We made our way back into Radiant City. As we approached the building, many people of all ages were walking about viewing gadgets.

There was an outside vending station where employees showed new phones and the like. I assume this is where Vivian would have taken me if I had gone to buy a phone with her the other day.

It felt like the place was more futuristic compared to the ordinary streets of Radiant City. People were trying out new cooking models, home improvement tools, and the like.

“This place is… amazing.”

I was awestruck. Jade nodded.

“It really is. This place is known as Atom Corporation. So, if you hear people in Radiant City talk about this place, they are referencing the shopping part of it.”

The knight briskly walked past the vendors and made her way to the main gate. I couldn't help but look at all the… technology. I read about how the Radiants were reinventing things from the Human Age, but I never expected it to this extent.

“I forgot, you're a little hermit, aren't you, Feodora?"

Mellissa teased as she nudged my shoulder. I scratched my cheek, trying to buck back at her.

“I-I’m not a hermit! Did… did Jade tell you to call me that?!”

Jade snickered as she continued. Suddenly, Mellissa wrapped her arm around mine and smiled at me.

"How about we check out everything later? Wouldn't that be fun?"

“Y-Yeah... maybe.”

I pouted.

Together we followed Jade as she approached the large tower. It had to reach at least 30 floors. It was bright silver, and a collection of windows scattered around the building. It reminded me of the ancient ruins Eve, Vivian, and I went to earlier in the week.

Jade approached the building and brought out a badge.

“We’re here to see Atom. I called earlier for a meeting with her…."

One of the security team nodded and stepped by. We walked into a large room with a red carpet. As if Jade knew where to go, she led us to a silver door on the side. After pushing a button, we waited for a moment for it to reveal a small room.

“What’s this?”

I questioned.

“An elevator. Atom is located on the 30th floor.”

Jade stepped inside, and we followed her. The room rumbled like we were being swallowed by a monster, which began to push us further into the tower.

“This place is massive, Jade.”

I remarked, earning a nod from her. The knight crossed her arms.

"Yes. Atom is known as one of the smartest people on Prism. She first designed the streetlight with the help of the holy element… at the age of 9. There was no doubt that Atom would become a staple in the scientific field. So, Yuuna, Feodora, and I were discussing the possibility of Atom being involved."

Mellissa crossed her arms and pondered.

"I don't recall what happened after I… went to sleep, but from what I gathered, that machine was likely made here?"

I nodded.

“That’s what I think. Jade, do you think Atom might be the culprit?”

I asked.

The knight waited for a moment. She then put her finger to her lip and looked at the purple bunny.

“Let’s not discuss that right now, you two.”

She turned to the corner of the boxed room.

"Because we're on camera, she can hear our discussions before we make it there. I don't want all my cards exposed yet."

 

 

I looked at the small device in the corner. It had a slight shine, showing Atom was watching us.

"I will mention this to the both of you, though…."

Jade took a deep breath.

"She is a Radiant, and the same rules don't apply when speaking to her as they do to a citizen of Radiant city…."

"What do you mean by that, Jade?"

 

I questioned.

"I mean… whatever we discover in this interrogation, we must let the Radiant Order deal with it. By law, that's how it works."

Slowly, I understood a different hierarchy of Radiant City. They weigh differently compared to crimes made by the common folk and those suspected by the Radiants.

A chime rang out, indicating that we had reached the floor we wanted. Jade exited first, and we followed her. As we kept going down a hallway, we got to a large door.

Ahhhh, no! No!"

A voice echoed out from a speaker.

"Atom, we're here to ask you a few questions…."

Her voice screeched. Suddenly, guns with red lasers came out from the walls. Bars rose from the floor, sealing our way to enter.

"Mellissa Ann Cafree has blood on her! Do you know how many diseases are in BLOOD?! Oh my, look at the redhead! She has blood on her jacket. What the hell happened to them?!"

"Atom now is not the time..."

Jade said dejectedly.

"Dang it, did Melissa kill someone again, didn't she, Jade?! Are her feet tracking blood too?! Oh, my gosh! I'll have replaced the carpet! Maids, maids!!!"

An army of maids with handguns came out from the doors nearby. They surrounded us. I touched my katana, but Jade glanced at me and shook her head. Reluctantly, I relaxed and followed her lead.

“Hands up, all of you!”

We all do as we're told. Jade, clearly frustrated, sighed deeply.

“This is a bit of an overreaction, Atom.”

The knight complained.

“I refuse to be in the same room with blood! A-Are you trying to kill me, Jade?! Is that what you’re trying to do, Jade, Mellissa?! Red-head???”

I didn't notice the first time we met, but it seemed like Atom might be what some would call a germaphobe.

“There’s a door on your side. Get in there and get cleaned! All of you… you’re all filthy!”

Another set of bars appeared over the door. It was evident that she didn't want us anywhere near her. The maids stood tall next to the door, ensuring we were not getting past them without going through them.

“What do we do?”

I asked.

“We get cleaned.”

Jade grumbled...

We all looked at the pure white door at the side.

"What about our clothing, though?"

I asked. Atom shouted from the safety of the speaker.

“There’s a hamper in there! The machine will clean everything, just hurry up and get in there! You’re tracking the floor and spreading your blood all over the place!”

Without anything else to do, we walked into the room. It was a grey room with one large shower. We all stared speechlessly at the solo bathing room.

Jade pulled off her clothing like this was normal. She stripped down to her underwear within seconds. The beautiful knight had purple lingerie that… I oddly expected her to have. After removing her last layer of clothing, she brazenly walked past Mellissa and me nude as she made her way to the shower room.

"Hurry up. The sooner we clean up, the sooner we get a chat with Atom."

I looked at Mellissa, who still had a calm smile.

"Hm, I've showered with my classmates every now. This isn't too different than that, is it?"

Slowly she unbuttoned her dress shirt, exposing the paleness of her collarbone. As she slid off her dress, I was captured by just how shapely her body was. If I didn't get undressed soon, I would be left standing here, watching the tall beauty as she undressed like an art piece. Embarrassed, I turned around and began taking off my jacket. My shoulder wasn't fully healed, so it hurt as I moved my body.

“Mmm…”

I mumbled. Suddenly, a warm finger traced the outside of my jacket.

“H-huh?!”

“Your shoulder is hurt. Would you like me to help you?”

Without waiting for my answer, she pulled off my jacket, tenderly gripping my arm.

“I’m fine. It’s just a bite mark.”

In awe, she looked at the wound.

"Oh, my, who bit you? Was there some sort of beast in the factory?"

She put her finger on my neck and looked at the mark as if it was a brand-new sight to her… which it was. Our warm bodies touched as she studied my shoulder.

 

 

“Ah… that was your other side, Mellissa.”

“Oh my… she’s rough.”

She admitted.

“Y-Yeah… a little too rough for my liking-“

Before I could finish my sentence, a warm sensation brushed my neck. It stung briefly, causing my body to ripple. I didn't notice it instantly, but Mellissa… kissed the sore spot.

 

 

“Pain, pain… go away.”

She giggled.

“H-Hey… Don’t just… do that out of nowhere.”

I complained.

“If she’s rough with you… I’ll be gentle.”

Her fingers intertwined with mine, and my breathing became labored. Mellissa was assertive, and I've never… had someone this interested in me. But I still wasn't sure if this was… being interested. The extent of my knowledge of relationships came from books I've read alone in the forest. I… was out of my element for sure.

“Ah…”

I needed to escape. Staying around Mellissa was detrimental to my life expectancy. But her breath was warm with a sweetness, likely from her brushing them to remove the blood.

"Hurry, you two, we're wasting too much time."

Jade called out to us, giving me the chance to break free from her. I moved away and, without a word, began removing my clothes. Mellissa did the same as she took off her underwear.

I decided to steel my nerves and just get it over with. I pulled off my underwear and held my head up high. When I was tiny, I had never washed with anyone other than a few girls in the orphanage. I had to remind myself that all I was doing was cleaning up for the sake of the investigation. But… it made me wonder if Mellissa felt something for me like I assumed. Her demon side lusted after my spectrum…

But could the human side have desires of her own… on a purer level?

(“Don’t think like that, Feodora. She’s dangerous… and I need to stop thinking about her in these ways.”)

I steeled my resolve in my head. No matter what Mellissa thought about me, I had to clarify that I didn't have romantic feelings for her. If I want to live by the way Maxwell asked me, I won't dare put my life on the line because I might be… a tad interested in someone.

“Are you ready?”

“Haaai!”

I was deep in my thoughts when the completely nude Mellissa snuck up behind me to catch my attention. I nodded, probably looking like a fool as I brushed passed her.

“Y-Yeah, let’s get cleaned up.”

I needed to focus. Focus on solving these mysteries so I can… live an everyday life away from these people.

After throwing our clothing in the hamper, we witnessed the cleaning cycle start to spin. There we were in the complete nude as we walked behind Jade. Her back was turned to us as she rinsed herself off from the showers above. Her long hair covered most of her back, and all we could see was her long white legs glistening in the bath.

“Finally here, you two? Okay, we can't get out for twenty minutes. She has a timer set, so we can't leave until we're clean.

Jade faced the showerhead, and we both did the same.

 

 

“You have lovely hair, Feodora.”

“Ah… you do too, Mellissa.”

Jade quietly washed her body, not even looking back at the two of us. I tried to gaze at the floor, but I was curious. I found myself glancing around and stopping at her tall, slender figure. She brushed her body tenderly. The smile on her face was beaming, nothing like the devil's side of her. Mellissa Ann Cafree was… not like the other girls I've met, and because of that…

Because of that…

She was dangerous in every sense of the word. 

“I’m done.”

Jade abruptly got out. It seemed she was the first one in and the first one out.

"Hurry up. I'll be waiting at the door for you two."

We both stood in the steamy bath, unable to look at one another appropriately. We took so much time getting in. Jade was already done before we knew it. Slowly, I washed my body, doing my best to avoid the fresh bite mark on my upper shoulder.

“Feodora…”

Nervously I glanced over.

“Yes?”

“Did… Did I do something wrong earlier? You seem a bit more… hesitant around me.”

I touched my shoulder unconsciously.

“No… I’ve just been thinking.”

I've been thinking a lot… about you recently. Why is the kindest person I met mixed with the cruelest person I know? Why can't I keep my promise and stop associating with her? Why… do I have the drive to understand someone who is a threat to my life? She's like a Venus fly trap.

When I glanced at her, her face was red, likely from the heat. Slowly she stepped closer to me, causing the water to bounce up from the floor. The hot shower created a light mist around her skin. That dark hair glistened in the light with a tilt of her head. My heart throbbed with every step she took toward me.

“Feodora… I…”

Out of her thin lips, she spoke gently to me. Her face turned pinkish, and she began scrubbing her arm as she looked away shyly.

“No, never mind.”

Suddenly the water stopped, and we found ourselves staring at each other's nude bodies. It seems our time ran out, and Jade was pushing us along.

"Hurry up and get dressed, you two. We're wasting time."

Mellissa reached out to me and touched my fingers gently. Those soft hands heated my body more than the hot water only moments ago.

“I want to get to know you better.”

She whispered as she tugged me along with her. Despite the demonic side she had… I wanted to get to know her better too. She was just what I imagined her to be…

Dangerous…

After we got done, we grabbed our clothing. It was clean and dry, to my surprise. I had no idea what Atom did to make this possible in less than twenty minutes, but here it was, ready for us to wear. Mellissa and I got dressed.

“Hey…”

Before we left the room, I lifted my head and told her my true feelings. She looked at me, and I could see a worrisome expression. The face of someone with a side to them that they never saw. Someone who would never know what they were when they were sleeping. In a way, she was just like me with my night terrors. I never experienced the horrors of my screaming and pains… but everyone who had explained to me the horrors that they are.

Mellissa Ann Cafree and I have demons. The only difference is my demons are my own, and her monster can kill others, and she wouldn't know a thing. And because I'm not just living for myself but for Maxwell, the man who gave me a shot at life…

“Can we talk sometime… I have something to say to you.”

Her eyes opened wide. We didn't have the time to chat or talk about our differences at the moment. But if what I believe is true and she does have an attraction towards me…

It would be best to cut that off to live in Maxwell's creed. She's too dangerous, and even if I'm curious about her myself… risking my life out of curiosity is blatantly throwing my life away for uncertainty.

After our mission ended, I decided to break ties with her.

“All clean?”

Jade smirked as she turned to the door. The bars were released, and it opened on its own. We stepped into a bright white room with a creme carpet. Around the sides were large windows that showed all of Radiant City. It looked like I would fall if I walked over to the windows because they were clear. Behind a brown desk was the pink-haired woman we wanted to speak with. She had blueprints on her desk as she stood up, walked over to us, and raised her hand.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, a large plastic glass separated us from her. We approached but were blocked from going any further.

 

 

“Thank goodness. You’re all cleaned up. However, your hairs are a mess. Jade, you look like a feral cat.”

The knight banged her hand against the glass.

“Shut up!”

The neat freak backed up in fear like a mouse.

“Ehh… don’t smug the pane, Jade. Do you have any idea how long it takes to sanitize this?”

“Ah… Jade?”

I asked, prompting the knight to continue the investigation. She nodded and turned back to Atom.

“Atom, we’re here to discuss some things with you. Would it be okay if we showed you these pictures?”

“Pictures? Err… they probably have your nasty hand oils on them. Put them up to the pane of glass. I'm not touching those filthy pictures."

At her request, Jade put up large images of the destroyed machines for her to see. Seemingly surprised, she analyzed them.

“What the?”

Atom questioned.

“Are these your machines?”

I asked. With a fluff of the scientist's long pink hair, Atom turned to me.

“And what if they are, redhead?”

“Feodora and Mellissa had to face a few when searching for the nearby ore factory."

Jade took out another folder.

"Oh, my… isn't that Project Sphere?"

“Project Sphere?”

Mellissa mimicked.

“So, you do know what this machine is, Atom? As you can see, this is very damning for you right now. These machines are obviously your creations…."

"I'm not a fool. I can see what you're insinuating. But if you think I'm the reason for the bombings or the events that transpired into what happened there, you have another thing coming."

Jade clicked her tongue.

“Then how did you know this was about the bombings?”

The Radiant stepped back…

“Nggg… If I tell you, would you promise not to arrest me?”

“What? If you did something illegal, you should be arrested!”

Annoyed, I lashed out. Knowing I’ve been arrested for far less.

“What did you do, Atom?”

Jade interrogated. The scientist slumped her shoulders and turned to the side.

"Well… when it was concluded by Radiant law that Eve would be in your possession, Jade… I set up security cameras in the knight stations. I… overheard you all checking for various bombings and the like."

“You’re illegally capturing footage of our interrogation rooms?!”

The knight screamed for good reason.

“I-It wasn’t for that… I only wanted to keep a tab on Eve! I wanted to make sure nobody touched her! Only I can touch her!”

 

 

That demonic rage came on her face causing me to step back in disgust.

Jade shook her head but ultimately gave in.

“Okay… I’ll let it pass if you tell me the status of your machinery here, Atom…."

The scientist crossed her arms and paced about.

“Well… listen, I have all of my stock. There hasn’t been any stolen from here. I’m not missing a single machine. However, I did have a data breach the other day. Just yesterday.”

She pulled up a strange screen. It was bright green and looked like a map of some kind. The image was a tall structure, so I assumed it was the tower.

“Yesterday, someone accessed the data room and pulled files from there. I was able to stop them by shutting down my entire system, but they did get what they were coming for.”

 

 

“Data? What did they retrieve?”

The knight demanded.

“My blueprints.”

“And when was this again, Atom?”

“Yesterday, Jade.”

I was trying to keep up, so I asked.

“Let me get this right… Someone stole your blueprint data yesterday, Atom?”

“That’s right, redhead.”

“Hey, can we stop the redhead thing and just call me Feodora?”

“Feodora… what a long and… filthy name. Let’s clean it up and just call you Feo.”

I wasn't expecting someone like her to give me a nickname… but I accepted it and continued my questioning.

“So, if these culprits stole your information yesterday… how would they have time to put it to good use today?”

She pondered with her finger on her chin.

“Well… you see. That last picture, the Project Sphere… isn’t even done yet. All the blueprints for it are in testing. There is no physical model for it yet.”

Confused, we all focused on what she was saying. She continued as she paced around.

“Meaning unless they stole my research yesterday and constructed it before the bombing of today…. There’s no possible way it would be around to attack you, Feo.”

She paced from one end to the other as she explained. 

"From what I see from these photos, the culprits copied my design to build the machines they used in this attack... But they stole these same blueprints only yesterday... That's impossible for them to do."

Atom explained. Jade jumped in with her own deductions.

“So, these culprits… have a method to rapidly construct all of these machines?’

Jade asked, earning a shake of Atom's head.

"No, it's physically impossible to build all of this in hours and even days. For the Sphere Project alone, It would take at least a year's worth of time for it to be in the testing phases even if they followed my blueprints."

I scratched the back of my head.

 

 

 

"So, how can you construct something that takes years in minutes?"

This was getting more complicated by the minute.

"That's all the information I have on that. If you need, I'll provide any test you want, Jade. Know that I'll fully cooperate as long as nobody touches Eve."

After that, we left the room. Jade turned to us when we reached the elevator.

"I believe her, you two."

She concluded. I was getting the same vibe as I leaned on the wall.

“But what does that mean for the investigation?”

“It means we leave it up to the Radiant Order to get to the bombings. I need to go back to my missing person investigation… same with you, Feodora.”

She nodded.

"But it's late, and you've had a long day. I wouldn't worry too much about this. Just rest and take the next day off. If more leads come in, I'll contact you and Mellissa about it because you two, along with Yuuna, are the most involved here.”

“Right.”

Mellissa nodded.

“To be able to build machines in minutes… we are dealing… with a complex Trickster.”

“Trickster?”

I asked, turning back to Jade.

"Hm? No… don't worry about it. As I mentioned, Feodora, and Mellissa, you both are relieved for the rest of the day. Feodora, take tomorrow off, you’ve done enough, and I applaud you for the leadership skills you’ve shown me.”

“T-Thanks…”

When we exited the doors, Jade turned to me, nodded, and raced off without another word.

“Well, I need to head back to the school and get the rest of my assignments for the day.”

Mellissa began to walk away but stopped suddenly.

"Actually, Feodora, would you like to come with me? I wanted to do a few things, and I would greatly appreciate the company if you're not busy."

I paused for a moment… Countess Mellissa was sent away for the day, so being around Mellissa wouldn't necessarily be dangerous. Unconsciously, I touched my shoulder, feeling the bite mark as a warning sign. It would be best for me to reject her offer, which would follow the creed I promised Maxwell…

But I was still interested in knowing more about Mellissa and why she is the way she is. Satisfying my curiosity before ultimately breaking things off with her would probably be best.

“Sure, I’ll come with you.”

I hesitated but ultimately agreed. Mellissa swung around with her hands in the air.

"Oh yay! I get to show you everything! Afterward, we can go to my favorite spot on the nearby trail! I have so much to show you, Feodora!"

 

Mellissa's eyes shined as she took my hand. Before I knew it, I was already pushed into one of her forceful actions.

I knew that my end goal was to avoid her at all costs.

“Yeah… sure.”

I mumbled as she took me with her towards Radiant City College.