“You know,” Cassandra said, “I don’t think you have a chance of winning against me.”

She placed her blue thermos on the ground and, slowly exhaling through her nose, wrapped her fingers around a lance of nearly black blood. Her calm expression stood in stark contrast to the glare in her eye; a sudden pang of hot anxiety pierced the resolve I had carefully gathered and left me with a barely concealed tremble.

I forced myself to stand tall and matched her glare. “We have one of yours. In return for her release, we desire information. Please work with us to ensure this transfer goes smoothly.”

She raised an eyebrow. “We? As far as I can sense, there are only two of you here. Two that probably should be taking it easy far away from the Frontier.”

Snowflakes brushed past a hundred individual lances ready to fire. I’ve already seen what one can do: a single hit left Owl incapacitated and unable to walk properly; the three that hit Tapio shredded his entire meridians and left him incapable of directly fighting ever again.

This time, by her stance alone, she had no intention of showing us any mercy.

But this time, I had time to prepare.

“The Rings seek to claim Whitelight,” I said, suppressing the fear. “To do that, you’ll need equipment and additional information. I can grant you access to the Oracles’ info banks and supplementary equipment in exchange for a single thing: tell me who you’re working for.”

According to Jaxl’s dossier, only two members of the Rings have been actually spotted and documented: Cassandra, and Sier’s brother Felice Yuan Taria; both of whom were already high-profile figures outside of the Frontier. Everything else about them was practically unknown. We didn’t even know how many people were part of their organization.

The key was the mist they used to travel. Apparently, it had the ability to suppress the Oracles’ usual methods of observation, which is why they sent Nia to observe and document the situation. And because she was willing to divulge what she learned so far, I found a way to fight against her.

“Uh-huh. And tell me: I could take back my adorable junior without any of this. Do you really think you can offer me anything I couldn’t just take myself?”

A lance shattered the frozen tile beside me. Warning shot.

“You’ve been completely severed from the Nexus system,” I continued. “I can serve as a proxy, should you meet my simple demands. I can get you anything you want. Money is of little importance; I simply wish to know the names and faces of those that I’m being forced to fight against. Is that too much to ask for?”

I tried my best to ignore it since I’m physically incapable of interacting with it, but the Nexus system was the lifeline for any ordinary Hunter. Through it, one could purchase — with a fistful of spare change, unbelievably — extraordinary abilities and gear directly from the Oracles. Training and hard work were secondary to the ability to merely purchase stronger muscles, faster reflexes, more potent magic; the entire process of getting stronger was distilled to a single serum of nanomachines and patented sage arts.

Of course, there were Hunters like Owl and Jaxl who thrived on their own strength. But I was willing to bet that the majority of Hunters didn’t.

“Or I could just kill you.” Cassandra hefted her lance and twirled it. “How about we do this my way? Get me ten thousand and I’ll let you walk out of here alive.”

“—Sure.”

The lance stopped in her hand, backwards. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll get you what you want. In exchange, tell me what you’re fighting for.”

It was an absurd strategy. I knew that.

“You — what, are you stupid? Do you really want a deal like that?”

“I want to hear your reasons,” I said. “So tell me. Tell me why you fight. That’s all I wish to know.”

There was minimal information on the people I was supposed to be fighting against. What better source than first-hand? Weaknesses, strengths, numbers, resources, the colour of their souls: I was certain that I could learn all of it with just the right amount of effort and a liberal application of my Cognesis.

And it was working. Ten thousand Oracle-backed dollars was quite a lot of money: I only received a four hundred dollar commission from killing the Princess, one-fifty from Nia’s salvage job, and one hundred for dealing with the Arlequins. Cassandra gawked for a moment, then muttered something I barely caught with my inhuman senses:

“No. Too stupid to be one of those.”

It struck my pride directly. Biting back the urge to snap something rather rude back at somebody who could erase me from existence with a snap of their fingers, I asked, “So? Ready to make a deal?”

“Do… you have the money on hand?”

“I’ll need to transfer it to my current account,” I said. “I’ll need to go back to Hadron first, though.”

She shrugged. The blood lances disappeared behind her, crumbling into smoke. “So that’s where you’re staying. Alright. About what I expected.” She snapped her fingers. Blood briefly dripped from the ceiling, then a section of the floor came falling onto a red cushion. Both Owl and the girl we kidnapped sat dumbly on top of the destroyed rubble, looking just as shocked as I was feeling.

“Vera, you’re their hostage. Go with them for a while. Broaden your horizons, even. I’ll give you a bit of money for snacks and stuff.”

“Wait,” said the woman who was apparently named Vera. “I thought you were coming to rescue me? What? What’s going on?”

Cassandra picked up her thermos and took a sip. “Vera, how much do you think your life is worth?”

Vera flushed with indignation. “Is that really something we should be discussing in front of the enemy?”

“This time, it’s fine. I’ll give you the rendezvous point.” She turned her back to us and began walking. “Make sure no harm comes to her, little miss disaster drone. I may not be able to fight the entirety of the Oracles’ at once, but I sure as hell can make a dozen or so people die. No matter where they try running.”

Her power spoke for itself. The entire building had been completely perforated by her initial barrage; I didn’t want to imagine what would happen if she pulled the same stunt on a populated building.

Vera screamed all manner of insults and complaints after Cassandra. A pouch was thrown her way after a particularly scathing comment about Cassandra’s dignity as a woman; she broke out of Owl’s grapple and snatched it, realizing too late that it was full of silver and gold coins. Nothing that would save her from us.

“This isn’t happening,” she said, staring into the money pouch. “Oi. This is a really elaborate practical joke, right? You guys are in on it too, right?”

I suspected the entire incident was an attack on Vera’s dignity, so I simply motioned for her to follow me back to the Raven Gate. Being left in the hands of the enemy with money to go buy sweets was a psychological attack on an unprecedented scale; not a soul-scratching event that left people traumatized for life, but not exactly something I’d want to personally remember.

Upon realizing she wasn’t getting anything out of me, Vera turned on Owl. In response, Owl crossed her arms and looked away with something like second hand embarrassment. “You get used to it.”

Owl reserved us two rooms in the Night Market, placed physically close enough to sustain my Ether connection to her. After I was certain she wouldn’t fade away like Lyra did, I left her to babysit Vera and waited in front of a pale-brown beer that mysteriously appeared in front of me.

“How thoughtful,” I heard somebody say as I reached for the mug’s handle. “A drink for somebody without a mouth. Maybe you can take a swim.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” I snapped. Out of spite, I dipped one of my gun arms into the liquid to see if there was anything special about this beer. There wasn’t.

The other me snickered and sipped a cup of imaginary water. “No, not really. I’m fully willing to admit that I’m all in your head — but as you know, the things in your head, in particular, are very real.”

I knew my own flavor of instability, and, unfortunately, hallucinations were not included. Imagine how much more pleasant my existence would be if I had the refuge of an all-consuming delusion. If I could truly escape into the recesses of my own mind without any awareness of the outside world, I could’ve saved myself. But alas, unwanted awareness of my past and present worked ceaselessly to crush my hopes. There had to be a reason for another apparition to haunt me, and I was certain that loneliness was not the cause.

So I took a good look at my other self, now that we were completely alone.

Unlike the conventionally attractive black-haired girl that I once saw in the depths of myself, she was a wreck: her cheeks were sunken, her eyes were hollow blue pits, like the depths of some deep-sea whirlpool, and I counted her ribs protruding through tissue-thin skin and the number of spider web of blue veins wrapping around her thin arms.

Unlike the fiery woman I once saw, I had no instinct to hurt her. Instead, I noticed a deep sadness in my non-existent chest, a whole tangle of guilt and pity that kept me from speaking out like I wanted to.

“You look similar to Owl,” I mused. “Are you trying to copy her? Or is that how you’ve always been?”

She glared at me from the corner of her eye. “You already know the answer to that.”

I skittered across the bar table to where she was sitting. “Just tell me what you want. I have no patience left for vague games.”

“What I want is simple. I want you to die, but not before you realize what you’ve done. I want you to suffer. Out of everything in this world, you’re the one I despise the most.”

It was refreshing, receiving such a blatant declaration of hostility. At least I didn’t have to second guess her intentions.

“What have I ever done to you? Have… we met somewhere before?”

“Find out for yourself. You’ve already found the seal.”

A seal that would easily destroy me if I touched it before I was ready. Right. I stared the other, nameless me down, unable to fully comprehend her decision to passively torment me. Whatever her motive, an active confrontation would accelerate the matter to its conclusion. There was no point in a passive aggressive tantrum — not that I could see.

Three knocks came upon the room’s door. The other me looked away. “Take a good look at yourself,” she said. “You aren’t immune to change, either.”

Jaxl pushed through the door, dispelling the illusion of the girl with a snap. He was wearing a different mask today, a full helmet with a reflective visor; something akin to a motorcycle helmet, had there been anything like a motorcycle in this world. He removed his helm and gave me a wave when he saw me, and sat in front of the mostly untouched beer.

“Saving me a drink?” he said, grinning. “You shouldn’t have.”

I gave him the best shrug I could muster. “I’m not sure where it came from. It just showed up when I wasn't looking.”

“Better a cold beer than a knife in the back.” Jaxl held the glass mug to his muzzle and gave me a wink. “Cheers.” He took a long drag, greedily lapping down the amber drink. Half was gone when he turned to me and asked, “So, what did you need me for? A chat? A job? Thinking about building a rock family with a nice rock house?”

“Rock house?” I said, incredulously. “No. I need some money. More money. I want to take a loan out from you.”

Jaxl gingerly placed the mug on a napkin. Then he reached over, picked me up by the handle, and started vigorously shaking me.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Checking to see if some wires got crossed in there.” He held me sideways and poked around the release latches. “I’m hoping the technology hasn’t gotten to your head. Would be a pain to deal with an AI gone mad.”

I slipped out of his hands on a gust of conjured wind. “You’ve been watching too many movies.”

“You’ll never know when the machines decide to rise up,” Jaxl said, clasping his hands together. “Anyway. How much do you need? I’ve got cash saved up. Not much to spend on these days.”

I told him how much Cassandra demanded. The mug nearly slipped out of his gloves.

“I hope you have a very good reason for needing all that cash. Pretty sure you can buy property in Hadron for that much.”

“It’s for the mission.”

“Are you planning on hiring mercs? Other hunters? If you tell me what you want, I can probably get it for much, much cheaper.”

“I’m performing advanced reconnaissance on the Four Rings. We may have an easier time in the long term if we know how to deal with their aces on an individual level.”

Essentially, I was purchasing favor and hoping that I could squeeze it for all it’s worth. Cassandra and her allies seemed to have an agenda that we weren’t quite aware of yet; the sooner we learned what they were up to, the better our precautions against them. It was a basic plan, but one I hoped would work out for the better.

“I wouldn’t count on buying your way out of anything. If a fat stack of cash could solve this entire gig, none of us would be here right now.”

Because it was a basic plan, I wasn’t surprised when Jaxl saw through it.

He and Tapio had been working in the shadows, taking care of logistics and information while us active Hunters worked under the Eightfold Pact Office. I expected him to have intel he was withholding for a later date; I’d be disappointed if he didn’t have any hidden safeguards to ensure our mutual success.

He turned to face the wall opposite the bar. On the other side were Owl and our hostage; he nodded thoroughly, contemplating through the scenario in his head.

“Seems like you’ve got your own scheme going, though. How’d you manage to convince one of their agents to come to the heart of enemy territory?”

“I’m very persuasive when I try.” Nothing properly directed violence won’t solve.

“I’ll humor you.” Jaxl reached into his coat’s lining and began rummaging. “Be careful, you. I don’t think you fully understand how the Frontier works just yet, but money solves very few things around here. The folks around may be able to put on a nice smile and a polite demeanor, but they’re all the same. They’re twisted folk. The ones who remain unphased by everything that goes on here are the most dangerous. Lotta people give up their humanity way too easily, and those who can do it with a smile… I’d avoid them, if I were you. The kinds of evil you’ll see around here will make you want to bury your head and scream.”

Letting Jaxl indirectly know my plan worked out. He was reaching for his wallet; my rational mind told me to sit down and shut up to keep up my image of competence, yet he said something that irked me — I couldn’t keep my mouth shut when he mentioned ‘humanity.’

“What is humanity?” Even thinking about it caused a sweltering wave of emotion to rise within, a sharp wave of burning vitriol. “Why is it so important? People find themselves in inhuman situations all the time, yet are expected to retain themselves. What’s the point when showing your humanity only causes you to get taken advantage of? The human mind is already capable of unthinkable evil. It only needs a push and shove and they’ll abandon the very notion of morals in an instant.”

What other conclusion could I come to? I had entire stolen lifetimes to go by. Every end was an avoidable tragedy; it only took a single hand to reach out and pull anybody away from their fate, yet there was not a single helping hand in their times.

Where was humanity when it was needed? Why do those who preach virtue and justice take refuge in their hollow words and refuse to make any real difference?

The law of the jungle crushed the golden rule. Any crime or inequality could be rationalized with enough time, smothered by calloused words like, “it can’t be helped,” or “there’s nothing we could do.” I was guilty of throwing away everything I had in the name of survival as well — if I hadn’t been gambling with my humanity back when I was underground, I would’ve been killed before I could escape.

Jaxl looked to the bottom of his mug for an answer. “You’re right,” he said. “Humanity, as a code of conduct, is worthless. There will always be those who prey on empathy and vulnerability, and expecting others to hold the same ideals as you will always be a fool’s errand. But I think that’s alright.”

He closed his eyes and pulled a cigar from his coat. With a small spark from me, he puffed the smoke to life and meditated on the glowing ember. “History tells us that humanity never changes. Wisdom is ignored and forgotten in favor of sensationalist garbage and pure hysteria, and those you thought you did a good turn will happily stab you in the back tomorrow. So if humanity never changes, you can plan around that and change yourself. Lead by example, I suppose.”

“Even if that example will be ridiculed and mocked?”

“Words only have as much power as you give them. You know what’s an undeniable show of power? Violence. Wealth. Status.” Jaxl slid a black and yellow card over the table. “Show ‘em — everybody that ever spat on you, that stomped on you — what you can do when really pushed. I’ve got your back.”

I shoved the card into an open port slot. Nearly twenty-thousand dollars appeared in my account balance — much more than I asked for.

“I thought you said there’s problems money can’t solve,” I said, nodding my thanks.

“You’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em,” Jaxl said. “But this time, don’t spend it all in one place, now.”

I spat out the credit card, knowing full well that I would most likely end up spending all the money he gave me in a single place. I was certain Jaxl knew this too and was giving me his direct approval — I just had to use it to maneuver favor and information. Now was the time for action; I had to do as much as I could before the inevitable clash between our groups.

“Thanks for believing in me,” I added. “I think I can do something meaningful, this time around.”

To that, Jaxl merely smiled. “I hope your vengeance is just as sweet as mine.”