Pov stressed commander of Hero HQ:

Ever since Zoey has turned in her retirement papers, all of hell has broken loose.

 

"I’m calling to remind you to do whatever you have to, Commander Reyes. We can't let them get their hands on this deity -whatever or whomever it is- first, or our entire world would be doomed."

 

*click! beep beep beep*

 

As soon as the Governor hung up, I let out a sigh, while internally ranting 'It's because of you that the only one who can help us left in the first place.'

 

Sighing again, I reminisced about the events that happened leading up to this conversation:

 

---

 

It all started when I was finishing our monthly board meeting with the other officers.

 

*bang!*

 

Rushing into the room and gasping for breath, my secretary blurted, "S rank Zoey just quit!!!"

 

Hearing that, everyone in the room gasped, and a couple did a glorious spit-take.

 

Thinking back on that, I couldn’t help but chuckle remembering their reactions.

 

Before I could ask if she was ok, or her reasons for suddenly quitting-

 

*Crack!!!! Kaboom!!!"

 

Lightning that was pitch black flashed across the sky and off into the horizon.

 

All the devices in the room suddenly activated by themselves, and that damnable message displayed.

 

"THE LAST CLAN WHICH WAS PART OF A PROMISE TO PROTECT THIS WORLD HAS GIVEN UP THEIR DUTY. THE FUTURE IS NOW IN YOUR HANDS."

 

As anyone could imagine, prank or not, that message caused chaos and panic. I spent the next two days barking orders and guiding heroes until peace was somewhat restored.

 

Exhausted, I read the summary of the investigation, which the government put a classified symbol on.

 

Seeing that, I had to pause to cool down my anger at yet another hush order.

 

Making sure I was alone, I softly ranted to myself, "Why is it that magic must be kept secret. It is not like we don't have heroes and licensed citizens using it every day!"

 

I really wanted to reveal it, however I have been threatened that if I make even one peep about it, I will be put in an insane asylum like the previous commander.

 

It has been hard on me, I had to make a difficult decision when little Zoey followed her clan’s legacy and applied to become a hero.

 

The government learning of that made me block her from revealing the truth, and disguise her magic as awakened powers.

 

I did it instead of just rejecting her, because I knew that if she was on her own, it was a matter of time before they locked her up in an insane asylum, or worse, secretly off her just like they did with her parents. At least this way I could keep my promise to protect her.

 

To ensure she could live carefreely, I took on the burden of hiding the truth of her parents' death from her. They would not have wanted her to destroy herself in revenge.

 

Even if she hates me for what I did, I don't regret it. She now has developed enough power that her safety is assured, her parents would have been so proud to see just how much she has grown up.

 

'Speaking of safety, I didn't even get time to check up on her with all this chaos. What exactly happened?'

 

Wanting to make sure Zoey was ok, I grabbed a glass of water and went back to focusing on quickly finishing the investigation summary, which contained the following information:

 

• Apparently we obtained (confiscated) an ancient prophecy tablet from a museum, because that mysterious lightning wave affected it as well.

 

• The scientists in the underground lab have detected residual energy similar but different to the one found in the other dimension.

 

• While using the machine they detected that the energy was also in the atmosphere, and rising at a constant rate. 

 

'Just like Zoey warned my stupid greedy higher-up poopheads.'

 

The next thing caused me to spit-take, and my anxiety for the future spiked.

 

• Apparently there are invader spies that we did not know about, until that message popped up.

 

• They went around frantically interrogating random people about paranormal activity and sweeping odd crystals in the air searching for something.

 

• We were able to catch one and interrogate them.

 

Worriedly flipping to that report, I read it and what I learned caused goosebumps to tingle down my spine. 

 

The otherworldly humans have been spying on us for quite some time, and the only reason they revealed themselves was that they were in a rush to get this 'deity' for their world.

 

The person we interrogated did not know what the deity looked like.

 

He just said that if it was sentient they would try to convince them, using force if necessary when negotiations fail.

 

If it was an item like an ancient idol or artifact, they would just steal it.

 

The only way to know was when his crystal reacted.

 

Unfortunately it shattered when we caught him, so the scientists are studying it right now to see what they could find out. 

 

Suddenly I received a call, seeing the ID coming up -Poophead1- I answered.

 

"Yeah," I grumped. "What do you want?"

 

"Did you read the reports?" the voice on the line asked.

 

"Yeah, what about it?"

 

"The results from your lab came in. The scientists could only find that the crystal is made from clear quartz, however, they can't translate the runes or even know how it works. 

 

We need Zoey to study it to see if she can figure out how it works, or how to duplicate it."

 

I sarcastically remarked, "You do realize that she just quit, right?” 

 

Then indignantly asked, “Since she doesn’t have any obligations anymore, shouldn’t you ask an arcane expert of your own?... I am sure that you should have some.”

 

There was a short pause before he consoled with obvious false sympathy, “That is unfortunate to hear that she quit, however, she is the only arcane expert in the world.”

 

Before I could ask or say anything, he commanded, “I don’t care how you do it, but you must get Zoey to that lab!  We can not let the other world get their hands on that power! We are running out of time. The more time we waste, the more likely that the invaders will find the deity first.”

 

I acknowledged, “Alright, I will see what I can do to convince her to come tomorrow morning.”

 

*click! beep beep beep*

 

‘Rude as usual.’

 

Sighing, I worked myself up for meeting Zoey tomorrow morning. ‘If I were her, I wouldn’t be cooperative.’ *sigh* ‘I’ll ponder over what I can say to convince her.’

 

---

 

Back to present:

After the poophead finished checking in on me, I finished getting into my uniform and stepped in front of the mirror to see if everything was in order.

 

‘Uniform, neat and tidy, check. My long blond hair has been brushed and looks neat, check. Pointy ears, check. Blue eyes, check. Looks like I am ready to go.’

 

 

Walking down the street, I ignored all the curious and lust filled stares. As part of the Elven race, I had to get used to drawing attention.  Whether it was because of my race's natural beauty, our rarity (5% of total population), or the highest rate of natural awakeners, people were jealous and called us favored of the world.

 

For me the favored of the world thing was a bunch of baloney. Beauty can be as much a blessing as a curse, and when you have power, expectations get placed upon your shoulders. As for rarity, people look at you like some exotic animal in a zoo. It’s unsettling.

 

Luckily the stares did not last long. Seeing my uniform, public order was suddenly very organized as the crowd avoided my stare and made way for me as I briskly walked towards Zoey’s Mansion.

 

Upon reaching the gates, I paused to brace myself before pressing the button for the intercom.

 

After a moment, a voice that I did not recognize answered uncertainly, “Hello?”

 

Hearing a voice that did not belong to Zoey shocked me for a second. As far as I was aware, Zoey usually never invited anyone over to her house, but I had a mission to complete. I really wished that she would reject me so that I could say that I tried and failed.

 

However reality could not be that way. If she rejected me, I am absolutely certain she would be arrested so that they could force her to help.

 

I asked, “Is Zoey home?”

 

The voice confirmed, “Yeah.”

 

Over the intercom I heard Zoey in the background asking who was there.

 

Repeating the question, the cute voice asked, “Who’s there?’

 

“Tell her that it is Commander Reyes.”

 

The voice on the intercom repeated my words.

 

After a second I heard the voice curiously asking, “Why would your commander suddenly visit in person anyways?"

 

Zoey then informed, "Nadia, you left the mic on."

 

*awawawa*

 

'Heehee, that was a cute blunder.'

 

Rustling came from the speaker and Zoey flatly inquired, "What is it?"

 

Replying, I  said, "I need to speak with you about a sensitive matter. Would it be possible to come in and discuss it?"

 

A couple moments of silence passed before Zoey's voice answered, "I will listen, however, I will not be doing any more fighting, is that clear?"

 

"Very Clear."

 

'In fact, I am 90% certain that mysterious wave a couple days ago happened because she quit fighting.'

 

Zoey then stated, "You may come to the front door."

 

The gate buzzed and I made my way to the door, passing the Sakura trees.

 

Feeling nostalgic,  I reminisced, 'I remember planting those with Zoey's parents when we were children. Oh how happy we were when we were ignorant about the world.'

 

*sigh*

 

'Too bad I can't go back to those days.'

 

Arriving at the front door, it opened before I could knock.

 

Looking at Zoey in casual clothes, even with her grumpy face I could tell that she had been doing better since she quit.

 

The features of her face softened a lot compared to her usual stoic expression that I always see.

 

Right behind her, there was a cute 12 or 13-year-old little fox kin possessively hugging her, peeking around her shoulder and growling at me in warning.

 

'Definitely a Nature Kin. Very cute though.' I wondered how someone even convinced Zoey to look after a Nature Kin. They might look cuddly, but they could sure be a handful to look after. My bets would be placed on Ms. Miranda having a hand in this situation.

 

"Come on in." Zoey invited me.

 

Following her to the study room I giggled internally as I watched how the little fox kin refused to leave Zoey's side, placing herself between me and her, watching to make sure I didn't make any funny movements.

 

'Someone sure is attached to Zoey.'

 

Arriving, we went to a corner where a couple of couches were facing each other. Sitting down in one, Zoey took the opposite as the fox kin, Nadia I believe her name was, snuggled by her.

 

"So?" Zoey asked.

 

Gesturing with a look at Nadia, I stated, "This might not be a conversation suited for a child."

 

"Besides, we are going to be talking about that." I nodded to the wall that I knew was false.

 

Zoey smirked as if remembering something, and said something that shocked me to my core.

 

Taking Nadia by the shoulders, she informed, "I can see where you made your misunderstanding. Nadia here is just really short-"

 

"Hey!" Nadia retorted while pouting adorably.

 

Patting her head, Zoey continued, "She is actually 22..."

 

Hearing her true age, I was shocked. Not giving me time to recover from my surprise, she kept going with the whammer, "... and she is descended from an ancient clan, so it is fine to talk about magic openly."

 

Thinking quickly overtime, I doubted, 'That can't be right. I remember searching for another clan to take in Zoey after her parents died. All of them suspiciously died in various accidents.'

 

What my secret investigation found was worrying. It turned out the current Governor has been slowly assassinating them in secret over time. I would not have believed it if I did not see the classified document of the order itself that a hacker friend obtained for me. 

 

I was livid, but there was nothing I could do about it. Zoey was the last one living, and I resolved myself to become Commander of Hero HQ in order to protect her secretly because of it.

 

So Nadia can't be descended from an ancient clan. There is a possibility that she is one of the invader spies. I really hope not, for Zoey’s sake.

 

I decided to test her and watch her reactions closely as we talked.

 

"Oh," I replied.

 

"Well, since you say so… I will just spell it out. We have been invaded by spies from the other dimension."

 

Zoey and Nadia gasped. Slightly narrowing my eyes, I observed, 'She is either genuinely surprised or a very good actress. Let's go with this then.'

 

"We have narrowed down what they are looking for and are close to grabbing it."

 

'Still no reaction.'

 

I continued on, "We need your help studying something that will allow us to get what they are calling a deity."

 

Ha! she flinched at that word, she definitely knows something. However, I will not let her know that I am on to her yet. I will try getting her to the lab with Zoey and watch her reaction when we bring out the crystal. One last test to know for certain.

 

Thinking for a second, Zoey said, "I could check it out, if that is all you need, but that will be the last favor I will do."

 

"Great," I exclaimed, then added, "Why don't you bring your girlfriend with you as well, she might like to enjoy a tour of Hero HQ with you."

 

*wawawa*

 

Zoey and Nadia blushed when I said that, 'Too bad I wouldn't be able to get a picture, it has been a long, long time since I last teased Zoey.'

 

Zoey didn't even think for a second before excitedly replying, "sure."

 

We then made our way to Hero HQ, and I observed that Nadia was excitedly searching around as if everything was new to her, which I would think an invader to our world would be like that.

 

However, there was just one thing bothering me… she was too naïve to be a spy.

 

Suddenly we arrived at Hero HQ, a building that our ancestors would probably say looks like a UFO with a skyscraper attached to the back of it. Honestly it looks weird.

 

 

I was told that it was shaped like that so that it could be a fortifiable position in the event we lost electricity. Doesn't change the fact that it looks strange.

 

Entering, we took the elevator down to the basement, while the people we passed nodded in respect.

 

Arriving at the lab, I commanded a scientist to bring out the item.

 

Watching Nadia closely when it arrived, she looked genuinely curious and showed no signs of recognition at all.

 

Sighing n relief that she was not an invader spy, and could indeed actually be descended from an ancient clan, I called for a nearby scientist to give Nadia a tour while we examined the crystal fragments.

 

As they took her away, I asked Zoey, "Can you fix or duplicate this?" 

 

Studying it closer, she said confidently, "Yeah, should be a simple fix."

 

Raising the palm of her hand and pointing it at the shattered crystal, a rune appeared and flew towards the crystal.

 

I watched fascinated as all the parts pulled themselves together and the crystal sealed as if it was brand new.

 

Picking it up Zoey read the runes.

 

When she finished, Zoey informed me, "It is actually a relatively simple spell. Give me another crystal cut in the exact same way and I could make another."

 

Taking note of that, I asked, "How does it work?"

 

Replying, Zoey answered, "It's just like a metal detector, you just need someone to inject mana into the crystal, like thi-"

 

*crack, piiissshhh!!*

 

The crystal turned midnight black, cracked, then disintegrated into nothingness.

 

Looking at each other in shock, I slowly asked, "Was that supposed to happen?"

 

After a second, Zoey dumbfoundedly answered, "It was supposed to work as a radar until we were close. Since it directly shattered, it means it overloaded because we were too close to the source of energy."

 

"So this means…" I inquired.

 

"...that the deity is somewhere in Hero HQ." Zoey verified.

 

*buzzz, buzzz*

 

We jumped as my watch buzzed with a call.

 

Answering it, I asked, "What, we are in the middle of something important right now."

 

The voice on the other end of the line informed, "The fox kin you brought over is in the middle of a panic attack. Nothing we are doing is getting a response from her."

 

Hearing that, Zoey started panicking and cursed.

 

Grabbing my watch arm tightly, she shakily asked, “Where.”

 

“1st floor, by the med bay.”

 

Hearing that Zoey cursed again and bolted out the room, with me briskly following after her.

 

When we arrived, we saw medical personnel surrounding Nadia, trying to calm her down.

 

Zoey cast a spell, removing all scents in the room and quietly whispered, “I’m here. You are safe.”

 

Ears perking and focusing on Zoey, she suddenly jumped into her arms and started bawling.

 

When she ran out of energy she fell asleep in Zoey’s arms.

 

*Bam!*

 

At that moment a medical personnel arrived, interrupting the sweet scene, “I have just read her medical history, it says that she has a severe case of hemophobia.

 

We all just stared at him.

 

Shuffling awkwardly, he stated, “Yeah, I was too late,” then slowly slinked out of the room to evade the awkward atmosphere.

 

*reeeeee! click.*

 

Shaking my head, I turned back to face Zoey who had Nadia in her lap, rocking her softly while humming a lullaby. ‘That poor girl.’

 

I walked up to them and placed my hand on Zoey’s shoulder.

 

Softly, I asked “Will she be ok?”

 

Quietly, Zoey replied, “She should be. I am going to take her home to let her rest. Anyways I hope your search proves fruitful.”

 

With those words, she lifted Nadia and headed out.

 

As for me, I still had work to do. Why must everything be so chaotic.

 

Calling my secretary, I snapped, “I need you to bring up a list of all visitors from the past hour. I also need people going through our warehouse with the energy detectors. Apparently the deity is somewhere in Hero HQ if they have not left already.

 

“Will do.”

 

After a moment, the list of visitors popped up from my intelligent watch. Seeing that the holographic list contained 840 names, I groaned. This will take some time to go through.

 

Hearing my groan, my secretary chimed in, “We can decrease the list size by removing a category. I doubt that a deity will be easily injured. 

 

There was also that girl who had a panic attack. I don’t think that she could be deity material either.”

 

Huffing at his candidness, I agreed with his words.

 

With that taken care of I watched as one quarter of the list was crossed off, then groaned.

 

After a full day of searching, nothing unusual was found.

 

Making a report to the displeased poophead, I headed back home, lamenting about how much the search list for tomorrow has grown with new parameters.

 

Plopping face down on my bed I promptly passed out.