Weekly chapters!? It seems I achieved Enlightenment!
Enjoy~
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In a man-made lake, the darkness saturated every color. The green trees looked greener, and their red fruits appeared even redder. The black water seemed darker than black itself. Everything looked as if someone had splashed it with pastel paint.
Under a sky where the crimson moon was hidden, countless indescribable, transparent figures drifted through the air. Different lustrous splendors floated among them, and each held a mix of mysterious knowledge and madness.
Near the bank of the lake, more than a hundred giant skeletons stood silently. Each was over four meters tall, with black flames burning in their empty eye sockets.
A short distance away stood a man with bronze skin, black hair, brown eyes, and gentle facial features. He stood on top of the black water as if it were solid ground. Countless screaming spirits circled above him, making him look like the absolute ruler of this strange world.
The man took a step forward, and the giant skeletons immediately stepped aside to create a path for him.
After reaching the center of the skeletons, he looked down at the calm pond. A tall figure floated there. The dead man had a distinctive wide jaw, his brown hair was tied into a ponytail, and his dark green eyes remained cold and lifeless.
The man knelt down, removed the human-skin glove from the corpse's hand, and examined it carefully.
The glove was extremely thin. It looked exactly like real human skin. It felt like it would become a complete hand the moment flesh and blood were poured inside.
Azik Eggers stared at the glove, and a sudden pain twisted his face.
"I seem to... seem to have cooperated with them before..." he muttered.
A few moments later, he let out a sigh and took out the letter he had received from Klein half an hour ago.
He read it once more, and a faint smile appeared on his face. Beyond the warning about Qilangos, Azik could easily tell Klein was subtly asking for praise while casually mentioning his advancement to Sequence 8.
Azik folded the letter and put it away.
He looked at the human-skin glove one last time before withdrawing his Internal Underworld. The giant skeletons and countless spirits were absorbed back into the center of his brow.
The distorted colors surrounding the lake quickly faded away.
Azik then took a step into the spirit world. He completely ignored the members of the Church of Storms and the Pallas Negan guards who had just arrived.
The world around him instantly twisted. Layers upon layers of colors overlapped endlessly, and countless transparent figures drifted through the void. Strange landscapes existed simultaneously in every direction, overlapping yet separated. The boundaries of distance, direction, and reality became completely vague.
Azik continued walking through the chaotic world until he suddenly stopped.
He turned his head to the right.
A man was standing there, quietly watching him. The stranger wore a dark mauve double-breasted coat, spotless white trousers, and a tall silk top hat. Neatly combed grayish-black hair rested beneath the hat, and his calm blue eyes gave him a deeply composed air.
Azik frowned.
"Who are you?" he asked.
At the same time, he prepared himself to release his Internal Underworld if the stranger showed any hostility.
The man did not answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and asked a question of his own.
"Do you have the letter with you?"
Azik first thought of the letter Klein had sent him. Then he remembered another letter. It carried a mysterious symbol that had felt strangely familiar.
A gigantic skeletal hand emerged from the spirit world and retrieved the letter. Azik asked his own question.
"Are you the old acquaintance the letter mentioned?"
The man shook his head.
"I am not." His gaze landed on the letter held by the skeletal hand. "But it seems you are the person the great existence spoke about.
"Dwayne Dantès, at your service," the man said with a slight smile.
Azik's expression became cautious.
"Which existence?"
Dwayne chuckled.
"The great ruler above the spirit world."
'The great ruler above the spirit world…' Azik silently repeated the title as he subconsciously glanced above.
Dwayne smiled. "He also has another title."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Mr. Fool."
…
Azik's brows furrowed as he suddenly said out loud, "Antigonus?"
Hearing the name, Dwayne Dantès tilted his head in confusion. "The little Wolf?"
Both men stared at each other for a moment before Dwayne coughed into his hand and let out a chuckle. "There seems to be a little confusion between us. Mr. Fool and Antigonus are two entirely different existences."
"I see... My apologies. I do not know why I said that."
In the spirit world, both of them suddenly stopped talking. They turned their heads as they felt a heavy stare fall upon them.
Through the faint fog of the void, they noticed a floating castle on their left, at least according to a normal human concept of direction. It was entirely black, with a towering spire covered in vines that made it look extremely Gothic.
At the top of the castle stood a translucent woman who was almost as tall as the building itself. She wore a complex, gorgeous, and gloomy black dress. She had no head, leaving a neat cut at her neck. Her drooping hands held four blonde heads with red eyes. If one looked closely, they would find that these brilliant-looking heads were completely identical. All four heads stared at them intensely.
"I suggest we both leave the spirit world," Dwayne murmured.
Azik maintained the stare for a moment and nodded.
After returning to the real world, Azik asked, "What did that great existence task you with?"
"I was tasked to decrypt your fate."
"Why?"
Dwayne shook his head. "I was not informed of his intentions." He paused, giving Azik a calm look. "Do I have your permission then?"
Azik frowned, slightly cautious. However, his thirst for answers easily overpowered his hesitation. "If this helps me uncover the truth, you may proceed."
Dwayne used his ability to decrypt fate, and a tiny hourglass appeared in one of his deep blue eyes.
Suddenly, Dwayne furrowed his brows as he noticed something. His gaze deepened as he turned toward an undisclosed location in the distance.
"Is something the matter?" Azik asked.
"It seems we are both supposed to meet something or someone important to our fate." Dwayne Dantès laughed out loud, then let out a sigh. "Such is the whim of a god, playing with our mortal fates like marionettes."
Hearing this, Azik also felt a sigh rising from deep inside his heart.
…
Dwayne finished viewing Azik's destiny, his eyes returned to their normal deep blue, and stroked his chin. "That glove is very important to you, Mr. Azik. Specifically, the third spirit inside it."
Azik took the human-skin glove and put it on. He closed his eyes and began to sense the distorted souls inside. Without any hesitation, he released the third spirit, who was likely a Nightmare.
The Nightmare appeared at his right side. He was a man in his thirties with black hair, blue eyes, a long, thin face, and obvious laugh lines. He had a thin beard around his mouth and chin.
The spirit's face was distorted in pain. Seeing this, Azik frowned and waved his hand. A short distance away, a skeleton appeared holding a flute, and it started to play a soothing melody.
Hearing the music, the spirit's pain and distortion eased. The Nightmare pressed his hand to his chest and gave a solemn bow toward Azik.
"May I be present for this conversation?" Dwayne Dantès asked, showing clear curiosity in his eyes.
Azik looked at him and sighed. "I do not mind."
Azik turned to the spirit. Using the Language of the Dead, his first instinct was to ask, "Why did you die at the hands of Qilangos?"
The corner of the Nightmare's mouth slightly curled up, revealing a bitter smile.
"I am a Red Glove from the Nighthawks. I was tracking down a bunch of ancient chronicles that originated from a Balam imperial tomb. We suspected that they were related to the reason for Death's passing. I found out that a part of it might have fallen into the hands of a particular tycoon, so I led two companions of mine and boarded the ship he was on. Unfortunately, we were attacked by Qilangos's fleet just as we were about to launch an investigation."
"What happened to your companions?" Azik subconsciously asked.
The Nightmare said in a pained tone, "We originally had the opportunity to leave and even kill Qilangos through our teamwork, but our ship sank, and we had to board a lifeboat instead. Everyone died. No, they were killed in the line of duty."
Azik was silent for a long moment. He looked gently at the Nightmare who had been killed in the line of duty and asked, "What is your name? What unfulfilled wishes do you have?"
When the spirit heard Azik's question, he said with a smile, "My name is Davy Raymond. I lost my parents, wife, and siblings in a black magic incident, leaving me with only one daughter, Neelu. She was born in 1330 and is a very lovely girl. In order to investigate the truth behind that black magic incident, I joined the Nighthawks and later became a Red Glove. I didn't manage to spend time with her, making her lose her father alongside her mother.
"I believe that the Church will definitely give her my pension and secretly provide her with a certain amount of help. I am not worried about her survival, but I only hope to see her enter the hall of marriage under the witness of the Goddess, to have her own family and not be lonely anymore."
"It is already the year 1349. She may already have a marriage partner," Azik sighed wistfully.
"Time flies..." Davy Raymond muttered in response. "Tell her that all the culprits have been punished and that I died because of an accident. There is no need to hate anyone anymore. Tell her that Daddy loves her, and Daddy is very sorry..."
His figure became more and more transparent, on the verge of disappearing. Azik did not try to stop it, but closed his eyes and asked, "Where does she live? What is the name of the tycoon who collected Death's chronicles?"
"We live in Desi County's Conant City. It is a beautiful seaside city, with rich rubber plantations growing nearby. If she hasn't moved, she will be living at 67 Red Indus Street. The tycoon's name is Jimmy Necker. He should have fallen into the hands of Qilangos as well..."
Before Davy Raymond finished speaking, his figure completely disappeared, leaving only a deep black, gem-like object on Azik's palm.
Dwayne, who was standing at the side, smiled and asked, "What do you wish to do first?"
***
Desi County, Conant City, 67 Red Indus Street.
Stepping out of the spirit world, Dwayne and Azik walked up to the house and rang the doorbell.
In less than a minute, the door creaked open. A maidservant looked out and asked with curiosity, "Good evening, who might you be looking for?"
"We are here to find Ma'am Neelu. We are friends of her father, Davy Raymond," Dwayne answered calmly.
The maidservant quickly asked them to wait and went into the living room to report to her mistress.
Before long, a woman in a casual dress walked to the door. She had black hair and blue eyes. Her face was thin but pretty, and she clearly resembled Davy Raymond.
"Good evening, sirs. I am Neelu, Davy Raymond's daughter. May I know when you got to know my father?" Neelu asked politely but warily.
Azik was the one to reply. "We got to know him at sea. It has been several years."
Neelu cast a wary glance at Dwayne, then looked at Azik. "Perhaps you do not know, but he has already passed away."
Azik sighed and replied, "Yes, we know. We met him during that disaster. He had some words to say back then. I did not think too much about them at the time. However, the more I thought about it in recent years, the more I felt I should inform you."
"Is that so?" Neelu said softly. After a moment of thought, she invited them inside. "Please, both of you come in. Would you mind if my husband listens?"
"This is up to you to decide," Dwayne frankly replied.
Neelu nodded and led them into the study. Her husband looked like an ordinary civil servant with a gentlemanly bearing. He put down his newspaper and followed them inside.
After everyone sat down, Azik and Dwayne looked at the couple on the sofa.
"Mr. Davy Raymond experienced one disaster after another. He lost his father, mother, wife, brothers, and sisters," Azik began.
Neelu nodded with a deadpan expression. "I know."
Azik continued, "He appeared to be a merchant, but he was actually seeking out the murderers who caused that disaster."
Neelu did not object. "I know."
Azik glanced at her. "He dedicated himself to this matter. He deeply regretted that he could not spend time with you while you were growing up, leaving you to lose your father right alongside your mother."
Neelu fell silent for a second before she rapidly replied, "I know!"
Azik swept his gaze to the old books around him and sighed silently.
"He said that his greatest wish was to see you enter the hall of marriage under the witness of the Goddess, to have your own family, and to not be lonely anymore. I believe he should be very happy right now."
Neelu's gaze slowly moved away from Azik's face. She opened her mouth slightly, answering only a couple of seconds later.
"...I know."
Azik leaned forward slightly and clasped his hands.
"He said that he might die at sea, and he wanted me to tell you that he died as a result of an accident. All the murderers from before have already been punished. You do not need to hate anyone.
"He also said that he loves you very much and that he is very sorry."
Neelu remained silent for a few seconds and blinked. She turned her head to the side and scoffed, her true feelings hard to read.
"Got it..."
Azik gave her a deep look before getting up.
"I am done passing on the message. It is time for me to leave."
In the silence, Neelu's husband nodded gently as a gesture of thanks.
Azik turned around and walked to the study door, and Dwayne followed him. Just as Azik twisted the doorknob, Neelu's voice sounded from behind him, sounding deep and hoarse.
"What kind of person do you think he was?"
Azik fell silent for a second. He turned his head and looked at her. For a moment, his gaze grew distant as the memory of another girl with soft black hair overlapped with Neelu. He gave a small smile. "A guardian."
He did not stay any longer. He opened the door and stepped out at 67 Red Indus Street. Just as the door closed, soft, restrained sobbing reached his ears.
Azik did not look back. He simply took a step forward and entered the spirit world, and Dwayne quietly followed.
The quiet street was instantly replaced by overlapping layers of saturated colors. The chaotic world completely swallowed the sorrowful sounds of the house. They traveled in silence, letting the distorted landscape and drifting spirits carry them forward.
Moments later, Azik tore through the boundary of reality and stepped out.
The stacked colors quickly receded, and the indescribable transparent figures faded far into the distance.
They found themselves in a mountain valley with a flowing river. There were fertile fields, a manor, and a town built in a Loenese style.
Dwayne looked around and realized they were standing in a dark, long abandoned cemetery.
"Azik..." Dwayne said slowly.
Azik walked to a grave with a broken tombstone covered in weeds. He spoke solemnly. "After meeting Neelu Raymond, I recalled some matters of my past lives.
"In one of my lives, I had a daughter. She had soft black hair and enjoyed sitting in a swing I made myself while requesting sweets from me.
"When traversing the spirit world, I suddenly sensed the call of my bloodline."
Dwayne felt the weight of Azik's emotions and asked solemnly, "Is this her grave?"
Azik nodded and crouched down. He touched the broken tombstone. His bronze face showed a mix of gentleness, sorrow, and confusion.
"This is her grave.
"If I recall correctly, she has been dead for 925 years..."
Azik stared at the ruined marker for a long moment before opening his mouth.
"Do you think she felt like Neelu after I left her?
"Did she hold pain and longing like Neelu deep inside her heart, hoping that one day I might come back?"
Azik looked up at Dwayne. "Do I become this much of a heartless being when I awaken my memories?"
Dwayne walked closer, stepping right next to Azik to look at the tombstone. "Are you worried you will become an evil person?"
"I am very worried," Azik said solemnly. He stood up, looked at the faded name on the tombstone, and continued. "However, I have a greater desire to discover who I truly am."
Dwayne smiled and patted him on the back. "Let us go find Qilangos's ship then."
***
On the Sonia Sea, aboard the Black Death.
Inside the ship's cabin, the warm glow of golden candle racks illuminated a stunning woman pacing before a desk. Her azure-blue eyes were sharp and bright beneath long, straight brows. She wore beige trousers and a sheer white linen shirt that offered a faint glimpse of her figure, with thick curls of raven-black hair cascading down to preserve her modesty.
This was Tracy Pellè. She was the new captain of the Black Death, which was Qilangos' former flagship, and the newly appointed Vice Admiral of Ailment.
After she took over Qilangos's crew, she stood in front of the tall mirror on the right wall and prayed to the Primordial Demoness to perform a mirror divination. At first, she did not see any signs of a catastrophe coming her way. The mirror just showed her looking healthy and well, sitting at her desk and reading a novel.
A couple of minutes later, her future suddenly shifted. The healthy reflection in the large mirror warped into a shriveled husk. It looked like all her energy had been drained away, leaving her to face a grim and ultimate death.
She tried to figure out what led to her death and how she could avoid it, but she found nothing. Left with no other choice, and as much she hated that fact, she had to contact her mother. Now, she is just waiting for her mother to respond.
She stopped walking around the room and returned to her desk. She let out a sigh and was just about to call Helena inside when her eyes suddenly widened. Her spirituality sensed someone breaking into the real world.
The air rippled and two figures stepped out of the spirit world right into her luxurious cabin.
The first was a man of average height with bronze skin, neatly combed black hair, and dark brown eyes. His gentle features made him look like a polite scholar. Walking beside him was the man with grayish-black hair.
"Who are you people?" Tracy asked them both as she prepared to cast one of her Dark Magic spells.
The black-haired man ignored her question and asked one of his own. "Is this Qilangos's ship?"
Tracy frowned and replied, "It was his. Now it's mine."
She opened her mouth to demand they answer her original question, but the man with the grayish-black hair spoke first.
"Do you know a tycoon named Jimmy Necker?"
Tracy gaped for a second before snapping her mouth shut. She gritted her teeth, feeling highly aggrieved. "Who is he?"
"You might not know him. He once collected a batch of ancient chronicles related to Death, and he died at the hands of Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos," the man with the grayish-black hair answered as he looked around the room.
"You came for those documents?
"That batch of documents from the Balam Empire's royal mausoleum is indeed in my hands.
"But why should I give them to you? Answer my questions. Who are you?"
At this moment, a gentle female's voice from a difficult to identify location sounded.
"It's you?"
Tracy stiffened the moment her mother's voice reached her ears.
After a brief hesitation, Azik turned his head toward the large mirror in the room and asked, "You know me?"
The gentle voice spoke from the mirror once more. "Of course I know you. And you should know me."
Azik stared deeply into the glass before shaking his head with a rueful smile. "I am sorry. I have repeatedly lost my memories and am still in the process of recovering them. If you can help jog my memory, I would be very grateful."
The voice sighed. "The last time we met was 1,300 years ago. Back then, the Primordial One and Death worked together to trigger the Pale Disaster on the Northern Continent. You might have forgotten, but we once fought alongside each other against the Saints and Angels of the Church of the Evernight Goddess."
Azik closed his eyes as though he was trying to squeeze out his memories.
After a few seconds, he asked hesitantly, "Katarina Pellè?
"You... are already a Demoness of Unaging?"
"I'm very happy that you can still remember me. I could only be considered a weakling compared to you back then." A figure materialized and stepped right out of the full-body mirror. She wore a simple and pure white gown with high slits that revealed her flawless legs. Her skin was snow-white and as tender as a young maiden's. With her black hair and blue eyes, she looked incredibly elegant and beautiful. She had an indescribable charm.
She looked towards Azik Eggers as a faint smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"More than a thousand years have passed. It's a cause for celebration for us to meet, alive.
"Balam Empire's Mr. Death Consul."
Standing to the side, Dwayne lifted an eyebrow. Tracy nearly choked on her own spit. Just who had she been talking back to if even her mother was showing him this much respect?
Katarina paid absolutely no attention to Tracy's shock. She simply kept her gaze locked on the Death Consul standing in front of her.
"I'm curious over why you would still be constantly losing your memories.
"I remember that it only happens for your pathway during the Undying stage. Dying once every sixty years to revive again and forget the past. However, you have long advanced past that and escaped from that curse.
"What happened to you at the end of the Pale Disaster?
"Heh heh, the seven gods had fractured back then and treated each other as enemies. We both believed that Primordial and Death would succeed, but who knew that the proudest Sun and the most arrogant Tyrant would bow 'Their' heads. They quickly joined forces again. If I hadn't managed to advance by chance, then I might've already perished at the end of that divine battle. I believe you should've suffered some damage which resulted in your present state. Death's perishing is itself the greatest injury for you."
Azik fell silent as he wore an indistinct painful expression. "I-I can't remember..."
Seeing Azik in that state, Katarina smiled and turned her gaze to Dwayne.
"And who are you? Traveling with the Death Consul... you must be special," she murmured in a seductive tone.
Dwayne raised an eyebrow, then casually waved his hand in front of her face. "I am nobody. Ignore me."
Katarina's eyes grew momentarily dazed as her interest in him was completely stolen away. Her gaze drifted right past him, and her expression returned to normal as she turned back to Azik, entirely forgetting Dwayne's presence.
Tracy on the side, looked closely at her mother and realized Katarina no longer even registered the man's presence. When she glanced back at the gray-haired stranger, their eyes met, and he gave her a playful wink.
'He could hide himself from me just as easily. He chose not to just to toy with me.
'Mother doesn't even know who he is. Is he another high-ranking Beyonder?'
Panic gripped her as the horrific image from her mirror divination flashed in her mind.
'These are the men who would've turned me into that shriveled husk. And it is all because I disrespected them!'
Noticing Dwayne use his ability to make Katarina ignore him, Azik returned to his usual demeanor and looked back at the Demoness. In his usual calm tone, he asked, "Can you hand over the documents from the Balam Empire's royal mausoleum?"
"That's not a big problem." She then looked towards Azik.
"I remember that batch of documents. It records the various attempts used by the Balam royalty to revive Death, but unfortunately, they seemed to fail miserably. Towards the end, they seemed to consider creating an artificial Death.
"Are you still interested?"
Azik pondered for two seconds before asking, "What price do I need to pay?"
Katarina smiled youthfully.
"No, there's no need.
"I thought it over. Helping you regain your memories and find your past in order to become the Death Consul from before should be a rather interesting matter. This can bring more changes and fun to this world."
She snapped her fingers. In a burst of black flame, Death's chronicles materialized out of thin air.
Azik nodded and extended his right hand. The stack of papers automatically flew over to him, looking as though invisible spirits were at his service.
She looked up as her blue eyes effused an indescribable warmth as she smiled faintly.
"I still remember how Mr. Death Consul from before was such a powerful but cold man. He left a deep impression on me.
"I'm also curious as to why you would become so soft."
Azik held his fist to his mouth and let out a small smile.
"I'm immortal, but that doesn't mean I don't age. Once a person ages, they will often become placid."
"No." Katarina's eyes flickered deep down as she said without concealing anything, "I look forward to the day you recover all your memories. I wish to see how you would evaluate the present you."
Azik sighed and shook his head. Dwayne raised an eyebrow from the sidelines. Without another word, Azik stepped back into the spirit world, and Dwayne followed right behind him. Instantly, only the Demoness of Unaging, Katarina Pellè, and the Vice Admiral of Ailment, Tracy, remained in the captain's cabin of the Black Death.
Katarina suddenly blinked. The interested smile she had given Dwayne earlier returned to her face.
"I cannot even remember what he looked like. How interesting." She turned to look at her daughter. "Can you draw a portrait of him?"
Seeing the deep interest in her mother's eyes, Tracy's facial muscles twitched. She wore a completely warped expression, but she managed a stiff nod.
Katarina smiled mildly. "Create a portrait of him and send it to the Demoness Sect. He seems far too interesting to let go so easily." She let out a seductive laugh once more, "Now, I have to plan an unexpected encounter with him which would lead into having a pure and romantic story."
In a burst of black flame, she vanished, leaving Tracy completely alone in the quiet cabin.
***
In Backlund.
In a modest two-bedroom apartment in St. George Borough, the living room was quiet and comfortably set up for a lazy afternoon. A low coffee table sat in the center of the room, holding a few borrowed reference books and a jug of water. Near the window that offered a distant view of the Tussock River, Fors Wall slumped languidly in a sofa, enjoying the peace.
She wore a common Loen-styled dress, and her curly brown hair was a bit messy around her pale blue eyes. The apartment was perfectly still since her roommate Xio had gone out to restock their empty kitchen pantry.
Fors reached forward to take a sip of water and her mind drifted back to work. Since she just finished Stormwind Mountain Villa, she really wanted to write a detective novel next. She planned to ask Sherlock Moriarty about his experiences and adapt them for her book.
A small worry nagged at her. Surely not all of his detective cases led to massive scandals that shook the entire Loen Kingdom. The Capim files case ended in court yesterday. According to the newspaper analysts, the judge leaned toward seizing all the wealth and nobility titles of the people involved and sending them straight to the Balam Colonies.
Suddenly, a loud frantic ringing of the doorbell shattered the quiet apartment.
"Coming, coming," Fors called out, setting her water down and walking to the front door.
She pulled the door open and froze.
Sherlock Moriarty stood on the doorstep while looking absolutely wrecked. He usually looked surprisingly professional with his check-patterned coat, matching vest, dark trousers, gloves, and deerstalker hat. Now, the hat was completely missing. His slightly long black hair was matted with fresh blood. His clothes were torn and covered in grime, and his handsomeaverage stubbled face was deathly pale.
He looked at her with dull brown eyes and managed a weak smile.
"Miss Fors..." he muttered.
He tried to take a step inside, but his toned body completely gave out. He nearly crashed into the floorboards, but Fors lunged forward and caught his weight just in time.
"Mr. Sherlock! What happened to you?" she asked in a panic.
He opened his mouth to answer, but his eyes rolled back and he fell completely unconscious in her arms.
Fors did not waste time panicking. She dragged his heavy body into the kitchen and managed to lay him flat on the table. She hurried to grab her first-aid kit and the medical supplies she kept from her days working as a professional nurse.
Running back to the table, she quickly ripped open his ruined shirt to see the extent of his injuries. The damage was severe. His head was bleeding freely from a nasty cut. A massive purple bruise spread across his chest, pointing to a heavy blunt-force impact. On top of that, one of his hands was swollen and resting at a painful angle, clearly fractured.
Fors immediately got to work. She cleaned and bandaged his head to stop the bleeding, carefully checked his ribs, and securely splinted his broken hand. Her hands moved fast and steady out of pure habit.
As she wiped the remaining blood from his face and stabilized his breathing, she stared down at the unconscious detective. A single question echoed loudly in her mind.
'What in the world happened to him?'
AN: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The meeting with Katarina ended up being pretty generic. I tried to work in the stuff going on with Helena through this scene, but it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to. Anyways, maybe I'll do something better with it later.
There is already one chapter ahead available on pat-reon, your support would truly mean a lot to me.
Pat-reon: pat-reon.com/DmonLord