The Unexpected Thrill

Tension crackled in the air. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the alley.

"Maybe it's not Granny," Kaia whispered, her voice barely a breath.

"Shut the fuck up," Yona hissed back, voice low but sharp. "But seriously, I'm not coming out. My dignity would be shredded if I crawl out of this trash box."

"Are you sure this is the right place?" A woman's voice floated through the air, casual but curious.

"I'm sure. No one's coming," a man replied, confident.

Kaia squinted at the shadows. "What are they doing in a sketchy alley like this?"

"I don't know. I don't wanna know. Just... keep quiet, and wait for them to leave." Yona's voice was edged with annoyance.

"Fine." The man outside suddenly sounded serious, like a switch flipped. "Need help with the chain? On your dress?"

Yona and Kaia's faces froze. Their jaws dropped. No... no.

"Yona! Yona!" Kaia grabbed Yona's arm, shaking her in panic.

"I'm here!" Yona's voice was cold, but her eyes were wide.

"This is bad. We gotta get out—""I know, I know…" Yona's lips curved into a devilish grin. "But hey, what's the harm in a free show? You're 18 now, Kaia. Time to grow up and see the world."

Kaia's eyes widened, her face contorted into an adorable pout. "No way! I'm way too young for this!"

"Yeah, okay." Yona rolled her eyes. "But, uh, why is it suddenly so quiet out there?"

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. Then, the man's voice sliced through it. "We can hear you, you know."

Yona and Kaia froze. Shit.

The lid of the trash box creaked open, and Yona and Kaia scrambled out, their faces burning red.

Yona slowly peered up. A stunning woman with black hair stood before them, wearing a sleek, one-shoulder black party dress. She looked about their age. And beside her stood a man who looked old enough to be their father, dressed in a crisp suit.

The man chuckled, a loud, obnoxious sound. "Ah, young girls these days—curious about adult things."

Kaia shot him a glare. The girl beside him looks just as young as we are, you creep.

Yona straightened up, bristling with authority. "Sir, I'm with the Apostle. You think it's okay to do... that in public? And with a girl so young?"

Kaia hissed under her breath, "Is it really smart to mention Apostle out loud?"

Yona shrugged. "Night City's a magic hotspot. Everyone here knows about the Apostle."

The man chuckled darkly, his grin widening. "You think some low-ranking officer from Apostle is gonna ruin my life? Please. I have enough money to bury your little organization. And besides," he stepped closer, eyes glinting, "this girl came to me. She wanted this."

Before Yona could retort, a loud thunk rang out as something hard collided with the man's head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

The woman, who had been eerily silent up until that point, stood holding a brick. "Nice timing, you two," she said, her voice cool and deadpan.

Yona and Kaia stared at her, their faces a mixture of confusion and awe. What on earth was going on?

"Sir Kiaan!" Kiki came rushing from behind, winded. "Sorry, I... lost track of you!" she panted.

"Kiaan?" Yona and Kaia echoed in disbelief, both turning to stare at the girl. From every angle, this definitely wasn't Kiaan.

"You two staring a little too hard, huh?" the girl said, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm Kiaan. Better now?"

Kaia squinted, still suspicious. "You even changed your face to look like a girl? And why do you look way more beautiful than my sister?"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kiaan said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. A flicker of light sparked from his body, and in the blink of an eye, he was back to his usual self, dressed in the same clothes as before—no sign of the female dress left.

"So, you changed your gender just for this?" Kaia asked, crossing her arms.

"No way!" Kiaan scoffed. "It was just an illusion. I didn't actually change my body or wear that dress, okay?"

Kaia narrowed her eyes, pulling out her phone. "You have a lot of explaining to do. I even caught your image in my camera."

"Wait, why would you take a picture of that?" Kiaan frowned.

Kaia scrolled through her phone, staring at the image. It was him—just him. The illusion shattered right before her eyes. Kaia sighed, looking disappointed.

"I really thought you... never mind," she muttered, as Kiaan began rummaging through the pockets of the unconscious man.

"Why were you after him, though?" Yona asked, her curiosity piqued.

Kiaan looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face. "After talking to some sources, including agents in hiding, I found out this guy was suspicious. He's been hanging around the Nexus Night Ball Party a lot. So I decided to try and approach him—turns out, he's a sucker for young girls. Easy to coax, so I figured I'd knock him out when his guard wasn't looking."

"He's connected to the smuggling?" Yona asked, eyebrow raised.

Kiaan's face darkened. "Not just him. Nexus Night Ball is held every Friday—where all the rich, royal types come to unwind and party. You think they're just there to have a good time? Think again."

"So, it's a perfect place for them to hide their shady dealings," Kaia added, eyes gleaming with realization.

Yona and Kiaan both stared at her, wide-eyed. "How'd you figure that out?" Kiaan asked, impressed.

Kaia smirked, leaning against a nearby wall. "You mentioned the smuggling spot was near the portal. I saw the Nexus building earlier, heavily guarded. But the guards? They weren't checking the rich folks' bags or suitcases, just their IDs. And the drug dealers? I watched them vanish into a narrow alley behind the building. The only way out? The portal."

Yona blinked, still confused. "And when exactly did you notice all this?"

Kaia looked guilty. "When I was pedaling my cycle like a speedster." She winced at her own words. "Okay, okay. It wasn't fast, but I was... paying attention."

Yona cracked her knuckles, looking more annoyed by the second. "So, while you were riding your slow bike, you were just watching them run away?"

Kaia winced again, offering up her best puppy eyes. "I'm sorry...?"