Ethan boarded the bus, the familiar groan of the doors closing behind him. It was cheaper than parking, but the ride was never pleasant. The bus was a magnet for the city’s eccentrics, and today was no exception. As he found a seat, his eyes scanned the usual suspects: the muttering old man, the teenager lost in his music, the knitter with her endless project. The air was thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and stale coffee, the seats worn and creaking under his weight, and graffiti scratched into the seat vinyl. But one passenger always caught his attention—a pretty woman who seemed out of place among the oddities. She was always there, quietly tapping away on her phone, never speaking, never causing a scene. She boarded before him and rode to the end of the line, a silent enigma. Today, after a particularly rough evening, leaving him needing a distraction, Ethan decided to break his routine. Maybe talking to her would lift his spirits. He moved to the seat next to her and offered a friendly smile. “Hi, think we’ll be late again today?” She turned to him, her eyes widening as if he’d just appeared out of thin air. For a moment, she just stared, and Ethan wondered if he’d made a mistake. Then, in a voice tinged with confusion, she said, “You shouldn’t be able to see me.” Ethan blinked, taken aback. “Um, okay.” He shifted uncomfortably, thinking perhaps she was just another bus weirdo. “But just so you know, the batteries on your cloak of invisibility need recharging.” He tried to laugh it off, but the joke fell flat, his palms sweating as unease crept in. She didn’t smile. Instead, she pointed to the driver’s mirror. “Look.” He glanced at the mirror and saw her reflection clearly. “I still see you.” Frowning, she took out her phone and snapped a selfie. “How about now?” Ethan took the phone from her, noting how cold her fingers were. The photo showed an empty seat where she should have been. His brow furrowed in confusion, heart racing. He aimed the camera at her again, but when he took another picture, she wasn’t there. Thinking it was some trick or filter, he pulled out his own phone and took a picture of the two of them. Again, he could see her in the view screen, but when he took the picture, she was gone. A chill crept up his spine. “How did you do that?” She stood as the bus slowed to a stop. “I need you to come with me. We’ll get off at the next stop.” “I don’t think so.” Ethan didn’t know if she was a magic user or some con artist, but he wasn’t getting involved with either. “If you want this back, come on.” She held up his phone. Against his better judgment, intrigued and a little unnerved, Ethan followed her off the bus. They walked in silence through a desolate street, past boarded-up shops and flickering streetlights, until they reached an old, closed storefront. The windows were caked with grime, and the sign above was too faded to read. She led him inside, navigating through the dusty interior to a back room and down a flight of stairs. The basement was surprisingly cozy, more like a rec room than a storage space. Mismatched furniture was arranged around a threadbare rug, and the walls were covered in posters and strange symbols, the air musty with a hint of incense. Several people turned to look at them as they entered. A man with sharp features and piercing eyes stepped forward. “Who is this?” The woman beside Ethan spoke up. “He can see me.” The man’s gaze flicked to her hand, where a bracelet glinted. “Of course he can. You’re not using the bracelet. I can see you.” She activated it and swung at Ethan, who dodged instinctively, his heart pounding. The man frowned deeply. “You found one? You actually found one?” “Yes,” she said, a note of triumph in her voice. “After three years of riding that nasty bus, I found one. One measly human who can see through the bracelet.” “Measly?” Ethan interjected, his confusion mounting. “What do you mean, measly? And what do you mean, human?” The words felt foreign on his tongue, as if he’d stepped into a different reality. The man circled him, studying him intently, his eyes too bright, skin unnaturally pale. “Are you sure he’s human?” “Does he look like he’s not?” The woman gestured to Ethan. “He can’t be a vamp. It’s daytime. And he’s not a drawing.” “A drawing?” Ethan echoed, but they paid him no mind. “What about a dream?” the man mused. “Is Nick up? He’ll know,” the woman asked, looking around. The man shook his head. “He’s still asleep.” “Where’s Ash?” “Ashling?” The man called out. From across the room, a figure moved with mechanical precision. As she approached, Ethan saw she was accompanied by an IV pole, dressed in clothes, and a dog wearing a hat. The dog sniffed at Ethan curiously before turning to Ashling, who stood with a vacant expression, her eyes unfocused, an ethereal quality to her presence. After a moment, Ashling looked at the man and nodded slowly. “He’s human?” the man pressed. She nodded again, and the dog sneezed, nodding his head as if in agreement, his intelligent gaze fixed on Ethan. “See, Kellen agrees,” the woman said. Kellen nudged Ashling’s leg, and she took a step back, her gaze sharpening briefly before dulling again. The man suggested, “Maybe you should go sit down,” but Ashling showed no sign of hearing him. Ethan stood there, his mind racing. Humans, vampires, drawings, dreams—what was going on? Who were these people, and what did they want with him? The bracelet, the invisibility—it was all too much to process. He felt like he’d stumbled into a world he didn’t understand, and the confusion was overwhelming, his thoughts a jumbled mess as he tried to make sense of it all. “Who are all of you people?” Ethan finally managed to ask, his voice trembling slightly, the words catching in his throat. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, trying to steady himself, but his heart raced, a drumbeat of panic echoing in his chest. “I’m Alex. This is Cassandra,” the man said, his tone clipped, as if he were used to being in charge. He gestured to the woman Ethan had followed here. “Cassie,” she corrected, her dark eyes narrowing at Alex with a flicker of defiance. Alex rolled his eyes, a gesture that seemed almost human in this surreal setting. “You’ve met Ash and Kellen.” Kellen, the dog wearing a hat, barked once, and Ethan jumped, his nerves frayed. He glanced at the dog, who sat with an almost human-like intelligence in his eyes, watching Ethan with a tilt of his head. What kind of dog barks like it understands everything? Ethan thought, his mind scrambling for an explanation. “Oh, yes, and this is Jack.” Alex pointed to the IV pole, dressed in a shirt and pants, complete with a hat perched on top. It stood there like a silent sentinel, and Ethan stared, his mouth going dry. An IV pole? Dressed like that? What kind of place is this? Before he could process that, another figure entered, and the air seemed to grow colder. “What is Kellen barking about now?” He growled. Ethan turned. It was the vampire from the bar last night. Gone was the goth attire; now he wore pajama pants, his long hair hanging free, but his presence was no less intimidating. His pale skin glowed faintly in the dim light, and his eyes, sharp and predatory, locked onto Ethan. Alex sighed as if he’d wanted to forget this newcomer. “And that’s Nick.” “We met,” Nick said, his voice low and laced with disdain. “He cost me my dinner last night. Charlotte almost ate him.” Ethan’s stomach churned, a wave of nausea washing over him. “Ate him?” he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the words. He’d only been in the bar a few minutes. Alex frowned at Nick, as if reprimanding him. “You saw Charlotte? Why didn’t you call me?” Nick shrugged, his nonchalance unnerving. “The cops got her. She should still be locked up if you want to go stake her. So, who is this man who let my dinner escape? And why is he here?” “I’m Ethan,” he said, his head spinning. This can’t be real. Vampires, staking, dinner—what had he walked into? “He saw through Cassie’s bracelet,” Alex explained, his tone matter-of-fact, as if that explained everything. Ethan’s mind reeled. She’d been telling the truth? He glanced at Cassie, who was now leaning against the wall, her arms crossed, watching him with an unreadable expression. “And he’s human?” Nick stepped closer, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed Ethan, who recoiled instinctively, the invasion of personal space making his skin crawl. Ethan’s breath came in shallow gasps, and he took a step back, his back hitting the wall, trapped in this strange, otherworldly room. “Charlotte tried to eat a drawing?” Ashling asked suddenly, her voice soft and distant, her eyes still glazed as if she were only half-present. Nick grinned, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “That would have been funny, her getting arrested for hunting a drawing, but no, he’s human. Kellen, why don’t you have Ash sit?” Kellen huffed and whined. “Sorry. Ash, go with Kellen. I’ll check your meds soon,” Nick instructed. She nodded slowly and moved to the couch, sitting down with a blank expression. Kellen jumped up beside her, nudging her gently with his nose.. Ethan watched, bewildered. A dog that understands commands like that? His thoughts were a jumbled mess, each new piece of information adding to his growing sense of unreality. Nick turned back to Ethan, his gaze piercing. “So this idiot who was stupid enough to pick out the most dangerous vampire in the city and leave with her is who we’ve been looking for. Heaven, help us.” “I wasn’t leaving with her,” Ethan protested, his hands trembling at his sides. “My phone had died, so I went in to make a call. I was waiting for my ride when she approached. She’d barely said two words to me when you came up.” “When the cops ask, tell them she was following you,” Nick insisted, his tone brooking no argument. Alex nodded. “It would be best if you did. Charlotte is dangerous. She probably would have followed you. And we don’t want Nick in trouble for making a false report.” Ethan nodded slowly, still trying to make sense of it all. It had seemed like she might be following him, and he knew from stories that vampires sometimes followed their prey home. Kellen barked again, and Nick sighed, rolling his eyes. “Fine. I’m coming. You’d think someone else had gone to med school.” Kellen barked once more, and Nick shot back, “You think it was easy for me? Classes were in the day.” Alex looked at Ethan, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “He does not understand Kellen, no matter how much he argues with the dog.” “Like you don’t know what he was thinking,” Nick retorted, moving to sit with Ashling. Alex turned back to Ethan, his expression shifting to something more serious. “Ash is a Dreamer. We’re trying something new with her. Rather than lobotomize her, we’re trying to control her Dreams with medications. We’re hoping either the drugs will burn out her ability to Dream, or she’ll gain better control over it. She asked for it. She had been helping us with the Drawers and Dreamers. She didn’t want to stop when she lost control.” “Cassie is a weather witch,” Alex continued, as if sensing Ethan’s confusion but not addressing it directly. “She doesn’t control the weather but gets her energy from it. I don’t know if you’ve ridden the bus long enough to notice. She’s lethargic on cloudy days and can barely keep her eyes open when it rains. But when it’s sunny, she can hardly keep still, and storms overpower her. She can cast in bright sunshine or moonlight, but she’s strongest in a storm.” Ethan remembered Cassie on the bus, how some days she seemed almost asleep, while on others she was fidgety and alert. So that’s why, he thought, though the explanation only added to his confusion. “Nicholas is the head vampire,” Alex said, glancing at Nick. “The other vamps answer to him. He’s the in-house doctor. He also works a few nights a week at the hospital. I think it’s just so he can steal blood, but he denies that.” Ethan swallowed hard, his throat dry. Head vampire? In-house doctor? Stealing blood? His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. “Kellen assists when he can,” Alex went on. “I think he’s been reading Nick’s medical books. And, yes, he can read. Even by human standards, he’s quite intelligent. He understands several languages. He can’t speak them because he has a dog’s physiology. But he has a tablet he uses to communicate.” Ethan stared at Kellen, who was now lying next to Ashling, looking back at him with what seemed like understanding in his eyes. A reading, multilingual dog? This can’t be happening. “I’m chief wizard,” Alex concluded. “I’m in charge around here.” Suddenly, pieces began to fall into place for Ethan. Alexander Tormane—the name rang a bell. He was the son of Russel Tormane, one of the wealthiest men on the planet. But instead of following in his father’s footsteps, Alex had become a wizard and disappeared from public view. So this is where he ended up, Ethan realized, leading a group of supernatural beings. “You’re S.P.A., aren’t you?” Ethan guessed. Alex smiled, a knowing look in his eyes. “Yes, we are part of the Supernatural Protection Agency. And you, Ethan, might just be the key to something very important.”