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6:20 A.M
-Incident area-
Jiryu dragged his finger across the red mark that Kazuo sketched on the concrete filled with grey ash splattered on every corner of the huge land as he squatted down. He examined his finger for a moment, not looking for a specific detail on it, but mindlessly doing it as he thought of different possibilities just to help the raven head. Even if it was a little.
Kazuo's black shoes were threading noisily on the dried clumps of burnt sand, making crunching sounds every now and then as he looked around the area.
A strong sound of a stomp make Jiryu flinch and stare up at the raven head who was ruffling his smooth, black hair all over the place with his hands.
"Arghhh! This is so frustrating!" He exclaimed as he repeatedly smacked his forehead as if it would make ideas spill out of his head.
Jiryu silently scoffed before he rubbed his fingers together to get rid of the remains of the dust. He stood up and walked over to the sour raven head who was having trouble with this case. He just couldn't figure out what was causing the explosions.
"Mhm yeah," Jiryu agreed as he closed his eyes, "It's too tiring,"
"I said frustrating not tiring. You're tired," Kazuo sighed.
"Well, what's the point in investigating when you know that this is done by a magical cult?" Jiryu crossed his arms, not bothered by the fact that they were standing on top of the ashes of his mansion.
"Magical cult?" Kazuo started, "I'm just helping you," The raven head tapped his foot on the floor, his black shoes matching with his leather jacket—and hair too.
"I already told you. I can just buy a new one," The blond rolled his eyes.
"One, two, three fucking times—"
Jiryu slapped the side of Kazuo's hair, seeing his round head move and almost untouchable locks bounce.
"What was that for?!"
"You're cursing for no reason, but, actually I've wanted to do that long ago," Jiryu proudly said, "I mean it's so round—"
"—My head?! Are you serious?"
Jiryu nodded.
"You're impossible,"
Kazuo groaned, "Whatever, what I was going to say is that your house is haunted because you're a ghost, so if you buy another mansion, Mr. Rich, it'll also burn to ashes,"
"I'm not dumb," Jiryu pouted, "Just explain it to me the way you would to Kou,"
"Why? You're not on the same level," Kazuo walked away, deciding to save time instead of bickering with the blond. Jiryu followed behind him, a visible frown on his face.
"What level?"
Kazuo ignored him as he kept looking around.
"What level are you talking about? Kazuo," Jiryu pressed, "What level? And why do I need to be on it for you to tell me?"
Kazuo sighed. The blond really was impossible.
"Please stop taking me as a joke," Jiryu laughed, "I just wanna know what hurt Rehan," He admitted. Kazuo suddenly felt that pang of guilt all over again.
"I guess I'll just tell you what happened," Kazuo stopped waking. Jiryu stayed silent as he waited for the younger to speak up.
"We we're going to investigate something in the library,"
-Flashback-
"Oh," Rehan pursed his lips awkwardly, having no idea what to say to that. His mind however, was thinking of knowing all the details and why Kazuo's ex-girlfriend had her name on the library.
"Look here, kid, I broke up with her for reasons I can not mention. What I can say is that, she's really bad news. The police force have been after her for half a year and I got a phone call from one of my coworkers saying they found her exact name on the list of the new librarians hired and who were already doing a great job," Kazuo explained and Rehan nodded.
"I want to make sure this library doesn't have anything sketchy. I'll go alone and you can go with Kou. He'll help you and explain further," Kazuo dismissed before he walked away. Rehan looked behind him and Kou whispered, "Let's go,"
The library was known to be a noiseless, quite place, but, Rehan couldn't help but feel scared. It was too quiet.
He silently followed Kou and watched as the dark orange haired boy flip through some books and observe the shelves.
"Rehan," Kou called out quietly. The blond replied after a short while, "Yeah?"
"Do you want to check the books?" He stepped back and took one final look over the shelves. Kou looked over to Rehan when the blond didn't reply. He saw him staring at the locked door of the storage room.
"What's that place?" Rehan pointed towards it.
"Storage room," Kou replied and put his palms on either side of his hips before he walked to stand beside the blond. Furrowing his brows in consideration, Kou thought of how he, who worked at the police department, didn't notice it but Rehan did.
"You've got a sharp eye," Kou commented, walking over to the room. Rehan didn't say anything and when he caught up being him, he mumbled, "Thank you,"
Without hesitation, Kou kicked down the door with the bottom on his shoe causing it to thump loudly against the floor and bounce once as wood shreds flew away after blowing on the dust. Rehan obviously flinched hard at that, totally not expecting the orange haired boy to not try to open the door and immediately retort to kicking it down. Kou seemed like a calm person, but Rehan was beginning to think he was daring and bold.
Kou flashed him a toothy smile, Rehan noticed his fangs for the third time that day. The blond nervously returned it back.
"This place sure is dusty," Kou said as his footsteps echoed in the place even though it was packed with books.
Rehan followed behind, "Is t-there no lights?"
"Doesn't look like it," Kou placed his hand in his pants pocket and pulled out his phone to open the flash. He was also not able to see his surroundings. They didn't get a chance to walk any further when Kou's eyes met black ones straring right back at him, making him almost drop his phone.
"Woah!"
He was shocked to see a girl. Black long hair. Black eyes. Pale skin...
Naomi Reb.
She had a seething look on her face and mischief in her eyes. Naomi crossed her arms as her expression softened making then uneasy. Her dark red lips were pulled into a smirk.
"Look who's here. Kazuo's pathetic attempt to catch me," She was standing infront of their way, not allowing them to progress further.
"Are you his new chick?" She craned her head and asked arrogantly to Rehan. It took him a while to realize the question was directed towards him.
"Me?" He pointed to himself with a revolted face, "I'm a boy," He said with displeasure. Such comments or assumptions never failed to annoy him.
"Oh wow. Well, you look like a girl. Has anyone told you that before?" She jeered.
"Stop it. You're awful," Kou stepped in, "And bad at distractions as well," He revealed and showed her his phone. The screen showed a text sent to Kazuo saying that they've been cornered by Naomi.
Naomi gritted her teeth, "When did you send that?" She tried to snatch the phone out of his hands, but Kou ceased her action by lifting his arm up and stepping backwards.
"When you decided to start a futile conversation with Rehan," He explained, "Not very smart, Naomi," He taunted and push Rehan gradually backwards. The blond didn't question it because he knew Kou was planning something.
A sweat bead trickled down Kou's forehead as he sunk his sharp teeth slightly into his bottom lip in expectancy. His eyes watched the enclosed space behind Naomi.
'Why's he not coming?' Kou started feeling edgy when thirty seconds passed and Kazuo did not appear.
Rehan could almost predict what Kou was waiting for. If he was waiting for Kazuo to come, then there would not be an holdup. So, why has he still not come? The only conclusion Rehan could come to was: maybe the raven head was also caught up in something. With that in mind, Rehan decided that Naomi was no match for Kou.
'He should be fine,' Rehan pursed his lips with an endearing frown on his face. Rehan eyes looked down under Naomi's heels and there was enough space.
Enough space for him to pass by Kou's frame and slide between Naomi's legs, get up and make a run for it.
So he did just that.
"Hey!" Naomi shouted when he realized the blond had already passed by her. She almost went to chase him, but remebered Kou was there too. She made a sound of frustration. "That brat!" She turned her head to see Rehan hit the enclosed space with his fists a few times before it all fell down. It was only a pile of soil shaped into a wall.
Kou felt a bit relieved that Rehan thought ahead. However, he was still worried. If something was holding Kazuo up, how would Rehan be able to help? He only hope for the best.
Rehan didn't pay any attention to his lungs begging him to stop so he could catch his breath. Any running would always make him breathless and with the way his legs were speeding, it would be hard to support his low stamina.
He ran and ran until be caught a sight of Kazuo and an unfamiliar person. The unfamiliar person looked like they were hurting Kazuo by physically abusing him. Rehan's movement halted as he quickly hid behind a shelve to sneakily observe the sight before him. His fingers almost turned white from how hard he was gripping on the bookshelf.
Rehan gulped. It was now or never. There was a reason he came out and left Kou alone in the first place, so he's got to do something. Rehan found himself running and not thinking twice about stopping and taking a turn for the sake of his life.
'It's too late now,' He mustered up the most intimidating face he could put on and lowly gasped for air as soon as he saw the wicked, yellow eyes look at him.
They weren't kind and yellow like Jiryu's, ones that remind you of the turgid sunflowers that had a final step and that was for the bees to take its nourishment. It was a more bright complex and had less of a gold tint in them. Almost like they lost its value and only had one dismal, but simple function which it was fixed on. They weren't cat-like, but very used up by the owner. Like he doesn't have a sleep schedule or anything. Speaking of the owner; Cesal had another one of his hideous and confusing smiles.
Rehan felt a sudden wave of fear transmit all the way to his legs, almost making him double over. He didn't say he regretted coming out of his hiding spot, but it was the state Kazuo was in.
Defeated.
Upon a closer look, the silent and smart raven head had veins popping out of the side of his head from frustration.
"Just what is your deal?" Kazuo asked genuinely curious. If it wasn't for his stable mindset, all of what was happening would've turned him insane. Specially as a detective.
"I don't have a deal. I'm just trying to read some books," Cesal twirled the sharp blade in his hands. Rehan's eyes widened when the blue head purposely let the blade slide between his fingers and cut through the skin, making his blood stain the metal and hands, dripping all the way to the previously spotless carpet.
However, this injury was nothing compared to all the ones on Kazuo's face and shoulder. He had a red line, a sign of a slash of the blade, all across the way from the corner of his eyes to the other, going through his nose. He also had a few on his cheek and neck, they didn't look as deep as the one on his shoulder which he was desperately gripping on from the pain and blood gushing out.
"Hey!" Rehan thoughtlessly tried to distract the blue head. He reached out to grab the blade, but only ended up brushing against the nearly unaffected silk cloth that moved from his extended fingers. His legs were pushed to the front a few steps until they were parallel to his hands. Rehan lowered his arm and stared at Cesal who was a good distance away from him.
'How did he get over there so fast?' He frowned.
"It's a surprise you're here too, Rehan," Cesal chuckled. "Are you seriously that weak?" He glanced at Kazuo then at the ash blond who didnt know if the question was directed towards him or the raven head.
"You're just wasting your time trying to go against me," Cesal pretended to think, "Actually, you don't have any of it left," He sighed.
A few moments of silence and Cesal pointed his blade towards Kazuo or rather behind him. The raven head turned around, Rehan following his actions and seeing Naomi stand there, unscratched. Rehan felt all of the thoughts he had fly away though a hole formed in his guts from all the hefty pile of strain and nervousness that became too much for him. He wasn't sure how she managed to get here this fast.
For the only way she would've had the chance to do so was pass by Kou.
So, what happened to him?
Kazuo was very shaken as well. As much as he was expecting to see her face, he wasn't ready to suddenly meet here out of nowhere and specially in his condition. He couldn't careless of what she thought. He just wanted to defeat her. For all that, his friend or alliance was for sure gotten the best of and he he couldn't do anything to help. Again, he never felt so weak. She was right there, so close but so far away at the same time. He could just get her under arrest and finally ruin her nonstop running. But, he could'nt. Not when he was faced with an abnormal boy with powers no one knows of.
"Heyyy," She winked at his stricken face expression.
Cesal seemed unbothered that she was here. In truth, he didn't care about her. Naomi was just a person his master was using for the mean time. He was sure he wouldn't need her after their plan goes into a favorable direction. In some parts of him, he wished she would've been killed or badly injured to a point where she would be of no use to his master. His smile fell when she smiled smugly at Kazuo. As if this was her plan and as if she was the one who succeeded. Cesal scoffed under his breath. If anything, this was his master's one and only plan.
Knowing just that was enough to make him disregard her annoying presence. After all, he can't get distracted by his personal feelings.
Personal feelings are always tedious. That's what his master always told him. His master was someone he was grateful for because he saved him. Although, he didn't liked being controlled or ordered around, he did find some sort of thrill in the missions he was given to by his master.
Prince Veldra Stygian, that was his name. With his greatly honored name, Prince Veldra is the one who is behind this plan. The one ruling a whole kingdom and rich to a point beyond belief.
Cesal rolled his eyes, "Don't get too cocky, Naomi," He said her name with spite, "Did you kill the other loser?" His evil eyes lacked any type of concern.
"Sadly, no," She sighed.
"Whatever. It's doesn't matter," He looked at Kazuo. "Eyes over here, mister," Cesal snapped his fingers when Kazuo was still looking at Naomi, "You're really weak and the blond one here is even weaker. I'm not going to waste my energy on your sad excuse of a detective," Cesal leaned on the desk and set his chin on the inside of his palm.
"However," Cesal's eye's light up. Not the lighting up of happiness, but rather impish and devil-like. He smiled, his rosy lips stretching into a grin making you feel on edge, "You mustn't be let free after trying to go up against us," He blinked in a manner mimicking innocence.
Rehan hesitantly twisted his head to the right to see two huge and strong men that looked like bodyguards when he heard booming footsteps in the silent place become louder as they neared. What shocked him was that one of them held Kou in one hand by the collar of his shirt, the other end pressing on his neck as he hung from the man's grip with his limp body over the floor a good distance.
Thud.
The man dropped Kou carelessly as if he wasn't a human and turned to Cesal, his sunglasses covering his eyes.
"Kou," Rehan said quietly.
"Both of you," Cesal looked at the men, "Teach them a lesson," He pointed to Kazuo and Rehan.
——