One thing that Emerald learned after looking after Kill is that the beast child was too vengeful for someone his age.

"He said your food tastes disgusting."

Emerald looked at the child in disbelief as she closed the door to the diner. The employees were just talking about the wealthy customer who passed out not so far away from the diner after encountering large snakes that could devour a man.

Yes. Large snakes in the middle of the district located in the city. It was impossible of course, after all, the knights of the Arkwright Duchy were the ones in charge to patrol Blackwell and although there were many thugs wandering around, an animal of such a level of danger cannot enter the capital. The odd thing was, after the said customer passed out from fear, soiling his pants in the process, the ginormous serpent slithered to the backstreet and was never seen again even after the knights and order conducted a search.

"Are you saying that it was you who summoned that serpent, dear?" Emerald kneeled in front of the child, not quite believing the thoughts that were entering her mind.

"It was just an illusion, it won't harm anybody," the child reasoned, nevertheless, it still brought shock to the older woman. It was indeed normal for a child to manifest their magic at the raw age of eight until they were ten, but it was rare for one to completely master their ability until they were twelve. She thought maybe the reason why the child was able to control his magic was because he was of beast descent, but nevertheless, it was still deserving of awe.

"Dear, you do not have to avenge me for every single person who speaks ill about the diner. I value your safety more than my honor." Emerald caressed the child's face gently as she spoke. "Will you promise me that this one will be the last?" she asked with the softest voice she could give.

Kill looked unsatisfied but still nodded his head as a reply. It brought quite the scare to Emerald as she was once a caretaker of a little trouble maker named Clerivan– her little brother– and she was a witness of how that child barely did anything to stay out of trouble. She did anticipate that Kill would not stay quiet...

But she did not expect him to disappear that very same night.

The call with the lady ended after just a couple of minutes. The worry and fear that Emerald felt during the whole conversation was overshadowed by empathy after seeing the Arkwright princess look helpless, as she could not show up in person to look for the child. It was midnight and she was inside the estate of a different household that is way farther from Blackwell District.

"Stay inside the diner for tonight. I will find a way."

Emerald couldn't do anything but to obey the words that she was given. With a heavy heart, she looks at the corner of the counter where Kill used to spend his hours every day.

~~~

Avy clenched her teeth in frustration. It has been a while ever since she last felt this helpless.

The sound of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room rang in her ears. The silence was unnerving and unbearable as she racked her mind of something, a way to at least help find a clue on the missing beast child's whereabouts.

"How unfortunate," she heard Ares commented although his tone did not suggest a single bit of sympathy.

Avy just ignored him as it was no use bickering with the said curse. They are not inside her family estate and it was for sure that the security that the Harrington Duchy has is tighter that she was used to in her own place. Duke Harrington is known to be an unrivaled spell casting mage and it would not be a surprise if he barricaded his estate with spells to protect his property. She has zero excuse to go outside as it was already late and even if she was able to leave the mansion without anyone noticing, she's too far away from where she left Kill at.

The distress was too evident that Ares was not able to keep quiet any longer. He turned to the new companion in the room and asked.

"Aren't you capable of using spatial magic? Why don't you help your master out?"

"She's not asking–"

"I don't have to ask."

Ares felt chill crawling through his skin when he heard the exact same voice that cursed and screamed in his head driving him to insanity. Even Andras was taken aback when they saw the face that Avy made as well as the aura si emitted.

It was different.

No. It was familiar.

Too familiar perhaps. The distinct pressure that every single peron in the continent feels when that person is angered, when that person was in distress, it was definitely the same. The rage that the people from hundreds of years ago feared to the point that they revered her so high she even reached the saintess.

Avy looked at Andras with empty eyes, demanding he took her seriously and to Ares' surprise, the older curse yielded without second thoughts. The feline body of his turned into smoke and created a magic circle on the floor.

The girl, without hesitation, stepped inside the glowing circle and as if already aware of what she was supposed to do, took a hairpin that was suspending her hair and cut her palm. Bits of blood continuously dropped on the floor before it eventually ignited, consuming her amidst the crimson flames.

Avy disappeared.

With a bewildered expression, Ares stared into empty air as the smoke gathered to form a feline body again. The younger curse looked at the other questioningly.

"Where did you send her?" he asked.

"Who knows. I only instructed her to put the place into image inside her head," Andras answered, also gazing at the bits of flame, remnant of their master.

"She is a talented lass. That one."

Hearing the picky and judgemental curse compliment Avy, Ares somehow bloomed in pride.

"I know right?" he replied with a grin.

"If I am correct, it is the first time she's experienced spatial magic?"

"Certainly it is. If I'm being honest, it is also her first time experiencing some kind of magic because she just manifested her own more than a week ago."

Andras' ears perked up hearing that statement. Maybe he did not completely lost by choosing a weak human girl as his host. As much as he hates to admit that the insufferable Ares has good eyes when it comes to people, he cannot deny that he is right. Avy is indeed a host many curses would kill thousands for.

"That aside. You must follow that girl. She seems to be not in her right mind."

"Yeah. I know she's unhinged since she got a few screw loose but she somehow loses it when that kid gets involved." Ares claimed, getting ready to go after his master.

"I am guessing you are not fond of that kid?" Andras throws him a side look, causing the other to look back at him, amused.

"Why do you think so?"

"You cannot fool me, Erin. You did not volunteer to look for that child when you are more than capable of transporting yourself everywhere in the capital."

Ares cackled in the most disgustingly annoying way possible. "Is it wrong to dislike something that could be a threat to my master?" he raised his brows with a sneer, Andras did not answer.

"Also, do not call me that name, old man. Let go of that obsession of yours already."

Andras huffs before turning his back at the other curse who just laughed before disappearing just like his master. The room was enveloped in silence once again.

~~~

"I fuckin' told ya ta handle the kids gently!"

Kill woke up to the sound of a woman's shout. His body was aching in every part he could think of and he felt a warm hand holding his.

"Not my fault you made me carry two unconscious kids, yeah? That feisty blonde woke up and started putting a fight to I had to drop the other." he heard a voice of a man reasoned, he slowly lifts his eyelids to get a better view of what was going on but all he saw was the back of a blonde kid facing him as if serving as his protection.

He looked around, trying to get information out of his surroundings and that's when he realized they were inside a room with almost nothing in it. It was well illuminated at least, but other than the carpet spread on the marbled floor, there was nothing else except them.

"Yer dumb ass dropped the kid from a high place, nitwit! He's full of bruises! Mercy's gonna butcher us both ya fucktard!!"

"Hey hey hey. Quiet, witch. The kid's waking up."

"I won't hurt yer friend, boy. Easy. Just let me take a look, yeah?"

The blonde kid who was blocking Kill's view finally moved, giving him a better look on the faces of the people who was arguing earlier.

The first he saw was a woman, young, but not as young as his mother, maybe around twenty five or so. She was wearing dark clothes that he remembered looking the same as those who took him because he was eavesdropping. Her hair was copper colored, cut in a wild manner that reached passed her shoulders. Her skin was a little bit tanned, it complimented her deep mahogany brown eyes. She was crouching down to his level with a tough yet worried look on her freckled face.

"He looks fine to me," the man behind the girl stated, muscular arms crossed.

He looked like a typical gangster in the backstreet but his velvet colored hair made everything about him stand out. His sharp onyx eyes looked unbothered enough not to pose as a threat.

"Shut yer trap, Feron," the woman growled at him before looking back at Kill.

"Sorry 'bout him. He hates kids," she said as she tried coming closer, but the blonde kid by his side interrupted with a not so friendly slap on the hand that was reaching out to him.

He remembers the kid.

"Let go of that kid! I will call the ravens if you don't!"

It was the last thing he could recall before he lost consciousness. He did not know if the blonde was just brave of plain stupid to come to his rescue, now they're noth abducted and brought to some strange place.

"What are you going to do to him?" the child asked crudely.

"Rude kid..." the man named Feron moved from his spot and was ready to fight the kid but the woman created an ice barrier that blocked him.

"I'm not gonna hurt him. I'm a healing mage, I'll heal his wounds. Ya fine with that? I'm Eranza by the way. Not an enemy."

Kill was alarmed, but his head was still spinning to do something.

~~~

Kelton and Carl have been following the two hooded figures around while they walked in circles as if they were lost inside their own place. And maybe they were indeed lost since Carl was pretty sure they have passed the same pillar five times already but everytime he tried to point that out, the other man glared at him as if to shut his mouth.

Finally, they arrived in front of a door which the man who was leading the way opened.

"That's a new record, brother. It only took you an hour an a half to find your quarters. Congratulations."

Carl and Kelton almost dropped, wondering if it was a joke, a sarcastic remark, or the man was serious. The worse thing about it was that there was not a trace of them that they were joking.

"It was?" the other said before entering the room.

It was an empty room. No exaggeration included. It was empty.

"Brother! You've arrived!" came the cheerful voice of a woman.

Looking around, there was two children and two adults inside. Carl and Kelton could recognize the little ones as they were the children who was dragged in with them for being to nosy.

"Quiet, Era. We have visitors."

"Oh, sorry Pier."

Carl, mustering all his bravery, was the first one to break the ice.

"C-can we talk to Mercy now, Sir?" he asked but all the people in the room except his companion just looked at him.

The person who lead their way took off his cloak revealing his wine red colored hair. He dropped on the floor with a loud thud and all of a sudden, the pressure they felt earlier came back, but it was harsher, bringing both if them to their knees, their heads hung lower than the man who was seated with his legs crossed.

"Speak."

The two of them felt offended. Is Mercy really not coming out to even hear their request?

"But S-sir. Our boss strictly instructed us to talk to Mercy herself–"

Kelton was interrupted when he was kicked in the stomach. He gasped for air after rolling a couple of feet away from where he was kneeling.

"Fucking disrespectful, aren'cha? Mercy's not a woman, asswipe!"

"Era! Prioritize the kids. This is not your business!" Pier scolded the woman who kicked the thug. Although annoyed, Eranza obeyed and went back to nursing the children.

Carl was shaking. He didn't know that the person they were seeking was a man. Who even calls themselves with a name that sounds like it's for the opposite gender?

The atmosphere was already heavy as it was, but it became heavier because of the glares directed at the two of them after Kelton made a statement. Nevertheless, they had to continue their business since they've already made that far.

Eranza and Feron watched in the sidelines. They laid Kill on the carpet to inspect his injuries fully so that the woman could heal him better.

But not a couple of seconds passed after she started healing the child, he started burning up.

And another minute after, an angry presence made itself known.

The room was engulfed in suffocating heat that stopped everyone from moving. Eranza could feel the sharpness of a blade pointed at her neck.

"I'm sorry, I have to go along my master's whims."

~~~

Maybe if I get a partner for myself, I could finally have the right amount of motivation to write everyday haha. Kidding, fictional romance just makes me feel so alone and sad. Long time no see though. Here's random crap to worsen your day. (I did not proofread this)