Elias's return to campus was uneventful, and classes ended quickly. He took a steam bus near the school, getting off at a crossroad in the west district. His old house was a bit far from the school, requiring him to switch buses for the journey home.
While waiting for his connecting bus, Elias idly looked around. His attention was caught by a half-sized Mickey Mouse plushie in a shop window. On a whim, he walked over and bought it.
On the bus, young men and women sneaked glances at Elias, cuddling the large plushie, and chuckled among themselves. Elias shot them a glare. What's wrong with a guy buying a plushie? It wasn't even for himself...
He had wanted to buy Luna such a toy for a while and seized the opportunity when he saw it. However, he pondered if their trust had shattered since their battle three days ago. Perhaps Luna only wanted to end him now, making the purchase futile.
Back at the old house, Elias placed the Mickey Mouse plushie on the sofa and started preparing dinner. Despite his earlier playful claims, dinner was just a bland vegetable salad.
As he ate, Elias sensed something off in the room. He stood up, surveying the space. The chair seemed misplaced, the curtains slightly disturbed, and the window was ajar, letting in a cool breeze.
Someone had been here. It must be Luna.
He nervously reached into his shoulder bag, feeling the vials of potions he always carried. "Luna?" he called out, his voice echoing in the empty house, slightly trembling. "Come out, I know you're here. Stop hiding!"
The house remained eerily silent. Just as Elias began to doubt his memory, a strange rustling sound came from a room upstairs.
He immediately pulled an antique revolver from his backpack and dashed upstairs. "Luna? Is that you?" he called out, cautiously scanning the hallway.
Elias had bought the gun recently from the black market, along with his alchemy creation, "Mithril Bullets." But he knew these bullets were useless against beings like Luna. Carrying the gun was more about false reassurance than actual defense.
Still, having the gun made him feel a bit braver.
Elias methodically searched each room, soon finding the source of the noise in the bedroom he and Luna had shared. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his revolver and kicked open the bedroom door.
Several eerie black tentacles retreated from the window.
Rushing over, Elias caught sight of a twisted black shadow darting into the distant trees.
It was just a glimpse before it vanished, but he saw her terrifying form – a grotesque amalgamation of corrupted flesh and exposed organs, writhing black tentacles and tendrils entwining a bloated body.
Beyond her vaguely recognizable human torso, Elias could hardly recognize her as his sister, Luna.
Luna's corruption had deepened, showing signs of abandoning her human appearance for that of a complete monster. The battle three days ago had clearly affected her greatly.
Elias watched the distant woods until the last trace of movement disappeared, then slowly closed the window. The revolver was set on the table, his palms sweaty.
The quiet and safety of the old house returned, but a question emerged. Luna hadn't attacked or tried to kill him. Instead, she fled quickly upon being discovered.
"What is Luna planning? What's going on in her mind? Is she scheming something?" Elias pondered, his mind in turmoil as he searched the house.
Dangerous items were plenty, like the drug used to knock out Isabella, but everything was untouched and accounted for.
"Did she just come to see me?" This thought seemed absurd to Elias.
He shook his head vigorously in the mirror, trying to dismiss such a simple, pure notion.
How could that be? After treating herself that way, employing every conceivable method to torment herself, how could her thoughts be so simple and pure?
He had to admit his feelings were complex, especially after seeing her dreadful state and hurried escape.
For three days, she had been in the wild – probably without proper food, perhaps eating rodents or wild dogs.
The harsh outdoor conditions might have brought back memories of their childhood. It was still cold in early spring at Saint Rose City – was she curled up somewhere, shivering?
"No! What am I even thinking?" Elias scolded himself in the mirror, tempted to slap some sense into himself.
She's a monster that has killed you! Are you a masochist, Elias? You mustn't feel any sympathy for her, nor apply human logic to her actions! A moment's lapse could be catastrophic. Your life is at stake.
Elias struggled to reinforce his mental resolve, finally calming down after a considerable effort.
Exactly, I am the support behind the legendary Sheriff Leonardo, a mysterious investigator who walks in the darkness, a man determined to save the world.
I am without emotion.
Returning to the dining room, he finished the remaining salad alone, read the newspaper, turned off the lights, and went to bed. The vast, empty old house sank into silence once more, filled only with a faint sense of loneliness...
...
"Elias, did you not sleep well last night? What's with those dark circles?" In the office, Isabella looked at Elias with concern.
"It's nothing... probably stayed up too late researching," Elias replied with a forced smile. He closed his notebook, packed with various notes, and slid the newspaper inside.
"You're really getting into this detective role," Isabella chuckled, handing him a cup of hot water. "So, any leads, our little detective?"
"Professor, you mentioned you've had some encounters with people connected to the cult, right?" Elias asked curiously. "Do you know where they usually meet in secret?"
"Those rats in the slums know nothing," Isabella pondered, her eyes narrowing. "Finding the cult's meeting place is not easy. Even the police have been searching for a long time."
Suddenly, her tone shifted. "But..."
"But what?" Elias asked eagerly. "Do you have another way?"
"You didn't know? My house is over there," Isabella said, amused.
"You live there?" Elias was astonished. He had always seen Isabella as impeccably dressed and mannered, never imagining she would reside in such a place.
"Are you really short on money?" Elias asked, puzzled. "You're not in debt, are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Isabella shot back, slightly annoyed.
After some banter, they refocused on the topic at hand.
"I know more about the darker side of Saint Rose City than you think," she winked. "Living there for so many years, I'm aware of a few places that fit the cult's need for secrecy and police evasion."
Elias stood up excitedly, "Then what are we waiting for?"