As the three of them walked through the bustling city, a futuristic metropolis alive with the hum of life, spacecraft floated across the skies and massive advertising screens blazed with bright, unending light.
Kai, Eugene, and Rese moved forward, unaware that they had unknowingly wandered into a dilapidated slum hidden within this sprawling city. Shadows of people emerged, clutching weapons, their eyes glowing red as if controlled by an unseen force.
Eugene spoke up, his voice tense, "This… this is Septa's power. She can invade people's minds and make them obey her commands."
Rese trembled and whispered, "What do we do now?" before dashing to find a place to hide. She spotted a large barrel, climbed inside, and exhaled slowly.
"Phew… at least I'm safe for now. I'll stay in here until this is over," she muttered.
Kai, watching Rese hide, felt a slight relief and turned to Eugene. "How exactly does Septa's power work?"
Eugene, fending off the mind-controlled attackers while speaking, replied, "Septa can infiltrate thoughts and control the mind. Why?"
Kai asked, "Does the user need to be nearby to do that?"
Eugene, puzzled but focused on fighting, responded, "Yes… why?"
"I might have an idea. Do you know where someone like Septa would hide?"
"No, she'll appear when the time comes. Her power works by controlling minds, so she'll have to show herself eventually," Eugene said.
At that moment, a small girl with long black hair in a gothic Lolita outfit appeared among the mindless crowd.
"I am Septa," she declared, "and from this moment, you shall fall under my control!"
Her gaze pierced Eugene's mind, successfully taking control. Eugene froze. Kai, seeing this, taunted, "I've faced someone with powers like yours before. If you're as strong as you think, try invading my mind!"
Enraged by Kai's defiance, Septa hissed, "Who do you think you are? Where do you come from? Very well, I'll make you a loyal servant!"
She tried to invade Kai's mind, but as she floated in the air, she faltered. "Why… why is this person's mind different? Why is it dark yet filled with a strange light?"
From the depths of Kai's consciousness, a small girl appeared—pink-haired, mid-length hair, eyes shining brightly. She wore a white undershirt, a pink coat, a matching pink skirt, white stockings, and shoes, looking like a magical girl.
"How did you get here… another intruder?" she asked softly, her gaze piercing Septa as if seeing through every fear.
Septa recoiled, desperate to retreat, but she couldn't.
"Why… why can't I escape?" Septa stammered, her fear mounting.
The pink-haired girl smiled faintly. "You've entered my domain, little one…"
"Who… who are you? Let me out!" Septa demanded, panic in her voice.
The girl's eyes scanned her, unraveling all of her thoughts and memories. "You… you've revealed yourself."
Septa's body began to crumble and vanish as she was expelled from Kai's mind. She coughed up blood, fell unconscious, and the mind-controlled people collapsed around them. Eugene regained his senses and turned to Kai.
"What did you just do? How… how did you do that?" Eugene asked.
Kai smirked. "Just as I suspected. Mind-control powers don't work on me. I faced a woman named Anthea once—when she tried, it ended up with her vomiting blood. I figured it would work on Septa too."
Eugene shook his head, impressed. "You're clever… but that was extremely risky."
Kai replied confidently, "I trusted myself. Maybe… maybe it's part of my power. I don't really understand it."
Suddenly, a mysterious man appeared…