Chapter 7

A man with dark tanish skin, even darker straight hair, and honey-colored eyes stood at the doorway. But the most striking thing about him was his looks. Xain couldn't help but think to himself, *How the heck can someone be so good-looking? It's like I'm looking at royalty!*

"Sir Edward, what can I do for you?" Malvin asked, showing respect despite the tense atmosphere in the room. "Nothing really, just read this," Edward said, approaching Malvin and handing him a file.

As Edward approached, Xain noticed that the man was slightly shorter in height compared to himself. Standing at 5'10, Xain estimated that Edward would be around 5'8.

As Malvin read through the file, his eyes widened in surprise. "Who ordered this?" he asked, clearly taken aback. Edward, standing nearby, responded, "It came from the top." Edward said nonchalantly then turned his attention to Xain, getting uncomfortably close to inspect him. "Hmm, not what I thought you would look like," he remarked.

"Um, personal space, please," Xain said, feeling uncomfortable with Edward being so close. "Sorry, just wanted to inspect you," Edward responded. "But why would they order this?" Malvin asked, still taken aback by the contents of the file. "I don't know, I'm just the messenger," Edward replied.

"Would that file be related to me by any chance?" Xain asked. Malvin sighed and handed the file to Xain, who took it and started reading its contents. The file read, "To whichever officer reading this: If you are the officer in charge of the criminal known as Xain or The Azure Menace, then follow the following order. If not, then forward it to the one in charge of him, use the caught criminal in the case of The Shadow Baron. It is an order of the highest priority. If the order is not followed, then report to the station chief. That is all," Xain read aloud from the file, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Uh why?" Xain asked, feeling incredibly confused about the situation. "Don't ask me, I don't get it either," replied Malvin, massaging his temple in frustration. "Probably because he has some connections to The Shadow Baron," Edward suggested, offering a possible explanation.

"I don't, I think I just beat up one of his thugs once that's it, and also The Azure Menace? Seriously, that's my nickname? You couldn't come up with anything better?" Xain asked, sounding incredulous. "Do I look like the guy who comes up with these stupid nicknames?" Malvin replied, his tone slightly irritated.

*Hey ape, ask the twink if his surname is Zahar,* Ercale's voice echoed in Xain's mind. *What the heck is a twink? I'm just going to assume you mean Edward, and alright, I guess,* Xain replied perplexed. He turned to Edward and asked, "Hey, uh, Edward, by any chance, is your surname Zahar?" Edward raised an eyebrow. "Yes, it is," he replied simply.

"Why the hell are you asking him that?" Malvin demanded, his tone laced with curiosity and suspicion. "I, uh, just wanted to know," Xain replied, feeling slightly flustered and unsure of how to explain himself. Edward raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Hmm, but how did you know? My family isn't exactly famous here," he questioned, his voice tinged with curiosity and a touch of intrigue.

"Oh, because the demon lord living inside my head told me. Like heck I can say that! Why did you make me ask him that?" Xain's frustration with Ercale's suggestion manifested as a slightly raised voice in his head. Ercale responded coolly, "I know that family. They were around when I was still... alive," he trailed off, emphasizing the word "alive" in an unusual manner.

"Um, well, I heard about your family from... some people. They mentioned your name in passing," Xain quickly improvised, trying to come up with a believable explanation. Edward clearly skeptical of Xain's explanation. "Mmm, sure, okay," he responded, his tone indicating that he didn't entirely believe Xain's response.

Xain let out a forced chuckle, attempting to swiftly transition the conversation. "So, do I and the others get to leave now or what?" he asked, hoping for a positive response. However, Malvin's answer shattered his hopes. "HELL NO! The file explicitly states that you are to assist with the case, with no mention of the other two," Malvin replied firmly.

"I will instruct the Guard to ensure their safety here until you have assisted with the case," Edward said in a casual tone. Malvin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But they are magic users, Sir Edward! We can't keep them here," he protested. Edward remained steadfast in his decision. "If we release them now, they will be in immediate danger. Remember, our primary duty is to protect people, not blindly follow the rules. If you won't listen to reason, then I am ordering you to keep them here until Xain has completed his task," Edward asserted firmly.

After a few seconds of silence, Malvin finally replied, "Yes, sir." Edward nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, you can go back to your friends and inform them about what has transpired. It's up to you whether or not you choose to share the details," he said, gesturing towards Xain.

"I suppose I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" Xain said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "If you're referring to the case, then no, you don't. Now go." Edward responded with finality.

As Xain left the room, a guard approached him and guided him back to the room where Zee and Larkin were being held. Xain's mind was filled with mixed emotions as he contemplated the situation ahead. *Guess I have to do this now, can't be helped. I hope they will be safe here,* Xain thought to himself. *Hey Erkie, what do you think of the situation?* Xain asked, using the nickname that always seemed to irritate Ercale.

*Will you stop with that name! Anyhow, it doesn't matter to me, as I don't even know who this Shadow Baron is,* Ercale responded, his annoyance evident in his voice. *Alright then.* Xain thought once more.

He soon returned to the room where Zee and Larkin were. As he entered, he could see both of them engaged in conversation. "Hey guys, I'm back from whatever the heck that interrogation was," Xain said, catching their attention. Zee quickly approached him and whispered into his ear, "Did you trick them too?"

*Ah, I forgot she thinks she tricked them*, he thought to himself, finding her innocence oddly charming. Ercale chimed in with a hint of amusement in his voice, *Heh, before I told you, you were the only one who fell for her act.* Xain felt the need to defend himself, responding, *Hey, you thought she was more clever than she appeared too, so you fell for her lie just like me.* Ercale retorted with a scoff, *That's because I haven't lived with her for about a week unlike you.*

Xain, unable to come up with a clever comeback, chose to ignore Ercale's comment and instead responded to Zee, saying, "No, I couldn't. Sorry, I'm nowhere near as clever as you." Xain lied, wanting to maintain Zee's belief in her own cleverness and not make her feel bad. Zee beamed at his compliment, appreciating the flattery. "Aw, thanks! But does that mean you're in trouble?" she asked, concerned. Xain shrugged and replied, "Well, unlike you guys, they already know I'm a criminal. Cause I'm famous enough to have my own nickname apparently." Larkin joined in the conversation, asking, "So, are ya goin to jail now or what?"

"Maybe, but not yet anyway. Apparently, I now have to help deal with a very wanted criminal called The Shadow Baron. But you guys have to stay here for now," Xain explained. Zee looked confused and questioned, "But why?" Larkin intervened, suggesting a diversion for Zee, "I get ya. Hey, Zee, I think that guard over there is a bit lonely. So why don't you talk to him, huh?" He pointed at the guard standing by the door. Zee happily agreed, saying, "Huh, okay, I will," and went over to strike up a conversation with the guard.

Larkin then turned back to Xain and continued their discussion. "So, I get that they didn't believe Zee," Larkin remarked. Xain nodded in agreement, curious about Larkin's insight. "Yeah, how did you know?" Xain asked. Larkin explained, "Zee's good at stealing, but not lying, ya know? So why did they get you involved in this case?"

"A file got delivered by a ridiculously good-looking dude, and it said I have to help with the case, so now I have to," Xain explained. Larkin raised an eyebrow in response. "Well, damn. Anything else? And is this Shadow Baron guy dangerous?" Larkin inquired.

"The answer to your first question is that they also know about your 'abilities'," Xain replied. Larkin's eyes widened with surprise. "And secondly, yes, this Shadow Baron guy is very dangerous. He's basically a mob boss," Xain continued. Larkin nodded, absorbing the information. "So, you also know that we are..." Larkin trailed off. "Magic users, yea, I do," Xain confirmed.

"So, uh, does this change things?" Larkin asked Xain. Xain looked at him quizzically and replied, "Huh, what do you mean?" Larkin hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well, folks around here don't really like people like me and her." He pointed at Zee. Xain paused, considering Larkin's words. "I don't care," he finally said. "I mean, it's not like you were going around causing destruction with your magic." Xain's nonchalant attitude relieved Larkin, who smiled appreciatively.

"Seriously, I'm fine and not lonely. Please return to your seat, miss," the guard standing at the doorway said to Zee, becoming slightly frustrated as she continued to try and talk to him. "But Larkin said you were lonely, so I thought I could help," Zee replied innocently. The guard sighed and shook his head. "I appreciate the thought, but I assure you, I'm not lonely. Just please, sit down," he reiterated, hoping Zee would finally take the hint and leave him be.

"Hmm, okay. But if you're lonely, don't hide it, okay?" Zee said to the guard, her voice filled with concern. The guard let out a small sigh and replied, "Sure, whatever. Just sit down, please." He was annoyed but he still appreciated Zee's kindness. Zee finally went back to Larkin and Xain, satisfied that she had done her part to try and brighten someone's day.

"Larkin, the guard said he wasn't lonely, but I still tried to help. But what were you two talking about?" Zee asked, curious to know the conversation she had missed.

"We were just discussing the situation, Zee," Larkin replied. "We have to stay here for a while until Xain is done helping them with the case. But don't worry, it will be easy to deal with The Shadow Baron, and Xain will be back soon enough."

Xain nodded, keeping up the facade. "That's right, Zee. It won't take long, and I'll be back before you know it. Just stay here and be safe."

Zee nodded, though a hint of worry still lingered in her eyes. She trusted Xain's words and hoped for a quick resolution to the situation.

A new guard entered the room, addressing Larkin and Zee. "You two, come with me. I'll show you where you will be staying," she said, motioning for them to follow her. Then, she turned to Xain and added, "Sir Edward will come by to get you."

Xain nodded in acknowledgement and watched as Larkin and Zee walked out of the room with the guard. He hoped they would be comfortable in their temporary accommodations and that they would be safe while he dealt with the case.

A couple of minutes later, Edward entered the room with a purposeful stride. "Well, time for you to head out. You will begin helping with the case starting tomorrow morning, understood?" he stated firmly.

"Yeah, sure, I guess so. Where will I be staying exactly?" Xain inquired.

"You will stay at a house near the market district. That's where The Shadow Baron conducts most of his operations," Edward explained, providing Xain with the location.

"Alright, let's go I guess. Got to get this done as soon as I can," Xain said, getting up from his seat and starting to follow Edward.

**Twenty minutes later**

He had been following Edward in silence for around twenty minutes. The streets were quiet as it was still nighttime. Xain decided to break the silence with a question. "So, um, how much longer till we get there?" he asked.

"It's just up the road. We'll reach there shortly," Edward replied.

"Okay, then," Xain said, nodding in acknowledgment.

After a few more minutes, they finally arrived at their destination. Xain looked at the house in front of them and couldn't help but express his doubt. "Um, are we sure this is the right house? It looks so normal," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"What did you expect? If it looked out of the ordinary, it would raise suspicions," Edward explained calmly.

"Anyway, what do I do now?" Xain asked, feeling a bit uncertain about the situation. "Someone will come here in the morning and give you further instructions. Until then, stay inside the house and do not leave," Edward explained. Xain watched as Edward began to leave. "Um, you're not staying?" he asked, hoping for some guidance. Edward turned back briefly and replied, "No." With that, he left to return to the station, leaving Xain alone at the house.

*Well, I guess I might as well check it out,* Xain thought to himself. The house wasn't very big, consisting of only three rooms. It was evident that nobody had been living there for a while, as dust and cobwebs covered everything. Cracks adorned some of the walls, giving the place a worn-out appearance.

*Well, at least the place is furnished, that's good,* Xain thought, trying to maintain a positive mindset. *This place is absolutely filthy, but fitting for someone like you,* Ercale said in Xain's head, attempting to insult him.

*Come on, Erkie, no need to be mean,* Xain said, purposely using the nickname that irritated Ercale. *You little! Why couldn't I have woken up in someone else's mind,* Ercale grumbled, clearly annoyed.

*Wait a minute, because of everything that has been happening, I haven't been questioning this situation as much as I should have, have I?* Xain realized, voicing his thoughts to Ercale. *I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. I thought I was stuck in the mind of a lunatic for a while,* Ercale replied with a hint of sarcasm.

*So, are you going to tell me why you're in my head or what?* Xain asked, eager to hear Ercale's response.