Chapter 2

Kemori finishes a seven-hour singing performance at the Hungry Hollow and attempts to lure the patron Tarik Relaken away from the establishment, intending to kill him. A mysterious hooded male interrupts her attempt, forcing her to abandon the plan and leave with Tarik following her. Her fellow performer Levvi gives her payment and expresses concern for her safety, revealing that Kemori possesses something—symbolized by an Elding Bird orb—connected to Tarik.

After performing continuously for seven hours, Kemori uses the washroom and observes her reflection: powder-blue eyes, thick red veil, and inky hair. A woman compliments her voice while insulting her status as a 'null' (lacking Creator-given songs). Exiting the washroom, Kemori finds Tarik Relaken waiting in the corridor, a male with red and orange hair and an elemental bead. He compliments her voice and appearance, then demands she drink with him, making increasingly crude advances. Kemori calculates that she can lock the dead bolt and kill him uninterrupted, reaching for the hidden dagger in her bodice. A large, cloaked male suddenly opens the door behind Tarik, disrupting her plan. Tarik immediately shifts his demeanor, politely excusing himself, clearly intimidated by the hooded stranger. Frustrated, Kemori leaves through the establishment's thinning crowd. Levvi, her singing partner, catches her with their commission payment, but Kemori insists Levvi keep it. When Levvi offers escort home out of concern for Kemori's safety given Tarik's attention, Kemori declines, lying that she lives nearby. Levvi presses further, worried about dangers during the night hours. Kemori produces a small glass orb depicting an Elding Bird hatching from flame—revealing her connection to Tarik—and cryptically assures Levvi she needs no protection. Levvi, visibly shaken by understanding the orb's significance, gives Kemori her contact details on parchment. Kemori observes Tarik emerging from the lavatory and leaves the Hungry Hollow. The narrative reveals Kemori intentionally distances herself from relationships, having previously buried emotional attachments.