Wrapped in a translucent air barrier, Itzel found himself unable to escape. He looked around, searching for whoever had captured him.
It didn’t take long for him to spot Sayuri, who was staring at him intently. Their eyes met, and both spoke at the same time:

“Who are you? What do you want?” she began.

 “Who are you?” the man asked.

 “I asked first.” The woman frowned.

Realizing it would be difficult to keep the conversation going and get information, Itzel quickly thought of a way out and decided to make a proposal:

 “Then let’s make a deal.” he said with a smile.

 “I’m not open to negotiations.” she retorted coldly.

“How about one question each, taking turns?” he suggested, flashing a friendly smile.

Sayuri crossed her arms and turned her face away, far from appearing friendly:

“Fine, but I won’t let you out of there. And since I asked first, you answer first.”

 “Alright, my name is Itzel.”

 “Where did you come from?”

 “One question each, remember?”

 “Fine, my name is Sayuri.”

 “I think I’m being too strict with these rules. We won’t get anywhere like this. I’ll let you ask the next question, as a courtesy.” he proposed.

 “Then tell me… what are you?” she turned back to him.

“I’m a human with Potentia, just like you.” he answered sincerely. “Did you come from another planet?”

 “Yes, and apparently so did you.” Sayuri remarked.

 “I did. How many of you are there?”

 “You don’t expect me to answer that, do you? Be content with what you see. My next question: I want to know why you attacked us.” She sounded bothered.

 “Fair enough… My planet is dying, and we were promised a new one… if we took this one.” He revealed, making his objectives clear.

 “That doesn’t make any sense.” Sayuri felt both confused and saddened hearing that.

 “That’s all I have to say. Where did you come from?” Itzel asked, looking away.

 “From a planet that was destroyed.” She confronted him seriously.

The information hit him like a shock. For a moment, silence filled the place, and the only sound was the sea breeze. He had heard rumors that Ayami, his commander, had destroyed a planet, and now, piecing it together, it seemed he had found its former inhabitants. What once was just a rumor now revealed itself to be reality.

As a last act, Itzel used the remaining water he had absorbed to attack the group of girls. Sayuri was startled and defended herself, but ended up being hit head-on by the freezing water. When she opened her eyes again, her rival was already gone.

“Girls, are you okay?” she quickly turned to the others, checking on them.
She realized they were all just soaked, but fine and unhurt.

 “We’re alive.” Naoko replied, holding a frightened Matsui in her arms.

Planet Finalia

On the planet, a blue portal opened, and Itzel stepped out directly into a pink-toned bedroom, scented with flowers, decorated with glittering objects, lace, and feathers.

On the bed, Rosália sat, lost in thought, drowning in boredom. When she noticed his arrival, her excitement returned; she leapt up, ran to him, and greeted him.

“Itzel!” Rosália exclaimed.

She kissed her beloved first, only afterward noticing he was scratched and dressed oddly.

“Why are you almost naked? What are these scratches? You found them, didn’t you? They attacked you for no reason, they’re horrible! That planet should just disappear from the universe!” Rosália said, worried.

“It’s really fine, Rosália. I came back through the sea and scratched myself a bit, nothing serious.” Itzel looked at her lovingly, caressed her face. “I’ll speak to Lady Ayami about the mission. Tonight I’ll stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Rosália’s heart calmed a little at her beloved’s words, and the thought of spending the night with him brought her joy. Because of missions, they hadn’t seen each other in some time, and the longing only grew.

 “I’ll be waiting.” Rosália rejoiced.

Planet Earth – Sayuri’s House

The house was in a fuss. The girls were confused about everything that had happened and were asking endless questions.

“AND NOW!? WHO WAS THAT MAN WHO JUST STARTED ATTACKING US OUT OF NOWHERE!? IS THIS IT NOW!? ARE WE GOING TO BE HUNTED!?” Naoko couldn’t control herself and was speaking into the air.

“He said his name was Itzel… but how do we know if that’s true?” Sayuri questioned, trying to make sense of the situation.

“But they attacked Yukino again. Could it be that they can sense her Potentia?” Miyu wondered.

Yukino listened, uneasy, but realized maybe it was right to come clean about what had happened:

“Actually… maybe he saw me freezing the drops of seawater…” Yukino confessed softly, with trembling, clenched hands.

Naoko heard and grew upset, angrily slamming her hand on the armrest of the couch where Akiko sat.

“What? Not even Akiko would do something like that!” Naoko retorted.

What did I do? Akiko thought, not understanding the situation.

“Let’s calm down, it’s all still very new to her.” Megumi tried to ease the tension.

“Yukino, you need to be more cautious. There have already been two attacks. Imagine having to explain to your parents that you’re constantly getting hurt? How do you think they’ll take it?” Sayuri asked, worried about Yukino.

“I’m sorry, that was really careless of me.” Yukino lowered her head in regret.

“I think we’ve had enough lessons for today. It’s getting late; better take Yukino home. Use the rest of Sunday to rest and breathe,” Guang finally spoke up.

“Okay, thank you, Guang.” Yukino replied.

Guang drove Yukino back to her home. The weekend ended in silence in both households, each dealing with the situation in their own way. But a new week was already beginning, and returning to normal life could show that days might hold many possibilities.

March 8th – Sayuri’s House, 12 PM

On a sunny Monday, the sky showed only a few clouds and a breeze swept through the city. The temperature was pleasant, typical of a late summer day.

But not even that cheerful weather could soothe the spirits of a certain 15-year-old girl who arrived home, seemingly suffering from the depths of her soul.

“OH MY GOD! HELP! WHY!? WHOEVER INVENTED ALGEBRA HAS NO LOVE IN THEIR LIFE!” Akiko screamed desperately, throwing herself onto the living room floor.

“Akiko, stop the drama! Math will be really important if you want to work with games.” Miyu explained.

Miyu was already used to Akiko’s outbursts but still hoped she’d understand the importance of studying.

Matsui looked on with indignation and disdain at her sister’s daily theatrics.

I don’t get sis… School is so fun, thought Matsui as she got ready to catch her ride to class.

As Matsui went off to school, Megumi was arriving home with a huge smile.

Wearing a casual red dress that matched her joy and energy, she walked up to Sayuri and Naoko to share her big news.

“Girls! Let me tell you something very important! Not long after we arrived on this planet, I looked for a way to help Sayuri and Guang with expenses. That’s when I discovered and fell in love with modeling!” Megumi paused, then continued. “Everything’s been going so well! We’re about to receive an internationally famous model at the agency, and she’s going to select the best ones for training! If I get chosen, it’ll be a huge leap in my career! I’m nervous, but so happy!”

“Well, someone seems excited, huh!?” Sayuri said cheerfully.
“Wow! That’s amazing, Megumi! It suits you perfectly!” Naoko celebrated, giving a “strength” sign.

Megumi was deeply grateful for Naoko’s support and went over to hug her. Naoko wasn’t much into hugs and grew shy.

“Thank you so much, dear Naoko! I’m off to the selection now!” Megumi said gratefully.

“Ah! Good luck, Megumi!” Naoko replied, her cheeks blushing.

School – Afternoon

While mornings were reserved for fifth graders up to high school seniors, the afternoon period was dedicated to kindergarten and early grades. The school uniforms followed the same standard for all ages.

First grade, representing a big shift from preschool to elementary, involved more serious and responsible activities, but still kept things playful.

Matsui, who had just started first grade on a new planet, was doing very well, showing her ability to adapt. Her work was always done with care and attention.

That day, they had math class, learning more about numbers and basic operations. The assignment was to solve addition mathematical problems and not only write the answers in numbers but also represent them with colorful, pretty drawings.

“Done! It looks beautiful!” Matsui said after finishing her work.

“Oh no… mine are ugly.” lamented a classmate with short, wavy pink hair and little purple bow clips in her head.

Matsui noticed the new student was discouraged about her work. She also saw she had no colored pencils.

“Want to use my colored pencils, new girl?” Matsui offered.

“Yes! Thank you so much! I’ll try them!” the new girl accepted.

She repainted and touched up some drawings. Once finished, she was delighted with the result.

“Oh, it looks so much better, thank you! My name is Hana! My moms and I just moved here! What’s your name?” She introduced herself.

“Welcome! I’m Matsui!” Matsui replied, smiling.

The school bell rang, announcing break time. Hana took the initiative and invited Matsui to spend the break together. Matsui accepted, and the two wandered through the yard, chatting, eating, and playing, sharing fun moments together.

“Matsui! I loved meeting you! You’re so nice! Let me give you a present!” Hana exclaimed.

As she said this, Hana extended her hand in front of Matsui. Small lights appeared, forming little cherry blossoms.

“I hope you like them! I think they’re beautiful, they’re my favorite!” Hana handed the flowers as a gift.

“They’re so, so beautiful! I love them! Let me make some for you too!” Matsui replied.

Matsui extended her hand, and similarly, lights formed flowers, this time pink tulips. Hana was thrilled to have met a friend with the same ability.

“WOOOOOW! We both make flowers! We’re going to be best friends!” Hana exclaimed.

“Yes! Let’s be friends!” Matsui replied.

The rest of the school day went on with the two chatting whenever they could and sharing materials. At the end of class, they kept talking until their rides arrived.

Sayuri’s House – Late Afternoon

When she got home, Matsui jumped out of the car and ran inside, eager to share about her day.

“AUNT SAYURI! AUNT SAYURI!” she called.

“Well, look at that! Someone came home very excited from school!” Sayuri said.

“Yes! I’m so happy! Today was amazing at school! I made a friend! She’s a new student, her name’s Hana! She’s super nice! And she makes flowers! Just like me!” Matsui chattered nonstop, so unlike her usual self.

“JUST LIKE YOU?” Sayuri exclaimed.

The news startled her. Has Matsui really seen correctly? Was this a new Potentia? And how would she speak with the girl’s guardians? Countless questions filled her mind at that moment, but none could yet be answered.

Downtown

The city’s modeling agency was located downtown, near the upscale neighborhood. Normally, it was a bustling place, with clients seeking models for their catalogs and trainees being coached for photoshoots and runway work.

Today, however, the atmosphere was tense. It was almost as if a cloud of despair, indecision, and anxiety hung in the air. The models had to prove themselves, showcasing their skills in photography and runway.

The famous model Hitomi was present, observing the candidates one by one, alongside the photographers, analyzing how they behaved before the cameras.

Renowned for her rapid rise in the industry and her comeback after a major crisis, Hitomi’s résumé was enviable to any model.

The offer was top-tier: to be trained directly by her and receive referrals as “new faces” for international runways. Expectations were sky-high.

Megumi was being made up and prepped for her mini shoot. As she sat in the beauty salon chair, she knew her moment was coming, and the nerves seemed to consume her.

Goodness, I’m way too tense… I never imagined it would be this hard to pose in front of a famous model, Megumi thought, nearly trembling with anxiety.

Wearing a satin off-white gown, long and cut on the bias, beautifully contrasting with her skin, paired with matching sandals and gold star-shaped earrings, she looked striking. Her eye makeup in gold and black, with a touch of earthy red, gave her a serious air, and her lips were a deep wine red. Everything matched perfectly, except her furrowed brows and visibly tense body. She was heading to her photoshoot when a firm female voice stopped her.

“Hey, you there! Stop right now!” Hitomi said, glaring at Megumi with disdain. “If you’re going to go like that, don’t even bother. Who would dare buy the clothes if the model looks so clearly uncomfortable?”

The voice belonged to the influential Hitomi, a woman whose trademark was her naturally darker, sun-kissed skin tone. Her straight hair was a dark red, and her almond-shaped, piercing brown eyes gave her an enigmatic look. Her makeup was light-earth-toned shadow and black mascara, drawing attention to her red lips.

Tall and slender, her physique was unmistakably that of a runway model. She wore a black crop top with a jacket fastened only by a hook at the center, paired with tailored satin trousers. The high-end fabric made it obvious they were designer pieces. A pair of heeled boots made her look even taller and more imposing.

Hitomi… She's really demanding. But what can I do? Megumi thought with her head lowered, already believing she was about to be cut from the selection.