Susumu stared at the missing boy. This person was definitely Lied.

“I see you have several questions to ask me” Lied startled the detective “I’ll answer you, but for now… wait till I’m done here.”

Susumu took a step forward and smiled. He wouldn’t leave everything to him.

“I don’t want to wait too long.”

“Do as you wish.”

Meanwhile, the suspect listened to their chat.

“You must have already realized, right? It’s not our intention that you die” the man addressed Lied “If that were the case, you wouldn’t be alive at this moment, isn’t that true?”

Irrefutable argument, given that Lied was plainly spared by the Zechariah fellow.

“Then...” Susumu said as Lied chipped in.

“Then... what do you want? For what reason did you leave me alive? Me... and just me?”

“Reason, huh…” he stood up from the steps “Destiny is reserved... for those who are chosen. And you are...”

The man reached Lied at superhuman speed. Their eyes met.

“…one of the chosen.”

Susumu felt beforehand the enemy's hostile intentions and fired. The suspect dodged the bullet indescribably and soon after vanished off the face of the earth.

“Where did he go?!” the detective thought.

Lied was uninjured, yet as motionless as a statue.

“Hey! What’s up?! Say something!”

Susumu shook Lied but to no avail.

Like his father taught him to do at critical times, the detective took a deep breath and called for reinforcements.

...

The cold and dark dimension, the apple’s basket in the center of everything.

“This place is... from my dreams...!” Lied looked around “But why? I’m not dreaming...”

“That’s because it isn’t something made by your daydreams. It does exist.”

“You...! How?!”

The one speaking was that guy, within the space only Lied was supposed to be able to enter.

“This place is... your ‘soul’. The physical part of the spirit.”

“Soul? Spirit?”

“In other words, your conscience. Your own mind.

“My... mind...?” What do you intend to do?!”

The apple shone before he placed his hand. Small pointy roots immediately grew around the basket. The man came to know... that he wasn’t allowed to touch it.

“As I expected, it looks like... I’m not welcome here.”

...

5 minutes passed. Susumu had been informed that his father was busy with other matters, so he couldn’t come right away.

The suspect re-emerged without prior notice together with Lied, who awoke.

“T-They’re back!” Susumu thought.

The detective didn’t understand the situation. Not only Lied started moving again, but the man also came back. From where exactly, though?

“Hey! Are you alright?!” Susumu asked Lied.

Police cars sirens sounded loudly in the street. Lied glared at the man one last time.

“Who… and what… are you?”

“The name is... Varius. About what I am… yes… one of the chosen.”

Varius disappeared without a trace…

Lied would be taken into custody. Before leaving the house, Susumu noticed the bullet he shot pierced in the wall…

...

Late afternoon. The dogs barked, the cats meowed, the birds sang.

Inside the skyline building next to the park, in a room barely used by the employees who worked there, a group of chosen ones gathered.

“You sure there wasn’t a better spot for our meetings? This room is full of dust!” a childish voice spoke.

“If you don’t like it, go look for a new place yourself. Ah, he’s going to get in our way” a female voice spoke.

“I’m going to what?!”

“Now, now, you two, calm down” a male and thick voice spoke.

“Aaaaaaah, so much noise! SHUT UP YOU ALL!” a male and rude voice spoke.

As the rambunctious group was bickering among themselves, someone walked in the room…

“Oh, Varius. How did it go?” the thick voice, Zechariah, smiled and asked him.

“Hey! What took you so long?!” the grumpy voice, Martyr, whined.

“I confirmed the existence of the Adam’s Apple, however, as we imagined, it’s untouchable.”

“I see” Zechariah wasn’t surprised.

Varius joined them in the long wooden table and sat down.

“Tch. Untouchable? You can’t say that without really trying!” Martyr got angry to the point of getting on top of the table “The apple is right in front of us. It’s perfectly touchable!” he said as his blonde hair waved furiously.

The female, Core, watched her comrade step on her book. Core didn’t fret as she’s a very even-minded girl.

“Bahahaha! That’s good, stomp on it more!” the childish voice, Nemo, said.

“SILENCE! Hey, Zechariah…!” Martyr said.

Core snatched the book out of Martyr's sole. The girl cleaned it up and resumed her reading.

“There’s nothing we can do for now, Martyr. It’s not just about the matter of the obstruction within Lied, the Leader told us to wait for the development of his spirit too. Our job is to fuel that growth. That’s all we should focus on” Zechariah said.

Varius agreed. Martyr must comply with the Leader’s order…

The blond hopped off the table and, instead of returning to his seat, left the room. Nobody said a word. Varius eyeballed Martyr. Martyr closed the door, leaned against it and raised his head up slightly – he couldn’t hold back his bloodlust.

The pupil in his eyes turned fiendish for a second, matching his facial expression. Exactly like… a snake.

Fate had already picked its chosen ones.

And now, each one of them walks his own path. What each path leads to, that’s something only time will tell.

One thing is certain: this time… has begun to pass.

[END OF CHAPTER]