Chapter 62: Clarifying Things

The safe pod doors shut down with a loud thud. Kairo swept his gaze all over the area. It was a square-like chamber with nothing but gray walls as far as he could see. In the corners, the officers had sat down, tending to their wounds while trying to keep their heads high. But it was hard after all that had happened. Their faces were dull, almost lifeless—like that of those who have reached exhaustion.

In one particular corner, Camilla was taking care of Donsentos, now lying on the cold ground. His wound had stopped bleeding, but he wasn't moving. Kairo got closer to them with a worried expression. Without Donsentos, they would have all died in Draco's breath.

"How is he doing?" Kairo asked, kneeling to their level. He wasn't a doctor, but he could see the wound was pretty deep and had gone all the way from the side of the neck to the throat. It was like Felix wanted him never to be able to talk again. "How cruel," Kairo wanted to say, but kept his words to himself. After what he did to Corry, could he really call himself better?

"I can't give an exact answer, Kairo, but he is out of danger—at least for now," Camilla said, wiping the blood off her face. She was an engineer turned doctor in this desperate situation; Kairo was very impressed by how cool-headed she was. "Donsentos is one of the most stubborn people I know. He wouldn't die without getting Felix and all the others back in their cells. That's what defines him. That's why he became an inquisitor," she said in a low voice.

"Are you two very close?" Kairo asked. He had noticed from the very first moment they entered the submarine that Donsentos had been extremely courteous to her. It might have just been because of her status, but Kairo felt there was more to it. Or maybe he was wrong?

"Donsentos is Ortega's younger brother," she said. "Under normal circumstances, he was supposed to be at the rehabilitation center, taking care of the patients and ensuring order with the other inquisitors. But after he learned I would be on the boat, he didn't hesitate to replace Fabian on this mission. I had never seen him this determined in the past."

"He will be fine," Kairo said, despite the inherent shock in his mind. Donsentos Mar was the brother of David Ortega. "No wonder he was so desperate," Kairo felt. He could understand what Donsentos felt. Donsentos loved his brother so much, he didn't hesitate to come despite knowing the risk.

"Where is Nyx?" Kairo asked.

"In the corner over there. I recommended her to take a nap. She is out of danger now," Camilla added.

Kairo heaved in relief and stood up. Their wounds were severe, but no more people would die. Kairo felt it was still better than nothing. Everyone had played their role. For their survival, they needed some rest. Thus, Kairo didn't go to her side and instead saw his attention dragged in another direction.

On another side still, there was Danzan. He stood apart from the rest of the group, isolated in a corner. Unlike the others, he wasn't moving. Like a statue, he sat face-to-face with a very peculiar person, as if even batting an eyelid would let the other party flee. This one, unlike the others, wore a necklace, and his uniform spoke to Kairo of his identity. "It's him," Kairo thought. This was the origin of all this chaos. The Seruth Monster.

Kairo balled his fist, feeling anger surge through his veins. "It's all your fault," he said, his voice sounding louder than he had thought. Rellion and his people were willing to cause a carnage just to get this person to Selis—but why?

Kairo joined the group, wanting to talk to him, but Danzan lifted his arm, blocking Kairo's path.

"You shouldn't talk to him, Kairo. He is dangerous," Danzan said while seated, his eyes still locked on his target for security reasons.

"But all of this is his fault. There must be a reason for what happened, and I will bet my life he knows why. Tell us—why does Selis want you alive? What do you have that they desperately need?" Kairo asked, disregarding Danzan's words.

The Seruth Monster smiled, exuding a calm that mirrored that of someone who was free. He simply said, "A card, of course."

"A card?" Kairo blinked in surprise. All of this had happened because of a single card? He had a hard time visualizing what made that card so special. But then Kairo had a strange idea rise in his mind. What if it was related to those cards his father didn't want to talk about? The last time he asked, his father answered very vaguely, as if he was trying to hide something.

"You guessed right, Kairo. It's about the Deck of Origin," the Seruth Monster said.

"Enough. Now get back there, Kairo, or I'll make sure to send you myself." Danzan's voice rose, so loud it attracted everyone's attention. Kairo was startled — this was the first time Danzan had been so aggressive with him.

"Why do you want to keep them in the dark, Danzan? It's useless. As we speak, forces all over the world are gathering their best card mages, their best bounty hunters. Very soon, the world will see a wave of desperate individuals willing to sow blood and havoc for those cards." He smiled, like a raven announcing an omen.

Kairo's face darkened. He was indeed right. This was all related to the famous Deck of Origin — the first three cards the Archmage Donatello created after he completed card magic. Kairo had no idea what their powers were, but since the entire world was about to tear itself apart for them, they had to grant immense power. Jed had been right, Kairo thought. When he remembered what Jed had done in the past, it didn't sound that absurd anymore. If he had gotten his hands on that power...

"You mean a gold rush is preparing itself for the Deck of Origin?" Kairo said.

"Now you might be wondering what I have to do with all of this, right?... The card I possess can reveal the position of those cards. And whoever has me has a GPS to ultimate power," the Seruth Monster spoke casually, as if being wanted by the whole world wasn't a big deal for him.

"No wonder they are all after you," Kairo said. Everything made sense now.

"Frankly speaking, I don't really like Selis and her people. That's why I willingly followed Danzan. You might not know, but among the criminal circles, that woman is feared like the plague. The call her the Angle of freedom. I'd rather stay in prison than meet her."

"Satisfied with your answer?" Danzan asked, his anger replaced by his usual calm and detached expression.

Kairo sighed. "Sorry," he said. What he had done was very stupid.

This information was not supposed to have been revealed here. The officers on the side tilted their heads away as if they weren't listening, but it was clear everyone had heard everything. If what the Seruth Monster said was true, the danger would keep rising, and when that gold rush started, all those who knew a little too much would be in danger. Kairo had just placed all of them in danger without even realizing it.

"Don't make that face of a beaten dog. We all make mistakes. Danzan knows quite a lot about that," the Seruth Monster said.

Kairo shook his head and walked away. He wasn't going to let himself be manipulated this way. It will be safer for no one to talk to this crazy fool, he thought. With so many thoughts in his head, Kairo felt his body grow heavy. Joining Nyx in a corner, he slid down the wall to sit by her side.

"Hey?" Kairo called out in a low voice.

Nyx barely moved, her eyes closed, her chest heaving up and down as she tried her best to rest. Noticing that, Kairo said no more and allowed her to rest.

"We will get out of this," he said calmly. Although they were safe for now, they didn't know how long it would last — nor how long it would take Fabian and the others to come to their rescue. For now, they were in a box in the middle of the ocean. Not the safest place in the world, Kairo thought.

While trying to calm his restless mind, Kairo felt Nyx suddenly slide down the wall, leaning her head on his shoulder. "She is really deep asleep. I'm happy you're safe," Kairo said, trying his best to stop moving so he wouldn't wake her up. The duo sat this way for minutes — or perhaps hours — Kairo could not tell, trying to get some rest.