Another Being?

"Let's go Santoz," Magnus said as he walked toward the gate of the fortress, entering to the dungeon.

Elle could only watch his back, wondering how could someone's back could be so broad.

"I will have to stop somewhere else, Elle. The coachman, Mr. Allie, he will bring you to the graveyard, do you think you will be alright with that idea?" Count Arthur quickly inquired, seemingly busy. Then again Elle rarely see him as he mostly works even in the manor.

"Of course, I don't mind. I would also like some time alone in the graveyard," she said and saw the understanding across her father's eyes. "Good luck."

"Of course, see you later," Count Arthur said before leaving.

Now alone, Elle quickly pulled the parchment from her sleeve. Grandpa John wasn't his usual self, frightening her as she had never known him to be someone so murderous. He was always kind and gentle and as much as she didn't want to believe the truth, she couldn't deny the sincerity Grandpa John had as he said he never once cared for her.

She wondered what could be in the parchment and made sure there was not so many people around her before she rolled the small paper open with her heart drumming a little louder.

"Don't trust Arthur."

Elle was puzzled by the sudden warning and the words were written in blood, making the warning to feel more demonic. She gulped and took a step back, feeling rather confused without noticing the shadow that suddenly appeared behind her and the arms that wrapped the white fabric around her face. Before she could struggle, her body was pulled behind, dragged to the carriage.

The damp dungeon reeked of blood. Magnus didn't seem bothered by the scent. Unlike Elle who was overwhelmed by sadness and anger that she didn't notice the stinging smell, Magnus didn't mind the stench of dry blood, instead it was something he quite liked. It wasn't because he likes blood, not that he hates it either, but he was born in such a place drenched with blood that he felt as though he was welcomed home.

He stopped at the person that was responsible for the burning of slums and stared at the man who only noticed him after a while. Grandpa John was startled. He didn't expect to see such a posh man in front of him. He didn't look like he belongs in such a disastrous place, his pale skin and his handsome face made him appear as though he had just walked down from Heaven above. Except grandpa John wouldn't call him an angel. His red eyes and striking black hair like raven made him appear like a fallen angel.

"You burned the slums?" Magnus had crossed his arms while he inquired the fact.

Santoz saw the defiant look on Grandpa John's face and clicked his tongue, "He swore that he wouldn't speak again."

"There are ways to make one talk such as: tortures, sweet talks, and bribery," Magnus didn't seem to shy away from the dark ways of making others talk. "If he doesn't want to speak then we can cut his tongue. He could tell us why he burned it down even without voice."

Grandpa John frowned as to opposite of his beautiful looks, his words were murderous.

"But there's no use," Magnus' red eyes peered down the man who seemed older than him to the other humans. For a moment the scarlet gaze glows and it turns into a smile, "You are not the one who burned down the slums. What are you protecting, human?"

Grandpa John who didn't expect the sudden question seemed trigger. He exclaimed, "I am the one who burned the Slums!"

Magnus wasn't deterred, "Sure if that's what you believe but I can tell you haven't even killed a soul. Maybe once? But not with pure joy."

"How do you know that just from looking at me?" Grandpa John raised his eyebrows and felt annoyed with how cocky and confident the vampire in front of him was.

Magnus shrugged off his shoulders, dealing with the criminal in a lax attitude. He was looking quite forward to killing off the criminal behind the burning; as the case had somehow lingered around his head for days when he usually showed concern for it. Yet to see it was just a man pretending to be the perpetrator, his disappointment was quite high.

Bending down his knees, Magnus descended his face toward the iron bars, "Because I've killed and you know it's quite easy to know if someone had ever killed or not just by looking at one's eyes."

"But sir there's evidence!" Santoz was shocked after seeing how Magnus easily sided to the criminal. "We can't let him go!" Santoz panicked that the criminal will be let off without receiving their punishment.

"Who says I'm letting him off?" Magnus look back at Grandpa John, "If you insist you will stay here, and I think he is smart enough to comprehend that himself." He said the second sentence to Knight Santoz who was puzzled by the exchange.

The evidence all point to Grandpa John being the one who started the fire. Yet why did Lord Magnus talked to him in a way as if he was certain the man had nothing to do with the incident?

Grandpa John tied his tongue. He refused to talk anymore. He resisted by silence and to it Magnus treated him with a smile, "Seems like we have our response."

Walking two steps back he then turned his entire body and walked to the opposite end of the hallway. It was quite disappointing to see that the person he wanted to kill for making a few of his nights filled with cries turns to be fake and he couldn't describe the odd annoyance that stayed in his heart.

With his eyebrows furrowed he turned his face slightly to Santoz who was following his each steps, "The fire, how was it started?"

"As you have guessed, milord, it was magic," Santoz responded. "Upon arriving to the scene with Raphael, he told me that he could feel an intense trace of magic being used to destroy the slum."

"But that man is a human, he couldn't have used magic and he isn't a member of the church either who could use magic freely." Magnus pointed out to which Santoz agreed.

"The magic is quite different. It turns out the magic that was used is a spell made by the sirens. Raphael told me that there had been a few humans who had worked together with sirens. They exchange money with the sirens while they provide the humans with deadly song spells that could kill without leaving a single trace. When we trace that magic bottle, we found that the earlier criminal had it in his possession…" Santoz then stopped his feet as the man in front of him had stopped his steps too.

Magnus's eyes seemed to have curved as the corners of his lips naturally raised higher, "The Sirens, I see that they have made their appearance again."

Placing his long fingers over his red lips, his gaze turned more murderous in each passing seconds, "I know that sea creatures are quite dumb. But I didn't know it was this easy for them to forget their lessons."

Santoz had heard what Magnus said clearly but the werewolf couldn't understand what he meant by "lessons."

The knight suddenly recalled by the legend of the raven dragon who had chased the sirens back to the ocean.

Was that the lesson that the sirens have forgotten?

Yet why did Magnus spoke as if he was the said dragon who had taught the sirens their "lessons"?

"Sir…" Santoz lifted his face upward again but was startled to see that Magnus and his black butler had disappeared without a trace. The werewolf was in a stump as his keen ears would have notified him if the lord had left yet he wasn't aware of it at all! Not to mention he was absorbed by his thoughts for a brief five minutes!

"Did the Lord leave?" Santoz immediately asked the nearby guard who seemed as shocked as him.

"Wasn't he with you?"

"He was but… he left?" Santoz said, unsure.

"That quickly? I didn't notice when he left," the guard replied, looking as surprised as Santoz.

Not wanting to believe it, Santoz shook his head, "He isn't a ghost! He wouldn't have left without you noticing. Surely you have seen him walk out?"