DY GRIMONY's POV
"Curfew?" A real piece of gossip spreading throughout every corner of the Citadel.
Scary.
Disturbing.
Hair-raising.
The reason for the curfew is the increasing number of missing people in Calm.
Curfew. Cult. Villains. Kidnappers. These are the buzzwords people in Riverside keep repeating.
Everyone's hoping the perpetrators are caught and the victims return home safe. Fear grows as people keep talking about it.
Lots of what ifs. Tons of criticism against the government and the Pro-Heroes. People are asking why it's taking so long to catch the suspects. Everyone's on edge. They're afraid.
"There's probably nothing to worry about for you guys, right?" Seth tried to reassured us and himself.
We were by the river, literally at the riverbank, hanging out and catching some air while sipping coffee. It's Sunday, so we were enjoying the fresh breeze. The river view was beautiful—so refreshing and calming.
The river's a popular hangout spot here; it's where young people often go to play, swim, or relax. Our river is clean unlike the one in Roots.
"I heard the exskills of the missing people are fire/heat-based. You two better be careful," Azure warned us.
"Huh?! Why do they need to be careful? Their exskills are light-based, Azure," Seth corrected.
"Did you forget? Their exskill type aren't just light—they've got heat, too!" Azure reminded Seth with an eye roll. I could hear a bit of worry in her voice.
Worry etched across Seth's handsome face as he realized how we had warmed up his cold coffee earlier.
"Do you think the kidnappers are aware of the exskills of the people they're abducting?" Maye asked worried.
"I just hope not." Sol, my twin brother, replied as he shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.
"Starting ten o'clock curfew begins. Guards and police will roam. The Citadel's Fae asked help from the Crown-Imperial too," Azure announced. In fairness… Azure is quick to get news.
"Your gossip skills are on another level, Azure!" Seth exclaimed.
Azure shot him a look. "Sometimes I wonder why I even like you."
Whoa?! A direct confession?!
Seth suddenly paused, "L-like?"
"Yup! Like, I want to squash you!" Azure exclaimed.
I thought it was the moment of truth but as always… she follows it up with a joke.
Seth flashed a genuinely amused smile. "You? Squash me? If that's your plan, you better drink more milk and maybe take some vitamins to grow a bit taller."
Boom! I burst out laughing.
"Shut up! If I can't squash you, then I'll just turn you into a rock!" Azure threatened. "You wanna fight?"
"Fight! Fight! or take back! take back~" Sol sang.
"You might lose your life, Sol. Just shut up already," I scolded my brother. Sol gave me a poker-faced look and rolled his eyes.
Maye must've sensed the tension, so she jumped in to save the mood. "Guys, let's cool it down. The only thing that should be hot is the coffee."
I nod as I grabbed my coffee cup and took a sip. It was delicious—even if it had ants in it. A true smile traced my lips as I tasted my favorite anxiety-buster. "Mmm~ I can still taste the coffee… even if it's a bit sour."
"So? There's a curfew? What about the game?" Sol shifted the topic.
"Oh, yeah, what about it? The signal in our houses is weak! It's promo dias right now." Seth excitedly chimed with a bit of frustration.
"Promo dias?" Maye asked, clueless.
Azure rolled her eyes. "Maye, are you from Neptune? You're so clueless about what's going on around you."
Sol clicked his tongue, "We can just play brawl mode. Even if the signal's weak, as long as we finish the task for promo dias."
Azure eyed Sol with a bit of annoyance and confusion. "Wow. I really admire these players—despite the tension, they still find time to play."
Seth took out his cellphone and open the game app, "Well, since we're already here… one game?"
That one game became ten games. We were on such a losing streak that we lost track of time.
Suddenly, two Regalias arrived. We immediately ran and hid. Someone nearly lost a slipper, and someone almost fell into a canal. We took cover in a hidden spot behind a giant wall.
"Sol, Dy, squat lower or you'll be seen." Azure warned us.
Me and Sol glowed in the dark.
I know, it's a bit weird. Good thing the glow wasn't too bright, but it still attracted bugs. So, we sprayed ourselves with organic repellent to keep insects and mosquitoes away.
"There's a whisper in the wind…" the voice shifted from curiosity to… "someone's hiding," disappointment.
We almost stopped breathing.
What the heck?! The wind can talk?!
"What now? I don't want to engage in combat right now!" one of them, a female voice, exclaimed.
From their voices, one was male, one was female.
"Show what's hidden!" The male voice ordered.
Seconds later, the wind literally pushed us out of our hiding spot.
What the heck?! The wind has hands now too?!
It was dark, except for the faint glow coming from my brother and I. The Regalia pulled out a lamp and shined it on us. We heard them sigh.
"What time is it? Aren't you aware of the curfew?" the woman holding the lamp asked, irritation can be heard in her tone.
"Teenagers," the other male said.
We did a double take. They were so handsome and beautiful, and their Regalia uniforms looked so elegant. All black!
There are lots of Regalias in Moss, but these two just hit different! When they wear the uniform you'd really go wow!
Good thing these two were pretty chill otherwise we'd be punished already. We just got a first warning. They said we're allowed up to three warnings, but if it happens again, we'll really be penalized.
We quickly said goodbye to them. We didn't tell our neighbors or our parents what happened. I know the people in the Riverside, if they find out... we'd be the next hot gossip.
If those two Regalias are patrolling Riverside Green Ville that's kind of reassuring. Maybe...
To be continued...