Before long, a blue Mercedes slid into a small villa like a fish finding a reef.

The blue-haired youth parked with easy habit, slipped into the garage, opened the door, and stepped out like clockwork in dark shades.

On the way, the blonde girl hugged her legs, curled small in a corner like a hedgehog in winter. Relief pooled when the blue-haired driver showed no interest, just drove in silence as the road unrolled like a gray ribbon.

He said nothing and walked into the villa; Little Loli had no choice and followed like a shadow under a tree.

Inside, it wasn’t lavish; old wooden furniture and plain decor rested like a quiet forest.

“This way.” While Xiao Qianxue peeked around like a curious child, his voice slid out like a pebble dropped in a pond.

She followed the sound; he stood by what looked like an elevator, a button beside it like a tiny moon.

She stepped in and stood beside him. He didn’t even turn; he just pressed the button, and the doors closed like eyelids.

They stayed silent; even Little Loli asked nothing, and the blue-haired youth kept still like stone.

Ten seconds later, the doors opened. In that span she felt her body sink gently, like a leaf lowering on water; a hidden world lay below.

Doors parted, and a silver hall spread before them, walls skinned in bright metal like frozen moonlight.

A table bristled with display screens like a nest of fireflies.

As they stepped in, a crisp girl’s voice rang from every direction like wind bells hung on the walls. “A-Lan, you’re back?”

“Mm.”

“Looks like you brought this cute little girl.” Listening closely, the voice had a mechanical grain, like metal brushed with silk.

“Excuse me, who are you?” the blonde asked, nerves prickling like cold rain; no one was visible.

“I’m the artificial intelligence Hoshina. I told A-Lan to bring you.” Hoshina’s tone stayed warm like tea steam, yet the unseen speaker kept Little Loli tense like a drawn bow.

“Why bring me here? Are you with the Organization?”

“The Organization? Once, yes. I brought you because you sparked my curiosity.” The mechanical girl thought like a human. Her words fell like measured beads and drew the blonde’s curiosity like a dangling thread.

“I know you’ve got a basket of questions. How we found you. What I and A-Lan are to the Organization. What it looks like now. Whether you’re safe. Why an AI knows so much. Right?”

“…Yes.” Hoshina mapped her doubts like constellations, and Little Loli fell silent before admitting it.

“Go grab a seat. And A-Lan, head upstairs for a bit. You’re scaring her.” Hoshina’s voice turned playful, like a winking lantern.

The blue-haired youth obeyed like a soldier on cue, turned, and walked to the elevator.

The doors sealed again like a knife through silk.

He left without fuss, as if he wasn’t worried the blonde would bolt or smash anything.

Watching him go, Xiao Qianxue settled lightly on a big sofa, the cushion exhaling like a cloud.

She tugged down her hood; her long gold hair spilled across her back and the sofa like sunlight.

“Such pretty hair~” A sudden girl’s voice blossomed behind her like a flower.

Little Loli startled and spun. A virtual girl made of projected light sat at her side, the sound focused here like a beam.

It sounded like Hoshina, but not from the walls. A figure gathered the voice and tugged the blonde’s curiosity like a tide.

The virtual girl had pink hair and pink eyes, delicate and cute like a porcelain doll. Her voice sounded tuned, the old electronic burr cleared away like dust.

“Hoshina, are you really just an AI?”

“Yes. A-Lan fell out with the Organization because of me, and now he walks alone.” Hoshina spoke like a rescued princess sighing over her prince, her pink eyes sparkling with tiny stars.

“Um… Hoshina, could you lay out the Ability Organization—how many people, what structure, that kind of thing?”

“Of course. That’s why I invited you—to talk through it.” Hoshina nodded; her pink hair lifted and fell like soft waves.

“To outsiders, the Ability Organization looks like a special state unit, but it isn’t.” Hoshina leaned in, gold eyes meeting pink like sunrise touching cherry blossom. “Do you know Lin Fan’s identity?”

“Ah… I do. He’s the eldest son of the family behind the Organization’s throne.” She pressed a hand to her chin, her gaze drifting sideways like a kite, thinking.

“Right. Behind the Organization stand three or four ruling families.”

“Only a few among them are gifted as espers.”

“The rest are espers by birth or pure chance—like A-Lan.” Speaking A-Lan’s name, Hoshina’s tone wobbled like a plucked string.

“Wait, Hoshina, are you saying the blue-haired guy is called A-Lan?” Since they were already here, Little Loli let the question fly like an arrow.

“No. His original name is Bloo. I just call him A-Lan out of habit.” Hoshina shook her head hard, like a bell swung. “No tangents—we haven’t finished the main thing!”

“Those families sometimes clash, sometimes ally.” “But the Organization holds one rule above all: you don’t strike at fellow members.”

“If someone breaks it, every other esper rises against them, no matter who they are.”

“Then how did you find me?”

“Your wanted notice was all over the net, so I dug in. I even recorded that fight of yours that day, you know~” Hoshina waved at empty air; a video pane bloomed like a mirror.

“All right, I get it. Continue.” Little Loli didn’t want to relive it; she cut the air with a wave like a fan and addressed Hoshina.

“Okay then, let’s keep going…”