Cole, Snider, and Antadisma trekked through the treacherous desert. The hard sand covered and surrounded them on their path. If it weren't for the gear they wore, their flesh would have been ripped apart by the razor-sharp texture of the sand or blinded by the dust spiraling in the air.

From the ushankas on their heads to the goggles on their eyes and the thick, cloak-like drapes hanging from their necks to the ground, every piece of attire contributed to withstanding the hellish sands.

Throughout the journey, Antadisma kept grinding her teeth as she gave Cole sharp stares, while Snider gave her a warning look to prevent something unpleasant from unfolding.

Cole, however, had problems of his own. Sant Flores temporarily aside, Cole found it difficult to stomach the reality of where the journey ended.

None other than Leon!

The same place he had taken an emotional departure from; in the corner of his mind, he never expected to return and was fine with that. If it weren't for the tempting offer of gaining information on the accomplice situation and using the chance to check on Mortimer, Cole wouldn't dream of stepping foot back into Leon.

Several times, thoughts of trapping them to get the information by force sprang to mind. Held back by uncertainty and the resulting consequences, Cole kept a tight lid on the idea.

If they planned to ambush him or set him up, that was up to them; Cole had already decided not to jump to conclusions without seeing the outcome of the journey for himself.

The rampant mix of thick sand and unyielding dust created a greater hurdle than previously expected; even their footprints disappeared, covered by layers of tough sand. Cole's dark cloak swayed to the howling wind's rhythm yet never failed to protect his vulnerable spots for a moment.

The same went for the other two.

Antadisma skimmed through the desert with a suspicious glare, noticing how the place's density and dust suddenly rose without a tangible cause.

'An Indulger is behind this,' she speculated, furrowing her brows.

Snider suspected the same; no matter how far he searched, he couldn't find the abandoned road connecting Sant Flores to Leon. The possibility that they were lost seemed more likely. Little as it was, a small lump of panic birthed at the edge of Snider's heart—or so Cole perceived.

Unlike both of them, Cole was long aware of the unnatural nature of the storm, choosing to keep quiet nonetheless. His previous struggles had gifted him more experience with treacherous landscapes than either of them. Shifting his clear gaze to the left, he saw a dark line marking the sandy path.

Cole changed course with daring movements. Snider followed out of curiosity, while Antadisma reluctantly tailed them from behind. The harsh winds nearly separated them multiple times, but Cole's firm guidance and cognition led them to a calmer region of the desert.

In the middle of that region was a long stretch of road heading towards what vaguely seemed like a collection of skyscrapers and a crystal sphere-like structure.

'I was right then. The deserted path has less wind because whatever was behind the storm focused on getting us stranded.'

Snider tapped Cole's shoulder. "How did you know how to find the path in that violent storm?" he asked with parted brows.

Cole smirked. "I simply followed my instincts. They haven't let me down a single time."

"For a moment, I actually thought you saw the road from within the storm..." Snider chuckled with a nervous grin.

'They didn't?' Cole widened his eyes in shock yet maintained a collected expression.

Antadisma remained like a shadow, merged with the racing winds as she studied Cole, from his subtle reactions to each word escaping his mouth.

As sneaky as her attempts were, her animosity reeked like a bad stench, not to mention her piercing glare that slit his skin as though he were being threatened with a knife. In all honesty, Cole found it difficult to pretend he didn't notice.

'She must really be sour about all this,' he thought, trying to tame the smile playing at the corner of his cheeks.

Minutes flew by. Cole and Snider, along with Antadisma, followed the abandoned route to Leon. Cole felt a large stone press against his insides; an unpleasant feeling spawned as he got closer to the city set. He could feel tiny migraines shoot above his skull.

'The irony is physically oppressing.'

Entering the set, Cole was greeted by the haunting dark of night within Leon. The moon hung high, and the atmosphere was cold and tranquil—a bit relieving after the obsessive storm.

Cole cast a pondering gaze at the sky. 'The time flow must be lagging again.' He shook his head in displeasure.

Snider tapped Cole's shoulder, dragging his focus back. The journey didn't end at the set's entrance; Cole was led across the familiar streets and areas. He admired the people's hustling; in Sant Flores, things would be far less active by this time.

Cole's senses were at ease; no hostility triggered his instincts, which was a good sign. A web of angelic street lights lit the way to an operating hospital beyond the road of passing cars.

The tall white building had eight floors and was one of the largest hospitals in the entire city. Cole's eyes flew up to the top floor, captivated by the dim orange lights escaping the windows.

"Why are we here?" he asked, parting his lips.

Snider replied in a polite manner, "We brought you here to see someone, that'll change your mind."

Cole suppressed his questions and suspicions enough for him to look unbothered by the sudden change in plans. If memory served him well, he was meant to meet the other faction members; that alone had him on high alert.

Cole disguised his dismay with lowered brows and a stiff face. Calmly, Cole tagged along with Snider up every floor and corridor. Acting as a guard, Antadisma walked behind Cole as though to prevent him from running away.

Their final destination was Room 105 on the seventh floor, an isolated room far from other wards and medical quarters. Snider pressed the handle, pushing the door; its loud squeaking announced their presence in the room.

Cole shifted to the side to get a clean glimpse of whom they visited. Stunned, Cole was left staring, speechless.

Before him was Mortimer, strapped to a ventilator in a near-death state as the room's AC failed to overpower the heat emitted by his frail condition. Cole turned his neck like a rusted handle, his expression threatening as his gaze penetrated through Snider's pores.

Antadisma scowled, setting a stance while blocking the room's only door. Her calculated glare was fixed at the large window right across from the door.

'If he tries to escape, I'll subjugate him,' she resolved, her lips twitching with excitement.

'Was this a trap?' Cole assessed the situation, letting his thoughts settle and emotions balance.

Cole inhaled deeply, turned to Mortimer, and exhaled. Tucking both hands in his pockets, he sat by Mortimer's bed and drifted into deep thought. The air around them gathered above their heads like clouds; the tension was palpable, waiting to rain down on them with a single misstep.

Snider steeled himself. "When a common person gets in contact with the supernatural, they're either killed by the supernatural or by Indulgers."

He continued with a soft, considerate voice. "If you remember the first time we met, I told you I'd kill you if you were a lower class than me. This was the reason why. I'm still at the lowest grade an Indulger can be... anything less than that is a basic human with an unfortunate supernatural encounter."

Snider turned to Antadisma. "I may have lied about having knowledge of your situation, but that was the only way to bring you here. I'm sorry, sir; as I'm left with no current options, I'll have to resort to blackmail." His voice gradually went hoarse.

Visibly, Snider tried to hold himself together; his reddened face and grieving eyes revealed the pained outburst he kept restrained. "IF you choose to deny our offer, we, as members of the Eerie Gothel, will carry out our basic duty and execute this possible liability to the supernatural world."

His head fell to look at the floor as he watched his tears gather on the cold, uneventful ground. "If you do..." He stuttered as if he were short of breath. "We, the Eerie Gothel, will shelter this risk, keep this secret, and become your partners in crime, as well as protect you from any other faction plotting your death."

"If you join the family of Eerie Gothel, you have much to benefit." He gave Cole a solid, potent glare with an unwavering resolution. "If not, your friend will be killed before you as a threat. If you escape, his existence will be leaked to the Indulger world, and you'll both be hunted down. The same will happen if we don't give a response to the faction in under ten minutes; killing us is pointless." Snider spoke like a heartless machine unaffected by the severity of his words.

"He won't be able to," Antadisma dropped a cocky comment.

Cole stared at them nonchalantly. "I told you I'm not acquainted with him. I don't have friends," he responded coldly, his voice deep.

"That's good to hear," Antadisma cut in, her face burning with satisfaction.

She found the spectacle rather amusing.

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