Lennox and the others exchanged cautious glances as they gingerly entered the room, the wooden door creaking eerily behind them. Nestled within one of the largest malls in the city, the presence of an old door in the basement seemed out of place, prompting their curiosity about its existence and the room beyond. As they scanned the room, it became apparent that the basement had been transformed into a makeshift house, prompting Lennox to question how Alice could be living in such a space shouldn't she have bee found out long before. Unbeknownst to him, this was the mall's old basement that was no longer in use.
Their search everywhere finding nothing almost like Evelyn already left until they approached the final room, where a bright light spilled out. Eyes meeting with a mix of caution and determination, they suddenly heard muffled sounds and quick footsteps echoing from multiple directions. Lennox signaled to Kira to open the door, and without hesitation, he entered the room, only to find Detective Evelyn bound and Alice ascending a ladder.
"Alice, stop!" Lennox's voice echoed, but Alice continued her ascent, ignoring his plea. "I need to move fast. Kira, keep an eye on Evelyn. Alexei, stay close. I'm going after her."
After he had to apprehend Alice, so Lennox pursued Alice up the ladder, his mind racing with questions about why a ladder was hidden beneath the mall and where it led. Yet, his foremost concern was capturing Alice, who had crossed the line by involving Evelyn, someone he barely knew but cared about deeply I have to catch Alice, no matter what it takes.
Meanwhile, as Lennox chased Alice, Kira and Alexei quickly freed Detective Evelyn from her restraints. However, Evelyn slumped forward weakly, her trembling body constantly.
Concern etched on her face, Kira noticed Evelyn's dilated pupils, her expression void of emotion. "Detective Evelyn, what's wrong? Talk to me," she urged, her worry palpable.
Furrowing her brow, Kira instructed Alexei, "Quickly, grab the sheet and place it on the ground."
Uncertain of what to do, Kira watched as Alexei nodded and hurried into another room. 'Evelyn looks so frail and scared. Whatever Alice did to her must have been terrifying. I need to help her, to comfort her somehow'. Then a purple, unknown energy emanated from her hand as she pressed it against Evelyn's back, her eyes never leaving Alexei's approaching figure. As she returned, she withdrew her hand, and Detective Evelyn's trembling ceased, her eyes gradually returning to normalcy.
"That's all I can do for you," Kira said, swiftly pulling out her phone to instruct another officer to dispatch an ambulance, her gaze fixed on Evelyn. 'I do wonder what Alice did to her to make her possibly become like this... it's one of the worst times I've ever seen someone so drained of Nexus energy, especially for someone who has a lot of Nexus energy.'
Inside Evelyn's mind, darkness engulfed her completely. Her body felt like a temple of shadows as she wandered in a panic, crying out for help without knowing what was happening beyond her own body. She couldn't even grasp how long she had been trapped in this state, crawling up from despair before summoning the courage to walk. In that fleeting moment of calling for aid, she felt a warmth, a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. Instantly, her thoughts turned to Lennox, Kira, and Alexei.
Meanwhile, Lennox reached the top of the ladder with Alice, finding themselves inside a deserted store within the mall. Alice continued to sprint ahead, desperate to evade Lennox's pursuit. The mall had been evacuated, anticipating the possibility of Alice taking a citizen hostage or even worse killing someone as right now she desperate to escape, yet she pressed on. Lennox followed, pondering where as she had no where to go, noting her uncanny ability to navigate everywhere she goes despite being chased.
Closing in on Alice, Lennox leaped over obstacles and ascended stairs and escalators, gaining ground on her. As Alice realized he was gaining on her, desperation set in. She couldn't let her plans crumble now. With a sense of urgency, she hurled herself through a store window, sustaining cuts in the process but refusing to relent.
Lennox was stunned. He hadn't anticipated she would be so desperate to escape that she would harm herself. Without hesitation, he followed Alice, his hands nicked by the broken glass, his heart racing with adrenaline. Finally, Alice halted within the building, perched halfway out of a window.
"Stop, Alice! There's nowhere left to go!" Lennox's voice echoed, panic evident in his tone.
Alice gazed skyward, a hint of sadness in her eyes, yet a small smile tugging at her lips as crystalline tears formed. "I guess this is it," she murmured despondently.
"What do you mean? It doesn't have to end like this," Lennox interjected quickly, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew the danger of Alice falling to her demise. "Alice, please, come down slowly. We can talk this out. You can tell me about the killer, about your son's murderer. I can help, I promise," he implored, reaching out with sincerity.
"You don't understand, No one can fix what's broken inside me. Not anymore. It's too late for me, for all of us." Alice turned to look at Lennox, a hint of reluctance in her eyes. "I guess I can. I have nothing else to lose, but maybe you really can help. Seeing how determined you are, that's something rare. You should hold onto it," she said, taking a deep breath. 'The memory of my son's death still torments me. I can't escape it, no matter how hard I try. Lennox promises justice, but can anyone truly make things right again?'
"On the day I was picking up my son," her voice trembled as she spoke, "my son came running toward me. As I reached out to him, suddenly there was a loud explosion. The shockwave shattered multiple building windows, pushing people back and injuring them. I was in shock, but I instantly went toward my son. Then, a large fireball exploded in front of me, right between me and my son. Hurt from the explosion, I quickly got to see my son on the ground, half his body was burnt. I did everything I could, but it was already too late. His voice calling for me was the last thing I ever heard, and that haunts me ever since," she finished, tears streaming down her face.
Lennox's anger surged, his fists clenched tightly, nearly drawing blood. "Who is that idiot Nexarc that can just fight so openly in the city, causing others to get hurt? Even worse, someone died from it," he growled in a deep, furious tone.
"Well, during my attempt to help my son, the people who were fighting appeared. One man had fire wing on his back with small wing on his temples...he as almost like a phoenix, and the other was an air user who kept using a fan as a weapon, arrogantly sending attacks around him as if he didn't care," Alice said with simmering anger.
"Why does that sound like someone I know?" Lennox muttered, looking at the ground, trying to recall. "Can you tell me their identities?"
"I'm not sure, but I have found out their family connections. One is from the Phoenix family, and the other is from a royal family in the realm of Regalia," Alice replied.
Lennox instantly knew who Alice was talking about "Thank you. I promise I will catch them. They will be brought to justice. Now, can you step down?" he requested, looking up, only to see Alice falling backward out of the window.
"No!" he shouted, horrified.