As we approached the door, one of the security guards, a bulky man with a mustache, stopped me mid-step by extending his arm in front of the door. Glaring down at me, he lowered his spectacles and raised an eyebrow.

  "Are you lost, son?"

  "No, he's right where he needs to be." Kael walked over, smiling at the guard situated by the door.

  "I don't believe that for a minute. This is an adults-only building, and he clearly isn't an adult."

  The crimson-haired man took another step closer, parting his hair as he met the gaze of the guard. "You will let him in, right?"

  At this moment, the eyes of the guard flashed with crimson, and his movements became sluggish and lanky. He stepped aside, speaking in an almost robotic tone.

  "He may proceed."

  I watched the guard for a few moments, noticing that his condition seemed to mirror one who'd succumb to Shinso's brainwashing. I suddenly turned to Kael.

  "What did you do to him?"

  Kael's smile twitched on the edges, adjusting his collar again as he looked down at me. "He wouldn't have cooperated either way. So, I had to mess with his thoughts a little. Sure, he won't remember who he is or who his family are, but at least you're getting what you want."

  "What? You just... removed important memories?"

  Kael smiled as he opened the front door. The inside was dimly lit, with gasp lamps giving the entire building a degenerate, lustful aura. "Who cares? He's just another person in this world."

  Hearing this morbidly disregardful remark, I felt my heart tighten. At an unknown order of the Apocalypse pathway, one could alter and erase memories! As we stepped into the building, I covered my eyes with my hands, feeling a small inclination and curiosity to question Kael on the nature and abilities of the Apocalypse pathway.

  However, this was cut short the moment a small crowd in the center of the lobby parted, revealing a figure with a broad forehead, analytical eyes, and clad in somewhat casual attire. His shirt was half-buttoned up, exposing a sliver of his clavicle and slightly hairy chest. Helana's father cleared his throat, picking up a drink from a nearby table and sipping it, his gaze locking on the two of us.

  "I'm honestly surprised you were let in," He commented, the glass of liquor inches from his lips.

  Kael stepped in front of me, clearing his throat. "I helped along the way."

  Seeing him, Helana's father raised an eyebrow. "Who may you be?"

  The eccentric man with elven ears and crimson hair bowed elegantly, peeking one eye open to look at him. "My name is Mr. Kael Cavendish. And you may be..."

  Helena's father stopped for a moment, smiling as he set his drink aside. "Abram. Abram Hoistol, from the Adligon Clans."

  "The Adligon Clans?" Kael arched an eyebrow.

  Abram nodded his head, stepping back. "I journeyed here about twenty years ago. Life in the clans was too... rash, so to speak."

  "Rash? I assume you weren't the type for warfare?" Kael chuckled. It was almost like the elven man was making friends with the man who wanted to kill me.

  I nervously took a step back, making Abram look in my direction. "Where do you think you're going? We have to talk about your job upstairs."

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  I coughed, my face flushing slightly as I smiled shakily. "R-right."

  Abram adjusted his sleeve cuff as he put his glass of alcohol on the counter, pushing it aside. The three of us walked in silence, before coming to a door in the corner of the room. Behind the door, we all heard abrupt smacking sounds, accompanied by the aroma and scent of lewd acts. Abram turned to knob and pushed the door open.

  "Close your eyes, kid."

  I silently obeyed, putting my hands over my eyes as I began to walk forward. At the same time, I felt the urge to plug my ears and my nose. The entire room reeked of an unknown salty smell, and through the small slits in between my fingers I saw the lights had been turned down low, a red-colored cloth put over an open bulb to filter it out.

  "My accomplices are waiting upstairs; let's not keep them waiting."

  ...

  "He left again?" Aizawa turned to Aaron, his brows furrowing.

  "You never told me I had to watch him." Aaron walked over to the apartment door, opening it.

  Just then, Olivia burst into the room. Clad in clothing more suited for colder weather, she darted to the open door and looked back at the others. "Goddamnit, it was my fault!"

  "Your fault?" Aizawa approached Olivia, his voice dropping a little.

  "For some reason, after I told him a raven had delivered about his status, he left the apartment building without saying anything. I thought Aaron would accompany him, but Isaac was gone by the time the boy woke up."

  Aizawa let out a long huff, rubbing his glabella. He put on his coat, looking back at everyone else. "We split up."

  "Wait, he left?" Ayumi suddenly walked into the room with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

  She had deep bags under her eyes, and her appearance was slightly pale. When Aizawa looked at her, his eyes widened.

  "What happened to you?"

  Hearing the question, Ayumi's brows knotted about a millimeter. She pushed a few stray locks of her brown hair away and sighed. "I don't remember."

  Mr. Ryujin, who had been standing behind her, spoke up. "When I treated her this morning, she felt awfully warm, almost hot as if she was having an intense fever. Luckily, she's beginning to cool down.

  "Also, before anyone questions, Shinso went off with a Pollinator to get ingredients for his next Order."

  "Will they be back soon?" Aizawa arched an eyebrow.

  "From what he told me, it's unknown. If something does happen to the two of them, the entire organization will be looking high and low."

  "Alright..." Aizawa felt the tension in him dissipate slightly.

  Stepping out into the cold, Aizawa looked to his right, catching sight of a group of people clad in green and white clothing. They all had handguns in the hollisters strapped to their utility belts. Upon seeing this, Aizawa's eyes narrowed, and he approached the group.

  "You're Pollintors, correct?"

  "We are, and we're busy, don't talk further."

  Aizawa watched them walk for a moment before pointing to one of their holistors. "You have guns."

  "That's none of your concern. Captain Silas, who walked in the front, looked back at Aizawa and scoffed.

  At that moment, something inscrutable crossed his expression. Though he didn't stop walking, it was almost like he was about to stumble.

  "Wait, you're..."

  Aizawa cocked his head, not speaking just yet. Captain Silas took a deep breath, a myriad of emotions churning in his mind. With some hesitancy in his voice, he finally finished his sentence.

  "Are you related to an... Isaac perchance?"

  Aizawa immediately nodded. "I am, I'm his quasi-guardian."

  Hearing this, Captain Silas turned around, facing him. His voice dropped low, not out of emotional vulnerability, but the weight of words left unspoken.

  "Well, he's murdered the archbishop of the Mother Nature church, and we're going to Tavaren's to bring him to justice."

  "What?" Aizawa felt his breath catch in his throat, his face turning pale. "What possible evidence do you have to back that?"

  "One of our alchemists studied a hair found at the scene of the crime, it belonged to him."

  "No... he wouldn't do that." Aizawa looked back to the others, who also looked unable to speak.

  The air's weight was akin to a dumbbell that was dropped onto the kingdom, knocking the breath out of everyone on sight. Olivia ran over to Aizawa, taking him by the hand and walking forward.

  "We're going too. Isaac couldn't have possibly murdered anyone; he's not like that!"

  Captain Silas turned to look at Aaron, scoffing. "Aren't you friends with two criminals who also looked like they wouldn't do anything bad?"

  The older man fell silent, looking down to the ground. His fists clenched at his sides, turning the wrinkled skin of his hands taut and pale from strain. Looking back up at the Pollinator, Aaron's neck veins bulged as he stormed over.

  "Aaron, what are you doing?"

  "Don't talk bad bout' my friends like that!"

  With a swing, Aaron's fist soured through the air, barely missing Captain Silas's face. The curly-haired man quickly retaliated, pinning both of Aaron's arms above his head, looking him up and down. He then looked to Olivia, Mr. Ryujin, Ayumi, and Aizawa. Captain Silas rudely tossed the man back, his body landing in the snow-covered sidewalk.

  "We have business to attend to; you've disrupted us long enough."

  Without saying anything else, the group of Pollinators left the scene. Olivia quickly let go of Aizawa's hand, rushing over and helping Aaron to his feet.

  "Are you in pain?" She asked.

  Aaron shook his head. "No, I'm not, but thank you," he replied with a trembling voice, rubbing the back of his head.

  "That has to be a minor concussion; I'll take you to the nearest medical facility for treatment."

  "You don't have to—"

  "I insist."

  As the duo began walking away, Aizawa suddenly spoke up. "You're not coming?"

  Olivia turned around, her blueish-gray eyes flickering in the setting sun. "I know Isaac's not a murderer; that's all the proof I need."

  "Did something happen?" A voice called behind them.

  Aizawa turned around, catching sight of Oboro, Catherine, and Carter running to the scene. Oboro immediately approached Aaron, while Catherine and Carter began to interrogate Aizawa. After he gave all the details, the couple's faces paled.

  "No... he couldn't."

  Aizawa shook his head. "The Pollinators are fighting with fire they don't know how to tame. We all need to help him; the kid needs us... Shinso needs him."

  In the corner of his eye, Aizawa suddenly saw a figure emerge from the darkness of an alleyway. Clad in a white and purple robe, his black hair tied into a messy bun—Aizawa's spiritual projection. He took a step forward, before ascending into the air and floating over to Aizawa.

  "We have some things to discuss."