Chapter 395: _So It’s Moving

Phoenix Flight HQ

"Hey, gurl."

"Good morning, Alisha." Devon rolled his eyes as he strode into the lobby where his best friend was waiting. "Any new Rift case for us S-Ranks?"

Alisha’s lips twisted with disapproval. "Dude, you’re literally just walking in. Can you not make things about work for one second?"

"I’ve attended a wedding and not had to venture into a Rift for over a week. I think being eager isn’t bad in this scenario."

"Oh, how was Tristan’s wedding, by the way?"

They walked side by side toward the nearest elevator—completely oblivious to the blonde woman standing right outside, eyes glued on them.

Ramona had a steaming cup of creamy coffee in one hand, the other on her waist as she stared through the glass wall separating her from the lobby.

A few people gave her curious looks, probably wondering why she was lurking out here.

"Hmm." She squinted. "They seem... close."

The urge to reduce the entire building to its very last atom stirred deep inside her.

But she had to be patient.

Observant.

"Hey, lady."

Her neck snapped unenthusiastically to the side. Approaching her with a smile was a random adult male, wearing a grey hoodie, blue jeans and a head full of messy brown hair.

He waved, eyes filled with scrutiny. "You waiting for someone?"

For a moment, Ramona considered answering. Maybe then he’d take the hint and go away.

Yet on second thought, that probably wasn’t needed. Silence should be just as useful.

"Hey, you mute or something?" The man pushed, taking a couple more steps too close to her. "Come on, don’t be like that. I’m only wondering if you need help."

"No." She deadpanned, barely glancing at him before pulling her eyes back to the glass wall.

By now Alisha and Devon had already disappeared from her view, stepping into an elevator that gradually closed in front of them.

"Why so uptight?" The man inched even closer until the stench from his mouth became unbearable. "What? You think I want to hit on you?"

Persistent.

Humans truly struggle to recognise when they’ve become irrelevant.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Ramona didn’t think much about the annoying pest buzzing beside her.

He’d get tired eventually.

"You think you’re too big for me, huh?" He reached for her shoulder and shoved her. Not hard. But enough to make her flinch. "Tch. That’s the problem with you women. You act all high and mighty but get surprised when you end up all alone with... with—"

Whatever he had to say again didn’t get the chance to crawl out of his throat.

Ramona’s eyes flashed with a white light once.

That was enough to kill every organ in his body simultaneously. He spasmed, irises rolling back. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as he collapsed face first to the bare concrete.

Gasps resounded from people walking by.

"What the hell?"

"Someone call nine one one!"

"Sir, are you okay?"

"What happened to him?"

"Is he having a seizure?"

As more and more people began crowding around the man until Ramona seemed invisible... she drifted backwards, gaze remaining on the human scum.

With a silent harrumph, she turned off to continue her observation.

Alisha’s phone vibrated first.

She barely spared it a glance before her brows drew together. "Huh."

Devon was already unlocking the door to his suite. "What is it?"

"Someone collapsed outside the building." She skimmed through the internal Guild notification. "Medical team already responded."

Both of them instinctively drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street below.

Even from several storeys up, the gathering crowd was impossible to miss.

Paramedics had already arrived, kneeling beside a man lying motionless on the pavement while security personnel tried directing curious pedestrians away from the scene.

Devon rested one hand against the glass.

"Looks like someone collapsed."

"Wouldn’t surprise me." Alisha folded her arms loosely. "The weather’s been ridiculous lately. Half the city looks ready to melt before lunchtime."

"Hopefully he’s alright."

The pair watched for another brief moment before turning away.

With professionals already handling the situation, there wasn’t much either of them could contribute from several floors above.

Their workday still awaited them.

★★★★★

Blue Diamond Academy

The office allocated to Ambrose wasn’t particularly large, but it was more than comfortable.

One wall was lined with bookshelves already beginning to fill with teaching manuals, Hunter education materials and several binders Augustus had insisted would "definitely come in handy."

The large window behind the desk overlooked one of the school’s courtyards where students crossed between buildings while teachers supervised from shaded walkways below.

Ambrose slowly set his shoulder bag on the desk before taking another look around.

"So this is my office now."

Not bad.

There was still plenty of space that made the room feel somewhat impersonal, though he figured that would naturally change over time.

He’d only just begun opening one of the cabinets when Aura’s familiar voice echoed inside his mind.

[ALERT.]

Ambrose’s movements immediately stopped.

[The foreign signature has manifested again within Aurelia City.]

His expression stiffened. ’Where?’

A brief silence followed.

Then—

[Signal lost.]

His brows knitted together. ’Aura?’

[Attempting reacquisition...]

Several agonising seconds passed.

[Unable to establish location. The foreign signature briefly manifested before disappearing once more.]

Ambrose quietly exhaled through his nose.

"So it’s moving," He murmured beneath his breath.

Unfortunately, knowing that did little to help.

Aurelia City was enormous.

Without an exact location, searching for a single entity capable of hiding itself would be like trying to find one specific grain of sand on an entire beach.

He closed the cabinet door again. ’Please, keep monitoring.’

[Understood.]

★★★★★

Elsewhere inside Blue Diamond Academy, the ordinary school day continued without interruption.

"Can anyone tell me what the capital of Australia is?" Mrs Reynolds asked, her eyes sweeping across the classroom.

Several hands immediately shot into the air.

Orion’s wasn’t one of them.

His pencil had gradually slowed across the page before stopping altogether.

The chatter around him seemed to drift further and further away.

The classroom. His classmates. Even his teacher’s voice.

Everything faded beneath an overwhelming stillness.

Without warning, the world before him changed.

He found himself standing somewhere he didn’t recognise.

A lone woman stood several metres ahead.

Blonde hair. Straight posture. And her back facing him.

She remained completely motionless, as though she’d been standing there long before he’d arrived.

Orion frowned.

He couldn’t explain why... but something about her felt strangely familiar.

The woman slowly began turning her head.

Just before her face came into view—the vision shattered.

"Orion?"

He blinked.

The classroom rushed back into existence all at once.

Mrs Reynolds smiled patiently from the front of the room.

"You’ve been staring into space for almost a minute. Everything alright?"

Orion looked down at the unfinished work on his desk before nodding. "Sorry, ma’am."

Even so, for reasons he couldn’t begin to explain... He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone somewhere had just found him.

And they definitely weren’t good.