Join Iah, Lei, Nyima, Adela and their friends as they embark on a treasure hunt to uncover the secrets of the map found in the ancient ruins of Rios. But what they discover in Mina may lead them to regret ever finding the ancient tablet in the first...
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I stared out at Caelum city from on top of one of its tallest skyscrapers on its western side. Looking for a job here proved as difficult as it had in Stella and in other places. I clenched the newspaper in my hand. Perhaps, I was simply looking for the wrong kind of work. Someone like me should've stuck to construction work.
I leaned back, glancing up at the clear blue sky that gave the city its name. Clear... Claire. Why did you tell me that I could escape the station I was born into?
***
[Years Ago]
"Hota! Hota! Oi, Hota!" a voice called out. I opened my eyes and saw a girl with a single braided lilac ponytail. She had on pair of unattractive blue overalls and a white and purple stripped shirt. Did her mom pick out her clothes?
"Oh, it's you again. For a moment there, I thought you were a teacher," I said, putting my manga over my head. She was probably bugging me only because she was the class president, so she had to play the part of a goodie-two-shoes.
She huffed and took the manga out of my face. "Hota! You should be in class! You're going to fail at this rate!"
I shrugged. "So? School changes nothing. I'm only here because my mom made me."
She squatted next to me. "That's not true, as long as you are willing to learn. What we learn here is more than just a piece of paper."
"It is? How so?" I asked, sitting up.
"Like the things we learn in biology, they might help you if you ever get sick!"
I narrowed my eyes at her. She had to be kidding. How would learning about ATP help me?
"If you understand what's wrong and why, you'll be better able to fix it," she said, smiling.
Was she trying to imply that I was a failure?
I scoffed as I stood up and snatched my manga back from her. "Sorry that not everyone can be as perfect as you, Teacher's Pet."
"That isn't what I meant!"
I jumped up and waved. "Yeah, like I'll believe that. How about you go bother some other person?"
She jumped down and landed in front of me. "How about this, we can have a match. If I win, you have to go to class."
I crossed my arms. Claire was strong, but I couldn't back out from a fight. Not without losing face.
"And if I win?" I asked, chuckling.
"Hmm, I'll change how I dress!"
I blinked. "Huh?"
"You said that I should dress more like someone my age, right?"
I rubbed my shoulder. That didn't seem like much of a prize. I could've won, but she could easily have pulled a fast one on me with how vague her sense of fashion was. When we met, she was wearing leather armor from head to toe.
