Zeo

The gelid morning air dissipated as the first sunbeams sneaked through rows of red pines, caressing Zeo's astonished face. Over towering walls, a silver plate engraved with gold letters read 'Lovecraft Mansion.' They circled that fortress and stopped in front of two massive metal gates, which opened to allow the car inside.

Zeo admired the place from the window, his mouth wide open. A majestic sight he had only seen in his dreams. It was like a castle set amid an oasis. His mind trailed off for a moment, but quickly, he snapped back to reality, remembering his mission.

The car stopped under a cherry blossom tree, and Gorth unlocked the doors. Zeo adjusted his backpack, clenched his fists, and hopped out of the vehicle. The moisture in the air sunk into his skin, freezing his cheeks and ears. But as he followed the big man through a cobblestone walkway, the morning sun warmed his body and soul.

The long path led them to the Servants' House, on the opposite side of the mansion. A rustic three-story house where the boss placed her disposable staff. Despite its ancient structure, it displayed elegance with its Victorian style and burgundy walls.

Gorth stood in front of the servants' house and turned to Zeo, scowling. "Do you remember the rules, boy?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." Zeo said, holding his arms behind his back. "Only twenty minutes, and I'm not allowed to step in the mansion."

Gorth bobbed his head and took Zeo's backpack. "Go straight this way." He pointed at the tiled walkway crossing a large garden.

Zeo bowed and thanked him before taking the first step toward his destination. His heart hastened at the thought of Remnya waiting for him on the other side. It had been two months, and a knot formed in his stomach mixed with the tingling feeling of moths.

I wonder how much she has changed.

The rising sun warmed up the large garden, bathing the blooms of White Fangs growing on each side of the walkway. A perfumed breeze brushed his bangs, the sweet scent of those snow-like petals.

Zeo almost swallowed his tongue when he glimpsed a familiar figure standing by a tree. His jaw dropped in disbelief. No way that's Rem! His heart kicked wildly in his chest, and the tingling moths of his stomach turned into a snake slithering through his throat. Zeo slowed his pace to observe her for a bit longer.

She looks beautiful.

Two violet hummingbirds flapped their wings around Remnya as she frowned under a Liquid Amber tree. She was wearing a fluffy red jacket and a black ruffle skirt, matched by black tights and shoes. Her shiny hair swung above her tail as she squirmed and blew warm air between her hands. Zeo remembered how much she hated winter.

"Hi Rem," Zeo mumbled, standing a few meters away from her.

Her crimson eyes shone as she darted toward him with a wide smile. Without warning, she bumped into him and wrapped her arms around his body, picking him up. Zeo hugged her back, blushing and struggling to breathe. Her strength was unchanged.

She kept Zeo hanging in the air until a crack on his back forced her to put him down.

"Zeo! I can't believe it's you!" Remnya shouted, tugging his ears and cheeks.

He giggled, ignoring the pain in his back. "Rem, you look great."

"Thank you!" Remnya chuckled. "So, is it true? Are you gonna be working here now?"

Zeo nodded. "Mr. Gorth was showing me the place. Starting tomorrow, I'll be helping in the kitchen."

"Will you be a chef now?"

"I wish." He scratched his head. "I'll learn from the cooks, and hopefully, be a chef someday. It'd be great to cook for you, Rem."

She laughed. "You're still so dumb."

Zeo smiled as he scanned her from head to toe, unable to believe how cute she had gotten.

"Have you been well, Rem? How are these people treating you?"

"Everyone has been very nice to me, especially Mr. Ronner."

"Mr. Ronner?" He remembered the name.

"Mr. Ronner is awesome! Once, he took me for a ride in his car and bought me two giant teddy bears and one lion!" She raised her voice, gesturing a lot.

Zeo bit his lower lip. "How about lady Magenta?"

"Magenta is weird, but she's been nice so far."

"I'm glad." Zeo grinned. Again, nothing suspicious. Too good to be true.

"How about you? Have you had any trouble with the idiots?" Rem asked, messing up his hair.

"No . . . No one has bothered me ever since you left," Zeo stuttered as he recalled the events from the past months.

Rem gave him a suspicious glance. Zeo wasn't a good liar, but he rushed to change the topic. He talked about Amy and her messages for Remnya, Ellyn, Gina, and even Orena. Zeo told her all the positive things and kept his concerns and worries to himself. He would need to work hard to find out the truth, but he didn't want to get Remnya involved. His priority was to keep her safe and happy.

They wandered the garden, catching up with each other until his time was over.

"You can't come?" Remnya asked, scowling at him. "I want to show you something!"

"I can't! That wouldn't be okay!" Zeo said as he covered his flushed face.

"Come on!" She grabbed his arm and yanked him toward the doors of the mansion. He tried to resist, but she was much stronger. "I found out something, but I can't show you here."

"What did you find out?"

"Sorry, young lady. That won't be possible," Marcus interrupted, stepping outside.

"What? Why not?" Remnya frowned, putting both hands on her hips.

"Boys aren't allowed in the girls' dorms, and most servants aren't even allowed in this garden. Orders from Lady Magenta." His voice was firm.

"That's not fair!" She scowled and pointed at Zeo. "He's my friend!"

"Sorry, young lady. We made an exception allowing him to be here today, but he needs to come with me now."

She glared at Marcus and crossed her arms, her face reddening with anger.

Zeo leaned his hand on her shoulder before she blew up. "It's okay, Rem. We will have time to hang out later." He beamed at her.

"He's right. You two will have time to catch up with each other. But right now, he has work to do."

"Mr. Marcus is right. I need to go to my room and organize my things. Remember, I just arrived this morning." Zeo laughed nervously.

Remnya pouted, glared at Marcus, and then at Zeo. "Fine, then!" she shouted, her voice rumbling throughout the garden. Marcus stepped aside as she stormed past him and faded into the mansion.

Marcus sighed as he walked up to Zeo with a serious expression. "Gorth already explained the rules to you, right?"

Zeo's blood froze. He couldn't forget what Marcus had done. "Yes, sir," Zeo mumbled as he straightened his back.

"Good. Now, let's go."

*°*°*

Zeo spent his first night at the Servants' House tossing and turning in bed. His brain refused to shut up, whispering negative thoughts that invaded his mind. He hopped out of bed and paced across the room, scanning the simplest of details. Two beds, one closet, and a tiny window half covered by tree branches. It was discrete but much better than any room in the orphanage.

Zeo stood by his window and stared at the stars, trying to appreciate the silence of the night. However, he overheard his cell phone vibrating under his pillow. Zeo rushed to pick up and read 'Adrian' on the caller ID.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. "What is it, Mr. Adrian? Bad news?" he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Zeo! I don't have much time, so I'll be brief." Adrian's voice trembled with excitation and concern. "I researched the ECC and Magenta's role in it. I found out something." He took a deep breath. "She's been doing business with one of the most important members of the ECC. Persen Doman. They've signed multiple trades, and he's been the major investor of the Lovecraft Mansion for many years."

"Persen Doman? Is not he the man running for governor?"

"Yes! And he has close ties with the ECC, too. If you search for his name online, you will only find good things. But! If you access the hidden dark web, the things you can find are disturbing, to say the least."

Zeo tightened his fingers around the phone. "It's really hard to bypass the security of those websites. How did you do it?"

"I got help. Marcus had access to it, so all I needed to do was dissemble his ID. I gathered the codes to trick the system." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, Persen Doman. He's a high ranked member of the ECC, a powerful and corrupt man. He has a known criminal record for drug and human trafficking, all of which had been mysteriously erased from his public profile."

"That's terrible!" Zeo sat on his bed, trying to process the information. "You also mentioned he invested in the Lovecraft Mansion. Invested in what?" Zeo was suddenly scared of the answer.

"This is a wild guess, so take it with a grain of salt. But I think he's been investing in people, people Magenta provided to him for the past ten years."

Zeo shuddered. "People . . . What would he want people for?"

"I'm not sure. He has the money to hire people to do whatever he wants." Adrian made a short pause. "Perhaps, he was looking for something else? Remember, he's a member of the ECC. What if the people he paid for weren't normal people, but people with special abilities?"

"Like a Nephilim . . . " Zeo's heart kicked against his ribs as those intrusive thoughts filled his mind again. He clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "This can't be."

Adrian remained silent for a moment and then spoke slowly, "Zeo, now more than ever, be careful and look after Remnya. I'll do my best to get to the bottom of this. It won't be easy, but I'll do my best for you, your friend, and Ellyn."

"Thank you, Mr. Adrian . . . I'll do my best too."

"Please take care, Zeo." He hung up.

Zeo's heart pumped adrenaline throughout his whole body. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat still, staring vacantly at the window. His head spun with crazy ideas he refused to believe. Zeo knew he had to be smarter than ever now; the fate of Remnya depended on it.

*°*°*

Ronner

Mrs. Amelia loved to sit on the porch of her humble house. An old avocado tree protected her from the sun as she trimmed her carnations. The afternoon was warm, and a breeze caressed the growing leaves above her, drawing jagged shadows across the garden. She sat and fixed her gray eyes on the narrow street, waiting for that dear person who would never come.

Adjusting his clothes, Ronner stood by her fence and clapped, trying to get her attention. She stood up, aided by her stick, and walked toward him. She glimpsed at his messy blue hair, matched by deep ocean eyes and a wide smile. He was wearing a black shirt with long sleeves, jeans, and white sneakers. She squinted, trying to recognize the stranger.

"May I help you, young man?" Amelia asked.

"Mrs. Amelia, right?" He beamed at her. "My name is Ronner Kavalar. May I have a minute, please?"

"I'd never heard your name before. What brings you here?"

"I'm new to the neighborhood." His teeth sparkled under the sun. "Anyhow, I heard about your daughter and wanted to say I'm really sorry about it." He tightened his lips and lowered his head.

The old lady said nothing, but her eyes dropped to the ground in a lost stare.

"I wanted to help you, my good lady. I brought you something." Ronner lifted two bags full of groceries.

"You're very kind, young man, but you don't have to bother."

"Please, I insist." He held his hands together as he bowed to her. "Allow me to try to make you smile. That would fill my heart, please."

Amelia regarded him with tender eyes and opened a short wooden gate. Ronner stepped in and helped her to walk toward the house.

He placed the bags on an old table with a marble pot in the middle and scanned the room. The place was old but impeccable; it seemed that the old lady had been cleaning every day. Several portraits hung from the walls. He saw old pics of Mrs. Amelia's younger years, her deceased husband, and her lost daughter.

Ellyn's pictures were everywhere, from her younger years until the most recent ones.

The old lady inspected the bags and bobbed her head, pleased by Ronner's choices. "It's been three weeks now, young man," she murmured, caressing a portrait of her daughter.

"She's a beautiful girl, isn't she?" Ronner said, staring at the picture.

"She is." The lady chuckled. "I always told her that, but she never believed me."

"Make sure to remind her of it when she comes back."

Amelia nodded, her eyes lost in the picture of a happy Ellyn. "Did you meet my girl? I don't think she had a lot of friends, if any . . . "

"I met her in the orphanage. A sweet, caring girl. Kids loved her."

She eased herself onto a couch and pointed at a chair for Ronner. "She had a great heart, but that Orena lady . . . " Amelia shook her head. "She always tried to take my girl on the wrong path. I advised her a lot of times. I thought she had listened to me, but now I don't know anymore."

He sat. "Why wouldn't she listen to you?"

The old lady shrugged her shoulders. "She was naive. Who knows what kind of ideas Orena shoved in her head? When Ellyn began bringing more money for no reason, I had a feeling something was wrong."

Ronner leaned forward, crossing his fingers. "What do you think it happened to her, Mrs. Amelia?"

"I think my girl got involved with the wrong people." Amelia smiled with her eyes full of tears. "Only God knows where she is now."

He stayed pensive for a while. "It's ok, my lady. We'll find her soon."

"Wish I could believe that, young Ronner."

Ronner knelt next to her and grabbed her hand. "I promise you. I will find her," he said in a firm voice.

Amelia chuckled as a tear trailed down her cheek. "You're a good man." She squeezed his hand.

They talked for over one hour. Ronner kept her distracted and listened to her endless stories, always trying to avoid the hurtful topic. He had a way with words and made the old lady laugh a lot.

Something about her reminded Ronner of someone from his past. Someone dear to him.

He finally said goodbye and promised to visit her soon. Ronner left the sad old lady with a smile and newfound hope.

The streets gleamed with an orange glow as he walked back to his car, the sun setting in front of him. He hopped in and sat still with his hands clenched on the steering wheel.

His mind was blank.

As dusk fell on him, he started the car and drove away. Ronner left the town but didn't return to Crysalton. He took a different road toward a small village amid a green valley.

A wooden house rose on the slope of a hill, where Ronner parked his car.

"Mr. Ronner, welcome," a broad man said, bowing to him. A machine gun gleamed by his side.

Ronner said nothing and gestured at him to move out of his way. The man rushed to obey, allowing Ronner to unlock the door.

He walked up the stairs, the wood under his feet screeching. His destination was at the end of the corridor.

"I bought everything you told me," Ronner said, walking into a small room. "Your mom was happy."

"Thank you."

Ronner walked up to a girl who sat on a bed and grabbed her chin, lifting her face to look into her gray eyes. "Magenta thinks you are dead." He chuckled. "How naive, right?" Ronner ruffled her long hair and sniffed her neck. "How could I eliminate such a valuable pet?"

She bobbed her head, giving him a vacant stare. Tears had dried on her cheeks, and her whole body trembled.

"Now . . . Ellyn." He smirked, his pupils displaying the depths of hell. "My men have worked really hard these past weeks. I believe it's about time you give them a well-deserved reward."

*°*°*