The Beginning

In a card room at Bravehearts Bar on Iron Gate Street.

Maric, dressed in a white shirt and black vest, looked at Miss Sharron as she stepped abruptly out of a mirror. He waved a group of Zombies back under his control over to guard the door, then scratched his slightly disheveled hair and asked in a somewhat hoarse voice:

"You're really going to take the job of protecting that kid? A thousand pounds isn't a small sum, but compared to the danger he might face, it's not much either... You're not the kind of person who takes a job like that just because you need money."

Sharron, with pale blond hair and a black court dress, answered simply, "He's a detective."

"A detective..." Maric clasped his hands and repeated the word. A few seconds later, he said, "Didn't the 'detective' in that lady's 'prophecy' mean Detective Braine? Or at least Detective Stanton... That kid's just an ordinary person. How could he bring us an opportunity?"

"He isn't an ordinary person," Miss Sharron said calmly. After a moment's silence, she added, "I 'saw' a certain danger."

"Even you would be in danger?" Maric's eye twitched. He felt more certain than ever that he'd been right to reject the kid's request the other day. Frowning, he asked again, "Are you sure he's the person from that lady's 'prophecy'?"

"I'm not sure... But we have to try." Sharron's delicate face showed no expression as she answered frankly.

"All right..." Maric had faith in Sharron's abilities and didn't think she would truly be in danger. There was no harm in trying. "But he might not be able to come up with that much money."

"He will." Miss Sharron gazed quietly at Maric with her blue eyes, her tone utterly certain.

Meanwhile, Klein