Chapter 3: The Elusive Slayer

The past several days went by without incident. Sol spent his time on shore alone. He sat on the cool sand, watching the waves roll in and out. The boy always had a better time thinking at the beach. It calmed and comforted him like a baby’s lullaby.

Despite the passage of time, the young boy was still reeling from his father’s revelations. No wonder Loto was so secretive. No wonder he had a problem with Sol’s longing for adventure. But what good was it to hide away from everything?

Sol stared at an old family photo he held. Loto stood next to Soleil Haven as she sat down, happily cradling their son. He chuckled, instantly recognized himself as a mystified infant, sucking his thumb and looking straight ahead.

Then, his brown eyes went to the recent photo of Soleil. The one Noe took before fleeing Manu Ruins. Soleil seemed like a completely different person. Her eyes were dark, devoid of life and light. She wore a cold frown on her face.

Comparing the two pictures, Sol couldn’t help but sense something…off. There was a missing piece that maybe his father didn’t see. The Soleil from the past was beaming and warm. But now, Soleil lacked everything that made her even human. What could have caused her to change so drastically? What happened to her glowing smile and kind eyes?

The golden-haired lad paid Noe a visit, relaying what he learned to her. She was just as shocked as Sol.

“Wow…that’s…a lot to unpack.”

“Understatement of the year.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Noe surmised. “Your parents joined a team of researchers, and at some point, Soleil turned into some kind of evil mad scientist? Whatever obsessions she had drove Loto to take you and run away from her, right?”

Sol looked at his friend incredulously, somewhat affronted.

“Evil mad scientist?! Noe, really!? What gave you that idea?”

“My grandad watches a lot of science fiction movies,” Noe shrugged casually. “Plus, it was just an assumption, so, calm down a little.”

“No way,” Sol rebuked vehemently. “She’s not that kind of person.”

“And how do you know that, exactly?” Noe challenged, raising an eyebrow. “You haven’t seen your mom in 11 years, Sol. You were only 4 when you were separated from her.”

“I know, but…there’s something missing here. I just can’t place my finger on it. People don’t just change so drastically like that, do they?”

“Well, based on what your dad said, Soleil was a slayer at a young age. She met a whole bunch of people from all around the world, too. Maybe that had something to do with it?”

At Noe’s statement, something clicked in the boy’s mind. He had nearly forgotten about that critical piece of information. When he was younger, Loto told him stories about how his mother was a highly competent slayer. How she met friends from many exotic places and saved many lives. Maybe…just maybe…

“Noe, what if I became a slayer?”

“…You’re joking,” she deadpanned.

“I’m serious!” Sol asserted, voice firm with resolve. “This could be my chance to know more about Soleil and finally see the things she seen in the outside world.”

“And you think you can accomplish that by being a slayer? It’s a tough job, you know. Nothing compared to the make-believe games we’d play.”

“Yeah, but it’s worth a shot. I won’t know unless I try! There’s no way I’m going to just sit around and do nothing. I want to prove my old man wrong and go out in the world. Besides, I want to see her again.”

Noe blinked and her lips pursed as she furrowed her brows. It was clear that he was serious. More serious than he ever had been. She didn’t know what it would entail or how they should start. But at the very least, she’ll stick with him, like always.

“Sol, are you sure about this? It won’t be a walk in the park going forward.”

“Oh, come on, Noe,” Sol chuckled. “We’ve dealt with some crazy stuff in just a few days! If we set our minds to it, anything is possible.”

“Ever the optimist,” she giggled. “In that case, I’d better keep an eye on you!”

The pair laughed together before the girl asked,

“Well, now that you decided…what’s the plan?”

“Dad mentioned that Soleil got her Slayer license from some kind of exam in Big Fork City,” Sol answered. “So, our best bet is to go there.”

“And how do you intend to travel to the New Continent?”

There was a slight pause before Sol could finally give a sheepish answer,

“I…oh…um…good question.”

Frustrated, Noe placed a flat palm on her face, hard.

“Honestly, Sol! You don’t have a single clue, do you? We need to get tickets for a ship! Maybe somebody might now a thing or two about that.”

“Ah, right! Good suggestion, Noe,” Sol nodded right away. “See? Knew I could count on you!”

“Good grief…”

However, before they could discuss further, someone else entered Noe’s home. It was a pudgy man in his early 60s with receding greyish hair. He instantly recognized the teenage boy and greeted him with a warm smile.

“Oh, Sol, good morning!”

“Hey there, Mr. Lee!” Sol replied. “How are you?”

“Great! The Ohana Bakery’s been keeping me and Kana quite busy as of late.”

“I heard you guys came up with a new cheesecake. I’d love to try it sometime.”

“Of course, son!” Lee laughed. “We’d love to have you pay us a visit. No need to be a stranger.”

“Hey, grandpa,” Noe asked, pointing towards the man’s hand, “what’s that you’re holding there?”

“Oh, this? Believe it or not, someone left their wallet at our shop.”

“Really? Do you know who it belongs to?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” Lee nodded. “He’s a sailor man who works at the harbor. Name’s David, I think.”

“We can handle that for you, grandpa,” Noe volunteered quickly. “Right, Sol?”

“Huh? Oh, sure thing,” Sol replied. “I don’t have much to do anyway.”

“Great! Give me a minute to get ready and we’ll get to asking around.”

“By a minute, do you mean an hour?”

“Hey, I don’t take that long to get dressed!”

“Yeah,” Sol teased, “but you never make up your mind as to what you want to wear for the day.”

“Oh, whatever!” Noe said, dismissively. “Just wait for me here.”

The brown-haired girl sprinted upstairs to her room while Sol and Lee were left alone. The bakery owner took the chance to express gratitude for the blonde boy.

“Sol,” Lee said at last “I want to thank you for being friends with Noe for so long.”

“Think nothing of it. She can be a pain every now and then, but I can always count on her to have my back.”

“Still, it’s very endearing to see you two get along so well. She’s come a long way from who she was before.”

“Oh, yeah. She was found on a boat a long time ago, right?”

The older man nodded, lowering his eyes somberly.

“When we found her washed up on shore, she was only 6 years old. Nobody knew where she came from or what happened to her parents. And when she came to, she behaved like a feral animal, attacking everyone in sight. She didn’t even know how to talk.”

Lee approached the small table and held a picture of himself, his wife Kana, and Noe, enjoying a picnic together a few years ago. The aged man smiled fondly at the warm memory.

“Kana and I always struggled to have children. We were just about willing to accept things as they were when Noe came along. So, we both decided to adopt her and teach her the ways of Hanalei Bay. And not only that…”

Lee focused his greenish eyes on Sol, his daughter’s source of inspiration and admiration.

“You’ve brought the very best in our little girl, Sol. You became her very first friend. And for that, we are eternally grateful to you.”

The younger man couldn’t contain the light blush from his cheeks as he placed his hands on the back of his head and raised up his elbows. He wasn’t used to such high praise as this, not when he lived in a town where almost everyone deemed him a troublemaker.

“Aww, no need for any of that, mister. Truth is, she’s like the little sister I never had. And my dad is always happy to have her around for dinner.”

A moment later, Noe finally returned, fully dressed and ready for today’s activities.

“Thanks for waiting,” she proudly announced. “I’m ready when you are, Sol.”

“Thanks, kiddos!” Lee chirped. “That means a lot. Now I can go back to helping my wife. She’s probably getting swamped by patrons as we speak!”

Lee waved goodbye to the kids as he left the house to return to the bakery. Before they left, Sol asked,

“What’s up, Noe? Why’d you have us volunteer for the wallet?”

“This way, we have an excuse to ask around town,” the girl replied. “We can find the owner and then ask about the ship tickets.”

“Ah, good idea. Let’s put our feet to work, then.”

--

Not much had changed since their last visit to Apopo Harbor. The seagulls were still squawking loudly in the distance. Dozens of sailors and fishermen, young and old, were hard at work with loading and unloading cargo ships. The invigorating scent of sea water wafted in their nostrils.

Sol and Noe walked through the harbor, their eyes scanning the area for David, the sailor. If they had asked Lee about his physical appearance, then their search would go a whole lot faster. However, their misgivings were soon dissolved when Sol noticed their potential target.

“There he is,” Sol said, nodding towards a man sitting on a bench, looking distressed. “You think that might be him over there?”

His best friend followed his’s gaze, her heart going out to the man. His head and shoulders were hung low as he covered his face with both hands.

“He looks pretty upset, for sure. That’s gotta be our guy.”

They approached the bench, and Noe greeted the redhead with a warm smile. “Hi there. Are you Mr. David?”

The young man looked up, his greyish eyes filled with a mix of hope and anxiety.

“Yes, I am. But…how do you know that?”

Noe chuckled lightly as she pulled the wallet from her bag.

“My granddad found this in one of the tables at our bakery. He wanted to me to give it to you.”

The adult’s face broke into a relieved smile as he took the wallet, checking its contents.

“Oh, thank the Gods! I was so worried!”

“What made you leave it at the bakery, anyway?”

“Well, my girlfriend dumped me yesterday. So, I went to the bar to drown my sorrows late last night. Must’ve had a severe hangover during that time. Didn’t think anyone would care to bring it back.”

“Hanalei Bay is a small town,” Sol chuckled, taking a seat next to him. “If something’s out of place, we tend to notice it.”

Noe sat down on the other side of the bench and said,

“We’re glad we could help. I’m Noe by the way, and this is Sol.”

David shook their hands, his gratitude evident. “You kids were a big help! Thanks so much for finding my wallet. I was just about to give up and cancel all my cards.”

“No big deal, really. And, if you don’t mind, we wanted to ask you some questions.”

“Sure, ask away.”

“Have you ever been on the Steamer?”

The young adult man crossed his arms and thought over Noe’s question. However, his answer was a lot to be desired.

“Honestly, I haven’t. The most I’ve ever been on are fishing boats or sail boats. They never go too far from the islands. Plus, I heard Steamer tickets are ridiculously expensive!”

“How expensive are we talking about?” Sol inquired, curious and worried simultaneously.

“Last time I checked…” David answered, scratching the back of his head. “At least two hundred and fifty Bennies?”

Both Sol and Noe’s eyes reduced into black pebbles and their mouths comically dropped down the ground at such a ghastly price.

“THAT MUCH!?”

“TRAIN TICKETS ARE CHEAPER THAN THAT! EVEN GROCERIES AREN’T THAT MUCH!!! THAT’S A RIPOFF!!

“Trust me,” David laughed wholeheartedly, “that was my exact same reaction to that price.”

The two youngsters were at a loss for what to do next. It seemed like their hopes of traveling to the New Continent dashed to the winds. And with that, Sol’s quest to become a slayer along with it. Noe lowered her head in defeat.

“There’s no way we can make that kind of money! We don’t even have jobs…”

“David,” Sol entreated. “There has to be another way to get on the Steamer, isn’t there?”

The young man held his chin, pensively. Searching through a catalogue of memories, he picked out the one that would prove most beneficial for the duo.

“Come to think of it, I remember hanging out with a co-worker of mine several days ago. We had a chat with an old woman in a bar. Turns out she’s one of those…slayers, I think they’re called.”

“Wait, a slayer?” Sol repeated, eyes beaming with hope. “At a bar? Where?!”

“Blue Punch Bar, I think. This lady told us stories about her adventures and even showed off her ticket. Goes by the name of Busujima.”

“Could you show us the way to this bar, Mr. David?” Noe asked.

“I’ll do you one better. Why don’t I just take you there myself? Gotta repay the favor somehow!”

--

David pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Blue Punch Bar, the creaking hinges announcing their arrival. The tavern was bustling with activity, and the air hummed with conversation and the clinking of mugs. Sol and Noe exchanged a glance, their expressions a mix of excitement and determination, before making their way to the bar.

The bartender, a grizzled man with a thick beard and a knowing smile, looked up as they approached.

“Ah, David! Welcome back. What would you like to drink today?” he asked, his voice gruff but not unfriendly.

“Yo, Gato!” David replied. “Actually, I’m helping these kids out. They wanted to see Busujima.”

“Really now? Are you relatives?”

“Oh, no,” Sol answered honestly. “We just wanted to meet her ourselves.”

The bartender chuckled wryly, wiping down the counter.

“I think your luck ran out, then. I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”

Noe opened her notebook, ready to jot down any useful information.

“Do you know where we might find her? Any details can help.”

“‘Fraid not, little lady,” the bartender shrugged. “Your best bet would be to ask around. Some of the regulars might have seen her or heard something.”

“Thanks. We’ll do that.”

They turned away from the bar, their eyes scanning the room for potential sources of information. A group of men sat at a nearby table, their laughter and conversation drawing their attention. None were sure if they could offer any help, but they had to at least try.

“Excuse us,” David said, approaching the table. “Have any of you seen Busujima recently?”

One of the patrons, a woman with a scar across her cheek, looked up, her expression curious.

“You’re not the only ones looking for her. She’s a hard one to track down. But I heard she was last seen near an old factory.”

“What for?” Noe asked.

One of the men, with a grizzled, weathered face, looked up, his eyes narrowing.

“Last time she was here, Busujima mentioned something about getting rid some pesky monsters that lurked in that area.”

“Monsters?” Sol blinked in confusion. “Wait, where is this old factory exactly?”

“Somewhere in Hema, I think.”

The boy’s eyes blinked, taken aback.

“Hema…?! What would she be doing there of all places?”

“Who knows? But she’s quite the funny lass, that’s for sure! She’d be so plastered sometimes that she’d fall right asleep instantly.”

Both the patrons laughed heartily at that, much to the youngsters’ confusion. David cleared his throat and asked,

“Do you know anything else besides that?”

“That’s all I’ve heard,” the woman confirmed, shaking her head. “But if you’re looking to train with her, you’d better be prepared.”

“Yes,” concurred the grizzled man sitting beside her. “I heard she’s not known for going easy on her students. Some say she’s the type to push you into the water and tell you to start swimming!”

Again, the patrons laughed. Hiccups were heard among them. Noe nodded, making a note in her notebook.

“Thanks for the tip.”

After gathering what they needed, Sol and Noe left the bar, parted ways with David, and gathered their thoughts.

“Sol, do you know about this Hema place? You seemed shocked when those people mentioned it.”

“Well,” the boy replied, somewhat hesitant, “that’s because… I remember my dad telling me about that old factory being haunted.”

“H-h-haunted?!” Noe repeated, puzzled.

“You didn’t know? Oh, I suppose you wouldn’t. It happened way before we were born. Apparently, a bunch of workers died there from some kind of poisoning.”

“And you’re thinking of going there? It’s obviously not safe!”

Sol sighed and scratched the back of his head. Truth be told, he wasn’t all too thrilled to head out there either. It could be another dead lead for all they knew. However, his motivations outweigh his own reservations. There were barely any alternatives to pick at this rate.

“Well, what choice do I have? If I’m going to be a slayer for real, I gotta learn from one of them. Busujima is our only hope in getting on that Steamer.”

“That…is true.”

“Besides,” Sol added, assuring his friend with confidence, “we both found ourselves some awesome weapons from the Manu Ruins. We can handle some danger.”

His younger friend sighed, reluctantly. Despite her concerns, she knew the lad had a point.

“I hate it when you make sense. Fine, I’ll go too! But that doesn’t mean I’ll like it!”

--

The train let out a long, metallic hiss as it came to a stop. Sol stepped off first, his sneakers crunching onto the cracked platform. Noe followed, holding her bag tight against her chest, her eyes scanning the empty station.

There was no station master. No lights. Just a crooked bench and a rusty sign with the paint peeled off, half-swinging in the wind:

HEMA

Sol squinted toward the horizon. “That’s gotta be it.”

Far off, half-swallowed by the tall grass and drifting fog, stood the outline of a massive factory, all rust and jagged metal. A tower jutted out from one side like a broken blade.

Noe hesitated at the edge of the platform. Sol only adjusted the straps on his backpack.

“Are we really doing this?”

“We didn’t come all this way to turn back now.”

“I guess, but this place feels... wrong.”

He glanced at her, then at the silent fields. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but she was right. The quiet here was different. Thick. Always watching.

They started down the overgrown trail, where the wild grass reached up to Sol’s waist and nearly to Noe’s shoulders. Dust clung to their legs as they moved. The sun was still up, but neither could really tell—it hovered low, casting everything in long, warped shadows.

As they walked, they passed a weathered wooden fence. Symbols had been carved into the posts, rough and uneven. Some were fresh. Some were burned in.

Noe stopped and ran her fingers along one of the marks.

“These are warding signs, maybe?” she said quietly.

“Like spells?”

“More like...protections. You carve them to keep something out. Or keep something in.”

Sol tried to laugh, but it came out hollow…and uneasy.

“You’re thirteen. Since when you know this stuff?”

“I read books,” she said flatly. “Unlike you.”

He gave her a half-smirk, but the anxiety only grew. He gripped the handle of his training blade strapped to his back—not that it would do much. Not if the stories were true.

They pushed forward, the factory looming larger with every step. The metal walls were streaked with rust, and the windows were either shattered or sealed shut with old iron plates.

The two moved carefully now, feet crunching over dry grass and gravel as they circled the edge of the factory. It looked even worse from up close. Sheets of rusted metal peeled off the walls like dead skin. Pipes were twisted and broken. A collapsed smokestack leaned precariously, looking ready to fall with one wrong breath.

Sol ran his fingers along the outer wall, looking for a side entrance. Most doors were sealed shut from rust, time, and disuse.

“There’s gotta be a way in.”

Noe kept glancing over her shoulder.

“We shouldn’t be this close.”

“You said that twenty minutes ago.”

“And I was right then, too.”

Clink.

They both froze. Something metal shifted—quiet, but deliberate. Definitely not the wind.

Sol spun around. “You hear that?”

Noe nodded slowly, eyes wide. “It came from over there.”

She pointed toward a cluster of old storage tanks just beyond the factory’s perimeter. Tall, hulking things with ladders leading nowhere. Between them, shadows moved, not quite lining up with the direction of the fading sunlight. Sol took a cautious step back.

“Could just be an animal. Like a rat or a stray dog.”

“Rats don’t make footsteps,” Noe corrected, swallowing hard.

Crunch.

The grass behind them moved. They whipped around—nothing there. Just emptier fields and the broken fence line. Sol’s hand went to his laser spear as he gestured his friend to stay back.

“Noe,” he said, voice low, “stay behind me.”

Something darted between the storage tanks. It moved fast, sticking low to the ground. Both caught just a glimpse: pale skin, long limbs, and too many joints bending the wrong way.

Noe’s breath hitched.

“That’s not a stray dog…or a stray anything.”

They backed towards the wall, eyes frantically scanning the grass, the tanks, the shadows.

Then, for a heartbeat, everything was silent again…until a low hiss rose from behind one of the tanks. Raspy and wet, like steam escaping a release valve.

Then—

Something moved. It moved fast. Direct.

The hiss behind them grew louder.

Noe yanked on Sol’s sleeve.

“It’s coming. We should go…”

“Agreed. Head for the door!”

Sol charged forward and rammed his shoulder into a crooked metal hatch. It groaned, then gave way with a blast of rust and stale air.

Noe ducked in behind him, slamming the door shut. Something slammed against it a second later, making the whole frame shake. Dust rained down from the ceiling.

Sol gritted his teeth and wedged a nearby broomstick through the bent door handles to brace it. It held…for now.

Breathing hard, the two looked around. They found themselves in a long corridor filled with broken pipes, shattered bulbs, and old paint. A derelict conveyor belt snaked along the wall, covered in dried, blackened grease. The air was thick with the scent of oil, metal… and something unspeakably foul.

“I say we find a place to hide,” Sol suggested, quietly. “Wait for that thing will back off.”

“Or we find Busujima and get the heck out of here,” Noe protested, frowning.

“Whichever works!”

They moved deeper into the factory, but they didn’t get too far. A faint click-click-click echoed across the rafters. They both froze. High above, in the shadows of the ceiling pipes, something moved. Crawling. Watching.

Then—CRASH!

A shape dropped from the rafters. It was a sleek, insect-like creature, its skin shining like wet iron, long arms dragging metal claws behind it. It had no eyes, just rows of glimmering teeth and gill-like slits that flared as it sniffed. It skulked forward, emitting a low, scraping sound like metal claws being dragged across concrete. Sol felt an immense, ominous aura emanating from the unknown creature.

For the first time, Sol was afraid. Afraid for his life and Noe’s.

Whatever this thing was, it was much too powerful to challenge head on. From that tense moment of silence, there was only one thing to do.

“NOPE!” Sol and Noe shouted in unison as they swiftly tried to retreat.

The young islanders darted toward the heavy steel exit doors, their breaths ragged and hearts pounding in the eerie silence of the factory. But as Sol slammed his shoulder against the door, a sudden clang echoed through the cavernous space. The doors were locked tight, trapping them inside.

“No…!” Noe’s voice cracked with panic.

Just then, the monster charged forward like a cheetah stalking its prey. The girl aimed her water gun at the enemy, but the large bubbles bounced harmlessly off it. Before Sol could raise his laser spear, the creature lunged with unnatural speed.

A heavy, crushing force slammed into Sol’s chest, sending him crashing into a pile of rusted machinery. Noe tried to shoot her water pistol once more, but the foe’s long claw swatted her away and sending her sprawling toward some wooden boxes. With the young girl knocked out cold, the monster slowly approached her.

Sol’s vision blurred as he crawled on the floor, trying and failing to stand up. In his haze, he could make out a brick nearby. He grabbed it and flung it towards the demon’s head, earning its ire. It screeched with fury before making its way over to the weakened boy.

Just as it prepared to deliver another crushing blow—

SMASH!

A figure crashed through the factory window, glass exploding outward. The woman landed with fierce grace, her weapon drawn and glowing faintly. With a fierce cry, she charged, slashing through the shadow’s smoky form. The creature hissed, retreating as her blade seared its edges, scattering the darkness like bits of paper before the wind.

And that was the last thing Sol seen before finally losing consciousness.