Okay, so maybe I'm dramatic. Fine. But when you've spent three months refreshing a ticket site that kept crashing every five minutes? When you've hacked through six firewalls (sorry Kelvin) just to beat the bots? And when you finally, finally score front-row passes? You scream. It's the law.
Me (Liliana):[screaming at the top of my lungs] "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Footsteps thunder. Anastasha storms in first, hand half-raised like she's about to summon fire. (Rookie still reacts like every sound is a threat, it's cute.) Kelvin jogs in next, glasses slipping down his nose. Gabriel? He doesn't run. He just appears, cold and calm, because of course he does.
Anastasha:[panting, snapping] "Liliana! What—what happened?!"
Kelvin:[quick, scanning the room] "Are we under attack?"
Gabriel:[flat, sharp] "Where?"
I hold the glowing confirmation email over my head like a sacred relic.
Me:[grinning wildly] "WE'RE GOING TO SEE LUXARIA LIVE!"
Silence. Three blank stares. Anastasha blinks like she misheard. Kelvin blinks slower, calculating the risk-to-sanity ratio. Gabriel? His jaw ticks like he's already considering exile as a solution.
Anastasha:[incredulous] "…You screamed like someone died. For concert tickets?"
Me:[offended] "Not just tickets. FRONT. ROW. Do you have any idea how impossible these were to get?!"
Kelvin sighs, rubbing his temples.
Kelvin: "I thought Luxaria disbanded."
Me:[gasps] "Blasphemy. They reunited, and they're better than ever. Shame on you."
Anastasha pinches the bridge of her nose. Gabriel finally speaks, his voice low and cool.
Gabriel: "You're not going."
I freeze. Then I gasp, clutching my chest like he stabbed me.
Me: "Excuse me? That's not a suggestion, it's a sacred duty. Luxaria raised me. They are the soundtrack of my soul."
Gabriel:[unmoved] "We don't indulge in attachments."
The air drops ten degrees. Anastasha stiffens beside me, her hands curling into fists. She doesn't even realize she's speaking until her voice cuts sharp through the silence.
Anastasha:[furious] "That's not fair. You can't just strip away everything that makes us human. Attachments matter."
Gabriel's eyes flick to her, sharp and unreadable. For a heartbeat, the room feels like it might explode. Kelvin steps in carefully, voice low, steady.
Kelvin: "We could compromise. It's a public event. If she insists on going, she'll need protection anyway."
Gabriel's gaze lingers on Anastasha — not on me, the one screaming, but on her. When he speaks, the decision is iron.
Gabriel: "Then she escorts her."
The words land like a hammer. Anastasha reels, pointing at herself.
Anastasha: "Wait—me?!"
Me:[grinning instantly, grabbing her arm] "Yes, you! My guardian angel! Rookie, this is fate!"
Anna: Absolutely. NOT.
Kelvin: I don't really see a problem with it.
Anna: Well I do and besides.... I.... have plans.
Gabriel: By plans you mean going behind my back and attending that collage I specifically told you not to.?
......
What? You thought I would not find out? ...Lorenzo there are reasons rules have to be followed. I don't have a lot of rules. There are just a few rules I have. One of which is very important.
* He moves at a slow steady pace towards me until we are just inches apart, his broad body towering over me, lowering his gaze as he whispers just loud enough for me to hear him*
Do I need to remind you what that rule is?
*I feel myself trembling from within- unable to move and too afraid to meet his gaze. In a shaky voice I manage to mutter the words ''No''. *
Good. Now look me in the eyes and tell what that rule is. Out. Loud.
*I slowly meet his gaze, with a trembling voice, I say loud enough for kelvin and lily to hear. " No Attachments". He slowly moves away from me his face devoid of any emotions before he continues to speak. *
I am glad we are on the same page. Now I assume you will be accompanying Liliana to the concert this weekend then?
Anna: ... yes.
Gabriel: Good. *He leaves the living room and moves up the stairs*
*just as he was out of sight, my legs gave in and I crushed to the floor.*
Kelvin: * He crouches down to my level and tries to console me the best way he knows how to* You know he means well right?
Anna: *I say with a shaky breath* Is it so wrong to want to have a life? We have all this time and we spend it cooped up in the house all in the name of protecting ourselves. *sniffles*
Liliana: I am sorry I did not think He would force you into going with me. * She reaches her hand out and helps me of the floor. * You know what, I am going to make it up to you. You have my word I promise. * The biggest smile appears on as she says excitedly* and a I am going to start with looking for the best outfit for the concert.Kelvin: And that is my queue to leave. *he exits the hall through to the kitchen whiles Lily pulls me towards the staircase to her room.
The Day of the Concert
(Anastasha's POV)
The day of the concert arrived faster than I wanted it to. Liliana had been buzzing since sunrise, skipping through the hall like she'd just won the lottery. She'd been humming Luxaria songs under her breath all morning, and at this point, even Kelvin was humming them unconsciously. I was starting to think she'd cast some kind of auditory curse on us all.
Liliana:[popping her head into my room] "Rookie! We're leaving early! There's merch to conquer and lightsticks to hoard!"
Me (Anastasha):[groaning] "You've been awake since six. You've reorganized your entire closet twice. Can't you conquer merch at a normal hour?"
Liliana:[dramatically clutching her chest] "Normal hours are for the weak."
By late afternoon, the house was a hive of movement. Liliana came downstairs first, dressed in high-waisted denim cargo pants that snatched her curves like they'd been tailored by the gods. Her crop top glittered faintly under the sunlight, sneakers spotless. She twirled once at the bottom of the stairs like she was walking a runway.
Liliana: "Rate the fit. Be honest, but not too honest."
Me:[deadpan, tugging at my oversized shirt] "You look like the lead singer's muse. I look like the exhausted manager who lost the car keys."
Liliana:[snorts] "Perfect duo energy."
Kelvin appeared next, descending the stairs with that calm, careful air he always had. He was already in "parent mode," holding his tablet like it was a clipboard.
Kelvin:[smiling softly] "Anna, I know you were technically forced to go, but… try to enjoy yourself, alright? Even a little. You might not get chances like this again."
There was something about the way he said it — not sad, just quietly aware. I smiled back, touched.
Me: "I'll try."
Liliana:[grinning] "Don't worry, I'll make sure she does."
Kelvin:[half-smiling] "That's what I'm afraid of."
We laughed, and for a brief second, it felt normal — almost human. But as we stepped outside, that feeling shifted. Gabriel was sitting beneath the small hut by the garden, glass of whiskey in hand, his posture rigid and composed like always. His gaze lifted when he saw me, and for a moment, it was like the world stopped breathing.
He looked at me — really looked. His eyes traced me quietly, like he was memorizing something he'd already lost once before. For just a heartbeat, something softened in his expression. Then it was gone, masked behind his usual cold detachment. He turned his head away and stood, his movements deliberate, unreadable.
Gabriel:[quietly, as he passes us] "Be careful out there."
He didn't wait for a reply. He walked past, disappearing into the living room, leaving only the faint scent of whiskey and unspoken things behind him. Liliana exhaled dramatically.
Liliana: "Every time he does that, I feel like I've been cursed."
Me: "You've been cursed since birth."
Liliana: "Fair point. Let's go."
The car ride was peaceful at first — sunlight streaking across the windshield, the city buzzing softly around us. Liliana kept tapping her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of an invisible song. Halfway through, though, I asked her to take a detour.
Liliana:[frowning, as the GPS rerouted] "Uh, this isn't the concert venue."
Me:[quietly] "I know. I just… need to stop by somewhere first."
Liliana: "Anna…"
Me:[gently] "Gabriel said no attachments. But I can't help it. Just for today, I want to say goodbye properly."
Liliana sighed, dramatic as ever, but there was a softness in her eyes.
Liliana: "You realize we'll miss the opening act, right? And he's going to murder us both."
Me: "Then I'll resurrect you. Please?"
Liliana:[groaning] "Ugh… fine. But you owe me front-row snacks and eternal gratitude."
Me:[grinning] "Deal."
The car stopped outside the community college. The building looked smaller than I remembered, the courtyard littered with late afternoon sunlight and old flyers curling on the walls. I stepped out, my heart heavy with a strange ache — nostalgia mixed with guilt.
Inside, the halls smelled faintly of chalk and disinfectant. I peeked into the lecture room, hearing the familiar rhythm of a professor's voice. Against my better judgment, I slipped into the back row, listening to the droning cadence of equations I already knew. For a moment, I wasn't Anastasha-the-agent. I was just Anna — a girl chasing normalcy.
Time blurred. When I checked my phone again, panic hit like ice water.
Me (internal):Oh, no. I'm late.
I bolted out, called a cab, and raced to the concert venue. But when I arrived, the crowd was already spilling out, a flood of laughter and voices. The show was over. My stomach dropped.
I searched the waves of people, heart hammering. And then — there. Liliana. Moving fast, head turned away. I tried shouting, but my voice drowned in the noise. So I waited by the car, calling her phone. It rang once. Twice. Then picked up — with a sound I'll never forget.
Muffled screaming.
Me:[panicked] "Lily? Lily, what happened?! LILY—"
The line went dead.
My pulse spiked. The air felt too thin. I didn't even hear the footsteps behind me until the voice whispered in my ear — cold, male, deliberate.
Unknown voice: "You should've never left her alone."
Something hard slammed into the back of my skull. The world tilted. Blackness swallowed everything.
When I opened my eyes, the world swam back slowly. Pain pulsed behind my eyes. Kelvin sat beside me, his face drawn tight with worry. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain forced me back.
Kelvin:[gently] "Easy. You've got a concussion. You're lucky it wasn't worse."
Me:[voice trembling] "Liliana… they took her—"
Kelvin:[cutting me off softly] "I know. You don't have to explain. I found you unconscious by the car — no sign of her. Gabriel was out on an errand, but I've told him everything. He'll be back by morning."
He sighed, rubbing his face. His exhaustion was almost tangible.
Kelvin: "Try to rest. You're safe for now."
But how could I rest? My best friend was gone. Kidnapped. And I'd failed to protect her.
The weight of it pressed on my chest until I could barely breathe. When the medication finally dragged me into unconsciousness, the only thought left in my head was Gabriel's voice — cold, certain, inevitable.
'Attachments are weakness.'