*Yaawn

“Ugh, whar a night…”

Charlotte said as she woke up. She had slept upside down and her body was hurting because of it. She wasn’t used to this position.

“I wonder how long ‘til I can sleep comfortably again.”

She slept without covers and had taken off her bra, it was too bothersome and wouldn’t let her sleep well. Though, the ache on her back was worse than having a bra while sleeping, mixing the two would be worse.

Sitting on the bed, she searched for something to put on.

She decided on any shirt of Jean’s. The shirt and camisole she had brought were too tight and would hurt her more than anything. So, his were perfect.

Going to his wardrobe, she looked for any shirt she liked and chose one lumberjack shirt she hadn’t seen on him before.

Wearing the shirt, she noticed the shirt went way down, almost covering her thighs entirely, she then saw that the sun wasn’t that high up.

“It should be around 6? 7 maybe?”

She went to her satchel and took out the little crystal. She had stored it there as she wasn’t wearing anything and didn’t want Jean to see it.

“Hello little one… Let’s do things.”

When she said that, she plopped into the bed, head first and facing down. She then started to breath slowly to enter a meditation state. As long as it was done right, one could meditate in whatever position they wanted!

After some seconds, she was again in the Crystal’s Space. She had named it yesterday as it was better to have everything named so she wouldn’t get confused in the future. It was also perfect as she understood the importance of names.

She looked around and then stopped in astonishment.

“They’re gone…? Why?” She muttered, blinking her 'eyes'.

The black spots in her vision were gone! She looked again, trying to look for something amiss. It was akin to when you saw a spider one moment and the next second it was gone! One had to be very cautious as to not get bitten by it!

She couldn’t find any signs of it in the blank space.

“… Last time I made one disappear on the projection… Right, I should also name it… External Projection? Yeah, that sound good. I can always rename it if I think of something better. Hey! Prism! Show me the ‘External Projection’!”

When she finished shouting, the projection of the exterior was shown to her, on there she saw her body only to her hips.

“...! ...Right, I was holding Prism over my head, and it has a limited range… Damn, for a moment I thought something happened to me.”

Being curious, she approached her end rear. She wanted to see how a living being was shown while cut in half and still working.

“Really, I don’t know what I was expecting, hehe.”

Feeling a little ashamed, she scratched her ‘cheek’, of course, she couldn’t do it in this state, but she thought of the action nonetheless. What she saw was a normal leg being cut, and in the cut section, things going in and out, disappearing and appearing again.

Floating up, she then was curious, how the scar on her back looked like. She hadn’t seen it and was only feeling the pain!

She returned to reality, raised the shirt until it was over her shoulders and entered again the Crystal’s Space. Once inside, she immediately called for the External Projection and made a round around herself. She had placed the crystal between her thighs. Once on her back, she froze.

“What, is, that…?”

All the time on these projections, the color was white, but now that she was looking at her burned skin, it was brown!

“Is it because it’s an injury? Could be, but…”

Thinking about the gone black spots, she made a connection. She had to make sure!

Going again to reality, she exited Jean’s room and went to the kitchen. She saw Jean sitting in a small table, quietly watching in front of him, and diagonal to her. On the other end of the table was sitting a man. He was wearing a full black suit, had scars over his face and had sunglasses over his eyes.

“Oh? Miss Hacker is finally out, come, sit, we need to talk.”

The suited man turned his head when he heard Charlotte entering the room, giving her a fright.

“…! I-I’m fuck*d.”

Going back half an hour before Charlotte woke up. Jean was debating with himself between going to work or staying home to help her heal better. He had never seen her be so weak!

If he so desired, he could’ve pushed her down and she wouldn’t have any strength to retaliate!

Yes, she was petite, but she has a fierce personality and her words could hurt more than anything!

Deciding on not going today, he called to his work to make a sick in day. He could compensate it at a latter date or even go without it, receiving a small amonestation.

“Hello, yes, I’m Jean Resseguie, *Cough!" He feigned. "I’m calling because I’m a little sick and can’t possibly go to work, yes, I understand, I’ll give you tomorrow the doctor’s bill, yes, yes. Thank you, good bye sir.”

When he finished speaking, he sighed in resignation. He was no used to lie like this!

“Women can really mess a world from one moment to the other…”

Having decided to stay the day here, he started to prepare a sumptuous breakfast for when she wakes up.

Suddenly, he received a call on his phone. He was one of the friends he had made in the last two years while working for GameWorld. He was also one of the five he had encountered the other day he was out with Charlotte.

“Huh? Derk? What’s up?”

“Hey Jean! Are you okay?”

“Yes? I’m a little sick so I’m not going today to work, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank goodness! Please be careful of the chick you were with before!”

“Eh? Why?” He didn't understand what his friend was trying to say, and what chick he was talking about.

“Open the news and look for it, her face is all over the place! I can’t forget a cute face like hers so I remember her well, they said her name is Charlotte Eschete, that’s her, right?! Just don’t get mixed with her! She’s too dangerous!”

“… Okay, thanks. I’m not feeling good right now, so I’ll be hanging, bye…”

“Oh you’re sick, alright, get well soon!”

Finishing the call, Jean felt at a loss.

Highly dangerous? Who? Charlotte?... Yes, her words do hurt, but she can’t be dangerous.

Something big is going to happen, he was sure of it. He had had that feeling since he saw her yesterday. She had a different aura, like something was weighing on her. At first, he thought that it was because of leaving her parents or the fire, or both. But now he was starting to feel differently.

Turning on his terminal, he started looking for the news. It was displayed as the first page of the news site, and with pretty big letters.

“Wanted! Charlotte Exchete, age 23, stature 1.53. Currently on the run!”

Feeling astonished, he couldn’t think about anything for a minute.

“What. Did. She. Do…?” He had to force the words of his mouth.

He read on the article.

Written in there, it was said that she was the responsible of the hacking of Necox two months ago. Supposedly, she had stolen vital information from the United States of Atalasia that could endanger not only its country, but all the people of the world.

The data she had stolen was, but not only limited to that, the personal information of everyone who used Necox’s social networks.

At the end of the article, it was also said that she was the one who caused the fire on the building she lived yesterday’s night. It was speculated that she did it to erase her traces, and she had done so when she found she was about to get caught.

Any and all information of her would be rewarded, started with a minimum of 10 thousand Gers and going as far as 100 thousand, depending on the veracity of it.

He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t move. The girl that was in his room was a dangerous criminal who would burn down a building just to keep her own safety!

The girl who, albeit a little mischievous, always had a sincere smile and had fun while teasing others, was someone who could stab anyone on the back!

Jean was starting to feel goosebumps all over his body, he was seriously considering on calling the police, right there and then!

He picked up his phone and started to dial the emergency number. Hitting the call button, when there was one sound of connecting the call, he felt despair.

He remembered the face she had when he found her yesterday. In that booth, she was crouching, almost as if she wanted to cry. When they were talking, though she sounded angry and about to lash at anyone who approached her, she was slightly trembling.

He could tell she was scared and didn’t know what to do.

She’s not someone who can fake it… Yes, I need to talk to her first. She's hurt right now and can’t do much, even if she’s guilty, I can hand her over latter.

Regaining a little of his composure, he waited until the call was answered by a feminine voice.

“Thanks for calling to the emergency line, what can I do for you?”

“Yes, it’s regarding this girl, the one who hacked Necox.” He said with firm resolve.

“! Wait a second please… Yes, please do tell.”

“Yesterday, I received a call from her, it was, uhm, around 3 in the morning, so it’s today, she told me that she had to leave the city…”

…

“Thanks for your information. I’d like to get your name and number so in case anything happens we’ll be able to contact you.”

“Yes, my name is Jean Resseguie, my number is xxxx-xxx-xxx.”

“Thank you, have a nice day.”

“… Thanks, you too.”

After finishing the call, he fell to the chair without energy. He was colluding with a criminal and could be framed with it!

Just now, he told the emergency lady that Charlotte was going away to the Principality of Newbughia. Monnimoyes was close to the frontier between Gercy and Newbughia anyway. So there shouldn’t be any problem. At least this way he could distract the efforts of looking for her in the city.

*Knock knock knock

He froze. Someone knocking the door without sounding the bell was bad.

*Knock. Knock. Knock

He gulped, these knocks were more powerful, albeit making the same noise, he could feel the commanding strength between the pause of each knock.

He walked slowly to the door. Right now, he had to do his utmost to make whoever it was go away!

“Who’s it?”

He said without opening the door.

“I am official Gut, I am here to ask some things regarding what you just said.”

Gulping down, he looked through the peephole he never used.

On the other side was a black suited man, who had a medal in his left hand, showing it to the door. Jean opened the door and took a good look at the man.

“I am grateful for your sincerity, I would like to come in, can I?”

Smiling at Jean, the man put away his medal and gestured to the inside.

“Oh, yes, please come in.”

Letting the man in, Jean closed the door and indicated him to go to the kitchen.

“I was making some breakfast, do you want some?”

“No, thanks. A coffee is okay. But I have to say, you are truly trusted by her, huh?”

“…! What do you mean?”

“In here there are no prying ears, so I will be frank. We are protecting her.”

“… What are you talking about…?”

Jean didn’t know what to do, he wanted to keep Charlotte a secret but before it was even mentioned, the other party already knew!

*Sigh

Sighing, the man looked around.

“What they have told the public, is half the truth. She is indeed the one who hacked Necox, but she did not take any information. No one knows what she did with the hacking. But at least it is not what they are saying. That is not to say, what she did will not be dangerous. It is because there is a great factor of uncertainty that she is wanted. The atalasian government, Necox, the Theocracy as well as Decros are all looking for her.”

“…! A-are you serious?”

“If she had hacked Necox and extracted the information they talked about, it would not be that problematic. What they are more concerned about is that she, with the help of Necox’s super computer, had gained direct access to the governments data base, could monitor them and exploit their weaknesses.”

“… Why would they think that? She’s not that kind of girl…!”

Greeting his teeth, Jean said while refusing to accept the man’s, Gut’s, words.

Smirking, the man said.

“You know, was I not on your side, or at least protecting her now, what you just said is tantamount to admitting she is here, or that you are her accomplice.”

“…!”

Jean remained in silence, he wouldn’t talk anymore until he was certain of things.

Waiting for some minutes, the room remained in silence, Jean didn’t know what to do while the man was simply waiting for something.

Suddenly, the man said.

“Right, you offered me some coffee, I am still thirsty.”

“…”

Jean got up from his seat and went on to make some coffee. He didn’t have the mind to eat now, much less do the breakfast.

When the coffee was done, Jean sat down again, giving the man a mug full of coffee.

…

Time ticked by as they waited.

They heard a room opening, they both knew that she had come out. Jean kept staring at the man, waiting for his actions, if he made any suspicious movement, Jean would jump on him. Gut, however, remained in his seat. He didn’t avert his face nor showed any kind of nervousness, as if he had everything under control. And that’s exactly how it was!

Listening to her steps, when she was entering the kitchen, the man looked at her and said.