"Listen to me. Just listen, and don't panic." Tis’s voice was desperate, almost urgent. Vyani frowned.
"What happened now?" She crossed her arms, looking around. The school washroom behind the old building was nearly abandoned, its floors stained with years of neglect. "You do know no one uses these, right? They stink."
"Shh." Tis ignored her complaint, eyes sharp, scanning the empty space. "Just listen. No need to panic."
Vyani’s heart skipped a beat. "Did you find her? The Hucia thief? Who is she?"
"No." Tis inhaled sharply. "But she made a move. And this time, it wasn’t an earthquake. It wasn’t a natural disaster."
"Huh? What do you mean, I—"
"She killed someone."
The words struck Vyani like ice-cold water. Her breath hitched, fingers tightening into fists.
Wh—what? No. No, no, no. Her mind raced, panic clawing at her chest. The Hucia thief was making a move. That meant… she was close.
"Listen…" Tis tried to steady her, but Vyani's pulse roared in her ears.
"A little horrifying?" she cut in, her voice rising. "You said she couldn’t kill humans! That she didn’t have the power to!"
"I know." Tis looked troubled, his usual composure cracking. "But I think she knows more than we ever assumed. She understands Hucia in ways no wielder has before. She’s doing things we never taught."
Vyani’s stomach twisted. "Does that mean… she’s coming for me?" Her voice wavered. "Oh my god. Why did I even say yes to this? I don't want to die yet—not when I was finally healing. Not when I was getting over Ayaan, not when I—"
"Vyani." Tis’s voice was firm. "It’s still under control. You have me."
She exhaled shakily. "Who did she kill?"
"A man. An escaped prisoner. He was charged with murder."
Vyani blinked. "Wait… she killed a bad guy? But—she’s the villain, isn’t she?"
"That’s not the point!" Tis ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "They found him stabbed—brutally. But that wasn’t what killed him." He paused. "His heartbeat was stopped first—by a Hucia weapon."
Her breath hitched. "She killed him with Hucia… and then stabbed him afterward? A dead body?"
Tis nodded grimly. "And it wasn’t just one stab. It was brutal, Vyani. Too many times."
She swallowed hard. This wasn’t just a simple kill. It was personal.
"We need to look into the prisoner," she muttered, trying to ground herself.
"I already did. He murdered his wife. Drunk, out of control. No one believed his excuses."
Vyani clenched her fists. "Bastard." But then a new thought formed, chilling her to the bone. "Why does the Hucia thief care about this?"
Tis didn’t answer right away. His gaze darkened. "...We’ll have to keep investigating. But Vyani—be careful. It could be anyone around you. Any woman."
Her breath turned shallow. "I—I’m scared, Tis." The words left her lips before she could stop them. The first time she had ever admitted it.
"I know," Tis murmured. "I can see it. But I’m here. If you die, the Creator will throw me out of the Middle World, so I have no choice but to protect you with everything I have."
She let out a shaky breath. "Hm…"
When she returned to her classroom, the teacher was still absent. She collapsed into her chair, her hands trembling. The Hucia thief—whoever she was—was out there. And she was getting stronger.
"Vyakhya—"
"Aaaaah!"
Vyani screamed, flinching as a hand touched her arm. The entire class turned to stare.
Amisha recoiled. "What the hell?! Why did you scream like that?"
Vyani gasped, trying to steady her breathing. "I—I was just startled. What were you saying?"
Amisha chuckled, shaking her head. "You’re so weird sometimes."
The conversation continued, but Vyani wasn’t listening.
Her mind was stuck in a loop—on Tis’s words, on the Hucia thief, on the brutal way that man had died.
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The night stretched long and sleepless. 3am, the clocks whispered, and the world slept soundly. Each house, each room, each person tucked into their dreams—except for one.
Vyani lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
How could she sleep?
Tis was waiting. Outside.
She knew where they had to go. Where the body was found.
It wasn’t far—just a twenty-minute walk. Near the big gift shop where she had always bought presents for her friends. She had stood there so many times, fingers brushing against wrapping papers, ribbons, small trinkets.
Now, she had to go there again.
It shouldn’t be a big deal. But it was.
Because someone had died there.
And that someone might still be alive if Vyani had known how to use her Hucia properly.
She swallowed the thought down, swinging her legs over the bed. The wooden floor was cool against her skin. She slipped on her slippers, her movements quiet, practiced. She grabbed her pillow and stuffed it under the covers, layering some clothes on top. A poor attempt at deception, but her mother never checked.
Even in April, she pulled the blanket over it. She always slept under a cover.
Even when she wasn’t in the bed at all.
Silence followed her as she stepped out into the veranda. The night smelled of dust and something sharp—anticipation. She activated the Hucia. A dull hum filled the air, and within seconds, the heavenly stairs appeared, stretching upward in a faint, eerie glow.
Vyani climbed.
Tis was already there, waiting. His arms crossed, his frown shifting into a small, knowing smile when he saw her.
“Let’s go,” he said. “We’ll just check for evidence tonight. You look shaken.”
She nodded.
This was different. Usually, they talked while climbing the stairs—about everything and nothing. About her thoughts, about things she refused to admit even to herself.
But tonight, they climbed in silence.
And then, they were there.
Standing before the water tank.
It loomed above them, rusted, towering, old. The moonlight barely reached it, casting sharp, broken shadows across the ground. The place was still taped off with bright yellow lines—a crime scene.
Vyani stared at the restricted zone.
Then, without a word, she stepped forward—crossing the line.
Vyani walked in silence, her thoughts tangled and restless. The air was still, but the memory of the night before gnawed at her. A part of her wanted to believe it was just another death — a terrible thing, but distant. Yet, as she followed Tis around the rooftop, she couldn’t shake the weight in her chest. Somewhere below, people were waking up, getting on with their lives. But up here, everything was different.
She didn’t even realize how far she had wandered until her foot brushed against the low concrete wall behind the water tank, bushes nearby, and the gutter flowing silently.A whisper of dry leaves cracked under her step, and then — it hit her.
A smell.
Foul and pungent, like something rotting beneath the earth. It slithered into her nose, making her gag. Panic surged through her, and before she could stop herself, she stumbled back.
“Tis!” Her voice cracked, trembling with fear. “Tis, come here!”
The creature materialized beside her, his face etched with confusion. “What is it?”
She didn’t answer. She was already stepping toward the bushes, her breath quickening. The smell grew stronger. Then she saw it.
Lying stiffly among the withered leaves was a small, lifeless body. Fur matted, eyes half-open. Pale.
A cat.
Vyani froze. The world seemed to tilt around her. Her hands shook as they hovered near her mouth. It was dead. No visible wounds, no signs of a struggle — just dead.
Tis stared at the body, his expression cold. “It’s a cat,” he said softly. “Poor thing must’ve died recently.”
Vyani shook her head violently, her breathing uneven. “No. No, Tis. That’s not it.”
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Tis… It’s the cat. The one from before. The one that was afraid of me.” Her voice cracked. “I-I swear it’s the same one...the colour, wh-white and orange...it-it's the same!”
Tis stiffened. “The one you told me about?”
Vyani nodded, her chest tightening. “She was terrified of me, Tis. She couldn’t even look at me. And now she’s dead. I-I think…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I think it’s my fault.”
“That’s impossible,” Tis cut in. “This happened before. The cat died before the prisoner. They aren’t related.”
But Vyani’s trembling hands clutched her shirt as tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t understand! It wasn’t normal. She looked at me like… like she saw something horrible. Like she knew.”
Tis sighed. “Vyani, there’s no Hucia in her. I would sense it.”
“It’s bigger,” she interrupted, her voice cracking. “Tis… this isn’t the same cat. It’s her mother.”
He stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in.
“The kitty… she saw her mother die,” Vyani whispered, her tears spilling. “And then she saw me. She thinks I did it.”
Tis dragged a hand down his face, his jaw clenched. “The smell.”
“What?”
"The smell, Vyani. Your Hucia’s scent. It’s faint, but it’s there. And the thief’s — the woman’s — it’s stronger. Animals can smell it. That’s why the kitten was afraid.”
His words barely reached her. All she could see was the cat’s cold, lifeless body. The guilt gnawed at her, hollowing her from the inside.
“I can’t… I can’t do this,” Vyani choked, gripping the thread around her wrist. “A man and a cat. Both dead. Because of me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Tis snapped.
“It is mine!” Her voice broke. “I still haven’t found the thief. And now—” Her sobs choked the rest of her words.
Tis’ face darkened, his hands clenching. “Then it’s my fault too.” He knelt beside her, his voice low but firm. “But I’m not crying, am I?”
She shot him a glare through her tears. “Because you don’t feel anything. I do. I feel everything. And you’re useless, Tis.”
His jaw tensed, but he didn’t argue. He just sat there, staring at the ground. Then, after a long pause, he spoke.
“We’ll figure this out.”
“How?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“We find out how the cat died.”
Vyani’s eyes widened. “But how can we—”
“This is human work,” he said, standing up. “You have doctors, vets. They can find out what happened.”
“I-I…”
“Go home.” His tone was firm, though there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. “I’ll preserve the body. You’ll do the rest.”
“Tis, I—”
“Go. Home.”
She staggered to her feet, her legs weak. The early light of dawn was creeping in, painting the sky a dull gray.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa25NNsCVxs
Yet for Vyani, it felt darker than ever. Each step home felt heavier, her thoughts clouded. She walked home as she looked at the sky last time and the star less cloudy sky seemed to resemble her a lot tonight.
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