"You found me, Brissia Niverte," said Madame Ouden with a smirk.
Upon recognizing the woman's voice, Brissia widened her eyes. She didn't move at all until a loud thunder jolted her. A 'clack' sound drained the color of her face instantly as her feet were no longer on the stone floor.
A subtle smile adorned Madame Ouden's lips as she witnessed the girl's struggle to open the door. "Sorry for startling you, my dear," she spoke softly, "but the door cannot be opened and closed by just anyone."
Brissia turned around with a wary look.
"Who are you?"
Madame Ouden's silence and unfading smile sent chills down Brissia's spine. Apart from her dark purple lips, every part of her reminded Brissia of Mrs. Olivia.
"Well, I am who you think I am."
The woman's rise from her seat prompted Brissia to take a step back. Her step closer to Brissia was Brissia's step closer to the door.
"Brissia," she emphasized her name. "Have you ever wanted to be a heroine?"
"No."
"If so, will you be a villainess?"
Brissia gulped with her eyes locked on her. Her heart pounded in rhythm with Madame Ouden's steps. A vague hope of escape laid in her firm grip on the doorknob.
"Brissie! Where are you?!"
Brissia's pupils dilated and Madame Ouden halted her steps. It was a voice that illuminated her path of hope. Brissia knew that, and so did Madame Ouden. Hence, she asked Brissia again, "Will you be the heroine, or the villainess..."
Brissia's eyes narrowed as she heard a faint click behind her.
"...Or both?"
CLACK!
She stood still as she watched the girl run toward the man in dark blue only to become an additional target for the six people behind them. Her nonchalant gaze held a lot of mystery, seemed devoid of emotion. What came next on her face was a meaningful smile.
"What's going on?! Why are they chasing you?!" Brissia asked loudly.
"I don't know!" Harris glanced at her briefly. "One of them suddenly called more people just as I was about to arrest them."
"What?" Brissia frowned. "Didn't you say you are the best cop in...."
Brissia glared as Harris grabbed her wrist. His quickening pace left her no choice but to follow him. Until she caught a glimpse of a man with turquoise irises.
"Hey, hey! Hold on, Harris!"
Harris' gaze turned to the side as Brissia brushed his hand away and ran toward it. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips as the bandit ran closer, yet the girl didn't seem mind other than her business.
"Benjamin!"
The well-dressed man shifted his gaze from the person in front of him to the side, only to drop his jaw at the sight of two people who had barely spent two days not seeing him were being chased by bandits.
"Do something with your connections, aristocratic son!" Harris shouted aloud.
Benjamin narrowed his eyes for a moment, remembering the faces of the people who were after Brissia and Harris. He shook his head calmly then said, "The bandits never listen to aristocrats, not even...."
"Whatever! Just take us somewhere safe other than here!" Harris interrupted as he grabbed Benjamin's sleeve and dragged him along.
Benjamin looked thoughtful for a minute before he spoke in earnest, "I think I know a place."
"That's why you're here! Now, show us the way!"
"Heh, if you order people like that, it's possible that you won't have a good team member, Harris."
"Shut up and do your thing."
Benjamin gave him a brief chuckle before quickening his pace, leading Brissia and Harris into an alley. However, one of the bandits closest to them reached his hand into Harris's cloak.
"Harris! Take off your cloak!"
Hearing Brissia call out to him, Harris complied without saying anything. The cloak hit the bandit's face which gave Brissia the right momentum to knock him down. Once she was sure the bandit would no longer come near the three of them, she ran back to Harris and Benjamin who were both stunned.
As she pulled Harris's hand and pushed Benjamin's back, she said firmly, "Don't think about anything else and let's hurry!"
The bandit punched the ground beneath him while glaring vengefully at the three youths running away from him. It didn't take long for him to get up and lead his group in the direction Brissia and the others were heading to.
As the three entered a dimly lit alley, the bandits stopped at the mouth of the alley. They looked doubtful when they wanted to enter the alley, for whatever reason.
Meanwhile, behind a dark green wooden door, Benjamin, Brissia, and Harris stood behind it with wary eyes.
"We're safe as long as we keep our voices low," Benjamin said as he walked away from the door.
Harris and Brissia heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Benjamin who nodded slightly to them.
"Is this some kind of safe house?"
Benjamin snapped his fingers at Brissia's question. "More precisely, my old residence when I was staying in the Algor District."
He clicked the light switch beside the door, making the entire room visible to Harris and Brissia. Both of them were amazed to see the simple interior with neatly arranged furnitures.
"It's currently unused because no one intends to rent it, so make yourself at home," Benjamin said, making Brissia and Harris pause.
Knock knock knock!
The three of them turned to the door with wary looks. Benjamin motioned for the two of them to stay away from the door. He then peeked through the door.
"Oh, no," he muttered as soon as he saw the ten men in black standing there in an orderly formation.
Gabriel put on his robe and hurriedly walked out of the editorial office. An anonymous person sent him a letter, containing sketches of Harris, Brissia, and another man he didn't recognize. He quickened his pace toward the address written at the bottom of the letter.
In a large square room with a high roof and teak furniture, five people sat on different sofas, facing each other. Gabriel sat there, lowering his head, and massaging his forehead. He glanced at the two people sitting on the opposite sofa, Brissia and Harris, who also looked down with an uneasy expression on their faces.
"You're the manager of the editorial office next to River Flower, aren't you? I often saw you when I was stopping by."
Gabriel turned to a mustachioed well-dressed man, who sat on the single sofa slanted to his right.
"I am," Gabriel answered half resignedly, half not accepting because the man had to know his identity. "Why is my employee here?"
Brissia and Harris glanced at Gabriel, but quickly looked down when Gabriel glanced at them sharply.
The mustachioed man laughed displeasedly. "Don't you know that your employee involved my son in the pursuit of a gang of bandits?" he said, widened Gabriel's eyes.
Harris rubbed his face in frustration. He glanced at Brissia, who muttered an apology to him. He smiled a little, looking at her with a hint that everything would be fine.
"Why only blame them? Am I not also at fault for not being able to decline their request?"
Everyone in the room turned to Benjamin, who was sitting on the single couch far left. Gabriel caught a glimpse of Benjamin's calm, but sharp gaze. The man's gaze was not as stern as he entered the room.
The mustachioed man stared at Benjamin for a moment before finally turning to Gabriel and saying, "Mr. Gabriel. As someone who's much older than these kids, you should've told them the boundaries between the upper and the lower class."
Gabriel stood up with his jaw clenched. But someone on his left, who also got up, made him glance. His gaze turned cold when he found out it was Harris, especially when he looked at him with an uneasy look.
"Let's go, Brissia, Harris."
Gabriel walked up to them, grabbed their shoulders and walked them out of the room. Unbeknownst to them, Benjamin got up and left the room through a different door, leaving the mustachioed man alone.
On their way back, Brissia and Harris walked behind Gabriel quietly. Neither of them spoke to Gabriel as they recalled the conversation in the tidy room. But then, a blue stamped envelope fell in front of them, suddenly broke the silence.
"What's this?"
Gabriel stopped when he heard the sound of paper crumpling. When he turned his head, Harris had opened it. The look in his eyes dimmed instantly and the light on his face disappeared.
"A suspension? Why's he getting this?" Brissia asked while taking a step closer to Gabriel. "It's my fault for dragging the aristocrat's son into the trouble we made. Can't I help him with..."
"Stay out of this, Brissie," said Harris. "Besides, it's not you who should be apologizing to me."
Gabriel remained silent as Harris's emotionless gaze fell on him. He could see Harris's knuckles were turning white as he gripped the paper. Then Harris turned away without saying anything, leaving Brissia and him.
"Harris!"
"Leave him be," said Gabriel. "You heard him, it's none of your business."
Brissia lowered her head.
"I know."
Gabriel glanced at her before looking in front of him. "Good. Sometimes, he needs to be disciplined by a person of high authority."