The midsummer heat made the air buzz, even at night. Wren tried his best to ignore the beads of sweat that formed on his temples; he focused on the scene ahead. Hidden in the shadows of a higher mezzanine, the man could only see part of the room. In the middle, there was a marble statue of two men praying while a snake lurked around them, their faces contorted in agony. The place had big windows, and the lights of the city gave it a luminescent aura. Yet, the statues weren’t the only presence in the room, as two men also stood motionless looking through the windows. The smaller one turned to face the other man.

  “You know, Altair, I might disagree with your methods, but I can’t deny the results.”

  Wren narrowed his eyes as he tried to pay attention to the conversation. He could notice that the taller man didn’t turn, and instead, still looking at the city, he simply said:

  “The secret is knowing what you’re doing.” A playfulness in his voice, he was probably smiling. “These people… They are simple-minded, Máximo.”

  Máximo walked around the room, seemingly looking for something. Whatever he was looking for, Wren wasn’t able to see what it was. If anything went wrong, Wren thought about his escape plan again: he could change the air pressure of the room for a moment and glide full speed back in the same corridor he used to get in.

  “But, tell me, Altair, aren’t you afraid of the Agency? Don’t you think it will raise suspicions?”

  This time, Altair turned a little, half of his face covered in shadows. Something malicious shone in the single eye that stared at Máximo.

  “Should I be afraid? I have a clear view of their board, I know their next moves, and yet my movements are a complete mystery to them.”

  Wren’s body trembled a little, as he was almost sure that Altair’s eyes had flicked in his direction for a fraction of a second. And yet, he wasn’t sure. Aborting the mission was seemingly an option, but it would waste all the effort he had put into it for weeks. It was better to take the risk.

  Máximo appeared again in Wren’s field of vision. His shoulders slumped as he said:

  “I trust in your vision, and yet I can’t shake off the feeling that you should be more careful. We’re gaining traction; soon there will be more eyes on us than we wished for.”

  “You’re too worried, my friend.” Altair said and finally turned around completely, almost in the direction of Wren, his arms opened as he completed: “Have I ever let you down? You have more than enough reasons to trust my powers.”

  “I know. It’s my powers that I don’t trust.” Máximo looked at his own hands, furrowing his brow.

  Surprisingly, Wren watched as Altair moved closer to the other man and hugged him with one arm. The smaller man smiled and closed his eyes. He moved his head in agreement to something Wren couldn’t hear.

  “Look, feel these different wavelengths. The subtle change in the magic in the environment. You can get a lot from that. Let me help you.”

  “Alright then, just point me to where I need to aim, Altair. Be my eyes.”

  “You see, I believe our little guest is hiding just over there. Move your aim to the shadows of the mezzanine above.” And Altair directed Máximo’s hands.

  Wren didn’t even have time to react when something engulfed him completely. For all he knew, he could’ve even become blind, as darkness was all he saw.

  ***

  “It’s so sour!” Karina’s whole face wrinkled. “You should really try it, May.”

  Neo Victoria City buzzed with people walking, greenery, and luxurious colors all over. Young children playing with their siblings, under their parents’ watch. If one really paid attention, even music could be heard somewhere.

  May took some of the candy her friend offered to her. But she spat it almost immediately, to which Karina laughed uncontrollably.

  The girls spoke, and they welcomed the summer and its heat. It was fine for them, since it meant going outside and enjoying the day. Karina would rather have hot summer afternoons, full of bliss, than the gloomy mornings of winter.

  “You know, something’s really strange, now that I think about it.” Karina took the candy out of her mouth and squeezed her eyes. “When was the last time we got contacted by the…”

  “Shh. You shouldn’t be talking about it, not in the light of day in a place crowded with people.” May interjected and spun in her own tracks to bump right into Karina.

  “I mean, May, it’s not like anyone is paying attention to two broke women.”

  And Karina might have some reason, but May still had that funny expression on her face.

  “I believe they will be getting to us soon.” May observed. “At least that’s what my intuition tells me, I feel it here.” The girl pointed to her chest.

  “The only thing you feel there is the stares of those creepy men.” Karina laughed and ran, not before noticing that May was as red as a ‘Stop’ sign.

  When they got back home, Karina let her golden hair loose, and the pink locks swayed against the breeze that came through the window.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “I need a shower so so much.”

  May looked through the mess of the house. She sighed, as she wasn’t really in the mood to tidy everything up. But if there’s one thing she knew for sure, a witch needed a clean space for working.

  The girl heard the water of the shower running while she started picking up the clothes all over the place.

  “How many socks does a person need? Because I swear Karina is actively making a collection…” May muttered to herself, distracted.

  The night came, and it brought a muffled sensation to the city. No breeze, it was like the air had decided to stand still, against any and all common sense. May played with tarot cards in front of her; it was a skill she had yet to master. To know the future could come in handy.

  Funnily enough, this time she kept pulling the same card.

  “The judgment, I guess it’s the ninth time I pulled it.”

  Karina’s head appeared in the door frame, her hair still wet.

  “And what does that mean?”

  “It means new beginnings, at least this is what I think.” May inspected the card closely.

  “Okay, try taking a card for me.”

  As the girl shuffled the deck, a single card slipped out of it, and it fell right on the table. It must mean something, right? Almost like the card was chosen by mysterious forces.

  Karina sat in front of May, her legs crossed, smirking.

  “Justice, upright. That’s good, but don’t ask why or how. I’m not sure of the meaning yet.”

  The girls enjoyed playing with their magic, which helped them grasp their power better. And knowing how to use magic properly could always be useful.

  Karina was still facing May, the smirk in her face long gone; instead, she closed her eyes as she spoke:

  “Do you really think we got it, May? I mean, do you believe in us?”

  “You say ‘believe’ as in that we can discover all the secrets and truths of the world? That we can fight the strongest monsters and still come out on top?” May reached closer to Karina and whispered, “That we’re strong enough at least to protect each other?” The questions lingered in the air before May added, “I guess so. I wouldn’t be doing everything that I do with you if I didn’t believe in us.”

  Karina smiled with the answer. She picked up the TV remote and turned it on before getting up.

  “Let’s see if there’s anything interesting. You know, I once heard someone say in the Agency that if you pay really close attention to the news, you can guess whether the accident or crime is related to monsters or not.”

  But it wasn’t the news on the TV, instead it was a new show. May had seen it before, even though she didn’t mind it. It was a single middle-aged man talking to the audience. Clearly, it had a strong religious tone, as the man himself was simply called “The Preacher”. He always had this stern expression and talked about politics and daily life. That night wasn’t different.

  “It’s obvious there are some things wrong with society. Even a child could point out that. We’re losing the most important part of ourselves. When we look back at the past and the successful actions of our ancestors. They praised tradition over breaking. They recognized that society, as it is, has been built on the shoulders of the greater men.” The man said, his eyes fixated on the screen, his brows furrowed, his hands placed together. It was like he was in the midst of a prayer. “You see how rotten everything is when you arrive home and you’re already tired. You’re tired of the crime and of the inefficiency of the police. You’re tired of the inefficiency of the government to deal with the economy. You’re tired of the rise in prices. You’re tired of the taxes. But do know brothers and sisters watching, that you are not alone.” He pointed at the camera viciously.

  May moved on the sofa, she didn’t like his speech, not at all.

  “Creepy guy, don’t you think, M?”

  May nodded her head in agreement. Indeed, creepy.

  “If you’re like me, and you don’t have faith in these contemporary religions…” The man kept going on, frantic, almost crying to his words. “I have the remedy, I found the cure. If you wanna discover it too, just follow me. I promise we’ll be praying, we’ll be doing the Lord’s work. No more criminals, it’s all we ask. No more enemies of the family.”

  On the screen, numbers and an address appeared. It was probably related to the Preacher’s new religion and church.

  “People believe in anything these days, huh?” Karina said, not paying much attention to the screen.

  “I guess so, sometimes they just want something or someone to believe. At least that’s what I think, and I don’t blame them. If they knew about the monsters, they would have even more reasons to hold on to it.”

  ***

  By the morning, the image of the Preacher on the TV was just a hazy memory. As the first rays of sunshine illuminated the room through the curtains, a white cat passed through the opening of the window. The cat looked at May, tilting his head, waiting for the girl to fully wake up. She recognized the familiar animal and petted him lightly on the head.

  “What do you bring me, Otto?”

  The cat purred and left a single note on the bed.

  “Oh, is this for Karina and me? Thank you, Otto, here take this.”

  May fished out a snack; she always kept the box close to her bed, especially for treating the familiar whenever he brought messages.

  Otto purred with the sight of the snack. He ate it, and he jumped from the bed to the window frame in a single motion.

  The message was written in an elegant calligraphy, and the words simply stated:

  “The Agency requires your service. Please, report before noon.”

  May got up and mumbled to herself about how the Agency is so minimalist and dry. She shook Karina to wake the other girl.

  “Get up, Karina, we have work for today.”

  “Just give me one more minute, please…”

  ***

  “What do you think it is? Maybe they will finally give us something big.” Karina closed her eyes and smiled.

  “You know you’re the only person I know that would be happy to fight a dangerous monster.”

  “It’s so fun, I mean, as long as we’re winning. I can’t lie, May, I like the feeling, I like the rush of adrenaline.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it, but we’re still Base-hunters, I doubt they would give us something big. It’s probably just another person who drank the wrong thing in the wrong place.”

  Both girls ate their breakfast and started getting ready. Karina put her hair back in a ponytail, while May simply looked for her bag. She kept her revolver, Azrael, there, while Karina simply preferred to strap her two pistols to her legs. It was important to keep it close, because monsters sometimes could be unpredictable. And May wasn’t keen on taking risks.

  “Are you ready, Karina? I want to arrive there as early as possible. What if they ask us to chase a monster right on the spot?”

  May hadn’t even finished the sentence when Karina appeared, smiling from ear to ear.

  “You know, I still hope it’s something big. I mean, I can’t believe Wren got ahead of us. Now he’s a D-Hunter, and all thanks to that last mission. You remember? It was quite a show. I wish I had more show-y powers too…”

  “Yeah, yeah, alright. Maybe a bigger monster wouldn’t be all that bad. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?”