Apparently, Yune turned translucent when she cried.

The two of them had been sitting in the living room watching a soap opera when Yune started whimpering. At first, Fae thought it might be the show, but it soon became obvious that wasn’t the case.

“Do you…” Fae felt like a deer in the headlights. “Do you want to, um, talk about it?”

“I’m… sorry,” Yune huffed between sobs. “I didn’t… want you to see me this way.”

Fae frantically looked around for the remote. Somehow, a trashy TV show didn’t seem like the appropriate thing to be playing in the background while she tried cheer Yune up. She finally found it between the couch cushions, pulled it out, and hit the power button.

“Is it… about what happened at the café?” Fae asked.

Yune looked up at her, chunky tears falling from her pupil-less green eyes. “Yes…”

Oh god. This would be the first time Fae talked to someone crying over a boy since her freshman year. That didn’t go well. She really wanted things to go better this time, but what did people even say in situations like this?

“I-It’s okay,” Fae slid closer to Yune. “You, um, deserve better than him?” She clumsily placed her hand on Yune’s shoulder. She was immediately taken aback by how slimily it felt.

“But I really like Tristan,” Yune said. “And he didn’t do anything wrong.”

That was true. All he really did was pass out. She didn’t even know if he had anything to do with those people they felt. Fae was already getting frustrated with herself.

“Sorry,” Fae sighed. “I’m not very good at this kind of thing.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yune’s tears started up again. She covered her eyes with her hands, but Fae could see through them.

They sat like that for a moment.

“S-Something like this happened in one of my books once,” Fae stammered. “The… Bookshop of Mysteries ones I showed you.”

“Really?” Yune looked up at her, pouting.

“Yes,” Fae said. “D-Do you remember that handsome guy on the cover?”

“Uh-uh,” Yune sniffed.

“Well when the main character first met him,” Fae looked down in her lap. “They had a really big misunderstanding, and they got off on the wrong foot.”

“What kind of misunderstanding?”

“W-Well, he’s actually the grandson of the bookstore’s owner, and he starts working there alongside the heroine,” Fae felt her face turn red. “He accidently… um, grabs her chest.” She hated admitting how generic the first book was, but it wasn’t the time to try and defend it by insisting that it got better. They really did get better though.

“How scandalous,” Yune gasped.

“Um, yeah,” Fae cleared her throat. “Anyway, things are really awkward between them after that, but they start to get closer as they work together in the bookshop and solve mysteries. Neither of them want to stay mad about what happened, but neither of them really know how to bring it up either.”

“And then?” Yune looked like she was on the edge of her seat. Fae supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. After all, it was Yune’s idea that they watch a soap opera together. She even went to the trouble of recording it from earlier in the day. She obviously liked this kind of melodrama.

“Well they both realize that they want to talk,” Fae said. “And that the only thing stopping them was themselves.”

“That’s sweet,” Yune sounded like she was starting to calm down. “Do they end up… kissing?” Despite being older than Fae, she seemed embarrassed by her extremely tame question.

“They do,” Fae said. They actually ended up doing a lot more than that as the books went on, but Fae didn’t want Yune to think she was reading smut. It really wasn’t smut.

“Anyway, I guess it’s not exactly like your situation, but the idea is the same,” Fae went on. “There’s no reason why a bad start has to mean the relationship won’t work. Hopefully that makes sense.”

Yune suddenly jumped up, her skin returned to its pale tone, and her eyes changed back to normal. “It does,” she said. “It makes a bunch of sense.”

“Really?”

“I just need to tell him how I feel,” Yune said. “Tell him that I… don’t want what we have to end.”

“Y-Yeah,” Fae tried to sound positive. “See? Things will be… alright.” Her words sounded hollow to her, but she really meant them. It was just that she knew that she couldn’t say the same for her own situation.

“Thank you,” Yune bent down, grabbing Fae by the hands. “Hearing that helps a lot.”

“You’ve already helped me so much,” Fae said. “It was the least I could do.”

“Well you’re very sweet.”

“To be honest, I’m not good with emotions,” Fae pulled her hands back. “I think I’ve spent so much time not understanding my own that I have a hard time knowing how to deal with someone else’s.”

“Then we’re alike,” Yune smiled.

“What do you mean?”

“I think familiars have the same problem,” Yune continued. “We come to this world with so much knowledge, but we have no experience of ever using any of it.”

“Even still… you’re not that different from people,” Fae said. “I haven’t really thought of it this way before, but I think we might all have a hard time understanding each other.”

They were silent for a few seconds.

“I-I don’t mean to sound pretentious or anything,” Fae said. “I just don’t think... you’re all that different from humans. That’s all.”

“I think you’re right,” a bright smile appeared on Yune’s face. “And you know what that means?”

“What does it mean?” Fae asked.

“It means that you’re not that different from humans either!” Yune said. “We’re alike, remember?”

Fae smiled. “Yeah.”

“This is fucking stupid,” someone yelled from the hallway.

Yune’s genuine smile quickly changed into a forced one. “Hello Vi.”

“This whole ‘being a fugitive’ thing is dumb,” Vi entered the living room wearing jean shorts and tank top. She stomped over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “How am I supposed to go get beer? I’m almost out of cigarettes too.”

“What a shame,” Yune said, plopping herself back down onto the couch. “I suppose you’ll just have to stop getting them.”

“Okay,” Vi sneered. “Then you’ll have to go back to drinking tap water.”

A look of horror came over Yune’s face. “Hmm, maybe you’re right,” Yune cleared her throat. “It’s going to be difficult if we can’t leave the house like this.”

Yune’s sudden change of heart was unmistakable, even for Fae. Was bottled water really that different?

“I guess we’ll just have to start ordering stuff,” Vi sighed. “Minerva’s gotta start getting the packages though.”

“And here I am, right on cue,” Minerva skipped into the room. “I’ve been waiting for you to mention me. You could talk about me more often, you know.”

Fae knew she should be freaked out, but she was already getting used to Minerva’s behavior. This realization only further cemented the fact that she wasn’t normal anymore.

“Miss Minerva,” Yune said. “I would say good morning, but it’s already 8 PM.”

“Yes, a very good morning indeed,” Minerva nodded. She walked over to the adjacent couch and sat down, setting two small boxes down in her lap. “Well… demon girl, aren’t you going to ask me what these are?”

It took Fae a moment to realize that she was being spoken to. “Oh, uh, okay,” she was caught off guard. “What… do you have there?”

“I knew it,” Minerva laughed, lifting the boxes up with her delicate hands. “Your curiosity could not be contained.”

Fae took it all back. She would never get used to Minerva.

“Take a look,” Minerva placed the boxes down on the glass table in front of them.

Fae looked over at Yune, but Yune only pointed for her to look back at the table. She took one of the boxes in her hands and slid the lid off.

There was a watch inside. “Is this… a gift?” Fae asked. She wasn’t really the type to wear a watch, and this was more of a masculine style one. She took the lid off the second box. Sure enough, it was another watch. This time, a much more feminine faux rose gold.

“They’re gifts,” Minerva said in a breathy voice. She reached across the table and placed the lids back on the boxes. “But not for you.”

“…Okay,” Fae said. She really didn’t need a watch anyway.

“Not quite the reaction I wanted,” Minerva frowned. “At least pretend to be jealous.”

“Are these for Vi and I?” Yune asked, her soft voice coming out like she was singing. Vi walked up from behind her to get a look.

“Pfft, no,” Minerva scoffed.

Yune’s smile didn’t fade. Vi obviously didn’t care either way.

“These are my strongest pieces,” Minerva’s smile suddenly turned sinister, her eyes crazed. “My tools to draw all sorts of naughty people out of hiding.”

In an instant, the air was heavy. Minerva’s eyes seemed like dark pools of water, slowly circling in an endless spiral.

“What… do you mean?” the words left Fae’s lips before she could even process them.

“Look,” Minerva pulled her cellphone out from the breast of her Victorian dress. She clicked on the screen and held it out for the three of them to see.

It was a post on Clock Link, and Fae recognized the poster right away.

Ocean Shields: “Give me two watches. More if you can. If you find this, get them to me by morning. You should already know my address. Please. You gave one to my best friend, and he was targeted because of it. Tomorrow, the hunter becomes the hunted.”

“Who the fuck is this kid?” Vi bent forward even closer.

“It doesn’t matter,” Minerva took her phone back. “What matters is that he’s of use to me.”

“Is this a… message to you?” Fae asked.

“It’s a message for anyone that happened to find it,” Minerva tilted her head slightly. “It just so happens that I was that someone.”

Fae was speechless. Was Ocean somehow involved in this? Was he really looking for the person that attacked Cory? If he was, did it mean that other people in her school were? Was Jaden?

“You see, there’s someone out there doing some things they shouldn’t be,” Minerva put her finger up and dark energy started to gather around it. Finally, it turned into a raven. Fae jumped back as it flew from her hand onto the table.

“That better not be another roommate,” Vi groaned. “Demon girl’s enough as it is, don’t ya think?”

“Someone out there… doing something they shouldn’t be?” Fae mumbled the words to herself. “Is that what you were talking about last time? When you said someone was trying to… go past the ‘gate’?” She didn’t even know what that meant.

“That’s right,” Minerva grinned. “And now that everything is coming to an end, I’m ready to stack the deck in my favor.”

“Miss Minerva,” Yune spoke up. “What are these watches for then?

“I’m getting to that,” Minerva whined. “The watches stop time, duh.”

“Holy shit,” Vi cackled. “Are you serious?”

Fae was dumbstruck. These watches were responsible for the attacks in the city? For murder?

“Oh stop, they’re just enchanted with magic from in-between this world and the gate,” Minerva sounded like she was bored to death. “Anyway, Demon Girl,” she pointed at Fae. “I need you to deliver these for me, okay?”

“You… want me to give them to him?” Fae asked.

“That’s right,” Minerva waved her finger in the air like she was conducting an orchestra. “My brother has access to everyone’s personal information on Clock Link. Gimmie a second and I’ll write down where he lives.”

“Why?” Fae clenched her fists. “Why would you give these to someone?”

“There’s a player in this game that’s overstayed their welcome,” Minerva said. “I’m going to use this boy to expel them.” She pointed her finger over at the raven, and a blade of ice appeared. It shot forward, skewering the raven and cracking the glass table. The bird disappeared.

“Oh, what a mess,” Yune cried.

“You better clean that up,” Vi yelled from the kitchen. “We’re not your fucking maids.”

“I should get you maid outfits,” Minerva glared. “That’ll teach you.”

“This… isn’t a game,” Fae whispered.

“Excuse me?”

“I said that this isn’t a game,” Fae rose her voice.

Minerva narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like your tone,” her voice came out cold.

“Miss Minerva!” Yune yelled. “Control yourself.”

Something seemed to fade from Minerva’s eyes, and her expression softened. She slumped a little, her gaze cast downward.

“People… are dead,” Fae started to shake, like she might explode at any moment. “If you sent people those watches… then you’re responsible for that.”

“My dear Demon Girl,” Minerva looked back up. Her expression was kind, like she was speaking to a child. “Many more would die if I did nothing.”

The two of them locked eyes. After a few seconds, Vi seemed to lose interest, going back into the kitchen. She opened the pantry and started noisily going through it.

“Not that it matters to me,” Minerva puffed up her cheeks. “Anyway, can you deliver these for me or what?”

“Miss Minerva,” Yune said. “Fae was seen at the café just like Vi and I. It’s dangerous for her to leave…”

“Lightning magic makes her fast,” Minerva picked up the small boxes and got up. She walked over to the kitchen and came back with a cardboard box. “If she uses it right, she won’t need to worry about being seen,” she put the watches inside of it, sealed it, and scribbled Ocean’s name and address on it. “And I won’t have to take the train to get this over there that way.”

“But…” Yune started.

“I haven’t met any familiars other than Yune and Vi,” Fae spoke up, completely fixated on Minerva. “But I think they’re much more human than you are.”

Minerva waved her hand and the ice spike vanished from the table. “Good that you understand that now,” she smiled.

Yune sighed.

“If I give these watches to… that Clock Link user,” Fae decided not to mention Ocean by name, but if Minerva really had access to users’ private information, she might already know that they went to the same school anyway. “Will it really help save lives?”

“If he does what he says he will, then sure,” Minerva said.

“Will this help you find who did this to me?”

“If everything falls into place tomorrow,” Minerva ran her fingers through her long black hair. “Then yes.”

“Then I’ll do it,” Fae stood up and put her bag over she shoulder. She put the box inside of it.

“Fae, you really don’t have to,” Yune moved to stand up, but Fae stopped her.

“It’s okay,” Fae said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Will you be able to control it?”

“I think so,” Fae tried to smile. “I really appreciate that you… care about me.” With that, she walked over to the sliding glass door that lead out to the balcony.

A cool breeze hit her as she opened the door. She took a step out onto the balcony and looked down at the city’s night lights. She remembered how she felt when she lost her head at the café. The strength she felt. Her vision focused, and her hearing grew sharp.

Then she jumped.

A rush of power surged through her legs as she kicked off the wall of the balcony. She went flying forward. In a split second, she was already on the rooftop of a building hundreds of feet away from the apartment.

“Oh my god,” she gasped. She leap again, and she was to another rooftop, then another. Soon, it felt like second nature. It was as easy as doing hopscotch.

It didn’t take long for her to arrive at Ocean’s home, located in a quiet neighborhood. Waiting a moment to make sure the coast was clear, she unzipped her bag and took out the package.

Was this really going to help? She wasn’t sure. She knelt down and placed it on the welcome mat in front of the door.

She also took out a piece of notebook paper and one of her gel pens. She quickly wrote out a message.

“Good luck tomorrow.”

She placed it on top of the box. Then, she was in the air again, bounding from building to building.

If what Minerva said was true, then this was all going to end tomorrow.

She would find the one that did this to her.