"Where's Julian?" Selene asked, noticing the absence of his nephew in the conference room.
With what Jazz and Jin discovered earlier that day they decided to have a family emergency meeting.
No one dared to answer her and they all pretended to be clueless about the latter's whereabouts.
"Dad?" She regarded her father who suddenly became interested in the painting at the far corner of the wall.
"Huh? Might be in his room. Who knows?" He hastily answered earning him a frown from his daughter.
"Has someone at least sent for him already?"
Again no one answered her. Seeing that no one is willing to do anything she thought of asking one of the maids to call for her nephew but observing the tense atmosphere in the room she decided to go look for Julian herself.
The moment she left the room they all released a collective sigh. All silently thanking Selene for saving them from the trouble of having to deal with the devil.
"Will aunt Sel be okay?" Jazz asked no one in particular.
"She should handle Julian just fine." Anna waved her hand, relieved with not having to deal with her own son, not feeling a bit guilty for having her older sister deal with him.
"Aren't you too cruel to let your sister handle your son?" Their father chided her elder twin daughter.
"She is more fitted to handle Julian though, I mean she's the only one who could handle Soul back then when none of us can." Hanna pointed out which earned an acknowledgement from their father.
"Aunt Sel hasn't been around for some time though, she could be surprised to see what Julian has become." Jazz reasoned out.
"Oh no worries dear, Julian is merely, mmmh say half the level of your late uncle Soul. I highly assure you that your aunt Sel will be just fine." Anna patted her niece.
"Jake you sure he's listening to some Classical music while playing Go when you check on him earlier?" Jaden asks his twin trying to make sure, and trying to formulate a plan if their aunt accidentally triggers the devil on his lair.
"I swear, for a second I think I saw Satan in his room." This earned Jake a slap on his head from his father.
Jazz and Jin snickered at this.
"Hey, what was that for?"
"Your cousin is not Satan so stop exaggerating things." Isaic reprimanded his son.
"He's right though, that son of mine could be on par with the devil, with how his mind works." Nathe on the other hand could only sigh and drink his glass of wine.
"Dad, not you too?" Jin couldn't believe that even his father would think the same.
"Stop you're being over protective of your brother again." Anna stops her daughter in trying to cover for her elder brother.
"I barely said anything…" Jin protested.
"Julian isn't that bad, he's just… too calculative at fault." Jaden tried to defend his cousin as well.
"Sometimes I really wonder if I am your twin brother or is it Julian, with how you often side and cover for him most of the time." Jake faked being hurt by this notion which only earned him an eye roll from Jaden.
"That I wonder as well…" Hanna joined their banter as well.
"I think, I know whom you took after being a drama queen." Jin told Jazz which earned her a slap from her cousin.
"Alright enough of this nonsense." The old Rhodes stop them as he leaves the room.
"Father where are you going?" Nathe ask.
"What else, go see a show of course."
They all look at each other then scurried after the old Rhodes.
The first thing that caught Selene's attention is the soft mum of classical music playing on a gramophone coming from Julian's room.
"Since when did he listen to such music and when did he become fond of old instruments?"
This makes her feel the full impact of her absence in their life for the last 8 years.
Feeling a bit off she cautiously approached the door and knocked softly.
*no answer*
She knocked again this time a bit louder.
*still no answer*
She tried turning the knob, and luckily it is not locked so she slowly pushes the door open, the second act of Verdi's Requiem "Dies Irae" welcoming her with such intensity that brings shiver to her skin.
Making sure not to create any noise she stepped at her nephew's room observing how tidy and neat it is.
Though it is quite dim she easily spotted her nephew sitting near the balcony, perfectly illuminated from the moon's light, in front of him is a Go board and in his hand is a black piece perfectly dancing on his intricate fingers. For a second she thought she saw her younger brother through him.
No wonder everyone down stairs looks tense earlier.
Soul usually play a classical music while playing Go when he is in the mode of waging war at someone and who ever disturb him while he is in deep concentration will definitely taste his wrath, he could be harsh and cold sometimes, and base from their reaction earlier it seemed that this nephew of hers inherited that same temper as well.
How nice of them to pass the responsibility at calling Julian with his devil mode on.