Mira  traced the steps carefully. The office have transformed a lot within the two days – no, she couldn’t even convince herself that she entered the same place.

The floor was now rippling with river and glimmering fishes, flowing down into carved fountains, and the path in the middle bloomed with fragrance.

The melodies, however beautiful, still send shivers down her spine. Then she saw him, facing the balcony. Like the office, he felt… different.

Married to power – some said he tricked the family’s daughter – some said it was genuine. But with such a visage, who wouldn’t chase the highest ability?

The music stopped. The birds on his fingers flew away. He turned to her and smiled.

She quickly looked down. Don’t look at his eyes, don’t look at his eyes. The soldiers at the front have warned her, and they handed her the familiar earpieces too.

“So you wanted to see my wife? Have you teleported before?”

The deep, velvety siren voice.

“N-no, I have not, but I still want to see Dilvei.”

He laughed.

“Well, you’ve known me long enough, I guess it’s time.”

He snapped his fingers, and the world around her started to spin and bulge, and the ever tranquil surroundings around her evolved into an eerie endless street. A female’s maniac laugh echoed, then silence. Beside the faint sound of electricity were creeping footsteps. The streetlights went on and off, and before she knew, a young lady stood before her.

“Who do we have here?”

 Mira  quickly looked away. “I-I’m  Mira -“

The lady laughed again.

“Don’t look away! My eyes aren’t as dangerous as his~”

 Mira  slowly looked at her. Her lips were of blood red, her black hair draping her slender build. Her long flaming red nails touched the ground. The lady’s golden eyes widened.

“A 50%!”

 Mira  flinched, quickly looking away. What was that? For a minute, she could have sworn she could see engulfing hallways and the peaks of deathly mountain in her eyes, then her eyes felt terribly burnt.

But it was now ok… is there any signs of pressure in her head, warmth in her chest, or that floaty loss-of-agency feeling?

“Are you scared, darling?”

“I – I just felt it better not to look into your eyes directly, Ma’am.”

Dilvei closed her eyes and cracked her neck. The lights around them lit up, and the street transformed into a cozy living room. The lady was now no different than her average neighbors, though her piercing eyes and glinting smile still stood out.

“Y-you can transform?” Why couldn’t her husband?

“Well of course. My husband could too, but he is still getting used to that eyes of his, if that was what you were thinking,” Dilvei winked.

Is that what they meant with high rank? Containing their powers would save the energy in the long time, but it’s also extremely difficult…

“So!” Dilvei clapped her hands, “Do you identify as an entity, or a human?”

“H-huh?”

“Oh darling, is your brain ok? Did being 50% make you a little… gifted?”

 Mira ’s jaw dropped. The lady’s neck is contorting, spinning almost a 180, but her eyes remain fixed at hers. Dilvei quickly snapped her neck back.

“Sorry, my dear husband’s energy is a little bit tedious for me sometimes-”

They can pool their powers??

“Aww darling don’t just be silent, that’s no fun! Tell me more about your mom and dad, hmm? Which one is an entity and which one is a human? Do they get along? What are they doing now sending you here?”

 Mira ’s eyes widened. No! Her cover!

“I-I’M AN ORPHAN!”

“Are you?”

“Yes,” Mira forced herself to cry, “I was on vacation with my parents. They told me to wait, and never came back. I c-came here b-because I am a fan of u-uhm your u-uh beauty – yes, beauty, and your husband’s reputation-“

More like the notorierity and the escalating threats the hellish couple have that she was sent by the state to spy on them – WAIT, THE HUSBAND CAN READ MINDS AND THE LADY CAN BORROW HIS POWERS?? SHUT UP  MIRA , THINK OF THE CARPET, THE CARPET, WOW THE CARPET IS SO NICE.

Allevtte laughed. Mira flinched.

“Isn’t it the opposite, sweetie?”

Damn brain, she did get it exchanged! But if she changed now, they will catch her lie.

“No! Contrary to mainstream media, I think you are prettier than your husband!”

“Aw shucks, I’m flattered!! What brings you here, then?” Dilvei poured her a mug of tea.

 Mira  stared at it. Is it… blood???

“I-uh as your long time fan, would want to inform you that it is a bad decision to have a kid!”

The heiress almost bursted her tea out. Her eyes glowed.

“Is that so?”

“Yes! It is better to raise someone who already knows how to walk, how to clean after themselves, how to do their chores…”

“And who would it be?”

 Mira  paused. Now that she is going to say it out loud, it sounded really ridiculous.

“…me. I- I can cook, sew, clean, navigate, I got A’s at school-”

Dilvei laughed, this time maniacally, that Mira was sure she would be incinerated alive any minute.

Dilvei’s eyes glowed.

“DO YOU HEAR THAT SWEETIE? THIS DARLING LITTLE CREATURE – NAH ACTUALLY, COME HERE!”

The living room shivered, and the lights went on and off. By the time their surroundings stabilized, the beyond gorgeous man was sitting across her, holding his mouth from laughing.

“Dilvei lend me her powers to transform into my human form, if that was what you were thinking,” he grinned. “Who is prettier, me or the carpet?”

 Mira ’s cheeks flush red.

Dilvei’s eyes grew even wider.

“Look at her little cheeks blush! Oh my gosh, can we keep her? Can we??”

“But we vowed at our wedding to have at least one child…”

“BUT THIS ONE’S ADORABLE!”

“Hmm…” the man’s eyes glowed. It switched to several colors, before settling in a golden turquoise.

“You’re a 50%? Show us your full extent of powers.”

 Mira  gulped. She closed her eyes and focused her breath.

The room fell silent.

One single sprout of flower grew, but 1 second later, it died. Dilvei and Lucian stared at the poor flower’s corpse.

“That’s… it?”

“Y-yes…”

Allevtte lifted her eyebrows. Once again, Mira was sure she would get incinerated any time soon.

“Are 50%s now that untalented, Lucian? Or have they always been?”

“Well, theoretically, a 50% should always stay 50%...”

“AH, I KNOW! My husband’s eyes are piercing your brain, right?!”

“I think your gaze freaked her out more, honey…”

“Stare at the wall!” Dilvei pushed Lucian’s face.

“Ok, ok!”

Dilvei stared at  Mira .

“Try again! :D”

 Mira  wasn’t sure if she preferred the lady’s manically enthusiastic stare or her husband’s piercing gaze.

Just as the flower began to grow, the man quickly peered at the carpet.

 Mira  flinched. A surge of power electrocuted her veins, and for a second, she felt very light.

“Did you just transfer something to her, darling? I saw a surge of lightning speeding across the room-”

“Nah, maybe it is our cat.”

“Do we have a cat?”

“No…”

“WAIT THE FLOWER’S GROWING - 1…2..3…4…5! It survived for 5 seconds!”

 Mira ’s jaw drop. Never had she managed to keep a flower alive for more than a second! Did the man help her?

“LOOK AT THAT FLIMSY DEAD FLOWER – AHAHHA IF I ELECTROCUTE IT, WILL IT BE MORE ALIVE-“

“I don’t think that’s how it works, honey…”

“AHAHAH UR RIGHT – AWW WHAT DO YOU THINK, DARLING? Ca NwE KEEp her? Can we??”

“Well, I have no objections.” Though next time, you should be more careful of thinking about how your flowers always die after 1 second.

 Mira  flinched. Did the man just telephatized to her mind? Her dad used to do that too- RKGT, LOOK AT THE CARPET,  MIRA , WOW SO PRETTYY.

Lucian smiled.

***

“You won’t fess up anything, won’t ya?”

The man spitted at the officer. The officer grinned, wiping his face.

“Well then, my friend would keep you accompany.”

The door creaked open. The man’s eyes widened in horror.

“NO! PLEASE! ANYONE BUT HIM!”

“I’m afraid it’s too late,” the officer left the room.

Lucian smiled, his figure emanating with light in the dark room. He sat across the man, leaning on the chair. His eyes flickered amber.

“Dear traitor, my friend told me you’re very tight lipped, huh?”

The man screamed, now falling to the ground, trying his best to open his restraints.

Lucian chuckled, helping him up. He cut the ropes open.

“Oh, don’t be scared, I genuinely admire it. Tight lipped spies.”

The cell dropped silent.

An hour later, a man stumbled out of the building, crawling and tottering on the ground, as if he had lost all his limbs – except that they were all perfectly intact. He mumbled uncontrollably, foam from his mouth. His eyes darted, but froze as soon as the dawn came.

A hum flowed through the streets.

The next morning, the man was gone.