Chapter 90 - Young master's determination

The fright only passed when Leonardo was handed a glass of sugar water. Although he still felt his heart about to leap out of his mouth, he could now think rationally about the problem that had fallen into his lap.

He should at least thank the detective for calming Rafael down before they went home. Leonardo barely trusted his own voice to calm his friend down.

— Are you calmer now, kid?

— Yes, thank you, Giovani — Leonardo sighed, leaving his empty glass of water on the table — What do we do?

— I'm going to ask my team to keep an eye on that train, since it's the only place we suspect the guy is approaching. Another team will patrol the park — Giovani commented, but Leonardo didn't seem to be getting any calmer about it. Stroking his head, the detective whispered — Trust me, I'll find your friend and bring him back.

Clenching his fingers, Leonardo wanted to reply that it would be hard to believe.

Come on, that was Diablo's doing!

Stroking his sore temple, Leonardo sighed again in disbelief. How could things have happened like this?

Through the mansion's kitchen, the main attractions entered, already encountering the unpleasant scene. Leonardo sat in a chair, worried and looking as if he was about to cry, with Giovani at his side comforting him.

Benjin squinted his eyes in disgust at the sight, but before he could say anything, Vicente stepped forward.

— Has something happened, young master?

Only then, realising the presence of that small non-human group, did Leonardo straighten his posture and nod.

— Well...

— Do you have any other appointments today?

— Huh? I don't think so. Why?

Giovani didn't answer, but the peek of his eyes already showed Leonardo what he was thinking.

At least, what he thought he thought.

Giovani never hid his suspicions about the attractions. Still living under the same roof temporarily, the detective continued to investigate them after finding no information about them in the government database.

Well... Leonardo couldn't say anything.

— I'll be fine, Giovani. If you have to go, you'd better go.

The detective stared at the boy and then sighed.

— I'll be back late, but I'll let you know if I hear anything. And as I said to your friend, let me get in touch with his family.

— Okay, thanks.

Giovani left the kitchen without saying another word. Leonardo felt his shoulders get heavy and his head start to throb.

Gustavo missing, Rafael claims to have seen someone similar to Diablo. It couldn't be a simple coincidence.

— What happened, Leo?

Raising his head, Leonardo saw his lover's worried eyes. Not just him, but everyone else seemed worried and curious to know what had happened.

— Gustavo disappeared inside the park — said the boy, leaning back in his chair — Rafael said that this morning Gustavo called him to the park to do a mirror replacement in an illusionist's tent.

— So?

— I asked Rafael to take me to the tent so we could ask the employee if he'd seen our friend. But Rafael didn't recognise the guy, he said it was someone else who was there in the morning.

Leonardo involuntarily looked at Vicente. He remembered very well what he had seen in the train mirror that day. Someone who was identical to his manager, if it wasn't for his dark appearance.

Rafael had seen Diablo.

Clenching his fingers, his heart squeezed at the thought that his friends could also be in danger.

— Is this Francisco?

— Francisco?

Ray crossed his arms and nodded.

— Yes, Francisco was the illusionist we hired recently. And as far as I know, he's the only one we have in the park.

Leonardo realised a small detail there. Or rather, he remembered it. Just imagining things happening as they used to before his arrival was hilarious. Even the desire to cry litres and litres out of worry was replaced by a growing anger.

A funny and bitter fact.

Perhaps he had immersed himself too much in his innocence. And now he was paying the price for it.

— He's probably the real owner of the tent — Leonardo laughed — Ah, but Rafael saw someone who looked like Vicente.

— Like me, then...

— Tell me, Ray, didn't I ask you to keep an eye on the park for traces of Diablo?

— You did.

— And could you tell me how my friend was taken by him right under your nose?

The magician peered into his eyes.

— I've mapped out all the attractions where Diablo left his mark. I've looked after every broken toy and taken care of the customers. Are you belittling my efforts, young master?

— I'm asking you if you've seen anything.

— Of course I didn't!

Slamming his hand on the table, the loud bang made the others flinch. Leonardo was fury itself at that moment.

— Then how do you explain to me the fact that Gustavo got so close to Diablo that he was taken away!

— Leo, calm down.

— Did you happen to see him leave the gym, Benjin? All you had to do was keep an eye on them and make sure they were safe! But then I get a call saying that Gustavo has disappeared inside Dreamland, how do you want me to calm down?

Aslan approached Leonardo, crouching down in front of him.

— Please tell us what happened first.

Gritting his teeth, Leonardo hesitated and then told them. The phone call he had received from Rafael, the images on the security cameras, and the fact that Rafael had found the owner of the tent strange.

Going over what had happened that evening made it clear to Leonardo that no clues had been left behind. He had no other witnesses and no idea where Gustavo was.

— Ha! So you're saying that Diablo was wandering around the park all this time, and nobody saw him? — Aslan asked.

— That's what I want to know, hell!

— To begin with, young master, this isn't your fault?

Leonardo stared at the magician incredulously.

Had he really asked that?

— My fault?

— Of course it is. It was you who brought your friends to Dreamland, even though you knew Diablo was out there.

— It's safer to keep them close to me.

— Is it? If it were, then why are we in this situation? — Ray approached Leonardo without expressing his routine cheerfulness — I'll tell you why you're here now whinging, it's because of your inability to abandon your life outside Dreamland.

— Ray!

Ah.

Leonardo felt a wound being poked.

Those reddish eyes were serious and cold in a way the brunette had never seen before. Yet his blood was boiling with rage. His core yearned to deny whatever nonsense Ray spat in his face.

Unable to abandon life outside Dreamland? And why would he?

Ray had made it so clear that those attractions wanted to monopolise their young master.

— That mistake was made by you, young master. You know you're being targeted by Diablo, and you've decided to throw your greatest weaknesses on the table. Do you really think he would pass up the opportunity?

— That's why I asked you to protect them...

— We were created to look after you, not your friends. My purpose in life is simply to serve the one who bears the name and dream of an Evilian, nothing more. If your friend dies at the hands of Diablo, it matters little to me.

How could he say that?

Ray had got on well with the boys. Leonardo had seen him having fun with them when they met. Surely his words couldn't be true.

— Ray, stop talking rubbish — Aslan intervened, pushing the magician on the shoulder — If Leo asked us to look after him, we should follow his order. That's our fault too.

— You sympathise with them because you're human too, my piece of cloud.

The sound that echoed through the kitchen surprised everyone. Aslan had slapped the magician across the face and was staring at him angrily.

— I really hate your coldness, Ray. The master you serve is human, I'm human, and the people who worship you in the park are human. Do you think you can still belittle us?

— I'm not belittling you...

— Shut up! Don't you dare put all the blame on Leo when you've failed too, Ray.

— You know you're not helping to improve the situation — Vicente stood between the two attractions — I'm asking you to behave.

— Leo, I'm sorry this happened to your friend. But understand that we can't do anything after Diablo gets his hands on a human either.

Leonardo had really forgotten the dark side of each of them.

Despite the sweetness in Benjin's voice and his compassionate gaze, Leonardo still saw the darkness. The arms that embraced him every night were the same arms that dragged victims through Dreamland, taking them to Diablo.

What guarantee was there that none of them would be involved in Gustavo's case?

— Can't they do anything or don't they want to? Answer me, Benjin. If you saw Diablo taking Gustavo, would you stop him?

Benjin didn't answer.

Why not?

All he had to do was deny it.

All he had to do was say that he wouldn't let anyone get hurt. Leonardo would be willing to believe him, so all he had to do was say it.

However, Benjin pressed his lips together without answering.

That was the last straw.

Suddenly standing up, Leonardo faced all those gathered in the kitchen.

— Where did Diablo take Gustavo?

— Wait, young master, what do you intend to do?

— Answer me now, where did he take my friend?

— Leo!

Benjin wrapped his arms around Leonardo's waist, preventing him from leaving the kitchen.

— Let me go.

— Think about it, what are you going to do if you find him? Do you think you're a match for him too?

Right, he was right. However, Leonardo was still angry and didn't want to stand around doing nothing either. He doubted very much that Giovani would find a demon's hiding place, but if only Leonardo could find it...

Perhaps he could settle the matter once and for all.

— Mirror world.

Everyone turned to the girl who was still holding Vicente's hand. Her doll-like eyes stared at Leonardo without hesitation. But the young master noticed her trembling hand.

Right, she was Diablo's survivor.

— What did she say?

— Mirror world. The real Dreamland, the cradle of attractions. Diablo is there.

— Shut up, girl! — Benjin shouted, scaring the girl who hid behind the administrator, then the puppet turned to Leonardo — There's no way you can go in there.

Ha!

Leonardo wanted to laugh.

He'd never seen Benjin so desperate before.

— Give me one good reason not to go.

— Don't you see that this is just Diablo's way of provoking you? He knew you'd react like this, and he's probably waiting for you...

Leonardo took a firm hold of Benjin's wrist, forcing him to let go. However, the kind, loving look that was usually directed at the puppet was absent. The boy was so furious that he could feel his body on fire.

— I hope you're not talking out of your arse when you tell me to sit back, right?

— I'm just asking you to think again.

— Why? Are you going to help me? Will you help me? You've made it very clear that you don't care about my friends, so why should I care about you?

Leonardo didn't want to say that.

But his mouth kept moving of its own accord.

It was as if he had been possessed by a demon. An angry demon that made his favourite puppet break with his words. It hurt his heart to see Benjin so disappointed and hurt by his words.

Still...

— It's probably commonplace for you, since you used to kidnap people for him too, don't you? — Leonardo laughs — You're so used to doing the dirty work that now you don't even care who disappears under your nose. But I'm not like you, Benjin.

— I don't...

— I don't care what excuse you give. Dreamland is mine, and this guy messed with my friends. If what he wants so badly is to find me, then I'll do as he wishes.

Releasing the puppet, Leonardo raised his head. Approaching the girl, he crouched down and smiled gently.

— Tell me, Viola, where is this mirror world?

The girl stared at him, then looked at the others who were still surprised by their young master's reaction. Squeezing Vicente's hand, she lowered her head fearfully.

— A train mirror.

A train mirror?

That's right! The first time he saw Diablo's clear face on the train, it was through a mirror hidden in one of the carriages.

He felt goosebumps just imagining going back to that place where so many bitter memories were hidden. Only this time he had to put that aside and act coldly.

With a smile, Leonardo stroked the girl's head.

— Thank you very much — Standing up, the young master lavished his kindness on the others. The coldness of his words was an absolute order — You are forbidden to leave the mansion until I return.

— Leo!

— That's an order, Benjin.

Leaving his lover behind, Leonardo left the kitchen with determination.

He had no idea what would happen when he met Diablo. But one thing was certain, he would put an end to his torment.