The bell above the door jingled as I stepped outside. Sunlight smacked me in the face, forcing my eyes shut.
"Ughhh… too bright."
I raised my briefcase over my head like a shield; the prize clutched in my hand—a small dove-shaped pin.
"I thought it was gonna be gold or something," I muttered. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Suddenly—
"HUUGOOOOO!"
BUMP.
Something slammed into me from behind—a blur of limbs, a voice, a familiar weight on my back.
A boy.
Glowing in the sun, brimming with restless energy. He clung to me like a leech—a leech buzzing with adventure and laughter. Broad-faced, messy blonde hair like a tangled bush, freckles bright across his cheeks, brown eyes the color of desert sand. Shorter than me, but stockier, wearing the same school uniform minus the sweater. My best friend—and the most expressive person I knew.
"Dude, Tyler," I wheezed, trying to peel him off. "You're heavy."
He squeezed tighter. My knees buckled. I toppled forward and crashed onto the pavement.
"Hhhhnnngh… my back."
"Well, you shouldn't have ditched us. I was searching all over for ya—class, cafeteria, toilet, the court. Right, Sis?"
Before I could respond, someone stepped into my path on the pavement.
A girl stood in front of me, sipping from my can with that same sly grin she always wore when she was about to start trouble. The wind caught her hair as she spoke, her voice calm, teasing.
"Mmm… blueberry. Thanks for the fizz, Hugo."
"GINA?" My voice went sharp.
Her skin glowed in the sunlight, freckles dancing across her cheeks. Similar features to Tyler's, but sharper, her frame slender and restless. A year older, though she acted younger—her knotted pigtails bouncing as she moved. White top, gray skirt, and that signature grin, as if she'd just pulled a trick you hadn't noticed yet.
I glanced at my shopping bag. Sure enough—she'd swiped my drink.
"Huhh…why do you have to take the one thing I needed the most?" I groaned.
"Punishment," she said, slurping with a smug grin, "for leaving us behind."
Tyler frowned.
"Gina, you seriously need to stop stealing from your friends—or you won't have any left." He glanced back at me and caught my deadpan stare.
"See? He's already depressed."
"I'm not depressed," I said flatly.
He reached out, offering me a hand as if I'd just lost the will to live.
Gina gulped down the soda, then tossed the can back at me.
I caught it—and shook it. Empty.
"Really?"
She clasped her hands behind her back, handbag swinging, and strode ahead with an infuriating grin.
"Thanks, Hugo. C'mon. Let's go."
The three of us started downhill, weaving through the quiet backstreets of the city. On our right, the sea of clouds stretched to the horizon, as if we were walking along the edge of the world. Wind slid over rooftops and rattled antenna towers. An everyday sight—yet still beautiful. The breeze carried the crisp, faintly floral scent of the capital.
Buildings climbed into the skyline like solemn statues. People moved below, minds wrapped in their own small worlds. A rare kind of peace.
On the edge of the fence lay a foamy, misty white lake, where fishermen gathered—not to catch fish, but migrant ducks? Lines hung below the mist. Two old men were in the middle of a tug-of-war over the same bird, the poor creature dangling between them.
I caught Gina watching them, lips curling into something softer than her usual smirk. She wasn't teasing or scheming—just calm. Peaceful, even.
I kept glancing between Gina and the white lake, then back at her. The sunlight caught her face—her eyes glowing in the evening haze. Mist curled up from the lake, drifting lazily around her head like a pale halo. Her hair shimmered at the edges, each strand glinting gold.
She was… mesmerizing.
"Hey, Gina," I breathed. "You can have this."
I held out the dove pin.
Her brows furrowed. "What's this?"
"Well… there's no way a guy like me could keep something like this."
I hesitated, staring at her glow.
"And… well, you kinda look like an angel."
The world froze.
Tyler stopped mid-crunch.
Gina gasped so hard I thought she might choke on her own breath.
"Wh–WHAT?! Wh–where did that come from?" she stammered, her cheeks flushing crimson as she clutched her face like it was overheating.
"OII! Ar—Are You Flirting With My Sister?!" Tyler barked, stepping in front of her and grabbing my shoulders like a protective bodyguard.
"Hukh! Wait—what? No! No!" I raised both hands in surrender. "I'm not flirting with anyone."
I pulled Tyler to my side and tilted his head toward her.
"Do you see it now?"
Tyler squinted, then chuckled. "Oh, yeah—you're right. Ya' do look like a freak because of that cloud behind."
Gina blinked, she turned to the sky, realizing what we meant because of the cloud shaped like a halo creating a ring around her head. Then she let out a small laugh.
"Ah… I see. You had my heart racing for a moment there."
"If you don't want it, I can take it back," I held my hand out.
"What are you even talking about?" she shot back, clutching the dove pin to her chest. "I'm keeping this."
She studied it carefully, her fingers running over the delicate wings, her eyes scanning every curve as if the little trinket might whisper its secrets.
"An angel, huh?" she murmured. "It's said such a thing can mark a new beginning…"
"…or maybe… a new end," Tyler remarked.
Her gaze softened, lost somewhere in the weight of that thought. Then a faint smile curved her lips.
"I'd say any kind act is the work of an angel."
She pinned it in her hair, then turned to me. "So? How do I look?"
I recalled Lucy's advice: Always compliment a girl with confidence, no matter how ugly she looks.
"L—Looks good!" and gave a thumbs up, feeling my cheeks turn warm—maybe because of the sun, I wondered.
She smiled and then tucked the pin into her hair and looked at me.
"Thanks, Hugo. Now I am one—the Angel of Paradysia. And I can put an end to all wars."
Tyler snorted.
"Pfft. Yeah, yeah, you still look like a beast to me—now gimme a snack, would ya?"
"An ogre with no manners," Gina shot back, dangling a chip between her lips. "Try treating me like a princess, maybe then I'll consider it!"
Without hesitation, he snatched the food from Gina, and the two of them started devouring it as if it were theirs.
"Hey, not fair!" Gina protested.
"It's not yours either," Tyler retorted.
They bickered like kids—well, they were kids, and siblings on top of that—wrestling over the bag until crumbs scattered down the pavement. I couldn't help smiling. With the right people around, even this broken world felt lighter. Blessed, somehow.
We rounded the corner, halfway across the junction near the local clinic, when Tyler suddenly froze. His eyes narrowed at the sidewalk ahead.
"Whoa. Who's that chick?"
Gina smacked the back of his head. "That's Lucy, you moron."
"Lucy? Where?" I squinted across the street—and there she was.
She stood between two giant walls so tall that my neck ached just looking at them. Her ginger ponytail swayed in the breeze, but the rest of her remained perfectly still. A blazer draped over her jeans, one hand clenched around a folded piece of paper.
I raised my hand and called out, "Hey, Lucy!"
No reaction.
She stood motionless, staring at something—no, somewhere. The wall across from the clinic bore a weathered, cracked sign barely readable:
ELDERS' HOME
And beside it, joined by stone and rusted metal:
PARADYSIAN PRISON
But she wasn't looking at either. Just the narrow space between.
Her eyes were heavy, her body locked in place. The paper in her hand crumpled tighter, as if it wanted to escape. She looked like a statue carved from worry.
I crossed the street and stepped quietly behind her.
"Lucy? Everything alright?"
She flinched, then turned toward me with a smile—tight, brittle. The kind you wear when you're trying not… to let the truth slip.
"Oh, Hugo." She tucked the paper behind her back so fast it was almost invisible. "Didn't see you there."
"You okay? You seemed to have seen a ghost," I asked softly.
"I'm fine. As fine as the gentle sky today," she said. Her voice floated, airy, far-off.
She nodded toward Tyler. "Hello, Tyler."
"Hey, Lucy," he said with his usual grin, throwing her a thumbs-up. "Wild as ever."
So he can accuse me of flirting with his sister, but I can't even compliment his? What kind of double standard is this? I thought, frowning.
"'I'm not sure what that means, but thanks, I guess." Her tone wavered, her eyes far from her words. "Thank you for accompanying Hugo. But… where's Gina?"
Before either of us could answer, someone popped up behind her like a misfired jack-in-the-box.
Her eyes dropped to Lucy's hand—the one hiding something behind her back. Quick as a thief, she snatched the paper. Lucy tried to grab it back. But it was too late.
"Ha! Lucy, I got your—"
Her grin collapsed.
She froze.
Color drained from her face. The sparkle in her eyes vanished, replaced by something raw. Wounded.
"It can't be," she whispered.
Lucy didn't argue. She just gave a small, grave nod.
No words.
And that was worse.
Gina's hand trembled. Her eyes widened in horror. She understood. Whatever that paper said—she understood it perfectly.
Lucy reached for her, maybe to soften the blow, but the damage was already done. Her voice came sharp, like breaking glass.
"Not a word."
Gina's lips quivered. Then she nodded.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She murmured, guilt and hesitation across her face.
Before the silence could settle, Tyler's voice cut in, pointing into the distance.
"Hey, look —isn't that Ash?"
We all turned toward the steep hill.
A young man was trudging up the slope, dragging a weathered suitcase behind him. He looked worn to the bone, but his green eyes still burned with determination—bright and alive, like embers refusing to die.
Dark circles shadowed those eyes, and exhaustion clung to every step he took. The wind tousled his blonde hair, usually neat, framing a jaw lined with uneven stubble.
He wore a loose, light-blue t-shirt tucked into faded military trousers. His boots dragged, but his back stayed straight—carrying the weight of duty and something heavier: hope.
And on his suitcase, half-faded but still proud, gleamed the Paradysian emblem.
"It's Ash," I exclaimed.
"Ah, finally—your future husba—" Gina tried to change the subject, but she didn't notice the way Lucy's expression darkened in his presence.
Gina's face paled. She began mumbling under her breath, panic threading her words.
"This is bad… this is bad…this is the worst thing that could happen all at once. We shouldn't be here."
She seized Tyler by the wrist. "It's time to go."
"See you guys later!" she called, forcing a wave as she dragged him away.
"Hey, wait—why?" Tyler yelped, stumbling.
"Just shut up and come!"
"I'm not a kid, y'know!" he protested, but she was already half-running, pulling him around the corner until both of them vanished from sight.
Lucy never even looked their way. Her gaze stayed locked on Ash, jaw tight, teeth clicking once in restrained anger.
Ash closed the distance, lifting a hand in greeting.
"Hey, Hugo, how's it going?" His voice was gentle, almost brotherly. "And hey, Lucy—you seem chad as usual."
His voice carried an affable grin, but it sounded more like a line he had to deliver. Lucy's frown didn't budge.
"Oh, look who it is," she replied coolly. "Ash Renner, a proud, law-abiding social officer, huh."
"Huhhh…" She dropped her shoulders and sighed. "Come on—let's go home."
"Good to be back home, girlfriend," Ash teased.
Lucy stopped mid-step, turning on her heel.
"Say that one more time, and I'll make you go lights-out right here."
Ash and I gulped in unison.
He leaned toward me, lowering his voice.
"Hey, Hugo… is she okay? She seems a lot calmer than usual."
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "She hasn't seemed right since she came back from that clinic."
Ash went still.
"…Wait. Clinic?" His tone dropped—low, cautious, like he already knew something he didn't want confirmed.
Before I could respond, Lucy's voice rang once again.
"Hurry up you two, or no dinner for the both of you!"
"YES, LUCY!" we called back, rushing inside. Ash followed, though worry still shadowed his face.