Culprit

"Any news on the rebels yet?" Ambrose asked as he sat in his office.

Madeline shook her head. "No sir."

"Even in the western district?" Ambrose raised a brow.

"Sir… ever since the last incident, the western district has closed off from law enforcement. They aren't cooperative and some openly show their hostility to our people."

"I see." Ambrose rubbed his eyes.

He hadn't been able to sleep the last few days.

This was partially a result of Anastasia's presence which kept him at the edge of his seat and largely because of the rebel infiltration.

Ambrose sighed heavily. "The Emperor's birthday is in a few weeks and we still have no leads on the rumors. I'd have long since tossed this case aside but with Lady Ana's presence, I have a feeling that the rumors are even worse than they appear to be."

"Sir, if I may…"

He glanced at the young female Enforcer. "Go ahead."

"The western district is the most likely location for the rebels to be hiding but our current approach would only antagonize them further. Maybe if we took a softer approach, we might get some answers."

"I see no need to do so." Ambrose snorted. "There are three possible ways for those bastards to have entered our city."

Putting up his fingers, he listed. "The train station from the south. The supply chain from the west and lastly… the underground tunnels."

"Tunnels?"

Ambrose nodded. "Yes. Ra'as was once a dark place prowling with powerful cryptids. To survive, the locals dug tunnels and lived underground. It was only because of the 12 Great families that humans can live on the surface once again."

"Do we send our men down there?" Madeline inquired.

Ambrose scowled. "If it were so easy to find, would I be sitting down here fuming?"

"No sir." Madeline quickly dropped her head to escape Ambrose's wrath.

Taking a moment to calm his nerves, Ambrose instructed. "Assign a few Enforcers alongside the Royal Blue to search the western district thoroughly."

"But the people…"

"I never regarded those parasites as people." Ambrose didn't bother to mince his words as he continued. "Also, assign a few others to check the sewers. I can't be sure of the exact location of the tunnels that once existed underneath this land so get them to find it."

Taking a moment to breathe, he added. "I'll have to speak with the Maple family later."

"Sir…"

"Their ancestors were the ones that built BoneHaven. If we want to find the entrance to the tunnels, they would have a clue."

"I understand, sir. I'll schedule a meeting with them."

Ambrose nodded. "Good."

Madeline turned to leave only for him to call out to her.

"Ah yes, where is Natasha?... I haven't seen her around recently."

Madeline casually replied. "Ms. Natasha has been busy with the evil god case."

"Any leads?"

"She says that the main suspect, Alexander Regulus, is innocent and the ones likely in cahoots with the evil god might be the assailants that attacked him and his family."

"...I see." Ambrose nodded in response before waving for her to leave.

Madeline left the office with a complicated expression on her face.

***

Alex meditated on the balcony of his bedroom.

With his eyes closed, he controlled his breathing and a moment later, activated his spirituality.

Appearing within his domain of Evernight, he made his way deeper into the island before coming upon a cave.

Within the cave, two desiccated bodies remained.

One was the body of 'Alex' and the other was the body of the muscular man he encountered on his first day in Eventide.

Of course, this wasn't their actual bodies.

Instead, remnants of their existence that Nyx had absorbed.

Making his way over to the body of the muscular man, Alex crouched down and reached out to touch him.

"Let's see what you have for me." He muttered as he closed his eyes.

A moment later, a deluge of memories assaulted his psyche.

Unlike the last time with 'Alex' memories, this time, Alex was able to handle the overwhelming headache.

Once he was done, he said with a hint of annoyance. "So that's how it is."

***

By the time Nadia came home, it was quite late.

She had stayed longer at the office to get rid of the thoughts that plagued her mind.

At the end of the day, she decided to trust Alex and believe that all was well.

As she came down from the coach, she slowly made her way inside.

"How was your day?" Arthur asked upon noticing her entry.

Nadia sighed. "Hectic."

"Same here. Your husband is quite the genius."

Nadia didn't even have the strength to react as she walked over and sat on the leather couch.

"You seem stressed," Arthur remarked.

"I am. Had to converse with that idiot Oliver today. I felt like I was constantly losing brain cells with each exchange."

Arthur chuckled. "And here I thought he had given up."

"I wish," Nadia said. "He went the extra mile to invite me to a ball. His mother's birthday is on the 30th."

"Do you plan on going?"

"I'd rather not."

"I think we should."

Nadia froze at the familiar voice that spoke.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to communicate with him but since he was already with them, there was no need to avoid him.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced over to the stairs and couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Despite not being a Mystic, her pneuma was sensitive enough to pick up something from Alex.

As she stared at him, it felt like she was staring at the night sky.

Dark and boundless with mysteries unknown to man.

Unknowingly, she gulped.

Arthur noticed her reaction but didn't address it, instead speaking to Alex. "You'd like your woman to attend another man's ball?... How extraordinary."

Despite the sarcasm in his voice, Alex didn't respond as he kept a calm gaze.

"I've found the culprit behind the attack."

Arthur's and Nadia's expressions froze at the unexpected news.

"What?... How?" Arthur asked while Nadia went a bit further to ask.

"Who?"

Finally, the bastard that kick-started the problems between Alex and herself would be revealed.

Revealing a slight trace of hostility, Alex replied. "Oliver Goldberg."