Serena's hands were trembling as she unlocked the door. She finally managed to get the key in on the fourth attempt and rushed inside. It was a simple countryside cottage, so there wasn't much to organize.
Everything looked perfectly normal, yet it did nothing to calm her heart.
With slow, cautious steps, she moved closer to the children's room. It was dark—even in the middle of noon.
She flipped the switch.
For a brief moment, she thought she saw something crimson, and heard someone screaming far away.
Ruha's walls had something written on them in dried red. What... what was it again? Small hands?
After a while, Serena felt her throat burning, and only then did she realize—it was her who was screaming.
It was a dark room.
Jay opened the door. Muffled sobbing sounds came from a corner as he let out a tired sigh.
"Sister," he spoke, a tiny figure was hiding behind him. "I brought him."
The woman, her hair messy and falling over her face, dark circles carved deep beneath her eyes, slowly crawled toward them.
"R-ian? Rain? M-my child… my son… come here to mama…"
Her trembling hands gently cupped the child's face.
The sun had yet to rise.
Serena got up, drank some water, and changed into her usual attire. Roufa entered shortly after.
"Did Rain come back last night?" she asked.
Roufa arranged the tea table quickly, then returned to organize the bed.
"No. Rusś Dan is back. Maybe they're throwing some kind of get-together… the three do not leave the table before starting either a fight or disturbance."
"Oh? She was supposed to come three days later. What about the reports?" she started brewing a cup of green tea.
Roufa handed Serena a file before returning to her work.
Navier had just started her overtime shift when she noticed the same three customers staring at her for the third time.
'Do I need to change jobs now?' she thought.
She shook the idea away. New jobs in this economy? No way. She could report them—more or less.
Ken, Rusś, and Rain sat together after a good six months.
Those months had been crucial in laying a solid foundation. Rain was preparing to inherit the position of leader. Rusś had been sent to Itek to negotiate with other parties. Ken had been on an undercover mission, completely out of contact.
Ken had thought it would be nice to reunite and have fun like the good old days.
It stayed a thought.
Rusś and Rain had arrived at Deversoriam Fortunae before him. Both were unusually silent, though Ken chose to ignore it.
"How many piercings are left before people start calling you a devil worshipper?" he teased, pinching Rusś's newest piercing on her left cheekbone.
"That's not the problem here," she replied, covering her nose with a handkerchief. "Did you even shower?"
"Ken," Rain interrupted, his voice low. "If two friends fall for the same girl, what should one do?"
"Kill the girl," Ken replied flatly.
All three nodded.
"But we don't kill without reason."
"Then make a reason."
Again, they nodded in unison.
"But who's the girl?" Ken asked, placing an order.
"Navier Narijane," Rusś answered before Rain could.
Rain continued, "Age twenty-three."
"Mother is a corporate worker. Chronic illness."
"Recently finished her studies."
"Brother is a doctor."
"She'll run before you even approach her," Ken concluded. "What kind of stalking behavior is this? When did you even meet her?"
"About twenty minutes ago," Rusś replied.
"Holy—why did they send me of all people to go undercover?" Ken muttered, scratching his cheek as he noticed Rain's eyes never leaving a certain girl.
"Is that Navier?" he asked, making no effort to pull Rain out of his daze.
"Yeah… she feels like a breath of fresh air after a long time," Rain said quietly.
"Out of these abnormal creatures", Rusś mumbled.
Ken observed Navier for a while.
"Honestly, Rusś is prettier," he added after a pause. "If only there were fewer holes drilled into her face."Rain smacked his shoulder.
"Let her have him, Rusś. You can have me."
"I don't like shorter guys."
"But that girl is shorter than me!"
"As you said—she's a girl."
"Such double standards," Ken muttered, gulping down the rest of his cane in one go.
Navier herself came to place the bill.
"Madam, the total comes to two hundred sixty enis."
Rusś's eyes sparkled as she placed a generous tip on the table.
"Only for pretty ladies like you."
Navier smiled clicking her tongue, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Rain placed double the amount beside it with an equally kind gesture. "Please, suit yourself."
She nodded and walked away as Ken frowned slightly.
Navier counted the cash with a wide grin. More money—no reporting.
For the first time, every colleague noticed her humming throughout the entire shift.
Rain's attention suddenly shifted. His lips curled into a slow smile.
"Guys, I think we just trapped a big fish," he said.
They followed his gaze.
Noah sat alone in a corner, drinking his seventh bottle of alcohol.