Zoey leaned against the window, her cheek pressed to the cool glass as the clouds drifted lazily past. From above, the world seemed too peaceful, too calm, as if it had no idea of the storm brewing just beneath its surface.
Behind her, Mira shifted restlessly in her seat, arms crossed and eyes fixed on Zerida's back. She hadn't stopped glaring since they boarded. Every sharp inhale sounded like the prelude to a fight she was barely restraining.
Rumi sat quietly, her eyes unreadable, though her fingers fidgeted against her knee in a rhythm that betrayed her tension.
Celine was the only one who looked utterly exhausted, her shoulders slumped, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
"Our jet's cooler," Zoey murmured, almost to herself, breaking the silence. "Oh wait... Ours got wrecked by those airline demons."
One of Zerida's attendants, black-haired, sharp-eyed, her uniform as immaculate as her expression, glanced back just long enough to deliver a look that could cut steel.
Zoey blinked, shrinking slightly. "...Okay, so, ours 'was' cooler."
Mira pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you ever stop talking?"
"Nope," Zoey chirped, though the cheer was thin around the edges. She went back to staring at the clouds, her reflection faint in the glass.
Zerida, seated across the narrow aisle, finally spoke without turning. "This isn't a field trip. Keep your focus."
Mira snorted. "Focus is all I've had since we got dragged into this circus."
Rumi's eyes flicked to Mira, soft but steady, a silent plea. Mira caught the look, sighed, and leaned back, muttering something under her breath that only Zoey seemed to catch.
Zerida ignored it entirely. Instead, she gestured to the attendant standing beside her. The young woman immediately produced a sleek black case, snapping it open to reveal a stack of files bound neatly with silver clips.
"Inside you'll find the details of the previous operation," Zerida said. "Read them carefully. I told you this before, that the enemy we will face does not fight like ordinary demons. You especially should understand exactly what we're dealing with."
Zoey reached for a file, flipping it open. The first page hit her like a brick. Photos. Charred streets. Buildings cracked open like broken teeth. Shadows stretched unnaturally against walls as though claw marks had been seared into stone.
Her throat tightened. "This… this was a battle?"
"Not a battle," Zerida corrected coolly. "A massacre."
The word landed heavy in the cabin, and even Mira fell silent.
Rumi took her own file, her gaze steady as she scanned the reports. But as the photos slid past her eyes, of burned corpses, of weapons shattered like glass, of one face half-recognizable under blood, something in her chest clenched tight.
Half-demon.
The accusation echoed.
Her hand stilled on the page, the words blurring for a moment. She forced herself to keep reading.
Zerida watched her, silent but attentive, as though measuring every flicker of her expression.
"You've had two weeks to prepare," Zerida said finally, her tone crisp as the pages. "I expect you to have spent that time wisely. The battlefield we walk into isn't the kind where we can afford hesitation."
Rumi seemed to flinch back at the barb clearly aimed at her.
Mira closed her file with a snap, glaring across the aisle. "Don't worry. If there's hesitation, it won't be on our end."
Zoey leaned back in her seat, hugging the file against her chest. She wanted to joke, to throw something light into the thick air, but the words died before they could leave her lips.
The jet descended through a quilt of gray clouds, the lights of Paris glittering faintly beneath the veil. From above, the city looked almost like a constellation that had fallen to earth, sprawling and endless.
When the wheels touched down, the cabin jolted with a thrum that drew everyone's attention forward. The silence afterward was heavier than before.
The attendant moved first, collecting the files with mechanical precision, snapping each one shut as if sealing away the images inside. Mira kept hers clenched in her hands until the last possible moment, before finally shoving it back with a force that made the clips rattle.
Zoey stretched her arms overhead with a forced yawn. "So… Paris. Bet the croissants here taste like..."
"Zoey," Mira warned.
"...Right. No croissants. Mission first. Got it."
The door hissed open with hydraulic finality. A rush of cold night air filled the cabin, carrying with it the faint scent of rain on cobblestones. One by one, they filed out behind Zerida, whose stride never once faltered.
The tarmac looked empty at first glance, but Zoey's eyes caught the faint shimmer of cloaked vehicles parked just out of the floodlight's reach. Black SUVs with tinted glass, their outlines sharp against the night when the light bent wrong.
They were ushered swiftly into one. Inside, the silence carried with it the same pressure as the jet, though the hum of the city beyond the windows tried its best to soften it. The drive was short, winding through streets that twisted narrower and narrower, until finally the SUVs slipped into a side street that seemed too tight for anything larger than a bike.
The ground opened.
Zoey blinked as the false pavement split clean down the middle, revealing a ramp that sloped beneath the old stones. The SUVs drove on without hesitation, the entrance sealing closed behind them, cutting off the world above like a shutter.
Beneath, the base spread out like a second city carved into the earth. Stark steel and glowing veins of blue light traced along the walls, humming with power. The air carried a faint sterile chill, tinged with oil and ozone.
Zoey pressed her face to the window. "Okay… this is officially cooler than our jet."
The attendant shot her another look sharp enough to shave steel. Zoey raised her hands in mock surrender.
The SUVs finally stopped before a massive set of doors that towered like cathedral gates. They parted without a sound, revealing a command hall alive with quiet motion, monitors scrolling streams of data, agents moving briskly between stations, the constant murmur of voices low but urgent.
At the center, a long table of polished black glass waited, its surface already lit with maps and diagrams shifting in real-time. Zerida walked straight for it, every step echoing as if the room itself bowed to her presence.
"Welcome," Zerida said simply, turning to face them. Around the room, agents worked quietly at their stations, pretending not to watch the newcomers, though Zoey could feel their curiosity buzzing in the air. "This is one of our bases, one of many scattered across the world. Its purpose is straightforward, monitoring the Honmoon, detecting tears, and dispatching agents to defend those fractures from demonic incursions."
"So if we're here, that means…" Rumi began, trailing off.
Zerida gave a curt nod. "Correct. We've deduced that our elusive demon hunter hunter's next targets are here, in Paris. Specifically, one of our agents."
She gestured to one of the operators, a blonde-haired girl whose fingers flew across her keyboard as though each keystroke carried weight. A moment later, the wall screen lit up, flooding the room with pale light.
"This is Melissa Dumont," Zerida said.
On the screen appeared the image of a woman with soft brown hair and striking, steady eyes. She looked to be in her thirties, poised, confident, her presence somehow commanding even through a photograph.
"She's been in the field nearly seven years," Zerida continued. "An exceptional record, with multiple commendations."
Zoey tilted her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. The woman reminded her of Celine, though clearly younger, fresher, with less weight in her gaze. Or maybe not that much younger, she thought wryly. It struck her again how demon hunters seemed to age differently, carrying years of battle yet never showing it in their faces. Celine herself could have passed for someone far younger if you didn't know better.
Zoey leaned a little closer to the screen, her voice dropping into something almost conspiratorial. "She looks… intense."
"Then you two will get along perfectly," Mira muttered without looking at her.
Zoey stuck her tongue out but quickly straightened when Zerida's eyes cut briefly in her direction. The commander wasn't the type you wanted to test twice.
Celine finally stirred, lifting her gaze from the floor to the screen. "If she's as skilled as you claim, why single her out? She seems more like someone who can take care of herself."
Zerida clasped her hands behind her back, her tone level. "That's exactly why. You have to understand that she's one of our best. It's not an exaggeration that she's potentially held off the invasion of Paris all by herself the past seven years."
"She's also responsible for training several of our newer recruits. If we lose her, then we lose not just incredible manpower, but a trail blazer of our future."
A ripple of unease passed over the group. Even Mira's glare wavered for half a heartbeat before she clenched her jaw tighter.
"Melissa Dumont has reported three sightings of demons already," Zerida continued. "And her last report suggested she was being watched. Shadowed. If the hunter makes their move, she may not be given the chance to fight back."
Rumi's fingers tapped lightly against her thigh again, faster now, until she forced them still. Her voice was quiet but firm. "Then we protect her."
Zerida's eyes lingered on her for a moment, sharp as a blade, before she inclined her head. "That is precisely why you're here."
On the screen, Melissa's image was replaced with a map of Paris. Glowing threads of light webbed across the city, each one pulsing faintly with an otherworldly hue. The Honmoon, stretching into every corner like veins beneath skin.
Zoey leaned forward, her eyes wide. "So those are…"
"Tears," Zerida confirmed. "Or rather, potential tears. Weak points in the fabric. They've been appearing randomly the last month, however they also vanish just as quickly as they are formed."
The map zoomed in, centering on one of the pulsing lines just beyond the Seine. The mark flared red.
"This," Zerida said, her tone cutting through the room, "is where Melissa Dumont last spotted a large group of demons while on patrol."
Zoey's throat tightened again, though this time she forced herself to smile, if only to cut through the weight settling in her chest. "So… no croissants, then."
Mira shot her a look.
"What? I'm just saying… croissants and monster-hunting might pair well together. Sweet and scary."
Even Rumi's lips twitched, though she quickly hid it behind her hand.
Zerida didn't flinch. "You'll meet Melissa tomorrow. Until then, rest. You'll need it."
Her words carried the weight of finality. Still, as the lights on the map pulsed steadily, Zoey couldn't shake the thought pressing against the back of her mind.
if the hunter really chose strength, then why hadn't they come for Huntrix?
---
"Urgh! That flight was exhausting!" Mira groaned, dragging her feet as they followed a bright-eyed teen with bubble-gum pink hair down the corridor.
"Tell me about it." Rumi let out her own sigh, shoulders slumping. "And that conference. How did she manage to make a secret base feel so boring?"
"Guys!" Zoey spun around, walking backwards with a grin. "Let's make our own secret base."
"Yes!" Mira leaned forward, her voice dropping into a low, mischievous growl. "We'll show her. Don't just wave a shiny base in our faces and then ruin it with a lecture."
Rumi chuckled despite herself. "Well… I guess we could. And it would be pretty cool too. Should it be underground like this one? Or do you want a tower, watching over the whole city skyline?"
"Uhm…" their guide piped up, her voice small and hesitant. She looked about sixteen, chewing nervously at her lip. "I don't think that's a very… efficient use of your time."
"Hah!?" Mira snapped her head toward the girl, fiery eyes narrowing. The poor thing nearly jumped out of her skin.
"I, I'm just saying…" The girl's words tumbled out in a rush. "One of you is going to take over the Demon Hunters Corps when Commander Zerida steps down, so… all of this will be yours anyway."
The words dropped like a stone into water.
Rumi sighed, gently pushing at Mira's face to make her back off. "Stop it, Mira. You're scaring the kid."
Zoey's jaw went slack. "She's right," she whispered, her eyes wide with dawning horror. "One of us... is going to turn into Zerida."
The attendant's lips twitched, and before she could stop herself, a startled laugh burst out. She slapped a hand over her mouth immediately, cheeks turning pinker than her hair.
The three of them paused, their gazes drifting toward the girl who had been fidgeting at the edge of the hall.
Mira tilted her head, giving her a once-over. "What's up with you? It's not like we bite… much."
Zoey immediately punched her in the shoulder, earning only a casual shrug from Mira, while Rumi's lips curved with faint amusement.
The girl fidgeted harder under their attention, wringing her hands before blurting out in a squeaky rush, "I'm sorry, it's just… you guys are here! In the flesh! Huntrix!"
Her voice trembled, not with fear, but with giddy excitement. "I'm a huge fan," she confessed, almost vibrating on the spot. "Of you... and your music!"
Her words tumbled over themselves as she gasped for breath. "You guys are like superheroes! I love you all so much. We all do!"
Only then did she finally remember to inhale properly, her chest rising as if she'd just run a marathon.
"Well, you guys have a weird way of showing it," Mira said, one hand planted on her hip. "You people keep staring at us like we're… supervillains. I don't know about you, but glaring at someone isn't exactly how you show love."
"Yeah!" Zoey chimed in with exaggerated indignation. "That's messed up, yo!"
Rumi let out a quiet sigh. "I thought it was just me… you know, because of..." She cut herself short, but the implication hung in the air.
The girl only gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ah, no, it's not like that. I think it's because they're trying so hard to keep a straight face. They can't exactly run up asking for autographs while they're on duty, you know?"
For a moment, silence settled over the three girls as they blinked at her, processing the explanation.
"…Now it makes sense," Mira admitted with a laugh.
"I can kinda see it," Zoey said, nodding sagely.
"Can't believe we missed that," Rumi chuckled, shaking her head.
The girl smiled nervously as she stopped by the entrance to another hall. "Your rooms are just down here. Uhm… Miss Rumi, yours is..."
"Yeah, sorry, but we're all staying in the same room," Mira interrupted instantly, not even pretending to consider otherwise.
"The Mira has spoken," Zoey declared dramatically before picking one of the doors at random. Without hesitation, the rest of the group followed her inside.
That left the bright-eyed girl alone in the hallway, the sudden silence pressing in after the door clicked shut. "…Okay," she whispered to herself, turning to leave.
But before she could take a step, Rumi's voice called softly from the narrow gap as she poked her head back out. "Hey, what's your name, kid?"
The girl froze, her cheeks flushing pink. "…It's Claire," she managed with a small, nervous smile.
"It was nice to meet you, Claire," Rumi said warmly before slipping back inside, the door closing with a gentle thud.
Claire stood there frozen for a beat, her heart pounding. Then, as she walked away down the hall, she definitely did not squeal, bounce on her toes, or clap her hands like an overexcited child on her way back to command. Absolutely not.