Ragged breaths filled the air in front of the construction site. Allen had run all the way from Coffee & Chronicles. He stared directly at the area he had seen only a few moments prior on the news. Contrary to what he was expecting, the place looked incredibly dull and ordinary. As if nothing awful happened the night prior. Behind a mesh-wire fence, a building that looked to be all but complete towered in front of Allen and dozens of workers were scattered about making finishing touches to it.

Allen walked up to the closest person through the fence, an older man who looked to be in his forties with a bright jacket and hard helmet. He asked the man what was going on.

“Huh? You’re talking about what happened last night? Someone stuck into the site and attacked one of our men while stealing some of our supplies on their way.”

“Really?” Allen inquired anxiously.

‘I probably shouldn’t feel as relieved as I am.’

“Yeah, it seems like a freak incident. All of the AGF and the news reporters cleared out a little while ago. I tell you, I’m not sure who would be rotten enough to attack the construction site for a clinic.”

“Me neither. How about that guy who was attacked. Is he alright?”

“Uh, yeah. He’s pretty banged up but he was talking up a storm last time I heard him over the phone. He didn’t have a clue who did him in though.” The construction worker scratched his hair as looked at Allen. “You seem really interested in this. You close to anybody who works here?”

Allen paused momentarily.

“Well, I’m not sure if that’s…”

“It’s you? What brings you around here?” Allen heard a familiar voice call out to him from behind. He turned to see Iyo and Liam walking up. Iyo raised his hand silently in greeting.

“Oh, you know that landscaping crew. So that’s why you were so curious about what happened.” The older man chuckled to himself. “Those two are some hard workers. It’d be a shame if either of them got attacked by some psycho. Alright, I’ll see you guys later, I gotta get back to finishing this building.”

The construction worker walked off to the others, leaving Allen behind with Iyo and Liam. Allen put his hands in his pockets and eased his expression. Iyo was wearing something similar to what Allen saw him wear the first time they met, including the thick yellow gloves and goggles that were always on him. Next to Iyo, Liam wore a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans, and some sturdy brown gloves.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you two at the place I know you work at.”

“I would say. I take it that you’re here because of the theft last night?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, I thought Nera or Iyo might’ve gotten caught up in it. But it seems like I was worried for nothing.” Allen stated as looked over to see that Iyo was completely unharmed. Iyo said something to him next.

‘To be direct, I didn’t even see Nera last night. She just left the keys waiting for me to find them when I got to the supply tent. That’s very strange.”

“Huh? Why didn’t she meet up with you?”

“We have no idea. Iyo only found out I sent her over here this morning.”

‘That doesn’t make any sense. Why would she be in such a hurry? Did she remember that her favorite show was coming on soon or something dumb like that?’ Allen raised his bandaged hand to his chin as he pondered this question.

He weighed his concern with reason. The young man imagine that there were many plausible and innocuous causes for why Nera would be in a hurry. Allen decided to not waste the excess brainpower on trying to figure out something that was probably not worth the effort.

“Well, Nera can take care of herself. She knows this city way better than I do. There is something else I’m really curious about though. Did they ever find out who the culprit behind the theft was?”

“No, somehow they were able to get away without leaving any traces behind. Nothing even showed up on the cameras and they’re supposed to be state-of-the-art Atelier City tech.” Liam elaborated.

“It’s incredibly hazy. I don’t have all the details and don’t fully understand the ones I do have, but it seems like the incident happened before I arrived here. Emergency vehicles arrived shortly after I did.” Iyo added in his usual subdued voice.

“That’s a really weird story. I thought this guy might’ve just been a violent hobo but he seems more like a master jewel thief. Maybe I should Nera ask about it.”

‘If it was a specter that could explain why it didn’t leave any traces behind. Nera could’ve also tried going after it…but what kind of specter steals stuff?’

‘Allen!!!”

The shrill cry of an exhausted person rang out. The three men glanced towards it to see a young woman with dirty blond hair who was clad in the same red uniform as Allen. She was running haphazardly and out of breath.

“Amy?!” Allen was surprised to see her and suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be at work right now. He opened his mouth to try to come up with an explanation when Amy ran past him with her eyes half-closed. She did not seem to be aware of where she was going.

“Uhh, I’m right here. You can stop now.” Allen tried to inform her but she seemed too tired to listen to anything around. Iyo responded quickly by briskly walking in front of Amy. This was not very difficult to do with her running at a comparable pace to a turtle by this point.

“Hmm, why did it get dark all of sudden?” Amy voiced as Iyo’s tall stature cast her in shadow. She stopped in her tracks and opened her eyes which widened even further when she saw who was in front of her. After she eventually stopped gasping for air, she wiped some of her excessive sweat off her face and pushed her hair back over her shoulders.

“Hey, nice to meet you, I’m Amy Curtis. And your name is..?” She outstretched her hand to Iyo with a playful smile on her face. Allen was flabbergasted by the entire spectacle.

‘I guess he’s her type. Poor Iyo.’

Iyo did not seem to pick up on any signals or just did not care as he responded ambivalently.

“It’s Iyoto Hishida. It’s nice to meet you as well. To be direct, I think the person you’re looking for is actually over there.” Iyo pointed over to where Allen was.

“Oh, it’s the shift-hopper. I was worried when you left in such a hurry.. You better have a good reason for just up and leaving out of nowhere.” Amy scolded Allen but he was ready for this.

“As you can see, two of my dear friends here work as landscapers at this construction site. I was just using my lunch break early to check up on them after I heard some troubling news.”

Amy folded her hands firmly and grunted for a moment before her expression curled upwards into a smile.

“You three seemed to have been chatting pretty aimlessly for you to be so worried. I guess I can let you have the rest of this hour off.”

‘What is she smiling for?’

“As much I would like that, I think these two have to get back to work, and I can just save the rest of my break for lat-” Allen’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he promptly pulled it out to see what it was.

“What?” Allen said out loud with furrowed brows.

“Huh? Don’t tell me you suddenly got another ‘urgent’ matter you need to attend to. As your boss, this is not looking good on you getting employee of the month and the associated raise that comes with it.”

“Wait a sec, I’m the only other employee there beside you. Wouldn’t that make it go directly in your hands? What kind of scam is that?”

Amy simply shrugged her shoulders dismissively. Allen scowled at her but pushed down his temper.

“Nevermind, I think I’ll have to take the rest of that early break anyway. Someone I know just said they lost something important in the Marble Quarter. I’m going to need to get it back if someone hasn’t already taken it for themselves.”

In response, Amy strolled merrily up to Allen and whispered into his ear on her tiptoes.

“Very well, I’ll let this pass. Just makes sure to have tall, buff, and handsome over there stop by the shop sometime soon, okay? Maybe have him take off those tacky goggles as well.”

She stood back and Allen nodded reluctantly.

‘I”m sorry, but this is a necessary sacrifice. I really wish what I told Amy wasn’t the truth.’

Nera had actually lost something in the Marble Quarter, and it was extremely important. It was the ribbon baton that she carried with her at nearly all times, and apparently a very rare magical scythe.

‘How did you lose something like that, Nera? Now, I have to clean this mess up with less than an hour to spare.’

“Wait, if I’m here and you’re here? Who’s watching the store, Amy?”

Amy's eyes widened in remembrance.

“Oh, right. I gotta get back to the store quick!” Amy began to rush back to Coffee & Chronicles. Allen called after her.

“When I get back, we’re going to have to talk about that whole rigged employee of the month deal!”

The young man was not entirely sure but he thought he heard laughter coming from Amy’s direction. He sighed in exasperation as Amy faded from his vision down the street.

“Allen, your boss is quite a unique person.” Iyo suddenly stated.

“That’s one way to put it. Well, I’m off to the Marble Quarter, whatever that is.” Allen was about to leave but Iyo stopped him.

“If it’s in the Marble Quarter, I can take you there and help you look for it.’

“You sure? What about your job?”

Liam dismissed Allen’s worries with a wave of his hand.

“It won’t be a problem. Iyo grew up in the Marble Quarter so he knows it like the back of his hand and we’re just about due for a lunch break as well. With him guiding you, you two should be there and back in no time.”

Iyo nodded.

“It’s only a short walk from here. There should be no problems.”

Allen grinned. “Thanks for the help. I’ll be sure to pay back the favor.”

***

True to Iyo’s words, it only took them a few minutes to reach the Marble Quarter from where they were. The Marble Quarter seemed to be a more artsy area of the city with various buildings lined with murals and public statues strewn about in parks and streetside gardens.

Despite the pleasant architecture, Allen could not help but notice that graffiti was also rampant in this neighborhood. Tags that he suspected were by the Green Manticore gang marked alleyways and storefronts. There were also several shady individuals lurking around with no inclination to hide their scathing glares as Allen and Iyo walked down the street.

“When I heard ‘Marble Quarter’, I wasn’t expecting it to be filled with wannabe thugs. I was expecting rich uppity snobs instead.” Allen told Iyo.

“That’s because they are the rich you are referring to. A few years ago, there was a natural disaster that caused a bunch of destruction to the city. City officials decided to claim a lot of the unused property of the upper class, like here in the Marble Quarter, to give to those who lost their homes.” As Allen listened, he wondered about Iyo’s past growing up here. If Iyo’s family was one of those affected by the natural disaster, he did not give Allen any hints from his tone or facial expressions

“So there was an influx of less fortunate people into this area suddenly. Something tells me the rich residents weren’t too happy about what that would to do their property value.” Allen inferred.

Iyo nodded.

“They weren’t. A lot of the older residents contested the decision, but the younger ones took it a step further. They decided to imitate what they thought the lower class were like and took out their resentment on them. That’s how the Green Manticores were formed.” Iyo informed Allen.

“Is that it? It seems similar problems just sprout everywhere. Reminds me of my hometown, Blockton. There’s not a large chance those thugs are gonna bother us, is there?’

“They should not. We’ve done nothing to provoke them, and it’s close to the middle of the day. We should be fine like this unless one of their more impulsive members shows up.” Iyo responded lukewarmly.

“I don’t like that part. Seems like it’s just asking for trouble.” Allen responded jokingly but Iyo suddenly stopped in his tracks. Allen wondered why but was quickly answered when someone walked out from the corner of a building right in front of them.

They were a young woman around their age wearing a retro yellow nylon jacket and dark blue cargo pants. She had dark eyes and her hair was jet-black, tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon with pink polka-dots.

“Yo, this is Green Manticore territory and you two don’t look all that familiar to me. State your business or leave.” She sounded serious, but it was impossible for Allen to consider her that. The apparent Green Manticore member’s gaudy appearance was emphasized by her makeup and fashion choices. She had a mix of bright blue and hot pink eyeliner and stickers of all different kinds such as emojis and everyday objects covered her. She even wore some directly on her skin.

“Come on, just let us pass. If you do that, we’ll stay out of your hair and be gone before you know it.” Allen explained.

The woman responded by pulling out a brightly colored glowing katana that looked like a movie prop and pointing it at Allen. He leaned back a bit.

“How about you two give me a reason not to kick you out now?”

“What do you even plan to do with that?” Allen said as he stared uneasily at the neon-colored katana.

“Still trying to figure that out. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to use it.”

“Umi, can we go now, or do your parents need help with their yard again? We’re on a lunch break, so we don’t have much time.” Iyo butted in, defusing the tension immediately.

“Huh, you know her?”

“Ugh, you really are permanently stone-faced, aren’t you? I thought that’d make you sweat a bit after all this time.”’ The young woman sighed as she put away her unusual weapon. “Fine, you and your little friend can go off to do whatever boring thing you were planning to do.”

“Thank you, Umi.” Iyo responded as if they had not just been threatened at sword point by her.

“Wait, that was just an act? So, you aren’t a member of the Green Manticore?” Allen asked in confusion.

“Nah, I am but only out of convenience’s sake. Rich idiots tend to shed more money than a chicken does feathers.” She snidely remarked while she clasped her hands behind her neck and leaned against the building beside the three.

“Is that so? That’s...an answer.” Allen muttered.

Umi did not respond to him and said, “Iyoto, I’ll throw you off your balance someday. You won’t expect it. ”In a much less smug tone, she continued. “Also, my parents do need help. My pops sprained his back and we’re trying to plant some more stuff in our orchard. Stop by when you have time.”

Iyo nodded. “Allen, are you ready to continue searching for that lost item?”

“Uhh, yeah. I think it’s over in that direction.” Allen promptly told him, not eager at all to stick around the strange katana wielder.

‘This city is just crawling with weirdos.’

***

It took a while with Allen having to search using only his sense of magical energy, but fortunately, the ribbon baton had a faint trail of mana he was able to detect. He just needed to get close enough to pick it up and after about ten minutes, he was able to. Meanwhile, Allen told Iyo that he was just searching for landmarks Nera had detailed in her message.

“Alright, I think this is the place she lost it.” Allen proclaimed as they stood in front of the large estate of a three-story house. There was a tall metal gate blocking the path to a stone driveway. Emblazoned on the brick wall of the gate was the symbol of a golden eight-pointed leaf.

“...You think that’ll just let us in if we ask?”

“There’s a chance, but I’ll just wait outside. The humidity in the air is fogging up my goggles.”

“Roger, that’s fine.” Allen proceeded to press a button to what he presumed was linked to an intercom inside the house. In a few moments, he was greeted by a professional-sounding voice.

“This is the estate of Dr. Logan Hunstad. Please state your business here.”

“Uhh, I’m Allen Lee. I think someone I know might’ve left something here. It’s a purple ribbon baton with a peculiar design to it.” Allen felt ridiculous explaining his situation. There was a momentary lapse from the speaker before the voice responded.

“Very well, Mr. Hunstad is allowing you to meet with him to retrieve the lost item. The gates will open shortly. When they do, walk down the path to the front door.”

In a few seconds, the gates opened up and Allen walked through to the house while leaving Iyo behind. At the door, he was greeted by a man who looked to be around his mid-forties. He wore semi-casual clothing that consisted of a button-up shirt and brown slacks. The man’s light green hair and amber eyes stood out to Allen as peculiar.

“Hello, is this what you’re looking for?” The older man showed Allen a baton wrapped in purple ribbon. “I found this in my backyard today with no clue how it got there.”

“Yeah, I think its owner lost it after some crazy wind blew it away from them.” Allen was angry at himself for not thinking up a better reason beforehand, but Hunstad seemed to find his explanation satisfactory and handed him the ribbon baton. Allen stored it away as nonchalantly as he could.

“Before you go, was that Iyoto out there with you?” Hunstad asked out of curiosity.

“Yeah, do you know him too?”

“Somewhat, I was a friend of his late guardian, Hisato Takamura. Some of his paintings actually line my house. It seems like he’s still wary of me.”

“What do you mean?

“I happen to be the head of a pharmaceutical branch of the Hieronymous Conglomerate, you see. Hisato had sustained a critical injury in the past that left him with damage that couldn’t be healed normally. It could’ve been treated well enough but it would be too expensive due to costly supplies provided by the branch I run.” The man sighed deeply. “I think Iyo still holds a grudge against me for how things turned out in the end.”

“Is that so? I haven’t known the guy for long, but he doesn’t seem the type to hold grudges like that. He’s probably just not much of a talker.”

“You make a good point. Anyway, I won’t hold you up any longer. Hope your friend gets their item back soon.” With that brief exchange, Allen walked back toward the gate’s exit and Mr. Hunstad walked back into his house.

“I got Nera’s baton back. We can go now.” Allen told Iyo this after reaching him but noticed his attention was focused elsewhere. He was looking up it at a large gray bird cawing loudly.

‘I wonder how Iyo feels about the whole situation with Hisato. Even I might hold some type of grudge if I was in his shoes.’

“That bird, it reminds me of an old tale I heard when I was young. It was about a bird known as the Itsumade.” Iyo suddenly began talking.

“The Itsumade was called that because of what it would constantly call out. This call was ‘itsumade’ or ‘until when’. It appeared during times of trouble and its cry was like it was questioning when there would be an end to them.”

When it seemed like Iyo was finished, Allen replied.

“You think it’s an ill omen?”

“No, I don’t believe in any kind of superstition like that. Intangible concepts like omens, wishes, and dreams don’t have any substance until someone gives them a physical shape. My sensei told me that was an artist’s task, and it’s why he didn’t put much stock into things like good or bad luck. Misfortune or miracles, they don’t exist unless there’s someone who has the power to shape fate itself.” Iyo was looking straight ahead now.

“I think I can understand that.” Allen responded with a slight grin. He was firmly sure that Iyo did not hold a grudge against Mr. Hunstad now because Iyo seemed like he understood that there were some things that were beyond anyone’s control. A loud stomach growl suddenly interrupted Allen’s thoughts.

“Allen, how about we go get some sandwiches while we still have time on our lunch breaks? I’m actually really hungry.”

Allen suddenly felt what seemed like a bottomless pit in his stomach as he realized his hunger as well.

“Same. We’ll have to get somewhere quick. How about we go get some sandwiches?”

Iyo nodded in agreement and the two rushed to the nearest restaurant.

***

'This is the place.’ Allen thought to himself as he stood in front of a wide brick complex. The most remarkable feature of the place was the image of an ivory deer with wings at the center of the building’s front side. This was where Nera had told Allen to meet her.

Allen was now walking up the steps of the entrance where he spotted a man wearing glasses and reading a thick book.

“Is Nera Vide here?” Allen asked unsurely.

“Ah, you’re the one she said was stopping by. All the way down the main hallway and two doors to the left, that’s where you’ll find her there. Try to keep the noise down please.” The man spoke to Allen without ever looking up from his book as he continued to sift through its pages.

“Alright, thanks for the help.” Allen walked through the door and followed the man’s directions.

‘Just what is this place? It doesn’t seem like a normal house, does Nera live here? Sheesh, what is she so busy with that she couldn’t even look for her ‘precious keepsake’ herself?’

When Allen reach the door with a slight crack in it that he knew was his destination, his thoughts were halted as he hesitantly walked in.

“Oh, it’s you. Glad you’re finally here.” Nera greeted him warmly and gestured for him to take a seat next to her in an empty chair. The room was spacious but cozy with a nicely designed rug and numerous decorations hanging from the walls. The seat Nera was sitting in was right next to a large bed where a young woman was laying upright.

“Hmph, so this is the guy Nera was talking about, Hmm, I thought you’d be a bit more squirrely. It’s nice to finally meet you.” The young woman could not have been more than a year older than him but her hair was mostly white aside from a few traces of crimson that stood out even more with the ambient light of the setting sun filtering in through the window blinds. She outstretched her hand to him.

Allen nodded with a smile as he reached out his hand to shake hers. Her wrist seemed as thin as a pencil and it felt like he would snap it in half if he was not careful. It was not just her hand, her entire body seemed incredibly frail. Nera then introduced Allen to the room’s owner.

“Lana O’Fahy, meet Allen Lee. Now that he’s here, you think it’s time we filled him in? He’s been a pretty good lackey these past few weeks.”

Lana chuckled lightly with her hand raised to her mouth. At that moment, Allen’s eyes focused on two details about her, an IV drip bag that was attached to Lana’s shoulder through a tube, and a black “3” tattoo in the same style as Nera’s on her forearm.

Lana’s voice was cheerful as she spoke. “Yeah, I think he’s okay. How about we start with the time we almost died?”