Mirae Walkers

Chapter I

Keoni liked the peace and quiet of the library more than anything else. Nobody could disturb her while she engulfed herself in a world, far, far away.

The commotion outside - Mir-Hunters yelling at one another - could be easily ignored with a good book.

Keoni didn't want anything else. Gardening and reading. Nobody bothered her in her little corner.

The little plant in her reading corner seemed especially droopy today. Its leaves tried touching the wooden windowsill, but without luck. Keoni kept giving it the perfect amount of love to keep it alive, and it seemed to be working, more or less. That was something else she enjoyed more than anything.

The chaos outside continued to pursue. She couldn't care less, however. Everything the hunters were capable of doing was being loud, stupid, and overly aggressive. Their noise was consistent. Every day, they were chasing another so-called 'Mir-Cognate' for their magic. Every time, they had been chasing a normal civilian because a "bit more than usual" amount of magic was radiating off of them.

That was just the way Everton always was: Mir-Hunters, trying to make their living. Keoni wasn't stupid like that. She instead spent most of her day reading in the library. Half of these books she was yet to peruse through, an entire half of the dusty shelves brimming with leather covers on paper.

The roof of the library was tall and rounded, allowing for an attic to be placed there. Ryley had taken Keoni up there a few times, so that she could help him bind some books. That was another thing she enjoyed; making books was so relaxing, with the constant rhythm of folding and sewing.

The walls were made of cobblestone, the quadrilateral-looking blocks always fun to trace with the eye. Though it was built long before most of Everton had ever existed, it was still more stable than most residence buildings built by hand. The more recent, modern buildings such as the apartment complex Keoni lived in were much, much better due to the more advanced technology organizations were moving to using.

Ryley was the main assistant here. He was Keoni's age, and she'd known him for a long time. His family adopted her, though she still lived in her own home. He was a red deer with still-growing antlers and a love for linguistics. He mostly cleaned up in the library, returning any misplaced books back onto their shelves or helping people check books out. Him and her were technically siblings, but Keoni treated him more like a very close friend.

More muffled yells came through the walls. The Mir-Hunters were nearby, "hot on the case." Their persistence was really quite annoying. Never had Keoni actually seen them catch a Mir-Cognate, nor did she believe they actually existed.

The doors to the library burst open as several Mir-Hunters rushed inside, knocking books off the shelves and sending whitewash dust off the walls. They ignored the mess as they stormed in and right up to Ryley, who was sitting at his desk and reading. He glanced up at them casually.

Alright, now they were her problem.

Keoni closed her book after marking her spot, stuffing the book and her other items into her bag. She looked up and strained her ears to listen to their quarrel.

"Hand over the fugitive and no one in here gets hurt." The lead of the pack - a middle-aged human - boomed through the echoey space. He slammed his hands onto the desk, causing Keoni to flinch. Ryley looked back down at his book, turning the page, then marking his place. He stared at them for several moments, then sighed.

"What do you mean?" He asked, keeping his tone soft. Keoni would not have the courage to keep a calm face like that.

"The Deformity!! I know you're hiding one here!" He spat. At this, the deer just leaned on his hand across the table, looking unimpressed.