Zina looked at the earring Vasilis handed him with a frown, "Yes, this is definitely Basilus'. Where did you say you found it?"
"A small forest in east Tokyo. The entire forest was burnt, completely burnt"
Zina sighed and dropped the earring on the dining table before going back to his meal, "Then there is no denying the truth. Basilus is dead"
"But…"
"Your brother brought this on himself, Vasilis. You know just as well I do: that man doesn't take prisoners. He never was one for mercy"
Vasilis clenched his fists, "But to just kill him like that. There was no reason for it"
"Vasilis. The world we live in isn't as gray as you think. As much as you believe he may have been spared, he probably wasn't. in this world, power is the ultimate judge. Those without it are destined to be beneath the powerful. And if Helios judged your brother as an unworthy opponent, then he wouldn't have spared him"
Vasilis knew this was right. He didn't deny it because it was the truth, but it was still his brother. There was no need for him to have died.
Zina dropped his fork on the plate and picked up a handkerchief, "And the daemons? Did they make him react at all?"
Vasilis shook his head, "No. It appears Thalus was more than up to the task. He dispatched of the B-class as well as the A-class we sent later that night"
Zina hummed before he stood up, "Contact Jacinta. Tell her I have a job for her"
"More daemons, Zina? Won't the results be the same? Their guide this time is Thea, an A-class of the Zeus faction. She is more than capable"
"I know that, Vasilis," Zina said with a glare, "Don't think me a fool,"
"I apologize, Zina"
Zina turned away from Vasilis and walked towards the window at the side of the room, looking down at the buzzing street of Kyoto.
"Tell Jacinta I have a new pet for her to play with. If she refuses then tell her I will be sending the pet directly to her, but this time it will be far less friendly."
Vasilis bowed and left the room.
Zina watched a mother crossing the street with her two little sons trailing behind her, "The ambrosia will wear off soon, and then we won't have any more opportunities like this," his reflection glared, "Wake up"
-----
Adrian seemed far too focused, Persephone thought as she saw him scan the surroundings once more. His eyes never trailed too far and his entire body looked extremely tense. This wasn't normal.
"Adrian," Persephone called
Adrian hummed in response, still looking around.
"S-Shouldn't we be outside looking for the daemon? We've been inside for a long time"
An hour to be exact, and they still hadn't caught a glimpse or scent of the daemon. Persephone had become worried by Adrian's insistence to remain inside.
"Just a few more minutes," Adrian said, still looking around. He didn't look like he had any intention of leaving anytime soon.
Persephone felt her face heat up in anger as she saw Adrian moving deeper down the hallway, fully intending to continue his search. She walked around till she was facing him and stretched her hand out.
"No!" she shouted.
Adrian blinked in surprise and Persephone's face burnt red.
"I-I mean… I don't think we should continue like this. You can tell me if there's a problem. Or don't you think I can handle it?" Persephone finished with a small glare directed towards Adrian
Adrian looked her in the eye for a moment and almost felt laughter bubble up his chest at the glare she thought she was leveling at him. It was stupidly cute, like watching a kitten scowl. But he didn't laugh, instead, he looked away with a sigh.
And then, he told her.
-----
"So, Thea," Damian began hesitantly. He and Thea were currently walking across a small bridge with a shallow river running under it and he was beginning to grow uncomfortable in the silence, "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Not what," Thea said, "but where"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Thea looked down at him, "This place is huge. There aren't exactly many hospitals in the world of this size. But even with the size, it was still fairly easy for me to realize how strongly negative Karma had permeated the environment. It's like the entire place was drowned in it"
"So it's definitely a daemon?"
"Yes. That much is certain. So now we aren't looking for whether or not a daemon is here, but rather where it is"
Huh... She was better than Damian initially thought she would be. He thought she was just some bimbo who didn't know what she was doing, but she looked reliable right now. Like an elder sister. A hot Onee-sama.
Damian chuckled silently.
Thea looked at him suspiciously, "What is it?"
"N-Nothing," Onee-sama.
Thea watched Damian chuckle again and decided she didn't care enough to bother herself with whatever he found funny. She shrugged and moved on ahead.
-----
Persephone stumbled back in shock and put her hands over her mouth, "W-What?"
"Yes," Adrian said, "That's why I've been indoors all this while. Finding him is important"
"B-But couldn't he be outside as well," Persephone said, "What will you do if Damian finds him first?"
Adrian shook his head, "I've asked Thea to look after it. He shouldn't do anything rash even if he finds him first"
Persephone didn't know what to say to that, she didn't know if they should stop him, but if Adrian thought it was the right thing to do then she would trust him.
The two moved away from the halls and they continued their search through the asylum.
-----
Thea looked at her watch and sighed at the time, "We should be heading back," she said to Damian while looking up at the setting sun, "We can rest for a while and come back out at night to continue our search"
Damian nodded his acceptance and they both moved away from the streets to meet up with Adrian and Persephone. They found the two standing at the same place where they had separated. They looked far worse for wear than Damian thought they should.
"Any luck?" Thea asked Adrian. Adrian shook his head.
Damian found it strange to see both Adrian and Persephone look at each other before looking back at Thea. Adrian gave Thea a nod and Thea sighed, "Well, it can't be helped. We'll continue after the sun comes down. Let's rest for a few hours"
Damian had a feeling that there was a joke being played. And he was the only one not in on it.
-----
The place they were staying was inside the asylum itself, a row of small rooms that guests were usually allowed to stay in whenever they came to visit family members. Damian and Adrian were given one room while Persephone and Thea used another one.
The room was small and tidy and Damian felt claustrophobic in it. He rolled over in his bed over and over again, feeling restless. Beside him, Adrian slept like a baby and Damian found himself envying him.
He stood up from his bed and stretched. Maybe if he simply got a drink of water he would be able to sleep.
He walked out of the room and down the hall. There was a receptionist desk with a woman behind it and she kindly directed him towards where the kitchen was. Damian grabbed a drink of water from the kitchen and then began making his way back to his room when he suddenly felt the urge to use the toilet.
He moved towards the male bathroom and used the urinal there to ease himself. He washed his hand and opened the door to leave. And that was when he heard it.
"You can't tell anyone,"
Damian stopped short.
"You can't tell anyone"
The voice was coming from behind him. A low whisper from down the hallway.
"i know what to do. I'll kill you. I'll kill you"
That voice. He had heard it before. Damian began to turn around slowly.
"Damian?" Adrian called from down the hallway as he rubbed at his eyes. He looked up and saw Damian looking at something down the other hall. He turned his head to take a look at who it was and his eyes immediately flew open.
"Damian!!"
Damian's hand blurred towards his gun.
Adrian shot off towards him.
The boy at the end of the hallway looked on with wide crazed eyes.
"I'll kill you"
BANG!!!
-----
Thea's eyes flew open at the sound of a gunshot and she immediately stood up from her bed and bolted out the room door. Behind her, Persephone looked up in shock.
Thea made her way past some other men who were running in the same direction and managed to arrive a few seconds before them. The sight she ran into was not what she had expected.
"Let me go! Let me go, Adrian! He killed him! He killed Hugo!!!"
"Calm down Damian!"
Adrain was holding Damian in a tight headlock and pinning one of his hands behind his back. He looked like he was really struggling with the trashing boy.
"What is he doing here!" Damian shouted while pointing a finger at a boy down the hall, "He should be dead! DEAD!"
Thea saw another boy down the hall, wearing the long white gown that all asylum patients wore. He had a distant look in his eyes as he starred at Damian - like he was looking through him, not at him. He kept on repeating the word 'Kill. Kill' over and over again.
"I think it was this way!" A man shouted from down the hall and Thea immediately sprung into action. She moved forward and grabbed the gun from Damian before pulling her hand back and slamming her fist into his face. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Some men came from around the corner and immediately moved towards the other boy who was in the hall. They restrained him and carried him away while one of them came to speak to them.
"Are any of you harmed?" he asked
"No," Thea quickly answered for them while standing taller.
The man immediately choked on his saliva.
Thea rose a brow and looked down. She immediately noticed that she was only wearing underwear. She blushed and quickly tried to cover herself up.
"Sensei!" Persephone shouted from down the hall. She was running towards them while holding up a shirt, "Sensei, you're naked!!"