KNOCK. KNOCK.

  The sound echoed through Elysia’s quiet room.

  She sat at her desk, hunched over her notes, furiously scribbling theories about Light.

  She barely reacted—until the door opened.

  A smiling woman stood there, arms crossed, head tilted slightly in amusement.

  She had sharp eyes, the kind that could see through walls and people alike.

  Her tunic? Blue and white. As if no other colors existed in her world.

  And her voice? Smooth, casual, as if she was just visiting an old friend.

  Dyn (grinning, reading from her Proge): "Hmmm… El…Eli..Els… Oh stars—why do you all have such long names? Elysia."

  Elysia stood still, gripping the door.

  She blinked.

  Elysia (slowly, guarded): "Yes?"

  Dyn (matter-of-factly, still smiling): "So, you are Livia and Trigaha’s friend. Or—was."

  The way she said it—so emotionless—made Elysia’s stomach twist.

  Elysia (voice quieter now): "Yeah…"

  Without waiting for permission, Dyn stepped inside.

  She immediately started looking around, her sharp gaze not missing a thing.

  Dyn (eyeing the small assistant bot on the desk, smirking): "Hmmm… so you too like these small bots."

  Pix (brightly, automatically): "HELLO, SATTIRA DYN! PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF..—"

  Elysia (groaning, quickly cutting off Pix): "Okay, okay, STOP!"

  Dyn chuckled.

  Dyn (mock-serious, grinning at Pix): "Oh, come on, don’t be so rude to her. After all, she’s just a bot, right? Oh—what’s your name?"

  Pix (cheerfully): "I’M PIX. ELYSIA’S PERSONAL BOT."

  Dyn (nodding approvingly): "Oh… so sweet. Pix! I like that. You know, I have my own. I call it—"

  Elysia (exasperated, cutting in): "Okay! Stop. Why are you here?"

  Dyn turned to her, smirking.

  Dyn (playfully, tilting her head): "Why would a Sattira be here?"

  Elysia folded her arms, not amused.

  She didn’t answer.

  Just stared at her.

  Dyn (chuckling, finally getting to the point): "Oh, come on. I’m here to investigate your murdered friends."

  Elysia’s fists clenched.

  Her grief, her anger—it all boiled up.

  Elysia (frustrated, voice sharp): "Look! You’re some Asuh Sattira. First, show some feelings. They died. At least pretend that you’re sorry."

  Dyn rolled her eyes.

  Dyn (shrugging, completely unfazed): "Nah. I’m fed up with that."

  Elysia’s brows furrowed.

  Dyn (leaning against the desk, nonchalantly): "But hey—I used to feel sorry. When I first started my career as a Sattira, Then I started to pretend. But you know what?"

  She tilted her head slightly, looking at Elysia with that piercing gaze.

  Dyn (smirking, voice casual but laced with something deeper): "It never stops. Death? Murders? Loss? It keeps coming. And coming. So, I just… stopped."

  She paused, letting that sink in.

  Then—

  Dyn (grinning again, gesturing vaguely): "You can do your crying and sobbing if you like. I’ll wait."

  Elysia threw up her hands, groaning.

  Elysia (sarcastically, throwing her head back): "GREAT."

  Dyn laughed.

  Dyn (mockingly, smirking): "See? You’ll get used to it."

  Elysia rolled her eyes so hard she almost saw another realm.

  She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

  Elysia (grumbling): "Just start this already and get out. I have stuff to do."

  Dyn tapped her chin, thinking.

  Then—she grinned.

  Dyn (brightly, clapping her hands together): "I know! How about a Vahi first?"

  Elysia stared at her.

  Her light left her body for a second.

  She blinked.

  Elysia (flatly, deadpan): "Really?"

  Dyn grinned wider.

  Dyn (smirking, leaning closer, whispering playfully): "Oh, absolutely."

  The table was silent, except for the faint clinking of cups.

  The aroma of warm Vahi filled the air, but the tension between Elysia and Dyn remained thick.

  Dyn sat casually, sipping her drink slowly, as if she had all the time in the world.

  Elysia?

  She sat rigid, fingers curled around her cup, her patience wearing thin.

  Dyn (taking a sip, relaxed): "So… where are you from in Mirgeth?"

  Elysia (flatly, not in the mood for small talk): "Dohi Mand. Some 80-85 Byots away from Zidha Uth."

  Dyn (raising an eyebrow, amused): "Oh, great! My mum was from Zidha. You know, we used to have a small bookstore there. It was—"

  Elysia (cutting in, sharp, impatient): "Get it done. I said."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Dyn paused.

  She stared at Elysia for a long moment—as if analyzing her.

  Then, she smirked.

  Dyn (leaning back, smirking): "Hmm… what’s the hurry?"

  Elysia glared.

  Dyn took another slow sip, deliberately stalling.

  Then, finally—she set her cup down.

  Dyn (sighing dramatically, stretching her arms): "Alright. Let’s get to the part where I ask questions and you pretend you don’t know anything."

  Dyn (leaning forward, tapping the table): "You were close to Livia and Trigaha. Tell me about the last time you saw them."

  Elysia’s jaw tightened.

  Elysia (quietly): "That morning. Before… before they…" (her voice faltered for a second, but she forced herself to continue) "We were in the garden. Just… talking."

  Dyn (nodding, studying her closely): "Talking about?"

  Elysia (hesitant): "Ethan."

  Dyn’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

  Dyn (curious, tapping her fingers lightly): "Oh? Ethan?"

  Elysia (nodding, swallowing hard): "Yeah. We… we were watching his news. And then—"

  She hesitated.

  She remembered what happened next.

  The security alert. The footage.

  Livia and Trigaha’s faces when they looked at her.

  How they had recognized something that she didn’t.

  How they said—

  "Elysia… it’s you."

  Her heart pounded.

  Dyn (watching her reaction, voice casual but sharp): "And then?"

  Elysia snapped back.

  Elysia (quickly, shaking her head): "And then the news came in about the security breach. We watched the footage together."

  Dyn narrowed her eyes.

  She took another sip of Vahi, then set the cup down gently.

  Dyn (calmly, but eyes sharp): "You hesitated."

  Elysia stiffened.

  Elysia (defensive): "I just… I was remembering."

  Dyn smirked.

  Dyn (leaning in slightly, voice dropping to a whisper): "Or you were choosing your words carefully."

  Elysia’s fingers clenched.

  Dyn watched her closely, then suddenly pulled out her Prodge.

  She swiped her fingers across the air, and a holographic projection appeared.

  The security footage.

  The figure in the dark purple tunic.

  Walking down the hallway… moving toward Livia and Trigaha’s room.

  Elysia’s breath hitched.

  Dyn (watching her expression, voice low and sharp): "You recognize this?"

  Elysia stared at it.

  She couldn’t speak.

  She could barely breathe.

  Dyn (softly, pressing further): "You do. Don’t you?"

  Elysia swallowed hard.

  Her mind raced.

  She needed to say something.

  But what?

  How could she explain the unexplainable?

  The fact that Livia and Trigaha told her she wore that tunic.

  That she didn’t remember.

  That her fingers were turning black.

  That she collapsed after reading about Vyshek.

  Was she being set up?

  Or was she becoming something she didn’t understand?

  Elysia (forcing herself to stay calm): "It’s the same tunic from the Library breach."

  Dyn tilted her head slightly.

  Dyn (casually): "Yes. That’s what we thought too."

  She let that sit.

  Then, she added—very deliberately—

  Dyn (leaning in, voice lower, curious): "You wouldn’t happen to own a tunic like that, would you?"

  Elysia felt her heartbeat in her throat.

  She forced herself to breathe normally.

  If she said no—would Dyn believe her?

  If she said yes—what would happen next?

  This was a test.

  She could feel it.

  Dyn was watching her every move.

  Waiting.

  Listening.

  Elysia forced a calm expression.

  Elysia knew she didn’t do anything wrong.

  She was here, in her room, the night Livia and Trigaha were murdered—sleeping.

  So why was she feeling uneasy?

  She took a slow breath, forcing herself to relax.

  Then, she rolled her palms, keeping them low on the table—hiding her darkened fingers.

  She met Dyn’s gaze without hesitation.

  Elysia (calm, shrugging slightly): "No. What kind of question is that, even? Why would I own something that’s being hunted for murdering my friends?"

  Dyn didn’t reply immediately.

  She just watched her.

  A slow, knowing smirk curled on her lips.

  Then, she leaned forward slightly and spoke—

  Dyn (smooth, casual): "Right. That means you wouldn’t mind if someone came to this beautiful room of yours—Pix included—and searched it."

  Elysia tilted her head slightly, keeping her expression neutral.

  Elysia (nonchalant, leaning back slightly): "Not at all."

  Dyn studied her for a moment.

  Then, as if nothing happened, she took another slow sip of her Vahi.

  Dyn (smirking, setting her cup down): "So, Elysia—tell me about yourself!"

  Elysia (frowning, caught off guard): "What?"

  Dyn (shrugging, smiling slightly): "I heard from your Wigor Mishis that you’re a bright Bych in class."

  Elysia didn’t like this shift.

  What did her studies have to do with anything?

  She chose her words carefully.

  Elysia (shrugging, dismissive): "I don’t know. I just do my work—my part."

  Dyn tapped her fingers on the table.

  Dyn (casual, but sharp): "But Mishis also said that your behavior changed these past few days. That you were getting more aggressive."

  Elysia looked away for a second.

  Her jaw tightened.

  Then, she sighed.

  Elysia (muttering, looking down): "Fairies change."

  Dyn smirked slightly.

  Dyn (playful, but pressing on): "So… what made you change then?"

  Elysia’s fingers curled slightly.

  Her mind raced.

  Then—she made a mistake.

  Elysia (slipping, frustrated): "I don’t know if I’ve changed or not! Yeah, maybe I yelled at Livia and Trigaha when they started talking about that night—"

  She stopped herself.

  But it was too late.

  Dyn’s eyes gleamed.

  She leaned in.

  Dyn (calmly, smoothly): "What night?"

  Elysia’s heart pounded.

  Why did I say that?!

  She needed to fix this—fast.

  She forced a chuckle, shaking her head as if it wasn’t important.

  Elysia (shrugging, casual tone): "When we… we sneaked out of campus for fun."

  Dyn tilted her head.

  Dyn (softly, but precise): "And when was that night?"

  Elysia (keeping her voice steady): "A few days ago."

  Dyn (raising an eyebrow, pressing more): "And what happened that made you yell at them?"

  Elysia forced herself to stay calm.

  She needed to make this believable.

  Elysia (leaning back, sighing dramatically): "It was just a fun sneak. We went to Uth. They always teased me about Ethan. Everyone’s his fan, but they loved to mess with me about it. So that night, we decided to go for a movie. But instead, I stopped at a holograph showing Ethan’s news… and they started teasing me for it."

  Dyn watched her carefully.

  For a moment, she said nothing.

  Then—

  She leaned back, smirking.

  Dyn (grinning slightly, nodding): "Ohh, I can feel that. I’m his fan too."

  Silence.

  Elysia stared at her, unsure.

  Then—

  Dyn lifted her empty cup.

  Dyn (mockingly dramatic): "And look at this. You didn’t even touch your Vahi."

  Elysia rolled her eyes, frustrated.

  Elysia (dry, unimpressed): "Are we here to discuss this? Or did you run out of questions?"

  Dyn grinned.

  She liked this one.

  Dyn (chuckling, amused): "Hmm… direct. I like that."

  Dyn stood up and began looking around the room.

  Her eyes landed on Elysia’s notes.

  The pages filled with research on Light.

  She tapped a finger against them.

  Dyn (curious, flipping through a page): "Cami—the Librarian—she said you spend a lot of time in the Library."

  Elysia watched her carefully.

  Elysia (nodding slowly): "Yeah. I’m doing extra research. Something outside of the curriculum."

  Dyn nodded approvingly.

  Then—her next question hit like a blade.

  Dyn (glancing at her, voice smooth but sharp): "At night too?"

  Elysia’s stomach tightened.

  Her breath hitched—just slightly.

  Elysia (forcing an even tone): "No. Why at night?"

  Dyn smirked.

  Dyn (casually, shrugging): "Oh, nothing special. Just asking."

  She moved past Elysia, heading toward the door.

  Before stepping out, she paused.

  She turned her head slightly, flashing a small smile.

  Dyn (playfully, as if she just enjoyed the conversation): "Good to see you, Ely. I hope we meet again."

  Elysia exhaled slowly.

  Elysia (deadpan, crossing her arms): "Yeah. Please be quick next time. It cost me six Huris for two Vahi."

  Dyn grinned.

  Then—without another word—she left.

  The door clicked shut.

  Elysia stayed seated, staring at the untouched Vahi.

  Her hands clenched slightly.

  Dyn was smart.

  She wasn’t asking random questions.

  She was testing her.

  And the way she pushed about the night…

  Something told Elysia—this wasn’t over.

  Not even close.