I breathed hard as I scaled up the wall. How did they all know where I was all at once. Was this on purpose? I watched over his shoulder, finances for another person. The income was substantial, he signed at the bottom as Fenrir. Ah, a double agent is being double paid.

I tapped the button, pulling my mask down. "That was ruff, they swarmed like flies to a dead carcass."

"They were supposed to, they all know to look for you and where you are every time you push a button."

"Is the button like a locator?"

"No, the buttons are numbered and assigned to a room. They know the sequence pattern. Care for another round before dinner?"

I nodded, but I had a different idea. I worked my way backwards, picking up all the buttons and putting them in my pocket. When I reached the first number, I pressed it and teleported myself into Narnia's office. The demon with the red horns was here. Narnia gazed at the paper.

"You are sure?"

The man nodded. "I went through all the old texts, then the journals. We did have a copy, then this, I found this in the oldest journal we have. Somya talked about this girl but never gave a name, referring to her as Derkila's sister." I looked over the shoulder of Narnia. A picture of a little girl with skinny arms and sunk in face smiled, my eyes threatened. She had a cookie in her hands, the other extended out to the viewer.

I could see the garden clear as day. The man in front of me with short white hair and black horn numbs. A smile on his face as he did something in his journal. "Somya, this time you must hide. It's not fair if it is always me." I took a bite of cookie, careful not to bump my arm.

"My lady, it would be wrong of me to make you look for me." He gazed down, frowning when he looked at my arm.

"Humor me, just once?"

"As you wish, I am almost done. Would you like to see." He turned the picture around. "Now it is like you never broke your arm." I smiled; He was nothing but kind to me.

Narnia's voice brought me back. "Was there anything else of significance?"

"Unfortunately, little. Somya was reluctant to write it down. He only wrote things down when it was medical findings, as he was a hired doctor by Derkila. The sister was very ill, and bedridden most days.

He gained his bloodline ability after entering Derkila's castle. Does not explain how other than he made a pact with Cerberus, Yodh was not mentioned. It was tight nit, not many were let in or allowed to speak of anything with in the walls."

"Yodh snuffed Kalego's power out. Only the world beast, Cerberus, can do that to our clan. You think the two are the same beast?"

"Nothing points anywhere with journals, but the coincidences cannot be ignored. Are you sure it is safe to have her here when she possesses a world beast at her fingertips?"

"I am on the fence." I pulled button four out and pressed it, Narnia looked at a small screen. "Send them to room four. She has not forgiven Kalego yet. He has a white streak in his hair and has not been able to summon Cerberion."

The demon raised his hand and flicked his finger. "She is doing well."

"I know, I thought about recruiting her to boarder control."

Red horns shook his head, eyes turning in. "I do not think it wise to do so."

Narnia glared. "Baal is the problem. If he knows, then he his using Eli against her. She has eyes like an Origin Demon; they flare up without triggering an evil cycle."

"Why are you going to such lengths to help her? Have you gone blind to the dangers she presents."

"What Baal did was wrong. It is also a lot deeper and more complicated. There are things that I can no longer tell you. It is most important to keep it wrapped up, it protects her and us. Where is the new demon king if she is here? How much longer do we have to wait?" Narnia leaned his head on a propped hand.

"Doesn't matter, our problem is walking these halls. I did find this passage while reading. Found it strange but it highlights the Naberius clan's ways. You always wondered where your father and uncle went." I read over Narnia's shoulder.

For when we come of maturity, we shall guard those around us.

When we gain a successor, we leave to guard the master's castle.

No one shall enter the castle for as long as we live.

Destroying trespassers as we wait for master to come home again.

Red horn moved to the bookshelf, fixing things I had moved. "The master might be Derkila, they were close back then. Violetta asked about reincarnation and even hinted at him having a sibling. Do you think she is having memories of a past life?"

"She described the castle garden. It could have been a story from Sullivan, or she is having memories. She has this wall, and she keeps people at arm's length." I pressed the next number, three left to go.

Red horns clicked his tongue as he snapped his fingers. "How long will you keep this courting thing up?"

"Until she has Eli back, I am only helping her have a cover for her to get in and out. If she can teleport, then the only hard part is getting into the castle and getting through the halls. Hence the drills I have her going through."

"That is why it is not an in and out drill. Just so you know, she has been moving things around. Paintings are tilted, vases flipped upside down or moved to other locations. Mountains of random books stacked up in the halls or other rooms. It has been a distracting while A: trying to find her, and B: getting what you wanted done."

Narnia smirked. "She's learned how to slow you all down or she is messing with you all. I find this most entertaining."

"Do you have feelings for this girl?"

Narnia's face hardened. "I do not, and I could not do that to Kalego even if I did." The red-horned demon tilted his head towards Narnia as he straightened another book. "I was there, they thought her heart stopped, but it was beating once a minute. He did something I never thought he would. He prayed to the deities for a second chance. He likes her, regardless of what he states."

"What if he is not what she wants? Training her, special requested food, and new clothing. Narnia, you might give her the wrong idea."

Narnia sighed. "I do not think she is even the type to court. In her words 'I don't do relationships.' She said it with such conviction that I believe it."

"Then I advise you, to advise him, to not step over any boundaries further than a friend. If she forgives him." They really wanted me to forgive him.

Narnia put the findings in a folder with my name on it. "I will be surprised if she does before Eli is brought home. I do not think it is just the loss of a friend. She was infuriated that he stepped over her parental duties. Kalego instigated the carnival outing."

"I see, you have changed a little for her. Any other time you would go after anyone who opposed Kalego or looked down on him."

"Oh, I have." He rubbed his temples.

"You might need to pray to the deities as well." I pressed the next button.

"She is making decent timing again. Is dinner almost prepared?" The demon snapped his fingers again.

"I will check." He bowed, taking the screen with him. I waited ten to fifteen minutes between the buttons to push them.

I touched the last one and placed the buttons on his desk. "I picked these up as I went along."

"The servants could have done that."

I shrugged. "What were you working on, you've been doing it all day."

"Finances, when you get into a position like mine things tend to get backed up."

"Your little double life?"

He kept his eyes down, scratching in some numbers. "Yes, I do not have anyone I truly trust to be my third, so I am the second and the third in command at border patrol." There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

A small demon servant poked his head in. "My Lord, Henri is here." Narnia sat his pen down, putting all his paperwork away.

"Who is that?"

"If I am both, he is number one. Best behavior Vi, I need him to like you. Feel free to brag about your accomplishments as they come up. How fast can you change?"

I summoned a dress from home and snapped my fingers. "About that fast." The neat bun I had put in after round one held up all day. Simpler black dress to help all the accessories blend in.

Was this about the border patrol thing Narnia talked about or was Henri here for other reasons. Henri had replaced Kalego's seat a cross from me. Kalego next to him, Balam by my side, and Narnia to the right at the head of the table. Not a servant in sight, but the table was set with piping hot food.

Henri's crimson red hair was pulled back in a long low pony, matching jawline hair and tall ears adorned his head. Eyes the color of the sunset, with glasses covering them. He looked familiar, but I had not met this man yet. Dressed nicely, but his tie was loosened like he just got off work. I tilted my head, where had I seen someone like this? Opera?

"Is there something on my face or are you going to keep ogling me?"

"I apologize, you looked familiar, though I know we have never met."

"I have a daughter that attends Babyls." That's it.

"Ameri, she looks just like you. I met her during the harvest festival, she was amazing working alongside the teachers to retrieve students. She has great leader capabilities, smart, and can think on her feet."

"The harvest festival, what was your involvement, how did you know Ocho was in the festival grounds." He was straight to the point.

"At first, I did not know, I was visiting the students tent to see how everyone was doing. That's when I met Ameri, Jazz, and Allocer. I over herd their conversation about a student they did not recognize."

"And then?"

I explained what had happened. "I was going to just drag him out, but he was using a student to attack me. I defended myself."

"The trauma ability. That affected you for some time." He was bringing up later events.

"What do you mean?"

"She does not remember anything before the first day of school." Narnia interjected.

"Does not excuse summoning a familiar during a carnival out of hysteria. Regardless of memory loss."

"I see that is all people think of me. You do one wrong, and the world only sees that. Such negativity is toxic when it is allowed to breed. I think you have bigger problems than one wrong I did."

Kalego turned slightly to Henri. "She stopped the small war; I assume you saw an empty canyon on the way here. As well as saved a village from feral demons in their evil cycles."

Narnia placed a bag on the table. "You received the reports, they are calling her the savior of their town."

Henri opened the bag. "These again, the user always dies, but they are currently in custody. How did you remove them?"

"All I did was touch them, the demon I mean, and the gem popped off. If I may?" I held my hand out, Narnia taking the bag from him and handed it to me. "I do not understand myself, but they do not work on me." I lifted one from the bag, the gem cleared, the blackness flowing into my hand.

"Do you feel anything when that happens?"

"Sadness, but anger mostly. When it is on a demon it is deeper. Hunger, rage, a cry for help. I just answer what they needed."

"So, you fed them and listened to their problems?"

"Pfft, yes and no. I know what it is like to be hungry, to need help, and to also feel rage against a world so cruel. I gave them what I never received growing up, compassion. The food came after. Is compassion something you are capable of, Henri?"

"I would like to think so."

"Then spare me some in the future."

Narnia glared at me. "That is enough."

I glared back. "I have had enough." I started eating my food, not caring about the conversation. Narnia talked me up, but Henri was on the other side of the fence. They kept talking about tradition and the fact he had to fulfill a contract. I was tired of Henri's voice.

"May I be excused." Narnia waved a hand. I texted Kalego to do the same when I was in the hallway.

He came out. "Everything alright?"

"Not really. Let's get away from this room." We walked down the hallway.

"I could see it in your eyes, you wanted to tell him everything. It was wise to keep silent."

I shrugged. "That is not what I wish to talk about. I have been quite all day; I hope you don't mind if I do most of the talking. I have had these dreams, in one of them it stirred something." I eyed the painting of Derkila and Somya that was still tilted.

I fixed the painting continuing down the hallway. "Only when you change. It was not your fault; it was a trickle effect of many factors. The flyer, his want, me caving in. You changed when you remembered. It is not you who should forgive, it is me.

Life is not always fair, but you must still see the good. Find the beauty in things others do not, for they are not seen often enough. Do you know what beauty I saw in Zve? Despite everything, that plant species survived when it did not belong.

It is home to the glass desert where little, if any, water falls yearly. It evolved to eat dead things, then live bugs and rodents, then it evolved again and grew spikes to protect itself. It survived out of spite. Reminded me a little of myself."

"That's not in the books."

"Because people stopped using it over a thousand years ago and threw the seeds to the desert. Better and more sustainable narcotics were found. It used to look like this." I pointed to the flowers in a painting. A huge bush with many large flowers resembling the one that sits atop the Recti Cactus, covered a white gazebo.

"It was merely a beautiful bush, with two properties, a weak pain reliever and sleeping aid when ingested. It never gave up on living, surviving out of spite. That was beautiful to me. You have a beautiful thing inside you too.

I have watched you and been a part of your life for some time. You may have this solemn outside, but deep down you care about that closet to you. It is not many either. I was sad because I thought I lost that little piece I found beautiful in you, but it wasn't.

I thought about it all day, I chose not to see it. Directing my anger towards you instead because it was easy. I had lost Eli, reputation, and rank, so I shut out from everyone like they were all the same. So, might I ask for your forgiveness, instead?"

"I will, if you can tell me why it is you perceived it that way."

"Might as well dumb it down to childhood trauma. I had no one, and it was just me against everyone else." I heard footsteps behind us, one person. I slowed slightly, looking at a painting.

"You had no friends growing up?"

"One, our friendship lasted two years." Narnia rounded the corner. Did he realize me being alone with Kalego would look bad?

"I apologize for that, Henri went home." He wasn't looking so good.

"Are you alright?"

"It's complicated politics of nobles. Might I Join your walk?"

I nodded.

"I must head off; I have a flight ahead of me." Kalego turned.

"I can teleport you home."

"No need, I wish to fly. I have Shichiro to accompany me." He left.

"What was that about?"

"I am not sure. I am waiting for him to accept my request for forgiveness." Narnia tilted his head, looked down the hallway where he walked off too. I explained a little as we walked, leading us to the garden outside.

He ushered me to sit at a small metal table. "What happened to this friend, why did the friendship end?" He summoned cups and a pot of tea.

"She gained better friends. Growing up, I was the target of my parents' hate and frustration with each other. I was never good enough, told that I should never have been born. A violent household to say the least. I used to escape at nighttime and go to the next-door neighbors.

There was where I met Janet. I would sleep at her house nine out of ten nights. We played, ate and did many things together. School started, and there was where I realized I was not as fortunate as others. From clothes, to never being able to have a school lunch.

I was mocked as the dirty, poor kid. My family was not poor, they had money and flaunted it, they just did not care for me. The next year, Janet did not want to be friends. From then on, I never had another. I tried but gave up after multiple incidents of fake friends that year."

"I am sorry that happened to you."

I shrugged. "I feel differently. I came out further on top than the post popular girl in school. My name was all over the newspapers. The star of charity events. I had it all. They all wanted a piece of the cake when I made it."

"Money and power change people, it is like that here in the Netherworld as well."

I retired to my room. This day was full of new information, the things you hear when you're in the shadows. The conversation between Narnia and the red horned demon was getting at me. That demon was very weary of me, like I was something to be feared.

What did they mean? I thought I was a decent person, not really a savior, but I do not wish to destroy anything. This world was beautiful, even when parts of it were scary. Though Earth was like cotton candy compared to here.

That little girl I saw, the drawing. It triggered a memory. That's what they all had to be. I was rewatching things she had done. Was this the crown or was this me? Why was I starting to care for someone I never met?