When Love had finished reading the small scrolls inside the wooden box Love didn't know what to think. To think that Ephidel and Zephiel were one and the same. It was almost too hard to believe. But as he read further through each of the 4 scrolls the latter became most believable.

Could he trust what Pablo wrote in these scrolls to be nothing but the truth? Could he have known that one day his brother would become paranoid over a slip of the tongue made by Ephidel and wrote something as preposterous as what was written in these scrolls? Love shook his head. His gut was telling him that all this was true. Pablo was now a don. He would have access to confidential information such as this. Especially if he did some digging.

Love glanced at the red book. No doubt it was also a book safe and contained the other half of the truth. He dared not read it. One book was enough for one day. He needed time to process all his brother wrote in the green safe.

Hot air breezed into Captain Love's office as a young man no more than twenty five years walked in.

“What is it, Ciprián?” Captain Love asked.

“Captain I came to deliver the daily reports from those officers tasked in looking for the Zapojin boy.”

“Let me guess. No signs of him?” Captain Love said without a care in his voice.

“I'm afraid so, sir.” Captain Love noticed the look on Ciprián’s face. As if he was holding back his opinion.

“Speak freely Ciprián. You must always think for yourself when necessary.” Captain Love noticed himself repeating Joaquin's words after the fact. His words made Ciprián smile.

“I suspect the thief may not be hiding inside the city. With the guards and the mobs searching every crevice in this city it would be next to impossible to hide this long.”

“You suspect the boy to be outside in the woods somewhere? Is that what you're implying?”

“Yessir. Either there or the miracle forest. The people are paranoid to enter anything resembling the woods even if the younger crowd like to seem to be braver than the older generation.” There was a hint of pride in Ciprián's words. Captain Love was familiar with the sentiment. It was the feeling of uncovering a mystery or discovering a clue.

Captain Love's eyes saw the unwrapped scrolls scattered on his desk. He placed them inside the drawer before returning to Ciprián.

“You may be right, Ciprián. Though I have already searched Miracle Forest myself and found nothing.” A lie for Ettor.

“Oh. I'm sorry captain I didn't know.”

“No need to apologize to me, Ciprián. You should trust your gut whenever possible. It's gonna be your number one ally once you take over as captain.”

“You're still young Captain Love.” Ciprián bowed his head. “I hope I can live up to your expectations.

“You will. In that I have no doubt. But let's get back to the Zapojin. You're more than likely correct that no one would be able to hide from us and the multiple mobs out looking for him for this long.” Captain Love reached into his pocket for a cigarette but found them empty. The ones Pablo gave him were locked in the drawer. He gathered up the strength to not open it and light one up.

“No one would be able to hide inside the city for this long if we knew how their glow was triggered.” Captain Love said.

“Sir?”

“According to eyewitnesses the boy has brown skin, short hair, and black hair. Probably around ten to thirteen. How many boys like that are in this city?”

“A lot, Captain.” Ciprián said, his voice sounded defeated.

“If we knew what caused them to glow then your assumption would be more or less correct. But as of now we don't know what causes the boy to glow and thus can't just assume any boy fitting his description is him. Right now only a handful of people know the boy's face. A boy hiding inside a city this large with only a handful looking for him and knowing his face, well pretty good odds wouldn't you say?”

“You're right sir. Forgive me for my ignorance.” Ciprián said, bowing to him again.

In truth Captain Love had come to the same conclusion. It was possible the boy could be hiding in the forest. The glowing was more or less an accident. Otherwise he wouldn't have revealed himself during the robbery.

The glowing was an accident.

“Ciprián!”

“Yes Captain?”

“Bring me the transcript you wrote when I interrogated the eye witnesses.”

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Ciprián straightened himself. “Yessir!” Before long he returned with the transcript in hand.

Captain Love scanned the transcript until he came up to Delilah's interrogation.

Delilah: The boy was glowing when he held me down. I could barely see his face because of the brightness from it. Afterwards the boy ran into the dark and his glow disappeared.”

Into the dark. Into the dark.

Captain Love lifted himself from his chair and opened the door to his office. The heat smacked him across the face as the summer air breezed through. Captain Love put his hands out in front of him and felt the sunlight hit his skin. His gut told him he was onto something.

Could it be? Captain Love wondered. It seemed crazy to think the glow was caused by sunlight. Or was it? After all he had abilities that were on the edge of being considered witchcraft. Joaquin had the gift and his brother Pablo resented the fact he wasn't born with it like he was.

Trust your guts. A lesson from Ettor and Joaquin.

“Did you figure something out Captain?”

Love looked behind him to see Ciprián. He had forgotten he was there. He didn't say a word as he went back to his chair. The contents of the green book safe were still fresh in his mind. With what he knew about Ephidel or Zephiel rather, could he reveal this secret? It would benefit the hunt and capture of the zapojin.

I am the law. The words echoed in Captain Love's head until a new voice sung in the madness.

Think for yourself

What would you do, commander? If you knew what I knew? Would you still perform your duties? Or disobey like I wanted to that day?

“Captain? Are you feeling ok? Is the heat getting to you?”

Captain Love looked up to Ciprián. The young man was growing in his first beard. Love remembered when he was that young working under Commander Joaquin. Then he thought about what he knew from the scrolls. Captain Love hesitated but asked nonetheless.

“Are you religious Ciprián?”

Ciprián was caught off guard by the question. “I was raised in a stone worshiper home Captain.”

“Your parents worshiped the wall huh? Not surprising. Many of the city folks are firm wall believers. Only a few worship the brother moons and this new god—goddess.”

“The green lady!” Ciprián said excitedly.

“That's the one. But you didn't answer the question. Are you religious Ciprián?”

Ciprián took a moment before answering. Captain Love saw that he was nervous.

“I'm just curious is all.” Captain Love said to reassure the young man.

“I have been leaning towards the belief of the goddess as of late.” Ciprián finally answered.

“I'm not very familiar with the green lady's teaching. Please tell me what gravitates you, Ciprián.”

Ciprián sat across from him and said, “well I don't know if gravitate is the correct word but the green lady teaches about the end of our world.”

The world ended many years ago. The green lady came too little too late. Captain Love wanted to say but didn't.

“how the zapojin will bring about the end. The walls will crumble and fall and the creatures will return to finish what they started. Just like how the settlement fell.”

Pablo's voice played out the wordings of the scrolls Captain Love read in his mind.

Zephiel and Ephidel are one and the same. He uses a ritual to transfer his soul from his old body and into a much younger host.

The walls were not man made but created by a wish. A wish from the stone head like his sigil.

The final part was what stood out the most to Captain Love. He wanted to tell Ciprián what he read. To see if he should obey the law and tell him his theory. Or lie and keep the boy as far away from Ephidel as possible. But Ciprián’s belief in the tenets of the green lady concerned him. Ciprián was starting to believe their teachings and they didn't have a good outlook on the zapojin.

Can I trust you Ciprián? Captain Love thought to himself. Ciprián sat across from him still mumbering about the green lady and the new sect by someone named Ronaldo.

Ephidel's new body grows weaker than the last. Each lasting less than half as the one before. The one before Ephidel lasted only two years. A curse as a byproduct for the wish for immortality.

He's been looking for a way to break this curse. A way to find a body to last him forever.

Captain Love wanted to know if he could trust Ciprián and tell him the truth. To see if he should obey the law or think for himself.

Obey the law. Obey the law.

Think for yourself. Think for yourself.

“In all honesty Captain Love. I believe the zapojin, boy or man, is evil and should be cut down.” Ciprián grew flustered as the words left his mouth. “Sir.”

the zapojin people are the key. If he finds one he believes he can gain true immortality. And the city will suffer because of it. If one is ever found we must keep him away from Ephidel.

Captain Love wished Commander Joaquin was here. Perhaps he could share this secret with him. And tell him what he should do.

Think for yourself.

Obey the law. And so Captain love did.

“Ciprián!” Captain Love interrupted. “Tell the guards to have any boy matching the zapojin description to remove their tunic and have their skin touched by sunlight. If they glow then we found him. If not then to release the child.”

“I don't understand—”

“Now!” Captain Love ordered.

Ciprián dismissed himself as he walked through the exit.

There was a sour taste in his mouth. Pablo wouldn't approve but he wasn't Pablo. He was the law. Ephidel was his lord.

Captain Love remembered the red book still placed on top of his desk.

A secret for another day. He told himself.