Chapter 6- Where is she?
Polo stood before the wall, staring at the pried open vent. It was far too small for a man of his build to squeeze through. He didn't hesitate. Curling his fingers into a fist, He punched forward.
The wall shattered with a dull, heavy crack, plaster and bricks bursting outward. Polo stepped through the opening and jumped straight down onto the side, landing with a silent grace on the lower rooftop.
From his vantage point the rooftops cascaded out in every direction— descending like a broken staircase into the heart of the city.
“…Tch. What a mess,” he muttered.
With no clear trail to follow, Polo picked a route and began descending, roof by roof, moving fast.
At the final ledge, he didn’t slow down. He plummeted several stories, hitting the cobblestones squarely and absorbing the impact without so much as a grunt.
He straightened his tuxedo and scanned the streets.
“Now where?” he murmured.
The street below was alive— with people, vendors shouting, footsteps overlapping. It was a sea of motion. If Taya had passed through here, she would have vanished into it completely.
Polo began questioning the locals.
“Did you see a girl come down from the rooftops?”
But the moment they looked at him, fear took hold. His presence was overwhelming; his build, his cold eyes, and the faint, oppressive pressure of an Awakened made them recoil. Some stammered useless answers; others simply avoided his gaze.
Polo’s expression darkened. He checked nearby shops for any CCTV footage, but this was a low rent district. Most buildings and stores didn’t even have power backups, let alone security cameras.
It was frustrating. Cory had sent him to retrieve a girl, not to track a ghost. He didn’t even have a photo. Running her name through the census had brought up dozens of matches, but without biometric data, he was blind.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
He didn't expect such an outcome.
In the end Polo returned to the hotel reception. “I hope your cameras are functioning, young lady,” he said curtly, flashing his high-clearance ID.
“Yes, sir. Right this way,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly.
Polo scrubbed through the footage from the main entrance, and saw the time period when Cory left to when he entered. He moved the timeline back to the previous night.
There—he found it. He watched Cory carrying the girl into the hotel. Polo smirked at the sight, but the feeling faded when he realized her face was completely obscured by a cowl.
Still, he noted what he could: her estimated height, her slight build, the appearance of her cloak. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.
Back at his car, Polo opened the trunk and pressed a concealed panel. A hidden compartment slid open, revealing an arsenal of weapons radiating with power and high-end tech. He pulled out four small metallic cubes. With a tap, the cubes unfolded in his palms, shooting out four mechanical limbs.
They were drones.
He fed the AI every detail he had through his phone, it included the cctv footage, the estimated height, clothing, time window and escape direction.
The drones lifted up silently in the air and shot off in four different directions, dispersing across the city.
Only then did Polo send a message to Cory. He knew Cory was busy with an important meeting. But he had to report the development.
Seconds later, his phone vibrated.
[Cu.D#4 reporting.... Possible match detected.]
Polo froze for a moment, the possibility was all he needed.
-----
Far from the town square, Taya collapsed against a damp stone wall, huffing and panting. She had been running far too long without stopping. Her lungs burned for air, her throat was parched and her breath coming in ragged.
She was near the periphery of the city, though still within the guild's territorial guard zone.
Panic circled her mind.
Did I do the right thing?
What if they catch me?
But then a heavier question lurked.
What's next?
She had no plan. no money, and no idea how to survive. Taya closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe as seconds slipped by.
Then Suddenly, the sound of footsteps made her flinch. she tried to tuck her head between her knees, hiding her face, until a gentle voice broke the silence.
"Hey... Are you okay?"
A group of girls stood a short distance away, their arms loaded with heavy bags of vegetables and cooking supplies. They looked tired, but there expression was warm.
"Why are you sitting here all alone?" One of them asked.
"Are you lost?"
Taya raised her head, and then slowly shook her head.
"I am not lost"
"... I don't know how I ended up here...I am just thinking of a way to earn some credits..." She said after a pause.
The girls exchanged glances.
"Oh,"the first girl said, smiling brightly, stepping forward.
"In that case, you can come with us. We work at a diner nearby. We cook, we serve the food. It's not much, but it'll get you by."
Another girl chimed in, a little more cautious.
"Sometimes shady people show up– smugglers, lowlifes, the usual, but nothing serious have happened so far. It's safe enough. I said it just so you know."
The first girl tilted her head, observing Taya.
"You are not the draft age yet, are you?
Taya gulped, her heart skipping a beat. "No," she lied quickly. "No, I am not, why do you ask?
"Well, we're actually excited to join the military," the girl said, her eyes gleaming.
It’s our only chance to leave the orphanage and finally start our own lives." She grinned. "I’ll turn seventeen right when the draft starts. Best birthday present ever, don't you think?"
She shifted the weight of her bags."By the way, I'm Lucy. That's Lisa, Lori and Amy. They've still got a few years left, so I’ll be the first to say goodbye to them."
Lucy looked back at Taya , her smile welcoming. "What’s your name?"
"It’s... Taya," she replied softly.
"Taya. That’s a beautiful name."
Lucy gestured toward the street. "So, Taya, do you want to come with us?"
Taya hesitated for only a second. A faint, bittersweet smile touched her lips.
"...Yeah. I’d like that."
