Fia disappeared into the night, leaving a small trail of purple lights behind her that were only visible to the boys. They followed the trail and stopped at the sight of her abode. She might have been living per merc pay check, but this place looked rich, almost royalty appropriate. In the corner, the sounds of a mixing bowl and a spoon whisking up ingredients caught the boys' attention.

They watched as her hands kneaded the dough with precision and skill. Those same hands that twisted shadows were now shaping dough like an experienced chef. Nobody dared to break the silence, until Fia herself spoke. 'Take a seat. Don't worry about taking your shoes off.' The boys obeyed and waited for her to finish cooking.

She placed the finished product on the small table in front of the sofa. The sweet aroma filled the apartment, which earned her a distrusting look from Mikhail.

Mik: This a bribe? Fia: You can eat. I didn't poison it, if that's what you're trying to smell. This is how we settle disagreements here in Dambele; we cook food, then we talk gently or argue like sailors. Tae: It'd be rude to refuse such a deal. I'll bite, but I'd like you to level with us before we even sniff the crumbs. Time is of the essence, and I'd like to wrap this case up quickly. Fia: That's a fair deal. I accept.

Fia took a seat across from the boys, levelling them with a stare of determination. It was time for her to put all her cards on the table since they were cooperating.

https://on.soundcloud.com/gueRDWYd2twFFUweVq

Fia: So. You found my name on a file. Why did you track me down? Mik: The mana of casters is dwindling quickly. Soon enough, there won't be any left if this keeps up. Your name was found on files that belonged to a high ranking caster, Joyce Park. Fia: Sungmin Vermillion, yes. Lawyer boy who says he's the advocate of occult rights in the States! Pffft. That was all going well until 2 months ago. Suddenly all his cases started failing because someone at the back end is pulling strings. Tae: Someone is sabotaging him? What do they have over him? Fia: A lawyer is a good friend to have in these circles. He must have either pissed them off or resisted their orders. Tae: So why did he pay you so much per contract? Your name shows up as a recipient of some large sums at least 20 times.

Fia: I'm a smuggler. He paid good money to move things, I move them. He told me not to ask what I was moving otherwise he'd send people after me. I'm not an idiot, but even I know a lawyer doesn't have enough pull for hitmen. Tae: What were you moving that needed such discretion? Fia: Funds, at first. Those were simple. But then he was starting to demand other things: equipment, gear, files and then he asked me to move DNA samples. Mik: DNA samples? No offense to you, but you don't seem like the type to move that kind of thing. Fia: Exactly. My routes aren't made for moving biological cargo. I called him out on it, then he pulled the rug from another contract he gave me. Tae: What other contract did he give you?

Fia: He tasked me with finding his wife Charlene. Said she'd gone to complete a contract but at that time, he hadn't heard a single peep from her in 5 months. Tae: Hold on, he asked you about his wife? When I spoke to him last week, he asked me to look into that. Fia: Did he now? Ha, scumbag through and through. Tae: You make any headway on her whereabouts? Fia: I did, but what I have isn't complete. Whatever contract she was on, it was certainly a cover story. She'd been living in the block down the road from him all that time. Mik: Seriously? And she didn't give him any indication of where she was? Fia: Nope, apparently not. Mik: Did you happen to see her in that time? Fia: I saw her a couple of times, and trust me, honey. I'm a woman. I could tell she was heavily pregnant even without seeing her face.

Mikhail nodded. His original suspicion surrounding Charlene's disappearance was beginning to ring true.

Mik: The contract for Charlene, I'll finish what you started. I had a suspicion, and you've just cemented it. Fia: Good. Look around the Art District of San Myshuno, if she's even still there. Mik: Noted. Last thing, did Sungmin ask you to move anything else? Besides funds and stuff. Fia: The first cargo that wasn't money included a drive that had these odd formulas on it. He told me not to peek, but again I never ferry goods without checking. So I peeked at the files, but I couldn't make sense of them at all. Tae: That must have been the last folder that was in the package Hades sent us. Fia: Hades, huh? Lawyer boy's son got in on this? Tae: He hears things, and I think Sungmin greatly underestimates his son's abilities. Fia: Then when you see the boy, tell him the Acosta Morrigan sends her thanks. Tae: Oh he'll get that alright. Fia: That's all I have for you regarding Sungmin. Satisfied, now? Tae: Not yet. In the alleyway, you told me my gloves are useless. How do you know that?