Haru stared, mouth agape, at the red warrior squared off with her from across the overlook, near the auction house.

  “This pudding is good.” Momo spoke with a full mouth, pointing at the bowl with her spoon.

  Haru jumped to her feet, sending her chair tumbling back as she rose. Her eyes never diverted from the unmoving warrior.

  “What are you doing?” Momo swallowed hard and leaned away from the witch, then turned to follow Haru’s gaze.

  Haru brushed past the table and marched out the front door. As she exited, the crowd rushed around the red warrior like a raging river around a stone.

  “Hey!” Haru shouted at the stranger. She approached the railing and placed her hand on it, leaning forward.

  Despite the cacophony of the bustle, her voice echoed out across the auction house courtyard. But the red warrior seemed nonplused. With careful motion, he turned to face the flow of the crowd, toward the elevator. Then in the blink of an eye, he disappeared, swept away with the rising tide of players.

  Haru pulled herself along the railing in a bid to track where the stranger went as if she were fighting against a strong current. Her search proved fruitless, and she found herself only staring at the faceless masses moving about the courtyard. She balled her fist and dropped it upon the top of the railing, pursing her lips.

  With teddy bear wedged in elbow, Momo emerged from the café, the bowl of pudding in one hand and spoon in the other. “What’s going on?” She spoke with a half-full mouth.

  Haru sighed, turned to the princess, and shook her head with closed eyes. “I thought I saw something.”

  Momo opened her mouth to take another bite but paused with the spoon in front of her mouth. “Was it the green guy?” Her eyes widened.

  The witch’s brow dipped. “I don’t think so.”

  The princess blinked and then with hesitation, jammed the utensil into her mouth. “I hope it isn’t him.” She spoke before swallowing.

  As Haru raised an arm to usher Momo back into the cafe, another red glint caught her eye, over the princess’ shoulder. Standing beside an iron lamp post on the main thoroughfare which led to player housing was the red warrior. He leaned against the pole with arms crossed, and one leg over the other, looking toward the room complex for players. Haru squinted, suspicious of how quickly he moved about town. He was now in the opposite direction from which he was swept up by the crowd.

  “Follow me.” Haru looked at Momo and then rushed to meet the red warrior.

  The stranger watched Haru start her approach and hesitantly got himself standing upright. As the witch closed half the distance, he turned and sauntered toward player housing, disappearing behind the two-story brick building on the corner of the intersection.

  Momo gobbled down the rest of her pudding. After the last bite, the spoon and bowl dissipated into the air. She started running but trailed far behind Haru.

  The witch reached where the red warrior once stood and rounded the corner. But the avenue was sparsely populated and lacking any sign of the stranger.

  Momo caught up to Haru and tilted her head. “Why are we running around aimlessly?”

  Haru sighed, leaning back and forth to see if there were any sign of the red warrior entering one of the countless alleyways and side streets. “There was this—” The sight of the red warrior far in the distance made Haru choke on her words.

  He stood next to the entry gate for player housing.

  Haru grumbled and summoned her staff. With a subtle growl, she mounted and then wrapped her arms around Momo.

  “At least let me get comforta—” The princess started but was interrupted by sudden acceleration.

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  The witch scooped Momo up and plopped her on the back of her staff. The two hurtled down the wide cobblestone avenue, toward the player housing entrance. Haru bobbed and weaved around the lamp posts rushing toward them at blinding speed.

  Just as they neared where the red warrior stood, he unfolded his arms, turned, and disappeared into the gate.

  Haru ascended over the lamp posts and leaned forward, pushing her staff to the limit. At almost maximum speed, the two blasted through the open gate.

  A blinding white light filled Haru’s vision. After a few moments, the two were standing shoulder-to-shoulder inside the player housing hallway. The wooden floorboards creaked, and a breeze washed over the white plaster walls between each wooden apartment door.

  The witch gripped her staff, expecting to be face-to-face with the red warrior. But Momo and she were alone. The hallway was long and winding, with only one path. Haru pushed ahead. After the first two turns, she found the stranger leaning on the wall near a staircase at the far end of the corridor.

  They pressed on, drawing near. But the red warrior turned and ascended the staircase. Haru pursued, following the sound of steps ascending to the very topmost floor.

  Exiting the staircase, the hallway was short, with only one door at the end. It was made of mahogany with elaborate golden etchings carved around the edges and the round handle. The outer wall was painted with a highly detailed landscape, and the ceiling mimicked that of looking at the sky, with a rounded shape.

  There was no sign of the red warrior. Haru huffed and grumbled having been brought to a dead end. And there was no way for someone else to visit another’s room without an invitation. Perhaps this was his room.

  The princess cleared her throat and brushed herself off. “Well, if you wanted to visit my place, you could have just asked.”

  Haru’s eyes widened. She darted back to the staircase and listened. She peered down the stairwell, looking for any sign that he’d given them the slip. But it was still, quiet.

  “I don’t get many visitors, so it might be a bit messy.” Momo opened the door and stood inside, motioning for Haru to come in. “I spend a lot of time here. It’s the safest place away from everything, don’t worry.”

  Haru turned and looked inside, then relaxed the grip on her staff with a sigh. “I suppose I can stay for a bit.” Though wondering how the red warrior eluded her already began to weigh on her mind.

  As Haru crossed the threshold, a delicate harp music started to play, emanating from the walls. The crown molding took the shape of a golden wreath lining the high ceiling. Which itself was a dome that let in light from outside. In the middle of the room was a small circular garden lined up with the skylight, a tree with leaves that spanned the color of the rainbow from top to bottom stood directly in the center. Around it, bushes with many colored berries.

  One side of the room was an open floor bedroom, with elaborate furniture. The other was a living room. Each wall had double-wide balcony doors which gave a clear view of Fairbank and the surrounding areas.

  “It’s a bit out of date, but I still like it.” Momo said, walking over toward the living room sofa, an ornate piece with flowery patterns against mahogany and gold.

  Haru looked around with eyes wide. “When I was a player, my room was nothing like this.”

  Momo hummed as she sat down. “What was that?”

  Haru sputtered. “I—I mean my room is nothing like this.”

  The princess nodded and smiled. “I worked really hard on it.”

  Haru blinked at the comment. There wasn’t much in the way of room customization for players. Some potted plants and a few bits of drapery. But as far as she knew, there was no way for players to alter the overall size or design of their room, especially not like this.

  “So, what was all that running around about?” Momo laid down on the sofa and placed her arm over her forehead. “Too much for no good reason.”

  Haru sighed. “The green guy, Invidius.”

  “You saw him?” Momo’s voice grew shaky.

  The witch shook her head. “Before we met, I ran into him before too. I thought he was going to get me. But suddenly this stranger showed up and wiped the floor with him.”

  “The knight in shining armor I so desperately need.” Momo closed her eyes and sighed.

  Haru nodded. “Well, I thought I saw him and chased after him.”

  Momo hummed. “That’s not very knightly of him, making a maiden run him down like that.” She shook her head subtly. “Should know better.”

  Haru looked around awkwardly, still vexed by the strange way the red warrior moved.

  “Still,” Momo shifted. “Tell me more about him.” She closed her eyes with a slight smile.

  “Well, I don’t know much about him. Only that he wears red scale armor, has a wolf head helmet, and wields a lance.”

  Momo’s eyes shot open wide, and she sputtered. “C—could you repeat that?”

  Haru described the stranger once more.

  The princess lowered her arm and hugged tightly her teddy bear.

  “Is something wrong?” Haru tilted her head.

  Before she could answer, a knock at the door halted the harp music and echoed throughout the room. Momo started to curl up in a ball.

  Haru choked up on her staff and readied it as she moved toward the door. After a deep breath and raising her shoulders, she yanked it open.

  Fluttering in a hover before her was an owl. It gripped a rolled parchment.

  Haru reached out and the bird dropped the paper into her hand, then disappeared down the stairwell.

  The parchment was sealed with red wax, which had a strip of cloth melded into it, the exposed length had her name on it.

  Haru broke the seal, and the parchment flew from her hand, hovering in front of her. It read:

  Category: Urgent

  You have been summoned to the chamber of the Magi for the purposes of an audience.

  Depart immediately.

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