Lyn and Rayne return to the scene of the crime looking over Lyn’s room as Rayne holds up her nose as the cramped and dirty space. She stares trying to find any clues before she sighs and sits on Lyn’s bed as she stares up at her with a glare in her eyes.

“Do you want my assessment?” She asks seriously.

Lyn nods rapidly.

“I’m surprised you didn’t get robbed before!” Rayne yells out leaping from the bed. “Your door is barely a door, it doesn’t lock and the doorknob barely stays on the door. Your room is a closet and there’s barely enough space for the both of us to stand in here, and I’m constantly worried about the floor breaking as we stand on it.”

“Well, the rent is cheap,” Lyn says trying to justify her living conditions.

“Seriously, if I had known you’d live in such a place sooner, I would’ve dragged you back to stay with me.”

Lyn diverts her eyes. “Honestly, I’d rather not.”

“What?”

“While I’m happy that you let me stay with you when I was starting out in town, I have to admit it was kind of hellish to live with you for those two months.”

Rayne blushes hiding behind her staff. “What’re you talking about, I’m the perfect roommate?”

“Yes, but you’re so demanding, it gets hard to put up with you.”

Rayne and Lyn stare at each other as a figure looks up at them. “Guard Girl, keep it down your disturbing the other residents.”

“What was that?” Rayne asks concerned.

“That’s my landlord,” Lyn says pointing down.

Rayne looks below and sees the renter staring up at her as she moves her skirt to obscure her underwear. “Why didn’t you warn me before?” She asks blushing.

“I guess I just got used to it.”

“Wait, he can look up here and see anything at any time, right?” Rayne asks curiously.

“Yeah.”

“Then we’ve got our first witness.”

The pair rushes downstairs and moves into the renter’s rather lavish room as he sits back in a chair and stares at the girls. He reaches out and grabs a cigar putting it in his mouth and snaps his fingers to light it and taking a large puff.

“What girls want?” He asks as he exhales a large puff of smoke.

“There was a theft last night and you’re our best and possibly only witness,” Rayne says seriously. “You can look up into Lyn’s room at any time, I’m sure if you’d noticed anything strange you’d check it out.”

“Only strange thing I hear is Guard Girl talking to sword in middle of the night.”

Lyn blushes. “Avalon is a magic sword, he can talk if you try to listen.”

“Let’s move on from that subject and ask, did you see anything strange or suspicious last night? Aside from the aforementioned talking to an inanimate object.”

“He’s magic, I swear he can talk!” Lyn yells out.

He looks at the pair and leans back in his chair. “Saw nothing odd, ordinary night. Everyone quiet, but Guard Girl if you bring guests then no fall sleep before they show up.”

“Guest?” They both ask in unison.

“Heard noises and when investigate Guard Girl’s friend leave room carrying sword.”

“That was a thief!” Lyn yells out annoyed. “Why didn’t you stop them?”

“No, she said she was friend, not thief, you let borrow sword or something.” He says defensively. “Security here is good, no thefts. No ruin reputation on own mistakes.”

“I get it,” Rayne says seriously. “Does Lyn ever bring guests here to her room?”

“No, no one bring guests.”

Rayne walks out of the room with Lyn chasing after her in confusion.

“What is he thinking? Why on earth would he think some random stranger was a friend of mine?” She asks annoyed.

“I believe we’ve narrowed down our suspect pool.”

“Huh?”

“You always go around wearing your guard uniform so if he noticed someone in the same uniform he’d automatically assume they were a friend of yours,” Rayne says seriously. “And with your reputation for stealing swords….”

“That was only once, or twice…. alright I did it three times,” Lyn says embarrassed.

Rayne taps her on the head with her staff. “Anyway, it wouldn’t be a surprise if someone from the guards came to retrieve a blade that you’d stolen.”

“Alright, so someone in the guard stole Avalon?”

“Most likely, we’ve got to get moving,” Rayne says seriously.

Rayne walks ahead with Lyn following her before a bright light shines in her eyes. She stops in the middle of the alley staring into the light as it blinds her as she finds herself in a void of complete white.

Lyn… Lyn… where are you? Avalon’s voice screams out across the void. Where am I?

“Avalon?” She asks confused. “Hey Avalon, can you see anything? Tell me where you are and I’ll come….”

“…. Lyn wake up! Now is not the time to be spacing out.” Rayne’s voice rings out snapping her back to reality.

Bells ring out around the pair echoing across the town as Lyn stands around in a daze before focusing in on them. “What’s going on? Why is the emergency signal going off?”

“No idea, but whatever’s going on we need to find your sword now more than ever.”

“Huh?”

Rayne sighs. “Listen, if the thief uses this chaos to slip away and escape then we’ll never find Avalon. This is our only chance to find it now!”

“Right!” Lyn yells out. “Let’s go.”

Lyn rushes ahead with Rayne following behind her cautiously. “What is this? It can’t be happening so soon, so what in the world is this?”

“Rayne, something’s coming and fast,” Lyn says as she leaps into the air. “It’s the Monere.”

“What?”

“It’s an entire swarm of Monere headed right for town!” Lyn yells out concerned. “I think we might have to put our search on hold for now.”

Elsewhere in town, Avalon’s dull light shines slowly brighter and brighter as it draws in Mana from the air. The figure holds the sword nervously attempting to wrap it up inside of a large sheet and putting it on their back.

“Damn it, I have to get out of town. I wanted to wait until later, but I have to leave now!” They say seriously.