The gunshot's echo still hung in the air when the wall exploded inward.
Kura barely had time to register the sound before gray, ashen fingers closed around his torso. A spirit materialized from the very plaster - its form shifting between smoke and solid mass, its breath rattling like a dying furnace. Fear turned his limbs to lead as it lifted him effortlessly, his revolver clattering uselessly to the floor.
Too strong-
The world tilted violently. Wood splintered. Drywall disintegrated. Kura's vision blurred as the spirit tore through the building's upper floor like paper, bypassing the stairs entirely in its brutal descent. Cold air rushed past as they plummeted through the gaping hole now exposing night sky.
He hit the ground hard at Calestia's boots, the impact driving the breath from his lungs. Above him, his sister stood silhouetted against the moon, her revolver smoking at her side. The spirit dissipated like morning fog under her gaze.
"Time's up, little brother." Her smirk was all teeth, no humor. "You were busy playing detective while the real threat flanked you." She nudged him with her boot. "In a real hunt you'd be soul-food by now."
Kura rolled onto his knees, coughing up dust and pride in equal measure. The building's new wound gaped above them, moonlight bleeding through the shattered structure.
Calestia spun her revolver before holstering it. "You focused on the obvious prey," she continued, voice dropping to a dangerous purr. "Never asked why that 'smart' soul let you see it." She leaned down, her fedora casting her face in shadow. "Lesson one: the deadliest threats don't rattle doors. They wait for you to turn your back."
Kura barely had time to catch his breath before he found himself back in the same dim room at Calestia's place, dragged along like a misdelivered package. The scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air.
Calestia didn't sit. She just leaned against the edge of a desk, arms crossed, hat tilted back slightly as she spoke.
"I don't have the patience to train you," she said, tone clipped, "but I'm heading out on something big. You're coming with me. Consider it... field experience."
She didn't phrase it as an offer. There was no room for refusal, either.
Kura blinked. "A mission? That sudden?" He hesitated, then added, "I'll probably just slow you down."
Calestia gave a short, dry laugh. "You're smart. You'll adapt." Without warning, she peeled the fedora off her head and flung it across the room. It landed on a chair with a soft thump.
"Besides," she said, eyes narrowing as they flicked to his hand, "you've got that Ring on your finger."
The next day, before Kura even realized it, he found himself aboard a massive ship, his hands clutching heavy bags as he stood alongside Calestia. The sea stretched out endlessly before him, dark and vast, the waves towering like mountains, making the boat sway with each violent crash. The ship was enormous, easily big enough to carry at least a hundred passengers, with two levels and a massive hull that seemed to cut through the waves like a beast of the deep.
Lights blazed around him, a stark contrast against the pitch-black sky. The howling wind battered the ship, its shrieking intensity overwhelming, as if the world itself was shaking in the face of the storm. Everything felt alive, unpredictable, and endless.
Kura's face contorted, his stomach churning as the boat swayed again. "I'm gonna throw up..." he muttered, clutching the railing.
Without missing a beat, Calestia grabbed him and guided him up to the second floor.
The room they entered was simple but functional, a bed for two, a desk, and a small bathroom tucked into the corner. The walls felt solid, the hum of the ship's engines a constant reminder of their journey, but Kura didn't feel any immediate danger. His ring remained still, the usual pulsating glow absent.
In his pocket, two revolvers, given to him by Calestia, weighed down his jacket. He wasn't sure if they were meant to be reassurance or a warning. Calestia, ever the mystery, hid a different gun beneath her coat, something sharper, deadlier, that Kura hadn't seen yet. There was always more to her than met the eye, and for once, Kura was glad he didn't have to know everything.
Calestia gently pushed Kura onto the bed, her grip firm but not harsh. "Don't lose your revolvers," she reminded him, her voice steady as she glanced at him one last time before moving to the bags.
Without a word, she yanked the heavy bags from his hands, letting them thud softly onto the floor. With a practiced motion, she locked the door behind her, her gaze lingering on the room for a moment before turning to leave.
The room felt heavier now, the faint sound of the ship's creaking and the low hum of engines filling the space. Kura lay there, eyes half-closed, still trying to steady his breath after the tumult of the day. His revolvers were within arm's reach, a comforting weight, but the presence of Calestia's unspoken vigilance hung in the air.
Due to the lingering dizziness, Kura drifted into sleep almost as soon as he hit the bed. When he finally woke, everything felt... different.
The ship no longer rocked with violent waves. Instead, it swayed gently, as if cradled by calm waters. For a moment, he blinked up at the ceiling, confused by the stillness. Slowly, he sat up. What...?
He rose to his feet, legs still a bit unsteady, and made his way to the door. The moment he turned the lock and pulled it open, light, mythical, vibrant, unnatural to him, poured in.
Orange. Purple. Hints of pink and soft gold.
The sky outside wasn't just bright; it was alive. A palette of colors he had only read about in books, never seen with his own eyes. His breath caught. How...? He stepped forward and immediately winced, crouching down and shielding his eyes with a hand.
"Woah..."
The warmth. The color. It was all too much. Back in Vertica, the sky had always been shrouded in endless twilight, only the moon ever offered light, and even that was cold, distant. This... this felt like stepping into another world.
A few feet away, Calestia leaned casually against the railing beside a tall woman Kura didn't recognize. They both turned at the sound of the door.
"This is his first time, haha. No wonder he's acting like that," Calestia said with a grin.
The woman chuckled, folding her arms. "Cute."
They laughed softly together, while Kura remained crouched, eyes slowly adjusting, mind still struggling to grasp the impossible light of the living sky.
Kura squinted through the light, blinking until his vision cleared enough to focus.
The woman beside Calestia stood tall, graceful in a way that demanded no attention, yet effortlessly held it. Her long white hair flowed like river silk, framing a face that was equal parts regal and unreadable. A red cloak draped over her shoulders, etched with wave-like sigils that shimmered faintly in the sun.
But what truly struck him wasn't her appearance, it was her presence.
There was something about her aura. It wasn't loud or aggressive. It was still, too still. Like the deep part of the ocean that didn't ripple even when storms howled above. That calmness… it was power.
Their eyes met.
Her golden gaze landed on him, piercing and fleeting, like she had already read everything she needed from just a glance. Then, without a word, she turned away.
Kura stayed crouched a moment longer, unsure whether the chill that ran down his spine was from awe… or something else.
Kura stood up, still a bit unsteady, brushing his hands against his coat like it would shake off the confusion too. The woman's gaze locked with his, golden, steady, unreadable. She didn't smile. She didn't need to.
"You're probably overwhelmed," she said casually, like commenting on the weather. "We're still far from the real thing. You can go back and rest."
There was no pressure in her voice, but somehow it didn't feel like a suggestion.
Kura gave a small nod and turned around without another word. He slipped back into the quiet room, the door clicking softly shut behind him. As soon as he was alone, he pressed a hand to his coat pocket, both revolvers were still there.
He glanced down at the ring on his finger.
No light. No pulse.
"…Still safe," he muttered, sitting cross-legged on the floor. The smooth floor was cool beneath him. The stillness of the ship felt strange now, too calm.
He leaned back against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"What the hell is even going on these days…"
Who was that woman, though? There was something off about her... Kura thought, rubbing the back of his neck. He stood up and walked over to one of the big bags on the floor. Opening it, he rummaged around for a water bottle. When he found it, he pulled it out and cracked it open. A little water spilled onto his coat.
Shit... gotta be more careful. He thought, shaking his head.
A soft creak sounded from the door.
There she was again, the woman from earlier, only her head peeking through the crack. "Ya know I can hear you, right?" She smirked, the glint of mischief in her golden eyes.
Kura glanced up at her, dropping the water container on the side of the bed. He straightened, looking her in the eye. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone flat.
She pushed the door open a bit wider, letting the warm, almost blinding light from the hallway spill into the room. The woman's full figure came into view, the cloak around her flowing effortlessly as she stepped further inside.
"Well..." She paused for a moment, still smirking. "Your thoughts... I can hear them."
Kura froze, his gaze sharpening. He crossed his arms, a little taken aback. "My thoughts?" He repeated, brows furrowed. "You can what?"
"I can hear it," she said again, as though it was the simplest thing in the world.
"Why would you reveal it though?" Kura muttered, glancing at the ring again. It wasn't pulsing or glowing. So, it wasn't a threat. That meant she wasn't an enemy... right?. Slowly, he calmed himself, brushing off the unease, and uncrossed his arms, straightening his coat.
She didn't respond.
"Don't bother me." He said coolly, casually brushing her off as if she were just another minor distraction.