I sat up, feeling an unfamiliar sense of lightness and energy coursing through me. I was lying on a cold, sandy floor, and my body seemed to have adapted to it perfectly. My mind felt clear, unburdened by the worries that had plagued me in the past days. I felt like an ordinary citizen, unafraid of being exposed as an outcross to the world. It was as if my true identity had been hidden.
There was no more conflicting energy coursing through my body. The heavy weight of fear, uncertainty, and doubt had lifted. Was it over? Had I passed whatever test was necessary to become a hybrid? Was I no longer tainted by the blood of an urion or an outcross?
"Kiera... Kiera." A familiar voice called to me from behind. It was Phelan, gently pulling me closer. He was sitting on the ground, his strength evident as he supported me to lean against his chest. Effortlessly.
Why did I feel so at ease when I was with him?
Our eyes met, and he offered me a faint smile, brushing away the strands of hair that had fallen onto my face.
"Is it done?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes," he replied softly.
Before I could say anything else, the crisp clapping of hands interrupted me. A red-haired figure emerged from the shadows, smirking mischievously.
"Both of you just became undetected by the clashing urions and outcross, but your attraction to each other is so obvious. Did you two become an item? Just like the old days, huh?" Roen's voice carried a teasing tone.
"N-no!" I protested, my cheeks flushing.
Roen chuckled, a genuine sound that held no reservation. His laughter seemed carefree, and his expression exuded a sense of freedom and peace, despite the ongoing clan conflicts.
Roen leaned against a wall while I found a piece of old concrete to sit on. Phelan remained seated on the floor.
"No one needs to know that you've finally become hybrids, Kiera, Phelan," Roen spoke seriously.
"Does that mean I'll go back to being an outcross?" Phelan's voice was tinged with confusion and doubt. "That means killing innocents, and even my own kind."
"They're not your own kind anymore, Phelan. You and Kiera are hybrids now, neither outcross nor urion," Roen explained.
Phelan managed to pull himself up and sat more upright. Roen took a few steps forward before continuing, "You're going to be double agents."
I began to process all the information, trying to understand the full scope of the situation. The LOU wanted to eliminate the outcross, while the outcross sought the same for the LOU. Now that we were hybrids, why not step back and leave, especially since we were undetected?
"W-why do we need to involve ourselves in the conflict between the two groups?" I finally mustered the courage to ask. I couldn't work alongside Roen without understanding his intentions. I still wasn't clear on what he wanted from us.
"By staying within LOU, you can uncover the truth about your parents' deaths, Kiera. Phelan, I know everything is confusing right now, including your true self. That's why both of you should become double agents. You need answers, and I need them too before introducing you to them. We'll keep an eye on both LOU and the outcross."
"Who are 'them,' Roen?" Phelan's tone grew more cautious.
Even I was silently wondering, "Who are 'them'?"
Roen paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. His crimson hair contrasted with his thoughtful expression as he spoke, "You'll meet them when you're ready. Trust me on this, Kiera, Phelan. I'm the only one who understands you. I'm like you. I'm one of your own kind."
"But what if, just like the outcross or the urions who made us believe we were like them, you're not to be trusted?" Phelan's skepticism was evident, his gaze steady on Roen. He wanted answers as much as I did.
"I should have killed you earlier. Nothing would be lost to me if you hadn't listened. I was sent here to help both of you. There's an important role waiting for you in the future, Kiera. That's why I need you to remain within LOU. Finish the encrypted mission, including retrieving the Zero artifacts."
"The Zero artifacts..." I gasped, memories flooding back. I remembered the LOU's interest in those artifacts, along with Rumina and Kelvin's involvement.
"You must complete them. Once you have all the Zero artifacts, only then will you be able to meet 'them'."
***
The conversation with Roen and Phelan continued to play in my mind. Roen had stated that we had no choice but to assume our old identities—I as an urion—to gain the answers we sought. His words implied that all outcross and urions were enemies. But what about the pillars I trusted? They had been kind to me. What about Friedan? Zilla?
Did that mean I couldn't trust them either?
It was around six in the evening when I arrived home. I carefully opened the front door and walked in cautiously, heading toward the living room. The door creaked as I opened it. Someone was inside. My instincts told me that Friedan was there.
I took a deep breath before stepping inside.
Upon my second step, I saw a man sitting on the long sofa. Our gazes met, and he looked surprised, as if he had seen a ghost. Slowly, he lowered the magazine he had been reading, but his eyes remained fixed on me.
"H-how did you do that?" he asked.
I gave him a puzzled look. "Do what?"
"I didn't feel you coming in. I only noticed you when the door cracked."
"You mean unlike the way you can sense me from meters away when your car is approaching?"
He nodded, waiting for an answer. His intimidating gaze urged me to respond, even though I suspected he already knew what had really happened. Knowing Friedan, who had sent numerous spies to watch over me at school, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew the truth. Especially since the solar eclipse had just happened, and there would likely be various speculations about me and the other unique urions and outcross. Even if he didn't explicitly say that he knew my whole identity, his demeanor gave away his confidence in what he suspected.
It was only now sinking in why both Friedan and the pillars kept such close tabs on me—it was because I was no ordinary urion. I was a hybrid.
Friedan gracefully rose from the sofa, walking over to the kitchen and pouring tea into a waiting mug. From the kitchen, he asked, "Have you been keeping secrets from me, Kiera?"
I paused in my steps toward the stairs. I turned back to face him and replied, "Do I even have the ability to do so? Everybody knows how many spies you've sent to school to monitor my every move. Don't tell me they've been giving you minimal information because I might consider myself too impressive for that!"
"There. You're turning eighteen, and you're already starting to act like this. I wonder what Dad could-"
"I am not your sister, Friedan. Quit treating me like a child who needs your shadow to survive the day."
"I'm just trying to protect you!" he exclaimed.
"Are you?"