The capital had millions of people.
Yet Aria had never seen the streets like this before.
Empty.
Not completely empty — people were still walking everywhere — but something felt strange.
Very strange.
The moment Aria stepped outside the courthouse, the thin lawyer quickly wrapped a dark cloth around her head and face.
"Don't remove this," he said quietly.
He didn't explain why.
At first Aria didn't understand.
But as they walked through the crowded streets of the capital, she slowly began to notice something.
Everyone looked… different.
Not in the way humans normally looked different.
Different in a way she had never seen before.
The man walking past them carried heavy bags across his shoulders. His body was large and muscular, but what caught Aria's attention were the two thick curved horns growing from the sides of his head.
A child ran past them laughing.
Long soft ears bounced behind the child's head as she ran.
Further down the street, a woman leaned from a shop window. Her fingers ended in small curved claws as she counted coins.
Everywhere Aria looked, she saw the same thing.
Ears.
Tails.
Claws.
Horns.
Every person carried some kind of racial trait.
Every person except her.
She suddenly understood why the lawyer had covered her head.
If someone noticed her lack of traits…
They would know immediately.
A human.
Her fingers slowly touched the cloth covering her head.
The lawyer had hidden her ears.
Hidden her face.
Hidden what she really was.
Aria walked silently beside him.
For the first time in her life, she felt like she was walking through a world that had never been meant for her.
The lawyer's home stood in a quieter district far from the main roads.
A small house.
Simple.
Clean.
Nothing like the trash mountains Aria had grown up in.
When they entered, the lawyer carefully locked the door behind them.
Only then did he remove the cloth from Aria's head.
She blinked slightly, adjusting to the warm light inside the house.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Aria looked around the room curiously.
Wooden shelves.
Books.
A desk covered with papers.
It felt strangely peaceful.
After a long silence, Aria finally spoke.
"…Your name?"
The lawyer froze.
He blinked twice.
"…My name?"
Aria nodded.
"Yes."
The man rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"You're asking me that now?"
Aria tilted her head.
The lawyer sighed.
"I introduced myself earlier."
Aria stared at him silently.
"…Did you?"
The man stared back.
"Yes."
Another pause.
"…When?"
The lawyer opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
Then let out a defeated sigh.
"…Alright."
He adjusted his glasses.
"My name is Allan B. Dordian."
He pointed at himself as if presenting official evidence.
"Lawyer. Member of the Dordian race."
Only now did Aria notice the elegant horns rising gently from the sides of his head.
They curved backward smoothly, thin and graceful.
They looked almost fragile.
Aria studied them carefully.
Allan suddenly shifted uncomfortably.
"Please don't stare at them like that."
"…Why?"
"Because it makes me feel like a museum exhibit."
Aria thought about this.
"…What is a museum?"
Allan blinked.
Then he sighed again.
"…We have a lot to teach you."
Allan walked to his desk and began organizing several documents.
"You can't stay here forever," he said calmly.
Aria watched him quietly.
"There's a place I want you to go."
He held up one of the papers.
"The University of Berci."
Aria repeated the unfamiliar word slowly.
"…Uni…versity?"
"It's a place where people study," Allan explained.
"You'll learn how to read. Write. Speak properly."
He looked at her seriously.
"And more importantly, you'll be somewhere safe."
Aria tilted her head slightly.
"Why?"
Allan paused.
Then answered honestly.
"Because there are people there who won't judge you by your race."
Aria didn't respond.
But the words stayed in her mind.
Suddenly—
Knock. Knock.
Someone tapped lightly on the door.
Allan brightened immediately.
"Oh! That must be her."
He quickly walked to the entrance and opened the door.
A woman stepped inside.
She had a sharp pointed nose and bright curious eyes.
When she spoke, her words sounded slightly strange — almost like her teeth tapped together softly between sentences.
"Did you bring her already?" the woman asked.
Allan smiled warmly.
"Perfect timing."
He turned toward Aria.
"This is Jennie B."
He gestured proudly.
"My wife."
Jennie waved cheerfully.
"Hello."
Aria looked at her quietly.
Allan continued.
"She will guide you to the University of Berci."
Jennie nodded enthusiastically.
"And I'll teach you whatever you want to learn."
She crouched slightly so she was closer to Aria's eye level.
"Reading. Writing. Talking. Even how to eat properly without looking like a starving street goblin."
Allan coughed awkwardly.
"…Jennie."
"What?"
"You're supposed to encourage her."
"I am encouraging her."
Jennie smiled brightly at Aria.
"You survived Trash Street."
"That means you're already tougher than most university students."
For the first time in a long while—
Aria felt something unfamiliar.
Something small.
Something warm.
Maybe…
This strange house…
And these strange people…
Were the beginning of something new.