The next morning, Leon and the group of ten left the shelter and drove off to an unknown part of the city. Meanwhile, Jayden was put in charge of the newly evolved team.
Standing before them, he spoke solemnly.
"This might look like a simple mission from the boss, but we can't underestimate it. Although it's a bit shameful, I've read novels where members of another sect are killed for their equipment and things."
He raised his sword which had the Red Wings emblem on it. The others also checked their swords. Indeed, these weapons hadn't been bought from the crucible but had been forged by Leon himself. More shocking was the fact that these weapons were almost in par with Two-Star weapons while being a grade lower. Anyone who noticed their uniqueness would naturally want to have it.
They nodded, understanding his words.
"Good. Then, we'll split into two teams. I'll lead one while Jones will take charge of the other. No problem doing that, no?"
He turned to his friend, and seeing him nod, he smiled.
"Since that's the case, let's get going."
Everyone immediately boarded luxurious bikes, zooming out of the shelter. Before they left, Jayden turned to Bob and Johnson who were at the gates.
"Ensure the shelter's safe. And take care of yourselves."
Bob snorted, but nodded. He understood that the responsibility of protecting their abode was on their shoulders.
Smiling faintly, Jayden revved his motorcycle and led the team. Their destination? The borders of Night Veil City.
The journey took only one hour since there was nothing like traffic. Although some parts of the road was clogged up with cars and zombies, they easily made their way out unscathed.
"We're here."
Jones said, slowing his motorcycle. The others gradually came to a stop, then parked their bikes in a dark alley.
"How are we supposed to even find them?"
A guy asked, curious. He had a small body with glasses that gave him a scholarly look. Yet, that didn't diminish his sharpness as an evolved.
"Alex is right. We only have their pictures and names—no other clues." Jones nodded, then turned to Jayden.
"Hmm. How about we check around. We might find some survivors who know them." The blonde guy said, then turned to the others. "Split into teams of two and check out the residential buildings around."
Quickly, everyone chose their partner and departed. Naturally, Jayden went along with Jones, their steps determined.
"This looks like an apartment."
"Let's check it out."
The front door was locked, but they easily forced it open. Jones looked around and hummed.
"It seems this place is empty."
The living room was dusty, a sign of lack of maintenance. It had been almost three months since the apocalypse began.
"You can't be sure. It could be used as a sign of deceit. And I'm not sure anyone would have the time to do house chores properly."
Jayden argued with a slight frown, looking around. They moved to the first bedroom; locked but empty. The second was open, but also empty. They met again in the living room with a single conclusion.
The house was truly empty. At least that was until Jayden's boot creaked on the floor.
"A hidden passage?"
He muttered, then brushed the dust aside. The wood below revealed a small hole that could be used to open the door. Putting his finger in, Jayden slid the fake tiles to the side, revealing a neat stairs underground.
Nodding to each other, they both climbed the stairs and descended into the underground apartment.
It was just a single room. It was equipped with several technological gadgets, probably made for elite kids. On the bed, two teenagers shuffled together, shivering in fear.
Looking at them, Jones felt a bit of déjà vu. He took a look at the sketch in his hand and looked at them again.
"Are these the couple?"
Jayden face-palmed. "Even if they somehow resemble them, these are just kids. And it's obvious that the sister is older."
The young boy seemed around twelve while the girl looked sixteen. The two siblings avoided their gaze and huddled closer, seemingly frightened.
Putting on a calm smile, Jayden approached the duo and crouched by their bedside.
"Hey. You don't need to be nervous, we're not bad guys."
The girl's face showed a hint of wariness as she glanced at him. Still, it didn't seem his words convinced her.
"Sigh. I don't understand why you're so scared. But you're making me sad by doing this, y'know. Is my face scary?"
He looked doubtful as he touched his skin, seemingly worried.
"No…"
The boy whispered softly, almost too softly. However, as an evolved, Jayden naturally heard it. His expression quickly shifted to joy.
"Right? Haha. It seems I'm not scary after all."
Still, the older sister's skepticism didn't diminish. She held her brother tightly.
"Alright, I'll be frank. We aren't here for you guys. We're looking for a couple. I don't know if you recognize them."
He said, unfurling the sketch for them to see. Immediately the young boy saw it, he involuntarily muttered. "Dad and Mom…"
Jayden sighed, feeling wistful. They hadn't found the couple, but had found their children. Showing a faint smile, he said.
"I see. Can I know what happened to them? I don't see them around, after all."
He was fully prepared for some bad news. Finally, the girl dropped her guard and spoke slowly.
"Dad. He… he went out two weeks ago to find some food supplies as usual. But he didn't return."
Her eyes reddened as she spoke.
"Mom continued to tell us that he'd return, but he didn't. Then, four… four days ago, some guys came to our house, looking mean. T-they claimed that our dad sent them to fetch us. Mom believed them and opened the door. When they came inside, they seemed to… to…"
She paused, steeling her heart for the revelation.
"They seemed to like mom and took her to the bedroom. I don't know what exactly happened, but I heard mom screaming. We couldn't do anything since the door was locked."
At this point, she was already crying. Jayden and Jones exchanged a glance. They understood what had happened and didn't like the sound of it.
"Later, they left the room and dragged mom away. I knew that they weren't good people and hid here with Mike. They searched the house for us, but couldn't find us. In the end, they left… with mom."
Jayden covered his eyes with his palm, feeling a bit of headache.
'This… is a complicated issue.'
Still, he maintained his smile and said in a light tone. "Well then, rejoice! Our boss seems to need your parents for some work in our place. So we'll definitely help you to find them. Of course, you can trust us. We don't treat people unfairly."
He struck a heroic pose, making the young boy giggle subconsciously.
"Anyway, you shouldn't worry yourself and leave the finding to me. First, let's get you guys something to eat."
""Eh?""