Amidst the night, screams of agony that struggled against their impending deaths were echoing throughout the resounding steps of their executioner.
'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!' internally cursed one of the pursued, huffing for breath with dread on his face as he ran with all his might to survive. 'Why is this happening?!'
His unkeen brown hair swayed along his movements as he took a turn in alley and continued to run without stopping to catch his breath.
'I did hear that guys in the underworld were being hunted down by someone other than the Sentinels, but no one ever told me about a monster like that!'
A sequence of scenes flashed in his mind including: One person suddenly attacking someone beside them for no apparent reason, bodies being frozen to death and then shattered into pieces, limbs twisting and exploding with blood surging out for without warning, and frozen blood spikes coming out of bodies.
And in his terror of reminiscence, cold blue eyes that screamed danger chased after him and his comrades. Unfortunately for him, with his mind distracted, he stumbled and fell on the ground.
"Ouch! I need to get out of here quickly."
"That's far enough," a voice echoed behind him, his left leg twisting into a mess.
"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed before gritting his teeth in pain and crawling on the ground even as he left a trail of blood behind him.
But even his struggle to escape was pointless.
In an instant, a wide blade of ice pierced his chest, pinning him in place.
The sounds that came out of his mouth were groans of agony as he still continued to try to escape, his right arm extending in front of him.
Too bad for him, his pursuer walked beside his body and then stood in front of him, his eyes first landing on the solid, black heeled boots in front of him.
A young woman, barely in her late teens, looked down on him with a piercing blue gaze. She wore a black-and-white, hooded varsity jacket that was halfway zipped up.
The inside of her jacket let show her white, sleeveless blouse with a black tie hanging from its collar while the female, black denim shorts she wore, complemented by her over-knee black tights, accentuated her slender legs.
'J-just… who the hell… is she?' he thought as his pursuer crouched in front of him, extending their hand towards him while their glistening, shoulder-length black hair swayed from the motion.
And in that very moment, his body froze completely, ending his life instantly.
"I guess it's time head back," she stood up straight, the hood covering her head falling to her shoulders as it revealed Emilia, her cold and firm eyes, carrying a burdened and tired contemplating gaze.
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Amidst the busy noise of the streets, a black-haired man with piercings on his ears and mischievous sharp green eyes, visibly in his late-20s was humming alongside the music in his earbuds, his slow and steady steps making it seem as if he had no troubles in life.
His long hair, tied in a stylish ponytail, was swept back on one side while the other side of his face was covered by his bangs. He also wore a white, long-sleeved shirt whose sleeves had been folded back, and his black pants which complemented his black male loafers, brought his entire appearance into balance.
He then took a turn towards an apartment complex and entered the building. The interior was quite luxurious, proving that even if it was a neighborhood apartment complex, it was definitely a high quality one.
As he took the elevator and waited to get transported towards the seventh floor, he removed his earbuds and kept them in their casing. Additionally, he checked his watch before a 'DING!' sound resounded within the elevator.
The man then exhaled just as the elevator doors opened up. He walked out and headed towards the 7D apartment door.
He pushed the bell button, and then…
"Hey Windsor! Open up. It's me," he announced his arrival.
The one who opened up the door was none other than Victoria Windsor, wearing a short, beige-colored, dressing gown, white T-shirt, black sweat shorts and white-blue sandals.
"I hope you've come with some good news, Isidor," said Victoria, her hair untidy, though she seemed a little sleep deprived.
"Haaa…" Isidor seemed to have an expression that said he expected her reaction. "No greeting and straight to the point as always, huh? But still…"
Isidor's eyes checked Victoria out from top to bottom as he then nodded repeatedly as if the sight had burned his vision.
"What is it?" Isidor's behavior piqued Victoria's interest like an itch.
"You rock even when dressed like that," Isidor gave her a thumbs up.
Victoria had a deadpan expression as she stared at him and then at herself. And before she knew it, she bonked his head with a punch that resounded with a big SLAM!
"Just get in and tell me what you found out," said Victoria as she returned inside.
"Hahaha…" Isidor had a bump on his head that steamed with pain as he followed her.
As their steps echoed from the entrance to the living room, Isidor's gaze landed on the wall where pictures, newspaper scraps and notes were all attached and linked together by threads as if trying to find clues and organize evidence.
"You really won't give up on it, will you?" Isidor asked with a solemn and serious expression.
"I'll find her no matter how long it takes," Victoria replied, pouring Isidor and herself cups of coffee.
"It's already been three years. Most people would have given up by now," Isidor accepted the cup given to him and taking a sip as they sat on the dining table. "Even the Sentinels ended up giving up on the investigations halfway because of lacking any significant leads."
Victoria clenched her cup tighter as the words hit her like a truth she didn't want to hear. "If you're just here for chitchat then you're free to go."
"Don't worry. I did get some info," Isidor took another sip.
"Word on the street is that another group got caught by the cold winter. Same modus operandi, same mana signatures."
"Are the Sentinels investigating?" Victoria looked concerned, like someone who didn't want their target to be taken from them.
"Of course. But just like us, they don't have any leads either. And unlike us, they aren't chasing the theory of somebody's little sister doing who knows what. They think it's a vigilante who's at work."
"I imagine. It doesn't help that I was suspended for being too involved either," Victoria leaned in her chair.
"Well, at least we did establish that each underground group she's attacked is involved in the illegal magical technology business. The reason is that I don't know what she's looking for by going after them. You did say that she was involved in human experiments in the past, but that was thwarted and destroyed, right?" Isidor rested his head on his palm as he leaned on the table, swirling the teaspoon in his cup.
"As far as I know… Yeah."
"Well, information is the strongest weapon out there, and with that being the case, we're severely lacking in it," Isidor sighed as he crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling, leaning back in his chair.
"At least we do know that she's operating mostly in the Norrkan and Westzel districts. For now, I'll try to gather any additional information on my side. And if I have a solid lead, I'll let you handle the rest," Isidor gulped down his entire cup.
"Thanks."
"Sure. But you'd better get those ZZZs before you collapse from overworking. The only thing I keep wondering about is the other one, Ace Blakelord." Isidor held his chin, his mind pondering. "No matter how hard I try, there's no info whatsoever. Almost as if he disappeared without a trace."
"I see. Well, it seems that today too is also a dud," Victoria laid herself on the table as if discouraged.
"Hmm?" Isidor's phone vibrated as he then checked it. "Crap! I forgot that my old man wants me in his office today."
Isidor stood up hastily.
"I'll contact you if I get any other info."
"Sure."
"See ya!" he rushed out to the entrance, closing the door behind him.
Victoria, in the meantime, gazed at the framed photo of her and Emilia that was set on the wall in front of her.
'Emi…'