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Waking up, my eyes meet Dalia's back. I see her already up and putting on her shoes, her hair swaying at her movement. I sit up, my movement catching her attention, making her look at me with a smile.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" She asks with an awkward smile.

I shake my head, focusing my eyes on the ceiling, giving my mind some time to fully wake up. After some seconds, Dalia's hands stop at my shoulder, stealing my attention from the ceiling in a little hurry.

"JB called; she's waiting for us in the living room."

"Shit." Suddenly feeling more awake, I jump out of bed and start walking to the door, grabbing my boots on the way and quickly putting them on as I walk forward, almost falling in the process.

Dalia tries to contain her laugh and follows me right behind, keeping close so I won't fall, her hands near my sides to keep me balanced.

Reaching the living room, Yui is sprawled over the sofa like a cat, playing something on her phone; Colette holds a tray with coffee, resting it on the center table; two mugs produce a floral and earthy smell that takes over the room.

JB rests on the chair beside the sofa, legs crossed and a troubled expression on her face. The slight hints of dark circles beneath her eyes make me question if she slept or not.

Grabbing one of the mugs, she brings it to her lips, taking a long sip before letting the now half-empty mug rest on the table. Me and Dalia take it as a sign of trouble and quickly sit on the sofa.

"The agency has provided us with a mission," JB says, her voice low and tired. "We received information that some faes have been taken from the forest; we believe it was a job from the scrappers."

Airy, Flamma, just the thought that they could have been taken makes my blood boil. My fists are so tightly closed that I feel the veins in my hand being pushed against the skin. Looking around, I see Dalia with a worried expression, Yui a little more engaged in the conversation, and Colette just like me, the difference being the sounds.

Growls escape her throat; she holds her arm to calm herself down, her sharp teeth showing. I see everyone at the table in silence, not giving much attention to this. Is this normal?

It doesn't matter if it is or not. After taking a deep breath, I get up from the sofa and stand beside the chair where Colette is sitting, my hand hesitantly stopping on her shoulder.

Her eyes lock on my hand before looking at my face, still angry, a deep yellow glow taking over her iris. I don't take my hand away, nor do I stop looking at her. Gently, I give her shoulder a squeeze just so she knows I share her worries.

Colette slowly starts to calm down, which seems surprising to the rest of the table. Not focusing on the attention, I choose to instead keep at Colette's side, helping her stay calm.

"Does the agency have any information or an address?" Colette asks with a serious voice.

JB nods. "We have a possible location." She puts a paper on the table, and Dalia grabs it. "And a little friend of yours has decided to help," JB says, looking at me.

I raise an eyebrow before the feeling of something landing on my head gives me the final clue.

Flamma crosses her arms and looks at everyone in the room, a grin on her face. A small smile comes to my lips, and I raise my free hand so she climbs on it, and so she does.

I bring her to eye level. "It's good to see that you're okay," I say truthfully, bringing her near my cheek, where she hugs me.

After a few seconds of hugging, I put Flamma back on my head. She crosses her legs and looks at JB.

"The queen said I should help Iustitia, so don't take it as us joining your agency." Flamma crosses her arms, pouting.

JB nods her head and gives a polite smile. "I know, but all we ask is that your queen keeps our offer in mind."

Both of them smile at each other, but the way their eyebrows furrow tells me this offer may be going on for a long time.

"Well, I'll grab my things, and then we can go," I say, taking my hand away from Colette's shoulder, and as I start walking away, JB talks.

"Just one thing." I look at JB; her smile slowly disappearing. "The way the scrappers chose to do this is messy, more than usual," she remarks.

"This is mostly likely a trap for you." I raise an eyebrow at her words. Why me? Is it because I'm the weakest in the unit? "Just keep that in mind." This last part she says to the others more than for me.

With a shrug, I let out a heavy sigh. "I guess everyone wants a piece of me."

I leave the living room, walking to my room to get my equipment.

In the living room.

Colette's POV

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"Good luck to you all." JB finishes her coffee before rising from her chair and straightening her clothes to leave. "And keep Olivia safe; our research isn't done yet, but with all the information we have, she's probably what the agency has been looking for."

I nod my head, rising from my chair. "Roger, ma'am."

Without any more words, JB leaves. I turn my eyes to Dalia, the smell of the detective is impregnated all over her clothes. Dalia looks at me with an awkward smile.

"So..." Dalia avoids my eyes.

"You've been sleeping with her, haven't you?" I cross my arms, looking at her with disapproval.

Yui grins before throwing their arms around Dalia's shoulders. "I guess someone was quicker, huh? Good for you."

Dalia shakes Yui away before looking at me, a blush on her face. "It's not like that; I've just been keeping the detective company because of her nightmares."

"You can't fault me for caring about her; she's one of us now."

"One of us or yours only?" Yui asks in a teasing tone, earning a scowl from both me and Dalia, making them raise their hands in defeat. "Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut."

I return my gaze to Dalia. "She's human, Dalia; what will you do after her lifespan is over?"

"She isn't like us; she will only live at best for fifty years more."

Dalia's eyes darken. She rises from the sofa and hits the coffee table with the palms of her hands. A rare sight to see her losing control like this.

"Are you really going to lecture me on this after what we just saw?

Every time we tried to calm you down, you always pushed us away, saying that the closer we were, the worse you would get.

But when the detective tried, you calmed down instantly."

A loud growl escapes my throat, making Dalia take a step back. Seeing Dalia's face, I try controlling myself, but I guess that's just what I am. "You don't understand."

Dalia takes a deep breath before calming herself, and with a gentle smile, she begs. "Then explain to us."

Sitting back on the chair, I look at the table. "The noise," I start. "When she's near, I don't hear it."

Raising an eyebrow, Dalia sits back on the sofa. "The noise? You mean the-"

"The moon, yes.

Because of the blood moon approaching, I've been hearing it all the time, even in the daytime.

But these last two days, while I was near the detective, I stopped hearing the moon."

Dalia's eyes widen. "That's why JB said she's what the agency has been looking for.

There's really a chance the detective is that same child."

I nod my head. "Yes."

Yui taps Dalia's shoulder, trying to grab her attention. "I don't get it; what are you two talking about?"

Dalia opens her mouth. "Well, a long time ago a-"

The sounds of the detective's footsteps break the conversation.

"Later," Dalia whispers to Yui, who only nods in response.

Back to Detective's POV

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While putting on my holster, Flamma jumps to my shoulder. "Now that we are alone, the queen wanted me to give you a message."

I raise my eyebrow in curiosity, but let her continue. "She said that you're about to experience the worst trial of your life and that if you remain pure, it's for me to guide you to her."

"What does she mean by 'remain pure'?" I ask, to which Flamma shrugs.

"I don't know, but she pointed me out to be your companion for now, so that's good news, right?" Flamma grins widely at me.

I nod my head, returning her grin. "The best I heard in a while."

Now with my trusty pistol on my hip and the flashbang in my pocket, I go back to the living room as Flamma takes a nap on my shoulder.

"Okay, I'm rea-"

Looking at everyone's faces, I can tell something happened while I was gone; the air is awkward, and now that I stopped talking, it feels worse.

"Is everything okay here?" I ask, looking at Colette and Dalia specifically, as Yui seems to be just vibing.

Dalia nods her head. "Yes, everything's okay. Should we leave now?" She changes the topic too quickly for me to believe.

But everyone agrees in the end, and so we all start walking to leave the house.

Yui grabbing their jacket and putting on two layers on top of their shirt. Dalia walking beside me, her eyes unfocused as she seems to be lost, deep in thought.

Flamma snoring softly as her nap becomes a little more than that, and Colette walking in front of everyone, but somehow I can feel that her attention is still on me.

Apparently, we were supposed to have an SUV given to us by the agency, but I don't see any. Dalia quickly informs me that JB forgot to sign some papers or whatever, which seems to be normal. So that means we will have to use my car.

"I'll be driving," I say before anyone could offer themselves for the position; after all, my car isn't a normal one; it has its quirks, making it impossible to start if you don't know about them.

The three agents look at each other before Yui raises their hands. "Rock, paper..." Before they can finish, Colette and Dalia walk to the cargo bed, making themselves as comfortable as they are able to.

With a pout, Yui walks to the passenger seat, and once inside the car, they stretch their arms, hitting their fingers at the ceiling, letting out a cute sound of pain.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I should have said it earlier, but be careful; the ceiling is a little low," I say this with the face of someone who knows that fact too well.

"Yeah, I noticed." They look at the ceiling, mumbling some curses before crossing their arms and resting their feet on my lap, but this time they look at me, almost asking for permission, and with some hesitation, I nod my head.

And now, with everyone settled and mostly comfortable, I turn on the car. The painful sound it produces from these many people in it is almost enough to make me worry.

...

In front of T... Tin...

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No no no, why are we in front of Tina's house?

The front porch is trashed, the door broken in half, and glass shards everywhere. My palms start sweating. I open my mouth to talk, but no words come out—only the feeling that I'll throw up something threatening me.

I leave the car, my feet not as strong and firm as before, having to use my will to keep me from kneeling down to breathe. I take some steps towards the house, fear gripping at my body, making me feel a lot more cold sweat running down my neck.

Please don't, I can't, I'm not so strong.

Yui's POV

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I watch as the others talk, my hands resting deep inside my pockets. Thank God this place is cold; otherwise, I would melt right away on the pavement.

But still, this sucks. Every time I have time to rest, something happens, but I guess I don't mind when it's with the detective, somehow. She doesn't push me around, and her eyes carry a different feeling of care compared to Dalia's.

Cause Dalia cares about everyone, but the detective doesn't seem that way; it feels more genuine. If you put a gun to Dalia's head, she would still try to save you and change you for the better, but the detective, no, she would beat sense in you, or at least that's what I feel; after all, she reminds me of 'her'.

Talking about the detective, strange. Why is her heart pounding so much?

Dalia grabs the paper with the address and nods her head. "Yeah, this is the place." She tilts her head in confusion. "But this doesn't look like a scrapper's base."

Colette nods her head in agreement. "Still, it reeks of them."

Is she having a panic attack? "Uhm... guys?" Oh shit, she is!

Dalia turns her eyes to Flamma. "Did you sense other neighbors in the house?"

Flamma shakes her head. "No, but I feel they were here not long ago."

"GUYS!" I scream a little too loud, but I manage to grab the attention of everyone. "What the fuck, are ya'll blind?" I point at the detective, who's hyperventilating, holding a hand to her chest, tightly clasping at her hoodie.

The detective takes slow steps forward, entering the house. I follow Dalia and Colette right behind me.

"Olivia, what happened?" Dalia asks, but the detective doesn't seem to listen.

"...Tin...a?" The small, heartbroken whimper escapes the detective's throat, her eyes frantically looking around, searching for something, or rather, someone.

Looking around the house, it doesn't take long to find a collection of photos of a woman in a police uniform standing next to the detective, a big smile on their face, and on the bottom of the frame, the quote 'You're the best sister' carved on the wood.

Grabbing the picture frame, I walk back to the others, handing Colette it. It doesn't take much of a brain to figure out what's happening here, and as Dalia's eyes fall to the picture frame, it widens.

Before she has the chance to even think of running to the detective, Colette's hand stops her, grabbing her shoulder and pushing her back.

"You really want to do this now?" Dalia asks, her face contorted in anger.

Colette crosses her arms and firms her feet on the wooden floor. "Let her figure this out on her own."

The incredulous look on Dalia's face is, again, a rare sight. I would even go as far as saying I never saw her like this.

Detective's POV

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"Tina...?" I call out again, crawling my way to the upper floors, my feet almost not strong enough for the task. But I manage to get there, stopping in front of Tina's room.

A message written in dark red liquid on the door reads, 'Welcome home'. Entering the room, the place is the exact same as ever: messy and filled with bright pink colors and dog photos. And in the middle of the room lies Jax, a flat-coated retriever that me and Tina found abandoned near Alexander's bar.

Eating from a trash can, It was tough to make him trust us, but once he did, he became family. I rush to him, gently petting his head, praying to anyone who's listening for him to be alive.

"Jax? Come on, buddy." I get so desperate that tears start to flow and fall on his black fur. "Wake up, buddy, please."

Jax opens his eyes, and a weak laugh escapes me as I scratch behind his ears. "Oh, buddy, what happened to you?" One good thing is that he doesn't seem hurt, so that means that the red liquid is probably...

I shake my head to push those thoughts away, and Jax barks, grabbing my attention. He bites my hand and starts to pull me towards something, and I follow. Nearing Tina's bed, Jax put his head under the covers and grab with his mouth a phone with a paper tied to it, reading, 'Play me'.

An icon of a video on the screen. Sitting on the bed, Jax climbs on it and lays his head on my lap, and so my thumb presses the icon hesitantly, and the video starts playing.

The camera seems to be positioned on Tina's desk, with a familiar masked man coming into view.

"So, Detective, is it?" The man laughs. "I really thought you were a supernatural back at the hotel, but imagine my surprise to learn you're just like me.

Now, as you messed up my latest acquisition, I decided to take something from you, or rather, the two people you seem to care most about."

The man grabs the side of his mask, taking it off. He gives a smile to the camera before putting a more serious expression on his face. He looks young, with long spikey hair, tired eyes, and a hint of beard on his chin, and once he puts on a cap, I see a tech-type of glasses resting atop it.

Something about his face rings too close to home; do I know him?

"Look, I hate you, okay? But I'm a good guy, so I decided that we needed to have a family meeting.

Just me, you, and Tina, so don't bring your agency friends along if you don't want me to end your chances of saving anyone. Come to the abandoned part of the city at night, the old orphanage, home."

The video cuts off, and the image of the old orphanage comes to the screen before the back of the phone gets hot, almost burning my hand. Instinctively, I throw the phone away, and the battery explodes. Glass shards from the screen cut my palm, some drops of blood tinting the sheets.

Getting up from the bed, Tina's mirror stares at me; my eyes darken, and my expression is a mixture of everything and nothing at all. I, too, see Flamma atop my head, quietly watching what I'll do.

Descending the stairs, everyone's eyes fall on me. "I have to go somewhere," I state plainly before walking past them, but before I can completely, Colette holds my shoulder.

"Explain first." Colette orders.

Dalia gets to my side, looking at my face with worry. "Yes, and after that, we can go help your sister, all of us." She, too, puts her hand on my shoulder, gentler than Colette, but still holding me back.

"Flamma," I call for her, and with a jump, she descends to my shoulder.

Nodding her head, she closes her eyes, chanting some words.

"To never part, tie the holy.

To not lose, embrace the threads of thy heart.

Knot it seven times, seven parts of a soul, tightly together.

Until the day the forest dies, until the day the queen is no more."

After the chanting, Flamma whispers in my ear sweetly. "My flames are yours, to embrace the innocents, to burn the sinners, and to always deliver true justice."

Dalia quickly takes her hand off my shoulder and jumps back, pulling Yui with her, as Colette, on the other hand, just gets what's happening too late.

I feel like my heart's burning, my mind hugged with Flamma's warmth, my hair swaying with the sudden wind coming from the forest, caressing the rebirth of its child. Raising my hand, Flamma does the same, and a word comes to my mind. "Enflame." The words escape my mouth naturally.

Flames engulf the three agents, but not burning them, only keeping them in place, like a cage. The flames ignore the house and Jax; even as Jax's tail touches it, it doesn't burn or hurt him.

A familiar taste of iron climbs my throat, and a torrent of blood escapes my mouth, causing me to vomit most of what I had. Weakness hugs my body, but I move still, past all the agony.

Leaving the house and entering my car, Jax lays on the passenger seat, and Flamma lays on my shoulder, feeling weak as well.

Revving the engine, I start driving away at high speed. "You okay?" I ask Flamma with my weak voice.

"Yes, I just didn't expect you to be so fragile, even more so now that we share our pain." She rests her head against my neck, using it as a wall to keep her sitting up. I can feel how she is just as tired and hurt as I am.

"Share our pain?"

She nods her head. "Yes, we are bound now." She touches my neck, feeling the weak pulse on it. "All you feel, I feel, and when you die, I go with you."

I look away from her for a moment. "I'm sorry." My apology is almost too low to hear.

"Oh silly, It wasn't your choice to make the pact; I chose it myself." She yawns before closing her eyes. "I trust you, and only you, Iustitia." I can feel the truth in her words somehow; I can feel how she believes in me. It's like a strange sense of being around family and the safety it brings—just instinctive and out of my control.

I watch as she falls asleep, taking one hand off the wheel. I put her on my head so she can sleep more comfortably.

Jax at my side lies tired on the seat, looking sadly at the car floor.

"I know, buddy, we will get your mama back." I pet his head, and after some seconds, he too falls asleep, leaving only me awake, alone with my thoughts, with only the road in view.

I even try remembering the face of the man, but in my current state, it's hard. I'm having to make a conscious effort to not pass out right now. I feel like I've met him before, before all of this, a long, long time ago.

But it doesn't matter anymore, the only thing that matters is getting my sister back.

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