Chapter cover: The two Arans crossed their swords like an X. The girl to the left, while the boy to the right. Both looked concentrated on their weapons with gritted teeth.

...

Location: Unknown

Restricting…

Was the word that came to the pseudo-beast's mind. She felt tired, all the energy, the adrenaline she fought earlier was gone the moment that shitty old man and his familiar bind her. How they did it, she will never know for her vision went dark – part of the binding. She could barely see.

To make everything perfect, she can't use her mana.

But her other senses work. The old man stank of rotten flesh – something she is too well-versed with. Especially people who associate with darkness, but it was…how does she put it?

What word will describe it the most accurate?

Something all-too familiar and yet at the same time, alien to her – and each individual who associate with magic have a different smell.

She bit her bottom lip a bit too hard as she winced and she felt his hungry stare.

"You know…my old," He paused, and something colder than ice was pressed to her exposed belly button. Something flat…a blade? She shuddered, but not from cold – this something is a medium. The pseudo-beast felt power radiating from it and this time, the mana was raw – it smells, but not like the ashes of the flames like the Dragon Master, Evan.

"body couldn't keep up with the times sometimes." Continued the cracked voice. It sounded like somebody scorched his throat with flames.

She did her best to ignore him and concentrated on the ragged breathing of her partner, except it was slower and softer – he is sleeping. Good, he needs all the rest he can.

How long were they kept captive? She wasn't sure, but they were getting more and more malnourished as the days passed. Plus, although they were both victims, for several reasons she couldn't understand – the old man was only drawing her blood. It hurts, but she endured those…lessons – he called it.

As he continued his…speech, his familiar, its cold scales brushed her bound hands – mocking her freedom.

She tried to clench her hands, but failed as the chains restrained them – and they were not responding. Not a good sign.

"Why us?"

"I'm glad you ask…my little apprentice. Why you and your partner," He spat the word with venom and she quirked an eyebrow. "Have no memories of your past. Who took it? I know it couldn't be my master, and yet – there were signs of it. I daresay…his blood relative? If so, it makes sense – with the right Origin."

She sighed. Whatever he's saying is lots of shit. "Just take my blood and leave us alone." She growled as best as she could with her parched lips.

"That is my intention – but there's a change of plans. Your friends are searching, and two of them are…interesting I must say. Another abnormality?"

She felt a chill down her spine.

Then, the cold blade dug deep and she bit her lips to prevent a scream, and tried to relax as if she resisted – it would be horrible. She shivered, the shitty mana is contaminating her!

Her warm blood trickled down her stomach and onto another smooth and thin item underneath the reopened wound.

A bowl.

"You're so obedient because you are afraid I will harm your partner because of my promise. Don't worry, I will keep him because it makes my job easier." His breath tickled her ear and she grimaced.

"I will murder you."

She knew she pissed the old man off as he snapped his fingers – a strange action, definitely the first. Only later she realized it was a trigger.

She felt her whole body burning and she screamed and thrashed in her restraints. It felt as if she was in an ice-cold pool with absolute zero temperature and cold blades digging into her flesh, and pulled themselves out slowly – just to torment her.

It felt like hours and salty sweat trickled down her exposed skin. Dimly, she heard her partner calling her name.

"ARAN!"

Her head pounded painfully, her entire body was aching from the strange ordeal and the shouting didn't help, but it was silenced the moment she used almost all her strength to shout back, "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

I will kill him, thought the girl bitterly. They were suspended in the air, and their hands and legs were bound separately, like an X. She didn't know that.

But her partner did.

The old man laughed sardonically.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Her partner half-shouted, she did her best to turn her head in his direction, though she was panting heavily as if she was following Lilin's training menu.

"Something to make her more obedient to us." He hissed back. "I will break her will this time."

So the attack wasn't random after all. They were his targets – or rather – she corrected – she is his target. Her partner was innocent. If what the old man said is true, help is coming after…how many days have passed?

She barely registered the old man's words before he left to wherever he's heading. "Enjoy the torture of your mind…Katrina."

Her name is Katrina?

And the pain began once more the moment he snapped his fingers.

Whoever said people will get used to pain are liars.

…

…

Date: 1/11/ X643

The boy named Crow was sitting on a tree branch, almost dozing off when he heard the tactician's call. A flash of white came and suddenly he was looking at his albino partner who still has that sappy grin on her face, hanging upside down from the opposite tree.

"Neinheart and his gang found something, shall we see?"

Crow pulled his red scarf to the point it covered his bottom half of his face and swung himself from tree to tree using the branches while Kuan jumped down and ran towards the meeting area.

XXX

"One question," Hawkeye began; his usual smile became wider with strain as he looked at his fellow colleagues and the two oddballs in the Silent Crusade group. Neinheart sighed and placed the file in the middle of the glass table in the room and readjust his monocle. The afternoon light reflected the golden tint of the monocle.

"Why my damn room?!"

Neinheart casually took his checkbook out and Hawkeye watched with horror as the tactician reduced his pay by 90%. Crow was slightly amused, he heard the rumors – but he didn't really expect to see that in action. The rest of the Cygnus Knights patted his back once as Hawkeye sobbed as he griped about his miniature paycheck.

He almost met the table face-first when Mihile, the Knight of Light did it.

"Now…" Neinheart said ominously. "Any more complaints?"

In unison, the five Cygnus Knights shook their heads.

"I will make this brief. We found clues relating to the twins' disappearance two months ago." Crow's hand which was on his forearm gripped tighter and the atmosphere was no longer light.

"And?" Crow prompted. Kuan glanced at him, he knew it wasn't his style to lead.

"Remember when our scouts found blood on the walls of…Magatia? With the Roman numerals XI?"

Instantly, Oz's face paled. "Oh my god." Her hands covered her mouth while the rest grimaced and winced. It wasn't a pretty picture.

"Are you saying it's their blood?" Kuan asked as she balanced her wooden chair with its back legs.

"It's possible." The tactician gave the boy a faint smile. "Crow, will you assist the investigation?"

Crow let out a yawn and smacked his lips. "This is a nice breakthrough – and I don't think I'm the best choice here."

Mihile growled. "Why?"

"First, I was forced to join because she," said Crow and elbowed his albino partner ("HEY!"). "was scouted by you. And in all honesty, I think searching the twins are a waste of time." He held out a hand to cut the green archer's protest. "I'm not done yet. In case you haven't noticed – Commander Arkarium have been awfully silent for these few months. Three years before that, he was making a ruckus in Magatia – and now nothing?"

"I expected more from you…Tactician Neinheart." Crow glared at him. "And those Mystic Gates? We all know it's his doing – and no matter how many times we shatter them," The boy paused and took a deep breath. "they will regenerate. Even my team altogether couldn't stop them."

"My second reason – if I do encounter the commander, I will not win, even with trickery. Third," He held out three fingers. "I'm not exactly in the best of moods, so another time?"

Kuan massaged her forehead. "Guilty for the first. You're not exactly helping for the second. How is the third related to the matter?!"

Neinheart was still calm and collected even as Crow said his points.

"We have our hands full with a lot of matters. From keeping tags on people, finding recruits and protecting the Empress – and also, making new friends from another world." Stated the tactician coldly, but that wasn't enough to faze Crow as he checked his fingernails, mentally noting to cut them. "And you are not putting enough effort to find the twins – why?"

Crow sighed. He expected this straightforward question the moment Neinheart mentioned the photo. Neinheart slid the brown file towards Crow and the latter snarled at it.

Kuan punched in lightly on the shoulder, prompting his aching arm to take it.

Appearances can be deceiving.

If Crow thought it would be just a normal mission, he was wrong this round – the first.

The moment they looked at the picture of a certain leader, they both blanched.

"We're so dead…" He muttered soft enough for his partner to hear and they looked at the expected faces of their so-called allies. If their faces were any paler, it would be something.

"A trap…" Kuan whimpered. She sounded close to crying. "Do you think she will forgive us?"

Crow let out a hollow laugh, almost smiling at Neinheart's serious look. "You know as well as I do, we're mortally screwed."

To emphasize the screwed, Crow made a cutting gesture to his throat. Kuan slammed her head to the table once, and let out a long groan.

Neinheart gave his orders as if the exchange never happened. "Bring Lea Stellar here. Damn it. To think the Empress made contact with her without my knowledge…" And the rest was omitted because Crow and Kuan plugged their ears. And they feared their incognito leader more than they feared the tactician.

...

A/N: Well...you will know why they are in deep trouble in later chapters. Thank you for reading - leave a review!