[Zenith, J-City]
"Morning~!" Kaia sang as Yona trudged toward her, her footsteps thudding with unimpressed intent. Yona didn't even spare her a glance, just narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Cut the greetings. You're here earlier than I thought," she grumbled, her gaze piercing like she was about to start a fight.
Kaia's lips twitched. This bitch. She's got a permanent stick up her— "Rude," Kaia muttered, puffing out her cheeks and turning away like she was offended— except she wasn't, really.
Yona grabbed her chin and whipped her face back around to face her. "Where to first?"
Kaia's pout deepened. "How about we watch a movie?"
Yona shot her a deadpan look. "I don't watch movies in my free time."
Kaia blinked, confused. "So... when do you watch them? On your work breaks or something?" But Yona had already moved on, and Kaia sighed dramatically. "Fine, the amusement park then?"
"We'll go later, in the evening," Yona said without missing a beat, already starting to walk off.
Kaia stared after her, mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Didn't I just suggest that?" She kicked the ground, muttering under her breath. "And who walks off like that? What's with the attitude?"
Yona didn't even glance back, just waved her hand like Kaia wasn't even there. "Let's just go to the amusement park now. Less people in the morning."
Kaia's face lit up with realization. "Wait, you—oh, so now you decide for both of us?" She threw her arms up in frustration. "Great. What's next? You gonna tell me what I can eat?"
Yona only raised an eyebrow. "Mmhmm. Sounds like a good idea."
Later, at the park, Kaia was a completely different person.
The moment she stepped foot on the merry-go-round, her mood swung from "grumpy" to "ecstatic" at light speed. She laughed like a child, her hair flying around her face as she clung to her horse like it was her life's purpose. Yona watched her with a small smirk, unsure if Kaia had actually lost her mind or was just putting on a show for the carousel.
Kaia zoomed through ride after ride, her energy never dipping. Yona, though, kept her composure, watching Kaia with a subtle enjoyment that she tried— and failed— to hide.
And then came the ride. Kaia's eyes sparkled as she stood before the roller coaster. She ran up to it, her voice dripping with affection as she patted the steel tracks. "I've missed you, baby."
Yona's eyebrow twitched. What kind of insane person treats a roller coaster like an old lover?
Kaia climbed into the seat with exaggerated care, as if it were some fragile relic. Yona sat down next to her, crossing her arms, a critical look in her eyes.
As the ride clicked into motion, slowly ascending, Kaia turned toward her, grinning like she was about to spill some big secret.
Yona narrowed her eyes. "What?"
Kaia didn't respond at first— she was too busy soaking in the anticipation of the ride.
The coaster crested the peak, and just as they were about to plummet downward, Yona suddenly blurted out, "I have something to tell you."
Kaia turned her head toward her, wide-eyed. "Now?"
Yona gave a dramatic sigh as the car creaked toward the drop. "Meryt... did something to me that time."
Kaia blinked, not quite sure what was happening. "What... what did she do to you?"
And just as the roller coaster began its terrifying descent, Yona added in a hushed, almost whispered tone, "I can't use magic."
"...Huh?"
***
Thalia woke up to an empty house, her mother long gone for work. She was late, and there was no college today, but it was unusual for her to sleep in so late. Not that it mattered. She dragged herself out of bed and headed for the kitchen, her face blank, her mind still half-asleep.
Her eyes landed on the table, and there it was again—the eye.
The eye sat there, its pupil lazily scanning the room, shifting its focus as if it were waiting for something.
Thalia didn't acknowledge it right away. She went about making her coffee, acting like it was a normal morning, like there wasn't an unblinking, floating eye in the room watching her every move.
"I'm seriously losing it," she muttered under her breath. But she couldn't just ignore it forever.
She walked over to the table, and the eye's pupil snapped to her, narrowing, as if it were preparing for something.
Thalia stood over it, arms crossed, a quiet frustration behind her gaze. "What do you want now?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the eye spoke in a trembling voice.
"My... child."
Thalia sighed, rubbing her temples. She wasn't in the mood for this today. "That wasn't your child," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You don't have children."
The eye wavered, like it was struggling to form a response and started to tear up. "I... I..."
Thalia didn't wait for it to finish. "Go away," she said, her tone as cold as ice. "I don't want to see you again. And I don't want you..... stalking me either."
She locked eyes with it, her gaze unwavering. It was like talking to a person, but somehow not.
Elsewhere, hidden in the shadows of a dark room, a figure watched through the eye. Their face was obscured by a hood, but a burn scar on the left side of their face peeked out. They smiled, a slow, unsettling smile.
"How interesting," they murmured to themselves. "She noticed me already."
The figure rested their chin on their hand, legs crossed, observing Thalia with a quiet amusement.
Back at the table, Thalia's hand reached out toward the eye. Without hesitation, she gently brushed her fingers across the top of it.
"You're not going to hurt me," she murmured, as if speaking to the thing itself. "You don't even want to be here, do you?"
The eye's pupil widened slightly, the last of its tears vanishing. It seemed to relax, almost as if enjoying the touch.
Thalia's voice softened. "Don't worry. I'll figure out who's controlling you." She gave it a reassuring pat, her expression determined.
***
The evening air was cool, and the park had emptied out. Yona and Kaia slouched on a bench, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to them.
"So, she took away your magic?" Kaia broke the silence, her voice casual as she chewed on yet another candy.
Yona nodded solemnly, eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
Kaia sighed dramatically, her gaze drifting upward, like the sky would offer her answers. "So she's the Tiger Splinter? You mentioned that earlier. Why were you so tense when we first met her? And not just that... that bad vibe I kept getting from her."
"I'm sure she didn't take my magic permanently," Yona muttered, her tone heavy. "Just… repressed it." She paused, eyes narrowing in thought. "Why I was tense? Let's just say she has a history. For example..." She glanced at Kaia, her voice dropping low. "She's a murderer."
"Figured as much," Kaia responded nonchalantly, not even sparing a glance in Yona's direction. She was too busy searching for more candies.
Yona opened her mouth to continue, but then— poof— a giant bunny mascot appeared, holding a bunch of balloons in one hand and a basket of candies in the other.
"Want some candies?" the bunny asked cheerfully.
Kaia's eyes lit up, and without missing a beat, she snatched a dozen from the basket. Yona blinked, narrowing her eyes.
Kaia, grinning like a child on Christmas, shoved a candy into her mouth. "Thanks, bunny. You're the best."
Yona stared at her, bewildered. "Are you seriously doing this?"
The bunny chuckled, a strange, muffled sound coming from inside the costume. "I was giving them away anyway. You look like a good child."
Yona shot the bunny a pointed glare. "Take off your mask, and you'll see the face of the world's most cunning predator."
The bunny waved goodbye and bounced off, still chuckling.
Yona's brow furrowed. "Wait… I've never seen that mascot around here before. Weird."
She slowly turned to look at Kaia, only to find her scarfing down the last of the candy. Kaia wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Yona stood up, her patience fraying. "Let's go."
Kaia swallowed her last piece and glanced up with a half-smile. "What's next? Are we done for the day?"
"We're meeting the Cosmic Hollow," Yona replied, her voice serious. "The Splinter's get together is over, so it's time."
Kaia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Wait, that thing? Does it even talk?"
Yona gave her a pointed look, as if she was already regretting this. "Of course it talks. Now let's go."