Dahlia takes Jini with her, to her estate
Rain fell down heavily as she walked down the streets
She protected Jini from getting wet in the rain
Suddenly, a blue light appeared around her. Shielding her and Jini from getting soaked in the rain
Dahlia looked around, she extended her hand towards the barrier
She caressed it gently as she knew well that her guardian created this for her
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She arrives at her estate having a blank expression
Thunder struck behind, making her see two people at the entrance
She looked up
Seeing her brother who was standing at the entrance with Jasmine
"Dahlia... who is this child your holding?" Jhony asked, his tone cold as he narrowed his eyes at her
Dahlia stayed silent for a while before letting out a deep sign
"I will explain... but first... please help him..." Dahlia requested, her tone devoid of any emotions hiding her inner turmoil
Her hold on Jini tightened slightly
Thunder again struck
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After few moments later
Jasmine took care of Jini, giving him medicine and tending to the baby
Jini still had a high fever but lowered slightly
Meanwhile Dahlia was in Jhony's room
Jhony crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at Dahlia, his emerald eyes pierced through her
"Well?" He asked while raising a brow
Dahlia closed her eyes for a while, "Ok... I guess i can't hide it anymore..." she thought internally
"... I have been investigating how Xinhua and the children disappeared..." Dahlia finally revealed her plan
Jhony's eyes widened, "Wait-... what-" "Yes... I have been trying to see how children mysteriously disappeared... and that baby I brought... is the younger brother of the victim that just got taken away..." Dahlia cut him off as she continued
"... So... all this time... you have been investigating this matter?" He asked, he lowered his head. His bangs hid his eyes
"Yes... I have..." Dahlia replied
"Why...?" He asked again
"They needed help-" "Dahlia Guillebeaux, we had a talk about this..." Jhony cuts Dahlia off as he calls her full name
Dahlia froze up
She was tensed up as she knew that her brother is beyond angry at her, which is rare in her case
But she toughen's herself up as she clenched her hands to fists
"I know we had a talk about this... but... they need our help... and no ones even willing to help them!" Dahlia exclaimed
"No one willing to help them?" Jhony scoffed as he gritted his teeth. "Then what do you think those who work under the laws?! The polices, investigators and all that!? Are you trying to say, that they are only for decoration?!" He raised his voice at her
Dahlia flinched slightly at hearing his voice suddenly raising up in volume, her usual gentle brother was now like this...
"Don't panic, calm down Dahlia... just keep calm..." She thought internally
But she holds her ground, digging her nails in her palms to ground herself
"I am not saying that the polices and others aren't doing nothing... they are doing their works... but they still are unable to find the children. So... someone had to take the matters at their own hands..." Dahlia retorts
Jhony soon let out a humorless small laugh, "HAH! Well... aren't you being the thoughtful one here!? A kind hearted little girl who is being all thoughtful and worrying over them? Then the adults are selfish... they are only eating away they're nails in silence waiting for a little girl to handle the case for them?! How lovely!?" he mocked her
"Get some sense..." He mumbled
He soon uncrossed his arms and holds both Dahlia's shoulders
He leans down, his face close to her
"Don't play the damn hero... it's not worth it... I don't want you be in a goddamn danger! Why don't you get this through your head!?" His voice lowered coldly
Dahlia's jaw tightened slightly as she looked down at her feet, not daring to meet his eyes
"I know I am putting myself in danger..." Her voice cracked slightly but she holds her ground while her grip on her dress tightened more, pausing for a moment
"But one must take risks... in order to succeed their goal..."
Hearing Dahlia's reply, Jhony's hold on her shoulder tightened
"If that is how your gonna be... then you gave me no choice..." He grabs her wrist and forcefully leads her out of his room
Dahlia was caught of her guard, she tried resisting but her brother's strength was too much for her. Being unable to get herself free from his grip
Jhony keeps on forcibly dragging Dahlia away in the halls
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Finally, they reached her room
Jhony soon pushed Dahlia inside her room, but gently to not get herself hurt cause of him
He locked the door
Dahlia gets up from floor immediately, as she bangs on the door
"OPEN THE DOOR!!! BROTHER!!!" She yelled out from the other side of the door
"No no no no no... I can't stay here locked away! I was close! I can't let this happen and let all my hardworks go down to waste!" She thought internally as she panics
"I SAID OPEN THE DOOR!!!" She kept on banging it, her bangings were heard all around the estate. "BROTHER YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING TO THE MISSING CHILDREN!!! THEY ARE IN GREAT DANGER!!! IF NO ONE TAKES ACTION... THEY WILL ALL BE GONE FOREVER!!!"
"I won't open it until you come to your senses... And I would keep you locked away for months for the sake of keeping you safe" He paused for a moment
"I haven't told our parents about you venturing out late at night..." He huffed as he pressed his palm on the door
"But I will tell them when they are back from their business meeting... they have to know that they're daughter is venturing out on dangerous streets late at night while they are away for a good 2 weeks..." He retorts
"... I don't care... let. me. out. NOW!!!" Dahlia demanded as she banged the door again
"Oh, you will care soon enough when they come back... I am sure they will ground you for at least 5 months" Jhony remarked as he turns to the servants who were nearby. Clearly watching the scene
"Listen up, if any one of you release my sister. Then..." He narrowed his eyes as his eyes pierced through them like a knife. "I will fire them by the power of being the master of this house, as while being the only heir in Guillebeaux ducality, is that clear?" He asked coldly
The servants tensed up just by hearing his tone, they immediately nod in unison
Jhony only huffed as he took one last glance at the door before leaving off to his room
Meanwhile
Dahlia heard everything that happened outside
She groaned as she knew for a fact that none of the servants will be willing to help her now
"Why... Why.... Why... WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY... WHYYYY!!!!" These one word chanted in her head like a mantra, she banged the door in frustration
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Soon she slumps down on floor, her back now resting on the locked door
She curled up, her face resting on her knees
Her room was dark but sometimes lightens up when the thunder strikes for a brief moment
"What should I do...? I am stuck..." She thought internally as tears trickled down her cheeks, feeling helpless in this situation
The heavy rain's sounds fades in the background as she is in her own world with countless troubling thoughts, "I can't give up now... I was so close... so close to solving that mystery... but... what can I do to escape this room...?"
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"My sapphire..." Her guardian called out
Dahlia hiccuped, feeling slightly comforted just by hearing his voice
"What...?" She asked
"Get prepared" He replied simply
"What? Why" She asked again as confusion hit her
"... Don't you wanna save those children?" He asked back
Dahlia frozes up
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Sometime later, she gets up and gets herself ready
She packs up the food she has been storing secretly, on her bag
Wearing her black cloak and hanging the bag on her right shoulder
"I am ready!" Dahlia exclaimed
Suddenly, blue light surrounded her
Her cloak swaying along with the dress she is wearing, cause of the sudden wind
In a flash
She was now outside of her estate in the rain
The blue light still remained, protecting her from the rain
"So... what is your plan now, my sapphire?" Her guardian asked
Dahlia smiles only, "I have to become a target" she replied
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Dahlia was now roaming around the dark streets while looking around
"Your close to that Ghoul... but... are you still sure you wanna do this? You can still back out now... and no one will blame you for it..." Her guardian asked as he paused for a moment
"I... can erase the memories from your brother... servants and everyone that witnessed the moment of you being locked away... in that way you will never be troubled by it again" He remarked
Dahlia shook her head
"I will be fine... I am still doing it..." Dahlia declared
She soon closed her eyes as she tried desperately to release negative emotions... like the fear she has been holding back from the Ghouls
The Ghoul that was roaming around
Probably looking for more preys
It picked up a delicious smell
It licked it's lips as it purred
"Ah~ Such delicious feeling I am getting..." It remarked as it looked over, it now noticed Dahlia
It chuckled as it soon pulls up the letter it already prepared for it's upcoming preys
It drops the letter where Dahlia is standing
She was still oblivious about the Ghoul standing right in front of her
Waiting for her to pick the letter and read it, so it's magic can make her see it
Meanwhile
Dahlia noticed the letter finally which is laying on the ground
"This is it... You can still back out now, my sapphire..." He remarked as he was ready to take action and take her away from that Ghoul. And also planning to destroy the Ghoul after Dahlia is out of sight, to witness it
Dahlia stares down at the letter
Her heart pounding as if it will burst out of her chest
She wanted to back out and leave
Her hands trembling but soon turned them to fists to ground herself, "I can't... not now... when I have come this far for this..." she thought internally
Finally, she reaches out and takes the letter
The Ghoul's eyes glowed more red as it's smile widened, it's teeth was red unlike the other Ghouls that's teeth were black
Black liquid trickled down from it's mouth
Soon she opened the letter, her hands trembling slightly but grounded herself
"You have 3 days left, if i catch you. I shall take you to eternal darkness" That was wrote in the letter
Dahlia who has been curious about what Jeon had read earlier from his letter, now she knows now what was written in it that made his whole body to freeeze
And why he was scared
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"I have... 3 days...?" Dahlia mumbled
"Precisely mortal girl~" The Ghoul finally spoke to her, it's voice was really deep but different then the other Ghoul. It's voice was breathy as if it had trouble in breathing. While the tone held the apparent sinisterness
Dahlia looked up from the letter, she saw the towering Ghoul with that creepy smile
She was supposed to be used to their appearance since she saw them many times before, but from afar away
She wasn't this close to them
Which caused her fear to rise up more
Cold sweat formed on her forehead, her whole body shook as it was tensed up
She was holding her breath unknowingly
"Heheheheee, you scared little mortal?" It asked in a dark amusement as it's cold breath hit her face. Which reeked off irony smell... with earthy scent... almost as if... dried blood?
"Hmm" The Ghoul stared Dahlia, putting a finger under it's chin as if inspecting her as it's smile disappeared, replaced with a slight frown. "I guess your around 6 or 7 years old, no?" It mumbled
Dahlia felt her stomach doing many turns in just seeing the Ghoul who was now really close to her face
Seeing her expression, it's smile returned back but more wider. "I love this expression, so cute~" It commented as it purred again. "Let's play a little tag. Mortals loves playing it, don't they?" It remarked
Dahlia was silent just staring at it
"Hmmm~ I will take that as a yes~ so, start to hide somewhere before I catch you~" It laughed
Hearing it's laugh. her lower lip quivering slight
Her legs trembled
She closed her eyes tightly to ground herself, "This is it... the game has finally started" she thought internally as she clenched the letter she is still holding tightly as it trembled
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