Still beneath the darkness of the night, a man and a woman moved together in restless positions. Outside, rain tapped softly against the windows, a steady accompaniment to the muffled sounds within the room.
Hours later, their movements slowed to a halt. The man, already advanced in age, lay back against the sheets, breathing heavily. Sweat clung to his thinning hairline, and a satisfied smile crept across his face.
"Girl, you were really something back there," he said hoarsely. "If not for my age, I would have gone on until daybreak."
Elizabeth offered no reply. She merely hummed faintly as she reached for her lipstick, calmly touching up the color before a small mirror. When she finished, she sat upright.
...
Suddenly, the man bent down, and cast his gaze on his skin, only to see a sudden tightness on his skin. In seconds, deep wrinkles carved themselves around his face, as his hair gradually drew thinner and paler.
His skin, sinked, as though something unseen was pulling the life out of his bones. Startled, he quickly stumbled towards the mirror.
What he saw was not a man, but rather a husk!
A husk, that had it's skin clinging desperately to bone, eyes sunken into a skull-like frame. The scene was truly grotesque!
He had his lips tremble once more, as his body gradually gave way, collapsing heavily onto the floor.
Elizabeth did not spare him a glance. Instead, she lifted her own mirror and studied her reflection with quiet satisfaction. Her skin appeared smooth and luminous, her features untouched by time.
Slowly, her lips curved upward into a faint smile.
...
Elizabeth quickly stood and dressed, moving with a natural, almost hypnotic grace. She wore a sleek black dress and a matching black cap. Once ready, she stepped out of the door—and in an instant, her figure shifted.
The graceful woman became a young man, no less than twenty-five, with short orange hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
...
The street in front of her was dark and silent. The rain had softened into a light drizzle. She checked her watch: it was already five in the morning, yet the pale moon still hung in the sky, stubbornly refusing to fade.
At that moment, a taxi pulled up—a familiar face behind the wheel: the same driver who had transported Lumian and Vincent.
"Good morning, sir," he greeted, raising an eyebrow. "Up early today, aren't you?"
Elizabeth chuckled as she opened the door and slipped inside. "I'm heading somewhere important."
The driver adjusted his mirror, catching the reflection of the young man in the yellow shirt and black trousers. "Where to?" he asked professionally.
"Everise Street," Elizabeth answered.
The driver raised his brows slightly. "That's quite a distance. You'll pass Cornerstone, Blackhead, Metropyl, Lamenti… and several other streets along the way." He added with a faint smile, "That'll be seven pounds."
Elizabeth nodded. "No problem. Let's go."
...
Inside, the streets were practically empty, bathed in the faint crimson light peeking through the clouds.
The taxi driver smiled as he kept the wheel steady. "You're only the second person this morning," he said. "Practically the first, since the others I met didn't pay me. Hehe. Imagine running a night shift and not picking up a single customer—the only thing I'd get is maybe ten pounds."
Elizabeth chuckled softly. "That's pretty decent. You'll still get plenty of customers." She checked her watch briefly. "Besides, this is the time when you might see a lot of people."
The driver nodded slowly. "Yes, but I normally start my shift at Lamenti. Lamenti really has a lot of customers. I was on my way there… but I ran into you. And I'm only charging you seven pounds. You should be grateful."
Elizabeth smiled and let out a light laugh. "Of course I'm grateful."
...
By the time the pale moon had faded completely, the watch read 6:30. Under the soft illumination of the crimson sun and the brightening sky, the taxi finally stopped in front of Everise Street. Though still appearing as a young man, Elizabeth stepped out gracefully and handed over the fare. She moved down the street with precise, fluid steps, eventually reaching the king's mansion.
Once inside, her figure shifted once more, turning into that of the man she had met.
...
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her footsteps echoed softly along the polished floor as she moved through the quiet hallway. The mansion was calm at this early hour.
A door opened nearby, and several maids stepped out. Upon spotting him, they immediately straightened and gave a respectful bow.
"Good morning, General Geisha. How are you this morning?"
Elizabeth smiled and inclined his head. "I'm doing well. It's rather early for you all to be awake, isn't it?"
One of the maids chuckled lightly. "General Geisha, you're still as kind as ever." She laughed again before adding, "We need to clean the garden before the family awakens."
Elizabeth nodded, glancing briefly at his watch. "Very well. Don't trouble yourselves. Carry on."
He continued down the corridor as the maids drifted away, whispering among themselves.
Then, from the opposite end of the hallway, another figure emerged.
He wore a black clergyman's suit and had a cane resting on his right hand. He wore a white featherless mask, and moved with confidence.
...
Mr. Shadow stopped and looked at Elizabeth for a moment. After a short pause, he finally spoke.
"You know what to do, right?"
Elizabeth nodded slightly. "Of course."
Inwardly, she added, F**k… this man is basically controlling me at this point. If I continue like this without informing Lady Aethera, I'll be in serious trouble.
Mr. Shadow leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "I'll be watching you." Then he walked away, with a small smile.
...
Elizabeth stood there for a moment, her mouth twitching slightly.
You're truly disgusting. She said Inwardly. Mr. Shadow is certain I'll do anything because he knows the conditions of my Law. If I betray him, he'll force me not to perform it… and I'll turn into a curse.
She continued walking and stopped in front of a door. After glancing behind her, she quickly stepped inside.
Inside, king Mathew lay on a golden bed, as he slept peacefully.
Her figure shifted back into her original female form. She approached the king and placed her fingers against his neck. After a moment, she withdrew her hand and nodded slightly.
Then her body began to change again, slowly taking on the king's appearance.
"Hehe… at least he already gave him the drugs."
She took the keys, stepped outside, and locked the door behind her.
As she walked away, another door suddenly opened, revealing a figure with long black hair and dark eyes.
"Good morning, Dad."
Elizabeth—now wearing the king's face—smiled faintly, hands tucked into his pockets. "Good morning~"
Catherine looked at her father, but suddenly she saw him glowing red, a grotesque smiling face looming behind him.
How is this possible? she thought inwardly. Why do his intentions toward me always change?
From the corner of her eye, she observed the blue shirt tucked into black trousers.
Suddenly, multiple future possibilities flashed through her mind, causing her to lower her face slightly. After a moment, she raised it again and forced a smile.
"I'll be joining you for breakfast today."
Elizabeth nodded smoothly. "Okay, dear."
...
Tweet! Tweet!
The rays of the crimson sun had begun to spread across the earth.
Lumian stood before two tombstones. One bore the picture of a beautiful, mature woman in her early forties, with long black hair resting gently on her shoulders. The other showed a man with streaks of grey in his hair and a bright, warm smile.
He slowly lowered his head and recited a short prayer. After a moment, he raised it again.
His mother had been a police officer, never much of a believer in religion. His father had worked as a barber. The pay had never been great, but he had always smiled regardless.
Unfortunately, they both passed away when Lumian was only twelve. Kelvin had been fourteen. Laura was barely a year old.
The morning breeze brushed past him. Lumian slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the letter.
...
Dear Lady Aethera, since we do not usually send texts, I do not know your recent location in order to hand this over directly. I will drop by the gathering in Greenland tomorrow to deliver the text.
Lumian read the letter silently and let out a quiet sigh before placing it back into his pocket.
But isn't this the same Lacey that had been missing? he muttered inwardly. Normally, I wouldn't interfere in these matters… but the pay is a lot. Heh. Miss V1 thought she was so smart… heh heh.
He turned to leave, only to notice a woman in a blue dress with yellow hair standing nearby. Spotting her, Lumian immediately walked over and waved with a friendly smile.
"Mrs. Richard, good morning. How are you doing?"
The woman looked up and smiled. "You're from the place my husband worked, right?"
Lumian nodded. "Yes. How are the kids coping?"
She sighed softly. "They're coping well… but sometimes they still ask where their father is." She paused, then reached into her purse. "Oh, I almost forgot."
She pulled out a poster. "I'm planning on getting married soon, hehe."
Lumian took the poster and smiled. "I'm happy for you. At least you've managed to move forward."
Hearing that, she chuckled lightly.
After glancing at the contents, Lumian nodded. "My brother's wedding is four months from now. Yours is in two months, right? Maybe after that, you can attend his."
She smiled warmly. "Of course. I'd love to see you there as well."
"No problem," Lumian replied as he stepped back. "See you later, Mrs."
...
After the brief encounter, Lumian hailed a taxi and headed toward Lamenti. Once he arrived, he paid the driver and walked into the Moonlight Watchers Faculty.
He glanced around but didn't see Lury behind the counter. Ignoring it, he passed through the partition and headed upstairs.
...
Reaching the office, he knocked lightly before entering. Hargreaves sat leaned back in his chair, calmly smoking a cigar.
"Good morning, Captain," Lumian greeted as he stepped inside.
"Did you find the text?" Hargreaves asked, setting the cigar on the tray.
"No, Captain. But I found a surprising lead."
"What is it?" Hargreaves asked calmly.
"Lacey is still alive. I'm sure you've heard about the Lacey case." Lumian handed him the letter.
"Hm, I see…" Hargreaves muttered as he read through it. Lowering the letter, he added, "Then we'll go to the location."
He paused briefly before continuing, "The spell on the book will wear off tomorrow." He sighed. "And we can't all go together. We'll need a single individual."
Lumian remained silent, waiting for the captain's verdict.
Hargreaves nodded slightly to himself before looking up.
"Lumian, do you know a place called Leochi?"