In the depths of the small, dimly lit lab, Padre, now clad in loose pajamas and a protective apron, continued his operations on the strand of hair lying on the metallic operational sheet. His goggles were lowered over his eyes, his tongue out in focus as a few beams of sweat coursed down his broad forehead.

  Wiping away some of the moisture, Padre continued his operations. When he first analyzed the hair a few hours ago, it exhibited supernatural effects under certain conditions. Padre had begun working when it was dark outside, now, he could tell it was the early evening. He had only taken small power naps for the most part, his soft clothing making the process a little easier.

  At this moment, Padre heard a knock on the door. His body tensed for a moment, but he gathered himself, walking over to the door and opening it.

  He saw a tall man with curly black hair, a lean build, and stubble on his chin—Captain Silas. Seeing this figure, Padre stepped aside in an action of silent solemnity and respect.

  The taller man entered the lab, both brows raising as he gazed upon the countless test tubes and potions, alongside the floating Tremebrus limbs within jars. He remained silent for a moment before looking back at the white-haired boy, sighing.

  "You've been working for a while, aren't you tired?" He asked the question not out of concern, but for another reason Padre couldn't immediately decipher.

  Padre walked back over to the operational table, placing the metallic tray under a microscope-like device, analyzing this sample closely. The strand of hair was slightly frayed, but the color of it was not able to be properly distinguished under the harsh lights. Under other conditions, the dim lighting of the lab didn't do much of a favor either.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  Captain Silas rapped his fingers against a jar of Tremebrus remains, a curious expression gradually filling his face.

  "This is the creature that murdered my predecessor?"

  Padre looked up from the microscope and sighed. "In a way, yes. He actually succumbed to Demon Maggot Disease."

  "Demon Maggot Disease, I have some experience with it. About three weeks ago, we had an adolescent who succumbed to the corruption of it and had to be sent away."

  "H-how is he now?" Padre had been so engulfed in research the past few weeks he hadn't heard much regarding the outside world.

  Captain Silas looked at him and fell quiet for a few seconds, his gaze abruptly falling to the floor. "We hadn't heard anything from the medical facility. That either means he's still fine or he's... dead."

  "They would have told you if he's dead. It would be rash to not tell someone that."

  "Well," Captain Silas walked around the table, looking at all the Tremebrus remains floating in jars. "If they cremate his body, that'll most likely stifle the spread of the disease."

  "O-oh..."

  Padre looked back under the microscope lens, zooming the optimal lens to gaze more at its features. Just then, he suddenly spoke up. "Can you do a few things for me?"

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  Captain Silas nodded his head, ready to respond. "Yes."

  Without looking away, Padre pointed to a curtain in the corner of the room, one hovering above a cabinet of alchemical supplies. "Behind that curtain are a few objects. Grab them all for me; I don't care what they are."

  The captain walked over, running a hand through his black hair as he reached above the alchemical closet, pushing aside a few boxes of supplies and pulling back the curtain. Behind the curtain was a wooden box sealed by a hinged lid. The only thing preventing one from opening it was a metal padlock. Captain Silas sighed as he grabbed the wooden box, walking back over to Padre and putting the box down.

  The white-haired boy reached down, digging through his pajama pocket and taking out a small key. He slid it into the lock and twisted it, unlocking the box. The padlock fell onto the wooden table as Padre opened the box, revealing the items inside. Captain Silas looked inside too, gazing upon the miscellaneous artifacts.

  "I believe I've fulfilled certain conditions. Now, I can use this little machine to dive deeper into the composition of this hair and its molecular data."

  The small object looked like a cube and a pyramid mixed into one. He put it on the desk, pushing a few items aside. At this moment, Captain Silas cleared his throat.

  "Why is that object locked up?"

  Padre didn't answer for a few moments, opening the small artifact and putting the strand of hair inside. After closing it again, the pyramid began to buzz and pulse with green energy.

  "It's a powerful relic of the Mother Nature church. Due to my status within this organization, I'm allowed to use it. While powerful, it also promotes certain dangers. I heard a story about an alchemist who used their own hair with this, and it told them how and when they were going to die. When they learned that information, they lost control on the spot, turning into a heap of flesh."

  "A-and... they just let you use that?" Captain Silas asked with a little worry in his voice.

  Padre sighed, nodding. "Only when necessary. They trust me with this object, and they know when I should use it."

  Just then, Captain Silas had a question. "Well, we were working to capture a duo of criminals for almost a decade, and we only found the culprits recently. If we managed to collect their DNA, this process could have gone a lot smoother with that gadget."

  "Well, I don't exactly think that. How long have you been the new captain of the Pollinators for? Two or three weeks?"

  "Three weeks. The captain lost control before the second to closest Blood Moon."

  "Well, the Blood Moon was early this month," Padre said with a chuckle.

  At this moment, the small pyramid machine lit up with a green light, its mechanical folds unfurling to reveal the strand of hair. It was tied into a small ball, and within the small knot, they saw a pulsing, crimson light that exuded an aura of corruption. Padre, being an Order 8 of the Vitality pathway, was able to resist the corruption and take out the knotted hair.

  The ball of hair suddenly contorted, growing and shrinking rapidly to form another object. In their ears, Padre and Captain Silas suddenly heard illusory ravings and screams—the screaming of demons, wraiths, and other undead creatures.

  A malevolent surge of crimson and black energy gathered into a sphere, the sphere abruptly transforming into a sheet of paper. On the piece of paper were a few lines of identification criteria. Padre, feeling a surge of excitement and trepidation, took the paper and began to read.

  Hair Owner: Isaac

  Age: 15

  Current Location: Headed to Tavarans

  The paper in Padre's hands suddenly turned ink-black, seeping with corruptive energy. In the blink of an eye, it diffused into an amalgamation of dark energy.

  "Isaac..." Captain Silas repeated the name under his breath. After a second or two, his eyes widened as he felt a surge of shock. It was the same boy who had Demon Maggot Disease.

  He ran to the door, looking back at Padre. "I'll assemble a division to apprehend him. Stay here and purify yourself; you've come into contact with corruptive energy."

  ...

  Kael and I stopped in front of the building. It had countless floors, and through the windows I saw flashing, multi-colored lights. I didn't know Victorian-era technology was able to produce lights of different colors. In the past month I've been here, I had only seen white, orange, and yellow lights emitting from street lamps, kerosene-powered lamps, and lanterns.

  The crimson-haired man walked to the entrance, looking through the window. He remained still for a moment, watching the lewd actions happening inside. His face flushed a little as he turned to me.

  "Perhaps, I should make you a blindfold?"

  Based on his expression, I could tell that even Kael was flustered by what was happening outside. I gathered myself, sighing softly. "I would, but how would we find who we're looking for?"

  I looked the building up and down, sighing softly. "After all, it's massive."

  Kael adjusted his collar and smirked. At this moment, he pointed to the top floor. "After a small psychological analysis, I determined they're up there."

  "You just read my mind... just like that?" I cocked my head, feeling a little nervous.

  "It's an ability generalized among Seekers. They can peer into other's minds, but certain mental protections can prevent it from happening."

  "Alright..."

  Kael opened his palm, crimson flames condensing to form a black leather blindfold. It was laced with intricate crimson patterns. He tossed it to me, and I wrapped it around my forehead, not yet pulling it down so I could see in front of me. Just then, I smelt something a little sour from the blindfold.

  "T-this smells weird."

  Kael's face flushed violently as he cleared his throat, looking away. "I couldn't make a new blindfold, so I used one of mine."

  "Gross!" I unwrapped it, tossing it aside. "I'll just cover my eyes."