When Ava arrived downtown, it was sprinkling, and the air was already high with humidity. She pressed her hair down, trying to tame the frizz before the wild curls sprung up, but it only made it worse. She shouldn’t have worn it down today.

The square was in better shape than the night the demons invaded. The UFE cleaned up the mess, watered down the cobblestone roads. The staccato walls were brighter and wood paneling was restored. The park was cleared and free of demon dust.

Shops were open, displaying their salvaged and handcrafted merchandise behind windows and on racks outside. The place was bustling about. Chimes rang every minute, while a door squeaked nearby, desperately needing some oiled lubrication. It was as if nothing ever happened.

Move on from the past and look towards a brighter future, as Gregori said. Or as Ava thought, let's cover everything up and get back to normal. But things will never be the same.

Lights slowly illuminated in the trees, above the shops, and in the Mercado as dark rain clouds hung overhead. People were everywhere, chit chatting and shopping—their phones pointed at Ava, or rather, all of her entourage.

This was a bad idea. What was Marc thinking? Parading the twins around when they weren't officially guardians, yet. He wanted to send them home just as much as Ava.

Furious, she walked off. Marc caught her hand before she got very far. “Don’t even think about it,” he said. “Don’t even dream about it. Today, you’re not running away.”

“Then explain to me how this is training,” she snapped. A few passersby glanced their way, hiding behind their phones and umbrellas. It seemed Ava captured most of the attention. She glared the passerby down until they quickly left.

“I’d also like to hear this explanation.” Darious strolled up with the twins right behind him. He sported another pastel blazer, this time with warm-colored clothing and that golden mask. Was it glued to his skin?

Darious glanced at their intertwined hands and narrowed his eyes. “It can’t be as serious as flirting out in public when you’re supposed to be practicing self-restraint.”

Marc didn’t let go, even when Ava tugged away. Instead, he stepped closer. Darious’ frown deepened. “We’ve all been given special permission for physical contact. Or did you forget the agreements we established with Earth?”

“The agreements specify physical contact is only allowed in combat or training sessions. And I don’t see you training or gracing each other with your swords,” Darious said.

Marc tightened his grip. “Mika, come here.”

Mika took his time strolling over, hands loosely hung from his fitting pants. When he reached them, he stood at a distance. There was something off about his cheery smile.

Marc pursed his lips. “I was told you both weren’t getting along. Then as a training exercise, you will hold hands the entire day until you’re both comfortable with each other and learn to cooperate.”

This is ridiculous. Ava yanked her hand out of his steel grip. “I’m not doing it,” she harshly whispered. “What if I—”

“Ava, nothing will happen.” He took her aside and put distance between them and everyone else. “It won’t. We’re just shopping today. You won’t even need your weapon.”

“I thought we were going to send them home, not have me buddy up to them.” Ava glanced over. Gio and Josh were mingling, trying to keep them distracted. It was working until Darious caught her eyes.

She looked back at Marc and found a frown on his lips, those lips that kissed her forehead. Ava couldn’t sleep a wink last night. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt them on her skin. It was happening right now as she stood here listening to him.

“I know you hate this, but they’re not leaving anytime soon,” he said. “Think of this as facing your fears. If you get used to this now, then you won’t be so afraid of getting close to them later when you have to.”

He had a point. Ava reluctantly told him, okay, and it wasn’t long before Mika was back at their side. He was quick to follow orders when Marc gave them. Ava was a little jealous, but she couldn’t hate Mika for it. They hardly knew each other.

Marc passed her hand off like some damn baton. “Remember, don’t let go until we’ve reached the shops, or this will defeat the whole purpose of this training exercise.”

Ava was pulled forward unexpectedly. Mika dragged her along with the group. They were quickly left behind and drew unnecessary attention. Some passerby eyed them, others vigorously tapped away on their phone.

Raindrops drenched her shoulders. She opened the umbrella, rain tapped against the polyester. It made them stand out more. Mika’s hoodie darkened under the heavy drops as he stood further away. Sucking in her pride, she sheltered him under part of the umbrella for no other reason but to keep him dry. He said nothing, yet walked slower at Ava’s pace.

Mika may be a brat, but his hand sure didn't feel like one. His skin was calloused, rough from training. Ava was shocked, since he was so resistant to do anything life threatening. His walk was strong, confident, and subtle muscles tensed whenever they bumped into each other. The more she analyzed him, the better she understood him.

Yet, there was still something about Mika that Ava didn’t like. It wasn’t his straight-laced personality or eccentric attitude, but a deeper part she couldn’t pinpoint.

He glanced back. Ava was too quiet. “So it’s true. All the humans on Earth have brown eyes. Why is that? What happened to those who don’t have brown eyes?”

When the humans discovered the Prim were like them physically, they thought having brown eyes would help differentiate them from any alien race. That was before they met the Ama and witnessed how they could mask their eyes with any color—including brown. It was a stupid law now and left another scar on Earth’s history of past mistakes.

“Do you find it weird?” Ava asked, attempting to make polite conversation.

Mika kept searching the perimeter like he was on high alert. “I only wonder what happened to those who don’t have brown eyes. Did you ship them off to Mars?”

Mars was the last place the UFE would send anyone. She tightened her grip, remembering the history lessons, the pictures and gruesome deaths. “It’s better you don’t know.”

His smile stiffened. “So then how long have you been interested in Marc?”

Was he the peeper? Out of everyone to catch them, it had to be Mika. Ava laughed. “That’s a pretty invasive question.”

“Considering he’s our Crown Prince, I don’t think so. We have every right to know who may be a potential threat.”

“If I were you, I’d be more worried about yourself.”

That got his attention. “You should know by now, but in case you forgot, we can’t be with anyone who’s not an Ama. That’s the law and it will never change. So if you and Marc are secretly courting, I strongly suggest you break it off before you get hurt.”

His suggestion sounds more like a threat. “Well, there’s nothing going on between us, so no need to worry,” she said. “We’re just friends.”

“Sam said there’s something off about you two, though. How your aura’s act up whenever you’re close. But he can’t tell what it is.”

Very interesting.

“So you’re telling me Sam can read others through their aura,” Ava said. Mika’s eyes grew so wide, they nearly popped out of their sockets. “You should know better than to give away someone’s abilities. I could use this against him one day.”

He cursed under his breath and pulled to a stop. The rain beat down on the umbrella and drowned his words for others passing by. “Please, don’t tell Sam I told you. He’ll kill me if you know that ability. He’s sensitive about it and paints to keep it in check.”

He pleaded with her. She selfishly soaked it all in.

“What’s the holdup? Get inside before you're soaked!” Josh called from the second-hand store. The door was wide open and stayed back with his snake-skinned boot, while Sam stood around the corner, grinning from ear to ear.

They walked faster. “If you tell me what your ability is then I’ll keep it a secret.”

As they approached the brick steps, Mika mumbled, “I can read energy levels.”

Ava froze. If he could read energy levels, then what other abilities was he hiding? Worse, he’d find the curse mark on her neck. This was a problem.

▽ ▽ ▽

They left another boutique after what felt like hours of the twins and Darious picking out odds and ends of stuff. They asked a question for every item, which made this outing longer than Ava expected. She was completely wiped out.

“Please tell me we’re going home,” Ava said. She continued walking hand-in-hand with Mika. He never said another word since they started this shopping spree.

Marc fixed his glasses and looked at his watch. “Last stop is the Mercado.”

Within minutes, they arrived in front of the park’s historic sculpture. Welded together, a sphere of iron and glass sat on a pedestal. Someone took a hammer to the sphere and smashed in a crater, an accurate representation of Earth today.

Posted in front was a faded plaque. Black letters etched into the plate, inscribing the words, Remember Pandora’s Box, on the metal backing. It stood among the names of the scientists lost—those who died at Ground Zero when the box detonated and started this war.

This was the first historical marker Gregori showed Ava before starting her training. It became a reminder of her duties as Earth’s General and how she held the weight of the world in her hands. The very thought sent a flash of stress through her body.

Breathe in… Breathe out…

“We only have an hour left before they close up shop,” Marc said. “We need to buy fish and salt. We still have fruit, vegetables, and other meat to get.”

He looked at his phone to make sure they checked everything off the list. “Why don’t we split up?” Ava suggested, hoping to get rid of Mika finally.

“Okay, you and Mika come with me. We’ll go buy the vegetables and eggs, while the rest get the meat and salt.” He blankly stared at Josh. “Remember to get something average this time. Last time it was—”

“I know, I know. It was too hefty. Gotcha.” Josh gave him an okay sign.

Marc took off without a moment's notice, and left Ava behind with Mika. Great. She pulled him roughly through the stalls.

The crowd thickened. People bargained with the vendors left and right. Stringed lights sparkled in the air, emitting this warm atmosphere as they criss crossed over the walkways. A few couples strolled by, hand-in-hand—it quickly became awkward and out of place to be holding hands with Mika, but he didn’t appear bothered by it at all.

A large group of people tried to catch the last minute sales. Pushing and shoving, Ava stumbled into Mika as they ran by.

“Where’d Marc go?” Mika asked, fidgeting. They continued through the stalls.

“I'm sure he’s there already. Don’t worry, I know the way.”

He smiled, but it came out crooked. “I’m not worried.”

“Oh, really? Because you seem uneasy.”

The traffic clogged around the produce stall. Mika wrapped his arm around Ava’s shoulder. She went stiff as a board, but he didn’t stop.

He squeezed her shoulder too tightly and struggled for some personal space. She went even more rigid as he breathed on her neck. “How much has he told you about us?”

“Enough to know that you’re not a threat unless you’re working together,” she stated.

She shouldn’t have said that, but he wanted the truth so she told him. If they ever planned to help her in combat, they needed to work on their individual skills as a separate unit because there’d come a time when they wouldn’t be together.

Speak of the devil. Ava finally found Marc’s fluffed up, humidified hair.

“Pipsqueak! I need your ID!” he yelled out from the front of the stall. Apparently, he found Ava too. How on Earth did he squeeze himself up there so fast? There was a horde of people between them.

Ava grumbled and pushed closer. “Why does he need your ID?” Mika asked.

“To buy the groceries.” She tossed Marc her ID when they were within reach. He caught the card, thankfully, and finished checking out the items, but their situation only got worse. Mika was closer than before, too close for both their comforts and pushed into her from behind. He was warmer and tense, but it was the slight tremble that had her worried.

She glanced back. Mika’s face had gone sheet white. “Are you okay?”

Various emotions flashed across his face like he was talking to himself, but eventually, he couldn’t take it any longer. He dragged Ava through the mass of bodies without a moment's notice. “I need to go. We need to get out of here. Right. Now.”

They made it out into the open, and crossed the street, towards the park. Mika leaned on a nearby column. He clenched his side, heaved in and out, and took deep breaths until color showed on his face.

As Mika sat on the cobblestone, Ava examined him from head to toe, but after seeing his reaction, she couldn't ignore it any longer. “What’s wrong? Do I need to find Sam?”

He shook his head. “No! Don’t get him. I just need to sit for a moment,” he said, taking heavy breaths. “I’m not comfortable with tight spaces and this many people.”

You have got to be kidding me. Marc never said Mika was claustrophobic. No wonder he outright refused to restart the Hub’s core.

She gave Mika the water bottle she bought earlier in the day. He sipped it and leaned against the column. Sweat ran down his hair, onto his neck.

Regardless of what Mika wanted, Ava took out her phone to call Marc. As it rang, her eyes wandered the Mercado. He wasn’t answering. She pressed the next speed dial and called Gio. But once he picked up, his voice fell on deaf ears.

At the edge of the trees, the Black Rabbit watched Ava from the shadows.

Passersby walked in small groups, shading the villain in a sea of people. The mask grinned, twisting its crooked smile as they flicked the cloak back. A glass sword glimmered on their waist. They were taunting her.

Her shoes moved before her mind kept up.

The Black Rabbit ran into the park, fast on their feet. She lost them the trees. Ava picked up the pace, weaving between people. No one else noticed them.

They entered the woods. Ava was right behind them, dodging street vendors and bikers. It felt like she was being pulled towards the Black Rabbit, and if she lost them, it’d be severed. She couldn’t let that happen.

Noise from the market dulled as the forest thickened. She knew this was a trap, but there was no turning back now. She went further and further until day turned to night.

The Black Rabbit leaned on a tree. They laid a hand against the bark in an unusual calm manner. Ava’s breath hitched, and unconsciously, she stepped back. They watched her. But she didn’t feel threatened. If anything, it felt familiar.

The Black Rabbit stretched their hand out, willing Ava to take it. That pull became stronger, intense. She could tell they didn’t want to fight. They wanted her. They fed off her curiosity. Most of all, they felt so familiar, so warm and bright.

She walked towards them.

Her hand reached out.

“Well, this makes my job hella-lot easier.” A man stepped out of the shadows.

The enchantment broke. It took her a moment to realize that she was in the park, deep in the forest, and now alone. The rabbit disappeared. Dammit. Where did they go?

The man spit a wad of pink candy on the grass and swung a battered wooden bat off his shoulder. Topped with a double-headed ax, it threatened her with a rustic glare. “You’re awfully tiny for a general.”

What did he just say?

Like his grungy voice, the man was strong and buff. He wore a tight black shirt, covered by a puffed up space coat, and a cowboy hat filled with medallions and toys he likely scavenged off some poor ship. His gravital space boots crunched the twigs as he approached.

It was a space pirate. They came in all shapes and sizes, unique in their own way, but this one looked creepier than most.

She smirked. “And you're awfully big for a space pirate.”

“Let’s get this over. Eh, Reaper?” he said. “You have a head priced in gold that will fill my ship to the brim, and all I have to do is bring you in? This will be easy.”

She’d never been called a reaper before, and it only reminded her of the gods and reapers. Maybe these bedtime stories did involve the Black Rabbit.

Ava let out a spiteful laugh. “So what's your name, Pirate?”

He grinded his yellow teeth. “What good will it do ya if I tell?”

Ava released the curved knife hidden in her hoodie’s pouch. She dangled it by her side, waving the blade in small whimsical circles. “I like to know who I killed, you know, in case more scumbags come after me for revenge and whatnot.”

“Such a cocky brat.” He swung the ax for her left shoulder. She dodged the attack and found some distance. “She never said I had to bring you in alive.”

Whoever she was, this pirate wouldn’t be enough to stop Ava. There was no point in summoning the Bō and wasting energy on this guy, so she settled for using her knife. It was perfect timing to let off some steam.

Everything fell still, creating a tense atmosphere. He swung left, then right. The ax sliced near her legs. She stepped to the side, stayed nimble and steady each time he struck. The tip of her shoes left trails of dirt everywhere she stepped. He was persistent.

There was an opening. Her grip tightened on the knife’s handle. She sliced a deep gash across his face. Muscles and flesh protruded from his jaw, polluted the fresh air with sweets and death. The pirate kicked Ava in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and on the ground.

He clenched his weapon in red-faced anger. Fresh blood smeared the dirty bat, adding to the collection of wounds Ava made on his fair skin. She spit some blood out, tasting iron on her bitten tongue. But the kick was well worth it.

Ava’s snide smile pissed the pirate off even more. He swung his ax across her neck, slicing a thin line. She barely evaded the rusted edge and jumped.

She stepped off to the side and dodged another attack, this time nixing his leg and hand with her blade. This guy was slower than she expected. I’m done playing around.

The pirate swung his next strike towards her torso, missing. Ava fell back to the ground. Her knife flew out of her hand as expected. He swung the ax over his head. She kicked at the wound in his leg. Groaning, he loosened his grip.

With the tip of her shoes, Ava kicked the bat out of his hand at the last scathing seconds. It flipped in the air, landing behind her in the perfect position. She tumbled back and grabbed the weapon for her own personal use.

The ax burned Ava’s arms, but it was now in her possession. He pulled out a gun from his baggy pants and shot. The bullets flew by, scraping one side of her cheek as she dodged the other. Birds and rodents fled the scene, screeched and hollered.

Ava took off, and got closer to his potent odor of grease and sweat. She sliced down his right leg with the ax. A painful scream filled her ears, her soul, and blackened heart. The pirate fell like freshly cut lumber, knocked out cold and ready for the final chop to his neck.

Ava was surprised how precise and clean this small ax could cut. It was so versatile for such a cheap weapon. She thought it’d take more than one swing to finish this but it ended quickly. Lifting the bat above, she gripped the filthy handle, felt the warm blood smear between her fingers and the heavyweight in her shoulders.

Whether they were a being from another race or a treacherous human from Mars, the sentence was always death for outsiders. Earth took no prisoners.

Ava swung the ax down on his neck.

Blood stained the trimmed grass, the lush leaves and strong tree branches. It oozed into the Earth’s dirt in waves from his neck and stump. A puddle formed, mixing with the passing shower, blending into mother nature like a stew of what Ava was—blood and dirt.

Multiple footsteps stopped one after the other from behind. The bat was yanked out of her hand by Marc. He said nothing, yet brushed her cheek. It was wet and stained his thumb red. Ava felt nothing. She was hollow like a carcass, yet more alive than ever.

When Josh approached, he gave a proud whistle. He kicked the pirate’s severed head with disinterest, probably wishing he could’ve killed him instead. “You sure did a number on this one.”

“Is that a space pirate? Why would he be after her!” Darious snapped.

Ava’s hands shook. The adrenaline rush took over her nerves. She kept her eyes focused on the pirate, refusing to see the twins’ expressions. If Darious was angry, then she could only the worse.

“He told me someone wants me captured alive,” Ava said, hesitating on the next part. “I saw the Black Rabbit. He’s still here in the city.”

“Okay. This shopping trip is officially over. Josh, take the body to the command center and tell Gregori to send out another search party,” Marc ordered.

“What should I do?” Mika asked with boredom, not affected by this at all, and neither was Sam. He was talking to Gio as if this were a daily occurrence. This didn’t make sense. When Marc first saw a headless corpse he was terrified beyond words.

For some reason, she felt glad.

“The safest place for Ava to be right now is with her guardians. So we’re going to the twins home.” Marc carefully touched her shoulder.

They left before Ava could blink.