Raiden shifts his gaze away from the window and toward Raia, who is sitting across from him in the train compartment, reading a newspaper. They haven't said anything since getting on the train, and they've been on it for half an hour.

He had tried to strike up a conversation earlier, but the grim-faced girl never took her gaze away from the newspaper she had picked up in town on their way to the station. Raiden decided not to try again after that failed attempt, fearful of receiving another silence or even a scowl.

Raiden leans his elbow on the window. Perhaps she's still upset about her Branding?

He knew when he saw her face after mentioning her Branding. Of course, she must have gone through the same ordeal as Nathan and the other Aragons he met. Maybe what she saw had something to do with her distant personality.

Raiden, on the other hand, is still puzzled as to why he did not have the same experience as the majority of Aragons. When he was Branded a year ago, the Sacred Water only showed him blackness. He wasn't able to see anything. His branding was . . . void. He's even wondering if he went inside the same water or not. Perhaps he's only different because he has no memory of his past.

He has no recollection of his life prior to becoming a disciple.

Regardless, the Sacred Water should have revealed something to him.

"Hey there."

Raiden's musings are interrupted by an animated voice. He turns his head, then blinks. A young man with ginger hair stands in front of their compartment, an amiable smile on his lips.

"Can I sit with you? Sitting with the elderly bores me," says the man, picking his ear with his pinky.

Raiden frowns, scrutinizing his appearance. The first thing he notices about him is his silver eyes. His pupils are thin, vertical slits instead of round ones.

He has eyes like a cat!

Raiden has never seen anyone with such eyes before. For some reason, he finds himself becoming suspicious of the stranger in front of him.

The man wears a green bandanna around his head and is dressed in a sloppy dark shirt with an emerald green capelet draped around his shoulders. His black baggy pants are tucked into his knee-high boots.

What an outfit. Maybe he's just a traveler, Raiden wonders. He casts a quick glance at Raia as if to solicit her permission, but her face is still buried in the newspaper.

What's the appeal of reading the newspaper? He gives her a funny look.

"Alright, silence means yes!" exclaims the stranger as he sits down next to Raiden. He extends his hand. "I'm Loki."

Raiden's brow furrows in surprise at the man's cordial demeanor.

"I'm Raiden."

Loki scrunches up his brows as they shake hands, contemplating Raiden's feature.

"Hey, have we met before?" Loki asks, eliciting a frown from the questioned youth.

"Pardon me, but I don't recall ever meeting you before today." Raiden's stomach churns as he says that.

He is conflicted on the inside. Because he has no recollection of his past, it's possible that they've already met. But, for the time being, he has no memories of this man.

Loki raises an eyebrow at him before releasing his hand. He pulls an apple from his satchel, nods to Raiden, and takes a bite with a crunching sound.

"So, how old are you?" he asks as he chews.

"I'm seventeen years old," Raiden responds. He takes a water bottle from his sling bag and drinks half of it while looking at Raia.

Is she really ignoring us on purpose?

"So I'm older than you, eh? I'm twenty-two years old," Loki declares, then crunches on his apple. His gaze drifts to Raia. "Are you with that pretty girl over there?"

Loki has already made his way to Raia's seat before Raiden can respond. He leans in close to her as if he's about to whisper, a smirk on his face.

"Hey, young miss," he utters, his voice honeyed. A frown spreads across his features. Then he scribbles a smile on his lips. "You have a nice scent."

Raia hits Loki in the face with the newspaper, and the man backs away in an instant, a look of disbelief on his face.

"What was that for?" Loki exclaims. He glances at Raiden. "Damn, you've got a dangerous woman in here with you."

Raiden lets out a soft sigh. He's about to warn him not to bother Raia, but he's a second late. He's now feeling sorry for the stranger.

"Kara," Raia says, a firm tone in her voice. She raises her piercing gaze to Raiden and crosses her arms across her chest beneath her black cloak. "You just can't trust anyone you meet, especially in public."

Raiden averts his gaze, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, you're not talking to me."

Raia's eyes narrow and her lips press into a thin line as she stares at him. She then turns her head and looks at Loki, who flinches comically at her icy gaze.

If looks could kill, he and Loki would be lying on the floor by now.

Loki gives her a hesitant smile as he scratches his temple with his index finger. "Well . . . I'm Loki?"

Raia's frown deepens into a scowl, causing him to gulp in fear. Helpless, he glances at Raiden as if requesting assistance for his intimidating companion.

Raiden gives him an apologetic look. "She's a colleague of mine. Her name is Raia."

Raia's brows furrow in a savage line at the mention of her name, and a thin smile forms on her lips.

Upon seeing her face, Raiden gulps, but he forces himself to stand his ground. Raia's fierce smile is so cold and forced that it will freeze anyone out of fear. She rarely smiles, but when she does, it only adds to her menacing appearance. Despite Raiden's desire to see her face with it, he immediately regrets it after seeing her wear such an expression right now.

Raiden regards his companion as a truly terrifying person, with whom no one wants to mess. She is always quiet and wears a stoic expression, which makes her difficult to read. Her eyes, too, convey no emotion, not even a hint of what she is thinking. She's like a closed book. But all of this only serves to pique Raiden's interest in learning more about her.

To read beyond the cover page.

"I apologize on her behalf, but if you're thinking of making friends with her, I strongly advise you to reconsider," Raiden continues to Loki whilst keeping a calm exterior. No matter how intimidating she looks, he can't let himself be swayed by her. He has to get used to her presence and her cold demeanor.

To gain her trust, he must first prove that he is deserving of it. And acting like a scared puppy isn't going to help. He has to show that he can face her without any fear. Displaying inferiority makes her feel superior, which only widens the gap between them. It also makes him look bad as a man. He must make himself at ease around her in order for her to feel the same way.

Loki tilts his head to one side, puzzled, as Raia and Raiden exchange glares so intense that it feels like streamers of lightning arch back and forth between their eyes. Then, unnoticed by the two, an enigmatic smile spreads across his face.