Moonlings: A Clash of Meteors and Mages

Raii Shin's eyes kept on drooping all throughout the class even when it was just the first hour in the morning.

"All right, I think that's it for today."

That sentence from Ma'am Ague woke her up more effectively than her alarm clock. Everyone was about to get up when their dangerously beautiful teacher spoke again.

"By the way, lots of missing cases are being reported, especially here in our area. Be careful, sweeties. I know you're already college students but kidnappers don't choose based on age."

For the first time, Raii Shin felt sincerity oozing off her.

Unlike her seductive aura that forced people around her to look at her, she felt real and true when she said the words like she really was concerned about them. If that was the case, it would be the first time that Raii Shin heard Maam Ague treat them as her beloved students that she claimed to say and not as her fan group.

It made Raii Shin doubt her teacher's killer eyes. Maybe she was just really seeing things?

Raii Shin was about to head again to the library to sleep when her phone vibrated.

UNCLE ORION.

It was not a call. It was a summon.

***

"Thank you for the swift response, moonmages. I'm sorry that you had to leave your daily work, or school, just for this," said Amethyst, the secretary of the agency.

Today, she was wearing a red corporal attire. She was fierce to look at especially with her dark red lipstick.

Raii Shin looked around. She wasn't sure if this was everyone because if it was, it was as if they were too little, considering that they were protecting a whole city. Raii Shin belonged to the Aspida Class and all eight moonmages were present but it seemed like she was the only one who was still studying. Everyone else was wearing the uniform of Orion. The others who filled the back seats were ordinary staff members only.

"Let's start immediately. I'm sure you are all aware of the recent missing cases."

Oh?

"I know that kidnapping and human trafficking are not really surprising cases. We vowed not to meddle in government problems because we only focus on our part but this time, it's a different scenario. We called you here because this is beyond the government's control. We just found out that the root of the missing cases may be connected to the moon."

"Maybe?" asked one of the adult moonmages. His ID read Rex.

"I'll explain. For that, look here. We have collected this for the past three months."

The big screen in front of them lit up and showed the faces of the victims along with relevant information such as complete name, age, and date on when they were last seen which was written in red.

The dates were awfully familiar.

''Don't tell me,'' one of the lady moonmages started.

''Yes, Sophos,'' Amethyst nodded at the woman in a green uniform. How convenient for her. She was Orion's agent while serving in the military. ''It's exactly what you have noticed and I'm pretty sure any moonmage will.''

''They all disappeared during the full moon.''

Even if they knew it, it was still eerie when Raii Shin said it out loud.

Amethyst cleared her throat to clear away the sudden seriousness in the atmosphere.

''This is why our headquarters decided for our agency to move since Jazel has the highest number of victims and we are yet to find out if this is in relation to Jazel's historical geography being the former nest of the nightspawns centuries ago.''

Rex raised his hand.

''Yes?'' asked Amethyst.

''How are we sure that this is really connected to the moon? What if it's just mere coincidence? I recall that this is not the first time our agency has received such notices only to find out that there is really nothing behind it. Please don't get me wrong. I just don't want the agency to waste its efforts again. We are already in a tight position with little to no candidates for new moonmages and we have no unlimited source of resources as well.''

Just then, the backdoor to the meeting room opened and made the staff at the back gasp in unison.

''It seems you have a lively discussion here.''

Raii Shin and the other moonmages looked back. Even Amethyst seemed surprised with her eyes.

The man who just entered wore plain jeans and white shirt like a random passerby in his thirty's who wanted to crash a party full of uniformed people. Yet his voice was beyond random and the way his aura made everyone look at him with reverence showed that he was not just a passerby.

''Everyone, please welcome Director Tanori Therlin.''

People immediately stood up. As he made his way to the stage beside Amethyst, there were no murmurings but no claps either. There was just this air of respect towards him.

''You may sit down.''

He scanned over the screen then turned to Rex.

''I appreciate your concern and I see where you are coming from. True enough, there were lots of scenarios in the past where the agency was misled which resulted in empty missions.''

As he was speaking, Raii Shin imagined her stone pendant in her hands. He was the one who gave it to them when she was ushered into the agency. She wondered what kind of director would give pain locators to his people and now that the person was in front of her, she wondered all the more.

''I myself threw a fit against headquarters many times saying that they were abusing the strength and time of our moonmages given our small numbers as Rex has pointed out. Just so you know, there was this one time when my stress was unexplainable because it was not a joke to command a mission only to find out that it was either a misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or plain coincidences. I was so frustrated that I overstepped the line and I was put into disciplinary actions. So believe me when I say I know what you;re talking about.''

Raii Shin noticed Amethyst smiled a little as if remembering a funny memory.

''But as Amethyst has mentioned, this is a different scenario. This time it's not only Jazel that has this case. I fact-checked it myself and this kidnapping during the full moon has been happening all around Earth for the past three months and every agency in every city has been alerted. My presence here is one clear proof that this is unlike any other that the agency has encountered before.''

The silence that followed meant that the issue about the uncertainty of the cases was closed. Just like that. Raii Shin found herself actually being convinced to work.