Aefia walked down the hallway toward the back of the facility buildings. A simple chore she had to take up for Puppet's sake. The file rested at the crook of her arm, which she was planning to read while the little wolf cub played around.
She had discovered it when she was trying to cool off her head one night. The routes led her straight into an open space with crystal-clear water of a pond, and lush greenery at the shore, with buds blooming around small boulders which worked as a place to sit on.
A few golden and white fishes swam around in the water, gliding through and making trips from one end of the pond to the other.
Aefia pushed away the leaves hanging low, squeezing into the small space as Puppet immediately started running towards a butterfly flying around. Its little bushy tail wagging slightly as it drifted across the slippery grass almost like a cat.
The red butterfly from her ring at her middle finger transformed itself and settled onto a nearby flower, drinking its nectar.
It was so cute when it was excited, it was hard to believe this was a horrifying battle beast created from Aefia's magic. Sometimes, she thought this was just an illusion.
But that was what made her smile more.
This was an illusion only she believed was real.
Aefia settled herself down onto one of the cool, smooth boulders near the edge, propping the file open against her knee. But reading proved almost impossible when Puppet was darting back and forth across her field of vision like a grey and silver blur.
The little wolf cub pounced into a patch of soft grass, missing a yellow butterfly completely and tumbling head-over-tail before coming to a stop right at her boots. It scrambled up, shook its soft fur out, and let out a tiny, high-pitched yip of sheer indignation.
She couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped her lips. She set the folder down on the rock beside her and leaned forward, wiggling two fingers near the grass.
"Missed it, didn't you?" she teased softly.
Puppet snapped its head toward her, its ears perking up high. Its deep amber eyes widened with playful mischief, and instead of taking offense, it lowered its front paws into a pounce stance, its fluffy little tail wagging back and forth in rapid, excited thumps against the dirt.
With a sudden burst of energy, it sprang into the air, leaping straight onto Aefia's lap and swatting at her fingers with its stubby, soft paws.
"Hey—watch my nails," she hummed, carefully scooping the tiny creature up in both hands.
Puppet wriggled violently, letting out a small, warm puff of grey smoke from its snout as it tried to nip at her thumb, completely devoid of any real bite. Aefia flipped the cub onto its back, gently scratching its round belly.
Almost instantly, Puppet's hind leg began to twitch uncontrollably in involuntary bliss, its tongue poking out slightly as it let out a soft, purring whine.
"You are supposed to be a grand elemental beast, remember?" she murmured, her eyes softening into a genuine smile.
"I am merely... permitting... this tactile treatment!" It protested mentally, though its paws were loosely curled over her wrist, holding her hand in place so she wouldn't stop scratching.
When Aefia finally withdrew her hand, the wolf cub wriggled back onto its feet, shook its entire body out again, and trotted directly toward the crystal-clear pond.
"Wait, Puppet, don't—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the fearless little creature marched right off the slippery bank and splashed straight into the shallow water.
Aefia winced, expecting an outburst of panicked shrieks, but the wolf simply stood there in the ankle-deep water, its belly floating slightly as its tiny legs paddled against the gentle current.
Two white fishes glided curiously close to its tail, and Puppet immediately leaned down, snapping its jaw at the water and splashing tiny droplets everywhere.
The red butterfly, which had been resting on a nearby flower, fluttered over in alarm, circling the soaking-wet cub as if scolding it.
Puppet ignored it entirely, proudly kicking its back legs and paddling in small circles through the clear water, puffing its damp chest out like a master swimmer.
Aefia sat back against the boulder, watching the absurd sight of her own magic-born creature splashing around like a stray puppy.
The heavy weight in her chest—the foggy memories, the dangerous mission ahead, the looming threat of the facility—seemed to fade into the quiet background for a few precious minutes.
She reached down, dipping her hand into the cool water to splash a small stream toward Puppet, sparking another round of playful, high-pitched yips across the hidden garden.
"What a chaotic little kid you are." She whispered, finally pulling the little soaking wolf out of the water, taking off her hoodie to wipe down its wet fur. "Really energetic—hyperactive—and extremely messy."
"And you are very straightforward. How do you even exist?!" The wolf shook its head aggresively as soon as she withdrew her hands.
"That is my way of survival. So yeah..." She whispered. "And my other way is coming over to this space and just spending some time of my day looking after the two of you. Although... Looking after the butterfly is quite hard."
They both turned their gazes to the beautiful red creature who got distracted by a group of other butterflies and were flying around in circles with them.
Aefia whistled. The butterfly immediately flew over to their place and settled into her index finger.
"There. Stop getting taken away like that. You are a small creature who is easy to displace—" she said while watching it as it flew down to rest against Puppet's snout.
Then, after a single second of complete peace...
"GET OFF MY SNOUT RIGHT NOW YOU LITTEL INSECT!"
The surprised butterfly flew right back towards Aefia, hide at her shoulder as if trying to complain.
She on the other hand, slammed her and over the little cub's mouth.
"Quiet! ...if you draw the faculty members here, we can never come back here ever again!" She whispered.
Aefia pulled her hand away from the little wolf's snout, giving its damp head a light, affectionate tap before picking up the thick document resting on the boulder beside her.
"Alright, playtime's over for now," she said, leaning her back against the smooth stone surface and crossing her legs. "It's time to actually go through these files out here in the open air. The last thing we need is someone barging into my room and finding out about these secret solo missions."
Puppet let out a soft, grumbling hum, shaking the last remaining droplets from its ears. It trotted over, hopping up onto the boulder right next to her thigh. The red butterfly fluttered down from her shoulder, perching delicately on the edge of the open folder as if it, too, were ready to inspect the contents.
Aefia's smile faded slightly as her eyes scanned the top margin of the first page. A quiet, heavy shadow settled back into her gaze.
"I really need to focus on sharpening my raw powers from now on. I have strong magic powers due to the novel and its privellage... But even that, the last dungeon proves that I was still too weak. Below what I need to be," she murmured softly, her voice barely carrying over the gentle rustle of the surrounding leaves.
"With the leukemia eating away at me and my brain getting foggier by the day... my body is going to start slowing down soon. If my physical combat skills fail me, magic is all I will have left to rely on. And that is not safe..."
She looked down at her hands, then absentmindedly saying, "I feel like I am in a tight knot that won't lossen even if I tugged at a string."
Puppet's ears twitched, but for once, the little cub didn't fire back with a sarcastic remark. It simply pressed its soft, warm side against her knee in silent solidarity.
Letting out a deep, steadying exhale, Aefia turned the first page of the dossier.
The first target listed was the businessman handling the trade.
On the surface, he was a massive tycoon, publicly praised for his public philanthropy, high-profile donations, and charming goodwill. But as the restricted file detailed, it was all a polished front.
Behind closed doors, he was deeply entangled with dark syndicates, quietly managing extensive human trafficking rings that were systematically covered up through massive bribes to corrupt officials.
He even has an alias for capturing and selling Diego as a slave... Aefia noted mentally, skipping past the heavy security clearance notes. She didn't want to waste energy stressing over fake identities just yet.
Instead, she flipped directly to the main subject's page.
The high-resolution photograph of Candidate Nine took up most of the layout.
Beneath it, his details were neatly formatted: Name: Diego. Age: 16. Origin: Spain. Candidate: Nine. Experimental number: none (for now).
Aefia stared at the picture. His dark, messy hair fell casually over his forehead, framing a sharp jawline and deep, intense brown eyes that seemed to glare right through the paper with a mix of stubborn defiance and quiet danger.
Her mind instinctively connected the dots back to the novel's storyline. Diego... Nada's eventual love interest.
A small, genuine warmth flickered in her chest. Nada was her cousin, after all.
Despite the tension, the foggy memories, and the absolute chaos of the facility, Aefia had always naturally tried to do whatever she could to ensure Nada ended up safe and happy. Bringing Diego back alive and keeping him out of the hands of slave traders felt like a step toward securing that future for her.
She kept staring at the photograph for a second longer.
The boy in the picture really was absurdly good-looking. His sharp features and wild, intense gaze were... well, undeniably attractive.
Aefia was, at the end of the day, still a fifteen-year-old girl, and the sudden, unexpected realization hit her all at once.
A faint, uncontrollable flush crept up her neck to her cheeks.
I mean... What does it cost to steal my cousin's love interest? She has many other options—!
SLAP!
Aefia violently slammed the dossier shut with a sharp, echoing crack, snapping up off the boulder so fast she nearly tripped over her own shoes.
Puppet blinked in absolute shock, hopping backward as the red butterfly fluttered up in a panic. The little grey wolf looked from the closed file to Aefia's flushed face, its amber eyes instantly widening with wicked delight.
"Oh ho?" Puppet's voice echoed in her mind, dripping with mischievous teasing. "What was that? Did the fearless Candidate Fifteen just get flustered by a piece of paper?!"
"Shut up! I did not!" Aefia stammered, coughing once into her hand and quickly tucking the file tightly under her arm as she tried to force her face back into a cool, impassive mask. "I was just... done reading the main details. That's all."
"Lie! Absolute falsehood!" Puppet trotted around her feet, bouncing up and down with tiny, high-pitched yips. "Your heart rate spiked! You slammed the book like it bit you! You think the puppy-eyed Spanish boy is handsome!"
"Puppet, I swear to god, if you don't stop talking right now, I am putting you back in the pond," Aefia threatened, though her red ears betrayed her completely as she turned on her heel and began marching briskly back toward the facility route.
The little wolf cub zoomed up into the air, hovering right alongside her shoulder with a triumphant, chest-puffed grin. "Deny it all you want! But I am a part of your soul, human—you can't hide your silly teenage crush from me!"
"It is not a crush, it's tactical observation!" she hissed back, quickening her pace while the red butterfly circled happily around her head, enjoying the sudden, chaotic energy of the walk back.
And besides... I won't make the same mistake as the first day... She angrily told herself, biting her bottom lip. Not all good-looking people have good personality. I have physical prove and! ...
She suddenly paused, coming to a sudden halt as she looked down at the grass at her feet.
I... Don't want to repeat the same mistake as mom did. Then I would be ruining my already broken life. And why would I steal something that isn't mine? Am I stupid...?
She turned her head towards the sky, letting out a deep breath as her face cooled down. There... That is much better—
Rustle... Crunch...
Aefia's and Puppet's heads shot towards the direction fo the sound. Their ears pricking up as a wave of suspicion went through them.
"Who... the fuck was that...?" Aefia panickingly whispered. "Did they see the file or hear what I was saying?"
***********************
First draft: 23.11.2025
Rewritten: 03.10.2026