CHAPTER 32: CH 32: UNDER ARREST - PART 3

Kana glanced up.

"A what? And I am a human for sure...I think."

"Strength, resilience, magical aptitude. Anything that could explain why your body reacts the way it does."

Kana shook her head.

"No. I’ve never done anything like that."

"I thought as much. You’ll need to go through one. There’s protocol in place for cases like this."

Delran made a note in the book.

Kana didn’t respond. Her eyes flicked to the side.

"Do I really have to?"

"Yes. And I’m not saying this to threaten you. I’m saying it because you just carried an unconscious officer into this building like it was nothing. That’s not normal."

Delran said.

Kana flinched slightly at the word.

Delran softened, just a little.

"Look. I don’t think you’re dangerous by nature. But people will think so, if we don’t get ahead of this. So let’s make sure we understand what we’re dealing with, before rumors start spreading."

Kana let the silence sit for a moment. Then she nodded.

"Okay."

"Good. For now, you’re free to return home. But you’ll receive a summons in the next day or two for evaluation. Don’t ignore it."

Delran stood.

Kana got to her feet. Her legs felt heavier than before.

Delran opened the door.

"We’ll walk you back. Just in case."

As they stepped out into the main hall again, the chatter quieted. All eyes shifted toward Kana.

Delran raised a brow at the onlookers.

"Back to work."

The officers turned back to their stations.

Kana exhaled slowly and followed Delran outside, her thoughts spinning in quiet circles.

Kana stepped out of the station with her head low, the weight of everything pressing down on her shoulders.

She hadn’t gotten far when the front doors swung open behind her, and the sharp click of boots echoed across the steps.

Lysera emerged.

Even at a glance, Kana could tell something was wrong. Lysera’s coat was unbuttoned, her braid slightly undone, strands of hair falling across her face. Her usual calm was replaced by a cold tension, and her eyes—usually unreadable—were sharp and dark.

She paused as she spotted Kana.

Her expression worsened instantly.

"Kana."

She said flatly.

Kana stiffened.

"I didn’t mean to cause trouble..."

Lysera’s eyes narrowed. Her jaw clenched, and for a moment, it looked like she was holding back something bitter.

"Trouble seems to find you anyway."

She muttered.

Kana flinched but didn’t respond. She didn’t know what she could say that wouldn’t make things worse.

There was a long pause between them—one filled with a thick, unspoken tension. Kana looked away first.

"So, are you going to explain to me what you are doing here? Or will I have to guess?"

Lysera asked with a sour face. She looked unhappy and hurt as well.

Kana swallowed as Lysera’s words settled heavily in the air.

"So, are you going to explain to me what you are doing here? Or will I have to guess?"

Her voice was calm, but her expression was anything but. There was hurt beneath the scowl—disappointment layered under the anger.

Kana quickly realized that if she didn’t steer the conversation away, things would get worse. Much worse.

"I... I didn’t really have a choice,"

Kana said, hands lifting defensively.

"I was at home, just resting like you two told me to. Then this officer shows up. He had a warrant, said I needed to come in for questioning about yesterday’s events. I didn’t know what to do, so I panicked. I asked him to keep his distance, but he wouldn’t. I—I ended up knocking him out by accident."

Lysera blinked slowly, her brows furrowing deeper.

"I swear, I didn’t mean to hit him that hard. I didn’t even think it would do anything! But when I realized he wasn’t waking up, I thought—I should bring him here! So I carried him the whole way, and then..."

Kana trailed off.

"And then things just kind of... happened."

For a moment, Lysera didn’t say anything. Her jaw worked slightly, her arms crossed tight over her chest as she processed the rushed explanation. Her eyes softened, just barely.

"Stop. You’ll give yourself a heart attack if you keep talking like that."

She muttered finally.

Kana blinked in surprise.

Lysera exhaled and turned her gaze away.

"I should still be furious. But right now, I’m not as mad as I should be. Not after seeing that look on your face."

Kana let out a slow, relieved breath. She hadn’t realized how tight her chest had felt until now.

"So... you’re not going to yell at me?"

Lysera shot her a sideways glance.

"Don’t tempt me."

An awkward silence followed them as they stood just outside the station. Neither of them moved. Kana shifted from foot to foot, unsure what to say next. Lysera seemed equally unwilling to address the growing tangle of thoughts on her face.

Finally, Lysera gestured.

"Come on. Let’s go home before anything else—"

But just then, the station door creaked open behind them.

Both Kana and Lysera turned as Sergeant Delran stepped into view. She spotted them instantly.

Lysera’s body tensed, and without thinking, she moved between Kana and the sergeant. It was a small, sharp motion—protective and practiced. Her coat shifted in the breeze as she squared her shoulders.

"Sergeant...What do you want?"

She said coldly.

Delran’s gaze flicked to Kana, then back to Lysera. There was an amused glint in her eye.

"Ah, perfect timing. I was hoping I’d run into you both."

Kana peeked over Lysera’s shoulder, uneasy.

Delran continued.

"A request just came through. A situation not far from here. Nothing major—yet. But I thought Miss Kana might be willing to lend a hand."

"No. She’s not available. Don’t get any ideas."

Lysera said without hesitation. Her voice was firm, final.

Delran raised her eyebrows.

"That’s a shame. Still, you’re military. And as long as you’re wearing that uniform, your obligations come with it."

She glanced again at Kana, then back to Lysera.

Lysera’s eyes narrowed.

"Don’t pull rank on me, Delran."

Delran’s smile widened, but it was anything but warm.

"It’s not personal, Lieutenant. Orders are orders. And if you check your comms, you’ll see the request came with the seal. This isn’t me giving you a favor to refuse. This is an assignment."

Lysera clenched her jaw, lips pressed into a tight line. Her hand twitched, like she was considering reaching for her communicator, but didn’t want to confirm Delran’s words.

Kana stayed quiet, watching the tension crackle between them like fire on dry wood.

"And as for Kana...her involvement is technically voluntary... but we both know the higher-ups are interested. Very interested. It’s better if she comes willingly, don’t you think?

Delran added smoothly,

That made Lysera take a step forward, standing even taller between Kana and the sergeant.

"She’s not a weapon for the military to toy with."

"She’s not a civilian either. Not after the kind of powers she showed."

Delran said, her tone never once losing its calm.

Kana flinched at that.

"Let me be clear. I’m not threatening her. But if she cooperates, things will go smoother. For everyone."

Delran said.

Lysera didn’t move. Her posture remained tense, her presence like a wall between Delran and Kana.

For a long, heavy moment, nothing happened. The breeze ruffled the edge of Kana’s shirt. Somewhere in the distance, an engine hummed and faded.

Finally, Lysera spoke.

"She’s coming home first. You want her help? Fine. But she’s not doing anything until I’ve had a full report and she’s had a proper meal and sleep. You got that?"

Delran’s smile didn’t budge.

"Of course. Take your time."

With that, she turned and walked back toward the station.

Only after the doors shut again did Lysera relax.

Kana touched her arm gently.

"Lysera... I’m sorry."

Lysera looked over her shoulder, tired but still guarded.

"Don’t apologize. Just... stop doing things that make me think I’ll lose you."

Kana didn’t respond. She just followed silently as Lysera led her home.