Dating was awesome. It helped people figure out what was sweet, what was cozy, and what happiness really was.

Even now, thinking about the fireworks and last night’s kiss, Ren still had a unspeakable feeling in his heart.

It was a first for him, his very first date.

Looking back, Ren saw that a lot of his "firsts" in life had happened with Kestrel.

But for some reason, mixed in with all that sweetness, he felt kind of weird.

Ren went over every single word Kestrel said last night, every moment she smiled under the fireworks, and every feeling they shared in the psychic landscape. Finding no red flags, he finally chilled out a bit.

Plus, Kestrel promised she’d never leave him alone again.

Still, Ren couldn’t get rid of this uneasy feeling. It was like Kestrel hadn’t really promised him anything solid—like spending their lives together.

Feeling shaky, Ren couldn’t sleep and woke up super early.

He had a bunch of stuff to do that day and was really busy in the Tower. While working, he thought about Kestrel possibly showing up and kept his ears wide open.

Whispers from different parts of the Tower reached him. He heard the upper-class folks up there talking quietly.

"When’s the last time the Queen talked to anyone from outside?"

"I’m not sure, but it’s been a while. No one’s allowed up there. No idea what’s happening."

"It’s kinda scary, her being all alone in that big palace with no one to help her out."

"Even Luther, who’s usually close to her, can’t see her."

"Do you think something’s up? Things are a bit shaky lately. Makes me anxious."

"Quiet, don’t guess stuff. We’re in the Tower; we’re safe here."

"I heard the Queen’s meeting some kid with royal blood today."

"That Kestrel? She’s super special, huh?"

Hearing the whispers, Ren spotted Luther—the guy with the face scar—sitting on the marble steps under the palace. Luther looked confused, like he didn’t know what to do next.

When Luther saw Ren, he waved him over. As Ren got closer, Luther opened his mouth, his eyes looking kinda cloudy, and started to say, "Brandon, he..." but then he clammed up.

Brandon was a rebel, someone who got out of the Tower. Ever since some big explosion, nobody in the Tower even dared say his name.

Luther waved Ren over and only blurted out one name, like he totally forgot what else he wanted to say next.

After a quick pause, Luther rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, "Go, do a patrol for me. I’ve got this weird feeling something big’s gonna happen; I’m not feeling right."

Nodding, Ren hopped into the elevator and headed down from the super high top of the Tower.

As he went down, he saw loads of people who were a lot like Luther—big shots of the Empire, people who used to be the Queen’s right-hand folks. They all looked confused and lost, like something inside their heads got messed up. Whatever was controlling them was acting all wonky, making the whole giant machine of the Tower act slow.

Ren went around the Tower for a patrol and even snuck off to a hidden meet-up spot underground to catch up with Brandon, who had secretly returned to Imperial Nexus.

After he left the meeting spot, Ren started sweating like crazy. It was super hot today, and weird green clouds filled the sky, making the Tower lose its shiny white look.

He turned to check out the Tower in the distance, which looked dark because of the cloudy sky overhead.

It felt like something was about to go down, for real. Like there was this invisible tension in the air, ready to break any second. Stuff was about to get real.

Right then, he spotted a little girl dart out from a nearby alley. She was gripping a map super tight and zipped right across his view, blending into the shadows before disappearing into another alley.

Quickly, he figured out she was a beta.

She had come into his sight, but it was like his brain almost skipped over her. Just as he was gonna keep going, a whole bunch of alphas showed up—these were elite warriors with super senses. They were in groups and were definitely looking for that girl. Weirdly, they all missed her even though she had just dashed right past them.

Being around Kestrel a lot, Ren had sort of gotten used to this beta trick.

He knew that strong betas could mess with people’s minds and make people not notice them, like they were invisible or something.

Ren flashed back to the first time he ever met Kestrel. She was young then and had bolted from the Tower. A ton of people looked for her but couldn’t find her. In the end, Ren was the one who found her.

It seemed like another beta had bolted from the Tower. But the number of people out looking for her was crazy this time. It was like they were hunting for some sort of super dangerous bad guy.

Every rooftop and vantage point nearby was filled with fully armed warriors. Their faces were stern, hands clutching long-range weapons with safeties off.

"All this for a young child?" Ren frowned slightly. He had seen the child before. An orphan, secretly confined to a hidden room on the upper levels of the Tower.

---

In a dim, damp alleyway, Ligia huddled on the edge of a garbage pile, clutching a picture album to her chest. She quietly looked up; the sky over the alley was but a small patch, covered in dark green clouds.

Above her on a rooftop stood an alpha clad in black, wielding a long gun. The alpha’s icy gaze repeatedly swept over the corner where Ligia hid.

Several close calls were averted as she carefully used her psychic power to interfere with the alpha’s thoughts.

A trickle of sweat rolled down Ligia’s grimy face. Her stomach was empty, and she was starting to feel weak. She had been on the run, and food was scarce.

The number of people from the Tower looking for her was increasing. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hide. If captured, she might end up like Pelí—taken to that altar and consumed by that terrible creature.

She lowered her eyelids and clenched her fingers around the sketchbook, noticing how her dirty fingers had soiled its beautiful cover.

The place was filthy, littered with garbage, and two rats scurried past her toes.

It made Ligia think of the days she spent with her grandfather. They were always hungry, their fingers blackened with coal dust, and they had no nice clothes to wear. Strangely, she found herself missing those days while living in the Tower.

Perhaps the time spent with loved ones felt more real, full of warmth and life, unlike the cold academy within the Tower. There, the sun never shone, the sky was fake, and the smiles of the teachers were all hollow.

The sound of noisy footsteps broke the silence. A whole squad of alphas appeared at the mouth of the alley. They moved quickly, several ascending to the rooftops, their cold eyes scanning from all directions.

Dark figures also appeared at the other end of the alley.

"Search inch by inch, whether or not you detect signs of life."

"That’s a formidable beta; don’t underestimate her as a child."

"If capture is impossible, you’re authorized to kill."

Searching inch by inch was the worst-case scenario; Ligia didn’t have the strength to influence so many at once.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she slowly began to inch her small body further into the shadows.

Behind her, slightly elevated, was a window about ten feet off the ground. Given her height, climbing in without alerting the nearby figures was impossible. After all, she was just a child.

Just then, a large hand clad in a black glove shot out from the darkness, covering her mouth.

Ligia saw the eyes of an alpha glowing from the shadows. The pupils were purple, spectral, and had appeared without warning behind her.

One hand over her mouth and the other hand raising a finger to signal silence, he stood still.

Footsteps in the alley grew louder and closer. The people searching for her were almost upon her.

Ligia’s heart raced. In that moment, her psychic power sensed a surge of goodwill.

Everywhere else, malevolent thoughts targeted her—capture, slaughter, malice. Only the alpha who had appeared behind her exuded some long-absent positive emotions.

She remembered who this purple-eyed alpha was.

This was the man who had once helped her carry a heavy coal box, who had stopped people from beating her up, and who had given her the chance to see her grandfather one last time. Most importantly, he had once infiltrated the lifeless academy within the Tower.

That day, at the ventilation duct, Ligia had seen him sneaking in, along with those purple eyes. Later, the Tower had experienced an unprecedented explosion.

Ligia knew that this man, like her, harbored resentment against the Tower and wanted to uncover its secrets.

She nodded, allowing Ren to gently lift her in one swift, silent leap through the window behind her.