One World: Many Souls

Chapter 60: Spirits Destroyed

Angel's Point of View:

I sat on pins and needles waiting for Arial's report through the com-channels. While I wasn't to be informed directly of the operation, I knew of her and Lexi, along with a small group of men investigating the mansion. There had been a small handful of kidnappings in the last decade that only came to light recently with the help of our doctor's niece, Angelica Havarti. She was dedicated to those she cared for, and it seemed that those of half monster breeds were high on the list of being kidnapped while still in their human mother's womb.

Now it wasn't just any women being kidnapped. It never came to our attention until recent years due to a good Samaritan letting us know that recently pregnant mothers of monster children were going missing. The women in question weren't high in number, perhaps five at best. And there was a pattern with those chosen. They were down on their luck, homeless, human, and no one there for them. If they went missing, it wasn't noticed.

But we were lucky that it had been. The most recent kidnapping before Angelica's little stunt was about a year ago, and from that knowledge, we were able to find out about four other women. While it wasn't a large number, the connection was mind blowing. The first two were taken years ago almost at the same time. They're pregnancies had been recorded and their records on my desk. Some of the women had multiples in their pregnancies, and that worried me with how many children could be at the hands of some horrible people.

I was notified about two hours ago by the army that thirty children and seven women were taken into custody and currently receiving medical help. That was the last update I got. I wasn't sure what the wait was for the hold in information, but there could be more pressing situations taking place. It was my only guess while I waited.

"Precious." I could only sigh when Sans came to check on me in my office. "Hey, ya should be restin'. It's late. Time fer bed."

I shook my head. "I'm still waiting on the report."

"Have faith in our girl." Sans teleported behind me, settling his hands on my shoulders, he held me close. "She's our kid. She's gonna be okay."

"I know that, but it gives me worry as well. She is our child. And we both know how we both can be."

"Yep, yep." He just nuzzled into me further. "She's our kid alright."

Before Sans could say another word, my phone went off on my desk. I quickly grabbed it to answer, but sadly it wasn't my daughter nor anyone in relation to her team. It was Calibri.

I didn't want to say I was disappointed, but it made me all the more anxious as she never called me at that time of night.

"Cali, what's wrong?" I spoke quickly once she was on the phone.

"Mom... we need help, fast. It's Connie."

I was already up from my desk and pacing. Turning the phone onto speaker so Sans could hear, I spoke again. "What's wrong?"

"Connie, she's really sick right now... and she's so depressed I can't get her to take care of herself properly..."

"What'd ya mean?" Sans spoke up from behind me. "Cal, it's yer Dad, what's going on with Con?"

"Daddy... she..."

Even Calibri had to take a moment to steel her emotions to talk. There was a couple moments where she was crying softly before she could try to let out any words again.
"She... didn't want me to tell you... she's scared... she's pregnant."

"Pregnant?!"

I couldn't fight the surprised gasped that came out of me while Sans' eye lights were rapidly fading in his worry.

"Baby bone, ya need ta tell us what happened, 'n we'll get out ta you as soon as we can. Where are ya right now?"

"The southern city, Blumen. Connie was dating this guy and he played her like a fool... She really thought he loved her and he broke up with her when he found out she was pregnant."

"Your father and I have been to that city before. We'll teleport there and get you two and drive you both home. I know you want to be with her and things can't go on without her."

"She's already so thin Mom... I'm so worried..."

"Do ya know who this guy is?"

"Yeah... his name is Ashton Grey."

"We'll take care of him, baby bone. For now, let's focus on your sister. Keep an eye on her and don't tell her we're coming. We'll be there to help and I'll have Olivia on standby to help back here at the house once we get home." I grabbed the light jacket I had hanging on the back of my chair I threw over my shoulders. "We're teleporting now, Cali. I'll call you back in a few minutes to find out where you are in the city."

"Okay Mom... please hurry... I'm so worried for her... I feel like her soul is shattering..."

Reminding her we'd be back on the line in a moment, I shut off the call for Sans to teleport us to the city known for its beautiful blooms during the warm seasons. It was currently cast in the beautiful color of pink as the cherry blossom festivals were going on. A time of spring and life upon us.

Sans and I began walking before our feet even touched the ground. Knowing roughly where our girls were located in the city, we took the time then instead to call Olivia and for her to be prepared back at her office when we came in with our daughter. The older woman would be ready after a car was used to take us all the way back home.

The Next Day:

"What the fuck is your problem?! Did you seriously have to serve papers to me? Don't you have enough money without stealing from the poor, you bitch?"

I only tilted my head. I wish the male could see how unimpressed my face was. "Did you think you were going to get away with this? Leaving my daughter to fend herself? Just running away? If you had been smarter and not gotten her pregnant, I would have been able to do far less than what you've been sentenced with in those papers."

"How can you talk about this so casually?" His outbursts were expected as I listened to him on the line. "You practically sound like this is an everyday thing for you!"

"Oh, you poor stupid boy, why would you think that? Does my tone make you think I'm not seething with rage for what you've done to my Connie?" The rage that was building in my body was difficult to hide, even with Sans at my side trying to sooth me. I'm sure the entire house could feel my rage and even beyond it if there was anyone else nearby to feel my magic pulse. "The papers are legally binding. And you won't be running. You are required by law to submit your DNA to prove that the baby is yours or not. Should the test results come out negative, then you'll be freely let go and I will publicly apologize for the way I'm treating you. Should they come out positive, I will take you to court for the maximum amount of child support I can. And don't think that you can escape that. I will see to having your wages garnished if need be."

"This is so fucked up..."

"I'm well within my legal standing to do as I must for my daughter who is mentally unstable at the moment. Something you caused if you remember back hard enough." I hated speaking to the waste of space on the other side of the line, only truly doing it for my daughter. "Now if I have made myself clear, then I'd suggest you get on with it. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you won't have to deal with me anymore. Have a lovely day, Ashton."

Ending the call on my daughter's phone, I sighed before plopping into my chair only a few feet away from where Cali sat with her father listening in on the conversation. Connie was currently resting, the poor girl having bad morning sickness that kept her right in bed. Olivia was called over and we have Connie now on some vitamins and medicine to help her through the roughest parts so we can at least get her to eat again.

But there was a lot of rest and recuperation to be done.

Seeing Connie in such a state of despair truly broke both the souls of her father and I. She was horrified as she saw us. She cried and was sick all over me once I had her in my arms from how she felt. It was a long night getting her home in a private vehicle to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. It was a long night and only when the sun came over the horizon was she sleeping and the rest of us had been up all night taking care of her.

"Mom?" Calibri questioned me softly once I was off the phone and had a second to calm down. "What do we do now?"

"For now, let's all get some rest." I'd had a chance to get a shower once we returned home for a few moments before helping out again. "I can only imagine how tired you are, you should go get some sleep. We can watch Connie for a while so you can rest."

"If you're sure..."

"Don't ya worry, Cal." My husband set a boney hand on her head to ruffle her hair. "Con's gonna need lots of help ta get better. It'll be a family job. We'll all rotate, I bet even Joke 'n Pristi. They're worried 'bout her too. Even Eras is sneakin' back during the weekend."

Calibri nodded for a few moments, understanding what we were saying to her before her head picked up. "What about Arial?"

"She's on assignment, I haven't heard a word since last night." Taking a seat in my chair, I carefully looked to see if another report had been laid on my desk while I was gone. Unfortunately, there wasn't one. "As soon as we're able to make contact, we'll let you and the others know."

That made Calibri's lip wobble. "Is she... doing something dangerous?"

I sighed and narrowed my eyes at my daughter. "You have to keep in mind, Calibri, that Arial chose this to be the path she walked. It's possible at any point that she could be in danger as she works for the army and other teams that even I don't have all the details of, regardless of being the head of the country, due to being her mother. I worry about her everyday. I have to believe that she will be okay and call when she can."

Before another word could make it out, the door to my office slammed open to reveal Enya. I was about to snap at her what in the world was she doing... until I saw her eyes. Wide, shocked, surprised, bewildered... there was pure fear in those eyes. Absolute... pure... fear...

"Mistress! Emergency report!" Enya all but threw the documents at me. "It's... It's-

And then I saw the tear escape from the side of her eyes that she tried to hide so well. I hurled my arms upon the report to read it.

I read it...

I saw it...

I dropped it...

I screamed...

I shook the house...

I cried...

Report seventy-four, day twenty of May.

Commander Arial Terians of the second division reconnaissance team was sent with second in command Alexandra Sappphire, Sergeant Ruben Pownel, and Privates Lester Gordon and Elijah Pewter. The five were sent at twenty-two hundred hours to the home of branch Terians family member, Silke Terians, to investigate the disappearance of pregnant women with monster hybrid children.

Upon approaching the home from the western side along the coast, Commander Terians noted she sensed the monster children with her magic. Ordering Sapphire to follow her, while Pownel, Gordon and Pewter incapacitated any guards around the facility. During their separation, Commander Terians discovered thirty half-monster children, along with seven human mothers who appeared to be under hypnotism of some kind to keep them (assumingly) from acting out.

Each and every child discovered was reported to have that of a rather large looking collar around the necks with thick wiring, only enough padding to keep that wiring from hurting the children, but also that of a battery pack, a tracking device, and recording device to understand the magical levels of these children. See below diagram for what was described of the device by that of Sapphire.

Terians assisted the children in a rapid escape, having them run along the coastline following that of Pownel, Gordon and Pewter who had already called reinforcements while Terians and Sapphire were trapped inside. Alarms blaring over the area. Contact was lost while they explored that of the home, unable to respond to coms.

At twenty-two thirty-five is when an explosion went off from the western basement area of the mansion. The fire engulfed the entire building and what remained of it collapsed on itself. No structure was able to survive the blast.

The local fire department was called and the fire was out at twenty-three forty before rescue teams could search for survivors. Along the edges of the building was found a human male also under some sort of hypnotism as the women used for breeding monster children. He was taken immediately to Kaltes Emergency Hospital to tend to his wounds. He was mildly burned and will be retained in the hospital until the hypnosis can be reversed.

Inside the building there were three bodies among the rubble and ash. Two are assumed to be that of the commander and Sapphire. One other was found among the rescue operations. The third was a male, yet currently unidentified. One body was rushed to the Kaltes Emergency Hospital with extreme burn wounds and protruding bones while the other two bodies were found with no signs of life. They have been sent to the morgue of the same emergency hospital to be identified.

With what limited time was allowed with the body of the deceased female officer, it was discovered on her person at zero-fourteen that Arial Terians' dog tags had withstood the explosion and were around their neck, fused to their skin. Further investigation will be required to confirm this, but as of zero-hundred hours, Commander Arial Terians is presumed dead and Second in Command Alexandra Sapphire has been taken to the hospital to recover.

Head Commander Robert Small-Hemond

Witch's Note:

(Halloween stood stunned among the remaining medical staff who hovered around the then vacant bed where Mystic Boy's body had been laid out. Her body had convulsed, shrunk... and then vanished... It was as if she didn't exist anymore. Halloween had no idea what was going on after somehow her body had come to life after weeks of being dead, and simply waiting for a chance to give her a proper funeral once all the shit of the war was over...)

Halloween Witch: What the fuck...? (Her hesitance was natural before she hurried over to an intercom for the entire building.) Sunset, if you haven't been deployed yet, return to the medical ward immediately. This is an emergency! Mystic Boy somehow came back to life, body screaming and convulsing, and then vanished.

(Halloween then took off momentarily to check on other areas not far for when Sunset returned. She quickly was surprised to see Dasansi's gang all surrounding their leader as he stood with a very unwell face. Leaning against a wall for support, he spoke to the other three as she approached.)

Halloween Witch: Dasansi? I'd say it's good to see you up, but you look like you need to rest for the next decade. Nevertheless, I'm glad you can help. I see you're giving out orders, we've already got troops up top with Mystic Girl leading them, and a separate operation of Shadow and Chaos knocking out the supply chain of our enemies so they wouldn't be as prepared when we storm the place. I'll be heading out soon myself once I tie up loose ends here, and keep an eye out for Mystic Boy. If you didn't just hear me calling out for Sunset, Mystic Boy has come back to life and vanished, after some strange ritual happened inside the room. Keep an eye out for her and radio me, any of you, that see her. I'll be updating everyone shortly. That's all.

(Halloween took off after updating the males as she hurried over to where the medical ward was as well, sending a signal of a similar message to Mystic Girl, Shadow and Chaos. She didn't dare call them in the middle of their operations to ruin whatever chances they had in their favor.)

(She then hurried back as the medical staff moved on, only for Sunset to be seen in the room of Mystic Boy's alone, the haphazardly thrown sheets, covered in sweat, blood and the like before whatever happened, happened.)

Halloween Witch: Sunset... what the fuck was that?

Tell me... Have you given up hope?

Even when a spark may not have gone?

Yet, look at it now? Where did it go?

Are you prepared for what it has become?

Selling yourself to hell is not always a bad thing...

Sometimes... it's liberating...

And determined souls like us thirst for it...