces of blood on his knuckles.
Yuri: Uh—y-you okay?Xalani: Y-Yuri?! Where did you—how did you—? Never mind!
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him, hugging tight, screaming into his shoulder—not out of fear, but sheer excitement.
Yuri: Uhmmm… glad to see you too, I guess?Xalani:YURIII!!! You won't believe it! I just beat up some nasty, perverted dudes! They were all like, "Oi, we're big and stupid!"—and I punched all their teeth out! ALL OF 'EM!!!Yuri: Wow. That sounds… incredible. Did they hurt you?
Xalani smirked, puffing out her chest and flexing her nonexistent biceps.
Xalani: Ha! They could only dream.
And so they walked off together—Xalani rambling nonstop about how she took down "thirty bad men" all by herself, recounting every exaggerated detail with unshakable pride.
Yuri smiled faintly, listening quietly… and discreetly wiped the blood from his hand when she wasn't looking.
Meanwhile…
In a room cloaked in darkness, shadows moved like smoke.Figures gathered in a circle, whispering beneath a low red light.
Then—footsteps.One man entered, hands tucked in his pockets. Each step he took bent the atmosphere further under his control.
He stopped before a towering silhouette seated upon a throne, its presence radiating quiet power.The man kneeled—head low—before slowly looking up, revealing eyes as dark as an abyss, hollow and lifeless. eyes of which belong to a corpse.
It was Duke.
Duke: The weapon has reached the second stage… It's time to commence.
A voice thundered from the throne—deep, inhuman, almost godlike.
"VERY WELL. GOOD WORK. YOU SHALL BE REWARDED HANDSOMELY."The words rattled the walls, echoing through every corner of the chamber.
"CALL UPON JUDGMENT. CALL UPON THE EYES OF DARKNESS… IT'S TIME TO RETRIEVE MY WEAPON."
Duke bowed lower, a faint grin creeping across his face.
Duke: Yes… so shall it be, Father.