It took Seth a few seconds to snap out of it. He shook his head, clearing the fog.
Suddenly, he saw the kid run off to catch up with his friends, laughing like nothing was wrong.
For a long second, he just stood there, eyes fixed on where the boy had been.
His expression was calm, but his mind churned restlessly.
'Was it Jake Williams who controlled him? Or someone else entirely?'
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck as he forced himself to stay composed.
The boy's words replayed in his head...
'That was definitely a threat to warn me...'
Seth's mind began to wonder if there were things that Phoebe had not told him about.
Just then, Phoebe came back, looking annoyed and a little out of breath.
"There's nothing," she said, wiping her forehead.
After discussing for awhile about the hopelessness of the situation, they both gave up and started the walk back home.
Seth did not tell her about what had happened just now.
Although he felt guilty keeping the secret from her, but the warning had been clear.
It's impossible to help her.
He had to figure out what that meant before he dragged himself into something even more dangerous...
As they walked, his mind wouldn't stop working.
'Why is it impossible to help her?'
He thought, staring at the back of Phoebe's head.
'Is it because her uncle is too powerful? Or is it because he's connected to a certain coven?'
The ride back to Linere was quiet.
Phoebe stared out of place, lost in her own sad thoughts.
Seth pretended to do the same, but he was really watching the city go by, planning his next move.
Finally, the vehicle hissed to a stop in the Linere District neighborhood.
They got off and stood on the sidewalk for a moment.
"Well... see you tomorrow, Seth."
Phoebe said, offering a small, tired smile.
Seth replied warmly.
He waved and turned, walking in the direction of his apartment building.
But he had no intention of going home.
He waited until Phoebe had turned her own corner and was out of sight. Then he stopped.
He looked around, making sure no one was watching him.
He turned and walked in the complete opposite direction.
The meeting that Reymond had told him would begin at 8pm.
He couldn't afford a pedicab, so he would have to walk.
He asked an old woman selling fruit from a cart.
"Excuse me, ma'am? Can you tell me where the Kilammil Cable Station is?"
She pointed a bony finger down a busy street.
"That way, young man. About a thirty-minute walk. You can't miss the big old dish antenna."
"Thank you," Seth said.
He started walking, his hands shoved in his pockets.
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.
Long shadows stretched across the street.
Seth tried not to think about the coming darkness.
...
The Kilammil Cable Station was quite an old place, all rusted metal and some windows were even broken.
To the left of the main building, a heavy metal door was marked with a faded sign that read "Technical Room – Authorized Personnel Only."
In reality, it had become a temporary gathering spot for a small team from the Iron Jackals gang.
It was just one of many such places they used around the city.
The truly important meetings, the ones about life-and-death decisions, happened in much more secretive and safer locations.
Inside, the air was filled with dust and the smell of old oil.
Reymond Fashien, the group's leader, lit a cigarette.
He took a long drag, the tip glowing red in the dim light, and then glanced at his watch.
His eyes swept over the four other Iron Jackals assigned to him.
There was Riko Zafra, a man whose eyes were always narrowed into a permanent squint.
Next to him was Philip, a tall young man with a serious face behind a pair of glasses.
Beside Philip stood Arthur Justice, a middle-aged man in his thirties.
He had a receding hairline and a broad, powerful build that made him seem like a wall of muscle.
On the far right, looking bored as she leaned against a rusty control panel, was Sophia Zafra, Riko's sister.
She had the same squinting eyes and short, shoulder-length hair.
Riko broke the silence, his voice a low grumble.
"So the covens gave us this mission because Melvin caused trouble again? Seriously, when will that guy learn..."
Reymond let out a slow stream of smoke.
"Apparently, his personal conflict with a Turtleback gang member got out of hand. He tried to lure the guy into one of the dens where our gang keeps a demon, hoping to get him killed. But Melvin was sloppy...
"The trails he left were a mess. The person who ended up getting lured wasn't the Turtleback thug, it was a witch from the Coven of Abomination."
A tense quiet fell over the room.
Messing with a coven was a good way to end up dead...
Reymond continued.
"To appease them, we have to handle an operation. We're to investigate a place the coven suspects is another demon den. A few days ago, the Coven of Solace tipped off the Coven of Abomination about a man named Fredero Tangen."
"One of their witches checked out a warehouse he owns. The witch reported hearing monstrous screams coming from inside."
"Since there haven't been any reports of incidence in regards to the place, they cannot hold a proper investigation unless they want conflict with the government. Hence, they contacted us and want us to do the dirty work."
Sophia cut in, her voice sharp with skepticism.
"So the Coven of Abomination is punishing us? With the way the Iron Jackals have been operating lately, I wouldn't be surprised if we all got hunted down by the covens soon."
Arthur remained silent, his arms crossed.
Riko just shrugged, seeming not to care about the bigger picture.
Reymond ignored her comment.
"It doesn't matter why we got the job. What matters is that we do it. Let's discuss the operation."
He stubbed out his cigarette.
"Ever since the queen's strict ban on firearms, our resources are limited. For this, we only have one pistol."
He pulled the weapon from his jacket and placed it on a dusty table with a heavy thud.
"I will not give it to Arthur or Sophia. You're the only witches among these lads, you can both protect yourselves without it. Philip, Riko, one of you will carry it."
He slid the gun across the table. Riko's hand twitched, but Philip was quicker, his long fingers closing around the grip with practiced ease.
Riko shot him a annoyed look, but Philip simply adjusted his glasses, ignoring him.
"Now for the special gear..."
Reymond said.
He held up a small, strange object.
It looked like a tiny piece of flesh that had been dipped in metal.
"This is a demonic weapon of the sin of Sorcery. It's a weak one, sadly. It only lets me use one ability: to place a trap that explodes when someone activates it."
He then held up a second object—a single, sharp, blood-red tooth that seemed to pulse with a faint, wicked light.
"This is a demonic weapon from the sin of Cruelty. It has two abilities. The first lets me sense if a person has wicked intentions. The second allows me to trap and bind an entity in place for a few seconds. It won't hold anything powerful for long, but it might give us a chance to run."
Reymond paused, letting that information sink in.
"As you all know, my sin is Hoarding. It allows me to have a small dimensional pocket where I can keep my items safe."
With a flick of his wrist, both the metallic flesh and the red tooth vanished into thin air, stored in his personal inventory.
"So, I'll be the one holding onto these for now."
For the next twenty minutes, they discussed the minor details—the warehouse's location, possible entry points, and what to do if the city guards showed up.
Just as they were wrapping up, Philip suddenly spoke, his voice curious.
"Boss, didn't you say you recruited someone new for this operation? Where are they? We're about to start, and I don't see anyone new."
Arthur, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke, his voice a low rumble.
"It is already 10 pm. He might not be coming."
Reymond took his time lighting another cigarette.
His eyes crinkled slightly as he glanced around at his team.
"No," he said calmly.
"He's been here since the beginning."
Confusion flashed across the faces of the four gang members.
What was the boss talking about?
The room only had five people in it..
It was then that a youthful, yet strangely deep, voice cut through the dusty air.
"I'm here."
The sound came from right beside Reymond.
All heads snapped in that direction.
From the shadows in the corner, a tall figure seemed to detach itself from the darkness.
It was as if their senses had been tricked, their minds simply refusing to notice the person who had been standing there all along.
One moment the space was empty, the next, a young man with black hair was there, leaning casually against the wall.
It was Seth.
He offered the stunned group a small, calm smile.