"You mean that....all of this was planned by you?" Cerebius shuddered in fear as he completed his question.
"Indeed but the most surprising thing I discovered is that you've become extremely dumb, Cerebius." Zarius taunted Cerebius coldly.
Zarius had always been a cautious and cunning individual. He wasn't planning to reveal his meticulous conspiracy with these eyesores but he decided against it because he couldn't let the chance of deceiving them slide. After all, crushing the spirits of his enemies before killing them brutally was the most pleasurable experience for him. Zarius continued while glaring coldly at Cerebius, his tone full of grimness.
"I'm an opportunistic person, Cerebius. I was given the opportunity to indirectly use Klubius for my benefit, so I did. Also I forgot to add something terribly important, it's about Zverius."
Cerebius gulped in sheer nervousness, tentatively waiting for Zarius's next words. Klubius shifted uncomfortably as he also awaited for Zarius's next words to befall on his ears. After seeing their nervous expressions and fear, Zarius uttered his next words with pure malevolence laced in his low voice.
"I killed him"
Cerebius's eyes widened in horror and disbelief as he heard those words, he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Klubius's expression was the same yet quite different. He boiled in rage and vengeance, soon he clenched his fist and calmed down. However, this composure wasn't due to rational thinking but due to despair.
"H-how did you kill him?" Cerebius asked while shuddering in fear.
"I'll show you how I killed him by killing you in the same manner." Zarius grinned wickedly as his fists covered itself in burning crimson energy. Before Cerebius and Klubius could react, Zarius was already behind them, almost ready to throw punches at them which were infused in immense amount of crimson energy but suddenly a pleasant and mesmerizing voice echoed in the right corridor. As Cerebius and Klubius heard this familiar voice, a sense of relief and happiness flickered across their faces. Whereas, Zarius took a step back, a hint of annoyance and wariness on his face.
"Zarius, you still rely on deceits, huh? What a bothersome little brother you are!"
As these words echoed in the right corridor, a masculine figure emerged from darkness, a few metres away from them. The figure was extremely tall, around seven feet with a slender physique. He had sky blue hair and captivating violet eyes, his smile brighter than anything else with a sense of confidence radiating around him. He also had grey skin but it was quite fair amongst all of the Zardens which only made him look more graceful and handsome. He was dressed in a neat and tidy uniform of class three detective, a pistol in his hand the which was infused in dark crimson energy. His smile disappeared as he tightened his grip, after lingering for a few moments, he said with a deep infuriated frown on his face, his voice losing its pleasantness.
"Based on your solid confidence, I suppose my seal on devil's blessing is undone."
Zarius didn't respond instead he just continued to glare at Zverius with a somber expression. Soon a scowl appeared on his face, he asked cautiously
"Which path did you choose for reincarnation of your powers, Zverius? Also, what modifications did you make on the subjects and conditions of reincarnation?"
"Do you really think that you are in a position to ask such vital questions, Zarius?" Zverius asked with a grim expression, his voice full of grim intensity.
Zarius responded with a sinister indifferent shrug and said:
"I suppose not but if you are fine with satiating my hunger for information then I would do the same for you, I might be evil but I'm not a scum, at least that's what I believe."
"I don't intend to make a deal with a manipulative nincompoop."
Zverius rejected Zarius's proposal without a second thought. He couldn't afford to share the valuable information he possessed to Zarius, since Zarius wasn't in a position to obtain information by force so he switched to conversation or rather information exchange.
"Fine, I'll be leaving then because I can't kill those two eyesores when you are in my way and you can't kill me because I'm "The Blessed Child". I can't waste my precious time on some meaningless chit-chat. We are in a stalemate for now, Zverius but let me remind you, this is just a beginning of a grand scheme of events."
Zarius disappeared in the eerie darkness of the hospital after leaving a warning which was full of firm and wicked resolve. As Zarius disappeared, Cerebius and Klubius sighed in relief, their expressions showing a hint of exhaustion. Zverius walked towards them with a carefree and bright smile, his eyes full of warm kindness but there was also immense happiness of meeting his family after so long. Zverius abruptly stopped but then ran hurriedly towards them and embraced Cerebius and Klubius in a tight hug. They were quite shocked at first but then they both just chose to be being embraced by Zverius, where they felt a profound sense of solace. After some peaceful and joyous moments of skinship they let go of each other. Klubius glanced at Zverius, a hint of concern and curiousity washing over his face. He asked without any deep thought
"Elder brother, who is your vessel?"
Zverius quickly answered with a carefree smile on his face "David Marsh"
Cerebius's eyes widened in confusion as he contemplated Zverius's answers, in the end he asked with a fragment of confusion finding it's way in his voice.
"Then why did you not reveal yourself to my vessel when my vessel did"
Zverius curiously looked around, exploring the dark and dusty corridor with his eyes which could see very well in darkness just like all of the other Zardens. Eventually he looked at Cerebius and then said, his voice pleasant and mesmerizing as usual.
"We have a lot of things to talk about but first Klubius, I have a question which is tremendously important. May I ask?"
Klubius immediately nodded with a determined expression on his face. Zverius looked back towards the main hall, a hint of concern in his pleasant voice.
"You didn't kill anyone, did you?"
Klubius silently shook his head but then realised his elder brother wasn't looking towards him so he just simply said:
"No, I didn't."
"If you didn't kill them then where are they?" Zverius looked towards Klubius as he asked this.
"I have created an alternate dimension and they are in it, constantly in a state of slumber. Their body doesn't perform any metabolic process and my crimson energy is keeping them alive." Klubius answered truthfully, ready to endure his brother's wrath.
Zverius's eyes narrowed, processing all of this information in a mere second which Klubius had dumped on him. After few moments of awkward silence Zverius sighed in exasperation and asked
"What about your vessel, Harold Carter? News reports say that an enigmatic being harassed him, instigating him to suicide."
"They also stated that he didn't die because you saved him in order to put him and others in a greater torture. Explain yourself, Klubius." Cerebius added grimly.
After lingering for a few seconds, Klubius suddenly knelt down, his demeanor changed to an apologetic one. He said wistfully "I'm sorry elder brother and master, but I did this because I wanted to vent out my anger on someone, also not to mention he is a human. No matter what you both say, I can't bring myself to like a human. I abhor them and this is why I troubled Harold till his attempt of suicide, after that his soul went in slumber which is why I automatically gained control over his body, I healed his lethally battered body upto a great extent for the sake of my own selfishness. When they admitted me in the hospital, I realised that I could use this hospital as a stronghold since it has plenty of stored blood and there were some other reasons too. I didn't even have a slightest bit of knowledge about your condition or even that bastard Zarius but I knew one thing which was that if I'd attracted attention by causing chaos then surely either a foe or a friend would've have visited this hospital. If a foe were to visit then I would get a chance to exact my revenge upon them but if a friend would then I could just ask them about the reincarnation spell and maybe even reunite with others. I was so blinded in my hatred and disdain for humans that I didn't consider my vessel's feelings and health or even other humans. I can't ask for your forgiveness elder brother and master but I didn't kill even one human since my reincarnation."
Cerebius had a distant look, sorrow in his bright yellow eyes whereas Zverius didn't even show a shroud of sorrow instead it was anger which was reflecting in his demeanor, soon he quelled his rage, sighed in disappointment and said:
"You have caused quite a commotion, Klubius. All of us Zardens have committed grave sins yet when you were reincarnated, you still chose to cause chaos and anarchy. I'm glad that you haven't killed anyone but that doesn't mean you are innocent, infact in my eyes your actions are no better than scums who harass those who are weaker than them. It's fine if you don't like Harold but the least you could've done was to accept him and treat him respectfully. It is true that we were backstabbed by some human mages and Zarius but that doesn't bestow you the right to hate the whole humankind and act emotionally. I won't tolerate hostility towards those humans who have nothing to with the mess which we've been woven into."
"I understand, elder brother." Klubius said obediently.
Zverius remained motionless for few seconds then he smiled, an aura of friendliness and warmth around him. He patted Klubius's back signalling him to stand, Klubius stood and looked towards Cerebius who was lost in thoughts but then he snapped out of it and asked while throwing a serious glance at Zverius.
"So, how do we deal with this paranormal hospital mess?"
Zverius stretched his hands up, yawned lazily and then answered in his usual pleasant and mesmerizing voice.
"Oh! I almost forgot about this pressing matter. Well I can cast a spell which will erase memories of everyone about this incident except those who wield crimson energy and those whose soul is bound to the wielders. Even if they will read or hear anything about this still anything won't click in their mind. Basically, it would be a weird dream for them. They won't remember why was this hospital abandoned or why are there so many reports on Harold Carter, his attempted suicide or anything regarding this incident. Also their memories won't even return even if someone who remembers this tries to remind them of this incident."
Cerebius and Klubius were staring at Zverius with a profound astonishment but suddenly Cerebius shook his head as if trying to shake off his extreme surprise and asked with a bit of concern.
"What if someone casts a spell which will restore their memories about this incident?"
Zverius grinned in mischief and said while patting Cerebius's back.
"Don't worry this spell is irrevocable, also not to mention about the path of power awakening which I've chosen for reincarnation initially grants me advantage, hehe"
Cerebius and Klubius narrowed their eyes in suspicion but soon they realised that it was pointless to resist against Zverius's persistence. Just like this Zverius casted a spell which erased everyone's memories in this world regarding this incident except few people.
However, this spell casted by Zverius had a severe price which he would have to pay later....
To be continued