Walking around the city streets with no particular direction, Marysville finally made up her mind to visit her usual reading spot—the library. She strolled until she reached the bus stop, when something caught her attention.
On the other side of the road, a not-so-tall man with gray hair was running—being chased by three police officers in uniform.
He wore a casual gray sweatshirt, black pants, and white sneakers. As he ran, he shouted, "Wait, wait! I swear it wasn't me!"
"Then why the hell are you running away when we're just trying to interrogate you?" one officer yelled back.
"Obviously because you all started chasing me, shouting I was the holdaper who stole a lady's bag! In that crowd, how can you be sure I'm the guy?"
His voice cracked with frustration, eyes almost brimming with tears.
As the man tried to cross the road in panic, a coupe car nearly hit him. But he flipped acrobatically over its hood, landing on his feet. The police froze in surprise for a moment, stunned by his agility.
Still looking behind at the officers, the man didn't notice Marysville standing in his path. He bumped into her—hard. Their heads collided, leaving Marysville with a reddened forehead and the man with a bleeding nose.
He scrambled up, flustered. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you, miss!"
Marysville winced as she touched her aching forehead. "It's alright… but next time, please be careful."
At that moment, the police caught up to them and cuffed the man.
"You're under arrest for theft," one officer declared.
"What?! I didn't steal anything! Why am I being arrested?!"
Marysville stood up slowly and spoke, her voice calm but firm. "Shouldn't you ask the girl behind you if he's really the one who stole her things?"
Right then, a woman wearing a fitted dress came rushing over, panting heavily.
"Officer! He's not the guy! I mean, yes, they're both wearing gray sweatshirts—but the guy who stole from me was ugly. This guy's… well, he's handsome."
The gray-haired man blinked. "I… I'm handsome?"
The officers looked embarrassed and uncuffed him. "We apologize for the misunderstanding."
The man let out a deep sigh of relief, then smiled at Marysville. "I guess I owe you a thank-you, miss." He chuckled. "And sorry again for bumping into you. My name is—"
Before he could finish, another person came running toward them—a woman with the same gray hair, wearing identical clothes.
"CALEB!"
The man stiffened in fear. "Ca-Cate…"
"What the hell, Caleb?! We just got here and you're already being chased by cops?! I told you not to cause a scene!"
She turned to Marysville and gave an apologetic bow. "I'm so sorry about my brother. He just can't stay out of trouble."
As Cate looked Marysville up and down, her eyes widened slightly with admiration. She then took Marysville's hand gently and knelt like a gentleman.
"May I know the name of this goddess?" Cate asked, smiling playfully.
Marysville blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Cate's demeanor—from annoyed sister to charming flirt.
"…Marysville," she answered hesitantly, her voice soft but firm.
Cate smiled up at her, still holding her hand. "Marysville," she repeated as if savoring the name. "A beautiful name for a beautiful soul. You really saved my brother back there. We owe you one."
Caleb, still nursing his nose, groaned. "Cate, can you not flirt right after yelling at me?"
Cate stood gracefully and patted her brother's shoulder. "You deserved the yelling. You almost got arrested, idiot." Then she turned back to Marysville. "Besides, I was just expressing sincere admiration."
Marysville let out a small, amused exhale and brushed her bangs back. "You two are… interesting." To think that I'd meet these two right here—the protagonist of the game… Cate Cael and Caleb Cael, the characters used by players, the identical twins.
"Understatement of the year," Caleb muttered, dabbing at his nose with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "This isn't even the worst thing that's happened since we got here."
"You just arrived?" Marysville asked, glancing between them.
Cate nodded. "From Lumenas. We're here looking for someone. Family business."
Caleb added with a weak grin, "And definitely not looking to get chased by the police."
Marysville's gaze lingered on them for a moment.
Cate seemed to notice her scrutiny. "I promise we're not as suspicious as we look."
"Don't worry, I'm not suspicious of you two." Marysville raised an eyebrow. "But you're both wearing the exact same outfit."
"We had to pack light," Caleb shrugged.
Cate flashed another grin. "Plus, twinning keeps us connected spiritually."
Marysville actually laughed this time, a quiet chuckle slipping from her lips. She hadn't meant to stay long, but now she was curious.
"I was on my way to the library," she said. "You two should probably lay low for a while. If you're not careful, someone else might mistake you for a criminal."
Cate lit up. "A library? That sounds peaceful. And you strike me as the type who reads deep, ancient poetry or books about murderers."
"…Something like that," Marysville replied with a ghost of a smirk.
Caleb looked at Cate and shrugged. "Could be fun."
"Then it's decided!" Cate clapped her hands. "We'll join you—if you'll have us."
Marysville looked between them, weighing her options. She usually preferred to be alone. But maybe… just this once.
"Fine," she said. "But if either of you cause trouble in the library, I'm leaving you behind."
Caleb raised his hands in surrender. "Scout's honor."
Cate offered her arm dramatically. "Lead the way, Lady Marysville."
Marysville sighed—but she didn't push Cate away. Instead, she walked ahead, the siblings following in her wake as the city buzzed around them.
---
As the trio walked down the busy streets toward the library, the light banter between the twins continued. Marysville kept a few steps ahead, pretending not to listen—though she caught every word.
"Identical outfits and you almost got arrested," Cate said, arms folded. "You're lucky your face is tolerable."
"Our face," Caleb corrected. "You do realize we're identical twins, right?"
Cate rolled her eyes. "Yes, but only one of us carries it with grace."
Marysville glanced back. "Identical twins, huh?"
Cate grinned. "Surprised?"
"Not really. You both look exactly alike."
"Thank you," Caleb said dramatically. "We got the genes of our mother."
As they reached the library, a quiet stillness replaced the city's earlier chaos. The old building stood like a forgotten temple, worn stone and towering windows softened by ivy and time. Marysville stepped inside first, the familiar scent of paper and dust greeting her like an old friend.
"This place is gorgeous," Cate whispered, eyes scanning the rows of shelves and the warm lighting. "Like something out of a dream."
Caleb wandered toward a stack of books. "Definitely not Lumenas-style. Too… peaceful."
Marysville led them to her usual spot—an alcove tucked behind a shelf of myth and history books, where the light filtered through stained glass in violet hues. It was her sanctuary. Letting strangers into it felt strangely intimate.
Cate sat across from her, folding her legs under her and watching Marysville with a curious expression.
"So… do you always help strangers on the street?" Cate asked.
Marysville met her gaze, unbothered. "Only when they're not guilty."
"And what if I told you we were guilty," Cate teased, tilting her head. "Would you regret it?"
Caleb groaned softly. "Cate…"
"I'd regret letting you follow me here," Marysville said, voice cool. Marysville then walks towards the shelf trying to find a book to read.
Cate laughed. "Fair enough." then Cate added. "Remember the crowd on the street before? What was that about?"
Before Marysville answered, she picked up an old book entitled Your Misery. She then pondered 'It's a Fiction book, what is this doing here? A mistake perhaps?' Then she returned to her seat and finally answered Cate's questions.
"Murder…" Marysville said, facial expression unreadable.
"Murder?" Caleb repeated but his tone was more confused.
"Mn…a murder by the serial killer who showed up two years ago, and the targets are always nobles." Marysville paused for Abit before jokingly said. "Thankfully I'm not one of the targets."
"Seems like even the knight Kingdom isn't as peaceful as before." Cate said.
"Not really, it's still as peaceful as it is, thanks to the emperor's hard work." Marysville added.
Then the twins shared a glance. It was subtle, but Marysville caught it—something passed between them that had nothing to do with the library or the earlier chaos.
"What's this 'trying to find someone' you mentioned earlier?" she asked.
Cate hesitated, just for a second, before flashing another disarming smile. "Ah… well, that's complicated. But let's just say we're looking for someone who doesn't want to be found."
Marysville narrowed her eyes slightly. "You said you're from Lumenas?"
"Born and raised under Licht's skies," Caleb answered, pulling out a worn notebook from his bag. "But we've been traveling a lot lately. Our… family's involved in some weird stuff."
"Weird how?"
Cate opened her mouth to respond—but suddenly stiffened.
From across the library, a shadow passed by the farthest window. Slow. Deliberate.
Marysville seems to have noticed the uninvited guest too, but feign ignorance.
Caleb's face darkened as he turned toward it. "He found us."
Cate stood up instantly, all traces of flirtation gone.
Marysville, still seated, raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"
The twins didn't answer. Cate grabbed Caleb's sleeve and began moving toward the back exit of the library.
"Marysville," Cate said quickly, pausing by the end of the shelf. "If you're smart, you'll pretend you never met us."
But Marysville didn't move. Instead, she stood up, her eyes sharper now, and hid a smirk in her face.
Marysville's voice was quiet. "seems like trouble does love following you two."
Caleb looked back.
Then, from the main entrance, a figure in a white cloak stepped into the library.
And just like that, the quiet sanctuary turned into something far more dangerous.