Sticking his arm out the open window, the man let the ashy remains of his stogie crumble onto the street, its dying embers smouldering on the road. "Wonder where that boy you saved is now. Figured he'd stop by to thank you, but I haven't seen him once since the incident. Guess it's on me for not giving him an address or directions to this place. Either that, or he's slaving away at another factory and can't make time to see you."

"I... isn't that him over there in that alleyway?"

"What? You're probably mistaken," Garreth said, flicking the nub of his cigar out the window and leaning over to see what Lynn was staring at. "There's no way he'd show up out of... the blue..."

Contrary to what he believed, the boy did, in fact, show up. He was markedly cleaner than before, clad in loose-fitting trousers, no longer rolled up, and a shabby jacket; a checkered flat cap covered his mousy bedhead. And his ruddy complexion was untainted by ash and soot, his nervous countenance fully visible. Back pressed against the charcoal brickwork of the Bureau headquarters, he took a peep at the building's entrance as though lying in wait for someone.

"Huh, would you look at that? I swear, you've got a keen sense of perception there, kid." Impressed by her ability to make out the child's face from afar, the man scratched his head and stepped out of the vehicle. "Well, we'd best not keep him waiting, especially in this section of town. Ready to meet him?"

Heart in her mouth, the half-elf girl nodded. And the pair went over to confront the boy, who'd caught sight of them approaching from the corner of his eye.

"Oi!" He smiled and waved at them. "I-it's me! The one from—!" Wary of his surroundings, Garreth hoisted him by the collar and dragged him further into the alleyway. Alarmed, the child thrashed about, struggling to break free. "H-hey! Let me go, mister!"

"Keep it down, kid. Let's take this someplace quieter." The Bureau agent lugged him away from the street and out of sight. Once they'd reached a dingy dead end, he plopped him down, much to his exasperation. Sewer grates behind them emitted billows of steam, which obscured the blind alley, providing them with some much-needed privacy. Flanked by tall, sturdy brick walls with no doors or windows, not even the birds could eavesdrop on them here.

"What's the big idea!" The boy scowled at him.

"You may have tidied up a bit, but to the commuters of this area, you still stick out like a sore thumb. Besides, as I'm sure you're aware, that incident we were embroiled in is the talk of the town. I'd rather we not disclose anything in public if you catch my drift..."

"You could've just asked me to follow you, mister!"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry there... uh..."

"Oliver! My name's Oliver." He pouted.

"Right, and what brings you here, Oliver?"

"Y-you said I'd get my chance to thank the lady who rescued me. So, I came."

"Well, lucky for you, she just got out of hospital." Garreth stepped aside and let his partner take over. "Now, don't you have something to say?"

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Awkwardly, Lynn twiddled her fingers. "H-hi... glad to see you alive and well."

"T... thank..." The boy started, his voice shaky as tears welled up in his eyes. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you so much!" And he broke down crying as he ran over to hug the girl.

"E-eh?!" Caught by surprise, the half-elf stiffly glanced at her partner. He merely folded his arms and inclined his head. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her body, let her instincts guide her and reciprocated the boy's embrace, holding him in her arms. "There, there... it's okay."

"I thought I was going to die..." Face buried against her chest, Oliver sobbed. "It was so scary..."

"I know... it was scary for all of us..."

"I almost never got to see my mama and papa again..."

"You got to see them again, didn't you?" A warmth suffused Lynn's freckled cheeks as the boy made his gratitude known. Reminded of the younger children she grew up with during her youth, all notions of regret left her. And tenderly, she stroked the boy's messy curls. "You're safe now..."

"Hard to believe this is the same kid that stabbed a magus," the man flippantly said.

Hearing his comment, the boy pulled away, snot dripping from his nose. "I... I didn't stab that man! It was that sharp thing they told me to hold! It... it moved on its own! It wasn't my fault!"

"Moved on its own?" The intensity in his tone shook Lynn. "What do you mean?"

"It... it was cursed! They told me to hold it tightly and never let go! But... something was controlling it! I... I never... never wanted to hurt anybody!" Oliver burst into tears again.

It was at that moment everything clicked into place; the dots finally connected for Garreth. Every abnormality, every complication, every detail that irked him, it all made sense. His mind raced through the possibilities, the potential trigger behind the incident at the steel plant. And simultaneously, he reached but a single conclusion. Hastily, he grabbed the boy's shoulders, knelt down, and looked him square in the eyes.

"Who told you to hold it? What did they look like?"

Sniffling, Oliver fought back his tears and faced the man. "T-they told me not to tell anybody... They... they said they would hurt my mama and papa if I let anybody know...."

"Listen to me, kid." Garreth violently jerked him. "If you don't tell me, a lot of people are going to get hurt. Die, even. So, forget what these people told you and spill it!"

Unnerved by her partner's sudden hostile attitude, the half-elf reached out. "Sir... you're scaring him—"

"Put a sock in it, kid. This boy knows something we don't. Remember that fifth blueblood I surmised was present?"

"Wait, you don't mean..."

"Whoever triggered the explosion that wiped the factory off the face of this city is still out there. And that same person is the one who pulled the strings! This incident... it was orchestrated!"

"T-that can't be..."

"This kid's our only ticket to the bastard, so unless he speaks, hundreds, no, thousands are at risk of being caught up in another terroristic scheme!"

Trembling and conflicted, Oliver shifted his attention to Lynn with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. Put on the spot, the half-elf hesitated before resorting to what she knew best. Delicately, she stooped down to meet the child's gaze. And with a reassuring smile, Lynn tilted her head. "Don't worry. We won't let those bad people hurt you or your family, promise."

Trusting her words, the boy calmed down and wiped the tears off his pudgy, flushed cheeks.

And he parted his quivery lips.

"It... it was those big green men... led by the scary one with the glasses..."