It was the mid fall afternoon, the monster hunters were coming to a town that was near to France, a place that resides to the capital and land owned by a Viscount who lives in the capital.

"So tell me again what we're here for?" XR was still rolling in the question he was still trying to understand.

"It seems that there is a child of a count who was found in the woods with no memory of what happened but there's not much explanation." Mira looks through the scroll. "The reason this is a matter possibly dealing with monsters is because she has a mark of a black circle over on her collarbone. It looks like a birthmark but the said lord of the land said it was recent."

"So she might be marked by a fairy?" Booster asked, there had been records of fairies stealing children.

"There was a medallion that had the symbol of the goddess of the night and it's made of a pure bloodstone. She might have been a sacrifice to a monster or worse." Buzz glares a bit.

"A demon?" Booster was shocked but Buzz shook his head.

"One of the ancient nocturnal gods that are still in a practice or a devil's summoning. Unfortunately since this mark she has isn't unusual amongst many but we need to know what it is and how to stop the monster."

This concerns XR since it isn't customary or simple. Marks hold a deeper meaning to the older gods from ancient times, sometimes called devils or lords of darkness, giving a mark as a chosen for something. If a child was marked, that can be a bad thing. XR was quiet as he looked out the window. 'I hope we can finish this up quickly.' He thought as their ride in a carriage took them into town.

The town was building to building passing up to 4 story tall that could fit more than a dozen people but he knew these were mostly town houses that had limited housing and had more enclosed and narrower alleys that reminded him of the downtowns of London. It felt modern to today's designs and yet people were more oblivious to the monsters that might be hiding here. He remembers growing up in America before traveling here near France to work as a monster hunter like his pops. Now he's more of the weapon repairer and more of assisting in detective works. He doesn't hate his job but he hates the trouble he made more than good. His mind was disturbed when he saw they were driven further down until they came to an estate surrounded by a large iron bar fence and gate. He perked by the grand perimeter but there seemed to be limited guards.

"As of late there had been wolves attacking the town. Another concern that makes us believe we're facing a darker and powerful force of evil." Buzz answered.

XR frowns. "Great… wolves." XR hated wolves, werewolves especially and he would never want to see one ever. "So what are we supposed to do again? Specifically?"

"We need to protect the daughter until the full moon. This way when the monster or whatever it may be, we'll kill it."

XR hears Buzz being very optimistic about ending a great evil but he wasn't thrilled to hear that it was possibly an ancient monster! He wished he could say no and leave back to the monster hunter's guild but here he is staying because a storm is gonna hit soon. Either way, if there are werewolves, he isn't gonna be a part of the fight. He recalled a recent fuzzy but bad memory he had last year. Being the son of a great monster hunter isn't the best but he always wanted to be like his pops in his own way. Trying to kill a monster led him to a bad decision that almost killed him!

'Trying to kill a werewolf was not the best idea.' He thought and remembered he was dying but some miracle helped him. But he woke up to see his pops angry at him being bitten by a werewolf. He didn't turn but being bitten was like saying your future children will be monsters. Beatrice, Betty, heard the incident, and pretty much dropped their engagement.

'I can't be a mockery! You need to understand that!'

'Yeah, I do. We were never a thing.' He frowns, he heard she was engaged to some Baron of high status financially. Who would have thought humble Beatrice was very happy with money too. He came out of his thoughts when the carriage stopped and they were already stepping out. He took a deep breath and went out and noticed the strong smell of Rosemary and Lavender hit his senses and saw the gated fences were covered in Rosemary bushes.

"The lord will see you now." The head butler XR assumed bows but he could see the man wasn't pleased. "This way."

"Buzz if you don't mind, I'm gonna just take a stroll." XR stood away.

"Sure thing but don't stray too far, we'll be planning soon to trap the thing." Buzz grins.

XR hums as an answer and walks down the path of the garden and finds it's big and sees a maze out of roses. He enters and perks to see it was a real maze. He keeps wandering until he hears a humming. He perks and quietly follows to the source and and follows the humming coming from the deeper part of the woods. He quietly walks and peeks to see a man pruning the roses.

(Listen to Pan's labyrinth)

"Come to bed and close your eyes.

Now it's time to say goodnight,

So that you may dream of lands,

great lands, beyond our own.

Faun will come to take you there,

Fairies fly and touch your hair.

Joyfully the sing their songs

of your return back home.

Dream,

Dream that one day

You'll find your way

Back home.

Then you will be,

Right here with me,

Back home.

Sleep, sleep, and dream."

XR perked at the song but something about it feels familiar but he couldn't point it out.

"Mr. Rege!"

XR perked to see a little girl running to the gardener and she smiled at him. He recognized the little girl from the details but he was surprised by how young she is! 'She looks maybe 6 years old! This kid's the target?!' He wondered what was the reason but he sees her bringing the man books.

"I know you have work but can you read to me the story?" She asked.

"Of course, liliacul mic." The gardener spoke and walked with her to a path in the maze.

XR followed, feeling his gut to follow them and soon there was a beautiful weeping willow with purple flowers blooming for a fall time in the middle of the little spot. He was amazed by the work and entered what feels like a small sanctuary from the world. There were four different corners consisting of daisies, marigold, chrysanthemums and daffodils. Kinda a odd combinations but it felt this area was made for children

"What though the radiance which was once so bright

Be now forever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower?

I,

We will grieve not,

Rather find strength in what remains behind

In the primal sympathy

Which, having been, must ever be.

In the soothing thoughts that spring

Out of human suffering,

In the faith that looks through death,

In years that bring the philosophic mind."

XR turns to see the man reading away as the little girl was making flower crowns of roses free from thorns. He peeks and sees the man has dark hair but when the light hits, he can see burgundy red glistened like raw rubies. The man he could hear spoke in a British accent, but there was an undertone accent he couldn't tell from where.

"If you are going to bother the young lady with questions, I must ask that you leave."

He was startled and stepped forward to see the gardener but felt his face burning. He was shocked by the man's features and it was hard to describe. Handsome was something he couldn't even say was enough. He was really from a painting but he was amazed by the reddish brown eyes that glowed in anger.

"S-sorry, I'm Xavier R. Nebuleuse and I'm a monster hunter. Well mostly a repairman and an inventor of gadgets but ...?" XR bows a bit and looks to see the man was much different than most people. He would expect either a laugh or a mock or even be called crazy. But this guy genuinely looked impressed at him and mad.

"Seems very important as a hunter but what?" Mr. Rege spoke.

"Nothing really, just surprised that someone doesn't think I'm a lunatic." XR spoke softly.

"Do you protect monsters too?" The little girl asked from behind the man.

Looking at her, she reminded him of a little princess fairy from folktales he read as a kid. She had ginger red hair that had some orange highlights and her eyes were of some light red of sorts but he couldn't tell from the distance. He couldn't tell if this was from the cursed mark or this was genetically hers but he can see she was not healthy from his stand. Normally kids from noble families are nurtured and fed with healthy fat on their cheeks but he can see she was malnourished from the big hint on her cheekbones and the faint raccoon eyes. Heck she looks more tired than he is!

"Well sometimes but usually I come across bad monsters that try to attack people. But we do sometimes help some magical creatures on the way."

"Can you protect me then? People say I'm a monster." The little girl spoke.

This made it hit hard in his chest. "You? What? You're too nice to be bad and they're just jealous." XR kneels. "Can I ask you a question?" He can see the gardener looks tense even after seeing the little girl nod. "Wanna see something I'm working on? It's not monster hunting gear but it might be amazing." He opens his bag and pulls out what looked to be a small machine. He presses a button and sees it lit and he clears his voice. "Hi~!"

{Hi~!}

The little girl gasps and looks at him in amazement. "Is it magic

"Nope, it's a small machine. It records and replays what it hears but when you record again it deletes the original." XR can't say it was the greatest, there were tons of magical tools better than this-

"This is amazing! May I keep it? I always want to hear Mr. Rege's song but no one won't let me have a magic tool to record his song." The kid asked her and XR was surprised.

"How come?" He knows it's common but the kid looked down nervously like he asked a terrible question.

"Only the lord of the estate can answer that but it is possible that Miss Vanet cannot control or use magic." Mr. Rege spoke up. "Honestly I believe he is a coward to not let her try at least."

XR was surprised by the answer and goes through his bag and pulls out an orb. He can say it is a norm that many people can use magic but for him, he can't after being bitten by a werewolf. If you kill the werewolf that bit you, you're saved from turning but that also takes your chance at using magic. It's why he builds and makes. "How about we try it?" XR smiles. "I can't for personal and traumatic reasons but let's see if you can and don't worry I won't tell anyone, not a soul. When the orb glows it'll just glow to show how strong you are." He grins and the ki- Vanet was nervous but she nodded and hesitated but held the orb.

CRACK!

The orb cracked and he saw a red and gold color aura which he can't tell what it was but something in her cracked the orb. He never saw this happen or seen someone who has gold but usually red in the magical society, was considered to be blood magic or the old magic.

Also known as cursed magic.

He didn't want to scare the kid. "Gee! You're gonna be a great magic user." XR spoke and looked at the gardener who was quiet. Something in his gut felt off but he dismissed it as it was probably from the broken orb. He looked at Vanet but she looked scared.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to break it….!" She pleaded and looked scared and saw her holding her hands and saw from what the gloves she wore that they didn't cover were faint cut looking scars.

"It's ok but are you ok?" XR reaches to hold her hands to check and sees her pull away in fear. He then recognized those expressions and felt his blood boil. 'They're punishing her! This sweet little kid is getting punished for the smallest things!' He wanted to go in there and give the parent, tutor, whoever was doing this and give them a good word and a few hits in but he couldn't if it meant this kid could get reprimanded. He kneels down and clears his throat. "I promised you I won't tell anyone but please can I see your hands? They might have shards and I want to help you." Seeing her ready to cry really felt like a hit in the gut until the other man kneels down and hugs her.

"They will not hurt you, liliacul mic." The gardener reassures her. "I can check your hands if you want too."

XR watches and can tell the gardener was keeping her calm and watches her take the gloves off and he bites the inside of his mouth and runs to the count to give him a piece of his mind. Her hands were covered in scars, some looked old and some were looking new.

'This is too inhuman to act on a little girl.' He thought but again he had to bite back the rage and hold his hand out for her. He waited and she gave it to him and he checked to see there was a thin shard and he used his special pliers to take it out. He searched and found tidbits but soon her hands were clean of shards. He perked to see the gardener hold her hands and let go to reveal no more open wounds but her scars were a little faded.

"I am sorry it was not much." Mr. Rege spoke

XR could tell he really cares about her but he never seen the kind that was simply make no spark or glow after using magic so either Mr. Rege was great at hiding his magic or he was just the type not to show his magic since there has been illegitimate children from high class forced to hide away their origins. "You know that still helps." He smiles and sees the man's stoic features soften up but he couldn't look at him with a straight face. Just as he wanted to talk to the child, they heard someone calling for her and she hurried away.

"So… how long have you worked here?"

"Almost a few months." Mr. Rege spoke, perking XR's detective skills. "Though I am only allowed in the garden so I cannot answer most of your questions. Do you suspect me of something?"

XR felt a bit bad. "Well not exactly- you got skills better than some gardeners. Great work by the way; did you tend the Rosemaries there?"

"I planted them myself." Mr. Rege spoke as he walked off to tend to the other roses.

XR follows him, he feels he might give him a straight answer. "Did you know Rosemary wards off evil like lavender?" He looks over to the man, he sees the man was very skilled and professional but his hands for a moment were soft looking so either his hands are skilled or he's good at magic to heal his own. Most mages and sorcerers' magic has a color when used but he noticed this guy's magic was more hard to tell but even very skilled people can't hide their magic aura. He definitely knows this guy is hiding his identity. 'Could be an illegitimate child from the north, wearing a thin shirt in cold weather is a good clue.' "Are you from the north?"

"No."

XR was dumbfounded. "Are you from a noble house?"

"No. I am from Romania but I studied in Britain under my grandfather's tutelage."

He was perplexed to hear that because there weren't many nobles he heard with burgundy hair and he met them last year. Plus he would surely see a sore thumb like him there. "How long have you lived here?"

"Same as when I worked here. I am only here to find what was taken from me and I needed a job to help with living expenses and the search expenses."

XR perked. "So working here is to get some resources and information. Whatcha looking for? I might be helpful." He and Mr. Rege keep walking down; he did not notice where but seemed to be a big maze.

"It is something I cannot talk about so easily." Mr. Rege answers.

XR hums. "Is it a diamond from a family heirloom?" He can't help but find this guy's problem interesting! He knows this guy had to be from a noble family and he has this noble stature in his form even when he's just taking a simple walk. But despite the high guess, this guy was really respectful and he can't help but feel comfortable being drawn into the mysterious Mr. Rege orbit like the waves being pulled by the moon.

For a second he thought about the mark and shook it off before clearing his throat, realizing he and the gardener have walked in another small sanctuary only instead of just red roses, there were heliotrope mixed with red Gardenias in a vast garden but on the other side consisting of mixed red and pink camelia. Within them were honeysuckles and yarrows which he remembered he's seen somewhere but he can't seem to point it out. "So is this another small little haven? And how big is this maze?" He felt confused until he noticed lilacs. He tenses a bit and his head begins to throb. The last time he saw them was the night he was attacked by the werewolves. He staggered and he nearly fell back but luckily Mr. Rege caught him.

"Are you alright?"

'I'm not.' "Just a bit startled by the flowers." He replies but he was feeling a bit dazed more when he was being held up by the man. He felt melancholy before he realized he was sitting under a tree that was filled with red berries he knew he had seen before he realized where his head was laying on. He finds himself laying his head on the gardener's lap.

"I'm so sorry!" He sat up but groaned. He feels Mr. Rege gently lay him back and cover his eyes.

"It is fine with me but it seems you feel very startled by the flowers. I am sorry if they bring bad memories."

XR hoped he wasn't flustered with the man's hands. They feel so soft and tender, making him recall something but he couldn't like a dream. "I like a lot of flowers since they can be useful. It's just, lilacs feel more like a mockery to me than it is a good thing and it hurts because lilacs were something my mom loved before she died." He couldn't help but frown. "Last year, on my first night hunting werewolves, I had to do it alone but I," XR struggled a bit. "I got bitten by one and it nearly killed me. I- I never told anyone about this but… I called for help and this enchanting creature of the night came to me and I…." He stopped, remembering those red and orange jeweled eyes. "I made a deal with them that if it saved me and killed the werewolf, it could have me. The lilacs were the only thing I remembered when…. When I practically gave up my first time to the creature. I never told anyone about it but sometimes I feel like everyone thinks I did it with a werewolf."

"Were you disgusted after consummating with the entity?"

He hears the question but for some reason he couldn't stop. It was as if he had no control over his voice or his repressed feelings. "No, I don't regret it but I feel bad because I was arranged to be married but that's not what makes me feel bad. I feel bad because I loved it and I want more." He started to remember the touches and the bites.

"It was amazing to be with him." In his mind he was surprised by his own answer. "I never lay with anyone and yet it felt too good to be a dream! When morning hit, he was gone but I was worried he was… disappointed. I want to know at least if he likes it or was it just a dream?" He feels tears coming down. He can't say it was something he planned to do, he was fine never talking about it again but he couldn't help but wanting to find the creature that made him feel more than good. Internally he craved the creature, desired him so badly that he tried to remember the night but he couldn't! He craved for the creature's touch and he tried to forget it but sometimes at night alone, he felt like he tried to do it by himself but it was never enough. "I want to be with him so much and the only thing I have from him is his bite mark and…. A red moon over where my heart is." He wanted to stop but he just couldn't. "Am I wrong for it? Am I delusional?" He pleaded.

"No,"

XR heard him and felt the man comb through his hair and for a moment, he remembered the feeling. The night after they did it, the creature held onto him and caressed his head like now.

"The king of the night has longed for you so much. He yearns for your touch and taste. He even whispers for you in the dark."

XR gasps when he feels his mark pulsing. He was feeling hands on him like that night.

"He craves you as death craves life."

XR gasps and feels a hand slip in his pants.

"However, he has yet to come for you because he wants to find his child first."

XR hitched a breath when he felt the mark on his body was pulsing and lips against his palm. 'Child? He has a child?' "Then please let me find them!" He moans and feels his back against a chest and lips softly kissing his neck. "I want you! I need you!" He gasps and feels the fangs trace gently across his skin but stops.

"He will come for you when he has what he has been searching for so long. But for now, wait until then, micuțul. You helped more than anyone has~"

XR gasps when he feels the hand touch the mark and lips pressed against his-

"XR!"

XR sat up, disheveled and alert and looked up to see Buzz. "Oh hey…. How long was I out?"

"Almost a while. We had to ask the gardener and he said you entered the maze. It took me a while to find you."

"Must have been here because I knocked out while sitting under this tree." He looked up but instead of a red berry filled tree he remembered, it was the weeping willow tree. "Huh."

"Huh?" Buzz tilts his head.

XR looked around confused but his memory was a bit hazy. "Nothing." He couldn't tell Buzz he was talking to the kid or that he was having those dreams again. "What did you find out?"

"It seems like the mark from the child is from some kind of evil force."

'Lies.' XR blinked, he didn't know why but he didn't believe it was a curse. 'Not after seeing those scars. Something isn't right here and I can't remember everything again!' He also resisted touching that mark on his chest because he felt it pulsing like a wound. He didn't know why but he felt like the kid and him were somehow connected. "So, did they let you talk to the kid? It would be the perfect way to find clues."

"Unfortunately not; the parents were worried about her fainting." Buzz frowns. "It must be tough on them."

"So you guys see her at least?" XR asked.

"They showed us a family picture though it is interesting that she has her father's brown hair. Usually those with curses or enchantments hair color changes" Buzz spoke.

'Brown?' XR blinked as Buzz kept on talking and they made it out of the maze. He peeked at the gardener but when he turned, it was an old man. "Hey, how many gardener's do they have?"

"Only the old man. Why?"

"Just asking because those Rosemaries look recent." He lied but he knows the man he talked to was young and…. He can't remember his face but his right eye was …red! 'I said he was enchanting!'

"Funny, the lord and the countess want to remove the rosemary out because they didn't order those plants." Buzz was suspicious of the plants.

"I think they should keep them. It'll keep whatever attacked the kid from coming inside."

"True but I suspect these plants could be a sinister plot too. Besides, there will be more hunters coming soon so we need to destroy those plants for surprise attacks." Buzz answers but XR frowns.

"Hey imma go grab some to study then. For inventory reasons and possibly track it somehow." XR leaves Buzz's side and goes to cut some but his mind was boggled by these new facts. The gardener he talked to, never worked here, was a young man and he knew he was young! Then he can't remember the man's face, which means this person may have been not a man. 'I feel like I'm missing something-!' "Ouch!" He pulled his hand out of his bag and perked at the shard found in his bag. He raises a brow but shuffles in his bag and pulls out something else. In his bag was a lilac and a red berry he knew was not from a willow tree. He felt his head ache but that phantom touch was familiar over his chest.

'I think I met the possible suspect but how do I find… the king of the night?!' He was remembering it now!

He remembered the touch… the kiss…

He had to clear his mind and wished it was easier to ignore it but the flower and the berry felt like a clue and helped him recall the mysterious conversation. 'For now I need to just find where else there are any trees like this and maybe I'll find him. Hopefully figure out why this child is a sacrifice? Or is there something else I'm missing.' He startled at the phantom touch and shook it off. 'Focus! A child's life is at stake!" He groans and collects some Rosemaries but perks to find some kind of white liquid dripping out of the branch.

XR coughs as he feels the creature hold him to the creature's marble like chest. He watches with unfocused eyes, a pale chest cut by a silver claw.

"Drink from me, my ] and it will destroy the venom of the werewolf. It will bring you back to health."

XR struggled but he with his weakest state, licked the white blood and was slowly sucking off from the wound. He felt his body was heating up like a fire but he didn't stop and held onto the creature desperately. His body was once again feeling better and he felt the pain was gone and so was the turning.

However, he feels something swell in his body, a hunger he never knew or felt. He let's go of the creature's chest and looked into his savior's red and orange eyes and he leans up-

He blushes deeply. "I can't think about it right now…" He covers his face and keeps the branches hidden. He keeps pruning a bit more and decides to head out to town.

"Buzz I'm going to spend some time in town to get any other clues."

"OK but come back before sunset." Buzz shouted as XR leaves.

Xr goes into town to find clues but somehow he feels there's something missing.

'What is Mr. Rege?'