Menever

Chapter 1: The Fall



The city of Menever was still recovering from the festivities of the previous day, as streams of confetti danced along the bustling sidewalks. Jett Hewitt, who had been lost in thought, shook the bits of paper from his jean vest and pants, his eyes fixed on the orange glow of the sunrise illuminating the towering skyscrapers. With a deep humming coming from a cleaning truck behind him, Jett sighed with relief, signaling the end of his night shift.

As he read the advertisement opposite a bank, he couldn't help but imagine the words being spoken in a dumb, exaggerated voice in his head. He chuckled to himself and recited the ad with his own twist: "Bevekted, the common folk, still clinging to that Anti-Magic, born with it and all. But don't worry, Leif Industries is here to help you shed that natural state and embrace new Contras. Think of it, you could rush through flames like it's nothing or even fly across the sky. Or if Contras aren’t up your alley, we'll even teach you the art of conjuring spoons and forks as a party trick. That's right, at Leif Industries, we'll guide you through your transcendence."

He was awoken from his daydreaming by a loud metallic creak. Jett quickly scanned his surroundings, hand resting on the holstered revolver at his side. He noticed a crowd of people rushing out of the bank across the street, and his instincts kicked in. The people were being chased out by armed men in red hoodies, and Jett knew he had to act fast.

He made his way through the panicked masses and approached the entrance of the bank, confronting the two red-hooded guards stationed there. The guards looked at each other in confusion, as if they had just seen a ghost.

"Wait, what?" one of them whispered. "I thought I saw someone come in.", the other added. Yet, the lobby was empty of human life.

Jett took advantage of their distraction and stepped behind one of the marble pillars in the hallway. But as the main doors closed behind him with a click of the automatic lock, the sound of footsteps alerted Jett to the presence of more armed hostiles inside. He spotted a group of six armed goons marching past him, led by a man with conjured knives floating in the air around him.

Jett knew he had to make his move, but before he could act, one of the goons suddenly stopped and pointed her rifle behind her. "Wasn't there someone back there?" she asked, causing the group to turn and search the pillars one by one.

Jett quickly assessed the situation. The goons phased through the floating knives. Clearly bevekted, but their leader was apt conjurer, who could prove problematic. Jett’s only chance to take out the lead goon was now that he was distracted by the confetti on the ground.

He silently unsheathed his own weapon, a sleek black revolver, and aimed at the man's chest. just as he was about to pull the trigger, one the conjured knives followed the path of the confetti and penetrated deep into Jett’s ankle.

Jett's shot went wide as he was forced to dive behind the pillar to avoid the barrage of conjured knives that flew at him. As the marble was slowly eaten away by bullets, Jett gritted his teeth, as the knife disappeared from his leg, leaving an open behind an open wound. Despite the pain, Jett’s mind raced, knowing that he had to get closer to the lead goon in order to take him out.

Jett closed his eyes and imagined a vivid image of nothingness. This blink activated his Contra, Anti-Huo. His vision was devoid of matter, yet his eyes traced the residue of the goon’s souls, leaving behind afterimages of their leader’s magical conjurations.

With that knowledge, Jett pounced from cover, each of his six shots finding their marks. He kept pushing forward, dodging the conjured knives as he closed in on the lead goon.

The two clashed in a flurry of punches and kicks, their weapons forgotten as they grappled with each other in hand-to-hand combat. The leader's conjured shields simply passed through furniture and the marble pillars in the hallway yet stood in the way of Jett’s punches. Jett relied solely on his physical abilities and combat training. He used his agility to dodge the goon's conjurations and used his strength to deliver powerful blows.

Despite the leader's attempts to defend himself, Jett's relentless attacks proved too much. With a final, powerful uppercut, Jett sent the goon flying backwards. The man hit the ground hard, his conjurations dissipating into thin air as he lost consciousness. Jett stood victorious, panting slightly from the exertion of the fight. As he turned to face the duo of remaining goons, his thoughts briefly flicked to the restrictions of magic.

As Jett stood facing the remaining goons, they hesitated, their fingers twitching nervously on the triggers of their weapons.

"That's him, the ghost," one of them said.

"I heard his Contra can make him invisible," the other goon said, speculation in his voice.

"Nah, it's memory control," the first contested. "He just makes us forget we ever saw him."

Jett seized the opportunity and pointed his empty revolver at the two men. "Hewitt Insurance! Put your weapons down, boys. I don't want to make a mess," he chuckled. The goons reluctantly obeyed, lowering their guns to the ground.

"Wise choice, you won’t forget it" Jett said, keeping his revolver trained on the group as he made his way over to them. Jett took a moment to secure the goons' hands behind their backs with metal restraints, then turned his attention to the hostages with a smirk. "You folks can come out now, the show's over," he announced.

The hostages slowly emerged from their hiding places, their expressions a mix of relief and disbelief. Jett took the time to make sure they were all unharmed, then directed them to the exit, the restrained assailants in tow.

His nonchalant veneer faded as he turned away from the hostages. His right ankle was wrapped around by an orange hoodie, each step followed by a weak hesitation. As he reached the staircase, a foreboding feeling washed over him, a reminder that there were still hostiles lurking in the building. He knew that this was only the beginning, and he steeled himself for what was to come.



Leif was groggy as he awoke in the darkness. The scent of wet paper and old concrete filled his nostrils, reminding him of the basement vault of his bank. The chains of the chair clanged as he struggled against them.

He heard a voice emanating from behind him. "You're awake, good." The deep, menacing tone sent shivers down Leif's spine. He tried to turn his head, but felt the cold, thin barrel of a rifle press against the back of his skull.

"My orders are simple," the voice continued. "If you don't give me what I want, I'll shoot you." Leif's hair was damp with cold sweat as the rifle stayed pressed against his head.

"Where is the key?" the interrogator asked.

"Ha, money was kept in vaults decades ago. It's empty now," Leif replied.

The rifle barrel pushed harder against his head. "Not the key to the vault. The key to your Magic Worm." The interrogator's voice had lost some of its deepened quality, revealing a hint of excitement.

"I'll never tell you that," Leif retorted, standing his ground.

"So, you do have it," the interrogator chuckled.

He pulled his rifle away, taking a few seconds to meditate. Soon, a green glow of time magic surrounded the interrogator. Leif’s movements were playing in reverse, until he returned to his sleeping state. The interrogator then pointed the rifle back at Leif's head.

Leif opened his eyes again, disoriented in the darkness.

"You’re awake, huh?" The voice of a young boy laughed. Cold sweat swept across Leif's retreating hairline.

“Tell me, where’s your Magic Worm.” The boy asked.

With a sudden, loud bang, Leif's shoulders jolted upward, and a burst of light temporarily blinded him. When his vision cleared, he saw the boy lying next to him, draped in a red hoodie that offered a false sense of comfort that the boy was simply unconscious.

Footsteps approached and freed Leif. "Glad to see you, Romano." Leif turned to face his towering subordinate, dressed in unsuspecting office attire. The juxtaposition with her deadly efficiency made Leif smile, albeit faintly.

Leif stretched and made his way to the brand-new hole in his basement wall. "What's the status?"

Before Romano could answer, Leif had reached the edge of the hole and gazed out at the majestic dawn skyline of Menever, now fully visible above the office buildings and growing brighter by the minute. The orange tint of the buildings below was beautiful, but the wind was howling in his ears.

Romano matter-of-factly stated, "600 meters above the ground. There are six people inside, including us." She then tapped his head twice. Leif noticed a faint pain in his temple, one he had had for a while, but it was quickly alleviated by a white flash from his palm. A voice with an elegant British accent entered his mind, "Welcome back, sir."

"Lebedev," Leif thought back.

An image of the bank floating in the sky filled Leif's vision, viewed through Lebedev's eyes. The old office building was a small dot in the sky, but as Lebedev focused, the basement and foundations became fully visible, floating behind fluffy clouds. Leif couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"There are three confirmed hostiles," Lebedev thought. "We can't find a propulsion system, so you're either floating with a skyhook or because of someone's Contra."

"Skyhook?" Leif thought back, unable to decide which option was more ridiculous.

"We're currently evacuating the center," Lebedev responded before Leif could ask.

Leif thanked Lebedev and turned to Romano. "Let's avoid direct conflict. There's a non-zero chance that there are more hostiles sharing a common Contra and keeping the entire bank afloat."

Romano nodded and walked to the edge of the room. Leif grabbed onto her, and she jumped off, forcing Leif to close his eyes and hold on tightly as they fell. He opened his eyes after spitting out some of Romano's hair and saw a rock pillar below them, elevating Romano higher.

Leif thought, "Are reinforcements possible?"

"No, the winds are too harsh for Lila, and you're too high to reach by any other means." Lebedev answered.

At the first floor, the pillar slowed down and Romano jumped off. Leif could see the pillar fall and fade away before placing his legs on ground and slowly letting go off Romano. Leif turned from the broken windows in the lobby he entered from towards the lobby room. Chilling winds echoed across the empty hallways, each screech peeling the plaster off slightly.

As Leif stepped into the lobby, he was immediately struck by the destruction that surrounded him. The once pristine marble pillars now bore the marks of gunfire, chipped and scarred. The bodies of guards and red-hooded attackers lay scattered about, their blood pooling around them and seeping into the concrete floor.

With each step, Leif felt the weight of the scene bearing down on him. The air was chilled, as if it too was mourning the loss of life. He moved slowly, his eyes taking in the details of the tragedy before him. Each step was heavy, like he was walking through molasses. The floor felt colder with each step. The staircase at the end of the hall offered refuge.

"Can you continue?" Romano called out to Leif as she stopped him halfway up the staircase, her tone unchanging. Leif struggled to meet her gaze. "By the way, the boy back there asked me about Magic Worm. He knew I had it."

"Do we relocate it?" Romano asked, her head popping into each office in the hallway as she passed by.

"I'll leave that to you," Leif replied.

The two of them arrived at the final office at the end of the hallway, a wide set of stairs leading up to it, with a plush green mattress at the foot of them. They stood still for a moment, surveying their surroundings. The other offices were all empty, and there was no other way up to Leif's office.

Suddenly, two bodies clad in red tumbled down the staircase, hitting the ground with a thud. Leif and Romano shared a quick glance before jogging up the stairs.

"Hello," a young man with an orange hoodie around his shin greeted them at the top of the stairs, a cocky grin on his face.

"Jett Hewitt," Leif gritted his teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping, would have thought twice had I known this was your bank," Jett chuckled.

"Listen here, I know it was you in the lobby. You-"

"Yeah yeah, I've heard that one before," Jett interrupted. "They're aiming a gun at you, so keep them alive for questioning."

"Your attitude towards human life is sickening," Leif said, disgust etched on his face.

"Wait until you hear my attitude towards stairs," Jett quipped, pointing at his wrapped-up skin.

"Are you two quite done?" Romano interjected, stepping between the two men.

With that, the three of them entered the office. Jett scanned the room, taking in the minimalist design and tatami-like mattress on the ground. But what really caught his eye was a filing cabinet, flying towards them.

The cabinet hit the floor in front of Jett and bounced towards Leif. A conjured pillar accelerated Romano to tackle him out of the way. As the cabinet crashed to the stairs behind them, the group turned their attention back to Leif’s office: the cabinets had been moved away from one of the walls, revealing a safe room. A man of large stature entered from it.

Leif gripped his fists. “Romano, he found it.” He whispered under his breath.

“Hello everyone. My name is Hue.” The towering man introduced himself to the group with a wave, fiddling a flip phone on his other hand. Romano’s hand on Jett’s shoulder was the only reason he had not yet dashed to a fight. Jett blinked, seeing no magic in the room but a string of telepathic connection between Romano and Leif. They were saying awfully lot.

“And this here is, well, Leif’s little secret.” The flip phone seemed tiny in his palm.

Jett saw a string of lilac enter Romano’s head, her face turning from the reassuring neutral to horror. Hue regained attention with a quake originating from a single step. “Alright, I’ll settle for a single hostage.” Leif gave a hesitant nod and stepped forward.

Jett scoffed. It was a three-on-one, there was no better time to push the advantage. When Hue crouched down to grab a rope next to him, Jett decided to rush him. Not even two steps in, His feet felt light. Some papers around him started to float, before he found himself in the air. Jett blinked. No magic. Hue stayed planted on the floor, while Romano was hand standing on the roof. The clouds behind the windows were dashing upwards.

Hue closed the flip phone. Everything in the room crashed down. A wooden table splintered behind Hue, cabinets had crushed paperwork and the dust released by a thick mattress over the tatami floor caused dust clouds to slowly settle in the room. Middle of it all, Hue was standing strong. Leif coughed and held his ankle. Romano was trying to help him up. Jett crawled in place for a while, his lungs out of air.

Hue held his left hand high and pulled down aggressively. An electric wire fell from the ceiling, which he threw in front of Jett. Romano nodded at Leif and stood up, striking the most serious neutral face Jett had seen yet.

“And what do you think happens when I drop this?” Hue threatened the trio. “Do you know what clouds are mainly made of?” He continued and turned to the window behind him, captivated by the veil of morning fog approaching the metropolitan city.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? A cloud can weigh more than 500 tons, yet it stays afloat, due to being dispersed at a large area. Funny. An average person can hold about double their body weight before breaking, yet a cloud can float about freely, never cracking under its own weight. And even the best of Contra users cannot lift that much weight without breaking. The only solution? Disperse the weight. And it worked tremendously. I could lift myself, and after adding some… Mass, I could even lift a car. So, I asked myself, could this cloud lift, say, a bank.”

Leif barely crawled up next to Romano, who was few steps further back than Jett remembered she was a moment ago. “You will never get away with this.”, Leif said. Hue quietly opened his flip phone while dazing in the distance, shutting up Leif’s retorts.

“If what he’s saying is true, these clouds are…” Romano’s cut herself off when a fog started to enter from the windows and a cold sweat built up to the group’s faces.

“Do you know what humans are mainly made of?” Hue grandstanded near the cloud-covered windows. Jett blinked but saw no light; There was no magic involved in moving the clouds. Leif felt the fog surrounding him, filling the room. It actively avoided being breathed in. Jett saw as Leif receive a new telepathic connection, short message, but leaving Leif with a big smile.

Jett’s mind was racing. “Did Hue actually think we’re not attacking him out of fear for our own lives? Of course not. We were waiting for a message.”

“Now!” Leif’s sudden shout kicked Jett out of these thoughts. Leif had raised his hand upright, and a flash of white sparked out of his palm. The white flash bounced between each particle in the fog, quickly covering the room, bright and wide enough to encompass the cloud outside the windows. Rays bright enough to shadow the sun turned heads around the evacuating city below.

Jett and Romano had covered their eyes, but Hue was blinded by the attack. Romano conjured a metal pipe to strike Hue down with. Jett jumped on the stunned Hue, his legs in a deadlock around Hue’s neck. The fog in the room felled to the ground. The clank of the metal pipe and a following thud of Hue’s body engulfed the room in dust anew. In a blink, Hue had been defeated. The fog retreated, and the bank began falling.

Feeling the change in gravity, Leif ran to the windows, while Jett picked up his thoughts. “We were waiting for the good news: The drop zone has been cleared, right outside the museum”, Despite being informed of this, Leif was scouting down towards the approaching traffic circle.

Romano rummaged through Hue’s jacket for the flip phone. Jett let off his lock and joined the search. Leif oversaw the quivering hands and quick pat-downs. He started slapping Hue’s face side to side. No response. He put his hand up to his mouth. No breathing. Hurriedly, he checked the pulse.

Leif stepped back and collapsed behind a downed file locker, bunch of documents shooting up to the air. Romano raised up, remains of a flip phone in her hands. at least what was left of it. It had cracked into two pieces with the back cover gone, and the insides squashed.

Leif looked at the discovery dumbfounded. “Romano, we need to go back.” Leif said, as the sun stopped shining into the room. With no other words, Romano dropped the broken phone and widened his arms.

A green glow enveloped the room, emanating from Romano, first stopping the room from falling. Like strings untangling from a sock, they became longer and plenty over time, completely suffocating his vision towards Romano. A few rogue strings began reaching out to the phone, to Hue, to Leif and finally, Jett. A small tear rolled up into Jett’s eye, as his vision blurred, and his actions were playing in reverse, until he appeared back in time again, completely unaware of his failure.

"Do you know what humans are primarily made of?" Hue chuckled. Lebedev connected with Jett's mind. "Someone traveled back in time and pushed the bank," she revealed, sharing her vision of fog with Jett. Jett didn't need to blink, as he knew the only person capable of such magic was Romano.

Hue surveyed the room, noting that the fog that had previously covered the windows behind him was now gone. A small amount of fog remained in the room, sustaining the building's levitation. Hue swung his arm, causing the fog to follow the movement. Leif braced himself as the wind intensified, his palms releasing a bright white light. The fog in front of him plummeted to the ground. He looked around, noticing that Romano and Leif were being pushed by the thick fog.

"Can't...breathe," Jett gasped, struggling for air as the fog clogged his mouth. Leif rushed to Jett's side, freeing his mouth with a burst of white light from his arm. Leif then rushed towards Romano, who was pointing towards the damaged window.

Still connected to Lebedev's telepathic link, Jett saw the fog on the street outside the bank race upwards, capturing Lebedev's attention. The fog formed a cloud on the top floor, with a large shadow inside. The cloud rapidly traveled over the city, the shadow still inside. Lebedev turned her attention back to the bank.

"It's plummeting off course!" Lebedev's voice shook as she watched in horror as a line of museumgoers streamed out of the circular building, their elegant attire impeding their escape down the confined fire escape staircase. The police officers surrounding the busy traffic circle shouted, "It's headed straight for the museum!" as they frantically tried to warn their fellow officers. But the message wasn't spreading fast enough, until finally, one squad realized they needed to use their radios.

One officer took to the skies on a metal plate, another slithered across the pavement towards the museum, and the rest followed suit. "Evacuate the museum immediately!" The urgent voice on the radio sent a chill down Lebedev's spine as she watched the panicked crowds rush out of the stopped cars, fleeing from the impending disaster.

Lebedev was surrounded by a sea of people rushing past her, but she stood frozen, her mind paralyzed. "Everyone, get out of here now!" she tried to scream, but her voice was nothing more than a whisper. Her knees buckled, and she struggled to catch her breath.

Despite her body's reluctance, Lebedev forced herself to look up. Nothing. She turned to the side, and it was a grave mistake. The pipes beneath the bank were in clear view, their steel gleam too close for comfort. She couldn't move her head, even as the museum crumbled before her very eyes, its walls collapsing like a sandcastle. The force of the impact sent her flying, her vision fading to darkness.

Lebedev found herself awake in a hospital bed. She could tell some hours had passed, if not from the clock on the wall, from the light shining through the window. She looked around, and saw familiar faces, she wasn’t initially sure from where, but noticed a pattern. The police officer who flied up towards the bank, her boss, her coworker Romano, and a young boy.

When she awoke, Lebedev found herself in a hospital bed. The light shining through the window and the clock on the wall told her that hours had passed. As she surveyed the room, she recognized familiar faces - the police officer who flew to the bank, her boss Leif, her coworker Romano, and a young boy.

The boy, his arms crossed and eyes piercing, was awake. Still groggy, Lebedev asked for his name. “Jett Hewitt,” he answered, his voice cold. “Why are we in the same room?” she wondered aloud, a nagging fear that the answer would be grim. “They kept the key witnesses here for questioning. We’re on priority care,” Jett explained.

“Key witnesses, huh?” Lebedev whispered, a thought suddenly dawning on her. “You’re the one I had a telepathic connection to, right?” she asked, her voice trembling with realization. “What were you doing up there?”

Jett sat up, revealing that he had no serious injuries except for a bandage wrapped around his shin. “I’m going to find the first detective to report to,” he said, his tone dismissive as he prepared to leave.

But Lebedev was not so easily dismissed. “So what, we’re not about to die?” she quipped, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

With a limp, Jett made his way to the door. "Nah, but a lot of people did, all thanks to your boss," he said, the weight of his words directing Lebedev's gaze towards Leif.


As Jett sat in the conference hall, his mind was in a state of constant contemplation. He kept fidgeting with a button. "Hewitt Insurance," he read it again and again. The high circular ceiling and the lack of windows made the room feel suffocating, while the Latin motto on the far wall seemed like a cruel reminder of its dullness. Jett glanced around, taking in the sight of the blue flag of the Menever Police Department on the right side of the hall, uniform heads of police officers under it. Private insurance companies sitting in the middle with him and Leif Insurance on the left. Despite his best efforts, Jett couldn't spot Leif himself in the crowd.

Suddenly, Jett's grandfather, Harrison, jostled him out of his thoughts, almost causing Jett to drop the button. As the speaker stepped down from the stage, Jett's grandfather fixed his gaze on the old Asian man who stepped up to the microphone. This was Head of Menever Police Department, Otonashi, and as he began to speak, Jett could sense the nervous energy in the room.

Otonashi reported on the response to the bank incident, praising the first responders for their swift actions and successful avoidance of casualties. However, he noted a discrepancy in the information they had gathered. The suspect appeared to have used an unknown Contra, unlike anything they had seen before, to control the clouds around the bank.

This was a puzzling matter, as everyone present was aware that magic cannot affect physical objects and Contras are only capable of affecting one's own body. Harrison stood up, shouting the words that were on everyone's mind: "Shared Link." When hundreds of people whisper, the sound is like repeated thunder. Otonashi, whilst caught off guard by Harrison's outburst, still managed to explain that the hypothesis was just that, a theory.

As the meeting progressed, Jett's mind was kept occupied by the new telepathic connections between the insurance companies. Before long, Jett and his grandfather were walking in the parking lot.

"Pa, the attackers at the bank knew of me, they even guessed at my Contra," Jett told Harrison.

"Were they right?" Harrison asked.

"No," Jett replied. "But are you sure you've hidden it?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," Harrison replied. “Listen Jett, when I say nobody knows of it, I mean it. Most power is in its most righteous when transparent and publicly discussed. Yours isn’t like most power.”

Jett couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, he couldn't shake the feeling that there were eyes and ears all around, watching his every move. Jett sighed, trying to shake off the feeling of paranoia. As Jett got into the van, he pondered the tactical advantage of their orange van against rust detection. He then glanced over at his grandfather, deep in thought.

"Pa, what’s the deal with Shared Link?" Jett asked from the backseat of the van.

"Just a theoretical device," Harrison replied, shaking his head as he drove. "It's said to be able to control Contras by linking two minds."

The van pulled up to a Hewitt Insurance mansion at the edge of the city center. Surrounded by a chain-link fence and then a brick wall, Jett and Harrison got out and started scaling up the stairs towards the main gate.

"Contras are controlled by the mind," Harrison explained. "It's still a mystery how, but the human mind is uniquely capable of controlling Contras within its body. With Shared Link, two minds can be linked - think of it like telepathy. But instead of linking two minds, it links the two bodies"

"But that sounds like a doomsday device," Jett said.

"It is," Harrison admitted. "But it's still just a theory. If it existed, it would be hard to keep hidden. Yet, the police chief confirmed it. There's no known combination of Contras that allows one person to lift a building.” Harrison rubbed his temples. “I have to admit however that I am not sure how a Shared Link would let one move clouds on its own either.”

Jett whispered, "Do you know what clouds are mainly made of..."

As Harrison opened the gate, Jett looked up at the sky, where the city's light pollution obscured most of the stars. A few satellites blinked on and off, but Jett couldn't spot any specific formations.

"Anyway," Harrison said, "You did great today. I'm so proud of you."

Harrison hugged his grandson. "And you should probably get that shin checked out," he added.

Jett waved goodbye while limping down before hailing a taxi. As Jett made his way up the stairs of his apartment complex, his mind was consumed with thoughts of the meeting he had just attended. The recent developments were racing in his head.

Reaching the third floor, Jett hugged the left side of the white halls, his eyes fixed on the numbers of the apartments as he walked. When he finally arrived at number 349, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

The floors of the apartment were clean, but a maze of corkscrew tables cluttered the walls, each one covered in memo notes connected by wires. Jett walked over to his kitchen, where a note was stuck to his fridge, reminding him of his next task.

He scribbled a quick message on the note, then made his way to his bedroom. As he closed the door behind him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Finally, he could relax. With a tired sigh, Jett collapsed onto his bed and allowed himself to sink into the soft mattress. The meeting and all the thoughts about the Shared Link were forgotten for a moment as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.