The morning sun leaked into the misty streets of Versile City, painting the cobblestones in streaks of pale gold. The whistles of steam engines echoed faintly in the distance, mixing with the clatter of carriage wheels and the metallic hiss of factory pipes.
Kael yawned loudly, stretching as if he were about to snap in two. His hair was messy, his shirt only halfway buttoned, and his revolver sat lazily on his hip.
"Another day of pretending to be a functioning member of society," he muttered, dragging his boots along the road. "Maybe I should start charging the gods for existing. Bet they'd go broke."
Halfway through his walk, a crumpled flyer slipped from his pocket. He blinked at it.
"Grand Carnival October 14, 1345. Music, games, masks, and secrets untold!"
Kael snorted. "Secrets untold, huh? Sounds like a scam. Probably some guy charging three crowns to let you guess how many beans are in a jar. Pass." He shoved the flyer back into his pocket.
By the time he reached the Obsidian Order's building, John Gary was already waiting at the steps, his polished boots gleaming. He greeted Kael with a nod.
"Morning, Kael."
"Morning? Feels like midnight," Kael grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
John ignored the sarcasm and handed him a stack of papers. "There's something new about your sister. According to the reports, she went to another city for her studies. Odd that you didn't recall that detail before."
Kael let out a low chuckle, though inwardly he was panicking. Right, the original Kael's sister… the one I don't actually know. Fantastic. Next time I'll just pretend she went abroad for clown college.
John smacked him lightly with one of the books. "Focus. She's expected to arrive today. Exams are over."
Kael's smile twitched. Arriving today? Oh, brilliant. Nothing like meeting family when you've stolen their brother's life. Should I practice crying?
They walked down the hallway, John talking about procedures while Kael's brain ran laps.
What if she notices I don't know her favorite food? What if she hugs me and calls me some childhood nickname like 'snail face'? What if
John suddenly stopped before a towering statue inside a prayer chamber. He knelt, folding his hands. Kael just stood there, baffled.
The statue was of a tall woman draped in jagged stone robes, eyes carved shut, holding a broken crown. Her name was etched at the base: Lady Neryssa, Whisper of Ruin.
John prayed softly:
"Oh Lady of Shattered Crowns, Whisper of Ruin, guide our hands to break what must fall, and spare us from your shadow."
Kael tilted his head. "...Nice poem. You write that yourself?"
John finished and stood. "She is the goddess of destruction and chaos, Kael. The one who grants us strength."
Kael smirked, raising a hand. "Praise the Lady, then."
John nodded approvingly, though Kael's tone had been anything but reverent.
Later that morning, Kael found himself with Marlowe. As usual, the man was buried under books.
"Tell me something, Marlowe," Kael asked, leaning against the desk. "Does this goddess really answer prayers?"
Marlowe arched a brow. "Skeptical again? Watch."
He clasped his hands and whispered a prayer: "Lady Neryssa, grant me a small fortune, even if only five Crowns."
Moments later, chaos unfolded. A passing servant tripped, sending a pouch of coins flying directly into Marlowe's lap. A nobleman stormed in, demanding repayment for a debt, then realized he had mistaken Marlowe for someone else, dropping another five Crowns in apology. Lastly, Kael's revolver misfired in its holster, narrowly missing Marlowe only to strike open a drawer filled with old payroll money, precisely five Crowns sitting on top.
Kael's jaw dropped.
Marlowe grinned smugly. "See?"
Kael rubbed his face. "Yeah… totally not a coincidence. Nope. Definitely divine intervention."
He stalked off muttering, "Next time I'm praying for a castle and ten wives."
At noon, he bumped into Alfara Frost. She was flipping through ledgers, her glasses slipping down her nose.
"Mr. Morty," she greeted. "Any progress on your assigned cases?"
Kael leaned against the wall with a smirk. "Progress? Please, I make chaos look like progress. You should thank me."
She gave him a cold glare, though Kael noticed her cheeks tint slightly. Before he could say more, Rose appeared floating by his side , arms crossed, glaring daggers at Alfara.
"Oh, great," Kael muttered under his breath. "Now the jealous ghost girlfriend shows up."
Rose pouted, whispering into his ear. "Why are you smiling at her like that? Hm? Do you like her, Kael?"
Kael deadpanned. "Rose, if you don't stop, I'll start flirting with Marlowe next."
Rose gasped, scandalized.
Kim showed up soon after, chatting with Kael while Rose hovered protectively, making faces at everyone.
By the time Kael got home, his head was pounding. He leaned against the doorway, staring at the family portrait hung in the living room.
It showed the Morty family: a stern father, a gentle mother, Kael himself (looking far too noble for comfort), a girl his sister smiling brightly,and a brother who seems hardworking
A notebook lay nearby. Kael picked it up. On the cover, scrawled in uneven ink: Kael Morty's Diary.
He flipped through it.
"I've gotten into something I shouldn't have."
"The One is watching. The One is watching!!!!"
"I'm screwed, I'm screwed!!!"
Kael froze. The air felt heavier. "...Well, that's comforting."
A knock sounded at the door.
Peering through the small glass hole, Kael saw a young woman with chestnut hair and a warm smile. She barely gave him a chance before the door swung open and she launched herself at him, hugging tightly.
"Brother!" she exclaimed.
Kael blinked, hugging back stiffly. Right. Hug. Human thing. Don't blow cover.
"Of course, uh… Sis," he said awkwardly, before recalling the name from memory fragments. "Clara."
Clara pulled back, beaming. "It's been too long. You haven't changed a bit."
Kael smirked faintly. "Yeah, still devastatingly handsome and broke."
They laughed, and Clara moved to unpack her things while Kael busied himself with cooking. His sarcastic inner monologue kept running: If she finds out her brother was replaced by a cosmic fraud, dinner's going to get awkward.
When she left to change clothes, Kael noticed another portrait tucked behind a drawer. This one showed the family again… but with someone else. A tall, blond man with sharp eyes, standing beside Kael.
Kael's stomach dropped.
That's the guy from the memory. The yellow-haired one. Why's he in the family portrait?
The air grew heavy again. Somewhere outside, the faint echo of carnival bells rang in the distance.