“This is Rayn. He will be living here from today.”

Enariss peeked behind her mother’s back and glanced at the new boy that had been brought in. Not only her; all of the students of the orphanage examined the newcomer too.

The boy had a bright smile with twinkling eyes. With a wide grin, he smiled, one missing tooth visible inside of his mouth.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Rayn, nice to meet you. I’m eleven. It’s my privilege to join this place.”

The members of the orphanage clapped as the boy bowed. Mr. Zarke motioned the new boy to one of the empty seats, and everyone turned their eyes towards the food.

After giving thanks, the group of around thirty children and five adults began to dine. Enariss didn’t pay much attention to the new person. She was just nine and was more interested in talking with girls her own age.

〄 〄 〄

Around a year after his arrival, Rayn approached Enariss and a wide grin.

“Why do you always disappear for a month during the summer?”

Enariss looked up from her doll and raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”

The boy shrugged. “That’s why I’m asking.”

After straightening her doll’s dress, Enariss fetched a small comb from her side and began to brush the doll’s hair. “Which zone did you come from?” she asked.

“Hmm…I think 17? Or 18?”

Enariss set down her doll and looked at the older boy. “Well, which one?”

“Who cares.” Without asking, he plopped himself next to Enariss. “Not like it matters anyway.”

“Hey! Why’re you sitting next to me?”

The boy shrugged. “So? Why do you disappear?”

With a humph, Enariss picked her doll back up and focused her attention on its dress. “It’s where one of the orphanages are. We visit that one often because it’s the first one my parents set up.”

“I see,” said the boy while touching his chin. “Makes sense.”

Without another word, he got up and walked away, leaving Enariss confused. He didn’t even say thanks. Enariss raised an eyebrow and returned to her doll.

Her dad always chose the weirdest of children to come live at the mansion. Her first actual conversation with the older boy was a brief and seemingly meaningless one.

〄 〄 〄

Everyone who was at the orphanage, everyone who had been brought in from the other Zones were people with a precise goal in their minds. At least, that was how Mr. Zarke and the other directors of the other orphanages picked the candidates. Giving children without anything opportunities to improve their lives. They chose people with both intelligence and kindness. Though the prior was more highly sought after.

It was only natural. To further increase its influence, the organization that Mr. Zarke had founded had to show results. The more outstanding they were, the better. So far, a couple of students had gone into prestigious universities and had spread their names in their respective areas. Not all. And most of them had lived at the Zarke Residence.

In fact, all of them. The directors were very skilled at picking out the brightest.

So from a young age, Enariss was surrounded by these bright minds from all over the world. The only things that the children knew were how to spend one’s time wisely; they were protected from the addictive reaches of the internet. There were some students who secretly surfed the web, and if they were caught, they were lectured.

The punishment wasn’t harsh. Mr. Zarke, or more specifically, Mrs. Zarke knew the importance of individuality and freedom. While they were lectured, they were not confined.

Though all of the students knew the privilege they had been given. None of them dared to waste away their time. They constantly improved themselves in their classes, asking questions left and right.

Though all of them had things they enjoyed. Including summer break.

“All right. Is everyone ready?” called Mrs. Zarke.

The students (including Enariss) all let out excited cheers within the bus. A week-long vacation to Zone 15’s beautiful mountains; nights spent at a wonderful resort complete with natural hot springs.

After making sure everyone was aboard, the bus began to accelerate forward. No trip was perfect without a long ride on the road. While they were rich, the Zarkes believed in letting the students enjoy some normal things. Too much prestige, after all, clouded one’s mind.

“Who wants to play Mafia?” shouted one of the older boys at the back. Instantly, a series of ‘me’s arose from the small crowd, and people carefully rushed to the back to join in on the fun. Mostly the older students. Mafia was a terrific brain game for all of the experienced players. Lies, deception, laying traps to catch the culprits; it was perfect for a long ride.

Enariss, who sat next to her parents, didn’t get a chance to play. Besides, the older children disliked it when kids tried to join in their mind games. It was too boring for them to play with youngsters.

“Don’t look so grumpy,” said her father.

Enariss crossed her arms, her cheeks puffed out. If only her parents had let her sit at the back. She was smart enough to play. It was the other kids that were incompetent, not her. Grumpily, she tapped her foot against the bus floor.

“Hey.”

Enariss raised her eyes and looked towards the source of the sound.

It was the weird older boy. Neatly-cut black hair and brown eyes. A bright smile that seemed to wonder about everything.

“Want to join us? We’re making another group with elementary students,” he asked.

“………”

“Go on. It’s what you wanted,” said her mother.

She personally wasn’t fond of the older boy. He seemed too aloof and carefree.

“…okay,” she finally said. Getting up from her seat, she followed the boy to the back of the bus.

〄 〄 〄

“Who were you again?” asked Enariss. She really hadn’t paid attention to the boy at all. “Ray? Rob?”

“It’s Rayn,” replied the 12-year-old boy. Instead of Mafia, the two of them continued to play a game of cards. Most of the younger students were sleeping, and only a handful of the older ones were still playing.

“I’m sad that you didn’t know my name all this time,” said the boy. His smile wavered slightly as he picked out a card.

“Now I do,” replied Enariss. After finding a great set of cards, she stored two to the side of her deck and put down three. “We never talked before.”

“Once.”

“You never said your name back then.”

“…I see.”

With a smile, the boy picked out another pair of cards. “You’re Enariss. The name sounds too long. Can I call you Ena?”

“Call me whatever you want.”

“Hmm. Ena it is.”

Rayn put on a sad expression as Enariss revealed her cards.

“Three times in a row…I lost again,” he said with a sigh. He put his cards back into the pile and shuffled it. “Another round?”

Enariss yawned. “I’m going to sleep now,” she stated.

Leaving the unsatisfied boy behind, she returned to her seat and leaned back.

〄 〄 〄

Enariss was in trouble.

She had been separated from the group of older students during their visit to the local town. Her parents were back at the hot spring resort, and around her was only strangers. She really shouldn’t have been fixated on the beautiful pair of slippers inside the clothing store.

She surveyed the area and scratched her head. It would be alright, right? She could ask the locals for directions. She had some pocket money and a little gadget for emergencies. But she really didn’t want to make her parents involved. Her young mind understood that if her parents found out that she had been left behind, the mood of the trip would be less than ideal.

“There you are.”

In the short minutes she had been thinking, Rayn had appeared behind her. Enariss turned around.

“Rayn!”

“If we go now, we’ll catch up.”

He beckoned to Enariss to follow him.

“How did you find me?”

Rayn stopped and looked at her straight in the eye. His brown eyes seemed to glimmer, and a smile spread out on his face. He grinned.

“Let’s just say it’s a part of my power.”

Enariss’s eyes widened. “It manifested already?”

He shrugged. “A little bit. It’s nothing special. Come on, let’s go.”

With the older boy leading her, Enariss regrouped with the others after a moderate delay.

〄 〄 〄

“Rayn!” shouted Enariss over the roar of the flames. “What do you mean I won’t find her?”

He always found her. During the fireworks, during busy days, whenever she was lost, he would appear and extend a helping hand out to her.

“Rayn, please. Help. Do something.”

She knew his abilities. She had seen him grow and rise to the top. There was no one else who was more reliable than him among the students who remained.

Behind her, something crashed within the flames. Enariss turned around, panic rising to her head.

“Please, Rayn—”

She grabbed his shoulders—

“It’s impossible,” he stated.

Enariss let go of the smiling figure and began to run towards the fire—

She stopped.

Despite the heat, something cold crawled up her back.

“Why are you smiling?”

Rayn remained silent. His eyes were staring into the flames, and his lips were curled up on the sides. A look of satisfaction and glee was plastered onto his expression.

“Why are you smiling?!” screamed Enariss. Did he have another plan? Was everything under control?

“Everything…worked out so perfectly.” He raised his arms. “I can feel the points surging into me.”

“What—”

“Oh, sorry, Ena. Excuse me for a moment.” Ignoring Enariss’s anxious and confused cries, Rayn closed his eyes and began the next act of his story.

“There, there. I need to thank you, Ena. This is better than I thought.”

He dodged a punch from Enariss and grabbed her arms.

“What are you doing!? What are you saying!?”

Was he out of his mind? Why was he acting this way?

“Ena…one thing that the wealthy don’t understand is how their subconscious actions—ah, whatever. Who cares.”

He held onto Enariss’s arms and sighed. Ignoring her screams, he continued.

“You’re just a child. You wouldn’t know. You never experienced the other side, the lower side...Your parents have tried to give people opportunities. Taught you about equality. Allowed us to live together.”

Enariss pulled her arms away from the Rayn and panted. Rayn’s eyes still glowed in the dark, full of excitement.

“But in the end…we only care about ourselves. Goodbye Enariss. Sorry about your loss. But I’m truly thankful for everything.”

He walked away into the dark.

“I hope you understand one day,” were his last words before he vanished behind the trees.

〄 〄 〄

All the students—dead. Those who were missing had presumably cooperated with Rayn.

Enariss was thirteen.

“We will catch them,” the police had promised. Her father had ties with the government. Heroes would definitely be dispatched.

And her mother—

Was barely recognizable.

〄 〄 〄

The summer heat burned Enariss’s cheeks as the dry wind passed over her face. She clenched her fists as her past memories arose to the surface. With an expression of furious rage filling her face and eyes, she bored her eyes into the figure in front of her.

Longer hair. Taller than before. But the same, old, smiling face.

“What are you doing here,” growled Enariss. She clenched her fists as her body began to glow.

Before her, the cloaked figure of Rayn waved a hand at her. “Hey, Ena.”

She bit her lip. She wasn’t the same as before. This time, she could grab and restrain him.

Noticing the fluctuation in her power, Rayn wrinkled his eyebrows. “Are you sure you want to do this in front of the children?”

Behind her, the students from the orphanage exchanged worried looks. They had never seen Enariss so angry, so mad with emotion. The veins had popped out on her head, and her jaw muscles clearly stood out under the tension.

“Please, Ena. I just want to talk.”

He took off his hoodie and slightly pulled out a hand from his pocket. A glint of silver reflected off of the area between his pocket and hand.

“Besides, I don’t want to hurt the children. You know I can, Ena.”

“Shut up.”

The pressure in the air increased as mist the color of blood seeped out from Enariss’s body. She motioned to the students to leave the place, which they promptly did. They scurried away from the area desperate to escape the unnatural situation.

A bang echoed through the air, and in one swift motion, Enariss snatched away the bullet that had been aimed at one of the students. She crushed the bullet under her hand and flung it back at Rayn. The mangled bullet struck his leg, and he fell on his knees with a grunt.

“Don’t you dare do that again. Next time, I’ll crush your head.”

Rayn dropped his gun and raised his arms, still smiling. In fact, his smile had gotten even bigger.

“I wasn’t trying to kill them. I’m in a risky situation. Why can’t you give me a few hostages?”

He let out a choking sound as Enariss appeared in front of him in an instant, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up. She was shorter than him, so his legs still touched the floor.

“You’ve gotten violent, Ena.”

“After all you did, you say the dumbest things. I could break a few more bones.”

“Alright! I give up. I give up. But before you put me in chains, can we talk?”

“…talk in your cell, asshole.”

“Hah. What a letdown.”

Rayn let out a sigh. “I knew it would turn out like this. Tough luck, huh.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Rayn escaped her grip. His clothes turned into mist, and he materialized ten meters away from her. His injuries were completely gone, and he adjusted his coat in a relaxed manner.

“Will you just calm down and—”

Enariss’s fist slammed into Rayn’s face, causing it to rupture into a million particles of black dust.

“Gosh, what a violent girl…” moaned a voice at the corner of Enariss’s head. It sounded like Rayn’s but slightly disfigured. Enariss, shocked, turned around and—

〄 〄 〄

Her eyes flicked open and she let out a gasp.

“Shh, it’s alright, it’s alright,” reassured Rayn. “You did great. That was enough.”

He slid his hand through Drema’s grey hair and comforted her with his soft words.

“She was scary…” whispered Drema. She pulled her blankets over herself and shivered. “I didn’t expect her power to work inside the dream…”

“So,” Rayn looked into Drema’s eyes. “Will she speak?”

“No…,” she said as she shook her head. "I did what you told me to."

Drema noticed Rayn’s smile lessen a little. But before she could say anything, it came back like nothing had happened.

“I see. That part of the story hasn’t progressed yet.”

He muttered something soft under his breath while closing his eyes. “There’s no time to waste. Let’s head on to the next Zone.”

Drema nodded. The sun was just peeking out from the horizon, and after all the other members were woken up, they returned to their vehicle and drove off into the desert.

It must have been his power at work again. Perhaps he should have acted earlier. Perhaps later. Rayn sighed, slightly depressed about not being able to recruit a new member for his team.

But the chances would arrive sooner or later.

〄 〄 〄

“You look awful,” asked her father.

Enariss forcefully swallowed some cereal and gulped it down with some milk. What was that crazy dream she had experienced?

“I know,” she replied grumpily.

A moment of silence persisted between the father and daughter.

“Hey Dad, I know it’s sudden but—what happened to Rayn?”

Her father paused his spoon in front of his mouth and looked at her.

“He’s still not caught, is he?”

“…No.”

Mr. Zarke resumed eating. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to come here again. The town brought too many memories back from their past.

How would Reyla handle this situation? He dearly missed her.

“It’s better for you to not think about the boy.”

“…I know.”

Though the summer sun was brightly shining into the house, a dark shadow persisted within it.