Thus, Gabriella ventured into the technologically vibrant streets. The gleaming towers loomed like giants staring down at her with distaste, adorned with displays and signs that painted the urban canvas in a mesmerizing dance of light and color.

As Gabriella walked, the city unfolded before her like a digital tapestry, each step revealing the intricate interplay of magic and technology.

A massive block of metal slid down the street. Gabriella flinched but no one seemed alarmed. Music came out from it, playing without any instruments. The worst part was that some guy was trapped inside of it. 

[Good grief. I hope he'll be okay.] 

Walking past one building, Gabriella pulled back and stood perplexed as glass doors slid open of their own accord.

[Oh? Others can use telekinesis?] She looked around. [I don't see anyone that looks particularly concentrated...] 

Then, the doors closed.

"Hm?' Gabriella cautiously stepped forward, wanting to see if she could open them herself. Then, they opened again. "Oh?" She checked again, but, no. "Perhaps the doors are enchanted." 

The city sunk deeper into the night. The city transformed into a spectacle of artificial illumination.

"Agh," Gabriella found herself squinting at the overwhelming luminosity. "These lights... Blue, pink, and green torches. It's too much." 

Gabriella continued her exploration. Amidst the hustle and bustle, she noticed a disturbing scene unfolding up ahead, a young woman being harassed by a rather menacing-looking individual. 

The girl's attempts to escape were met with aggression, and the situation quickly escalated into a physical confrontation.

"Get away from me!" The girl cried out. 

"Get back here!" The man went to grab her. 

One brow arched high, all consideration of her surroundings and her present situation went out the window.

Gabriella may not have known what was considered normal in this world, but if this was okay then she was going to ask the System to send her elsewhere.

Her strides quickened as she approached the unfolding conflict. The dimly lit alley echoed with the distressing sounds of the altercation.

"Hey," Gabriella's commanding voice cut through the tension, drawing the attention of both the aggressor and the distressed woman. "What's going on here?" 

The man turned toward Gabriella, his face contorted with a mix of surprise and hostility.

"Mind your own business. This has nothing to do with you," he spat, dismissing her presence.

"Please," the girl pleaded, "call- call for help!" 

[Meh, I think I'm qualified.] 

Gabriella, undeterred by the man's dismissive attitude, stood her ground. Her eyes, ablaze with determination, locked onto the harasser.

"If you don't give me an explanation, I'm going to have to assume you're trying to harm an innocent person. Come on, give me something to-" 

The man pulled some sort of item out of his pants. He'd been keeping it at his back, out of Gabriella's sight. 

The item exploded. Something tiny launched out. Gabriella's reflexes being as good as they've always been, she saw the little projectile travel through the air. 

It didn't get far, however, before Gabriella decided to try out her Psychokinesis again. 

The little thing stopped in mid-air. 

"..." 

"..." 

Both the man and the woman froze. 

Gabriella grabbed it. A little piece of metal sent her way. 

[Is something as tiny as this really going to hurt anyone? Heh, a few giant meatheads have said that about me before, so... I guess now I know how they felt.] 

Gabriella's eyes fell on the man again. 

Jose Perilla

Level 2

Energy Points: 50/50

[............................ Level 2?]

Gabriella couldn't stop herself. 

She cackled. 

[LEVEL 2!?!?] 

"You insignificant fool," Gabriella laughed, shaking her head. "What are you doing?" 

Suddenly, both of them appeared to be on the same page. But of them were looking at Gabriella with abject horror. 

"Now, look, maybe-" 

The man let go of the lady, turned, and sprinted away. 

"STAY AWAY!" 

[Hm?] Gabriella tilted her head. [I... Telekinesis shouldn't be that scary, my friend. It was one of the very first things I learned during my career as a sorceress.] 

The young woman remained where she was, but took a step back. 

"P-Please," she said. "I'm not- I wasn't doing anything." 

Although that man left, she still sounded so terrified. 

Lillith Bohner

Level 1

EP: 10/10

[Uh... Well, I suppose I understand why she's frightened. Gelmora revolved around power. I'm sure the same applies to this place too.] 

"It's okay," she tried to speak with a more soothing voice. "I'm not going to-" 

She stepped closer, one hand held out to try to steady the girl. Apparently, she'd made a mistake. 

The girl fainted. 

"Huh? Uh..." She blinked. "It was... just... telekinesis." 

Sighing, Gabriella considered walking away briefly. But, after thinking about it, she decided to wait for her to wake up. 

Aside from wanting to make sure she was okay, the practical side of her was also making sure to slip it into Gabriella's mind that this was probably the best chance she was going to get to gather some information. 

So, Gabriella carefully knelt beside the unconscious girl.

A brief moment of uncertainty hung in the air as Gabriella waited for any sign of the girl regaining consciousness. The sorceress looked around, narrowing her eyes. 

[A few people were walking this road beside me. They seem to have all disappeared while I had my back turned, though.] 

A little object perched up atop a wall, some odd metallic circle aimed at her with a blinking red light, was her only other bit of company now. 

It was only now, as the girl rested against the wall, half-lying down, half-sitting, that Gabriella got a good look at her. 

This young woman Gabriella had just rescued embodied a fragile elegance that seemed out of place in the gritty surroundings of Gabriella's new home. Clad in worn-out, threadbare clothes that barely offered protection against the elements, her appearance suggested that she didn't exactly have much money, and yet she still looked decently pretty.

[Not quite as gorgeous as my lover, though,] Gabriella thought with a slightly sad smile. 

Her short, red hair, tangled and unkempt, framed a face that looked marked by an endless struggle. The smudges of dirt on her skin allowed Gabriella to guess at the harsh reality of her life. Perhaps these harsh streets were her home in a far more literal sense. 

After what felt like an eternity, the girl stirred, slowly opening her emerald, green eyes to a world that, for a moment, looked like it felt unfamiliar to her. As awareness returned, the girl's gaze met Gabriella's. Again, she seemed horrified. 

"It's alright," Gabriella told her. "You're safe now. Take your time," she urged, trying her absolute hardest to be gentle and soothing. 

The girl, Lillith, breathed in and out for a while. 

The two of them remained in silence. Gabriella took her eyes off the lady and scanned the city again. It almost felt more peaceful all of a sudden, like it was letting her have this moment. 

Finally, Lillith said: 

"You... You aren't going to kill me?" 

Gabriella was baffled. 

"Why would I want to do that?" 

"Um... I-I mean, you're an Executioner... Aren't you?" 

"In..." 

Gabriella had been about to respond with "in a sense", given that she did often routinely kill people back in Gelmora. However, it was the manner in which the girl said the word, with an air of gravity to it that Gabriella felt was unwarranted, that made the sorceress stop. 

"What exactly do you mean by that?" 

"Um, i-it's fine if you are! M-Ma'am, miss... lady." 

"My name is Gabriella, sweetheart. And, my question was literal. Literally, what do you mean?"

For the first time since they'd begun speaking like this, a new emotion appeared on Lillith's face. 

Confusion. 

It almost overpowered the fear she clearly felt. Almost.

Gabriella explained further, but she tried to choose her words carefully. 

[If I just said "I'm from a different world" she likely wouldn't believe me. I don't want to say I'm from elsewhere either. What if this world has some odd national conflict going on? I could wind up saying I'm some sort of enemy soldier. So, how about...] 

"I lost my memories," Gabriella stated. She settled on this for now. "I'm not too sure where I am or what I was doing. Everything," she continued, "and I do mean everything, looks unfamiliar to me. So, I ask again. What exactly is an 'Executioner' and why do you seem to believe that I am one?" 

Lillith just stared at her for a while. 

"You're serious?" She asked. 

"Very. I feel as though I just woke up from a dream. One in which I was living in a world that was nothing like this one. And now... Now I have no idea what to do. Or, where to go. But, this 'Executioner' allegation has caught my attention and I believe that might be a good place to start." 

Gabriella stood up. The girl flinched, perhaps a residual bit of fear from the more sizeable amount she felt just a moment ago. 

Dusting off her black robes, Gabriella said: 

"If you'd rather I go ask someone else, then, I will leave you alone. But, I would appreciate it if you didn't make me go walking around more. Will you help me?" 

As Gabriella framed it in that way, she could see Lillith's mind spinning, considering whether to do so or not. 

Eventually, she simply replied: 

"If... If that's true, then I'd love to help. But, can I go somewhere first?" 

Gabriella nodded. 

"Certainly."