All around me, life was bustling, and not a single person gave me a sideways look. It was as if they couldn’t see me. Which was good. I could move quietly amongst the crowds and find someone. The question, however, was who? What traits and personality did I want? I needed someone smart, and who could manage things well.

I walked down the road. The crowd of people pushed through like a tide, yet they passed through me as if I was a ghost. Which suited me just fine. I had no intention of talking to anybody at any rate. I was only here to listen and watch. The crowd of people thinned out significantly as I approached a small gate. On both sides stood two hulking dragon kin. Their black, beady eyes scanned the crowd for any sort of threat. The one on the left was the color of spring. It’s scales rippled through a thousand shades of green and glittered in the brilliant sunlight. Grasped firmly in its hand was a mace, with divots near the end. Its muscles bulged under its clothing and its protruding snout was locked in a perpetual sneer with large fangs that were visible.

It was a strange mishmash of dragon and human, now that I got to see one up close. I glanced at the other, and saw that it was more feminine in appearance. She had a set of two horns that spiraled up slightly. Her blue eyes glittered in the sunlight like a sparkling sea, and her scales were the color of a fresh-water lake. Her arms were crossed, and she was leaning against the wall behind her, scanning the area.

I, however, was undeterred. Since no one really seemed to see me, I could just keep walking. In fact, I was curious about what lay beyond here. Everything behind me looked like a merchant’s district. I crossed through the threshold and saw that the male stood up immediately and sniffed and looked around.

“What is it, Aventurine?” The female dragon stood up and uncrossed her arms and looked around.

“I smelled something. It was faint. Must have just been the wind.” He replied, as he relaxed slightly. I froze in my tracks and stood there. At the moment, I did not know how to use my class, so if they caught me, I was dead meat. The two dragon kin shared a glance for a moment before they relaxed. I released a pent-up breath and started walking again. I thought I was almost entirely invisible. They must have acute senses if they smelled me. That or I wasn’t as invisible as I thought I was.

Regardless, I would have to progress with caution. I looked forward and my eyes quickly traveled across the unknown part of the city I was in. Tall buildings reached into the sky like pillars and well-dressed beings walked past. This time it was Dark Elves, Humans, and Angels. The humans were dressed in what looked like grossly expensive clothing and carried an air of nobility around them. The Dark Elves, while few, seemed to occupy the same position of power, and didn’t look like they were afraid to display their opulence.

The Angels here lacked wings and halos. I wasn’t sure if they were hiding them, or they were lacking. They wore lavish robes that stopped just short of scraping the ground. Each step they took made them seem as if they were gliding across the stone paved road.

Quietly I kept walking, looking at all the surrounding buildings, watching as the beings passed by, living their lives. All of them unbeknownst to me. As I walked down the winding streets, a thought crossed my mind. Is this what I would be? Apart from all the others? Living a life far removed from everyone else, and doomed to be a ghost in everyone’s eyes? Or is that only now as I try to find a companion? I hope it won’t be like this forever. It would be far too lonely.

After what felt like an hour of walking, I was further into the rich district. The buildings were growing more lavish with each block, and the beings that passed by seemed to only grow more and more aristocratic. I think a noble would make an outstanding leader, but I guess it would depend on their personality type. I would venture a little further on and see if anyone caught my eye to select. If not, then I would travel elsewhere.

As I walked further, I heard a blood-curdling scream coming from in between a cluster of buildings. Almost on instinct, I rushed forward, towards the sound. I slipped through the looming shadow of some buildings and twisted a corner. In front of me was a tight alley and a group of five Angels surrounding a female demon. Her eyes were narrowed, and she was clenching a tattered grey dress. Blood was flowing through her fingers, contrasting her slate grey flesh. Her teeth were barred. Long strands of flowing black hair caught the soft gusts that blew through the alleyway. A set of curved horns protruded from her head and softly spiralled before coming to a sharp tip.

“Where is our money Serilda?” The lead angel asked. His perfect face was twisted in a sneer of rage. In his hand was a silver blade with a golden pommel. Blood covered a few parts of the blade and hid some of the ornate gold design, and dripped to the ground.

“I told you, I stole nothing. That was Leonardo’s doing.” The Demon hissed back as she pressed herself against the back wall. Her only avenue of escape was closed off by her foes. Looking through the group of angels, they all had a few inches on her.

“You are nothing but a filthy, impure breed. How dare you even insinuate that Leonardo would resort to theft?” The Angel next to the one holding the blade spoke up. His voice low and filled with unfiltered malice.

“I’ve done nothing wrong. I have managed all the finances for the last five years. I’ve already reported all the theft to the proper authorities. What you are doing is insane!” Her voice was laced with pain and sounded weak as she pressed herself against the wall. I glanced between the two parties, trying to figure out what was happening here.

So the Angels were confronting the demon about money being stolen? But the Demon denied it. Should I step in and stop them before they kill the Demon?

“Serilda. We all know you stole the money. Ever since you have joined the bank, money has come up missing. Isn’t that a little suspicious?” The Angel with the blade asked, as he took another step forward.

Serilda’s eyes widened as she watched him get closer. “I swear on everything that is holy, I haven’t done a thing wrong! It was all Leonardo! He’s trying to frame me!” She pleaded as tears ran down her face. The amount of blood flowing from her wound increased.

I stepped forward to help. I reached out to grab the first Angel, yet my hand passed right through them as if they were never there to begin with. It felt wrong just standing there watching this all unfold. The Angel stepped forward and brandished his blade and ran it through the Demon. I felt my heart drop as her eyes widened. With a sickening sound, the Angel withdrew his sword and flicked away the blood, coating the back wall in a perverted arc and filling the air with the sound of splattering blood.

“I know. But someone had to take the fall.” I heard the Angel tell the Demon as she slowly slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood behind her. I felt an incomprehensible rage fill my chest as I watched this all unfold, yet I could do nothing to stop it from happening. The Demon hit the wall and tears flowed down her face. The group of Angels all walked past her and spat on her as they left. Filling me with cold resentment. How dare they do something like that? I rushed forward and tried to grab her, but my hands passed through her.

Shit, this wasn’t fair! She didn’t deserve to die. I was powerless to stop any of this, and I hated it. I just wanted to help her. Her head listed to the side, her eyes met mine. Her eyes looked like dying embers, and then they widened slightly. “Who are you?” Her voice was weak and ragged.

I, however, was slightly shocked. “You can see me?” I asked as I sat next to her. If I couldn’t help her, the least that I could do was make her passing more comfortable. It would feel wrong to just let her go on her own.

“You look like I’m staring into the night sky.” Her tears cleared away a fine layer of dirt that had coated her face. My heart wrenched in my chest as I watched someone who was innocent slowly die.

“My name is Kairos. I tried to stop them, but I can’t interact with this world.” I explained to her, for emphasis I reached out for her hand, only for mine to pass right through hers.

“It’s okay. I’m just glad somebody knows the truth.” She attempted to move her head, only to release a pained grunt. I sat there quietly next to her, unsure of what to do. I just knew that I had to keep her awake. Maybe long enough for someone to see her and send help.

“What happened?”

“I was a manager for a local bank branch. I saw that money was going missing every month for the last few years. I narrowed it down to an Angel named Leonardo. However, once I brought it up, everything started going to shit. I lost my job, my family. Such a thing as justice, huh?” A dry cackle escaped from her lips, followed by a round of wet coughing.

Maybe I could still save her. If she was manager, that means that I can rely on her to handle logistics, and fine-tuning. Which would mean that I could focus on creating and working on my world. Maybe I should have hand-created my companion instead of just ascending one. It would have been easier instead of dealing with this. I didn’t know this demon, so I was taking a leap of faith. But wasn’t me becoming an administrator a leap of faith as well?

“Would you like a job?” I asked, as I made my choice. I would take her if she accepted.

For a few seconds, she was quiet, before another bitter laugh escaped from her lips. “I’m dying. I can’t be saved. What makes you think I can work?”

For a moment, a flash of irritation coursed through me, but I held it back. “I can save you and take you far away from this place.. A new job, a new life, if you want.” The rage on her face melted, and she looked at me.

“What’s the catch?” Her breaths increased in frequency, and her lips were fading from red to blue.

I paused for a second, as I tried to find my words, but the words that Malek told me when I took this job floated through my mind. “I only ask for your loyalty.” The meaning behind his words became ever clearer in this moment. Loyalty was just as important as trust in the end.

She eyed me for a moment, as her eyes lost focus. “Yes… just take me away..” Her words trailed off, and I nodded my head. A split second later, a blue prompt appeared in my vision.

Would you like to Ascend this being into your System Companion?

The screen flickered as I confirmed my choice. Hopefully, it won’t bite me in the ass later. Damn my bleeding heart.