You thank her for the hearts. She nods and smiles at you. "Pardon me for not asking earlier. What is your name?"

(Proceed to 1.)

She closes her eyes, making them arch upward. "It's okay. I understand. Please take these candy hearts anyway. I have so many of them, but I can't eat them anymore." She asks you to lend her one of your palms, and places a few candy hearts on your hand.

You thank her for the hearts. She nods and smiles at you. "Pardon me for not asking earlier. What is your name?"

(Proceed to 1.)

She smiles at you and says, "My name is Gloria Alba. I help the differently-abled such as myself with making a respectable livelihood." She digs for something under her blanket, and takes out a photograph, which she hands to you. "Have you seen this person around?"

(Choose between "Yes" (2A) OR "No." (2B))

It's not just that the person in the photograph looks familiar. You've probably seen this exact photo before.

Gloria's eyes widen. "Really? Where is she?"

On second thought, you say, "I don't think I've actually seen her."

Gloria stretches her arms out and takes your hands in hers. With a pleading look on her face, she says, "Please be on the lookout for her. I know she's somewhere here in Centropolis."

You ask her about the woman on the photograph. Who is she to Gloria, anyway?

"This is Aria Serosa. You may have heard about her in the news." Gloria's mouth trembles with every word, her eyes quickly darting left and right. "She's killed a lot of my friends in Atebus. I know she's after me. I used the money I saved up from my old job to move here with another friend." She takes a glance at the nearby alley and asks, "May I ask a favour of you?"

(Choose "Ask her what she wants you to do" (3A) OR "Decline her." (3B))

Gloria takes out a lighter under her blanket, and ignites it. She brings the flame close to the photograph, burning it. She then stretches her arms out and takes your hands in hers. With a pleading look on her face, she says, "Please be on the lookout for her. I know she's somewhere here in Centropolis."

You ask her about the woman on the photograph. Who is she to Gloria, anyway?

"This is Aria Serosa. You may have heard about her in the news." Gloria's mouth trembles with every word, her eyes quickly darting left and right. "She's killed a lot of my friends in Atebus. I know she's after me. I used the money I saved up from my old job to move here with another friend." She takes a glance at the nearby alley and asks, "May I ask a favour of you?"

(Choose "Ask her what she wants you to do" (3A) OR "Decline her." (3B))

She pushes her hair to the back, revealing a SimuLife chip attached to her neck, opposite her purple tattoo. Those devices were all the rage last Masquerade ever since Adriette brought in clothes and technology from Lower Ziara into the Steamworks Menagerie.

"Do you see this in my neck?", she asks.

You nod and tell her that you've heard of SimuLife chips before.

"Can you watch out for people wearing these devices?"

You tell her that you have a few questions in mind. She looks behind her, and tells her to follow you. She steers her wheelchair to the nearest alley. A few teenagers in baggy pants and loose shirts lean against both walls, smoking and laughing loudly.

Gloria continues, "I'm wearing one for pain relief, but there were rumours of the chips causing hallucinations or even death to their wearers. It was only something I used to see in Lower Ziara, but I've seen a few people from Centropolis wear them recently. Try to check if any shops are selling them, and tell me their names the next time we meet. Just try to gather information about them, and say it's for a survey."

You go straight to the point and ask, "Why are you so interested in these chips?"

She tells you to lean closer to her. You oblige, and she whispers something in your ear. "There was a rumour going around that Aria used these chips to trace people, or kill them. I want to see if this is true."

"Shouldn't you be saying this to the police or someone more competent to investigate the matter?", you ask.

"Don't you worry. I work for someone who is helping me investigate this." Her eyes widen as she takes another look at the street. "It's just that our people are slowly being killed off. But don't you worry. I will protect you to the best of my ability." She stretches your arms towards you and give her a hug. "Now," her voice taking on a sombre note, "find a way to get out of here. Quickly."

(Choose "Go back to the street" (4A) OR "Parkour your way up." (4B))

"We just met today.", you tell her. Who is she to think she is entitled to ask favours of you just like that?

"And this may be the last time we meet." She sinks her fingers into her scalp and tugs on her hair forcefully. "I know that Aria wants me dead."

You knew this was going to be risky.

"Will you please help me?", she pleads.

"No, I'm getting out of here." You walk away from her, when she tugs on your shirt. "I really don't want to be persistent, but please. Please consider it." Her eyes tear up. You offer her a tissue, and ask her if she's okay. She wordlessly takes the tissue from you and shakes her head.

Moved with pity, you say, "Okay, I'll help you."

She pushes her hair to the back, revealing a SimuLife chip attached to her neck, opposite her purple tattoo. Those devices were all the rage last Masquerade ever since Adriette brought in clothes and technology from Lower Ziara into the Steamworks Menagerie.

"Do you see this in my neck?", she asks.

You nod and tell her that you've heard of SimuLife chips before.

"Can you watch out for people wearing these devices?"

You tell her that you have a few questions in mind. She looks behind her, and tells her to follow you. She steers her wheelchair to the nearest alley. A few teenagers in baggy pants and loose shirts lean against both walls, smoking and laughing loudly.

Gloria continues, "I'm wearing one for pain relief, but there were rumours of the chips causing hallucinations or even death to their wearers. It was only something I used to see in Lower Ziara, but I've seen a few people from Centropolis wear them recently. Try to check if any shops are selling them, and tell me their names the next time we meet. Just try to gather information about them, and say it's for a survey."

You go straight to the point and ask, "Why are you so interested in these chips?"

She tells you to lean closer to her. You oblige, and she whispers something in your ear. "There was a rumour going around that Aria used these chips to trace people, or kill them. I want to see if this is true."

"Shouldn't you be saying this to the police or someone more competent to investigate the matter?", you ask.

"Don't you worry. I work for someone who is helping me investigate this." Her eyes widen as she takes another look at the street. "It's just that our people are slowly being killed off. But don't you worry. I will protect you to the best of my ability." She stretches your arms towards you and give her a hug. "Now," her voice taking on a sombre note, "find a way to get out of here. Quickly."

(Choose "Go back to the street" (4A) OR "Parkour your way up." (4B))

"Watch where you're going, you fool!", he yells. You ignore him, and he walks on. You can hear his footsteps fading in the distance.

Though your curiosity is piqued, you keep your cool so that nobody can pick you out for someone acting suspiciously.

"Are you Gloria Alba?", he asks.

No response.

"Are you Gloria Alba?", he yells.

Still no response. Could she be in danger?

(Choose "Help Gloria" (5A) OR "Get out of there, quickly!" (5B))

Wait, why the heck are you thinking of something this drastic? You can just go to the street.

Taking a few strides back, you stand with one foot in front of the other, legs apart. You press one of your feet firmly against the ground, and the other against the wall.

Your foot pushes off the wall behind you as you run towards the wall in front of you. The ball of one foot makes contact with the wall. Your spring to the opposite wall. You grasp a fine clothesline. Legs extended, you swing your body to propel yourself to a veranda. You hold on to the metal railing on the balcony.

"Are you Gloria Alba?", someone yells from below.

Losing your momentum, you push your body upward and step on the platform of the porch. Why would someone want to have a view of a brick wall? Apprehension fills you as it dawns on you that you are encroaching on someone else's property. An off-white curtain separates you from the inhabitants of the residence you've made yourself a guest of.

"Who's there?", you hear someone say from inside.

You think of how to get out of the veranda and keep scaling up the walls of the two buildings. How were you able to do that just a few moments ago? You're halfway there. Beside a dust pan and a broomstick, a metal rod with hooked ends catches your eye. You take it and mount one end against a railing facing the veranda, while fixing the other end against the veranda's railing. It's loose on the other side.

You take a few deep breaths and hold on to the metal rod. You thrust your body forward. The metal rod is displaced from its attachment to the other railing. You find yourself dangling on the rod, the hook on the veranda railing saving you from falling to your death. Your heart races as you see the shadow of a figure against the curtain. Your palms sweaty, you slip down the rod slowly. You tighten your grip and yell, "HELP!"

Makoto busts out of the curtain, bending against the railing and extending an arm towards you. It startles you enough to make one of your hands let go of the rail.

You reach for his hand. He takes your hand and pulls you up. You land against the hard flooring of the veranda, and wince in pain. He helps you sit up, and examines you from head to toe.

"Is this your first time doing parkour?", he asks.

Overcome with shock, you mutter, "T-thank you." You stand up and look at the room, a modest studio devoid of any extravagant decorations, and notice that there is a single bed, a dining table for one, a desk with a lamp and papers strewn over it. There is a dearth of photographs or paintings on the walls, save for a single illustration framed between two couches.

"Why don't you stay here and rest for a bit? Just let me know if you want coffee, tea, juice, or water.", says Makoto.

You politely decline him and tell him that you have to leave. As you make your way out, he tries to stop you, but you rush to the elevator. Its doors open, and you hit the button for the ground floor. As soon as you reach the ground floor, you bolt out of the elevator and ignore your surroundings as you head to the exit. You walk a bit and turn to the right, to the alley where Gloria took you earlier. You look for her. In the distance, Gloria is on her wheelchair, but you can see some blood on her face.

"Why did you come back?" Gloria gasps as she leans back. The chip on her neck is gone, replaced by some blood.

"What happened to you? Are you okay?", you ask her.

"It hurts, but I'll be fine. Really." A pained grimace on her face, she turns around to look at you. "Let's go."

She manoeuvres her wheelchair out of the alley and into the street. She waves at you, a smile on her face, and pushes onward, into the crowd.

"What were you doing in the hospital?", you ask Al as you walk to Get Mugged.

"Oh, I work here.", she replies. She strides ahead of you and opens the door to the coffee shop for you. As soon as you enter, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee makes its way to your nostrils. Different kinds of customers occupy the seats -- from doctors wearing their white coats, to families, who you presume to be visiting a relative confined in the hospital. You look at the menu and decide on what to order. Al excuses herself and falls in line. As soon as you make your choice, you walk to Al's side. Before you know it, you're up next on the queue.

"Dr. Hiiragi! Will you take a Caramel Frappe Coffee today?", beams Jade with much gusto.

Wait a second. Doctor? She's a doctor?

Al tells you to place your order first. You tell Jade your order, when Al interjects, "Make that two orders, Jade!"

"Okay!", Jade enthusiastically replies. As abruptly as she perked up earlier upon seeing Al, she suddenly has a small pout on her face. Her tone shifts into that of concern as she asks, "Is Fu alright, Doctor? I haven't seen her in class since Survival ended."

With a reassuring voice, Al says, "She's participating in an engineering contest in Ziara City right now."

Jade gasps and her eyes widen. "Whoa. Is that THE Yun Enterprises Big Ideas Engineering Competition?"

"No, it's the Blackmoon Corp Chemical Engineering Olympiad. She told me that she was representing your school." Al's response had a hint of pride, much like a mother would have whenever one of her children accomplished something.

"Oh, congratulations to her in advance! I'm sure she'll win." Jade pauses for a moment and scratches her head. "Wait, what was I supposed to be doing again?", she asks with a blank stare on her face.

Al gently says, "Have you punched our order? You haven't even asked me for my card yet."

"Oh! Right." Jade squarely hits her forehead with her palm. Al hands her two cards, which Jade swipes on the terminal.

"Received your Get Mugged Rewards card and charge card. Your order should be ready in a few moments." Jade hands Al the receipt and her charge card, and gestures for both of you to wait at the claiming area.

"Who is Fu?", you ask Al.

Al places her charge card inside her wallet, and holds on to the receipt. "She's my daughter, Fuyuka. I think I told you that she studies chemical engineering."

"Two orders for Al!", calls a barista. Al thanks him and takes the tray with your orders, and scans the room for two vacant seats. You point to a vacant table next to the window. She sets the tray on the table, and takes the seat facing you.

"I know it's a little strange for us to talk like this when we were never really close last time, so tell me a little more about yourself." Al establishes eye contact with you. Her eyes are slightly red, and she looks fatigued.

You tell her some things about yourself -- your current occupation, your hobbies, and other aspects of your life that you're comfortable with sharing to the public. She nods and smiles, at least giving the impression that she's listening to you. Every now and then, she would note similarities between your interests and hers. You then recall Jade refer to Al as 'Dr. Hiiragi'. Your interest piqued, you ask, "Jade called you Dr. Hiiragi earlier. What do you specialise in?"

A man wearing a white coat stops at the window in front of your table and waves. Al returns the gesture. "I'm a neurosurgeon and neurologist-psychiatrist.", she says as she looks at you again.

While it's a shame that you can't ask her about your regular health concerns, you express amazement.

"I'm just a regular human being." She adds, "I only started practising here in Centropolis two months ago. I was previously based in Atebus."

"Yeah, I remember! Why did you move to Centropolis, then?", you ask.

Al stirs her drink absent-mindedly as she responds, "Wills and Bella were looking into splitting up our organisation into Centropolis and Atebus divisions, so that we can guide the local doctors who participate in our field clinics. Wills and I are here in Centropolis, while Bella and Grace are in Atebus."

You tell her that she's doing some amazing work. She thanks you bashfully. As you take a sip of your drink, she says, "It's what gave me a sense of purpose after my husband died."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you husband die?", you ask.

Al's countenance shifts into a sombre disposition. "He died of end-stage renal failure. At the time, I was not aware of it yet, but the world around us was ending."

It's understandable that someone besieged by grief can feel like things are spiralling out of their control. You reassure her by saying, "I'm sorry for your loss."

She bows and thanks you. "I mean it literally." She intently looks into your eyes. "Like Grace, Bella, and Wills, I come from another world."

So she's one of the mortals that Bella and Grace saved from the destruction of their world?

There is an uneasy silence between both of you for a few moments. Al breaks it when she says, "Bella must have told you how our world was destroyed. I can tell you about it again, if you'd like?"

You wonder if her concern is urgent enough to warrant giving her your phone number. You give it to her anyway, and ask for her number so that you can save it on your phone.

"Thank you. Take care!" Al waves at you. You return the gesture as you go on your way. You notice a Get Mugged outlet right next to the hospital, and decide to get a drink. You can just decide on what you want to drink when you get there.

As soon as you enter the coffee shop, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee makes its way to your nostrils. Different kinds of customers occupy the seats -- from doctors wearing their white coats, to families, who you presume to be visiting a relative confined in the hospital. You fall in line, look at the menu, and decide on what to order. You make your choice, and before you know it, you're up next on the queue.

"Welcome to Get Mugged! How can I help you?" Jade hands you a menu card showcasing Get Mugged's most popular drinks. You place your order and prepare the exact amount for the drink. Jade asks for your name, and writes it on the cup. She verifies with you that your name is spelled correctly, and takes your cash.

"Your order should be ready in a few moments." Jade hands you the receipt, and gestures for you to wait at the claiming area. You watch the barista prepare your order while waiting for your turn.

"One order for [your name here]!", calls a barista. You thank him, take your drink, and scan the room for two vacant seats. The only vacant table has two sofa chairs next to the window.

As you place your drink on the table, a woman manoeuvres her wheelchair towards you.

"Excuse me. Is someone with you?" She points at the chair facing yours.

Though you wonder why she has to look for an empty table when she's already seated, you tell her that you have no companions.

"Thank you. I'm Gloria Alba. Do you mind if I ask you something?", she asks.

Uh-oh. You've heard this line before. People say this before they try to sell a product to you, or lure you with promises of a free item, just to ask you a slew of personally identifying information. You cautiously say, "Sure."

She digs for something under her blanket, and takes out a photograph, which she hands to you. "Have you seen this person around?"

With a soft and cautious voice, she begins, "Our world was in the midst of destruction by a destructive force that made itself manifest in a man whose greed corrupted his heart.

He wanted fame, so he detained my husband and pretended to be him. He wanted power, so he the usurped my husband's position as the Grand Master of our Order. He wanted the world, so he sought the Great Destroyer, and allowed himself to be possessed by him."

Al looks at you, her eyes damp, pleading that you would at the very least listen to her. "I understand if you think I've gone off the deep end. Everyone in the Order thought I lost my mind. How could I be sane when they could see my husband alive and well?

When they learned the truth, it was too late. The rampage of the Destroyer and his vessel began. He broke the seals that once forbade magic in our world, Seneria, and obsessively sought an ancient tome documenting the only written evidence of magic. He thought it had the secret to limitless magic.

I was not present when the succeeding events occurred, for my husband died in front of me in the hospital, from end-stage renal failure. All I know henceforth comes from Wills.

When the Destroyer realised that the tome did not document all known magic, and that it was merely the work of two people, he was enraged. He fused with the tome and became one with it, corrupting the magic inside. He became a wish-granting machine.

While many wanted to make a wish to the Destroyer, they received tainted glimpses of their desires. Whatever the Destroyer granted came with the price of destruction. And so, one woman commanded the Destroyer in the tome to destroy itself.

It agreed, but in exchange, Seneria had to be destroyed along with it. She saw her own death, but that did not matter to her. What was important was that some of us would be saved.

All of us who survived the destruction of our planet were gathered by the angels. The nearest habitable planet with intelligent life was Subeta. After what seemed like eight years of space travel to us mortals, we arrived in your planet more than two years ago. It was difficult to adjust at first. We had non-human peoples in Seneria, too, but things were just… different.

As a doctor, I had to go through board certification again, because none of our documents were valid as far as Subeta is concerned. As did the rest of the doctors who were with me.

I pity that woman, so much. Little did she know that she was duped. So many people died in vain, hoping that with the destruction of Seneria, the Destroyer would be gone.

He followed us to Subeta. Fortunately, he was significantly weakened, and could not pose much harm. Or so we thought. He manipulated a man named Wayne Rodrigues from Atebus, and promised him that he would help him destroy the aliens he hated, if only Wayne did as he commanded.

Through the courage of the Destroyer's sister, he was vanquished. Hopefully once and for all."

Al shakes her head. "I know a lot of this probably doesn't make sense to you. I don't expect that it would. I don't understand it fully, either. I was just hoping I could say this to someone, anyone. My colleagues would surely think I should be a psychiatric case, myself."