To Investigate the Crimes

Joseph asked Misty for all the files they had that could point to Flora and Hellmess's organization. He prided himself on being a man who knew how to investigate, something he often did in Nevancier. As the prince read through the files, Olivia and Regal stood outside the study window, both watching him with proud eyes.

"How did you know he likes to investigate?" Regal asked. "From all the files I've come across, such a hobby wasn't mentioned. Not even once."

"It was just a hunch," Olivia replied, crossing her arms. "It seemed like his eyes would always wander around each room and notice every detail about a person. At first, I thought he was just being wary of his surroundings, but then I realized he was studying things."

"He's a man leagues beyond what I deserve," Regal chuckled awkwardly. "How can I make a man like that fall in love with me?"

"Make sure he sees you for who you truly are," Olivia said. "Don't let him see Regal as the man you portray for yourself. You'll have a hard time keeping up the facade if you do that."

"You're always right." Regal shook his head in amusement. What he said was true. Whenever he needed to talk to someone about something he was unsure of, Olivia was always there to back him with her wise thoughts.

"You really act like you're hundreds of years old," Regal laughed. "Like a wise old elf who knows everything about everyone."

A gentle smile appeared on Olivia's lips. She shook her head and waved goodbye, leaving to rest in her quarters. Meanwhile, Regal stood outside the study, looking through the glass pane of the door. He watched Joseph study the books and records for hours, his eyes never tiring of watching him read and analyze.

"Why did the gods make the Golden Souls so good-looking?" Regal asked himself, feeling his pants tighten the more he watched Joseph. "I don't care if you think I'm a monster or still just a kid from all those years ago. You're the man of my dreams, the omega of my fantasies, and the lover I've been waiting for. I'll become a man deserving of your love."

For the first time since he began watching Joseph, Regal left to relieve himself of the thoughts running through his mind. It was dangerous for an alpha to bear such thoughts about an omega who was nearby. The carnal desires they suppressed would be hard to keep at bay.

He didn't want to do something he would regret.

"You're awfully focused on those records."

Joseph flinched at the sound of a voice behind him. It was the ungodly hours of the night, and he assumed he was the only one awake. "Olivia? Is that you?"

"I saw you through the glass on the door earlier," Olivia said, walking closer to the boy. "May I sit here, my liege?"

"Yes, please go ahead," Joseph offered the chair in front of him. "Are you interested in this case too?"

"Not really," Olivia said flatly. "Your Grace, I don't mean to sound rude or cold by saying that. It's just that the investigators for these cases are Misty and Rodrick. Those two are hardworking, and I'm sure they're doing everything they can to get to the bottom of this."

"Yeah, but they missed a lot of things." Joseph placed photos, documents, and other files on the table. "I don't mean to discredit them, but they overlooked the tiniest details."

Olivia placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands and intently watching Joseph. "I have high hopes that those two will uncover these mysteries. What did you see?"

"Mulberry Street is located in the southern part of the city," Joseph said, encircling the street on the map he laid on the table. "If you map all the other disappearances, it seems like it's just one of the areas with the lowest cases, right?"

Olivia nodded, observing all the other markers indicating the last sighting of the victims. Indeed, it was far from Mulberry Street, where a lot of the Voids were gathered.

"But they didn't realize where these people—their relatives, partners, or even friends—are from," Joseph said, spreading dozens of envelopes on the table, containing all the victims' files.

"These are their files, right?" Olivia went through some of them. "And they're somehow connected to Mulberry Street?"

"Family members, relatives, boyfriends, girlfriends, even mistresses—all there," Joseph said. "I mapped out all their connections on this other map. We have a case here of not just random abductions but a targeted group."

"What group?" Olivia narrowed her eyes. "What do all these victims have in common?"

"They're all Betas," Joseph said. "I sampled all the Voids I encountered on Mulberry Street. They were real people before they were turned—either Alpha or Omega. All the Betas were gone."

"But how could Misty and Rodrick miss that?" Olivia leaned back, scrunching her face. "It's not like they read all the files and didn't piece that together."

Joseph laid out two photos, one of which was familiar to Olivia. "Wait, isn't this the maid? Why is she in these photos? Who's the other one?"

"That's her sister," Joseph said. "Elayne's sister is Tina. She's an Alpha Pasivus, 18 years old, with the same build as Elayne. But their faces are vastly different. They look nothing alike."

"And yet there's something?" Olivia narrowed her eyes, trying to wrap her head around what Joseph was saying. "There has to be something, right?"

"There is," Joseph smirked. "The day Elayne went home to take care of her father was the day their bodies were supposed to be switched. When I went to their apartment, Tina had Elayne's face—something vastly different from all her photos."

"Wait, wait." Olivia stood, gently placing her hands on the table. "What is this supposed to mean? Tina is going to replace Elayne here?"

"The reason Elayne was asked to go home was so their bodies could be switched," Joseph stated. "It's not far-fetched because the reason Elayne said she was going home was that her father was sick. But when I checked her records, her father had been reported dead for four days in their apartment. She just didn't know."

"And your point is…" Olivia pursed her lips, trying to tie all the thoughts together. "Why was Elayne being replaced?"

"Because all the people on Mulberry Street have been dead or turned into Voids for the past two weeks," Joseph said. "They're trying to contact their relatives to replace them."

"And these relatives are Betas? Is that what you're saying?" Olivia asked. "Right?"

"Bingo," Joseph grinned. "Elayne is a Beta. And she's been taken by the No-Faced Cult."