I am Dorton Willow

  Head of Investigations — Damstalk

  “Well,” he said, leaning back, “Now that you know. Let me do the questioning.”

  Then, with a smirk, he added,

  “And remember—lying to the Head of Investigations is a SERIOUS crime.”

  Taya's grip slightly tightened around the card.

  “Now,” Cory said, studying her, “still don't wanna tell me why you were out there?”

  She looked away.

  “Fine…I was kicked out, okay? I didn’t have anywhere to go. That’s how I ended up there.”

  He paused, then nodded once.

  “…huh.”

  After a brief silence, his tone shifted.

  “Let’s take a look at you, Taya.”

  Cory pulled out a large tablet, his fingers moving swiftly as he typed.

  “I’ll be needing your fingerprints.”

  She hesitated—but unwillingly complied. Fear crept up her spine provided the implications.

  This is definitely not where I wanted to be, she thought.

  Cory reviewed the results, his expression neutral at first.

  “So… you’re seventeen,” he murmured. “And your parents died when you were five.”

  He scrolled further.

  “And their names were—”

  His eyes widened.

  “What?” Taya asked, startled by his reaction.

  “You… you—don’t tell me,” he said slowly. “You’re their daughter?”

  “Daughter of who?” she asked, confused.

  “Zyan Kopffer and Melina Abraham.”

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  “Why do you care?” Taya asked.

  “Why wouldn’t I?” His face lit up. “I’m a huge fan of their movies. All are classic movies. Legends of their time.”

  He laughed incredulously. “I grew up watching them. Nineteenth Century was an all-time blockbuster in the 2000s.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m meeting their daughter.”

  Then his tone softened. “I’m… truly sorry for your loss.”

  He turned the device off and slipped it away.

  “So,” Cory said casually, “what’s your plan now?”

  He reached into his pocket and took out the Toures core.

  “Well, this is yours.” He tossed it lightly in his palm. “ You can turn it into a weapon. Trade it for credits. Your choice.”

  He shrugged noticing Taya's hesitation.

  “Don’t worry about me......I come across these all the time. This one’s only Dread-rank. Terrifying for normal people, sure, but I’m an awakened. These are the lowest-ranked creatures for us.”

  He flicked his wrist and tossed the core toward her.

  Taya flinched.

  The moment the crystal came near, her scalp prickled. Her bound hair twitched violently on instinct.

  She caught the crystal with trembling hands and immediately stood up. “I—I’d like to use the restroom,” she said quickly, already moving. “Just a minute.”

  She hurried away, shutting the door behind her.

  Cory watched her sudden retreat, frowning slightly.

  “…You okay in there?”

  “Yes,” her voice came through, strained but firm. “Just give me a minute.”

  He didn’t push it, as he patiently waited.

  ---

  Taya stood before the mirror.

  Her bound hair writhed beneath the tight linen, twisting harder than before.

  “Quiet down,” she whispered sharply. “Stop causing me PAIN.”

  Her voice trembled as she spoke to the air—to them.

  For a brief moment, the pain subsided. The movement slowed.

  She looked down at the crystal in her hand. It glowed faintly, a warm golden-brown hue pulsing like a heartbeat.

  Her bound hair lifted slightly, mirroring her curiosity.

  “I said stand down,” Taya growled.

  The movement stopped. Obediently, it fell still.

  So now time for answers,"Why the hell you were causing all this mess?

  Slowly, she began untying the knots. As the bindings loosened, a wave of relief washed over her—deep, aching pain draining away as if part of her body had finally been allowed to breathe.

  When the last strip of linen fell away, she deliberately looked up to the mirror.

  And forced herself not to scream.

  The sight infront gave her chills. She had no hair. Instead, living serpents crowned her head, several of them, their scales glistening faintly, their bodies coiling and stretching as if awakening from a long imprisonment. Much like her, they seemed to drink in the relief—freed at last from the constant agony of restraint.

  “Is it enough now?” she whispered, voice breaking.

  “Why do you have to hurt me like this? You made everything worse yesterday.”

  Her eyes burned. “Please… stop reacting every time you sense another Tourres creature. I’m begging you.”

  The serpents stared back at her.

  Then, slowly, they hissed—and turned their attention toward the crystal.

  Taya frowned.

  She had lived most of her life hidden away in a small room. However after her grandmother’s death, her isolation had become absolute.

  She had never seen a Tourres creature that close before yesterday. Neither felt a tourres core in hand before.

  Yet the pain they caused...the hunger, the agony. It was totally gone as soon as she let the serpents loose.

  But then something strange suddenly happened, the serpents’ eyes began to glow a shiny emerald.

  In that instant, Taya’s vision was flooded by the same blinding light, stripping her blind temporarily.

  The sensation was intense. It felt as though her thoughts—the sanctuary of her very own mind was getting breached.

  Memories and fragments of knowledge....poured into her consciousness like a dam bursting under impossible pressure. It was as if the serpents were force feeding her some Divine or… deeply Cursed understanding— she couldn't tell which.

  The eyes of the serpents were staring directly towards the crystal.

  Within the confines of the restroom, the air suddenly plummeted towards a freezing chill. The emerald glow intensified , casting long jagged shadows.

  Slowly, the crystal lifted itself from her palm, hovering in the dead air.

  Tendrils of Dark golden-brown fume began to bleed from it's core, drawn out like a dying breath. Devoured and consumed by the ravenous hunger of the serpents.

  Taya gasped for air.

  A surge of pleasure— pure and overwhelming, and terrifyingly alien swept through her, it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

  Then as quickly as it had begun, the glow of the core died.

  The serpents’ glowing eyes faded and her emerald vision dimmed.

  The crystal, now drained and hollow, dropped into the wash basin. It shattered on impact, dissolving instantly into a pile of pale gray dust.