1213 Crownpoint Avenue, Oregon. Our home. Ephram played these words on repeat in his mind, feeling his very soul connected to them. He feared forgetting those words and the people in the photograph, so he had tucked the picture back into the watch and hid it within his left breast pocket once more.
Ever since returning to Hell via the sigil in Aberlain's study, something had been bothering him. It was no mere coincidence he had passed out after the watch had opened, revealing the picture within. There was more to it, he knew that within his heart. But why the picture caused such a reaction from him, he had no clue. The only explanation he could hope to find would be to visit the address scribbled on the flip side of the photo.
As he walked through the hall, following a few paces behind Aberlain, an idea sprung forth. If he could convince both May and Silo to accompany him to Earth and find the place mentioned on the photo, it would be easier for him to find any clue as to why he fell unconscious. So far those two were the only ones he knew he could trust, knowing that if things go wrong they'd have his back.
"E, you go on ahead. I have a meeting to attend and would like to prepare for it. I'll have Restavel here see you to your room. It's just across the hall from... Silo, was it?" Aberlain said, pointing down the corridor to a tall dark female demon.
She was dressed in a long frilly maids uniform, her shoulder length dull gray hair flatly pressed to her head, covering the majority of her face with her choppy bangs. She seemed to be speaking to a few other shorter demons in similar dresses with similar hair, only to dismiss them as soon as she caught sight of Aberlain. Ephram noticed something odd about her, she seemed to walk with a very slight limp. Now that he paid closer attention, he noticed all of the shorter maids walk with the same limp as they scurried through the corridor, passing both him and Aberlain quickly.
"Restavel, could you please see our guest to the quarters across the hall from the field mouse? I'd really appreciate it." Aberlain said, dawning a suspiciously kind tone with the maid.
She nodded in obedience, beckoning for Ephram to follow her without any hesitation or response to the Rootlord.
"Oh, and E! One more thing..." Aberlain yelled as he began hurriedly walking in the opposite direction, "as long as you stay within the palace, you don't have anything to worry about! You're safe here, I promise, so catch up on some rest if you'd like!" The Rootlord proclaimed cheerily as he waved goodbye.
Ephram thought to himself why Aberlain would say such a thing, it had become increasingly obvious that he was just trying to keep an eye on him. It bugged him why the Rootlord still didn't seem to trust him fully, even after everything he'd done to prove his trustworthiness. Looking towards the maid now directing him through corridor after corridor, he wondered what she thought of Aberlain.
"Restavel, right? What do you think of him?" He asked, and was met with a sideways glance from the confused maid.
"Clarify." She said, but her voice sounded more robotic than demon.
"I mean... do you think he finds it hard to trust others?"
The maid showed no indication of thought whatsoever as she continued walking down the hall, the clicking of her short black heels echoing through the air.
"Don't know." She said, ending the conversation then and there.
Ephram took this as his cue to stay silent, not sure why Restavel had no intentions of speaking anymore with him. Perhaps she just wasn't the talkative type, he thought, as he gave her the benefit of the doubt.
As the two of them rounded the corner and walked up the stairs, he realized they were in the Great Hall, the same diamond chandelier shining brilliantly just as before. The oak double doors swung open with force, revealing yet another long corridor with several smaller wooden doors on each side. He noticed that this hallway seemed more barren of decor from the others, no paintings or busts lined the wall. A few small potted plants stood upon marble pillars, but nothing else caught his eye.
"Well, well... look who it is." A familiar voice piped up from behind him, and Ephram spun around quickly.
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May had come out of the small wooden door to his right, leaning against it nonchalantly as if she had planned to pop up behind him like some sort of ghostly figure. She had seemingly changed clothes, now sporting a wrinkled white button up and long gray satin pants. Clutching a different sunhat in her hands, this one being a stunning red, she did a small courtesy to greet him. Her golden hair drooped over her blank dark face as she bowed, giggling playfully.
"May! What've you been up to? Where's Silo? And please... don't bow to me, it feels weird." Ephram said as he laughed under his breath sheepishly.
"I'm here! Long time no see!" The field mouse squeaked, scurrying out from underneath Mays hair, perched upon her shoulder.
"The two of you are getting along better, I see?" He asked, thankful for how far the two demons he cared most about had come. He remembered not too long ago May had tried to hurt Silo for simply not knowing what his intentions were, but their time in the sewers really seemed to connect the two of them.
"I've been showing him around the palace grounds, I've actually grown quite fond of the little guy." She said, patting the mouse like he was her favorite new pet.
"What about you? My father didn't say anything to you, did he?"
"Well... not exactly. Some things happened but I'll fill you in, don't worry." He said slowly, treading carefully as to how he spoke about her father to her.
As Ephram began explaining the situation he found himself in to May and Silo, they both stayed quiet and listened as they entered their room, leaving Restavel behind in the hallway. The maid didn't particularly seem to care what any of them were discussing as she limped down the hall, leaving the trio alone.
The room wasn't as big as he thought it would be, seeing as how the rest of the palace was comically oversized. There was nothing more than a queen sized bed with dark gray sheets, a small white dresser in the corner of the room, and a tacky floral rug. The surrounding atmosphere of the room felt stuffy, almost as if the room itself was telling him to get out. Regardless of his displeasure from the room, Ephram continued his story to May and Silo as they both looked at him attentively. She had sat upon the bed with her legs and arms folded, patiently waiting for him to finish his explanation. Silo seemed to be enjoying the story more than her, as he laid on the bed next to her like a child hearing a bedtime story.
"I see... do you mind if I take a look at this photo?" May asked seriously, any hint of playfulness in her voice had gone straight out the window.
Ephram reached into his pocket and pulled out the pocket watch, thankful it was much easier to open now that it had broken open once before. Handing the photo to her and stepping back, he watched as May inspected the photograph closely. Her mannerisms seemed to match that of a detective grueling over some kind of misunderstood evidence, like a clue no one but her could see.
"I know you claimed to not know these two people, but... the fact remains. The man in this picture looks strikingly familiar to me." She said, holding up the photo to compare both the man within it, and Ephram standing across from her.
"But... that just can't be. It's impossible for a human to become a demon. They can only unknowingly create a demon, which is how you awakened in the Garden. Angels, Demons, and Humans alike are their own separate entities, so it simply just has to be a coincidence, right?" Silo asked, looking up at May.
"Right... I agree... but still, it's uncanny. Especially now that you've had what my father called a heart attack? Demons don't have heart attacks... perhaps the man in the photo is your human master?" She said, turning over the photo to examine the back.
Ephram shrugged his shoulders, having no clue as to what could've happened. One second he was fine, and the second after seeing that picture, he had collapsed.
"Then it's settled. We go to this address and see for ourselves, maybe something there could be helpful?" May said without hesitation, catching Ephram off guard. He had originally planned to ask her himself for the three of them to go together, but it seemed she had the same thought.
"Are you sure? You don't have to, but I really would appreciate it if we all check it out, so... thank you." He said, clasping his hands together and bowed his head slightly to show how grateful he was.
"Don't mention it, consider this a favor... you'll just have to owe me one in the future, mkay?" May said, the playfulness returning to her voice as she stood up to hand the photo back.
She donned her red sunhat, reaching out for Silo to climb upon her shoulder once more. Looking up at Ephram, she laughed, noticing his hat had become slightly crooked atop his head. Climbing up onto the bed and standing as tall as she could, she reached out and fixed it. Jumping back down swiftly, he followed her out through the door as they walked through the winding corridors of Palace Estella. It was only until they reached Aberlain's study did she turn and face him, lowering her voice so none of the passing by maids could overhear.
"Whatever you do, don't tell my father we used the sigil. He won't be too happy if he finds out." She said, putting a finger to her face right about where her mouth would be.
As the three of them pushed open the door to the study, they failed to notice the tallest maid staring directly at them from across the hall. Her thin gray hair fell just below where her eyes should've been, making it hard for her to see past. As she watched the three of them enter the study, she quickly looked down at her feet, pretending not to see anything as she carried on with her business. Behind a few strands of gray hair, however, a small glimmer of golden light shone. A faint yellow peaking through the curtain of gray.