A New Arrival and a Hard Lesson

Akai was jolted awake for the second time by noises outside her room. Groaning in frustration, she burst out of her room.

"I will never get a good night's sleep at this rate," she sighed.

"Good morning, Sister Kai!" called one of the little girls.

"I'm not a nun," Akai replied, patting the girl's head. "Call me Big Sis or just Akai."

"The little girl was just wishing you a good morning," said Caligo, approaching her. "You should at least wish her one in return."

"Oh, Mr. Caligo!" Akai perked up with excitement. "Where have you been? After you went missing?"

"I went to retrieve something important," he said with a warm, genuine smile that made Akai smile in return. "Freshen up and join me in the meeting room," he said as he walked away.

Before meeting Caligo, Akai decided to inspect the station. She had woken up late again and missed her chance to join the scouts. However, there was plenty of work to do inside. Some people were still reluctant to follow the rules she had set.

She had to address them firmly. "If you want to live, follow the rules I've established," she said, grabbing the face of one of the disobedient individuals. "Cause any unnecessary trouble, and I'll feed you to my beloved wolf."

Drake, Akai's wolf-dog, stood behind her, growling menacingly. These were the people rescued two days ago who still refused to follow a child's orders.

"You're just children," one man said, full of pride. "How can you possibly take care of us? And scaring us with a big dog won't help."

"Don't move, or you'll die," Kiara said, pointing a gun at the man's head. "You adults were saved by us children just the other day."

Terrified, the man wet his pants and collapsed. Akai sighed, releasing his face and leaving the hall.

"What's with these crazy kids?" the man moaned from the floor. "They're not human," he added, pale and trembling.

Akai hurried to the meeting room to find Caligo. Due to the commotion, she was late. She opened the door to find Caligo staring out the window. The sky was turning gray with gathering clouds. Akai walked closer, trying to see what held his attention.

Down by the main gate, the scouting team had just returned. Light rain fell, and everyone rushed inside for shelter.

"Your friends are unique," Caligo remarked, watching them.

"They are," Akai replied, feeling comfortable in his presence. "My friends are the best in the world," she said, watching Kiara direct everyone inside. "No one compares to them."

"You're very proud," Caligo said.

"I am," she affirmed. "By the way, where were you yesterday? We were worried."

"I went to retrieve something important," Caligo said with a smile. "It might be useful to you soon."

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

Caligo pulled out a golden pendant from his pocket. Adorned with jewels, it was incredibly beautiful. "Touch it," he instructed.

Hesitant, Akai touched the pendant's green center. It began to glow, and the jewels dispersed into the air. The pendant floated, emitting sparks and small green electric streaks. A gust of wind swirled around the room, forming a figure.

It was a man, but he felt different. Dressed in a long, caped robe and an armored mask, his hands were bandaged, and his head was shadowed by his hood. Though Akai couldn't see his eyes, she felt his gaze.

"Holy God," she said in amazement. "What is he?"

"A person trapped in the pendant for hundreds of years," Caligo explained.

"That's incredible," Akai said, trying to contain her excitement. "Magic is amazing, and so are you, Mister." She turned to the man with the armored mask. "May I have your name, please?"

The man remained silent. The room was still as he raised his right hand, writing in the air with strings of golden particles. The letters were familiar but unfamiliar at the same time.

"I don.t have a name" appeared in the air. Akai could only recognize 'I'.

"He says, 'I don't have a name,'" Caligo translated. "He was trapped for so long he lost his name."

"Can you not speak?" Akai asked the man politely.

"Unfortuate yes, it seem that our written language are different from each other," he wrote.

"Unfortunate yes, and it seems our written languages are different," Caligo translated.

"It will be hard to understand you," Akai said. "And you don't even have a name for us to call you."

"You can name him," Caligo suggested. "I got him for your safety."

Akai was surprised. "Why would you help us so much? We were strangers just three days ago."

"I'll be leaving in two days," Caligo said. This shocked Akai.

"Why so suddenly?" she asked.

"My time here is limited," he replied, watching the rain. "I'm doing everything I can now."

"From very far future…" he thought, the rest of his words in his heart. "He is all yours now," Caligo said. "He will follow your orders and protect you with his life."

"He has a heart, right?" Akai asked, looking at the man.

"Yes, he does," Caligo replied.

"Then he's not mindless," Akai said. "That means he has his own will and desires, now or later."

Caligo was impressed by her insight. She was very wise for her age, reminding him of someone he knew.

"You are my 'master' from now," the man wrote, bowing. "I will do whatever you of me."

"You are my 'master' from now on. I will do whatever you ask of me."

"Don't bow to me," Akai said, staring at him. "I am not the 'God' who brought you here. Only bow to God," she added firmly, as her religious beliefs were strong.

"I've thought of a perfect name for you," Akai said, after a moment's thought. "Rayden."

The man seemed to respond positively, even with his mask on.

"Rayden Casper," she said slowly.

Rayden's reaction was subtle, but Akai could tell he was touched. The name was something he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Rayden," she called again.

The sound of his name felt electrifying. Rayden stretched out his hand, and Akai hesitantly placed her hand in his. He gently kissed her knuckles, though his cold metal mask brushed against her skin.

It was an awkward gesture for Akai, who had never experienced such a thing before, especially from a man.

"You don't need to do this," she chuckled, withdrawing her hand. "I'll call you Big Brother from now on, so please don't feel restrained."

"I must follow your commands and wishes," Caligo translated Rayden's written words. "Therefore, I cannot do what I wish, young Miss."

"Did you just call me 'young Miss'?" Akai laughed. "That's better than 'master' at least." She decided to give him a command. "I order you to socialize with everyone around you, including telling them about yourself and making some new friends. You'll also have extra tasks in between. I'll ask for results when the time comes, so be prepared."

Rayden froze. Socializing with others, especially without knowing their language, was challenging.

"Don't worry about the language," Akai said with a smirk. "I'll teach you."

Rayden went silent, but he accepted his new task. Akai found a paper and pen, writing out some characters for him to memorize. She was determined to teach him the written language.

In the underground prison infirmary, Kiara observed the knives embedded in the invisible barrier and commented, "I suppose Akai made the right decision. This boy is getting out of control." She had never seen anyone with such diverse appearances before. "People from the other side are crazy, full of magic and demons."

Dr. Yagi noted the small cracks forming in the barrier. "It's a good thing this barrier is protecting us, or he would have attacked us long ago. But the barrier won't hold much longer," he said, turning to Kiara. "Call Akai here."

"On it," Kiara replied.

Kiara searched the mansion for Akai, enlisting others to help because of its size and Akai's tendency to disappear and reappear unexpectedly. Despite the pouring rain outside, they focused their search indoors. After thirty minutes, Lily commented, "She's always in places nobody expects her to be."

"She was here, no doubt," Lily added as she examined the meeting room full of papers.

"I'm sure Caligo was with her," Rose said.

"Then that means…" Lily's eyes lit up. "She's back in the prison infirmary with the boy."

Everyone hurried underground to check. When they arrived, they saw Dr. Yagi waiting outside the infirmary, watching something inside.

Kiara noticed the knives were gone, and there was no barrier. The wall opposite the door was riddled with holes. As they approached, they saw the doctor's injured arm, bleeding. Their hearts raced with a mix of excitement and worry, especially for Lily, who was eager to see if her guess was correct.

And her guess was spot on. Akai sat in the middle of the room, calmly watching Rayden choke the white-haired boy. The tension was palpable, and nobody dared to intervene, not even Caligo, who sat silently on the bed.

"You dare cause trouble, kid?" Akai asked calmly.

Thirty minutes earlier, Caligo had sensed that one of the prison barriers was about to collapse and informed Akai. She decided to visit quickly, annoyed that the boy was causing trouble right after waking up.

"I was wondering what he was," she said to Caligo.

"A half-demon, half-angel," Caligo replied. "I'm guessing he came through the gates, either by mistake or on purpose."

"Do angels know when someone is strong or weak?" Akai asked, resting her chin on her hand. "Or is it the demon's power?"

"Only special ones can understand, not all of them," Caligo replied. Then he asked, "Did he say anything to you?"

"He did," Akai said without hesitation. "He asked why I wasn't fighting back when the orcs attacked, when I was already strong enough. At first, I thought he was bluffing because he couldn't fight back in his condition."

"He may have seen something in you," Caligo mused. It might have been related to Akai's awakening, which meant he'd have to leave sooner than expected. He was disappointed, as he had hoped to observe more of Akai's early life.

"He's making a ruckus down there," Caligo smiled. "You should visit soon before he causes more problems."

"You're right. I should go," Akai said awkwardly. "He must be confused about why he's chained up like that. We should leave before he causes more trouble."

Both Caligo and Rayden felt the barrier breaking. Rayden stopped writing and got up from his chair.

He wrote in the air, "We should go, young miss."

Akai was impressed by how quickly Rayden had learned the written language, unlike her own struggle to remember even the first ten letters. His rapid learning made her a bit envious. "Sure, sure, let's go."

"I can teleport us there," Rayden wrote. Akai, still absorbed in his thoughts, nodded in agreement. "Please brace yourself."

"Okay," Akai replied.

Rayden's quick action and thinking were impressive, just like Akai's. Caligo had noted Rayden's talent and let him handle the situation. A hint of fresh blood reached Caligo's senses, signaling trouble. Rayden also detected it and informed Akai.

"Let's leave," she said.

In seconds, they arrived at the underground prison infirmary, the surroundings shifting in a blink. Akai nearly tripped upon landing but was caught by Rayden. The sensation reminded her of when she was teleported to school by that warrior. She had never discussed it with Caligo but wanted to.

By the time they arrived, the boy had broken the chains, causing a shockwave that had injured Dr. Yagi. Akai, feeling guilty for the boy's condition, rushed to check on the doctor, her anger rising at the sight of so much blood.

"Rayden," Akai commanded. "Grab him."

Rayden complied without hesitation, holding the boy's neck as he struggled and cursed. Akai took a chair from the corner and sat in the middle of the room. The other students gathered outside the door, watching.

"How dare you, when I saved your life?" the boy said weakly. "Is this how you treat your savior? This world's people are trash, just like mine."

"You're wrong," Akai replied. "We treat our guests and saviors better than our own family. But," she paused, "when guests don't behave in our home, we kick them out after teaching them a hard lesson."

"You sure talk a lot for a human," the boy retorted.

"You're right about that," Akai said, her tone shifting. "I'm a random human talking to a half-breed creature with nowhere to go." Her direct insult had a significant impact on the boy, silencing him.

"Akai, I think he really felt hurt now," Lily said from the crowd.

"I think so too," Akai whispered. She cleared her throat and asked, "By the way, I'm Akai Razaar. What's your name?"

Realizing the boy was still being held by Rayden, she asked him to let go. After being released, the boy collapsed to the floor. Akai rushed to catch him but couldn't fully prevent the fall. The white-haired boy was weak, barely able to open his eyes.

"But he had the energy to put up a fight a minute ago," Akai thought, feeling guilty for what had happened. "Damn it, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have attacked him when he just woke up."

Dr. Yagi ordered the others to prepare a bed in the upper infirmary and rushed upstairs. Lily waited for Akai near the door while Caligo observed silently.

"Look at you," the boy said weakly. "Having double faces for different problems and people." He looked up at the ceiling. "I am Kairos Maxim. I came through the gate to find someone but was hurt while crossing dimensions."

"Don't talk, kid," Akai said, lifting him into her arms. "You'll talk after you wake up again."

"Hey, don't lift me up like this," the boy protested, embarrassed. "My manliness will go away, you freak."

"No time for complaining," Akai said as she carried him out of the room. "Time to go."

"My pride as a man is gone," the boy lamented.

Everyone behind them laughed at the scene. Caligo enjoyed the amusement.

Once the boy was settled in bed, everyone at the station was curious about the new addition to Akai's group.

"This is Rayden," Akai introduced him. "He'll be living with us from now on, so be nice. He has some speech difficulties and will only write his thoughts, so please be cooperative."

After answering questions from everyone, Sky asked who Rayden was to Akai. She replied, "My bodyguard."