Chapter 56: If You Lie To Us

 Lia stared at her in confusion as she shook her head with a sigh and made her way past him and to the stair case.

 "Ah, right." Willow turned to him, "Beijing is currently being quarantined from the rest of China and the country is also under a quarantine lighter than this since there's no zombies outside of Beijing. So, don't trust all the soldiers you see. They're there to keep you inside. Also, the elevator isn't working. I don't believe I told Mitra that?"

 After leaving the floor for the kitchen, she made a few plastic wrapped rice dishes before grabbing her stuff and walked back up.

 When she did, she saw that Mitra and Lia were talking with frown on their faces as they turned to her. Mitra was the first to speak, "We can't leave without our friends yet."

 Willow sighed, "Hannah and Rain have already left with Belen and the others."

 "Belen?!" Lia looked to her in bewilderment, "He's here?"

 Willow laughed, "Said he was captured after leaving Elijah's group and brought here to fight for his life. I found him when he was escaping from a facility and broke into my shelter."

 "Where are they now?" Mitra spoke up quickly glancing back at Lia.

 "They left to cross the quarantine borders." Willow responded, "I had someone escort them out. They should be there and waiting for us to arrive tomorrow morning."

 "If not?" Mitra stared at her.

 Willow smiled eerily, "What do you think of roasted pigeon?"

 "What?" Lia stared back at Mitra in confusion.

 Mitra narrowed her eyes upon hearing her words as Willow yawned, "Anyway, it doesn't matter if you believe me or not. If you don't want to leave, then I'll let them know after I leave instead."

 "You're not with Serah?" Mitra raised a brow.

 "Nah." Willow responded, "At the moment, she's in debt thanks to one of her siblings and my father has enough on them. So, I'm here to check on the situation and save the remaining people, but it'll be much more difficult than that."

 "Their hideout isn't that far, probably." Lia responded, "You can track them down."

 "Not strong enough." Willow responded, "I'm not planning to join any sides either.

 "So, you're going to stay neutral like Belen?" Lia raised a brow, "But, you won't be able to save everyone."

 "I'm only saving the people I have to save or want to save." Willow sighed, "I'm not some god that can save the entire world. I've told the same thing to Hannah."

 Hearing her words, Lia didn't have a good expression on his face while Mitra seemed a little more relaxed, but disappointed.

 "Then, why are you saving these people." Lia responded.

 "Because he had me make a deal with them." Willow responded with a yawn, "The old man stepped into save me from death only to make the deal with me."

 "A deal? Like what?" Lia raised a brow.

 Willow shrugged, "Why should I tell you? Thanks to that, I have to save the people here before things become disastrous all over China. Those that are affected by Serah and her siblings."

 "What about this Li Yan girl?" Mitra questioned, "Did Serah really took out an entire family called the Li family?"

 "Of course." Willow sighed, "I came from there, so I know. My brother has told me that the Li family provoked Serah's siblings and was massacred in their own house. Close family members, distant family members, and even the servants there. All killed. It's a big sensation in a town as small as ours, but the police won't step in to help since her siblings are just that powerful. They can get away with murder."

 Mitra couldn't help as a shudder ran down her spine. Lia scowled, "These guys are worse than Elijah!"

 "Oh, that's right." Willow looked up as she recalled something, "You guys should keep a low profile, especially since you're famous now."

 "Famous?" Lia looked to her curiously.

 "Or should I say infamous." Willow shook her head with a sigh and threw the clip at them again, "Mitra should've known that those guys are after Hannah, right?"

 Seeing the phone, Mitra frowned and gave the phone to Lia instead. The man looked through the clip as Mitra turned to her, "I heard about it. We didn't think twice about the effect of the situation. It was our fault."

 Willow didn't make any comments, however...

 "Obviously, the was the result of your own neglect." Aki said bluntly without fear.

 Willow rolled her eyes. Hearing his words, Mitra's face twisted into an unamused frown while Lia looked pale when he saw the clip but red when he heard Aki's words.

 "Anyway, " Willow sighed, "We're getting you guys out of here. You can think about coming back another time."

 "Get all of us out?" Lia looked to her in confusion.

 "Yup. We might have to carry that guy if he doesn't wake up."

 "I call out!" Aki cried out desperately.

 Willow sighed and picked up the cat before squeezing him into her arms, "Apologies for this noisy guy."

 The cat squirmed in a futile attempt to run as Willow gave them the plastic wrapped rice roll, "It only a quick snack, but have that if you feel hungry on the way."

 "The black dog..." Mitra said with a frown.

 Willow smirked, "I believe Serah and her black dog has something else to worry about."

 Hearing this, Mitra stared at Willow curiously.

 "She's smarter, at least." Aki noted to Willow telepathically.

 "Says the one having fun here." Willow responded to him mentally.

 "This Black dog." Lia looked to her in confusion, "I thought I heard of them somewhere, but do creatures like these really appear?"

 Willow smirked, "You've already met with someone similar and you still question that?"

 "Someone similar?" Lia responded with a raised brow before his eyes quickly shifted to Aki as he groaned, "That's right..."

 "Black dogs are from Celtic culture." Willow responded, "Of course, I don't believe it's just in Celtic. Often characterized as black dogs with demonic red eyes. Some say they guard the cemetery and attack potential graverobbers while others compare them to grim reapers with howls as a sign of demise. You can find tales of their kind in more than just Celtic legends."

 Mitra rolled her eyes after hearing her dramatic words. Still, it wasn't that it was untrue either. Often howls can give the listeners signs of certain warnings such as death or illness. But, other than that, there really isn't much they know about.

 As for Willow, she was already certain of it after having been forced to study by her teacher. It was fun when she learned it on her own, but to learn it because her life now depended on it?

 Right...

 Sadly, she still has nine more volumes of monsters and beasts to study back at her teacher's place.

 Lia frowned, "But this Serah is just right there..."

 "If we go now, we won't be able to go against what tricks they have up their sleeves." Willow reasoned easily, "Just because I've beaten her today, doesn't mean that I can do them same to all of her siblings."

 "Her siblings?" Lia frowned, "That reminds me, just how many demigod children does Hades have?"

 "Don't look at me." Mitra sighed in exasperation, "I have no clue."

 "Me neither." Willow responded, "The old man only said that deal with the children of Hades. Not child."

 "Right." Mitra frowned, "So, we should be facing off against Melanie."

 "Hannah mentioned that too." Willow noted with a frown, "The bringer of nightmares?"

 "The goddess." Mitra responded.

 Willow sighed, "Nope."

 Willow then went on to explain about the situation of the nightmare goddess stuff with them before she added, "You don't think that the reason she could be responsible for this would have to do with some other gods. You're sure that they aren't working with Hades?"

 "If it was a god of nightmare, then that could be possible." Lia responded with a frown, "Or maybe they don't know about it."

 Willow sighed, "Forget it. Let's talk about this more after we leave this place."

 When she said this, they turned to Willow in confusion as Mitra asked, "You know a way out for sure?"

 "Yup." Willow responded, "It's not that easy finding it, but we have to move fast before they discover that something is off."

 "Fine." Mitra got out of her bed and sighed, "But don't blame us attacking first if you lie to us."

 "Hey, Mitra." Lia was surprised by her sudden change in expression.

 However, Willow could hardly be fazed, "Go ahead."

 "Just know that this is just a temporary alliance till we can get things here under control. I won't be joining your group."

 Lia sighed, "You girls..."

 "What?" Mitra glared at Lia with a frown.

 Seeing her like this the blond man wished that the other two were here to calm her. He's just not good around people like her.

 Lia's trouble didn't escape Willow's eyes as a smirk played on her lips. Aki also felt a little excited about the fun that he'll be seeing in the future as he smirked at them eerily.

.....

 That evening, Willow had finished setting up all the traps in the hotel before leaving through the sewer passages underground. The place was stinky and uncomfortably humid due to the growing warmth of the weather. Mitra was the first to complain under her white mask, "It's stinks worse here than those other places in the alleyways. We're not jumping into the water next, are we?"