“They left,” Lukas murmured, staring out the window as Zuken and the others stepped into the back of a unicorn-drawn carriage.

Unicorns. And bicorns. This world had both, and neither were the Cinderella variety. They leaned more towards the Harry Potter-esque thestral type, only more flesh and color rather than just dreary bones. It was a carnivorous creature the size of a horse, and its horn secreted a neurotoxin that could paralyze its victim in a matter of seconds. Creatures like these would have either ruled the world or have been hunted to extinction back on Earth. But here, they were used as transportation for the elite.

Talk about living dangerously.

Maybe the next time he came across one, Lukas would try fighting it. He was sure his Kirin prototype would find the experience interesting, and if the creature was worthwhile, maybe he could add it to his collection.

A strong unicorn prototype would be interesting. The possibilities of combining the prototypes in light of Kirin’s own adaptable nature, adding in new creatures from the Lost Records that he might be able to access given the █████ ██████ ████████████ ████ ██ █████—

Lukas gasped. He had nearly allowed the Omphalos’s instincts to take over again. Maybe he should consider renewing his psionic studies from where he’d left off? But Inanna was gone, and the only other person he knew with experience in the field was—

He turned around.

“What? Are they still there?” Tanya asked.

“No, they’re leaving.”

Lukas eyed her intently. He knew Tanya had some experience in the art of the Thrall, and if she could pull that off, then she probably knew even more. Maybe she would be willing to teach him, and if not, at least point him towards this world’s version of Psionics for Dummies.

“Lukas,” Tanya sighed, sitting down on her bed, “what you did today will have repercussions.”

“What else is new?”

Tanya glared at him. “This is no time for levity.”

Lukas perched against the edge of the couch, raking his fingers through his hair. “It never is.”

“You put Zuken in a terrible position.”

“Look, there are two ways in which he can take this. The first is that I took a cheap shot at him just because I could. He can assume that he came here with good intentions in mind and was instead leveraged against.”

“That’s exactly how it looks.”

“The second,” he continued, shooting her a dry look, “is that the circumstances were bullshit. That I’m Lukas Aguilar, and apparently Destiny likes to fuck with me a little too much for my liking. That I thought you were in genuine danger and did what I could to help your position.”

She remained silent for a moment, before speaking again. “If Banksi goes against us, things could—”

“They’d tattle on me for being an Outsider. Blah blah blah, what else is new?”

Tanya sat with narrowed eyes and a stiff posture. Her expression was unyielding. “I do not know how things were back in your world, but here we have a hierarchy. The Asukan Empire is not a happy place, Lukas. Especially for foreigners and—”

“And you?” Lukas shot back. “You’re in a precarious position too. Why is that, exactly?”

“There are multiple reasons why I was hunted. Chief among them is that I have Ezzeron, one of the strongest kami in the Empire. The Shimizu want— or rather, wanted it back.”

“And the fact about your Ice—”

“Don’t.”

Lukas wisely kept quiet. “The Shimizu kept my lineage secret. It would not do for the Empire to know about the skeletons in their closet. I’ve been hunted by assassins over the better part of the decade, but always with the intention of capturing me. Never kill.”

“They want you alive.”

“Wanted,” She breathed, “though I imagine now that they are dead, someone in the branch families will take over and make things worse for me.”

“Or you could take over and solve the problem for good.”

Tanya sighed. “Yes. All I wanted was to fulfill a promise I made to my father.”

So much for saving her from being hanged. Lukas mused. “Mind if I ask what it was?”

“I promised my father I’d become Ezzeron’s true wielder.”

“And what about—” Lukas stopped himself before he finished his sentence.

“Hm?”

“What about the yokai?”

“What about them?”

Lukas let out a frustrated sigh. He felt like a heel putting her in a spot like this. Lately, it’s all he seemed to be able to do to the people around him. “I’m not sure if it comes as a surprise, but aside from understanding languages, I can also tell a person or creature’s identity.”

Tanya drew a sharp breath.

“Within certain limitations. That’s how I know you are a Yo—”

Tanya hissed.

He wisely shut up.

Tanya’s eyes moved to the far window sill, looking at the mists rolling outside. She seemed to contemplate something for a moment, before sighing. “Our world believes in progression. In growth. In Ascension. And at the same time, it frowns upon Asukan hybrids. Unless… you’re a changeling, I suppose. Ljosalfars enjoy far more comforts than other non-bremetan races in our society.”

Lukas narrowed his eyes.

“Dalliances with other species is not… uncommon in the Empire. As long as they clean up after their messes, that is. The Empire’s policy is rather convenient like that.”

She looked at him. “It’s actually nicer here in Haviskali. Back in Baramunz, there’d be bodies of young vanir boys and girls floating in the river.”

“And you….” Lukas trailed off.

Tanya met his eyes. “What do you think I am?”

He shrugged. “An Asukan-yokai hybrid? Best of both worlds, maybe?” He paused, “You knew that there were yokai in the desert, and yet you are here. Something tells me that that’s not by design.”

Tanya averted her gaze. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

Swing and a miss.

“Alright. That’s fine by me. We should get some sleep before—”

“Before?” Tanya asked, suddenly anxious.

“Before it's too late. I need to wake up early. We need to plan for the job, remember?”

Lukas got up from the couch and walked towards the door. But just as he was about to exit, he paused. “You know, the Frost in you tried to enthrall me and make me into its personal toy. It even tried to kill me once or twice. But guess what? That Tanya had way more backbone than you do.”

Tanya whirled around, her face red as a tomato. “Excuse me?”

“You heard what I said. You’re hiding in Haviskali and trying to keep things low-key because you’ve been running all your life. It’s all you know how to do. From your family, from your heritage, from your own powers. And now, you want me to follow your example and hide my head in the sand.”

“Don’t twist my words, Lukas. I’m just saying you shouldn’t antagonize the powers that be. It’s for your own good—”

“Well fuck that. I’m not gonna cower with my tail between my legs. If I stir shit up, then so be it.”

Her face fell. “You’ll die,” she replied in a small voice.

The statement was morbid. And yet, Lukas couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. “Honestly? It wouldn’t even be the first time.”

And with that enigmatic statement, he left the room, leaving an open-mouthed Tanya to her thoughts.

Void.

Silent. Colorless. Empty.

Yet it was filled with light.

Everything was coming closer. One second, he was looking at a— at a— a landmass? Yes, it was coming closer. He could see it all. And then, he couldn’t. Not any longer. Now there were trees. Trees and forests and mountains and glaciers and rivers— no, oceans. Was that lightning in the distance?

It was difficult to say.

Everything was visible, yet dispersed into endless mana patterns that made little sense.

Endless desert. A lost kingdom. Frost growing on the edges of sand. A woman’s face. Solar flares coming down like the judgement of a wrathful God. The world moved around him. Faster—

—Blasted cities, smoke, tears, screams. Blood ran in the gutters like water. Columns of greasy black smoke rose from altars, temples, shrines decorated with skulls and crusted with the blood of sacrifices. A hidden chamber. Sigils on the floor. Artefacts, relics, an Axe that defied Reality—

Prey, Found You.

Lukas’s eyes immediately snapped open. Someone had entered his Scan radius. Keeping himself as still as possible, he discreetly looked around. There was someone at the window, peeking outside at the mists that cloaked the town.

A woman.

Her back was turned towards him. All he could see was a black robe draped over her shoulders. Her silhouette melted into the night, and in the dim light of the burning candle, the single source of illumination in his room, he could barely see her face.

But Lukas did not need to use his Analyze skill to know the mysterious person’s identity, nor to sense the trepidation in her.

“Tanya?” he called out uncertainly.

“I—” Tanya’s voice appeared nervous and conflicted. “I thought you were asleep.”

He was, but that was beside the point. “What are you doing here?”

But he received no answer.

“Tanya?” Lukas tried again.

“I’m just… thinking.”

“Oh.” The room plunged into another awkward silence. “About what?”

Tanya did not reply, nor did she look away from the window.

Lukas felt conflicted and, dare he say it, a bit nervous. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d feared that his accidental Thrall over her would break someday. And when it did, he had a feeling Tanya would come and slit his throat in his sleep. Seeing her like that, standing at the window with such indecision…

He was not comfortable. Not even a little bit.

What was going on?

“Do you want to…” Tanya paused, turning towards him. The candlelight illuminated her beautiful face. “Do you… do you enjoy me?”

Lukas stared at her. “Do I… what?”

“I asked whether you enjoy me,” she repeated, a little bit of courage seeping into her tone as she puffed out her chest. “Because I do. I enjoy you. Watching you. Stealing glances here and there. I—”

She looked down at the ground. A small war seemed to wage on her face, before she steeled herself and slid her robe over one shoulder. One hand went to the middle of her chest where the robe closed covering her breasts, and she used her middle finger to slide it over until the other side went over her other shoulder. She then extended her arms behind her back and allowed the mesh robe to trace every curve of her body until it landed in a small heap on the floor, exposing herself to him.

Every inch of her.

Before he could so much as react, Tanya had already crossed the distance between them. She crawled into his bed, dragging her supple skin against his own. Their chests connected and he could feel the weight of her breasts on his chest, one of her hands next to his head while the other rested on his stomach.

Lukas remained perfectly still. This… he had not expected.

Tanya brushed a lone hair from her face behind her left ear. Slowly, she lowered her face until it was inches away from his own, her gaze locked onto his and vibrant with intimacy.

“Are you sure?” he felt compelled to ask.

“Shut up Aguilar,” she growled, her hand trailing up his abs to his bare chest. “I know you’re attracted to me. I’m tired of waiting and I—” her voice broke. “I— I don’t want to be alone. Not tonight. I want to be held. To be touched. So please…”

Lukas made a vague sound of agreement, one that quickly turned into a moan as her mouth found his. His heartbeat rose frantically, and so did hers. His hand crawled down to her hip while her fingers mussed his hair. Slowly, Tanya let out a sound of need that robbed him of the ability to think of anything at all.

“Now,” she whispered, urging him to act as her hands found the hem of his shorts.

“I— are you really—” he tried one last time, his own lifeforce surging in response to her actions. He hadn’t been laid in months. If she didn’t stop now, Lukas knew that nothing would stop him from continuing. “Are you sure?”

Tanya seized his face again and glared down at him, her sexual frustration clearly shining through. “This whole chivalrous thing you have going on? It’s making me want to kick you in the nuts, but then I won’t be able to go any further. So for once in your life, shut the hell up and fuck me.”

Her mouth captured his own once more as she fully straddled him. Her fingers held his shoulders in a death grip, and she locked eyes with him one final time.

The last thing Lukas would remember for the night before losing himself to a pleasurable haze was a pair of radiant icy-white eyes.