Pov Taiwo (A-B)

  Taiwo paced back and forth in her office, trying to come up with a pn to find the girls she had been desperately searching for over the past few days. She also thought about the various protests from members of the conservative party and their supporters.

  Someone knocked on her office door.

  As was often the case, the person knocking was her chief advisor, Ladi, who entered quickly and somewhat anxiously.

  “Madam Prime Minister! We have found the group… Four out of the five individuals have been identified; they are near the Tavari Bridge!”

  Taiwo suddenly stood up, threw her jacket over her shoulders, and headed toward the office exit.

  “Madam! What are you doing? Are you going outside? You can’t! It needs to be organized unless you want to get assassinated!”

  Taiwo rolled her eyes.

  “Fine… I suppose I am rushing. Send the royal guards and have them escorted to the pace.”

  “Understood, Madam Prime Minister!”

  Ladi quickly left the office, leaving Taiwo alone with her thoughts. Her informants had reported several suspicious activities in the city, which only deepened her concerns.

  Pov Mikki (A-B)

  Mikki walked desperately as she stared at her tracker, searching for Sara’s location. There was only one precise red dot, but Zye’s signal was still too far to be pinpointed accurately. A few minutes ter, she reached Sara, who wasn’t alone—Eliana was with her, just as Mikki had left her.

  Kaia, whom she had crossed paths with earlier, stood nearby, along with a wolf-hybrid she had never met before.

  “Where is Sarah?”

  Her friend asked, even though she had already guessed the answer.

  “I lost her trail… But I will find her.”

  Mikki then looked around, and the wolf-hybrid began to speak.

  “…So, we have three Firebirds gathered… Me, Eliana, and… Mikki? I think that’s your name, right?”

  The bck-haired hybrid nodded quickly and neutrally.

  “And you? Who are you?”

  The wolf girl smiled slightly and replied,

  “Ali, Ali Kastner.”

  Mikki nodded. That answer was enough for her—she didn’t need to know all of a person’s secrets to be satisfied.

  Eliana then spoke, raising her hand as if asking for permission. Her voice was timid.

  “W…what do we do? There are still two Firebirds left to find… We know one of them, but… Who is the st one?”

  Mikki answered immediately,

  “The Prime Minister of the Kingdom. My sister and I saw her on the news.”

  Ali blinked at this revetion, wondering how they could possibly get in contact with someone so important.

  “First, we need to find my sister and my missing friend… If we move around the city with these trackers, we might have a chance of find—”

  Someone interrupted the group.

  She looked human, with long white hair and a flowing white priestess cloak. One of her eyes was blue, the other violet. Upon seeing the symbols on her coat, Mikki immediately recognized her as a priestess of Carmenism.

  However, she wasn’t on the ground—she was floating in the sky, flying. It was a shocking sight, something one didn’t see every day.

  “You dared to defy us. Now, suffer the consequences.”

  Suddenly, a massive wave of water, shaped like a tentacle, wrapped around Mikki, trapping her. The water coiled around her limbs and dragged her beneath the surface. She was pulled deep into the canal, until she was pressed against the riverbed. The water held her arms and legs in pce—she was completely immobilized.

  She tried to hold her breath as long as possible, but her endurance underwater was nowhere near as strong as it was on nd. She closed her eyes, trying to focus.

  Her life fshed before her eyes.

  Mikki remembered the early years with her parents, her father training her in sword fighting, and her mother teaching her how to run fast and manage her stamina.

  Then, she recalled the fateful day when her life changed forever.

  It was a beautiful day. Mikki was inside her parents’ armored vehicle as they traveled toward one of the great cities of the Republic. They had a mission to accomplish—to stop a dangerous criminal. On the way, her parents stopped in a small vilge called Shania.

  They booked rooms at the vilge inn, and while her parents rested, Mikki went out to scout the area. She leaped from rooftop to rooftop, exploring the town. It was already getting te when she made her way back to the inn, but something strange caught her eye in the sky—pnes were approaching at full speed.

  Suddenly, an eerie light began to shine above. Mikki felt weak. She rushed into the inn, where her parents were already armed. Her father looked at his daughter, confusion and concern in his eyes.

  “The Republic has decred war on hybrids… Stay here, sweetheart. You’ll be safe.”

  Mikki looked at her parents and took a step toward them.

  “I can fight! I want to go with you!”

  Her mother shook her head quickly.

  “Stay here. We’ll be back soon.”

  Frustrated that she couldn’t join them, Mikki stormed off to her room without another word.

  She stared outside, pying with her knife—a gift from her father on her st birthday. The pnes she had seen earlier had started dropping bombs on the vilge. The town was on fire. People were dying. Mikki couldn’t just sit by and watch this horror unfold.

  She grabbed her knife and rushed outside. She ran toward the vilge center, searching for her parents, but saw no sign of them. Instead, she came face to face with a soldier pointing a gun at her.

  “Surrender, and maybe I’ll spare you.”

  Mikki gripped her knife tightly and stared at the soldier, frozen in pce. This was the first time she had ever been in a situation where she had to harm another person.

  She trembled as the guard spoke again.

  “Drop the knife, kid.”

  But she didn’t. Instead, she leaped over the soldier, nded behind him, and drove the knife into his neck. He colpsed to the ground, blood pouring from the wound.

  Her hands shook as she stared at the bloodied knife, at the lifeless body at her feet. Panic crept in, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had only taken a life because she was in danger.

  She had to find her parents.

  She ran through the burning vilge, searching frantically. Finally, she found her father, colpsed on the ground, barely alive. He had dragged himself to the base of a tree.

  “Dad! No! Stay with me! Dad!”

  He had been shot in the stomach. His voice was weak as he spoke.

  “R…run… now…”

  “Where’s Mom?!”

  Tears streamed down Mikki’s face, but her father didn’t answer. He had stopped breathing. He was gone.

  Footsteps sounded behind her. Without thinking, without looking, she turned and plunged her knife into the approaching figure’s stomach, driven by pure rage. Another soldier of the Republic.

  She looked at her father one st time before taking off, gripping her knife.

  She couldn’t stay by his side forever. She had to find her mother.

  She ran through the vilge, killing every soldier in her way without mercy. But there was no sign of her mother. She was losing hope. But she clung to the belief that her mother had escaped.

  As she neared the vilge outskirts, she spotted something—a blonde cat tail sticking out from a bush. Two soldiers were approaching. Judging by the tail’s small size, the person hiding was young. Mikki couldn’t let a child fall victim to these soldiers.

  She rushed toward them and swiftly took them down, sshing their necks.

  Inside the bush was a young blonde-haired girl.

  “We don’t have time to waste. Follow me if you want to live.”

  That was how she met her sister.

  She remembered all the years they had spent in the asylum, taking care of Sarah, training for battle, and making friends.

  She had failed to find Sarah. She had never been apart from her for so long. After her father’s death, she had sworn never to let another loved one disappear. And now, she had broken that promise.

  Now, she was trapped underwater, losing consciousness.

  But suddenly, pain fred in her Firebirds tattoo. Something strange was happening inside her body…

  Pov Kaia (A-B)

  Kaia was stunned by the sudden appearance of this person—and even more shocked when Mikki, whom she considered the strongest fighter among them, was swallowed by the canal's water.

  This priestess was a mage, an extremely rare existence. It was the first time Kaia had ever seen one with her own eyes. She gnced at the three other girls.

  "Stay away from the water!"

  The wolf-hybrid and the two humans quickly stepped back. The four girls were unarmed. Meanwhile, the mage hovered closer to them, still floating in the air.

  "You should surrender, and maybe I'll release your friend."

  The four girls immediately suspected a trap. None of them dared to accept the mage’s offer, remaining silent.

  The civilians had already fled the area. Kaia spotted police officers in the distance, approaching on bicycles. The mage had seen them too.

  She raised her hands, summoning massive walls of water that formed a dome, enclosing the entire area.

  "We won’t be disturbed anymore… Do I need to repeat my order?"

  Still, the four girls said nothing. They remained silent. Just as Eliana was about to speak, something strange happened.

  A figure shot out of the water, soaring into the sky. Water sprayed in all directions, drenching the surroundings. Kaia could finally see who had just emerged.

  It was Mikki.

  She was being propelled into the air, her fists clenched, her stance guarded. Her gaze locked onto the mage.

  "Mikki!"

  Sara couldn’t hold back her excitement at the sight of her friend’s return.

  "Alright, mage. I think it’s time for a fair fight."

  Mikki couldn’t help but smirk slightly as she stared down her opponent. The priestess remained calm but was visibly surprised.

  "Wind magic?! That’s impossible—you’re not a mage!"

  The magician excimed in shock. Kaia noticed something strange about Mikki—her Firebird tattoo was now clearly visible, glowing fiercely. Part of her bck t-shirt had been burned away as if the power of the tattoo could no longer be contained.

  "So that’s it… This is the power she told me about!"

  The mage clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing.

  "Enough talk. It’s time to put you down."

  Mikki suddenly unched herself at the priestess. Her movements were incredibly fast, enhanced by the wind’s power. But the mage was far more experienced in controlling magic than her attacker.

  She defended herself using water, rapidly forming small shields to block Mikki’s strikes. However, she had no time to counterattack.

  Meanwhile, on the ground, the four girls could only watch the battle unfold. In their current state—powerless and unarmed—they had no way of helping.

  Kaia searched her memory, trying to recall the mage’s identity. Once she figured it out, she shared the information.

  "I remember now… That’s Natalia Marchegiano. She’s a priestess from the city of Carmenism… I don’t understand how she could betray her religion and join the Martyrs."

  Mikki couldn’t hear their conversation. She remained fully focused on her attacks—her fists moving rapidly, feinting left and right, trying to nd a hit on the priestess’s stomach. But the mage’s defense was solid.

  "Enough!"

  The mage commanded with authority as she maniputed part of the canal’s water, forming a massive fist of liquid that struck Mikki hard in the stomach. The force sent her plummeting toward the ground. For a brief moment, her magic faltered—she was too dazed to react. However, just before she hit the ground, the wind softened her fall, allowing her to nd without serious injury.

  Natalia wasted no time. She moved swiftly through the air, controlling the water around her like a living weapon.

  Mikki quickly pushed herself off the ground, dodging a few rapid water projectiles from the mage before unching herself back into the sky, charging straight at her opponent.

  Ali gnced at the pistol she had taken from one of the guards who had chased her out of the cave earlier. Without hesitation, she raised it and aimed at the mage.

  "Mikki! I’ve got you covered!"

  Her voice was loud enough for Mikki to hear. Trusting Ali, Mikki adjusted her movements, pulling back just enough to give her an opening to shoot.

  Ali fired three shots, but as soon as the bullets reached Natalia, they were effortlessly deflected by the swirling water surrounding her.

  Meanwhile, Sara, Eliana, and Kaia had taken shelter inside one of the half-abandoned market shops nearby. The store owners were hiding behind the counter, watching the fight in terrified silence.

  Eliana clenched her fists, frustration boiling inside her. She hated feeling useless—powerless without weapons—unable to help her best friend, who was fighting for their survival.

  She closed her eyes tightly, and suddenly, a memory resurfaced in her mind…

  Pov Eliana (A-B)

  Eliana and Ali had just escaped from the military camp. They had fled during the night, running as fast as they could, but they could still hear the distant sirens of the camp. Unfortunately, they hadn’t gained enough time, and the soldiers would be on their trail at any moment.

  They ran all night and finally took shelter in an old abandoned wooden house. There, they were able to catch their breath for a moment. Exhausted from the night's events, they eventually fell asleep.

  Suddenly, Eliana was jolted awake. She didn’t even have time to react before she felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against her temple. Quickly analyzing her surroundings, she caught the familiar scent of the person behind her—that perfume. It was her captain. She had managed to track Eliana down, purely by chance.

  Eliana noticed that her captain was alone, and in front of her stood Ali.

  "Leave, half-human. I'm willing to spare you, but I must punish this traitor to the nation."

  At Ali’s feet, two soldiers y unconscious, probably knocked out by the wolf. Ali held a pistol in her hand, aiming it directly at Eliana’s captor.

  "Abandon the one who saved me? No thanks," Ali replied firmly.

  She continued aiming at the woman, not the best shot, but determined to try. She gave Eliana a discreet nod, hoping she would understand that she needed to distract the captain.

  Eliana felt trapped. She could try to create a distraction, but she had no idea what to do. Then, she suddenly remembered something—the captain, when she was drunk, had once admitted she had a fear of spiders. It was a long shot, but she had to try.

  "Captain… I think a spider just fell on you."

  The captain raised an eyebrow but instinctively gnced down at her body, just for a second. That brief moment was all Ali needed.

  She pulled the trigger.

  The captain colpsed to the ground, dead.

  Eliana turned to Ali, who had just saved her life.

  "We're even now, right?"

  The battle raged on as the girls watched from inside the store. Ali had tried her best to shoot when the mage was distracted, but it was no use.

  Mikki was doing everything she could to fight, but she wasn’t yet fully accustomed to wielding this new power. Managing her stamina was proving to be a difficult task.

  Suddenly, Eliana's eyes snapped open. A sharp pain fred from her tattoo, and it began to burn through the sleeve of her white t-shirt and summer vest. She looked at the mage and noticed something shining around her neck—a kind of bracelet. Something in her mind told her that it was the key to defeating her, a sort of weak point. She stepped closer to Ali.

  "Aim for her neckce. I think it’s what channels her power."

  Ali nodded. Now, the challenge was getting the message to Mikki while she fought and finding the right moment to take the shot.

  Mikki, still in the air, finally descended to the ground, starting to feel exhausted. She wasn’t used to fighting and flying at the same time. Landing beside Ali, she listened as Ali whispered Eliana’s discovery to her.

  She nodded in understanding before taking off again. Meanwhile, the mage had already prepared another water attack.

  Instead of attacking head-on, Mikki decided to go for a different approach—she would strike from behind. Moving quickly, she maneuvered to get behind the mage.

  Ali focused, steadying herself. She had trained to shoot accurately in the past, and while she wasn’t at a professional athlete’s level, she trusted her skills.

  Mikki dodged several water attacks. The mage was growing frustrated with this endless battle. She quickly distanced herself from Mikki and began preparing a massive water attack—forming an enormous water sphere to unch at her.

  Since she was so focused on the opponent who kept relentlessly attacking her, she had likely forgotten that Ali was still aiming at her.

  Ali took the opportunity and fired. The bullet struck the catalyst directly, shattering it.

  The giant water sphere the mage had been forming colpsed to the ground, and suddenly, she lost her ability to move through the air.

  An eerie, translucent bck sphere formed around the mage, and she fell to the ground, bouncing slightly as she nded.

  Pov ??? (A-B)

  “Agent A5, do you copy?”

  “A5, I hear you.”

  Further away, a woman in a tight bck uniform and a bck mask covering the lower half of her face was perched on a rooftop, scanning the surroundings.

  “Solstice has given the order to escort the individuals they’re targeting. Agent B9 has found their position near the south bridge.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  A5, also known as Akinyi Maina, a semi-fox whose parents had migrated from the Republic, had become a secret agent working for the Prime Minister. She had been surveilling key members of the conservative party for a few days now.

  She approached the location, but suddenly, thick walls of water surrounded the area. Before that, she caught sight of the priestess from the south temple, Natalia.

  Akinyi immediately contacted her superiors.

  “Den, I confirm that the south temple priestess, Natalia Marchegiano, is a traitor. She’s fighting against the group… I need reinforcements on the ground.”

  “We’ll send reinforcements immediately.”

  Akinyi nodded and moved closer to the scene, positioning herself on a nearby rooftop. She was armed with a special capture pistol. After a few minutes of waiting, the walls of water fell to the ground, and she saw the mage fall with the five remaining girls. She fired at the mage, and a transparent rubber bullet deployed around the mage, causing her to fall to the ground, bouncing slightly.

  Agent A5, along with other agents, arrived on the scene quickly.

  “Follow me, before these terrorists attack you again.”

  Akinyi had arrived behind the bck rubber ball and had managed to reach them quickly. She studied the girls, one by one, trying to gauge if she had gained their trust despite the te arrival.

  “Who are you?”

  Sara asked, confused, looking at the agent.

  “I’m sent here by the Prime Minister, please follow me.”

  The girls finally agreed. After so many problems, they hoped that, for once in the st 48 hours, they could rest and catch a break.