It was drizzling at the Palace. Temperature had dropped to 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and clouds had completely engulfed the sun. Leaves hung motionless as the tiny rain droplets caressed them making a noise, as quiet as the creep of time itself. The scent of rain was in the air and the sound in the ears as the Zeta Squad prepared for their next mission. A circle was drawn using sand, eight feet in diameter, and everyone stood inside about to teleport away.

TILEMETAFORÁ-PORFARA-PETRICHORA – the enchantment of teleportation commonly used by disciples of the Eye’s Ki Manipulation traditions, was first devised by ancient Greek Seekers. Among their many arcane travel methods, this was one of the more economical, particularly suited for small groups, as it required only a modest amount of Ki. As masters of Martial Arts came to understand over time, Ki was the pulse of life – flowing through all things that lived, breathed, and grew. It pulsated within the souls of humans and animals, through the roots of trees, through the winds in the sky and the shifting ground beneath. Where there was life, or even the potential for it, Ki flowed.

The spell worked by linking the user to the natural Ki in the elements around them. First, sand would be sprinkled around the group to form a circle. The primary caster would stand at the edge, one foot touching the sand particles, creating a direct connection to the Ki within each tiny speck.

From there, a link would extend to the Ki in the surrounding air, forming what was known as a Ki bubble – a contained pocket of energy ready to be displaced. This bubble could then be relocated by connecting to atmospheric Ki elsewhere, teleporting everyone inside it in the blink of an eye.

Visualization was critical. Martial Artists often travelled widely to build mental libraries of remote and safe locations in cities across the world. These internal maps helped them guide their Ki bubbles closer to intended destinations with precision.

Once the bubble was stabilized, the destination visualized, and the link established, the caster would channel a small amount of Ki – often released by slamming a fist into the ground while chanting the spell. This burst displaced an equal amount of Ki at the target location, creating a temporary imbalance. In that instant, the caster and the bubble were pulled toward equilibrium – and ZAP – the group vanished from one place and reappeared in another, as the displaced Ki rebalanced itself with the arriving mass.

With closed eyes, Hugo whispered, “Petrichor,” as he sniffed the sweet scent.

All six members of the Zeta Squad along with their prisoner escort were in position.

“Ready?” the captain asked, and they nodded. Using the same Greek spell, he teleported them away to their destination – Lahbab, a village in the Emirate of Dubai, about 50 km south of Dubai city.

Much harsher conditions welcomed them in the desert. Clear skies, temperature soaring at 40 degrees Celsius, and a humid and sweltering feel – they needed a change of attire.

Ella opened up her Umro bag – an ingenious little charmed pouch created by the Seekers of Persia which could even hold an entire closet but still feel light as a handbag and look just as small. She pulled out some robes saying, “Plenty for everyone.”

The team took off their signature uppers and heavy inners and put on the robes.

“Cover your heads, guys,” said Hugo. “The sun will fry you otherwise.”

They had to travel to the big city and needed a disguise to blend in, and robes, the local common wear, was perfect for blending in while hiding their peculiar martial art clothing.

The men wore white kanduras and traditional keffiyeh headscarves, while the women slipped into black abayas and niqabs, leaving only their eyes exposed. It was the perfect cover – respectful, concealing, and unremarkable amidst the region’s desert communities.

They flagged down a shared transport van operated by local labourers heading toward the outskirts of Dubai. From there, they switched to a city bus, blending in among migrant workers and day travellers. By dusk, the group had arrived in Mirdif — a quiet residential district in eastern Dubai. The Keeper’s Post, a discreet villa tucked between high walls and tall palms, awaited them there.

Much to their astonishment, when they arrived, they found the villa mostly intact. Only the garage and a room above it on the first floor were burnt.

‘Not only did they attack and abduct a Keeper without alerting anyone,’ Hugo thought, ‘They even covered their tracks.’

Unleashing a camouflaging scent, the captain ushered his team to move in. The girls climbed in through one of the windows in the back on the first floor, while the boys came in through the kitchen door on the opposite side of the garage. After analysing the media van outside and knocking out its driver and his technician partner, Hugo moved in along with Vincent.

There were two police officers inside. One reporter with a cameraman was shooting on the scene for a local news channel.

Arabic – a widely spoken and culturally and spiritually rich language, was learned and taught at the many academies of Ayn along with several other languages. Therefore, none of the members of the Zeta Squad had any trouble understanding what the news reporter was saying.

The local authorities had been trying to get a hold of the owner of the house but were unable to find them. According to the neighbours, a fire had erupted in the house early in the morning. The family was up early and noticed smoke coming from the garage. The residents of the place were seldom home and when they were, it was usually for a party or a large gathering. So, the smoke was not alarming. It was not until flames became visible that they called it in. But by the time the fire fighters arrived, the entire garage, and the room above it, had already burned.

The Zeta Squad moved cautiously. Ella quietly crept up close and stood pressed up against a wall. On the other side was one of the policemen. Upon Hugo’s nod, she released a tiny energy surge to disrupt the Ki flow in and around the brain of the young man disturbing his entire cognitive system. The following whispering request, he could not deny and walked straight out of the house. Gina did the same with the other one and soon, the two lawmen sat in their car, and left.

Once the camera stopped rolling, the girls moved in on the news team and gently put them to sleep.

Satisfied they were now alone, the group shed their head and face coverings, allowing their features to breathe after the stifling heat. Vincent, however, went further and removed the entire robe to reveal a sweat-soaked vest and trousers.

The group made their way into the burnt section of the house.

“Look around, guys,” said Hugo as he moved deeper into the area. “And watch your step. The place is literally falling apart.”

“What exactly are we looking for?” Marcus asked, looking at the captain.

“Anything that gives a residual Ki signature that is both blue and green simultaneously.”

Marcus turned around and asked, “What, sorry?”

Hugo glanced at him then looked back ahead. “Who’s gonna tell me the difference between blue and green Ki?” he asked, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Oh, that one’s easy,” Camille said with a smile. “Ki, or technically speaking – Light Ki, is found to be of 2 distinct kinds: Blue Ki, which pulses within beings with souls like us or the animals, and Green Ki, which exists in nature – the soil, the trees, the air we breathe.”

“Right you are, Cami.”

Marcus, giggling, said, “Someone crammed the chapter on Ki last night…”

The group kept looking through the garage but could not find anything useful. Ella and Neil jumped up onto the first floor. The room there was also similarly burnt. Smoke was still rising from some of the debris.

“This place is giving me the creeps,” said Ella, hugging herself. “It feels like I’m being watched…”

Neil looked at her with a smile and shook his head. “You're a Mystic, for goodness sake,” he said. “Stop acting terrified so much.” 

“Yeah, but still… it feels like there is a lingering presence here. Almost like a soul within the structure itself.”

With a shake of the head, the junior Zaatsu said, “You’re being paranoid.”

Downstairs, Camille, Gina, and Marcus had all but given up. They were unable to find what Hugo was looking for. Marcus was standing arms akimbo. He was unable to come to terms with two different natures of Ki coexisting and eventually asked Hugo about it. “But isn’t that impossible, Master Baylis?” he asked.

“What is?” Hugo reciprocated.

“How could two different natures of Ki coexist, man?”

“These people are one with nature,” the captain explained as he turned to look at the young man. “The Keepers are indeed peculiar beings. Just keep looking. There has to be something here.”

Camille walked a bit closer to him and said, “Bro, we’ve looked all around the place. There’s nothing here except for the burnt debris. We can barely sense any Ki. Everything’s dead.”

“Hmm… I expected at least one of you to pick it up…”

Hugo called Neil and Ella down then slowly moved out of the burnt region of the house. Ella rushed ahead and caught up with him. “Master,” she said. “Do you feel anything... odd or... maybe suspicious?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Like... I don't know... I feel like someone’s watching me... like someone’s here.”

The Zaatsu immediately stopped and pointed at her. “There we go!” he said with a smile. “You felt it!”

“What?”

He began checking all the other rooms of the house one by one, eventually making his way upstairs. The oblivious squad slowly but surely kept following him along.

Eventually, he stopped on the gallery overlooking the lounge. After removing a necklace he was wearing, he stopped and looked around at his team. Ella and Gina were with him, Marcus and Camille were looking through the shelves in the lounge with Vincent hanging behind them, while Neil was in the Kitchen.

“Everyone,” Hugo called. The people downstairs gathered in the lounge. “Just stay here but away from the centre,” he said. Everyone walked to the edges of the room. With the necklace in hand, the captain raised his right arm up above his head. With his head bowed and eyes closed, he quietly said, “Keeper Evengis, reveal thy abode…”

The gang gawked, stunned at what followed. The entire house began evaporating in light smoke and, from underneath, an eerie picture revealed itself. The rooms changed colour, the furniture changed shape, all the shelves with decoration became bookshelves, even the curtains were now different, and everything had been wrecked. The place had been burnt in places, torn apart in some, and destroyed all over. The books lay bare, many on the ground, with pages torn and shelves severed. The chairs and sofas were also strewn about and even the walls had holes punched in them. It was a gloomy sight indeed.

Hugo looked at her and said, “This is what you were feeling, Ella.”

“What is this place?” Gina asked moving closer to him.

“This,” the captain replied, “is what’s left of the actual Keeper’s Post…”