I gazed out the window of the car, my thoughts adrift. The being who appeared last night—was it a dream? I distinctly remember hugging him, feeling his presence. I shook my head, trying to dispel the confusion.
"Hey, kid, nice necklace you've got there," the taxi driver remarked, breaking my reverie.
"Ugh..." I blushed slightly, feeling self-conscious. I was riding in a taxi because I had no other choice.
Flashback.
"Wooow! Lykon, I had no idea you guys were this rich! Ten cars?! And they all look so expensive!"
I couldn't contain my amazement. The garage was filled with cars—blue, white, and mostly black. I knew they were wealthy, but this was beyond my imagination.
"What are you two up to?" Lykon's brother suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Eek!" I yelped. Where did he come from? His smile was friendly, but it had an intimidating edge.
"Lykon, what did I tell you about letting strangers into my sanctuary?"
"S-stranger?" I stammered.
"But brother, our everyday car was borrowed by the organization. I thought he could borrow one of yours."
"Lykon! Do you even hear yourself?! Don't you know the history of these cars?! Or do you need me to remind you?"
At this point, I had no idea what was happening.
"Just listen, Ambrosia here is... blah blah blah..."
End of flashback.
I thought my ears would fall off from listening to all that. Klein and his brother were definitely cut from the same cloth.
"It's a new trend, you know," I muttered to the taxi driver, scowling.
"Now I wonder, where could this organization be? Given its size, it must be in a more secluded place, right?" I mused. But then I noticed—I was in the city, near the central hub of the imperial kingdom.
"Ah, we're here," the taxi driver announced.
My mouth fell open in astonishment. The building was huge and impossible to miss.
"Are you sure this is where Lykon wants me to be?"
"Lykon? Ah, the girl? Yes, she told me to bring you here."
I got out of the car and stared up at the massive structure. "It's big and... what the hell, it's near the crown city!"
I pulled out the phone Lykon had given me. She had sent a picture of the building I was supposed to enter. This was it. "What the hell is going on here?"
Aside from that, there were two other large buildings nearby, both kingdom departments. How were they not getting caught?
Time to find out.
I walked cautiously towards the entrance. As I stepped inside, I felt something brush past me, causing me to stumble. "Ack!" I tripped and rolled over.
"Weak as ever," a familiar voice sneered.
"Eh?" I turned around and saw myself, with white hair. "You! How did you get out of my body without switching?!"
"Why don't you ask the people here?" he retorted.
When I looked around, my eyes widened in shock. Demons mingled with humans—huge birds, lion beasts, cats, and other supernatural creatures.
"What... in the world am I seeing?" I was amazed and excited. The being walked beside me, a smirk on his face.
"This place has an overwhelming Alice. They can conjure spells that allow a Myst to leave their Master's body," he explained.
"Myst? So, you're my Myst?" I asked, frowning.
"Dream on. I'm not your Myst, idiot," he scowled.
"I was just asking. You don't have to be so defensive," I mumbled, sulking. "What should I call you, then?"
"Hmph," he hissed. Wow, is this guy for real? Last night he was crying, and now this attitude.
"Let's go. This place reeks. I can't bear to breathe this polluted air any longer," he complained.
"Fine, fine!" I replied, following him as he led the way.