“Even though I work for the Veil Defence team, I’m technically still a driver on paper, so I’d like to keep it professional and not stop the car. I hope you understand that I can't soil my reputation, Vida.” he said coolly.

  She started muttering “There still be hope for us” she thought to herself “A forbidden romance-”

  “I thought that you’d try fighting. Since Haven is in danger and everything.” He said, looking bumed and loosening his grip on the blade, not hearing her plans.

  Don’t worry she resolved after watching his just as gorgeously sad face we’ll fight a majestic battle, I will knock you out so you forget your memory, then we have an elaborate and tricky romance spanning 8 seasons, an Anime movie, and 2 manga adaptations. Don't worry Aidan, we’ll be together.

  “Alright then,” she clapped her hands in excitement. “Let’s begin.”

  As the car drove, it suddenly fell into a whirlpool that had appeared on the road in front of it. By the time Aidan braked, they were on a small tropical island surrounded by deep blue water that stretches farther than the eye could see. Aidan immediately jumped out from the right, Vida from the left.

  “Sorry-” she ducked as he jumped over and sliced where her face would have been.

  He’s definitely a better combatant than me, and he's just 2 years older. If not for the boost I get from being in my veil, that would have hurt. I’ll heal him later, I need to get to Alice.

  She reached back, and the water rose into her hand and solidified into an ice spear. Rising back up, she stabbed at where he was, but he dodged, shattering the glass of the car. Rushing behind her, he reached to stab her, when she turned around and halted it with her arm. She punched him, but it was poorly timed, so it only grazed his arm, but he recovered fast, switching arms and slicing upwards, which she parried with her spear. Turning it upside down, she used the staff with the intention to strike his face. But it never met. The staff had dissolved back to water mid swing, and refroze back into a staff after it crossed his face. This distracted Aidan, causing him to drop his hands in confusion as she used the flat of her spear tip to strike his face, knocking him back, leaving a small cut along the edges. He wiped the blood and smiled.

  “I regret calling you a warm-up.” He rushed in before she could drag herself down with his acknowledgments. They traded blows, with Aidan getting low to stab her leg, but she opened the car door to hit him, then sliced through it cleanly. He side stepped it, then used the severed door to block her strike with the but of her spear.

  I’m fighting Aidan, a brief blip in our relationship-shiti’mloosingtime. She realised frantically.

  “I’m so sorry.” She rushed beside him, struck his impromptu shield hard enough to force him into the car and stepped back as water rose from the ocean and engulfed the car frame, freezing into solid ice and trapping him.

  “I’m really sorry.” she rushed to the ocean and jumped into a whirlpool.

  Over in Haven, Alice was sitting under the Ginkgo tree in her veil, looking at the field where Nina was asleep in, exhausted from her use of a dragon.

  A dragon… She opened her phone and messaged a friend.

  I’m going to need someone to take care of Nina, someone in similar circumstances…

  She stood up and walked over to her, shaking her awake.

  “Hey Nina, do you think we need to talk to Taki-”

  “Mhm.” she rubbed her eyes, apparently forgetting her outburst. Taking Alice’s hand, she muttered “Let’s go.”

  Suddenly, they were in the Japanese maple wood forest. Just as Nina had done many times before. This time though, she groggily made her way to a tree to lie down as Taki slithered his way to Alice.

  “That girl…”

  “Did you…Allow her to use your power!” She shouted at Takimono “Because my guardianship of Ethan was almost revoked. I don't want to lose him. Especially not to some dragon with control issues-”

  “That’s the issue. I never consented to it.” He interrupted coldly “I wasn't even able to fight it-That girl…who created her. Because She’s definitely not from any normal bloodline, I was rendered comatose and was only able to awaken after she was interfered with from another veil-you no doubt. Thank you.”

  Alice thought,“She was adopted after I found her. Two people asked to be guardians of her, since I had recently gotten guardianship of Ethan and Vida. My hand’s were full.”

  “Who were her real parents?”

  “That I don't know. You see, she was found after a veil user had taken control of-” she paused. “-a rogue veil user. That's it. She was the only one unscathed, so she might have had a connection to the veil user-”

  “You’ll need to dig deep. We need to know who her parents were, and what they might have taught her to know where to stop training her-at least for now.”

  “Don't you think it would be best to set up the barriers to her growth now.”

  “That’s quite reactive.”

  “And so what. She’s dangerous having a child’s emotions and such power”

  He sighed, “This will be quick.” He closed his eyes and started producing a buzzing sound, then the sky split, one side was a storm, with black clouds and red lightning. And one side was a tranquil Azure. Then they disappeared.

  “Alright, she won't be able to pull such a stunt for a long time.”

  He looked at Alice questioningly.

  “As the previous decision makers of this place, we decreed a certain limit until she finds another dragon, something both of them have agreed to make as difficult as possible.”

  Alice sighed “Thank’s Taki. Now I need to deal with a problem I’ve noticed since morning." She stood up. “You should teach her how to use the powers she can use with more finesse.”

  Then she disappeared with a flash of light.

  Alright, I feel like this wasn't needed. The executive could have just waited for me to come to-

  She walked out into the field where the families were playing with their kids.

  -them The air around her crackled with her anger and she started heaving.

  “Why?” she forced out as she looked at the scene before her.

  Everyone was on their knees, in groups of 5. There were 2 people In black body armor standing around each group. The people were silent and stared down, as if drugged.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Directly in front of her, a large muscular guy in a skin tight shirt and white oversized joggers was taking pictures of the scene.

  “Alright.” he turned around with a blank face “The first half of the quota has been met. Hello Alice, my name is Lucian from-”

  “-ECLIPSE, I know. What’s someone only reserved for Apocalypse causing threats here.” She calmed down a bit, thinking that she could explain and everything would be alright.

  He turned around calmly and said, “Executive order.” He pulled out a paper “Due to the deaths associated with Alice Saunders. She will be detained for questioning indefinitely. Just kill everyone else.” He blankly read out. “So, yeah. Except for you, everyone here will die.”

  She put her left foot back and raised her hand “I won't let you-”

  “Ohyesyouwill” he managed to keep his blank face whilst acting like a child. He snapped his fingers…

  Then the fireworks went off, loud and red. Everywhere was stained as entire families fell. She stood there shaking at the sight. Her mind went to the morning-

  I shouldn't have convinced them to stay. I shouldn't have. She slid to her knees as everything started swirling, with the world turning to black-

  “Look for any stragglers.” Lucian said, now behind her, opening a letter with a dirty white glow, pouring its content’s out onto her arms, they slid around then materialised into chains.

  She lay there in silence, tears forming.

  “You can't actually tell me that this is your first time seeing a killing. Aren't all you veil users like that.”

  She just curled into a ball with her hands behind her back as she prevented the sobs from taking control-

  “Not talkative,” he sat down, “that’s quite alright. I wouldn't want to talk either.”

  Over at the entrance of Haven, Vida walked out of the whirlpool and stood directly in front of the barrier that had now fallen, “Fuck,” she placed her hands on it, and it glitched, making her pull her hands back, “how am I going to get inside, it’s blocking veil transportation to some extent. I’m definitely not going to get inside at my current level…” she muttered to herself.

  Then, a flower petal dropped from the sky. It was pink, and became yellow as it went down, a frangipani. Another fell gracefully, then another, accompanied by its sweet, hearty scent.

  Not right now. Please. She prayed.

  “The moon is able to shift the tides. Yet it’s far from the ocean.” a dreamy, alluring voice, washed over her ears, making her stumble a bit.

  “Not now Kent. There’s no time for your riddles-”

  “Weak, insecure and stupid,” he said it as if impressed. “I mean, use your veil from outside you numbskull.” he finally left from behind her, blowing a petal off her shoulder. He was African, with braided hair that started out black, then became yellow as it reached the tips. He was attractive, a nod to his father. A beacon of charisma. “Every Veil controlling device Allows veil energy to flow through, but causes friction, preventing Veil energy in that area from being used for …anything, really.” He tapped it “This is their most advanced version, preventing anything from Civilian-Level threat to A Regional-Level threat Veil user from working, you are officially recognised as city block threat, the second after civilian threat. Quite strong.”

  “Thanks-“

  “If I was a Veil-less defect.” He interrupted, giving another reminder why she stopped liking him “So, since I’m a National-Level threat, this will be easy for me. But you’ll be more useless Inside, so your best hope is remotely interacting with the veil energy Inside.”

  “That is several skips in logic-” she started. a man was taking pictures on a professional camera with a bored face.

  He turned around “Hello Alice, I’m Lucian from-”

  She steadied her breathing, slightly “ECLIPSE, what is an elite task force member doing here, my meeting with the Executives themselves.”

  “Huh, that’s weird.” he pulled out a paper and read from it “Due to the magnitude of the alleged crime associated with Alice Saunders, she is to be detained indefinitely for questioning.”

  “-I know,” he said, chipper, “but you need to try something more than stand here and look pretty.”

  She ignored his repeated insults “How do I do that?” she asked.

  He pulled out a brown journal with Vida on it. “It says here…use Leviathan.”

  Her heart went on Hiatus, no one who knew what that was would ever recommend it comfortably. “ What’s that book?” She reached for it in a panic, but he pulled it from her range.”If that’s your reaction, I'm guessing leviathan isn't something to toy with.” dodging the possibility of explaining the book more, he put it back in his coat pocket, “though that’s to be expected, since this was to be given to you when you were ‘ready’ but that’s the only thing written in most of the book. So get cracking.” the world distorted, and then, there was a pink katana in its pink scabbard. Walking into the Barrier without any problem, he turned around “If you want to save Alice, I suggest you hurry, I’ve been told by her to grab Nina. And from past instructions, It’s a Nothing more, Nothing less situation. So I will not be stepping in to save anyone but Nina.” he walked away before she could respond.

  She sighed, took a deep breath, and stepped back, as she fell into a whirlpool that was a deeper blue than she had ever done before.

  Hidden under the trees tucked away in the corner of Haven, Nina sat in a tree. Forcefully removed from her Veil, albeit late, due to its potency. She had hidden after she felt Taki instruct her to, forcefully.

  “Well well well, look at this pretty thing.” a voice appeared as the branch rustled with the extra weight. A male figure In body armor peered at her. “Come here little one. I wont hurt you.”

  No. No. Whatever you do, do not follow that man. This will become a completely different Web Novel. Taki said in her mind, but she was too scared to respond. But that didn't sound like bad advice to her.

  “She’s no older than five Arnold. Don't start your scummy practices here too.” A younger voice sounded from the base of the tree. He had removed his helmet and had blue hair with a damaged left eye.

  “Shut up Daniel-this is an investment for the future.” he reached across to reach Nina, who had scuttled farther to the end of the branch.

  “Kill. All. Stranglers.” he stressed “so we-”

  “Don't make me ‘accidentally’ stab you in the eye again.”

  Daniel flinched and shut up. A sweet and hearty scent started to bloom from somewhere. A frangipani petal landed on his shoulder

  “Now, stop struggling. You little bitch.” He faltered, as the petals increased.

  “You are quite nasty.” A voice washed over them as a pink trail flowed as it sliced up Daniel’s neck, severing the front part of his face and up the tree to behead Arnold, as the body it was connected to swifty covered Nina’s face with his hand to prevent her from witnessing the scene.

  “Hey kid,” Kent said, crouched on the branch, but providing no extra strain on it as he held his sword’s scabbard as if it was the hilt and said, “are you alright.”

  Nina shook her head sadly as he picked her up and carried her in one arm “I’ll be taking care of you for a bit, Alice is on a business trip.”

  “What about my parents?” she asked, sad and confused.

  “They are…wow, that’s actually a really good question-They’re on an even longer business trip, Yes, that’s it.” he nodded as if pleased with himself. “Anyway,” he smiled down at her, standing up fully, perfectly balanced and said “Hold on…” then he rushed through the trees, knocking the wind out of her tiny self, she laughed in exhilaration.

  Elsewhere, on a hill. Lucian took a picture of the dead families. “Alright, that’s the second half of the quota. All done. Alice come on, you're a veil user, you guys kill for fun.”

  She sat there, managing to curl into an even tighter ball.

  “I pity you for having that flexibility, the Judge is one sick freak with the female his chains are used on. I would not want to be flexible in that aspect” He delivered, with that same bored face, as he lay down.

  She went rigid. Thought flashing through her mind as the tears that hat dried on her face were slowly rehydrated. Thoughts of the people she loved, the people she wanted to protect…

  And the people she wasn't able to.

  Ethan, her sobs strengthened, I’m so sorry for failing you as a role model…I’m sorry for failing everyone.

  Then she blacked out.

  Waking up, she was in a garden. Not her garden, this one had darker coloured grass, with a sorrowful overcast. On top of a small hill, there was a tree, a weeping willow, and under it, there was a stick thin wooden humanoid monster, with green glowing eyes, it looked into the distance. Then turned to her.

  “Hello. I’m the Verdant, I've noticed your struggle.” It’s voice sounded like a welcoming old man, “Would you like to sit with me for a bit, I’ve been told it feels better.”