"The place is getting weirder the deeper we go," Kiki muttered, gripping Zack's arm like a lifeline.
"Can you two not?" Zack snapped, clearly done. He tried to shake them off but they clung harder. "Come on, this is a job, not a playground. Act like adults for once!"
Luv scratched the back of his head. "A little kindness wouldn't hurt, right?"
Zack shot him a look that could kill. "You're really the one to talk!"
Suddenly, there was a noise from around the corner. A shuffle, followed by a strange metallic sound. Without a word, the trio bolted toward it. They skidded to a halt as they spotted Chang and Cho... and a whole bunch of girls?
No—wait, not girls. Puppets.
Luv squinted, narrowing his eyes. "Hold up. Those things look like the angel that attacked me. But why are there so many? And why do they look... exactly the same? No wings, though." He leaned in for a closer look. "Wait, the faces... they're—"
Zack interrupted, staring at the puppets. "Hold on. Does this look... familiar to you?"
Luv's jaw dropped. "The Dove Splinter?" He looked at Zack. "Kind of, but not really? These girls are way skinnier, and look at their eyes. They're black—like, pitch black. Like creepy doll eyes."
"Puppets," Zack muttered, stepping closer. His eyes landed on their arms. A jagged cut-line, where a hinge should've been. "Yup. They're puppets all right."
Chang was having a full-on wrestling match with one of the dolls, using a door as a shield. Meanwhile, Cho was smacking them upside the head with a hammer like he was playing Whac-A-Mole. If anyone asked where he found the hammer, Zack wasn't sure he'd want to know.
(Is Cho always like this? And seriously, where the hell did he even get that hammer?) Zack thought as he barely dodged one of the puppet's attacks.
Then the puppets noticed them. All at once. They charged, metal limbs clicking.
One of them swung its arm, morphing into a jagged blade aimed straight at Luv. But Zack was quicker, yanking him out of the way just in time. He kicked the puppet so hard it spun through the air like a broken doll.
Kiki gasped from behind Zack, not daring to step out.
(These things are so annoying) Zack growled to himself as he unsheathed his sword. He sliced through one puppet's head with ease. "Stay behind me," he barked at Luv and Kiki.
***
"We're still soaking wet, thanks to you," Kaia muttered, glaring at her drenched clothes.
"Oh, like I summoned the rain or something?" Yona groaned, rubbing her temples. "Seriously, is this your default setting?"
They were seated in a cozy cafe, eating pastries Yona had generously bought with her own money. Yona slid a locket across the table, the cool rocky thing scraping against the surface. Kaia's eyes went wide.
"This—" Before she could say more, Yona cut in.
"I saw you wearing something like this while you were fighting," Yona said, locking eyes with her. But Kaia couldn't tear her gaze away from the locket. The stone—it matched the one she wore, but the carving on this one was a sun, not a moon.
"This is the same, but with a different carving," Kaia mumbled, still transfixed. "My sister has one, but with a heart carving." She took a bite of her pastry, too distracted to care about crumbs falling everywhere.
Yona leaned forward. "Do either of you remember where you got these?"
"Nope," Kaia said between bites. "And what about you?"
Yona tapped her fingers on the table, frustration flickering across her face. "I don't remember either. Who even gave me this? I can't remember how long I've had it either." Her voice dropped, a hint of disappointment creeping in.
"How about we figure out who gave them to us?" Kaia suggested, looking up from her pastry with a smirk.
Yona let out a dry laugh. "Like I haven't been trying that for years. But... maybe I'm close. Doubt an idiot like you can help, though."
"I'm an amazing help, okay? Don't doubt me," Kaia shot back.
Yona just sighed, resting her chin in her hand as she regarded Kaia. "Why did Ananya tell you to tie me up? From what I've heard, every move she makes has a reason. There's always a motive."
"Who knows?" Kaia shrugged, taking another bite of her pastry.
Yona's eyes narrowed. "It'd be great if you could ask her about this stone thing. Contact me if she agrees."
"Why don't you ask her?" Kaia quipped. "And my phone's... um, broken right now."
Yona's brow arched. "Then meet me at Halcyon Unit's office. Oh, and just so you know—Splinters aren't allowed to talk to Miss Ananya. You're not a real Splinter, so that's your loophole."
"Ohhh, so that's the deal? Why can't she talk to Splinters?"
Before Yona could answer, a loud crash sounded from outside, followed by the panicked shouts of people running in all directions. Kaia grabbed a random bystander by the collar. "Why are you running, man?"
"M-Monsters!" he stammered before tearing off into the chaos.
Yona didn't waste a second. "Let's go check where the noise came from." She gave Kaia a pat on the back, and they both took off at full speed.
A few blocks later, they reached an old inn, its upper floors crumbled to the ground, debris scattered across the street. The place was crawling with puppets—doll-like creatures in long, white dresses, their empty eyes totally black.
Kaia blinked. "What the hell?"
Yona shot her an impatient look. "Stop staring and start fighting."
Kaia noticed Kiki and Cho among the chaos, but the rest of the faces were unfamiliar. Without a second thought, they rushed forward to join the fray.