Despite only having a few hours of rest, Sero didn't feel tired at all as he waited for Elizabeth to arrive at his penthouse. He had ordered security cameras through the association, vowing to make his place more safer to prevent any future incidents from happening. Nala had taken Luna to Gregor's home, where the two of them would remain for now.

When Elizabeth finally showed up, she looked nervous and distracted, wearing a light jacket over a dark blue shirt and jeans. Sero invited her inside and offered her a seat. "Thank you," she said, sitting down on the couch opposite of him. "So, you're probably wondering what I have regarding the location of Casey."

"Yes, I am," Sero replied, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "Where is he?"

As it turns out, Sero was half-right, seeing as Casey wasn't the only one who had been kidnapped. Multiple young Ascendants had been taken all over the 25th Zone, causing the alliance to shift focus towards searching and rescuing the children. It was in the process of this investigation that they discovered a lead on the whereabouts of Casey and the other captives.

While the alliance hadn’t forgotten about the missing patients afflicted with the Outbreak Plague or the deceased, there was still a drop in resources in keeping watch over hospitals in the 25th Zone. Thankfully, since the incident only occurred in the 25th, the other Zones were safe to continue their vigilance.

"From what we could get out of the Culling prisoners, they were taken to somewhere on the outskirts of the zone. They were brought there to serve as test subjects for some kind of... experiment. The Culling had been working on a new virus, one that could infect Ascendants. It's possible that they wanted to see how it would affect those with higher levels of resistance, like Casey," Elizabeth began, crossing one leg over the other.

"Wait," Sero shivered. "It wouldn't be something similar to the Outbreak Plague, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Elizabeth replied grimly. "It seems that the Culling had been working on this virus for a while, and it's already at an advanced stage. But we don't know much about its effects yet. That's why we need to find those children, and Casey, before they can be used as guinea pigs."

Sero's heart sank. "What can I do to help?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll do anything."

Elizabeth glanced away. "There's not much you can do right now. The alliance has its hands full with the search and rescue on top of increased patrols. But if you find out anything, anything at all, that could help us, you're to contact me immediately."

She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts. "I suppose you could keep an eye on your surroundings as well. The Culling could be after you."

Sero scowled. "Then I really hope they do."

Elizabeth looked as if she wanted to advise against it, but sighed instead. "I can only imagine how you're feeling, Sero. It's not easy to lose someone you care about."

"Tell me about it," he muttered back, feeling an ache in his chest at the thought of his parents. Stiffly, as if she wasn't sure if it was okay, Elizabeth reached over the table, grasping Sero's hand.

The contact was surprisingly comforting. It felt... right, somehow. As if they were somehow connected in this mess. She squeezed his hand gently, and he squeezed back. "I'm sorry, Sero," she said softly as she pulled away. "I know it's not much, but I'm here for you. Even though we just met, I've gone through enough to know how you feel."

He didn't say anything, but he appreciated the words. He knew that she was right; they had only just met, but somehow she felt like an old friend.

"Hey, for now, this is all we can do. Why don't you do something to take your mind off things?" Elizabeth suggested. "Go for a walk, or grab a bite to eat. Maybe hang out with your friends, or visit Nala and Luna. I know they'd love to see you."

"Yeah, maybe I'll do that," Sero agreed, then thought for a moment. "Actually, do you want to grab lunch with me?"

Elizabeth smiled, dimples appearing in her cheeks. "That sounds nice. I could use a break too."

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They found a small café nearby, tucked away in a quiet corner of the zone. The air was warm, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Though the day was pleasant, the atmosphere was tense as Ascendants and security forces alike patrolled the area.

As they waited for their food, Sero filled Elizabeth in about his life so far. He talked about his resurrection, his parents, his friends, and the things they liked to do together. He felt a strange sense of comfort in her company, as if he could trust her with his story.

Elizabeth listened intently, nodding along and occasionally adding a comment or asking a question. She seemed genuinely interested in his life, and that made him feel better about sharing it. When she finally told him about herself, it was the same way. She spoke about her life before the apocalypse, her family, and how she had come to be involved with the A.R.E.S. Unit division.

"My father and mother were spared from the Outbreak Plague, thankfully," Elizabeth gazed down at her food, her eyes distant. "When the apocalypse happened, the three of us were nowhere near any outbreaks, but we went ahead and moved into a safer part of the zone. During that period, I was training to be in the military, but ended up getting scouted to be part of the newly formed A.R.E.S. Unit division at the time. Within a year, I pretty much became the leader."

Sero listened, fascinated by her story. It seemed like she had always known what she wanted to do, even from a young age. "That's impressive," he said, nodding in admiration. "You must have been really good at it."

Elizabeth smiled modestly. "I like to think so. My team and I were able to save a lot of lives during the early days of the apocalypse. But then, things started to change. The Culling began their attacks, and we found ourselves facing enemies that were just as dangerous as the outbreaks." She paused, her expression growing distant.

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"How about you? What did you do before all this?" she asked, changing the subject.

Sero looked away in embarrassment. "Uh, I studied several majors in college... dropped out because I never followed through with any of them and ended up working as a convenience store clerk until the apocalypse happened. I didn't have any friends at the time either..."

He trailed off, feeling a bit self-conscious admitting all that. Elizabeth, however, seemed to understand where he was coming from. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Sero. You're here now. You've seemed to be doing better."

They ate in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. The conversation around them drifted, people discussing the recent attacks and the increasing tension in the zone. As they finished their food, Sero glanced at the time on his phone.

"Oh, shoot," he said, standing up. "I didn't realize how much time had gone by. I was planning to check up on Nala and Luna."

"No problem," Elizabeth said, pushing her chair in as well. "I can understand that. I should probably get back to work anyway. Thanks for the lunch, Sero."

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Teleporting to the Ascendants Association building, Sero was pleased to find out that he was able to emulate Lawbreak much more frequently and for much longer now. He figured that it was probably just like training a habit over and over until he got the hang of it.

Since he had no idea where Gregor's place was, Sero had texted Amaya to meet up at the Ascendant Liaison office. As he entered the office, the liaison was sitting behind her desk, going through some paperwork.

"Hey, Amaya."

She glanced up, startled at Sero's appearance. There was a faint blush on her face, but it quickly disappeared. "Oh, hey, Sero. I was just going through some paperwork. How did your meeting with Elizabeth go?"

"It went– how'd you know about that?"

"I'm a liaison, but I've also been assigned to mediate between the alliance and you, Sero," Amaya said with a small smile. "I'm supposed to know what's going on with you. But tell me, how did it go?"

"It was fine," Sero replied, sitting down on the other side of the Spellblade's desk. "She told me some leads as to where Casey might be, and then we grabbed lunch."

Amaya raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's... nice, I guess. So, any ideas on what to do next?"

"Well, I was planning on going over to visit Luna and see if she remembers anything else during the kidnapping," Sero said, thinking aloud. "That's why I asked if you could drive me over to Gregor's place."

Amaya nodded, glancing down at her phone. "Alright, I'm just about done here. Give me a second to finish up and I'll take you there." She put away the paperwork and stood up. "Do you want me to stay with you while you talk to her?"

"Sure, but I thought you had other stuff to do and couldn't help me with searching for Casey."

"I-" Amaya started, looking surprised. "No, it's okay. I... I actually have some time now. I want to help you as much as I can."

Sero glanced at her curiously, but didn't pry any further. "Well, if you say so."

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The trip to Gregor's place on the outskirts of the city was uneventful, the tension in the car palpable. When they finally arrived, Amaya parked the car and they stepped out. The house looked much larger in person than it had from the road, and it was well-maintained, with a well-manicured lawn and colorful flowers in the garden.

As the pair walked up the stairs, the door swung open, revealing Luna, who seemed relieved to see them. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, her long hair tied back in a messy ponytail. "Sero!" she exclaimed, stepping forward to hug him. "I'm so glad you're here. Are you taking me back to your penthouse?"

"That's what you thought I was here for?" Sero grumbled, but couldn't help but return the hug. "No, I'm here to talk to you about something else. I need you to try and remember anything you can about the day Casey was kidnapped."

Luna's face fell. "Oh, right... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive. Of course I'll help however I can." She stepped back, gesturing for them to come inside.

The inside of the house was just as well-appointed as the outside, with tasteful furniture and artwork adorning the walls. For someone as infamous and strong as Gregor, the house had a surprisingly homey feel to it. Amaya sat down on the couch, while Sero took a seat in a comfortable-looking armchair. Luna perched on the edge of a nearby coffee table, her hands folded in her lap.

"Where's Nala?" Sero asked the succubus.

"Oh, she went out to grab some food," Luna replied sheepishly. "Apparently she got used to the service the association was providing you as well."

Sero's face twitched in annoyance, but he ignored it, deciding to focus on more important matters. "Okay, whatever. Do you remember anything else when Casey got kidnapped? I recall you saying something about a man wearing glasses."

Luna frowned, thinking hard. "Yes, that's right. There was a man among the Culling that hung back, as if he was just watching me try to fight them all off in your penthouse. He had glasses and... and a strange look in his eyes." She shivered, her voice wavering. "He was the one who grabbed Casey."

"What kind of strange look? Anything else you remember about this man?" Sero leaned forward.

"He... he looked almost sad," Luna replied, her brow furrowing as she tried to remember more. "He didn't seem happy about it, but he didn't seem particularly upset either. It was as if he was just doing his job. He had gray hair and dark green eyes."

Sero twitched, a nauseating feeling in his gut that told him he knew very well who this man was.

"Can you describe his build, or any other distinguishing features?" he asked, voice tight. Luna seemed to sense his discomfort, and looked up at him with concern.

"Only that his glasses were round and that he seemed a bit old," the succubus nervously fidgeted. "Do you... know him?"

Sero didn't answer for a moment, turning to share a look with Amaya. It was clear that he was struggling with something, but whatever it was, he managed to compose himself before turning back to Luna. "No, it's nothing important. But... were you able to sense anything about him? Like his mana or emotions?"

The succubus frowned, concentrating. "Yes... his mana signature was faint, almost like he was trying to hide it. But it was definitely there. As for his emotions... I could feel a mix of determination and... and regret. Like he was doing something he didn't want to, but knew he had to." She shivered. "It was a strange feeling, and it was even more strange that it felt like he knew Casey."

Sero's heart sank. He didn't want to indulge in the hunch he had, but things were beginning to line up. The only problem was figuring out how to prove it. He took a deep breath and tried to maintain his composure as he asked Luna, "You mentioned that he seemed to know Casey. Do you have any idea how that might be possible?"

The succubus looked thoughtful. "Well, I didn't sense any familial bond between them, but... it's possible they knew each other from before. Like that man knew about Casey and his life. Oh, and for some reason, there was a terrifying and disgusting aura of death hanging around him." Luna shivered, holding herself.

Sero's heart sank even further. It didn't make sense, nor did he want to believe it, but the man he was thinking of was the only one who fit the descriptions. "Thank you, Luna," he said, his voice strained. "That's... that's all very helpful. We'll find a way to get Casey back."

He rose from his seat, feeling unsteady on his feet. Amaya, sensing his distress, took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Are you okay, Sero?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Sero managed to force a smile. "I'm fine. Just... thinking about everything." He turned to Luna. "Thanks for your help. I'll come back to check up on you and Nala again."