The night had waned past midnight, and now the sounds of early birdsong filled the air. The streets of Apocrypha City were still save for the wind rippling over the puddles left by the rains of the night before. All was quiet, all except the Varseir Club. Green and yellow etherlamps lit the entrance to a lavish stone building, a hall noticeably bigger than the surrounding structures. Unlike the rest of the sleeping city, men filled the space, seated at the tables inside. At a glance, it would appear that, for the Varseir Club, the day continued and the night had never come. Within the walls of the vast halls, exotic dancers attended to their male clients while men in suits served extravagant foods from all across the Nameless World.

Sergei Varseir stood atop the balcony overlooking the stage, his blue eyes watching the women below. It brought a smile to his face. This was his den. He was a lion, and they were his lionesses. He picked up his fork and speared the escargot on his plate, moving it to his mouth, careful not to drip the garlic sauce upon his thick robe of slick fur and red velvet.

Yes. This was his castle. Here, he was king.

But, recently, his mind had drifted to other things. A strange wind had blown through the Outskirts. He was human, and so he was thankful that he lived in the Outskirts. But, of course, he also assumed that everyone in Apocrypha City would feel the same. Out here, they were safe from the horrors of the Angelic country, the land beyond the sea known only to others with a shiver and whisper.

The land of Heaven, where the Morning Star Kingdom reigned.

But now, an interesting inquiry had fallen into his hands. One that might make him rich—or richer than he was now—and he wouldn’t mind that. A strange inquiry indeed. Three days ago, an order came from the Adonai, the leader of the Outskirts, in the form of a bounty. Supposedly, the government was looking for what they called an “oddly powered person.”

Of course, Sergei Varseir didn’t know anyone with “odd powers” or anything like that, but as far as his concern went, he didn’t have to. If it meant reward money, he could just give the Adonai what he wanted and play dumb later. A wry smile crossed his face. It would be rather easy, and the government would be none the wiser.

“Hendrik.” Sergei clapped his hands, his lavish rings dinging as they collided.

A man in a suit hurried over to his master’s beckon. “Yes, milord!”

“You must be tired, good Hendrik,” Sergei’s voice was smooth and slow. “Sit. I wish to bend your ear.”

The other did as he was told and sat across from his boss.

“Now, good Hendrik. An official bounty has been issued for all of the Outskirts. And a hefty one at that.”

“Yes, sir. It has.”

Sergei stood, his expensive robe glistening under the dim lights of the club, and walked to the railing of the balcony. He looked down, watching each of his girls do their jobs. His eyes wandered to Astrid, watching her as she danced on the stage. He smiled as he watched her work for him.

“The bounty is rather general, but the reward is high. The Adonai is looking for someone with ‘strange powers.’” He paused. “A stupid quest if I’ve ever heard one, but I think we might make it work.” He turned to his assistant. “Tell me, which one of my little kittens do you think might fit that bill?”

“Someone with strange powers?” the other said as he rubbed his chin. “I don’t know sir, I—”

“Think well, good Hendrik. Someone strange, strange enough to pass as supernatural.”

The other’s eyes opened wide, followed shortly by laughter. “You mean her! You mean...”

“Yes, good Hendrik,” Sergei nodded. “Let us sell our dear Astrid, shall we?”

The morning sun greeted the city streets with clean light, a welcome sight after a week of rain. Astrid wandered the roads, her eyes darting back and forth from Philos’ business card to the signs on the street.

“Okay, Apocrypha Avenue...” she whispered to herself as she turned onto the street.

The pavement was gray, which starkly contrasted from the browns and yellows of the cobblestone that made up the buildings that rose above the roads. Astrid kept her hood on and her head down, just to keep away any unwanted trouble. It didn’t bother her anymore, given that the only time anyone wanted to see her was when she gave them dances back at the club. And even then, she usually wore her blue contacts. She was accustomed to the fear people felt about her freakish eyes; she was accustomed to the hate of being different. Who knows, maybe they were right. Maybe she was cursed, a cosmic joke.

Her mind drifted to the day before, particularly to the mysterious young man, Philos. He was odd, that was for sure, but she couldn’t tell if he was guileless or simply an idiot. She shrugged. Honestly, she didn’t mind putting up with his stupidity as long as it meant that she could eat a meal in peace.

No money though...the thought shot through her mind. She sighed. I guess I could wash the dishes...?

As her eyes wandered, she noticed something strange. She blinked and shook her head, but it was still there.

It was then that she noticed a small, white alley cat seemed to be walking beside her, its eyes fixed forward, almost as if it were keeping her...company?

No. She laughed at the thought. Why would a cat be following me?

But there it was, walking directly beside her. She stopped. It halted as well, turning its eyes to her.

“H-hey kitty?” she said as she bent down to pet it.

Suddenly, it leapt forward. Astrid shrieked as she fell backward, her eyes focused on the feline.

“Wait!” she said as she noticed the business card in its mouth. “Hey, kitty! That’s mine!”

As quickly as she could, she swiped for the card. But the cat was faster and bolted.

“Come back, kitty!” she gasped as she sprinted, trying her best to keep up with the little creature. “I need that!”

The small cat weaved swiftly through the crowd; Astrid did her best to keep up, when suddenly it stopped at a large square building on the corner.

“Kitty...” she doubled over, grasping for breath. “I need...to find...the coffee...shop...”

The cat approached her, rubbed against her and placed the card at her feet. Astrid reached down to pick it up when she noticed white writing on the glass door of the building.

It read “Burns’ Coffeehouse.”