Kana stood frozen, staring at the crumpled figure of the officer sprawled out at her doorstep.
His uniform was wrinkled, his limbs awkwardly bent, and a faint groan was the only sign that he was still breathing.
Her pulse raced as dread settled heavily in her chest.
'Did I kill him?'
She hadn't meant to hit him that hard. It was just a reflex—an instinct born out of fear and the overwhelming pressure she'd been under.
But her system's reminder rang in her ears like a ghost:
[All stats are currently maxed.]
Kana crouched next to him and lightly tapped his shoulder.
"H-Hey… you okay? You alive?"
No answer. Just a low groan, maybe unconsciousness. Maybe worse.
Kana's heart jumped into her throat.
"This can't be happening…"
She whispered, panic clawing at her thoughts. She couldn't leave a body lying at the entrance. B
ut how was she supposed to hide it? There were no closets big enough. No secret passageways. And dragging an officer's limp body around town was only going to make her look more suspicious.
Still, she had to try something.
"I'll just… pull him inside and figure things out later."
She mumbled.
But the moment she stepped outside to grab his arms, the full weight of her situation hit her.
The street was quiet. Too quiet.
Yet everywhere she turned her head, people were watching her.
Men and women stood still, eyes wide, watching her crouched beside a fallen officer in full uniform. Their gazes weren't judgmental—but to Kana's frayed nerves and heightened charm stat, they looked intense.
Too intense.
She felt as though their eyes were piercing through her, weighing her soul, labeling her a criminal.
Her breath quickened. She clutched her arms around herself.
'They all saw. They all think I hurt him on purpose. They're going to report me. They'll arrest me. I'll be executed. I—'
In her panic, she failed to notice the whispered conversations around her.
"Is she crying?"
"She looks so lost…"
"Do you think she needs help?"
"She's trembling…"
But Kana couldn't hear it. Her heart pounded too loudly. Her thoughts spun out of control. Her vision blurred with panic and shame.
She couldn't hide the body.
She'd already been seen.
There was only one thing left to do.
'I'll turn myself in. If I cooperate, maybe they'll go easy on me. And Lysera… Lysera will help. She has to.'
Kana bent down, looped her arms beneath the man's shoulders, and lifted him with almost no effort.
Her max strength stat turned the action into something surreal—an average-sized girl hauling a full-grown armored man like a bag of potatoes.
People on the street gasped and stepped back, unsure of whether they were watching a breakdown or an act of raw power.
"She's strong… is she even human…?"
"What is she doing with him?"
"Should we stop her?"
No one did.
Eyes followed her all the way as she staggered down the road toward the nearest station, dragging the unconscious officer behind her.
Her lips were pressed in a tight line, and her eyes were clouded with dread. She didn't look dangerous—just scared. Delusional, maybe. But harmless.
Eventually, she reached the heavy glass doors of the precinct and knocked softly, then harder.
An officer opened the door, wearing the same navy uniform as the man behind her. His eyes lifted to her face, and for a moment, he looked dazed—like her presence had hit him like a heatwave.
Then he looked past her shoulder and saw the limp figure being dragged across the steps.
His daze vanished.
"Officer Tyran?! What happened to him?!"
Kana looked away, fingers trembling around the man's collar.
"I… I hit him."
The officer blinked.
"What?"
"I… I panicked, okay?! He got too close and—my reflexes, I didn't mean to, I just—"
Her voice cracked.
"I'm here to turn myself in."
The officer stared at her like she had grown a second head.
"Wait… what? You knocked out Officer Tyran? You?"
Kana nodded slowly.
He looked between her petite frame and Tyran's unconscious body, then back to her pale, anxious face. "Say that again. Slowly."
Kana took a breath.
"He startled me. I punched him. I think my stats are too high… and I didn't mean to. I really didn't. I'm turning myself in. Please don't arrest me too hard."
The officer looked like he had no idea how to respond.
His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.
Finally, he cleared his throat and called inside.
"Uh—Sgt. Delran? You're gonna wanna see this."
Another officer appeared moments later—a woman with sharp features and silver hair pulled into a tight braid. She wore a long dark coat over her uniform, and the weight of authority followed in her footsteps. Her expression darkened the moment she stepped outside.
Her eyes swept from Kana to the unconscious man slumped across the steps.
Then back to Kana.
"Report."
She said flatly.
"She… uh… She says she knocked him out."
The male officer hesitated, clearly still struggling to piece it all together.
The woman raised a brow.
"You mean Officer Tyran? That Tyran?"
Kana nodded slowly.
The silver-haired officer stepped forward. Her boots clicked sharply against the stone as she approached Tyran's body.
She crouched beside him, fingers deftly checking his pulse, then lifting his chin to inspect the dark bruise blooming across his jaw.
"He's alive. Unconscious, but stable."
She muttered.
The female officer stood again, her sharp gaze cutting back to Kana.
"Explain. Now."
Kana's hands clenched tightly at her sides.
"He came to arrest me. I wasn't resisting. I told him to keep his distance, but he ignored me. When he reached out, I panicked and hit him. I didn't mean to knock him out."
The woman stared at her for a long moment.
"That kind of force doesn't just come from panic."
Kana looked down. Her throat was dry.
"I… I don't know. It just happened."
The woman's expression remained unreadable. She didn't press further. Instead, she turned to the younger officer.
"Get him to the infirmary. Make sure his vitals are steady before you move him."
He nodded quickly and jogged off, calling for assistance.
The woman turned back to Kana.
"What's your name?"
"Kana."
"I'm Sergeant Delran. Come inside. You're not under arrest, but we do need to speak with you properly."
She studied Kana's face carefully, then motioned toward the door.
Kana hesitated, then gave a quiet nod and followed.
The inside of the station was warm and polished, a striking contrast to the tension in Kana's chest.
Officers moved between desks, reading reports or speaking in hushed tones. Several of them paused to watch Kana pass—whispering behind gloved hands, eyes lingering too long.
She didn't like the way they looked at her. Like she was dangerous.
Maybe she was.
Sergeant Delran led her down a quiet hallway and into a small interview room. A single table, two chairs, and a faint scent of ink and old paper.
Delran gestured for Kana to sit, then took the seat across from her and pulled out a worn leather notebook.
"For now, we're treating this as an incident caused by poor protocol and misjudgment on Officer Tyran's part. From what I saw, you gave him a warning. He didn't listen."
Delran said, her voice calm but firm.
Kana blinked.
"So… I'm not in trouble?"
Delran's tone didn't soften.
"That depends. It's clear you're not trained in restraint. And yet you carry enough strength to knock out a man twice your size without even trying. That's a dangerous thing."
Kana's stomach tightened.
"I didn't mean to…"
"I believe you. But the truth remains. Someone with your strength can't walk around without accountability."
Delran said.
Kana looked down. She didn't know what to say. She hadn't asked for this. She hadn't even done anything to gain it. It had just… been there.
Delran watched her for a few more seconds, then leaned back in her chair.
"Have you ever had an evaluation done? Are you a human? Or something else?"