Two Cloud Knights moved forward immediately, their armor clinking softly in the sudden silence. They flanked Kafka, expressions professional and cold.
One produced glowing restraints. Bands of pure energy that hummed with suppression tech. They wrapped around Kafka's wrists, tight but not painful. The light pulsed once, twice, then settled into a steady glow.
Kafka didn't resist. Just held her hands out, cooperative, that eternal smile still on her face.
The restraints locked with a sharp click.
Fu Xuan observed this with arms crossed, her third eye still faintly glowing. She watched the restraints settle, watched Kafka's expression, watched for any sign of deception or hidden intent.
Nothing.
Just that smile.
"Secure," one of the Cloud Knights reported.
Fu Xuan nodded once, sharp and efficient. "Good. Stand ready."
The knights positioned themselves on either side of Kafka. One hand on her shoulder. One hand on their weapons. Professional. Vigilant.
Kafka looked entirely unbothered.
Fu Xuan turned then, facing the Astral Express crew properly for the first time. Her expression shifted from cold authority to something slightly more formal. Not warm, exactly. But acknowledging.
"Greetings, crew of the Astral Express." Her voice carried that same imperious tone, but with an edge of courtesy beneath it. "This is our first encounter, though given that I saw you in my foresight, perhaps I should say our second."
She paused, letting that sink in.
March blinked. "You... saw us?"
"Obviously." Fu Xuan's tone suggested this should be self-evident. "The Matrix of Prescience reveals many threads of fate. Your arrival on the Luofu was one such thread."
Her pink hair shifted as she straightened, hands moving to clasp behind her back. The third eye on her forehead pulsed softly.
"I am Fu Xuan, Master Diviner of the Divination Commission and one of the Six Charioteers of the Xianzhou Luofu."
Welt inclined his head respectfully. "An honor, Master Diviner."
Fu Xuan's expression didn't change. "Your reputation precedes you as well, Welt Yang. The Astral Express carries weight across many star systems."
Stelle just stared. March looked between Fu Xuan and Kafka, still processing.
Tingyun stepped forward slightly, fan open, smile pleasant. "Master Fu Xuan, if I may"
Fu Xuan's eyes cut to her. Just for a moment. A flicker of something passed across her expression, too quick to name.
Then she looked away.
"The Sky-Faring Commission's input is noted," Fu Xuan said flatly. "But unnecessary."
Tingyun's smile tightened just slightly. Almost imperceptible. But Kevin saw it from his hiding spot.
She doesn't like being dismissed.
Fu Xuan turned back to the crew. "You have questions, I'm sure. Direct them to General Jing Yuan. He will coordinate with the Divination Commission regarding"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her third eye flared.
Brighter. More intense. The glow cast strange shadows across her face.
Fu Xuan's head turned slowly. Away from the crew. Away from Kafka. Toward the shadows near the adjacent corridor entrance.
Toward where Kevin stood, hidden in darkness.
Her expression shifted. Not anger. Something more like recognition mixed with exasperation.
"I wonder," she said, voice dropping into something pointed, "how long you plan on hiding."
The tone wasn't a question. More like a teacher calling out a student who thought they were being clever.
Everyone froze.
March looked around. "Hiding? Who's hiding?"
Stelle's hand went to her bat immediately.
Welt tensed, eyes scanning the shadows.
Even Kafka's smile widened slightly, amused.
Kevin stood perfectly still in the darkness.
Yep. She knows.
Of course she did. The Matrix of Prescience. The ability to see fate, read destiny, perceive things hidden from normal sight.
And more than that...
She knows I threatened her beloved Jing Yuan.
The man who needed to pass his position to her before he could die. The General she served. The one she likely cared about more than she'd ever admit.
Kevin had walked into Jing Yuan's office. Made demands. Created a weapon of annihilation. Threatened to destroy the Xianzhou Alliance if they interfered with his plans.
Fu Xuan's foresight would have shown her some of that. Maybe not all the details. But enough.
Of course she's not happy.
Kevin sighed quietly.
No point hiding now.
He stepped forward.
Out of the shadows. Into the light filtering through the observation deck's broken windows. His footsteps were silent against the polished floor, but his presence was suddenly undeniable.
White hair with black streaks. Gray eyes like storm clouds. Two rings visible on his hands, one on each. His expression was calm, neutral, almost tired.
He stopped a few meters away from Fu Xuan.
Looked at her directly.
"Hello."
One word. Simple. Direct.
Fu Xuan's third eye pulsed once. Her arms remained crossed. Her expression was unimpressed.
"You."
Kevin met her gaze calmly. "Yes?"
Fu Xuan stared at him for a long moment. Her third eye glowed faintly, reading something only she could see. Then she let out a small breath through her nose.
"Nothing."
Just that. Flat. Final.
Kevin understood immediately.
Jing Yuan told her to keep quiet about the deal.
Of course he did. The General was many things, but careless wasn't one of them. Whatever arrangement they'd made, whatever weapon Kevin had given him, whatever threats had been exchanged—Jing Yuan wanted it contained. Private.
Fu Xuan clearly disagreed with that decision. But she was following orders.
For now.
March's voice cut through the tension. "Wait, Kevin?! Didn't you have business with the General?"
She looked between him and Fu Xuan, confused and a little suspicious.
Stelle just nodded at him. No questions. Just acknowledgment.
Kevin offered a small smile. Tired but genuine. "I just finished the business I had. When I came back, you'd already dealt with Kafka."
March squinted at him. "And you just... followed us? That's kinda creepy, you know."
"I wanted to make sure you were safe."
"We can handle ourselves!" March huffed, but there was no real heat in it.
Welt adjusted his glasses. His expression was thoughtful, calculating. He didn't look at Kevin. Instead, he turned back to Fu Xuan, clearly trying to return to the more pressing matter.
"Hmm." He cleared his throat. "Master Diviner, we received an assignment from General Jing Yuan to apprehend the Stellaron Hunter. Thank you for coming to our aid, but we must escort the fugitive to the General as agreed."
Fu Xuan's expression didn't change. She reached into her sleeve and produced a folded document. It shimmered faintly with official seals and script.
"Inessential." Her tone was matter-of-fact. "I hold a proclamation from the General here, if you care to see it. Upon detaining the Stellaron Hunter, questioning and all further arrangements are to be undertaken by the Divination Commission."
She held it out briefly, then tucked it back into her sleeve before anyone could take it.
March's expression brightened immediately. She put her hands on her hips, grinning. "Wait, so the General spared us a walk with Kafka? See? I knew he was a good guy!"
Welt gave March a look. Sharp. Brief. The kind that said not now.
March deflated slightly.
Welt turned back to Fu Xuan, his voice measured and professional. "Understood, Master Diviner. However, the General promised that all intelligence would be shared with us. We have a right to know anything Kafka divulges during questioning."
Fu Xuan's eye twitched. Just barely.
She muttered under her breath, quiet but not quite quiet enough. "Oh, that guy... can't go one day without him throwing me under the..."
Welt caught it. "We won't make things any more complicated than they need to be. We just want to listen to the questioning."
Fu Xuan's third eye flared briefly. She looked at Welt, then at the rest of the crew, then finally back to Kafka, who was still standing there smiling like this was the most entertaining thing she'd seen all week.
Fu Xuan sighed. Audibly. The weight of duty and annoyance packed into one breath.
"Fine." She gestured sharply to the Cloud Knights. "Bring her. The Express crew will accompany us to the Divination Commission for observation only. They are not to interfere with the interrogation process."
Her gaze swept over them, stern and unyielding.
"That means no questions. No interruptions. You watch. You listen. You do not speak unless I permit it. Am I clear?"
Welt inclined his head. "Crystal clear."
March opened her mouth, probably to argue, but Stelle elbowed her gently. March shut her mouth with a huff.
Fu Xuan's eyes shifted to Kevin.
"And you." Her tone was pointed. "Are you coming as well?"
Kevin considered for a moment.
Do I need to be there?
Kafka's interrogation. The script playing out. The crew watching, learning pieces of the puzzle.
He could go. Watch from the shadows. See how Elio's plan unfolded.
Or he could stay out of it. Let them have their moment.
But then again...
Kevin smiled. Small, but genuine. "Of course. After all, I am part of the Astral Express."
His gaze shifted. One eye. Just for a moment. Toward Kafka.
Kafka's smile widened ever so slightly. Like she'd heard something no one else had.
A response. Unspoken. Acknowledged.
Fu Xuan's third eye pulsed once, but she said nothing. Just turned sharply on her heel.
"Then let's move. We've wasted enough time already."
The starskiff was smaller than the one Tingyun had piloted before. Cramped, with barely enough space for everyone. Fu Xuan took the front, standing rigid and formal despite the close quarters. The two Cloud Knights flanked Kafka in the center. The crew squeezed in where they could.
Kevin stood near the back, silent, watching the city pass below as they flew.
The journey was brief. Too brief for comfort but long enough for tension to build. March fidgeted with her bow. Stelle stared out the window. Welt observed Fu Xuan and Kafka with quiet calculation.
Tingyun piloted, her movements smooth and practiced.
The starskiff began its descent.
They landed with a soft thud. The engines powered down with a low hum.
Tingyun stood, stretching slightly, her tail swishing once. "Let's disembark here, benefactors."
Everyone filed out. Kevin stepped onto solid ground, glancing around.
This wasn't the Divination Commission.
The architecture was different. More open. Elegant. A plaza stretched before them, lined with decorative columns and traditional Xianzhou motifs. Lanterns hung from beams, swaying gently in the artificial breeze.
Fu Xuan stopped immediately. Her hands went to her hips. She turned to face Tingyun, her expression flat and stern.
"I may live in relative seclusion, but I can recognize my own territory." Her voice was sharp, clipped. "Why did you bring us here? Does this look like the Divination Commission to you?"
Tingyun's smile didn't falter, but there was a slight edge of defensiveness in her tone. "No need to yell, Master Diviner! The Meridian Pin is malfunctioning, and I couldn't find the entrance to the Divination Commission's Exalting Sanctum directly. I wanted to get straight to our destination, but this was the only place I could dock the starskiff safely."
She gestured ahead with her fan, voice smoothing back into pleasantness. "Look, the Exalting Sanctum is just ahead. This is a safe space. Let's just walk the rest of the way from here."
Fu Xuan's expression didn't change. She lowered her hands from her hips and brought one to her chin, her third eye glowing faintly as she spoke to herself.
"Our hexagrammatic position is fluctuating between the marsh and water trigrams. The vessel is stranded, and the way is blocked..."
Her voice was quiet, analytical, like she was reading invisible patterns in the air.
March leaned toward Stelle, whispering but not quietly enough. "I heard people on the Xianzhou can tell your fortune. Is that how they do it? Can anyone just count on their fingers like that?"
Stelle turned her head slowly, giving March a blank look. "How should I know? And since when does this interest you so much?"
March huffed. "I'm just curious! It looks cool, okay?"
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Author's Note:
This chapter was supposed to be out yesterday, but I got caught up with some things.
Got any thoughts or ideas about the story? Feel free to drop a comment and let me know!