Asic regretted letting the little rabbit escape his grasp. In the luxurious, spacious room that felt overwhelmingly empty, he couldn't sleep, preoccupied by too many thoughts. If he'd known he'd be this restless, he should have tied Ivy down and enjoyed some fun until they reached Oceanstone.
Oceanstone was a coastal city. In the past, it was famous for a mineral called [Orcidean]. Its unique quality was its ability to filter and purify water, cleanse waste, and restore water sources.
During the exploration of the new world, most water sources had been contaminated by heavy metals. Consuming this polluted water led to diseases like joint degeneration, diarrhea, severe poisoning, and even death. Orcidean played a crucial role during the early exploration era of the new world.
The Orcidean mines were largely found around Oceanstone. Many companies set up offices here, bringing Miners to develop the area, constructing facilities, houses, roads, schools, and hospitals. As jobs were created, people flocked to find work, forming a growing city. It was a city-level project made possible by the collaboration of dozens of companies.
Several decades later, most of the Orcidean was mined out, with hardly any left. Eventually, the city was developed into a tourist destination. Asic's father moved the family from the old world to settle here.
Thus, Oceanstone was Asic's hometown—the place he grew up, where he attended school and trained as a child. But when Legis started working as a Miner and sent large sums of money home, the Quadro family moved to Cryptopolis.
Asic thought he'd never return to Oceanstone again.
'Six months have passed… I wonder if there are still any clues left,' Asic opened a tobacco box, placed a white stick in his mouth, and used a spark of electricity to light it. Though it looked like a cigarette, it was actually a sedative.
Six months ago, while Asic was on duty, he received the devastating news that his brother had been killed—stabbed through the heart by a serial killer named Sunday, a deranged murderer responsible for dozens of Miners' deaths, as well as police and mercenaries.
Legis was among the victims of that horrifying incident. By the time Asic realized what had happened, Sunday had been killed by another agent on the scene. The case was closed as just another serial killing, but there were suspicious circumstances—an order was given to immediately cremate all the victims without their families' consent.
The Quadro family didn't even get to see Legis' body. While the case was being concluded, a can of aluminum filled with Legis' ashes was sent to their home by mail. Asic's sister, Meli, broke down completely when she saw it.
What Asic couldn't accept was that Legis had been exceptional. He wasn't just a brother—he had been Asic's mentor. Asic knew well the level of skill Legis had; he could have easily been a five-star Miner if he wanted the fame. Not only was he highly skilled in using Asra power and had lightning affinity, but he was also an Ego user.
'There's no way he could've lost. I watched the footage of Sunday committing his crimes—skilled, yes, but not skilled enough to kill Legis. The deaths of others were captured by security cameras, but for my brother, there was nothing left—no evidence at all.' Asic had no tangible proof that Legis' death was suspicious, but he trusted his instincts. The conclusion of Legis' murder wasn't right.
Asic used his authority as an agent to look for clues, but he found himself being actively blocked—an invisible hand preventing his investigation, with higher-ups quietly opposing him. It was at that point that Asic realized the justice of the police department was a sham.
The reason Asic became a police officer was because he loved justice. He believed justice should always triumph over evil, that society needed someone willing to sacrifice for peace. If there were no real heroes like in the stories, then he would become that hero. If the world was safe, his family would also be happy. But the very symbol of justice Asic had believed in—the police department—was rotten, the organization he had devoted his life to betraying him over his own brother's death.
'How could I ever accept that?'
Asic had grown up without a father. Besides his mother and sister, there was Legis, who took care of him, acting as both an older brother and a father despite being just a few years older. Asic swore he would uncover the truth and make those responsible pay. Sunday couldn't be the real killer. The police instinctively smelled something fishy about this case.
Just when Asic was lost, Satori appeared and told him that he had a niece—Legis' child. Asic was on his way to pick her up, which was why he couldn't sleep.
---
The intercity train pulled into Oceanstone Station. Asic was escorted by the officers to exit the station quickly, preventing him from meeting Palon and Ejin again. The cool breeze, the sunlight on the horizon that marked the difference in elevation, and the scent of salt unique to the ocean filled the air.
The familiar atmosphere brought back memories for Asic.
He connected to the system and opened the location coordinates given to him by Satori. The destination: the slums.
The reason Asic couldn't sleep wasn't the excitement of meeting a niece he had never seen before, but because of the area where the little girl lived—the slums. It was by the crowded coastline, plagued by a high crime rate—robberies, assaults, and rapes were common. It was no place for a child.
---
In less than an hour, Asic arrived at the slums. Hundreds of floating homes were linked together by metal mesh. Most people worked in fishing or food processing. Asic saw emaciated children chewing on their toenails, adults staring blankly at the sky as if on drugs, and the sound of violence nearby.
Asic stopped before a run-down shack—its wood had been corroded by water and sea air, and he doubted it could withstand another storm.
CRASH!
"You little brat! You think this is enough?!" A man's angry shout came from inside the shack. Asic's amethyst eyes narrowed as he looked through a small hole.
A green-skinned man pushed a young boy to the ground—a nine-year-old wearing a faded shirt, hair uncut and disheveled. His skin was tanned, and his amber eyes showed fear mixed with rage.
"What are you staring at, trash?" The green-skinned man slapped the boy across the face, hard enough to turn his head. The pain echoed across his face, but the boy held back his tears—he knew that crying would only make the beatings worse. Behind him, a little girl with black hair and amethyst eyes hid behind a cardboard box.
"You really are worthless—can't even do a simple job right. Worthless, just like your mother."
"Don't talk about my mother like that!" The boy didn't mind the beatings, but he would not allow his mother's honor to be smeared.
"Oh, is that so? What's she supposed to be, huh? Brought two kids into the world, none of them look alike—probably had so many men she doesn't even know who your father is! Ha!" The man mocked. Tears of anger filled the boy's eyes. He was weak, unable to protect his mother's dignity, subjected to being humiliated by this piece of trash.
"If you don't bring me \$100 by tomorrow, I'll take your sister. You got that, Magi?"
"No! Don't take my sister!"
"That's up to you, brat. If begging doesn't work, steal. I don't care how you get the money. If you don't, the girl will end up with some rich pervert. She's worth a hundred times more than you," the green-skinned man sneered.
Magi clenched his teeth. Even a five-year-old wasn't spared by these scumbags. Magi couldn't understand why people like this were allowed to roam free. If God existed, why hadn't anyone come to save them yet?
"Excuse me, but you're in my way." Asic's voice rang out.
"What?!" The green-skinned man and his two accomplices turned to find a man in a black coat with a hat and a cane standing behind them—though they hadn't heard him approach.
"I'm here for Junifer Quadro. Am I in the right place?"
"Junifer Quadro? Never heard of her," the green-skinned man laughed. He knew a girl named Junifer, but her surname was Ariel, not Quadro—she was the same child he planned to sell.
"But I think you do. She's my niece."
Niece?!
Upon hearing the word, the little girl's eyes widened. Magi looked at the newcomer with suspicion—his stance was refined, and he carried an aura unlike the thugs Magi knew. Most importantly, his eyes were the same amethyst shade as Junifer's.
"By law, I'm Junifer's guardian. Do you have any issues with my niece?"
"Her mother borrowed money from our gang, but now she's dead, so the kids have to pay it back," the green-skinned man spat.
'Dead?' Asic was stunned to hear that his niece's mother had died. That meant that Junifer and Magi had been without guardians this entire time. Asic scanned the two children. They were malnourished, frail, living in a shack unfit for habitation, in an unsafe slum. Even adults would struggle to survive here.
"By law, if the parents are deceased, custody is transferred to the closest relative. If no relative claims them, they're sent to an orphanage. I was never informed about her mother's death, which means no one reported it. Instead, you took advantage of her debt and forced these children into labor. Do you know what that means?"
Asic pulled out his badge.
"I'm Officer Asic Quadro from the Enforcement Division. I claim legal guardianship of Junifer and will prosecute you for child labor. As for the debt, I'll have an officer audit your accounts and handle it properly." Asic emphasized the words "handle it properly."
"Damn it! A cop!" The green-skinned man's face turned purple, and he ran, his accomplices following. This wasn't just any officer—he was from the Special Enforcement Division, not local police. They valued their lives too much to stick around.
Asic managed to chase them off without lifting a finger. He turned to find the children hiding behind a stack of cardboard, their small heads peeking out at the handsome man before them.
"Who are you?" Junifer asked, her eyes avoiding direct contact with Asic. She hid behind the cardboard, believing it could protect her. Asic walked closer, but Magi stepped forward, spreading his arms to shield his sister.
"What do you want with Jun?!"
"Jun, short for Junifer, right? A lovely nickname," Asic smiled gently. He crouched to be at their level, introducing himself.
"Excuse my manners. I'm your father's brother. You can call me Uncle."
"Uncle...?"
"Yes, your uncle, just like you."
"Uncle won't hit us, right?"
"No, never."
Junifer slowly came out from behind the cardboard to stand before Asic. Magi held her hand tightly, still not fully trusting Asic—which, Asic thought, was exactly how they should be.
"Are you a cop?" Magi asked.
"I used to be."
"But you told those guys you were a cop."
"If they report me, I'll be charged with impersonation. But they're not brave enough for that." Asic didn't regard the three gang members as worthy of his attention. They had fled with their tails between their legs just from seeing his badge. Both Magi and Junifer breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little safer now.
"Are you really Jun's uncle?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then why are you the one coming to get us? Where is Jun's father?"
"He's dead."
Dead?!
Magi and Junifer felt only confusion. They had never met Legis, Junifer's father. Before their mother passed away, she had told them that one day Junifer's father would come to take care of them, that they wouldn't have to live this harsh life anymore. And now, the person who was supposed to come for them was dead.
"When did Mom die?"
"Five months ago," Magi answered curtly. Legis had died six months ago, which meant their mother had died just one month after Legis.
'Only one month after my brother's death... Even until the very end, he must have thought she was still alive. His will led us to this family. He must have planned to take care of them from the start, but something must have held him back. What could have stopped him from bringing his family to safety?' Just meeting his niece had made Asic suspect that Legis must have been entangled in some complex situation.
"Since there are no other relatives, as Legis' brother, I am the rightful guardian. Junifer, I need you to come with me."
"No, don't take my sister away! Right now, it's just the two of us left. If you're going to take Jun, you'll have to get through me first!" Magi shook his head, unwilling to accept the situation. He saw Asic as an enemy trying to take his sister from him. Junifer, too, was too young to understand what was happening and was deeply confused.
"Brother, I want to stay with you." Junifer clung tightly to her brother, refusing to let go. For her, Magi was her entire world. She didn't want to go with this uncle she didn't know. Junifer only wanted to stay with her brother. To her, Asic was nothing more than a stranger and an enemy, yet the young man remained calm.
"If Junifer comes with me, she'll be well taken care of. She'll have a home, a family to play with, three meals a day, a school to attend, and even pocket money. Tell me, which life do you think is better for her?" Asic questioned Magi, leaving him speechless. Deep down, Magi knew that if Junifer went with Asic, she wouldn't have to go hungry, she'd have a clean and safe place to live, free from gang harassment, without having to beg on the streets. He just didn't want to be left alone. Junifer would have Asic, but Magi had only Junifer.
"I want to stay with my brother. I won't go anywhere!" Junifer cried, her tears soaking Magi's faded shirt. Without Magi, she would have died long ago. Her brother was her entire life.
Seeing the siblings' love for each other reminded Asic of his childhood memories—Legis, Meli, and himself. Their father was gone, their mother was in poor health, and they had no other relatives. The three siblings had to rely on each other in undeveloped Oceanstone. Separating siblings who loved each other was a sin that even God wouldn't forgive.
"You should come along too, Magi."
"What?" Magi didn't understand what Asic was saying. Why would this man take care of him?
"I... I'm not Jun's father's son. Why would you want to take care of me?"
"My niece's brother is my nephew too. Or is that wrong?"
"But why..."
"Because we only have each other." Asic didn't need to explain any further. He took the hat from his head and placed it on Magi's small head. The tone of his voice and the words he spoke made Magi feel something inexplicably profound.
Because we only have each other.
He had only Junifer. Because it was just the two of them, he never wanted to be separated from her.
"I can really stay with Jun?"
"Yes, you can. I will protect both of you. From now on, you're my nephew."
"But about Mom... please help her." Magi pleaded.
Their mother had passed away, and the gang members had taken her body, using it to threaten Magi. And since no one reported her death, no relatives had been informed, which was why Asic hadn't known about his niece until now.
Their mother had also signed an illegal loan agreement. Asic knew exactly how to deal with that.
"I will take care of it. I'll get your mother back and punish those scumbags."
"Really?"
"I won't even need to get my hands dirty. It'll be as easy as snapping my fingers."
The loan was an illegal contract. For Asic, who had connections with the law enforcement community, it was easy to nullify it. Asic planned to file a report and involve a lawyer to make Junifer's mother's illegal debt null and void, converting it to a legally permissible interest rate.
These gang members might have influence over the local police, giving them the audacity to act in the slums. But when faced with true power, they wouldn't escape accountability. Even though Asic had resigned from the police force, a tiger was still no lapdog, and the phone numbers he had weren't useless. He could sit at home and simply wait for the results.