Enforcers

Iora darted around the wrecked apartment, her bare feet slapping against the cracked tiles as she snatched up scattered clothes and kicked a singed pillow under the bed. Her long dark hair swung wildly, catching the faint glow of a dying holo-ad flickering on the wall.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, her voice a fierce whisper laced with frustration. Her hands trembled as she grabbed a crumpled shirt—his—and flung it into a corner, trying to erase the chaos that screamed of his fractured Awakening.

The air still stank of ozone and burnt fabric. Her green eyes flicked to the bathroom door where she'd shoved him. Her heart thudded against her ribs like a trapped bird.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Why did she have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

She yanked on her pants and tugged a loose tank top over her head just as a heavy knock rattled the door. Her breath caught, her fingers freezing mid-motion.

The sound echoed like a gunshot, cutting through the hum of the Shifter Shard's distant machinery. She cursed again, softer this time, and smoothed her hair with a shaky hand before striding to the door.

It swung open to reveal two Enforcers in their mid-thirties, their bulky forms filling the frame. Armour suits hugged their broad shoulders, matte black and etched with faintly glowing runes, a marriage of tech and magic.

Iora's gaze travelled lower as she tried to put on a mask of pretence.

Blasters hung at the enforcers' hips, their barrels glinting under the torchlight spilling in from the void beyond. The taller one, with a jaw like carved stone and eyes hidden behind a visor, stepped forward. His partner, shorter but no less imposing, tilted his head and scanned the room with a slow, deliberate sweep.

"Evening," the taller one said. "We're tracking an energy spike. Care to explain the mess?"

Iora leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms to steady her nerves. Her lips curved into a practiced smile, though her pulse raced.

"Hey, fellas. Just a spicy night with my boyfriend, you know how it gets." She gestured vaguely at the scattered sheets and charred mattress, letting her tone drip with casual ease. "Things got a little wild."

The shorter Enforcer snorted, his visor glinting as he peered at the burn marks. "Wild doesn't cover this. Smells like a Core misfire in here." He straightened and his hand moved to his blaster. "We picked up a reading; unregistered, erratic. Did you get anyone wielding organic weapons? Or maybe a late Awakening?"

Her stomach twisted, but she kept her face smooth and her green eyes steady. "Nope, just us. No weapons, no Awakenings. Are you sure your tech's not glitching? This Shard's full of weird signals."

The taller one frowned. "We don't glitch. Readings don't lie. If someone's—"

A creak cut him off. The bathroom door swung open and Karl stepped out, a towel slung low around his hips, and water dripping from his dark hair onto his lean, muscled chest.

His blue eyes widened slightly as he caught the Enforcers' stares, but he flashed a lopsided grin.

"Hey, what's going on?" He ran a hand through his wet hair and glanced at Iora. "Babe, everything okay?"

Her jaw tightened at the pet name, but she rolled with it. "Just some questions, nothing big."

The Enforcers turned. The shorter one's hand twitched near his blaster, but Karl raised his palms. "Whoa, easy. No trouble here, guys. What's this about?"

"Energy spike," the taller one said in a flat voice. "Unusual. You see anything strange tonight?"

Karl shrugged, water trickling down his neck. At this point, he couldn't tell if it was water or sweat.

"Strange? Nah. Just us, uh, having a good time. You might wanna check the other flats. Old wiring in this block fries all the time." His tone was smooth, and convincing, though his legs trembled faintly beneath the towel.

The Enforcers exchanged a glance, then the shorter one grunted and stepped back. "We'll sweep the area. Stay put if we've got more questions."

They turned, their boots clomping the floor, and disappeared into the night.

Iora locked the door with a sharp click, her shoulders slumping as she pressed her forehead against the cool metal. Behind her, Karl sank to the floor.

"I'm weak," he muttered, his voice barely above a breath. His eyes were dull with exhaustion.

She turned and crouched beside him, searching his face. "How did this happen?" Her words were low and urgent, a thread of fear winding through them.

Karl's head tipped back against the wall as a sigh shuddered out of him. "I have no idea." His fingers flexed as if testing for the phantom powers that had erupted. "One minute I'm… with you, and then it's like my chest split open."

Iora sat back on her heels, her hair falling over one shoulder as she studied him. "It's strange, Karl. Really strange." Her voice softened, but her mind raced, piecing together fragments of lore she'd grown up with.

"You know how it works, Karl. Each specie has their Shard, which is like a world for their kind. Shifters here, fire-wielders on the Ember Shard, illusionists on the Mist Shard. Your Core Awakening tells you where you belong. It's supposed to happen at sixteen, clean and clear." She paused and furrowed her brows. "Yours is four years late, and it's showing signs of… I don't know, a third of the Shards? Fire, shifting, illusions… and that's not even all, is it?"

He laughed bitterly and met her eyes. "You think I don't know that? I've been hiding it my whole life, Iora. No Core, no place. Now this?" He gestured at himself, then at the wrecked room. "I'm in trouble. Deep trouble. And I don't know what to do."

Silence stretched between them. Iora tapped her knee restlessly while Karl stared at the ceiling.

"There's a tech nerd I know," Iora said, her eyes lighting up. "His name is Ryn. He's good with Core readings, and the good news is that he is off the grid. Maybe he could—"

"No!" Karl cut in, his eyes flashing with panic. "You can't tell anyone. Not a soul. Promise me."

She blinked, caught off guard by the desperation in his tone. "Okay, okay. I won't. But we can't just sit here—"

"I'm hungry," he said abruptly, rubbing his face. His stomach growled loudly and he sighed. "I am starving, actually."

Iora stood, brushing her hands on her pants. "Hold on. I'll get you something." She stepped back, her body tensing as she took another view of the apartment. Then she shifted.

Her form shimmered, bones realigning with a fluid grace, and in seconds she was a cheetah—sleek, golden, with black spots dappling her coat. Her green eyes gleamed fiercely as she padded toward the window, her muscles rippling under her fur.

Karl stared, awe washing over him. Her power was so controlled. It was everything his own wasn't. She slipped through the open frame and vanished into the night.

The room suddenly felt empty without her.

Karl leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to take the events of the evening in. Then panic hit. His chest tightened, his eyes shooting open as realization sank in.

He didn't know anything about Iora and he trusted her this much. She could run straight to anyone and bring them pounding back to his door.

He had no idea how much of this she could endure. Hell, he had no idea how much more of this he could endure.

"Shit," he cursed loudly, grunting as he hauled himself to his feet.

He stumbled toward the window, peering into the dark, his towel slipping as he gripped the sill. He couldn't see anything except the usual kaleidoscope of colours, the city buzzing with life. And beyond, far into the horizon, were scattered dots of life. The end of shifter shard.

Beyond that was the Misty Shard, a place housing illusionists and weather controllers. And beyond that was the volcanic shard. And so on.

And now Karl doubted which of the shards he belonged to.

"What the hell am I doing trusting her so much?" he muttered, his voice rough with fear. He darted into his room. He had to get out of here. FAST.