"I bring my radiance to you, tonight." (Mayakuro)

Chapter 1: Sunset Mirage

The cold air whistles, filling the silence that engulfed the town of Seisho. Loud running footsteps can be heard as the police scower the narrow streets, desperate to apprehend the elusive thief. A dark figure ascends into the sky, their eyes sparkling hues of purple. His red cape flutters with the wind as he stands on top of the ringing church bells.

Ah... elle est ici. He thought as he grins in delight when he sees the person he's been waiting for.

Detective Saijo stood there with fog on her breath. The moon's brightness highlighted her golden mane and the fire in her eyes being one of the few things that keep the thief going. She shoots,
One.
Two.
Three bullets only to be gracefully dodged by the unknown man. He stops, moving forward to meet the detective, unguarded. It frustrated her, it was a taunt saying "I can easily dodge your bullet even in point-blank range."

She glares at the masked thief as she points her gun between his mask. It fascinated the thief even on the brink of his death. A joyous smile never left his face.

"Good morning, Saijo-san."

Then he vanishes out of sight, leaving a familiar card that made Claudine's blood boil.

Seems like midnight has already passed.

——

It started with a simple white-sapphire blue card. A conspicuous card clearly indicating its sender's intentions.

Come tomorrow midnight, Astral Light will disappear within my flight.

A king made the pendant in question as a token of his affection for a commoner, resulting in his death. It was fully composed of natural diamonds with a tint of gold in the middle. Heavily guarded, considering they deemed it as a priceless artifact that symbolizes love, is truly blinding. Still, more night watchers and patrols were present that fateful night.

Then he flew. Wearing a black suit accented with red and gold details. His cape blocking the light coming from the moon. In his hand, the artifact shone in the eyes of his pursuers, horrified on how he got it without them noticing. Claudine took off chasing the thief with sheer determination, her gun shooting at the flying man. The thief landed on a dead-end street where Claudine caught up with him.

"A dream is not something one has... It's something that enchants. Only one shall obtain that glittering star... I look forward to meeting you again, Saijo-san." He disappears, not without leaving an infuriating smile burned in Claudine's memory.

The headlines were filled with the phantom thief's name. The people adorned all of his successful tricks, gaining a lot of attention from the public. And every time he sends a notice, an enormous crowd would wait, wanting to see the gentleman thief at work themselves. It was dazzling to watch someone achieve the impossible, so dazzling, women swooned at the man in question.

And Aijo Karen was one of them.

"Ah!!! Mahiru-chan, Tengoku's so cool! Last time, he was in front of me then when I blinked for a second, he suddenly flew! I want to fly too!" Despite being a police officer, she admired the thief and was part of his fan club. She even bought merch much to Claudine's dismay.

"Karen-chan, he's a thief, remember?" Tsuyuzaki Mahiru spoke with the usual softness in her voice. Ruffling the redhead's hair as she continues to babble on how cool the elusive thief.

"Tengoku Kagayaku." The name rolled past the detective's tongue as she reviews documents about him. She really wanted to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off his face and throw him in the pits of prison. The bitter taste of the coffee lingers in her mouth, as she tries to have a moment of peace, closing her eyes in content. Her moment of peace, though, was cut short. Isurugi Futaba burst through the doors of the office, clearly rushing to tell something.