Sevira, Underground Metro Station
After five hours aboard the LuzoCriz underground metro, Haneul and Nuri finally arrived in Sevira.
One of the oldest cities still standing in southeastern Solstium.
Before Keiji, Sevira was famous for its warm streets, the music that echoed through its plazas, and its Moorish architecture that had endured for centuries.
Now...
Every wall. Every corner.
Carried scars.
As soon as they stepped off the train and began searching for the station exit, they found dozens of blind families.
Some were asking for help to feed their children, while others used the tunnels and open spaces inside the station to sell handcrafted ceramic tiles, antique musical instruments, rugs, and handwoven fabrics.
Throughout the city, many shelters created small jobs for blind residents, encouraging exactly that kind of traditional craftsmanship. It was one of the few ways they still had to survive.
The moment they reached the surface, Nuri was instantly captivated.
It was her first time in Sevira.
"Wow... I had no idea Sevira was this beautiful."
"Don't let yourself be fooled too quickly. Not every part of the city looks like this," Haneul replied calmly.
During the day, Sevira seemed to glow with gold.
Sunlight reflected off pale stone walls, ancient domes, and weathered ceramic tiles worn down by the scorching southern heat. Small orange trees lined the streets, adding a refreshing touch to the scenery and creating an inviting first impression.
But only a first impression.
The old districts were still alive...
Twisted by time and war.
Historic buildings stood side by side with improvised metal structures. Ornate balconies supported exposed electrical cables, while police drones drifted slowly across the sky above alleyways illuminated by aging neon signs.
As they walked through the streets, it became impossible to ignore the city's decay: bullet holes scattered across walls, shattered facades, broken statues, and entire neighborhoods left partially abandoned.
Sevira had never truly recovered from Keiji.
When they reached the central square, the city seemed to breathe differently.
People filled the outdoor cafés, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Others hurried through the streets, carrying the constant feeling that time was never enough in this city.
Near the central fountain, a small group of teenage boys—each appearing to be around fourteen or fifteen years old—performed an energetic tap dance to the sound of a classical guitar played by an elderly man.
They were all blind.
Nuri immediately slowed her pace.
She loved music.
She loved dancing.
Her eyes followed the boys' perfectly synchronized movements, the way their feet struck the stone in flawless rhythm with the guitar.
There was something pure about it...
Something alive.
She looked at Haneul.
"Do we have time?"
"We do. I don't think Byeol will arrive before noon."
As he spoke, Haneul held a small yellow Illuminescence stone in his hand, completely dull and without even the faintest trace of light.
Nuri turned back toward the performers.
Without even realizing it, she slowly began matching the rhythm with her feet.
At first, almost imperceptibly.
Then...
Little by little, she allowed herself to be carried away by the music.
The crowd surrounding the boys continued to grow, and their movements became faster, stronger, more vibrant.
Until, in a single instant...
Every one of them stopped.
Silence fell over the square.
Nuri, who had still been quietly following the rhythm, ended up making noise all by herself.
One of the boys heard her immediately.
He turned toward her, and sensing her desire to dance, smiled before pointing in her direction.
"Come on. Dance with us."
Nuri felt a little embarrassed.
But she also knew she didn't want to say no.
She slowly walked over to him and accepted his hands.
"Just follow my lead, okay?"
"Okay."
The boy began taking small dance steps alongside his friends, as if they were all inviting Nuri to become part of their celebration.
And that was exactly what happened.
In a rare moment of genuine connection, Nuri joined the boys in their dance, earning applause and warm smiles from everyone gathered around the square.
Many people stopped to leave small donations at the donation totems connected to the organization that cared for the group.
When the music ended, the boy approached her, still breathing heavily but wearing a shy smile.
"Hi... You danced really well. Thank you for joining us."
"No, thank you. I had so much fun. My name's Nuri. What's yours?"
"My name is Raphael," he replied, turning his face slightly before continuing. "We're heading back to the shelter now... would you like to come with us? I'd like to give you a small gift as a thank-you."
Nuri looked at Haneul.
The old man simply gave her a subtle nod.
"Of course. I'll bring—"
She was about to say that Haneul would come with them, but he made a small gesture with his hand, signaling for her to go on alone.
He would stay nearby...
Just at a distance.
...
At a gas station.
"Damn... this bike rides great, but it guzzles gas like crazy."
"Still... one more fill-up and I'll be in Sevira in thirty minutes."
"Good morning. What can I get you?"
"Thirty luminas of gas."
"Done. You can step up."
Byeol leaned toward the scanner, blinked twice, and completed the payment.
"Thank you."
He was about to leave when a voice stopped him.
"Hey, kid! Mind helping me stack these boxes up there?"
It was a chubby old man, bald with a thick mustache.
"Sure. No problem."
Byeol didn't have much time, but it looked like a quick job.
"Thanks! Want a cup of coffee?"
"No, it's okay. I'm—"
"Oh... aren't you Américo's son? That old fisherman who was always out at sea? He used to gather a bunch of blind folks and take them fishing, teach them all kinds of things... then he'd pay them with fresh fish. What a great man."
"No... I'm not..."
"You really remind me of him, you know?" the old man said with a nostalgic laugh. "When I was your age, I was just as handsome. Women couldn't leave me alone. Even during the war, whenever I came home, I had to sneak around, hahaha. And I had a fast bike just like yours..."
The old man stepped a little closer, completely lost in his memories.
"I was one hell of a troublemaker. We'd throw parties in an abandoned building... music blasting, women dancing... we were rock stars!"
He proudly pointed at himself.
"Did I tell you my name? Emilio."
'Oh, for fuck's sake...'
Byeol had no idea how to get out of the conversation without coming across as rude.
"And you know what? If you're going really fast on that bike and only hit the right brake, you can lift the front wheel..."
That day, Byeol lost thirty minutes of his life.
...
Nuri walked alongside Raphael toward the shelter that had taken him in.
Just before they arrived, they crossed paths with a group of women wearing elegant dresses that looked like living flames flowing through the streets of Sevira.
The dresses were long and fitted around the upper body, gracefully accentuating their figures before dramatically flaring out below the waist into multiple layers of cascading ruffles. Every step made the fabric dance like waves stirred by the wind.
The base of each dress was a deep wine-red, decorated with black floral patterns and golden details inspired by the ancient mosaics of Solstium.
Their wide sleeves were filled with voluminous ruffles that flowed all the way to the wrists, creating a striking, theatrical silhouette that was impossible to ignore.
The young women were preparing to replace the men in the dance as the sound of guitars echoed through Sevira's neon-lit alleyways.
Once inside the shelter, Raphael asked Nuri to wait in a small common room while he went to get her present.
He returned a few minutes later carrying a simple necklace with a small carving of a woman dressed in Sevira's traditional clothing.
"You know... I wanted to give you this. I made it myself, with a little help from everyone here at the shelter."
"Thank you so much, Raphael. I'll treasure it. I had so much fun dancing with all of you, and with this keepsake... I don't think I'll ever forget this moment."
Raphael blinked.
"We do all kinds of activities here. It's nice because I don't get bored anymore. When I was little, my family and I spent our days out on the streets... but we had nothing to do. We were just trying to survive."
"I'm so sorry, Raphael... but I'm really glad things are better for you now."
"Yeah... me too, haha." His smile weakened slightly.
"When my little brother died of hunger, my dad brought us here and begged them to make room for us. Unfortunately... the shelter can't help everyone."
Nuri clenched her teeth.
Her throat tightened painfully as she struggled to hold back her tears.
Reality was far too cruel.
And yet...
Children like Raphael still found reasons to smile.
"Raphael... I'm really glad I met you. I can't stay much longer, but let me give you something too."
Nuri slowly removed her hat and gently placed it on Raphael's head.
The boy immediately broke into a huge smile.
"Thank you, Nuri! You're the best! What color is it? I can't see very well, but at least I can tell people the right color, hahaha."
"Black and orange."
Nuri hugged him quietly before saying goodbye.
...
Douren — Elyr Tower
Visited by thousands of people every year, only a select few knew the tower's true purpose.
Elyr Tower rose above Douren's skyline like a monument abandoned by time itself.
Its ancient architecture stood in stark contrast to the holograms, drones, and modern skyscrapers scattered throughout the city. Even after decades of wars, collapse, and reconstruction, the tower remained untouched—as though it had silently watched everything the world had become after Keiji.
But the true heart of Elyr Tower was not above ground.
Hidden beneath the historic structure lay a massive underground complex reserved exclusively for Rankers.
Entry was forbidden to ordinary citizens.
Even agents of the Solstium government were denied access.
That territory did not belong to the state.
It belonged to the Rankers.
Every day, bounty hunters from every corner of the world gathered there. Some rested after bloody missions. Others traded confidential information, weapons, Illuminence Crystals, or illegal contracts. The atmosphere blended decaying luxury with a constant tension that seemed to seep from the walls themselves.
Neon-lit bars stood beside private negotiation rooms.
Massive screens displayed real-time bounty updates.
It was also where missions were accepted.
Each contract carried a different value depending on the target, the continent, and the level of risk involved.
Captures, assassinations, escorts, investigations, relic recovery... everything passed through the Rankers' hideouts.
And Elyr Tower was one of the largest in the world.
In truth, similar hideouts existed across multiple continents, forming an independent network that operated largely beyond the control of any government.
Some called them sanctuaries.
Others...
called them monster nests.
Standing in the middle of Douren's bustling central plaza, directly in front of Elyr Tower, was one of those monsters.
The wind gently stirred his coat as he stared up at the enormous structure before him. The city's golden lights partially illuminated his face, revealing his mismatched eyes—one glowing electric blue, the other a brilliant emerald green.
Rook.
Even among the crowd, he naturally stood out.
Because in that place...
everyone knew who he was.