"Anyone there?" Zirko called out as he pounded on the door to a bungalow.

  There was no response. This was the third house on Dr. Quinoth's list they had tried, and had had no luck so far. Taka tried to remain optimistic, but the more doors they knocked on with no answer, the harder it became to keep their spirits high.

  Zirko let out an exasperated sigh, "only two more on his list, and they're further into the slums."

  Taka shifted the golem to stand closer to Zirko and peered at the list, scanning over the names.

  "There is no crossover with the known missing persons list," Taka pointed out, trying to get more comfortable speaking aloud.

  The sensation that came from speaking did not feel natural. At first, Taka thought -- assumed -- that the discomfort would fade as he became more accustomed to how it felt to speak from the device on his back. But after his chat with Beja and the god's sour opinion on the nature of Magitech itself, Taka wasn't so sure. The device didn't harm him in any way, not physically, at least, but something felt wrong, like when he and Dylan would eat leftovers that had been sitting in the fridge too long. Dylan had always powered through the discomfort and said he was able to ignore that kind of stomach pain, but Taka couldn't; he hated knowing that something felt off. He considered removing the device, but only for a moment. The ability to speak was not a privilege he would give up so easily.

  Zirko continued to stare at the list and grunted, "I was hoping that all of the children would still be here. Suppose not."

  Dr. Quinoth had told them that up until his most recent research developments, it was quite rare for an individual afflicted with Overload to live through their teenage years. The list the doctor had given them was the names and addresses of all of the beta testers so far, and Dr. Quinoth made a point to emphasize just how valuable the prototypes for the Magia regulation device were.

  Zirko shook his head and began walking away from the bungalow, presumably to the next location on the list. Taka followed.

  As they walked the streets of the outskirts, Taka noticed the residents backing away from Zirko even more quickly now that it was just the lizard man and the golem by his side. The addition of Syla and Maeve to their party apparently made the combination of Zirko and the golem look slightly less threatening than they did without. Zirko acted as if he didn't notice the street urchins size him up and then scramble away well before he came near, but Taka could tell he watched them like a hawk.

  It's safe to assume that the prototype to deal with Magia Overload is directly connected to the attack, Taka sent Zirko.

  I concur. But then... Zirko sent as his thought trailed, continuing to walk toward their next location of interest.

  Then why did they attack Kronkswell simultaneously? Taka guessed.

  Indeed. It seems incredibly inefficient if the true goal was to acquire the Overload prototype, and the Spirit Kingdom is not known for making moves anyone could deem unnecessary, Zirko replied.

  So you suppose their true goal is something else? Related to Overload and the prototype, but directed toward the Demon Empire? Taka asked.

  Zirko grunted, "we have no more than coincidence and conjecture thus far."

  Out of nowhere, Zirko took a sudden turn down an alleyway and grabbed Taka's golem along with him, speeding up to a sprint.

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  Sir Filo, follow me quickly, Zirko sent.

  Taka didn't question the lizard man. Taka trusted the battle mage -- he had to, or he couldn't trust anyone. Zirko led him down another side street, over a pile of sealed crates that Taka barely was able to maneuver the golem over.

  What is going on?! Taka demanded.

  Jambo was trying to tell us something, Zirko replied. The Ambassador wouldn't trust someone who would make an error so amateur as to reveal the start of one of our identities and then cover it up.

  Then why wouldn't he try to get me to open a -- Taka began.

  Because someone may have a way to listen into your ability, Zirko said. We do not know for certain; all we can say is that there has been an intelligence leak, and we are being watched.

  Zirko phased directly through the wall and pulled Taka's golem through with a huff. Taka stumbled as he tried to steady his golem and banged into a wall. With a quick survey of their surroundings, Taka saw Zirko had pulled him into a storage room of sorts. There was a blanket in one corner of the room on the floor, and shelves lined the rest of the space, filled with various boxes and bottles. Zirko stood right next to the... what appeared to be a shimmering window of sorts, semi-translucent like a portal, staring through it. Taka took up position by the lizard man's side and joined Zirko in watching the alleyway.

  They could see through the wall. Taka hadn't noticed it when running by, but there was a faint -- an almost imperceptibly small -- amount of mana coming from the portal, or window, or whatever it was. But from the outside, it looked like a standard wall, entirely unextraordinary.

  What is this place? Taka sent Zirko.

  A safe room, Zirko replied. A smaller one, but still valuable.

  And why-- Taka began before Zirko shot his hand up next to the golem's head.

  Outside of the building, a masked man -- not a man, a masked fae walked by casually. While his pace was leisurely, his gaze was full of determination, scanning his surroundings like a reconnaissance drone. A few seconds after, three more fae materialized out of thin air. Taka stumbled back, but the fae couldn't see him through the wall.

  It's high-level light magic, even stronger illusions than the one Syla cast on you, Zirko sent.

  In a circular formation, the fae checked their surroundings, the masked man joining the three newcomers, who wore the same blank mask and black cloaks. After a few moments, the first one barked an order to the rest, and all four disappeared into nothing just as quickly as they had appeared.

  Zirko let out a low, shallow breath, "not good. That isn't just a scouting team."

  "Were they planning on attacking?" Taka asked, the fear in his chest rising.

  "Don't know," Zirko said, "but they were ready to."

  "When did you notice them trailing us?" Taka asked.

  Zirko winced, "not until after the first house. They likely picked us up after we left the doctor."

  "Do you think they're trying to see if they missed any of the doctor's patients?" Taka queried.

  Zirko smiled back at the worm, "my thoughts exactly."

  "Why didn't we lose them earlier?" Taka asked, confused why Zirko had led them to two more of the spots Dr. Quinoth had given them while he was aware of their tails.

  "We were too far from any of the safe houses, too risky for them to catch on before we could make a break for it," Zirko explained.

  "But if anyone had been at the last two, they would've been in danger," Taka said.

  Zirko considered Taka for a moment, then shook his head.

  "What?" Taka pressed.

  "They aren't the only ones following us. Ambassador Reika wouldn't let us step foot in the outskirts without at least one of her shadows for each of us--"

  "--her 'shadows?'" Taka interjected.

  Zirko waved him off, "it was a calculated risk, and now the Ambassador's people can deal with our tails."

  "What about --" Taka stopped himself before saying their names aloud, even in the safe room.

  "You can speak freely here, but it is good practice not to," Zirko remarked. "They will be fine. I'm confident that Jambo made sure of it."

  From inside the golem, Taka cocked his head, "who is he, really? Besides being the Ambassador's assistant."

  Zirko chuckled, "someone much better to have as a friend than foe."

  Taka could take a hint; if Zirko, renowned battle mage of the Demon Empire, felt that way about the satyr, Taka was compelled to agree and not press the issue.

  "So, what shall we do now?" Taka asked the lizard man.

  Zirko grinned at Taka, "we keep moving forward."