Nestra woke up to a deep feeling of wrongness. Long ago, her dad glued fluorescent stars to the ceiling so she could fall asleep with a nice view — one of those awkward gestures he would do at random when he remembered he loved her. They were still there, almost twenty years after. Faded, but there. They shouldn’t be. This wasn’t her room anymore. It was so weird she needed a few seconds to remember what had led her here. Shit. Her parents had to have returned by now. Nestra checked the time on her visor. Eight. She was back to human schedule, somehow, and that was so weird. The path to the bathroom was deserted. The room itself had those minor, uncanny changes that made it like a dream version of itself. They had a fancy new shower with a rainfall effect. Other elements were just like they’d always been. There was her mom’s cup in which she kept her toothbrush, even if the toothbrush ought to be on a charger. An old habit. An old cup, so old it predated the incursion. Once presentable, Nestra ran out of excuses not to confront her family. It wasn’t even that bad, just a little awkward. Why was it so hard? She breathed deep. It was just her family. It would be fine. After a last check that she was indeed presentable, Nestra walked down the stairs past a cleaning robot. The clinks of cutlery echoed from the kitchen’s open door. It was quiet otherwise. The thing she was only realizing now was how much effort high gleams spent acting like normal humans. There was absolutely no way anyone here would hit their plate hard enough with a fork to produce a sound, unless they absolutely meant to do so. Their control was simply too good for awkwardness. There was also no way they’d forget to close the door unless they meant to leave it open. Nestra couldn’t sneeze in this house without at least three — no four now — four relatives being aware of it. This meant that the gleams were significantly more aware of you than you were of them. It also meant that they were waiting for her. Nestra sighed one last time. She walked in with a confidence she didn’t feel. It was… her fault. She’d left in a huff and now she was back with her tail between her legs, forcibly carried back by an overbearing aunt. “Oh I figured you had moved on since you spent the night at my bro’s.” “Oh, hm, was it bad for me to point it out?” “Way to ruin my heartfelt contrition, asshole. Ok, yeah. I guess you’re people. That’s what matters to me. You’re still who you are and Sereth is still Seth. And I was being an ass for holding your species against you. To be honest, I kind of feel dumb for not figuring Seth out. He’s like… the perfect prince from those cheesy romances, you know? Innocent in some ways, wise and badass beyond his age in others. And the sex! Out of this world. And he finds me special. And calls me his small Anaksi.” “Err.. that means void flower.” “Don’t ask me what it looks like, I know it’s a thing, I just don’t know what that thing is.” “It’s probably rare and exquisite and it smells great all the time. But enough about me. What did you call me for?” “I need your help to stop a serial killer that may be after me.” There was a long pause, which was expected after all. “Nope, the gleam killer. They left painted eyes on my front door.” “Holy SHIT! Riel’s balls is that true?” “Aunt Claire forcefully repatriated my ass to the family mansion so yes, very much true.” “They do not and you know how old gleams are…” “As a matter of fact, I do not.” “They saw their families and friends get slaughtered by monsters during the incursion. They are also skilled killers with flash fuses.” “Ah. I see how that could be a problem.” “A very final problem; so let’s keep this between us, ok? The Special Crime division is on it, but there are tools that only I can use.” “Ooooh your special alien powers!” There was another pregnant pause. “Alright, I am intrigued. What are you suggesting?” Nestra briefly explained her plan which wasn’t much of a plan at all. Use demon wall-striding bullshittery to barge in, find terminals and local data points while avoiding security systems, and finally use Stibs’ skills to get what she wanted. “So basically I stay tuned in and do a little bit of piracy. You’re aware it’s actually super hard to find vulnerabilities, right?” “I’m hoping the gallery will be a bit more lax with data safety than the average megacorp.” “That might be true. Any chance I get some of that sweet gleam credit for it?” Nestra didn’t have to hesitate. “Sure, five thousand creds?” “Holy Riel I am so in. Isn’t that too much?” “I don’t know. The portal gig pays well and I don’t really spend that much. Might as well spread the love.” “Well, whatever. We’ll get you what you’re looking for. Anything to catch that serial killer, honestly. Alright. I need to do some prep work. What about leaving home? You got a solution for that?” “Hmm, Seth said he would assist.” “Aw, that’s why he canceled for tonight. You’re lucky I like you.” “You can reclaim your perfect demon prince if you help me with this horrible killer. Consider this your quest, young hero,” Nestra said with a solemn voice. “Awesome. It’s like an old video game intro, except victory comes with a side of orgasm. I’m in. I assume you can’t really research stuff where you are?” “This is my burner phone. All my coms must be monitored by Special Crime by now.” “Right. Will send you all the details I got. Don’t research anything or they might get suspicious. I’ll prepare a package and give it to Seth. Would that work?” “I knew I could count on you.” Nestra spent the entire day working out, relaxing, and just generally avoiding the rest of the family. Only when Helena returned did she drag Nestra into a game of VI sword fighting which the younger girl won handily, simply because she was more familiar with the controls. Nestra vowed revenge and then joined everyone for an early dinner. It was an awkward experience with Ulysses flatly refusing to engage. He didn’t provoke her though, so Nestra was more than happy to let that dog lie. A very early sleep meant she was up around midnight, sitting on her ass and wondering what Sereth planned to do. She didn’t have to wait for long. The air shimmered. Mana vibrated. Nestra looked on at the unfamiliar sight of an opening portal inside of the awfully familiar sight of her old room, alien light filtering in through the semi-darkness. Then there was a fist. A massive, obsidian-colored gauntlet punching through reality. Mana exploded, yet remained contained in a small sphere around Nestra. She felt the violation of space with her senses. She knew it was wrong. Too brutish. A complete lack of subtlety. She couldn’t do better yet. Not enough power to initiate the breach but… it was there, coalescing in the chest of her true form. The fist was soon replaced by a hand, as if unwrapping itself from the inside. The sight was alien and incomprehensible to her human eyes. It made her brain hiccup, made her want to watch it again until she got it. It was a mask coming out, she realized. Those long fingers were Seth’s human shape. They melded. The shape grew smoother, more refined. The skin changed to a paler tone. Some of the hair was reabsorbed. As Nestra watched, the hand settled into a stable form. It now belonged to a shorter person, seen from this angle. The portal opened wider and a man stepped out, dressed in Seth’s frequent shirt and cargo pants combo. He was… “Hello,” male Nestra replied in a slightly lower pitch than her own. It was as if she had a near identical twin, only male. He was very androgynous with narrow hips and soft features, an effect reinforced by hair that reached to his shoulders. The blond and gray heavenly combo could have made Michaelangelo weep, but the effect was immediately ruined by a crooked smile — the Seth special. From angel to temptor in a heartbeat. “Hello hello, little Nezhra! Sorry about this but this is the best way to fool your parents whenever they check up on you. Which they won’t fail to do in less than five minutes so we gotta keep this short. There is another portal at the opposite end of this micro world. I left your gear at the exit, can’t miss it!” “Wait, you can just change your Mask like that?” “Of course! I already told you. We males can adopt many forms while you are limited to your own and one per species.” “Oh, hmmm. I was perhaps not supposed to say it? Ah, no matter. We can switch shapes at will while you female Aszhii can only form… that is, you can only have one appearance per species you meld into. You will be able to create your own in a while, but you need to come across a member of the target species first.” “Observation is required. Murder is not. Can still be fun though.” “Sooooo you can only adopt male appearances?” Seth winced, as if the very idea was painful. “I can adopt a… female-adjacent body-shape. It is extremely uncomfortable, however, hence why I shall be your male mirror for now. Everything will be close enough to fool your parents’ perception.” “Stibbons has left some equipment for you. I will let you arrange your own transportation.” “Thanks for the help, brother.” “Aaaaah I am happy you get to experience a good killer hunt. I always loved those.” He looked around with naked curiosity. “Your young den! I shall be respectful. Off you go now, maintaining the portal open is extremely draining.” “Just come to the same place. The tunnel should be mostly stable for a day.” Nestra shed her human mask, then stepped in. The ‘portal’ didn’t feel so much like a world as the antechamber of one, like seeing the back of a theater set with all its tethers and paraphernalia. The air smelled stale and the light was dim. Blurry shapes that looked like stunted trees emerged from the distance but Nestra knew they were not here. This was more of a globule nestled between folds of reality than a structured world. She found the exit right in front of her, only a few steps away. It looked as if Sereth had clawed a gap between worlds. A tear had formed, bleeding mana. She tsked. Those males were so sloppy. “Ugh, that’s not my thought.” The Aszhii part of her brain wasn’t content just dropping an entire language on her psyche, now she was getting the intrusive thoughts as well. It wasn’t right to criticize Sereth when she couldn’t open the way by herself. Nestra slipped through the tear into Threshold’s more pleasant air. She was now standing in some deserted street in a rather nice part of the city, with small apartment buildings and a convenience store manned by a sleepy clerk. There was a bag on a wall by her side. Stibbs’ goodies. Nestra didn’t feel anyone and her intuition was silent, so she took the opportunity given to her to take stock. The bag contained a heavily altered pair of goggles, a datasheet, and a blocky box with an antenna. That was it. She moved to an alley and opened the datasheet first. There was only one file on it. She started with the ‘read me’. ‘Ok, here is what I found about the gallery, its layout, and its security system! Read it, then go there. Put the goggles on when you’re nearby to call me, I’ll guide you through everything.’ Nestra browsed through the rest. The gallery had a pretty complex layout with three floors that compartmentalized the exhibits and the private spaces rather tightly. An extensive basement for storage added to the mix. Stibbs had also found online that North Star Security claimed the gallery as one of its customers, meaning there could be a gleam guard on site. “How do I even get to the gallery?” Nestra asked nobody in particular. There was a bicycle left on the curb. It was locked. Tempting, but she wouldn’t steal someone’s bike for the sake of convenience. “Whelp. Running it is.” Stretching her legs after being cooped up in her mask felt great. She kept to parks and roofs, places where cameras were fewer — no need to alarm a monitoring AI with a pattern of anomalies. Fortunately, Threshold was easy to navigate, the trinity always present as landmarks. It still took her twenty minutes at a good speed just to get there. From the ground, the gallery looked more like a select retreat that mere mortals ought not dare visit. The welcoming roof almost felt like a distant memory. High hedges blocked the view of all entrances, leaving only the stern facade of a brutalist structure. Only the large windows gave a hint that this was not just a blockhouse. This was it. Nestra put the goggles on. A few seconds later, a voice rang in her ears. “Hello. It’s me, S. Do you copy?” “The agile fox slips into the dragon’s den.” “Damn glitchy thing. Hello? Nestra?” Oh yeah, she had to focus on her voice or the thing wouldn’t pick it up. “A shadow lurks in the murky darkness of Thressshold City, where dreams come to die…” “Ha ha. So look, I don’t know what their security is like so you’ll have to be careful. First, let’s get you to the security room. You remember the layout?” “You gave two security rooms.” “So there are two possible options. I can’t tell you more without seeing the electrical layout, which we won’t, so you’ll have to check both.” “Then it will be the one that’s underground.” “If you say so. There should still be a lot of safeties in place, so be careful.” Nestra considered her options. Cameras wouldn’t pick her up but glitches got investigated. After a moment of consideration, she made her way to the employees entrance off to the side. There was a changing room next to the lobby according to the plan. Rushing forward, she slipped through the walls into a dark room. Her intuition remained silent. “Wow, that was trippy as hell,” Stibbs whispered. “Visual, yes. I wasn’t sure it would work with your weird alien aura. Alright, your approach makes sense. There’s probably much less security on the staff side of things.” Nestra was now standing inside a locker room for safety and janitorial staff. It was fairly small. She slipped through the wall again, this time more slowly to look left and right. The wall didn’t immediately push her out. She was getting better at this. She should burglarize more places as practice. “I’m just going to close my eyes from now on when you do that,” Stibbs said with a weak voice. Nestra moved through a deserted corridor deeper into the gallery. She came across a few offices, a staff room, and a storage space. Her intuition faintly warned her of cameras of which there were only two. A faint smell of ice mana lingered in the air. “Gleam passed here earlier,” she whispered. “Probably a guard. They must have short rounds.” Nestra finally found herself directly over the security room, or at least the place she assumed was a security room. There were two mana signatures below her: an icy one, and a light one. Those were serious gleams if they’d unlocked their affinities, but the overall weak power indicated they were probably just not very gifted. She sat down. They did, in silence. After five minutes or so, one of the mana signatures grew more distant. Nestra passed her head through the floor, catching sight of a closing door and the beep of a lock. The security room was small and filled with servers around a comfortable double desk. Monitors covered one of the walls, a waste of space when visors were a thing but some people preferred it that way. The remaining gleam sat back in an ergonomic chair, fingers playing with a weird toy. Nestra slipped through, with Stibbs providing commentary. “Shit, I didn’t think there would be two of them. I need you to connect the black box to the local computing unit. That’s… the one right in front of the guard.” Nestra could see it too. The local unit was just a solid black rectangle in what looked like an EMP-resistant shell. Old but reliable. As Stibbs said, it sat in front of the guard, near his constantly moving right hand. No way he would miss something as obvious as a massive demon girl playing IT. Nestra looked around. A can of steaming coffee stood dangerously close to the edge on the other gleam’s side of the desk. Nestra wordlessly approached until she was so close she could smell the guard’s shampoo under the uniform’s hat. His head turned up and to the right to look at a distant screen. Quick as a snake, she poked the coffee cup. It fell with a clink, spilling foam all over the concrete floor. “Riel fucking dammit.” The man turned. Nestra plugged the thing in record time. The gleam stood with a sigh, Nestra at his back. He leaned down to pick up the fallen cup. “Oh shit! On it!” Stibbs said. On the main screen, an installation bar opened. Several windows opened and shut, then a new program switched to full screen, showing the exact same camera feed as before. It had taken less than half a second. By then, the D-class gleam had finished wiping the foam, and was halfway to the trash bin. Nestra unplugged the box. The gleam was turning. She used momentum to teleport to his back. He tilted his head, icy iris inspecting his seat. Nestra took a few step backs until her back was to the wall. “Huh,” the gleam said. “No, it’s nothing. Just your cup falling on the ground you daft fucker. Yeah yeah.” “Oh he’s talking to the other guard,” Stibbs said.