The streets that Noble played in as a child were happy ones. Her parents mostly shielded her from too much knowledge of Nightmare Creatures and the few Awakened that Noble met as a little girl seemed like superheroes who could do anything.
Webtoons were her main source of knowledge on the subject. They usually had happy endings.
As such her worries were few and her joys were many. Family and friends filled her days outside of school.
Until that fateful day.
Noble was spending time with her older cousin in his living room. The young man was up to his usual antics to entertain her.
To anyone listening, their words would have sounded like nonsense. But the pair understood each other perfectly.
"Come on, BB. You expect me to believe that?" the girl asked as she rolled her eyes.
BB flexed his bicep. "Really! All the girls swoon when I do this. They basically fall all over me."
"Only if you trip them," Noble's high-pitched laugh tinkled like bells as she collapsed onto the couch cushions. She was almost thirteen, but her features still clung to their childlike innocence.
BB tousled the girl's brunette locks.
She pulled away with a squeal. "Stop it. You are messing up my hair!"
But her cousin was not deterred. BB grinned. "Oh, Noble, so innocent. You'll see when you get to high school. You will swoon over buff boys too."
"I'd rather die," the brunette pulled her hair into a ponytail and tied it off. "If I ever like a boy, it will be because he is smart, not because he thinks he can bench press me..."
The young man chuckled. "What if the boy is strong, handsome, and smart?"
Noble thought for a second and tapped her chin. "Hm, I suppose that would be acceptable."
"Little Cousin, what am I going to do with you! No one will ever be good enough." BB shook his head.
He opened his mouth to say that as her honorary big brother, he wouldn't let anyone near her until she was thirty when the sirens of the siege capital began to blare. The cousins stopped their bantering.
"What is that?" Noble dropped out of their family's Gibberish and spoke plainly. "A Tornado? Other bad weather? Or...."
BB pulled out his communicator. Noble did not yet have one of her own—she was promised one for her birthday—so she stood on the couch to try and peek over his shoulder. He shielded her from its view.
"Let me see! What is it?!" the preteen tried to wrangle her cousin into submission when his whole body went stiff. Noble stopped her badgering. Her voice came out soft. "What? What's wrong."
The sirens stopped blaring and BB plastered on a smile for his younger cousin. "Ah, it isn't a big deal. A Nightmare Gate opened, that's all. It isn't even anywhere near us. I'm not sure why they turned on the emergency sirens at all."
"What kind of Gate? Must be a Category Three if they are so worried. Those things are the absolute worst." Noble knew that only a few such gates had ever been recorded.
Most were just regular old Category Two gates. Those were frustrating, but in today's day and age, the military and Awakened could handle them when they occasionally popped up.
"Those gates are the worst," BB agreed and relaxed a little. It was a mistake. His imp of a younger cousin stole the device from his hand and peeked at the screen. Her eyes opened wide.
"Category FIVE! How is that possible? Gates don't even go that high, do they?" Noble's mouth hung open as she tried to understand the warning in front of her.
"I've never heard of one," BB admitted. "But like I said, it's so far away. We have no reason to worry. The siege capital can withstand anything. We will be safe here."
"Do...do you think they will call on a...Master," Noble spoke the reverent word barely above a whisper, "might come to help this time?"
Masters were the most powerful people on earth. It wasn't that long ago that people realized they could conquer a Nightmare Gate and Ascend. The few that had tried it and succeeded were nothing short of miraculous.
"I wouldn't be surprised if TWO Masters showed up and put the whole thing to rest by tomorrow morning." BB nodded, trying to convince himself as much as the younger girl.
Noble missed the doubt in his voice, latching onto the words instead. "Really? You think Masters will come here?!"
"Well, the Gate isn't close, so not here exactly..." The teen tried to rein in his cousin's excitement but it was too late.
"When they defeat the Category Five gate, then they will surely get a medal! Maybe Father will be able to give it to them, and I can come with him. I am going to get to meet a hero!"
"I hope that works out for you, kiddo," BB took the communicator before Noble could see another blinking warning.
"I'm not a kiddo! I am practically an adult." She was nearly a teen. How much more grown-up could she get?
"Alright, young lady," the elder cousin corrected himself. "I hope that all your dreams come true. The good kind, I mean..." Wincing, BB continued. "You should probably head home before Uncle Lance messages me to bring you there. It's almost dinner time."
"Oh!" Noble looked at the time and popped off of the couch. "See you tomorrow! You better tell me all about what happens with the Gate after school. You know my parents won't tell me anything..."
"I'll see you tomorrow," BB answered noncommittally.
Since Noble and her favorite cousin lived on the same street, she simply ran home. Her father's PTV was already in the driveway.
Bursting through the door, Noble could not contain her excitement. "Mom, Dad! Did you hear the sirens? A CATEGORY FIVE GATE opened!"
Noble's parents looked at each other, startled by their child's outburst.
"How did you hear about the Gate?" Lance asked in a tone that was a touch too quiet for Noble's comfort.
All her excitement left her. "I saw it on BB's communicator," the girl answered in the same muted tone.
"I see," her mother stood from her armchair. "Dinner is ready. We were just waiting for you to get home so we could eat."
"Sounds delicious," Lance was relieved by the change in topic.
"You don't even know what it is," his wife laughed.
"What are we having?" Noble sniffed at the air.
"Lasagna and fettuccini Alfredo," Lena smiled warmly.
"Sounds delicious!" Lance said more enthusiastically. "My favorite!"
The conversation lightened as the three ate a hearty meal. By the time Noble finished her schoolwork and went to bed, she had all but forgotten about her parents' strange reaction to her announcement about the Gate.
Heroes were out there fighting Nightmare Creatures and saving the world from destruction. She couldn't wait until tomorrow afternoon when her cousin would tell her everything that her classmates couldn't. He might even have a video or two for her to see!
Noble lay in bed thinking of the victories being won in North America. The first Category Five Gate! What a movie this would make when it was all said and done. And she was alive to witness it!
When she fell asleep, Noble dreamed of the awards ceremony that was sure to come. She watched her father pass out medals of honor to the Masters with pride.
Everything was perfect.