Well, long story short, I burned the whole place down after I ensured that the kids imprisoned there were already safe and sound. It caused a big stir in the city, since that specific place where the children were imprisoned was located under the mansion of the Avadons.
So when I burned the underground prison, their mansion also collapsed and burned.
There weren't any intentional casualties, as the people in the household escaped after they smelled smoke in the floor of an empty room.
However, while I was burning everything in the prison, I met Emilio Avadon, the head of the city, in his snake state and without further ado, I just held him in my hands and threatened him to reveal everything.
Turns out that every rumor I heard from the guards was true. From the child kidnapping to the threatening for votes, and even the curse of the white snake upon their bloodline.
The curse that was set upon them turned them to snakes whenever they are committing corrupt acts; thus, they've decided to use magic using the black apples to kidnap children and draw blood from them as an offering to the tree. It also seemed like they have a contract with the tree that by the time it gathers enough blood for young children, it would also help the removal of the white snake's curse. And when it breaks, the so-called revival of the Avadons' corruption would go stronger which will cause them to reign over the city.
I wasn't able to figure out where that tree came from in the first place as it was said to be always there since the curse has started, which was more than ten generations ago. Its information was just passed to the children in the family and they were commanded to follow what the past heads had done with it.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to kill Emilio at that time as the soul of Jean was still watching me. That's why, instead of killing him, I restrained him and demanded to have him admit to all his family's crimes or else I'll burn his whole family down.
As he was still quite a soft man for his family, he agreed with my terms.
Thus, the next day, it was reported of not just the incineration of the Avadons' home, but more about the fall of the whole house.
The tree where the black jewels were found became missing after I burned the whole place and I don't know where it went. It also seemed like the memories of the people who knew the tree lost it all, including Emilio.
From what I heard, right now, the City of Avado is ruled by the second in power to the Avadons before, the Deurtes.
Jean's soul also found peace and I never saw her again after she watched the surviving children with happy faces as they met their parents again.
Oh well, now's not the time to think about that.
I looked around and saw that I might be in another underground prison. Seriously, what's with this world's obsession on underground prisons?
"Help me." I inhaled sharply when I saw a man in front of me, with a semi-transparent figure, pale skin and blue lips, along with a slightly glowing body. He looked like someone in 40s, quite old, but still quite good-looking.
Nevertheless, it's a lost soul.
"What is it that you want?" His eyes widened as if he saw something weird in front of him and his tears already formed in his black orbs. His semi-transparent hand tried to reach out for me, but just like the usual, their body just passes through mine.
"Let me meet my daughter. Please." He looked desperate and I can't help but sigh. Looks like I have a new job.
"Tell me more about it." The man turned his gaze away from me, as if guilty about something. "What? You don't know the name, appearance, or even state of your child?" I can't help but answer with a tone of sarcasm. He took a deep breath and started to tell me his story.
"I lost my daughter when she was still young." The soul shortly said, and I waited for him to continue, although it seemed like he can't.
"Did she die?" I can't help but be blunt since I wouldn't be able to give him my services when I wouldn't know the root of the problem.
"No, of course not. We had her adopted since we can't afford to sustain her together with her older brother. That's why we opted to have her be adopted by a rich family. Luckily, she did get adopted, but she was taken away from us at such a young age and was forbidden to every meet her again." His eyes were trembling with sadness and I could hear his deep voice getting shakier as he continued to say those words.
"What was your work, anyways?" I can't help but ask him about it. "I was a prison guard two years ago before I died in an accident." He answered and I just nodded.
"Then, what do you know about your daughter right now?" It took him quite a while to answer, but he immediately smiled at me when it looked like he remembered.
"Ruby... That's her name right now." In contrast to his happy expression, I can't help but feel a sense of dread washing over me.
There's no way...