Airi’s shriek echoed through the stairwell. “Put me down!” she demanded, thrashing in the arm of the masked boy who carried her effortlessly up the steps.

  “No,” he replied curtly, his voice as cold and unyielding as stone.

  The scene shifted abruptly as they emerged into a brightly lit chamber. Despite his right arm dangling limply, nearly severed from his shoulder by Michelle’s final attack, the boy showed no sign of pain or struggle. He simply adjusted her on his left shoulder, ignoring her frantic resistance.

  “Who are you!?” Airi screamed, pounding futilely against his back.

  “Nobody,” came the boy’s flat response.

  Unfazed by her protests, he strode into a vast lobby adorned with intricate purple designs that gave the space an almost regal atmosphere.

  “Where are we?” Airi demanded, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and frustration.

  “Irrelevant.” he replied

  “For heaven’s sake, can you say more than one word!?” she snapped.

  “Yes.” His tone remained maddeningly monotone. Without another word, he dropped her unceremoniously in front of a sleek desk where a young man with messy green hair sat, engrossed in tapping at a glowing glass device.

  “Hold on, almost done,” the green-haired boy muttered, ignoring both Airi and the masked boy. His fingers danced over the screen, his eyes wide with concentration. Then, with a triumphant cry, he exclaimed, “Yes!” and spun around.

  “Kaelum, you’re back! Did you get the—” His words froze mid-sentence as his gaze fell on Kaelum’s nearly severed arm and then on Airi. “Oh… Oh my god.”

  Kaelum remained stoic. He reached for the crown perched atop Airi’s head and tossed it to the green-haired boy. “Mission complete,” he stated and began walking away.

  “Mission complete?!” the green-haired boy sputtered, staring incredulously at him. “What the hell is this!? You were supposed to bring back the crown, not... her!”

  “She grabbed me before I could take it,” Kaelum replied flatly.

  “So you took her!?”

  “What is going on!?” Airi interjected, her voice rising with frustration.

  The green-haired boy, still flustered, turned to her. “R-right, it’s going to be okay, Princess. We’ll take you back to your vault.”

  “My vault?” she echoed, her confusion deepening.

  “She can null triggers,” Kaelum added in his deadpan manner. “They’ll execute her.”

  The boy’s jaw dropped.

  “What’s a trigger?” Airi asked, her panic bubbling over.

  “Sorry, Princess,” the green-haired boy replied hurriedly. “We’ll explain everything later.”

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  “Let Alexei do it,” Kaelum said as he exited the room. “I’ll be in the med bay.”

  “I am so sorry he’s like this,” the green-haired boy muttered, leaping over the desk and offering Airi a hand. “I’m Reid, by the way. Let me take you to our boss, Alexei. He’ll know what to do.”

  Reid led Airi through a maze of pristine white corridors, the sleek, futuristic design utterly alien to her. Finally, they stopped in front of a small door marked with a golden star.

  “Alexei, we have a problem!” Reid called out as he ushered Airi inside.

  Behind a polished desk sat a man with flowing pink hair and piercing pink eyes, scribbling in a notepad. “Can it wai-?” His expression of mild irritation melted away the moment he saw Airi. “Oh my God…” he murmured, standing up slowly.

  “I know, right?” Reid blurted. “Kaelum said she can null triggers.”

  Alexei’s shock transformed into keen interest, a sly smile curling at his lips. “Can she now? Thank you, Reid. Leave us.”

  “Yes, sir.” With a quick nod, Reid stepped out, leaving Airi alone with Alexei.

  “You must be exhausted. Please, sit,” Alexei said, gesturing to a chair.

  Airi hesitated but ultimately sank into the seat, her body succumbing to the plush comfort as the tension and exhaustion of the day overwhelmed her.

  “Where am I? What’s going on?” she asked, her voice weary.

  “I’m Captain Alexei Rosewall. First, let me apologize for my subordinate’s... overzealous actions. I ordered him to retrieve your crown, not to kidnap you.” Alexei’s tone was calm, almost soothing. “Tell me, Princess, what do you know about vaults and triggers?”

  “Nothing,” Airi admitted. “I’m confused and scared.”

  “That’s understandable.” Alexei stood and gestured toward a large window behind his desk. “Come, look.”

  Airi rose cautiously and peered outside. Her breath caught as she beheld an ocean of clouds, with enormous bubbles of varying sizes floating in the sky like celestial ornaments.

  “We’re… flying?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

  “Indeed. This is the Drasilphere, and you’re aboard a flying vessel known as the Fenris. Those bubbles are worlds, called vaults. Your home is one of them.” He pointed to a crimson sphere marked with the royal insignia. “That’s your vault.”

  Airi stared, her mind racing. “Why did you take my crown? Why did you take me?”

  “We’re vault divers known as the rose corp,” Alexei explained. “We enter vaults to retrieve powerful artifacts known as relics. Your crown is a relic. And, as it turns out, so are you.”

  “What!?” Airi turned to face him, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief. “I’m a relic?”

  “Yes,” Alexei replied evenly. “Royals who can null triggers are extremely rare, and their ability is… invaluable.”

  “What are triggers?” she asked, clinging to any shred of clarity.

  “Triggers are supernatural abilities,” Alexei explained. “Relics can enhance them—or grant new ones.”

  Airi took a step back, the weight of this new reality pressing down on her. “If I’m a relic… what happens to me now?”

  Alexei leaned against his desk, his tone casual but firm. “I’m not in the business of blending up humans, Princess. So you have two options. We can let you go—though, as a valuable relic you’ll be marked and hunted. Or… you can work for me. We’ll provide protection, food, and shelter.”

  “You… want me to work for you?” Airi’s head spun at the absurdity of it.

  “Correct. Your ability to null triggers makes you uniquely suited to be a vault diver,” Alexei replied with a small smile.

  “I… I…” Airi stammered, overwhelmed.

  “You need time to process. Khu!” Alexei called. A woman with sharp glasses and a composed demeanor entered the room.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Show our guest to the finest available room.”

  Khu’s calm fa?ade cracked as she noticed Airi. “Oh my God…”

  “You can be surprised on the way there,” Alexei said dryly.

  “Yes, sir.” Khu gestured for Airi to follow, leading her through the pristine halls until they reached a spacious dorm. Though not as extravagant as her castle chambers, the room’s king-sized bed and cozy atmosphere felt like a haven.

  Airi collapsed face-first onto the bed, her body sinking into the soft mattress as sleep claimed her almost instantly.