(A brief notice before proceeding: I apologize to the loyal readers that have waited longer than they should have had for the latest chapter. My responsibilities outside of writing have been far more demanding the past few months than they usually had been, leaving me exhausted mentally or physically to hone any sparing strength or motivation to write. However, now that that time has past and my current endeavors in a more prioritized and manageable matter, you may expect more from me in the near future. Though this chapter may be a shorter one, I can promise the next chapter will provide with some far more intriguing events. But for now, I will submit this chapter to return my schedule back to a more stable course. I thank you again for your patience and understanding.

With humble regards, and sincere gratitude,

-Crowscythe)

After a long walk back to the refuge, I sat before my desk, thinking about all of the events that had transpired that day, as I had before. I could hardly find much sleep with so many question buzzing in my head like a nest of angry hornets. Instead of sleep I spent the rest of that night going through my books. Reading through the handful of codex and tomes that I had collected through past exploits. I wanted to try to find something that I may have overlooked before, something that I may have dismissed as trivial before but could prove useful now. Maybe even something that could help explain these hellish visions that I've been having recently, or just what kind of trinket Pinktop is wearing around her neck.

But as far as these books could provide, there was not much this collection could tell me, if I had access to the vast data clusters of the world web again, this would become a far more simpler task.

I wonder if that school has any computers or any kind of signal. I'd imagine that they wouldn't because of this barrier scrambling my phone, but then again, magic properties usual don't play by the conventional rules.

If I was planning to go back into that school again, I might have already missed my chance, Pink might have tricked those guardians, but I doubt they'll stop sniffing around simply because one student said so, especially if they identify the blood as human. Even if I still had more of that invisibility spray, my wound would just give away my scent. Until I could fully heal, I couldn't afford to step anywhere near that school again...

Well, actually, there might be another way, it's not a very pleasant one, then again, my circumstances wouldn't be much different regardless, and my options are dwindling by the day.

Dawn had come not long after I had made my decision, for what I was about to undergo required much preparation and some insurance as well. One of my priorities was to go find Snow, though I already had the notion that that task would be a fruitless one. I could not begin to figure out why she disappeared like that.

Well, maybe I could.

I doubt it was anything malicious or conniving, the girl was too sincere with her motives, not to mention, a terrible liar, much like another obnoxious teenager I know...No, if it was any reason, the only conclusion I could draw up was that she was frightened, perhaps she had second thoughts with dealing in endeavors with a person like me and decided to take her chances on her own. In any case, if she didn't want to be found, she did a damn good job of it.

The morning was still young though, and I decided to search out other things that would prove much easier to find. Gathering materials to prepare for later. One condition concerned me though, if I were to proceed on this dangerous method, I would need a participant, an eye to watch my back. I couldn't expect Pink, not while she has a new little stalker clinging to her hip like a bad rash, obviously Snow is no longer in the equation.

The werepup?

No, even though I should be expecting news from him soon, I'd rather keep my face hidden from that one for as long as I can. I suppose that left the succubust as the only pick, which put a sour taste in my mouth just thinking about it.

Considering what happened last night, Pink unable to get her explanation like I had promised, she may try to get the bluenette to come visit me again. I could only presume she'll even bother to listen to my request, but, for now, I could only wait as I continued to collect resources.

And as I had suspected, she did arrive, scowl and all. Actually, this time her expression had more to it than that, a second layer to her usual demeanor towards me as she approached the stone. Dare I say, she looked like she was worried about something. Curious as to what might have been bugging her, aside from probably having to see me again. I allowed her in, but as I did, she immediately rushed at me like an animal ambushing her prey, only to stop as the tips of her elongated nails tickled the surface of my skin, teasing my jugular with the promise of a swift, messy, stroke.

Any other person in this position would more than likely panic and barter for their life, but my curiosity only grew, my body relaxed, and my breath calm as I stared at her plainly, showing not a single shred of fear or intimidation as she looked at me with desperate fury.

"Where is she, you bastard?" She said, murder seeping from her words and vengeful ambers danced in her eyes.

"I'd like to ask the same about your sanity." I remarked callously.

"Shut the fuck up, and tell me!"

"Folks are more susceptible to threats and demands when they don't contradict each other."

She began to chuckle feverishly, suppressing her rage with a clenched smile as she retorted viciously, "MAN it's like you want me to ruin my nail polish with your filthy, human, monster killing blood!"

"That's not a bad threat. Were you thinking that on the way over here? Only problem is that I know you won't do it." Without a single itch of hesitation, I snatched her hand with my left and yanked it away, then grabbed her neck with my right just as quickly. Before she could react I had already pinned her up against the wall, her fragile throat slowly collapsing from the weight of my grip, limiting her oxygen and cutting off most of her strength to the rest of her body.

As she gasped and gagged for air I continued by saying, "This is how you threaten someone. You think I'd just roll over if you bared your teeth and unsheathed your claws at me? Do you think of yourself so superior to me so easily? If you want to put the fear of God in someone, ya gotta be just as ruthless and cruel as him!"

Her struggling weakened, her meek lungs begging for life as the fight in her limbs wither like crops in a drought.

But just before she could embrace unconsciousness, I dropped her to the floor, giving her back the sweet breath of life. She caressed her own throat, soothing out the soreness that will no doubt return to her later as she said with lingering hate, "And you call us the monsters..."

I returned to my desk and casually sat back down, resuming my notes and parchments as though it was as simple as that, and retorted plainly, "You were the one that came into my home with deadly intent. Abusing my hospitality, making outrageous assumptions, listening to your unstable emotions and ignoring the blatant logic of the situation."

"So...you're saying you have nothing to do with her disappearance...?" The bluenette presumed quizzically.

"Nobody likes pronoun games, Succubust."

"Moka. You dumb asshole!"

I turned back around to her, "You think she's missing?"

As the succubust regained her legs and pulled herself back up, "I hadn't seen her at all at school. Which I thought was weird, she's always trying to find me just so she could crush me with one of her 'affectionate' hugs...But I only started getting worried when she didn't arrive at the club either, and even more when she wouldn't answer her door at the dorm."

"Hugh...worried?" I said during her explanation, earning a strange look from her, "A few weeks ago you wanted to kill her, now yer worried 'bout her?"

Her disdainful expressions suddenly contorted into something more flustered before trying quickly to hide it by replying with hastened tone, "Well, okay, maybe worried is not the right word, but that still doesn't change the fact that Moka-san is gone!"

"True. So ya thought she might've been here?"

"It was the only other option, but I knew she couldn't visit you while that witch followed her around, but I-"

"Because you don't like me, you thought I might have finally revealed my true colors, right?"

She remained silent, still holding that look of contempt in her eye.

"Don't feel too bad, I'm not exactly keen of you either, 'case that wasn't clear already."

"Well if she isn't here, then where is she?" She started to say again, "And shouldn't you be more worried about this than me?"

"You expect me to lose my shit like you if I happen to not see her for more than a day?" I retorted, still looking at my notes.

"Look, I am telling you, something isn't right!" She insisted more.

I glanced back at her, my annoyance leaking back into my gaze as I said, "Do you really think you've figured her out that easily? As I had said before, you were more ready to cut her down with your own talons less than a month ago, and now that the two of you are no longer at each other's throats, to a certain extent, you now magically know her every thought and impulse as if you shared a womb together."

"Oh but you have all the answers, right? Because you stay and hide away in your little tree, eating bugs and pissing in bottles, oh yeah, I can see now why you would know her a lot better than me! I mean, I just spend every fucking day with her listening to her constant blabber about mysteries and detective bullshit, but you're right, you definitely know way more!"

"No." I said back, "I don't know. That's the damn point! You can't expect to know and learn the every aspect of a single person in the span of a few weeks. You'd have to be either dumb or out of your mind to think otherwise, especially when it comes to Pink. Especially her."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Name me one other vampire that wears a rosary choker that limits their own power."

She remained silent.

I added with another question, "Has she ever told you why she wears that thing? Or how bout why only I or that boy in your club can remove it and no one else? At least not anyone that we are aware of yet."

"...I didn't think it was important..."

"Yeah, I know you didn't." I turned my chair around more towards her as I leaned forward and looked directly at her as I said with a sterner tone, "Everyone carries secrets, girl. Everyone. Some are willing to share them sooner than others, most won't even try."

The succubust stared back at me, trading her own set of daggers at me in her eyes as she retorted and said, "I get that. More than you give me credit for." Her eyes then fell to the floor, staring into space for a moment before looking back at me before adding, with a hint of sincerity in her voice, "Look...you're right about one thing. I don't like you, but I wouldn't have bothered coming out here to face you again if I didn't care about Moka-san...despite what I had thought of her before..."

I gave myself a moment as I looked at the conviction in her eyes, and processed the honesty in her words. I scratched the side of my nose before hoisting myself from the chair and gave her my response, "Fine then."

I made way to the center of the room as I stood before and said, "I'll help you find her, if you help me with something."

She wanted to look surprised, but instead she made a curious expression and inquired, "And that something would be...?"

I only looked at her plainly as I said with a straight face, "I need to make a call."