Kana walked through the busy streets, her steps slow and deliberate as she glanced around, taking in the unsettling sight that had taken over the town.

What had happened at Penelope's shop wasn't an isolated incident.

Everywhere she looked, similar destruction stretched across the district — shattered windows, cracked wooden doors, broken signs dangling loosely from their hinges.

People were gathered in small groups, whispering in hushed tones, confusion and frustration thick in the air.

Some were openly grieving the damage to their businesses, while others argued loudly about what might have caused all this.

The deeper Kana walked, the more chaotic it became.

Shopkeepers stood outside their ruined stores, clutching their heads or shouting angrily at security officers who were struggling to manage the growing crowd. Crates lay overturned on the streets, splintered wood littering the pathways. Several wagons had been smashed, their wheels lying bent and broken.

Even the air felt heavier here, as though the destruction carried a presence of its own.

Kana's brows furrowed as she moved past a bakery where the glass windows had been shattered.

This wasn't just random vandalism.

As she weaved through the crowd, Kana kept her hood slightly lowered to avoid drawing attention to herself.

People were panicking, and the last thing she wanted was to get dragged into unnecessary questions about the incident at Penelope's or her whereabouts.

But just as she was about to slip past another group of gathered civilians, she felt it.

A sudden presence behind her — and then, fingers brushing against her arm.

Instinct kicked in before thought.

Kana grabbed the wrist, twisting sharply, and in a fluid motion, she pinned the person to the ground.

The man let out a startled yelp, struggling beneath her grip, but Kana held him firmly, her gaze cold and steady.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kana said flatly, her voice low but edged with warning.

"I—wait! Stop! I'm not— I'm not suspicious! I'm with the security forces! I was just trying to stop you for questioning!

The man wheezed, grimacing at the pressure on his arm.

Kana's eyes narrowed, but her attention dropped briefly to the insignia on his uniform sleeve — a dark emblem etched with the distinct spiral crest of the town security force.

Tch.

She released him immediately, stepping back.

The man scrambled to his feet, brushing the dust off his trousers before coughing awkwardly into his fist, trying to regain some composure.

"You're… stronger than you look."

He muttered, his tone carrying an odd mix of embarrassment and admiration. Then, more formally, he straightened his posture and gave Kana a sincere look.

"Miss, I need to ask you a few questions. Standard procedure."

Kana crossed her arms, her expression wary.

"And those are?"

"First, where are you headed right now, and where are you coming from?"

The man began.

Kana stared at him for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"Listen…I'm not the one who did all this."

She said flatly.

The officer raised both hands defensively, shaking his head quickly.

"I'm not accusing you of anything, miss! This is just protocol — we're required to ask anyone passing through."

Kana studied his face for a moment, and though his expression was genuinely earnest, there was something off about the way his eyes lingered on her — too long, too intently.

She frowned slightly.

Ah.

It clicked. Her passive charm effect again. This officer was clearly under its influence.

Kana inwardly groaned, deciding to keep that little detail to herself. The last thing she needed was to explain why some security guard suddenly found himself overly fixated on her.

"Fine. I'll comply."

She said finally, her tone neutral.

At that, the officer's face lit up slightly, his lips twitching into a smile he tried to suppress but failed.

"Thank you, miss. I promise this won't take long."

He reached out again, as if intending to gently guide her aside for questioning — but before his hand could even graze her sleeve, a cold voice cut through the tension.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?"

The officer froze.

Kana blinked and turned, recognizing the voice instantly.

Standing just behind the man, her arms folded loosely and her gaze sharp enough to cut steel, was Lysera.

Her expression was unreadable, but her presence was enough to shift the atmosphere entirely.

The officer stiffened, visibly paling as he turned his head slowly, his jaw tightening when his eyes met hers.

"I—I wasn't doing anything improper. I only wanted to ask a few questions for security protocol."

He stammered, his earlier confidence evaporating instantly. Lysera's gaze didn't soften.

If anything, it grew colder.

"And does protocol require you to place your hands on civilians without consent?"

The man swallowed hard, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

"N-no, of course not! I… I must have overstepped. My apologies!"

He quickly took a step back, his posture straightening as though standing before a superior officer.

Kana raised an eyebrow, silently watching the exchange.

The officer looked between the two of them, his lips parting as though to say something more, but then he thought better of it.

"I—uh… I just remembered, I'm needed elsewhere! Important security matters! You two… have a good day!"

He blurted out, spinning on his heel. And just like that, he bolted into the crowd, disappearing faster than Kana thought possible for someone in uniform.

For a moment, there was silence.

Kana exhaled softly and glanced at Lysera.

"You didn't have to scare him off like that."

Lysera's expression finally softened, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She shook her head, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear before speaking in a calmer tone.

"Don't take them too seriously. Most of the security officers here are new. They're undertrained, easily startled, and half of them don't know proper procedure yet. It's better not to engage them more than necessary."

She said, almost sounding tired.

Kana hummed thoughtfully, her gaze drifting toward the distant security checkpoints where other officers were questioning civilians.

"If they're this unprepared, then they're not going to handle this chaos very well."

She murmured.

Lysera's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't answer.

The town was in disarray. Shops destroyed, supplies lost, tempers rising — and now even the security force seemed inexperienced and overwhelmed.

Kana wasn't sure what worried her more: the damage she could see… or the cause she couldn't.

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