A Spark in the Night

I was getting closer and closer to the place where the black smoke was rising.

Citizens were running in every direction, panicked... and I understood why: the explosion had struck right in the heart of the city.

"Well... looks like I've arrived."

I jumped off my broom, landing calmly on the ground.

I decided to walk on foot so as not to attract too much attention. The explosion came from the prison. So... either the other prisoners caused it, or...

"...Akira."

Tch... this is getting really annoying. I never should've left him alone.

Fine. Time to use one of my techniques.

I made a gesture in the air. My magic condensed into a small circle floating before me.

"Tracking Mark: Sensory Synchronization."

Thanks to the mark I placed on him this morning—while he was asleep, or rather while I was on top of him—I can feel every beat of his heart.

Each pulse will guide me to him.

The circle summoned a blue orb of energy, which shot off in a straight line... then suddenly turned.

I started running, weaving between the crowd.

"Tch... wait for me!"

The orb sped up and darted into a narrow alley. I picked up the pace, shoving past people without apologizing. I didn't have time.

The sphere came to a halt... right in front of a forest, just outside the city.

And there... I saw him.

Akira. Tied to a tree.

I snapped my fingers, making the orb vanish.

"...Seriously? Now you're stalking me?"

He looked half exasperated, half relieved.

"Just tell me those other prisoners aren't the ones who tied you up here..."

He averted his eyes slightly.

"Well... yeah. That's exactly what happened."

Of course. Obviously.

"You planning on helping me, or just standing there judging me?"

I let out a long, tired sigh.

I snapped my fingers, summoning my broom, which I spun in the air until it transformed into a thin, sharp dagger.

With one clean motion, I cut through the ropes binding him.

He fell to his knees, rubbing his wrists.

"Thanks..."

"Now explain to me how you ended up here."

He took a deep breath.

"It was right after the explosion. I managed to blow open part of the wall, and the prisoners took the chance to escape. Since I didn't know the area, I followed them... but they noticed me, and... yeah."

So he was the one who caused the explosion. But how?

I don't remember giving him any explosives...

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Tell me... how did you blow up a prison wall without weapons?"

He lifted a finger, as if something had just clicked.

"Wait... yeah. I remember. There was someone else. A person in a black cloak."

I raised an eyebrow.

"A black cloak?"

"Yeah. I saw them right after the explosion. They weren't far away, and just as our eyes were about to meet, they turned on their heel and vanished."

Strange. Very strange. And suspicious.

But I didn't have time to dig into that lead now.

The sky was already darkening.

"Alright. Let's head back to the city. Night's falling soon."

"Fine. I'll follow you."

We walked in silence. We needed a roof over our heads for the night—anything, as long as it was shelter.

But as we reached the first houses, I felt a hand touch the small of my back.

I spun around, fist clenched.

"You little... PERVERT!"

I was about to punch Akira—he was right behind me, after all—but...

I froze.

It wasn't him.

It was a little girl. Barely five years old.

Messy hair, dirty and torn clothes. A typical street orphan in this city.

She stared at me without blinking, her hand still resting on me.

Akira stepped closer, looking just as shocked as I was.

"...What the hell? A kid, all alone here?"

I looked around. No adults. No sound. No shouting.

Just her.

"Little one... what are you doing here?"

She slowly stretched out her small hands toward me, her eyes shining despite the grime.

"...Please. I'm hungry."

I froze.

Not an ambush. Not a Nemesis in disguise. Just... a child. Hungry. Like so many others in this cursed city.

Akira grimaced.

"Well... problem number one of this city, in miniature form."

I sighed.

"Pff... we don't even have a place to stay, and you want us to feed another mouth?"

But despite my words... I couldn't look away from her eyes.

They weren't the eyes of a child.

They were... pure survival. A spark refusing to go out.

I crouched down, digging into my satchel.

I pulled out a piece of stale bread—half-hard—and placed it into her trembling hands.

"Here. It's not much... but it'll calm your hunger a little."

She pounced on it, devouring it like a starving animal.

Akira folded his arms.

"You know we just gave ourselves a problem, right?"

I shot him a glare.

"Shut it. We've got enough enemies already. No need to add our conscience to the list."

I gently stroked the girl's messy hair.

"You know what, little one? You're coming with us. Night's almost here. It's not safe for you to stay outside alone, alright?"

She nodded slowly, still chewing.

We kept walking, eventually reaching an inn.

The inside was... bleak. Crowded, but joyless. Most people barely touched their food.

I approached the counter.

"One meal for three, please."

The innkeeper looked up.

"Thirty gold coins."

What?!

Thirty coins for a single meal?

No wonder no one here eats properly...

"And a night's stay?"

"One gold coin. One room. Two beds."

...Great.

I sighed, pulled out my last coin, and handed it to him.

He tossed me a key without a word.

"First door on the left."

"Fine. Come on."

We entered the room. Two beds. One small space.

"Alright. Two beds. I'll sleep with the kid, and you sleep alone."

Akira shrugged.

"No problem."

"Good."

I lay down. And fell asleep instantly.

⸻

I woke up with a jolt.

The quest. I had completely forgotten about it.

The little girl was still fast asleep beside me, clutching the piece of bread tightly in her hands. As if someone might steal it from her.

I turned my head.

Akira's bed was empty.

The window wide open.

"...Where the hell did he go this time?!"

I got up carefully, not to wake the girl.

I stepped toward the window. A cool breeze swept in, carrying with it the scent... of iron.

Of blood.

I clenched my teeth.

"Seriously... he always picks the worst times to vanish."

I snapped my fingers. My broom appeared in a flash.

The quest. The girl. Akira.

Everything tangled in my mind.

But one thing was certain:

Tonight... something big was about to happen.