Aya desded the Seelim bus after another hard day of work, she swayed on her feet, tired from the way she had to push the manual mail cart up and down the elevator for her mail runs. "If only they could get the hover carts." Aya sighed as she began her short walk back to the apartment plex. As she approached, the sound of voices roused her from her thoughts about Moon Valley, fearing it was the intruder again she ducked behind a wall and peered out from the side to see two figures. Her eyes widened from the shock of what she was seeing, Aya spped a hand over her mouth to hide the gasp that threateo escape her.Two figures huddled together in the darkness of the building's entrance. A tall portly man with a balding head and poorly shaven beard and Aya's thin cruel aunt. The man she had not seen in years. Mr. Fido. Aya still remembered his face after he had abandoned her to the clutches of Lydia and her greed, the only thing she wondered was what he was doing here and why now. Why after all these years had he shown up now? It had been two years since she st saw him. When he abandoned her and during her grandmother's funeral the tter which repaid for by Aya's mother. Aya moved closer, ining her head at an ao listen. "I've told you ond I'll tell you again Lydia, we ot sell the house without the deed to the property, why haven't you asked Aya about it?" "Listen to yourself Fido, if she had the deed to the house she wouldn't be here anymore and then I wouldn't be able to extort that man for more money you fool!" Lydia hissed. "Extort?" Aya gasped, her heart thrummed against her chest, just who were they ext? Her parents? Did she have family somewhere? Aya's chest tightened making it difficult for her to breathe. "You have access to your tenant's rooms, why not search the property when she leaves." "Because the stupid brat had her locks ged after a break-in." Lydia barked. Aya let out a sigh of relief, ging the locks had cost her most of her paycheck but knowing that it saved her from a terrible fate seemed to have been worth it. "Besides," Lydia tinued, "If the stupid girl had the deed she wouldn't be in this house I say that's proof enough she doesn't have it."Fido seemed to fold his arms and shuffle around in the evening cold. The two talked for a moment and soo into his beat-up car straight out of memory ne. Aya would never fet the vehicle that dropped her into this life.Lydia returo the apartment. Aya pressed her back against the worn walls, doing her best not to make a sound. After a few moments, when she was sure the coast was clear, she was calm enough to go up the stairs and find her friend. ---------- Mars pulled open the door to find Aya, hand up posed in the middle of rapping at her doorway."I think my aunt did something to my grandmother!" Aya said in a harsh whisper. Mars's eyes softened as she stared at the shaking girl at her doorstep. Aya's face was stained with tears, the girl gritted her teeth as she tried to process what she had just told Mars.Mars took her by the shoulder and led her into the apartment, she sat the girl on the living room couch. The dark haired girl folded her arms, frowning. A stern expression crossed her face as she sidered the implications of Aya's words. She leaned against the ter waiting for Aya to speak. "Start from the beginning." "My grandma got sick when I was a teenager and she made a deal with my aunt to house me at a cheaper rate thaher tenants. Of course, Aunt Lydia has been raising my rent every month." Aya said. Mars nearly growled at the revetion, she knew Aya's aunt was a bitch but this was more than she had thought. Aya rets the versation she overheard about the deed to the house and the possibility that her aunt was ext a possible serving family member. Mars stepped closer to Aya with only ohing in mind. "You know what you have to dht? You have to find them, this person you think is reted to you.""How?" "Do you have any clues who they could be, a strater? Easter eggs of some kind?" Mars asked running fihrough her hair. Aya paused, thinking deeply until she stumbled upon an answer she knew sourange. "I think they work at Lumos Inbsp;Mars narrowed her eyes, Aya could see in her eyes that she didn't believe her. Aya held her hand up, silently telling Mars to pause before she would say anything. Mars snaps her mouth shut, notig the serious expression on her friend's fabsp;A lump formed in Aya's throat, the prospect of telling Mars that her mother's legacy could possibly be in this game was daunting. So many things could g but she had to try. "There's something in the game that lets me know my mother may have worked on it or someone who knew my mother." Aya started. "I tried to brush it off as ce but there's just been too many examples now." "Is that why you refuse to leave Bloom Haven?" Mars asked, "I admit it was strange, people 't eve into it, those who do delete their at because the area is so buggy and unfinished but you thrive there." Aya csped her hands together, pressing her lips together, she liked Mars but she didn't want to give too much away.Mars sighed, uning her arms and ing to sit beside Aya. "I have my secrets too so I won't pry, but if the deed to yrandmother's house is really amongst the things you moved into this apartment with, look for it." "I don't even know where to start if she left something with me I've never seen it Mars," Aya said.Mars smirked, bopping Aya's nose. "Silly girl, if I wao keep something from someone would I keep it in an obvious pce?" Mars asked. Aya's eyes widened, and the realization hit her. What if the deed was in the game as well? "I have to find those papers," Aya said in suddeermination. She stared down at her hand, saddeears welled up in her eyes. She grabbed her face, feeling pressure build up in her chest. The first sob escaped her, a sad and quiet sound that caught Mars off guard. Aya was doing a good job keeping it all in until now.Mars watched the tears roll down Aya's cheeks as she allowed herself to cry from the revetion. "I always thought she was siow I'm thinking, well something must have happened. Aunt Lydia already has this building, why would she want my grandmother's house?" Mars put a stiffly awkward arm around the g girl, trying to fort her as best as she could. Aya hugged the girl, practically attag herself to the other like a koa around a tree. Mars let her, exhaling as she watched Aya with a soft gaze. "Will you be alright Aya? You know, by yourself?" Mars asked. Aya shook her head. "I won't but I have to know what happeo my mom and dad, what happeo my grandmother," Aya said with deep viars sighed, she pulled the girl closer to her in worry. "Alright, just keep me updated I guess. But Aya I uand your situation somewhat." Mars said slowly. Aya could see she was thinking her words over. Mars was a mysterious girl, Aya reasoned. A girl who showed up out of nowhere with gaming equipment reserved only for the elite. She refused to talk about her past but Aya uood. "I will, I have to sleep now. I've got work tomorrow." "'t you call in sick or something?" Mars said growing angry. "There's no way you'll be able to keep this shit off your mind fod's sake.""There's nothing I do about it, pany cuse says I will have to put in a notice for sick leave in advance," Aya said ying her palms open. "And sino one knows when they're going to be sick, it's a lose-lose." Mars snarled. She bared her teeth like something wild and held on to Aya."Quit your job," she said. "What?" The dark haired girl shook Aya hard in desperation. "Aya listen to me, you've made more from nearly two weeks of gaming than you’ve made in a month, there's no reason to stay at such a shitty job! Please." Mars said. She softened her voice towards the end. "If you want to be a pro pyer I train you, just quit. You ime to get to the bottom of this mystery.""But my rent Mars." "You have the month to make that money back, there must be something you sell within your iht now isn't there?" Mars asked letting go of Aya. "I mean yeah I have a fire stone and a grass stone," Aya said, she rubbed her fad soon a wave of exhaustion hit her. It was all getting too mud sooears began anew. Aya cried and Mars was there to fort her friend. She cradled the girl close to her, allowing Aya to rest her head on her shoulder. It seemed like ay had passed and soowo sat in sileil the quiet sniffles died down."I o quit, to py ao the bottom of this." "And don't fet you o tact Lumos inc. See if someone has your surname or your mother's maiden name.""I took my mother's name, I never knew my dad's. He took her oo!" Mars paused at that, Aya knew she wao say something but she let it go. She felt she had overstayed her wele and stood abruptly from Mars' coubsp;"I o get bay apartment." Mars sighed. "You don't o run away Aya, I would rather you spend the night here. You don't know if you're in da your pce. And with what you've told me, you probably are." Mars reasoned. Mars dropped her head with a sigh, rubbing her head. "Look just stay here tonight, it'll be safer," Mars said disappearing into a room aurning with a fluffy pillow and b in each hand. "I'll get you something to eat." ---------- Dinner was a double serving of ramen bowls Aya fell asleep over. Mars watched the girl gently sn over a half finished ramen bowl, she huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her fad pulling back the chair so she could help Aya to the couch where she would be sleeping. "Silly girl," Mars said under her breath as she lifted Aya to the couch. She id the girl doropped the pillow under her head, then draped the b over Aya's shoulder. "I o think," Mars said heading to her room to sit on the bed. AnnouChapter 33 now up on Patreon