Avarice cruised through the sky. He knew it wouldn't be long before Alissia found him, but he needed some fresh air, away from the warden and her watchdogs.

  Looking around at the sector and its listless inhabitants, Avarice noted how the sector felt significantly less appetizing than most places he'd been to. These people did things out of duty, not ambition.

  He looked back, sensing Alissia and Za'Fia flying toward him. They didn't seem to be in a rush, but he was undoubtedly being glared at by Alissia. He'd suppressed his energy as best he could, but flying still made him leak some. Not that it helped, considering Alissia's powers.

  "Nuisances," he grumbled as he looked down and noticed an unusually pleasant area compared to everything else.

  When he landed, he noticed it was part of a private home. The air was steamy and smelled pleasant. He was in a private spa. Whoever lived here must've been wealthy, which was much rarer to see in Forgeton than it was in Pneuma City.

  A slide door to his left slid open as a stunning woman in a towel stepped into the steamy area. She continued to roll her hair into a bun, walking with her eyes closed until Avarice made his presence known.

  "Ahem," he coughed, not looking away. "My apologies. It seems I've invaded your..."

  "What the hell are you doing here? Did you follow me?" the klevonian demanded calmly as she finished stuffing her hair in a bun. "Didn't take you for a creep."

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  Avarice stared at her closely as it dawned on him that this was Ject standing before him.

  "You're staring," she stated flatly as she casually removed her towel and headed into the hot water.

  "Interesting, I assumed you were disfigured beneath that mask," Avarice stated, approaching her black-bottomed, lavish tub. It gave off the appearance of her bathing in black water. He touched the tub's rims, and a thin stream of gold weaved throughout it, making it appear like black-and-gold marble and appealing to him even more. Ject didn't seem to mind either.

  "Nice touch," she commented, rubbing soap across her skin.

  "I know," he replied, self-assured. "You're beautiful, so..."

  "Why do I hide my appearance?" she finished. "I grew up with everyone expecting me to be someone I'm not. Always being told that 'beautiful girls don't talk that way' or 'You have to sit this way'. I was expected to care what everyone else thought about me. This sector was once a place not too different from the Succubus District. Since my face seemed to be a problem in my life, I chose to hide it. No one generates those kinds of expectations of a mysterious person behind a mask. Then, once I took over as a General, I shaped my sector to a place where people don't have to care about what everyone thinks. There's no social pressure here," she finished saying while lathering her legs.

  At that moment, Alissia and Za'Fia lowered from the sky.

  "Oh, God, Avarice, what are you doing here?" Alissia exclaimed in shock, covering her eyes.

  "It's okay. If I felt bothered, he'd be unconscious already," Ject remarked without looking at them.

  "However," the dark book from earlier manifested next to Ject, giving off an ominous energy. "I don't care for bathing in front of a crowd, so either leave or stand so I can cut each of your eyes."

  "She's joking, right?" Za'Fia asked.

  "Doubtful," Avarice rose into the air.

  Alissia looked at Za'Fia, then back at Ject, before shrugging, and they flew behind him.

  ****