Iyo raced through the dim alleyways sprawled out across Atelier City’s nightscape like an intricate spider web. Despite their complex framework and the lack of light at this time, he could still find his way through the city while avoiding public areas as much as possible.

“Hmm…” Iyo murmured to himself as he wondered how long he would be chased like this. A few moments later, a screech that sounded like it came from a large bird rang in his ears. Unlike before, he would not be able to avoid this creature for long.

A quick glance behind him allowed Iyo to see the monster in full. Unlike the shadowy wolf specter that he had run into earlier this night with Allen and Nera, this specter resembled a phoenix with bright vermillion feathers. Its talons and beak looked like golden spears that could puncture concrete. The one aspect that was similar to the other wraith was odd-looking headphones adorning the creature.

It unfolded its wings high up in the air. With them having a span as wide as a truck, the wings blocked out the light of the moon and eclipsed Iyo completely in shadow. Iyo sharply inhaled as he realized it was preparing for an attack. An arrow-like feather pierced through his upper shirt sleeve before he even had time to react. No blood was drawn. His body was too durable for that but there was still a wince of pain from him.

Several more feathers razed through his clothes from all sides. Iyo ran to the side to escape from under the specter’s shadow. He knew he was nothing but a sitting duck as long he was out in the open, so he skimmed his surroundings to see if there was anywhere he could hide.

The loud bellowing of wind snapped him out of his search, and he turned around to see the phoenix specter diving straight towards him. It was a terrifying sight and Iyo wanted to keep running but he willed himself to hold his ground. There was no way he would be able to avoid this with how fast the specter was swooping in.

He held his clawed fingers out straight next to each other like a blade and prepared to meet the specter as it rapidly got closer. It was right on top of him now. He swiftly dodged to the side and ran his hand through one of the specter’s wings as it rushed past. Iyo used his other hand to brace his arm for the impact

The wraith’s wing was nearly ripped in half as it rushed past and it crashed into the ground ahead of where Iyo was running. Iyo caught his breath for a few moments and ran in the opposite direction. Waiting to see if it would get up would be a fool’s errand.

Iyo had only been running away for about a minute before a shadow was once again cast over him. The phoenix was now flying right at his side, just above the rooftops. Bright flames smoldered on its damaged wing around the wound Iyo had given it. They gradually shrunk until they were completely gone and its injuries were completely healed.

“Flames of rejuvenation. Truly fitting for a phoenix direct from legend.” Despite being in imminent danger, Iyo could not help but admire the majesty of the monster that was chasing him. He made a mental note to memorize its visage for later artistic purposes.

“Still, the haziness dampens it.”

He proceeded to focus his priorities on escaping. Iyo looked around again for an enclosed area. His yellow eyes glowed fiercely while his pupils narrowed to become even more slit-like than they already were. In the distance, almost a kilometer away, Iyo spotted an empty car garage.

It was an uphill battle to make it there as he was continuously pelted with feathers but eventually, he reached the structure. When he passed through the small space of the entranceway, he thought he was safe. However, the specter did not slow in its approach at all. It folded its wings to get past the stone pillars that blocked off the interior of the building.

Iyo grimaced as things took a turn for the worse. He did not know this car garage as well as the alleyways, His escape strategy could end up leading him to a dead end. Even if he managed to severely damage the wraith, it could use its flames to regenerate any wounds. He did not have any way of stopping that.

That’s what he thought at first while he steadily climbed up the levels of the large structure. He realized that the building was not in the best condition and had likely not seen maintenance done on it in years.

He came to an idea that he knew he was deeply against, but the phoenix specter was flying ever closer even within such a confined space. He decided that he had to make his choice soon.

“Sorry.”

After ascending to the second-highest level with the phoenix at his heels, Iyo outstretched his hand and scraped his claws against the brick wall of the building. He left a small scratch on it. There was a slight pause before it was followed by a yellow luminescent burst that was akin to setting off a small spark.

That spark traveled down the wall and across the floor and ran across each of the pillars of the level Iyo was on. Then, with a loud boom, a large portion of each pillar was sliced in half where the spark had circled. These portions toppled over like a set of dominos, crashing into walls and expanding the destruction further until the whole floor and ceiling began to collapse.

Iyo made a beeline for the other side of the level. His back was bombarded by a volley of steely feathers. The force was enough to knock him to the ground. That fall allowed the wraith to catch up to him. With its target now within reach, it raised its beak to prepare for a blow that would have the force of a high-powered battering ram.

Before it could unleash this attack, one of its wings was suddenly crushed by falling debris, anchoring it to the ground. Its other wing fell victim to this soon after. Flames erupted to restore itself but they could not keep up as more rubble came crashing down on top of it, stamping out the fires.

At this point, Iyo had gotten to his feet. The young man rushed to the opening of the other side of the car garage and then leaped to the other building next to it as the entire top floor crumbled onto the second one. A cloud of dust dispersed into the air as Iyo desperately clawed at the side of a building in order to keep from falling a four-story drop.

His claws scraped along the rocky exterior of the building until coming to a halt. Iyo breathed a sigh of relief as he thought his tireless pursuit was finally over. His eyes widened as he looked up to see that his fingers had traced five more lines of sparks that were glowing brightly.

Another explosion resounded as Iyo was sent toppling to the ground below. He impacted hard asphalt with a sickening thud and ringing in his ears. Iyo looked up to the night sky to see it filled with stars both real and not before closing his eyes. He gave himself over to the wave of exhaustion that had washed over him and fell into a deep slumber.

***

“So, cough it up. Where’s Iyo and how is he connected to the recent incidents here?” Nera ordered Liam harshly. It was early in the morning with the sun just rising up in the still dark blue sky. After a night of tireless searching for Iyo, they gave up and decided to look for answers elsewhere. They caught Liam right as he was heading for work and were now trying to grill him for information.

“I’ll say it again. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Iyoto hasn’t told me anything about going around in some kind of Halloween costume at night.”

“What about his location? You two are close, right?” Allen asked less abrasively.

“We are. I’ve known him for a while but, outside of work, we don’t really hang out. The guy doesn’t even have a phone.” Liam professed, trying his best to seem earnest. A hand fiercely blitzed right next to his face and slammed against the wall he was standing in front of.

“You just expect to believe that bullcrap? I’m not sure what your deal is, but we have to figure out what’s going on or else.” Nera’s eyes dug holes into Liam as she glowered at him. A bead of sweat appeared on the man’s temple.

“Calm down, Nera. I know this is really important to you. But what he said checks out, at least partially. If Iyo had a phone, Liam could’ve called him the other day to come back to get the keys instead of asking us.” Allen affirmed, trying his best to keep the situation from escalating.

‘I guess I have to play good cop. I thought I would eventually be the one with the bright light in my face.’

“Ugh...I guess that’s true.” Nera agreed without removing her hand from the wall as if to keep Liam pinned down in place.

“There’s still something I’m curious about. If you can’t answer what Iyo’s connection to the incidents is then what about the landscaping crew you’re both a part of’s connection?”

A bewildered expression formed on Liam’s face.

“I’m not sure what you mean. There’s no connection. Are you being serious?”

“Affirmative, there definitely is.” Allen responded without a trace of doubt.

“What? Are you saying you can read my mind?” Liam fired back sarcastically.

“Nah, I can just read in general.” Allen held up a folded piece of newspaper from the Atelier Portfolio. In an article that was visible, it mentioned how the construction site for the new Hieronymus Clinic had been robbed of important electronic supplies. Allen then slid his fingers over to reveal another edition with an article talking about the new bushes that were lining the same construction site.

“The second article I showed you was a day before the first one. I wouldn’t have thought much about it if I hadn’t seen Iyo last night here with that giant wolf specter. That’s too much of a coincidence.” Allen asserted as he put the newspapers away. An hour prior, he had searched through the stockpile of them that was at Coffee & Chronicles. The ones they did not sell in the store were saved later for art groups to purchase and use as paper mache material.

“Heh, I’m surprised they still print physical copies. Regardless, I really don’t know how our landscaping crew relates to this fiasco. I’m busy just trying to get my inn up in running. If anyone does have a clue, you’ll have to look higher up than me.”

“And just who would be the best to ask who fits that criteria? Your boss?” Nera pressured. Allen could tell from the way Liam’s feet were angled all the way away from her that he wanted to get away as soon as possible. Although, that was reasonable in this situation.

“What? No, please don’t tell my boss anything about this. If he thinks I got him into some trouble, he’ll fire me faster than a heartbeat!” Liam pleaded.

“Okay. We’ll go ask the even higher ups then.” Nera smiled pleasantly and walked off from Liam. He opened his mouth as if he was going to attempt to dissuade her. Allen gently put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t bother. I don’t think the walls of Troy could keep her from where she wants to go.” Allen explained.

The two of them followed Nera into the site with some odd looks scathing them.

“Where are they at?” She winced before covering her eyes from the sun..

“...I think they should be over there. That’s where most of the upper management is done.”

The three headed to a large gray encampment. Nera suddenly raised her hand to stop them in their tracks.

“What do you mean we should get the AGF more involved in this matter? If we do that, this whole project will come to a halt.” Nera suddenly started speaking in a monotone voice as if she was reading lines on a teleprompter.

“There’s no other option if you want to prevent people from getting hurt. We could try to expedite the process but that would lead to massive setbacks and their attacks are becoming more frequent.” The young woman continued to speak in a detached manner with vacant eyes. Allen realized she was deep in concentration. She was making use of her cybernetic auditory prowess.

“What is she doing?” Liam asked.

“I think she’s eavesdropping.” Allen replied while gesturing for Liam to lower his volume so Nera could better listen in on the conversation.

“But that tent’s supposed to be soundproof…” Liam was left to wonder just what kind of people he had ended up hiring.

“We haven’t been able to find any evidence as to who the culprit is or if there is even more than one culprit. There are multiple Crafter guards placed here who have not been able to detect a single trace of mana or miasma entering or leaving the proximity during the times these incidents have taken place.”

“What about the security feed? Surely, something significant must have shown up there.”

“No, I’ve been reviewing them tirelessly. For the past few days, nothing has turned up on them at all. That’s why I’m saying we should contact the AGF and have them thoroughly investigate this whole fiasco.”

“It seems like all of the guards are incredibly incompetent. A little trial and tribulation should not be enough to heed progress. This clinic will be one crucial step toward bringing about a tremendously positive renewal for this city. A few hindrances along the way should not be enough to stop us.”

“But, our employees…”

“My employees. I take full responsibility for any damages that might befall them, and I will make sure they get the proper medical treatment needed. However, I don’t want to hear any more talk about getting authorities to significantly intervene until this clinic is finished.” Nera stopped relaying the correspondence. Allen wondered why she did not keep going but was immediately answered when someone stepped out of the tent.

It was the person he had met yesterday, Mr. Hunstad. Allen was surprised to see the head of Hieronymus Pharmaceuticals here and it looked like Hunstad felt similarly when he spotted him.

“You’re the young man from the other day. What are you doing here?” Mr. Hunstad’s tone was decidedly less amicable than it had been before.

“Uhh, our friend Liam was just showing us around before he gets to work.”

“Hmph, is that so?” Mr. Hunstad turned his gaze to Liam. “You should know this isn’t a place to bring guests. Have them leave at once.”

“Yes sir.” Liam replied promptly.

“That’s good to hear. I’m glad some of my subordinates can follow orders when given. Anyway, I have other matters to deal with. It was nice to see you again, Allen.” Mr. Hunstad began to leave.

“Wait, do you know anything about if Iyo has anything to do with the recent incidents happening here lately.” Nera inquired urgently.

“Hmm, are you talking about Hisato’s ward? Why would he have anything to do with this?” Mr. Hunstad recognized her face from somewhere. She was definitely someone he had seen before.

“It’s just that we haven’t seen him in a while and those thefts have been getting mega extreme. I heard they may even keep the clinic from being finished.”

“Tch, that’s extremely unlikely. A few missing parts are not going to stop us when we can just order more. If anything, these bumps on the road will just show how persistent Hieronymus Pharmaceuticals is when it comes to innovation and the wellbeing of the community. As for Iyo, there is a chance you can find him where Hisato Takamura used to stay.”

“Thanks for telling us where Iyo could be. By the way, are you really sure that things won’t get worse from here?” Allen spoke up this time.

Hunstad nodded and grinned. “There’s always a silver lining, and I have a good feeling we’re close to reaching it. Now, I really must get going.” The green-haired man proceeded to walk toward the exit of the construction site and was not interrupted this time.

“He was the one against getting the AGF involved.” Nera nonchalantly declared.

“Yeah, I figured that out from his attitude. I wonder if there’s more to it than he’s letting on.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“Wait, don’t tell me we’re just going to barge in.” Liam was fearful of her answer.

“You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to. We’ll just tell him we’re asking about Iyo. Which we are actually.”

“Fine then, you two are going to do whatever you want anyway.” Liam relented right after Nera had already started walking into the tent.

“Hey, wait up!” Allen rushed to catch up with her.

When they both got inside, Allen looked around to see that the tent was fairly well-furbished. A green and purple latticed padding lined the ground like a high-quality carpet. There was a long desk to their right that had an array of six computer monitors showing several areas around the construction site. To their left, there was a baize table with eight chairs placed at it. Further left, there were three tall metallic filing cabinets.

In the very center of the spacious area was a wide desk with a single computer and where the head designer of the entire new building project sat. The blue-eyed man in the neon tie was currently rubbing his eyes as he looked down at his desk.

“..Hey.” Allen abruptly declared their presence causing the man to look up in alarm.

“You again? What are you people doing here? You need to leave at once.” Miller stated promptly. Allen noticed that Miller had heavy bags under his eyes.

‘These thefts must really be taking their toll on him.’

“We’re here to ask about Iyo. He works for the landscaping crew here. Do you have any idea if he or the crew are connected to the recent incidents going on?” Nera stated.

“We think our friend might be in a lot of danger.” Allen added and Nera grimaced at that remark. She would not exactly call either of them her friend.

Miller’s expression softened, and he sighed. He sat up straight and rolled his chair slightly back from his desk.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but there’s not much I can say that isn’t on a strictly need-to-know basis.”

Nera walked up and planted her hands on the desk, staring him earnestly in the eyes.

“Then tell us what you can. Please, I need this clinic to open. My friend’s life could depend on having access to the treatment it’s supposed to freely give.” Nera sincerely spoke from her heart. Miller noticed her monochromatic hair and a sense of understanding seemed to come to him.

“So, it’s something like that.” Miller ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled in exasperation. “Damn it, his entire thing should’ve been looked over under a microscope by the AGF already. I’ll let you in on what’s already pretty much known by all the other workers collectively.”

“And what’s that?” Allen asked.

“The details about why this “shadow thief” is so uncatchable and unexplainable. This person doesn’t show up on security cameras, none of their victims have any noticeable injuries besides being severely drained like they spent a week without food or water. The strangest part of it all is how each time the thief only grabs one case of the microcontrollers I told you about earlier.”

“Has nothing really show up on the security feed?” Nera asked.

“Aside from random cracking on the roof of a nearby building last night, none at all.” Miller responded.

“We also found out that the landscaping crew here was hired just a day before the incidents stared occurring. Got any explanation for that?” Allen queried.

“Hmm, I hadn’t thought much of it.” Miller put his finger to his chin in thought. “Maybe it’s something like the culprit using the crew to sneak into the site unnoticed. Their checks are less thorough than ours, so I could see that happening. However, that’s just a theory.”

“It’s the best we got for now. Is there anything else you can let us in on?” Nera replied.

“No, that’s everything I can tell you.”

Nera groaned but accepted his words since they now had a lot of new information to go over.

“Alright, can we go before someone comes to kick us out?” Allen urged.

The two began to leave and Miller told them one last thing. “I hope you find your friend soon. Someone like him should not be roaming the streets lost and helpless. Bring him back to where he belongs.” The designer gave a tired smile that the two others returned as they left the tent.

***

They were walking down the street as they mulled over everything.

“Let’s look over everything that happened last night again. Did you notice anything in particular about that specter?” Nera was questioning Allen since she had not been able to see it.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if this is odd for a specter, but it seemed to be wearing headphones”

“They weren’t a part of it?”

“I don’t think so. Actually, they felt familiar like I had seen them-Wait! I think I know where I saw them.”

“Where?”

“In a dream. I saw that same style of headphones in a dream before.”

“Huh?”

Oh, right? I didn’t tell you about this, did I? You remember when I used that megaphone to wake you up while we were trapped in Harpe’s Expanse?”

“Yeah…” Nera replied in confusion as she realized how unusual that was.

“Well, the only reason I was able to get that is because I pulled it out of a dream within a specter stone.”

“And you’ve lost me. That’s a bit of a stretch for me to buy.”

“You don’t have to buy it. I’ll show you right now.” Allen focused on the draugr’s specter stone concealed in his bandages and began to drift into reverie. He lost consciousness.

“Wha!’ Nera caught Allen in her arms before he could fall to the ground. Other pedestrians who were walking on the sidewalk looked at them curiously and began to speak in hushed voices. Nera could swear she saw one of them raise a phone to their ear.

“Come on, Allen! Wake up, you’re making it look like I knocked you out. Plus, I don’t want to have to hold onto you like this forever.” Nera protested and she shook Allen’s head and squeezed his face. He did not budge a fraction of a centimeter

People began to get even more suspicious. A crowd had even started to gather.

“Ugh, you’re such a pain in the ass!” Nera hurriedly dragged Allen’s limp body out of the limelight and into an alleyway. After a few more moments of nervousness, Allen opened his eyes to see Nera staring daggers at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that for? Actually, where are we even? I thought we were on the sidewalk.” Nera immediately dropped him to the ground, causing a loud groan from Allen.

“You fell asleep all of the sudden. What was that supposed to prove?

“Uhh, I tried to go into the draugr stone’s dream, but I couldn’t get a connection. I guess I end up falling asleep whenever I do that.” Allen meekly answered in embarrassment.

“Wow, trying to go into a dream makes you fall asleep? Who would have guessed?” Nera replied sarcastically then sighed.

“Okay, let’s say this is a real ability of yours. Is there anything different about this time than the previous time you’ve done it?”

Allen placed his hand over his mouth in contemplation before remembering that the last time he had used , he had been holding Nera’s ribbon baton.

“I had your baton in my hand. It’s some sort of rare magic item. Maybe it amplified my mana control?”

“That idea isn’t a terrible one. But you can’t do it out here in broad daylight or we’ll attract too much unwanted attention. Is there anywhere close by, away from all the eyes you can do that?”

Allen gulped and hesitantly nodded

***

They were now in Allen’s apartment and Nera was curiously scanning the entire space like she was window shopping. She scrutinized all the collectibles and postures on the wall and opened all the cabinets and drawers in his kitchen.

Allen lamented her presence here while sitting on the floor with Nera’s ribbon baton. She was the first woman to ever be in his apartment. He had expected that would be someone like a significant other and that he would not be trying to solve the mystery behind an untraceable master thief, a giant wolf monster, and a taciturn person with scales and claws. He wondered how his life ended up like this.

‘This is so unfair. At least all that time I spent as a member of the paranormal mystery club is paying off.”

Allen closed his eyes as he gripped the handle of the baton and tried once more to dive into the draugr’s dream.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in the factory he had visited before.

‘Alright, time to get looking.’ Allen walked forward into the dreamscape, oblivious to cracks that were forming on the ground just out of the range of his peripheral vision.