Chapter 6

  Bloodline Hunt: Part 3

  Time slowed to a halt as Anna’s mind raced to analyze the situation.

  Three potential threats stood in front of her, only one was a mage. The library only had two exits. The soldiers blocked one, and the other was directly behind her, leading to a small courtyard. The back entrance was clear at the current moment, but Anna didn’t bother thinking about escaping, confident she wouldn’t get far because of her ailment.

  I can beat them. Anna narrowed her eyes and tightly balled her hands into fists.

  Both soldiers aimed their gun at the little girl and shouted,” Raise your hands in the air!” The hooded man jumped in between Anna and the armed men.

  “Whoa!” The hooded man jumped in between Anna and the armed men. “Why the hell are you guys aiming your guns at a kid?

  “We’re subduing the threat.” One of the soldiers said.

  “Threat?” The hooded man sighed. He stepped towards them and grabbed their guns, forcefully lowering them. “Since you guys are so afraid of a little girl I’ll handle her. You guys take the boy.

  Aaron trembles at the mention of his name. He backs away while looking at Anna, silently begging her to help. “S-sis.” He cried out as the soldier dragged him away.

  “Sorry about that. Most people don’t understand how magic works, and because they don’t understand,d they get nervous. Twitch a little and they’ll take that as a sign you’re casting a spell.” The hooded man chuckles a little as he approaches. Anna immediately backed away to put a decent distance between them again.

  “Who are you?”

  The hooded man's shoulders drooped. “You don’t remember me?” He places a hand on his chest as if he was hurt by the question. He flung his hood off, revealing a man with multiple piercings in his nose and ears. He had short platinum-blonde hair with pale blue eyes. “It’s me, Uncle Z.”

  Anna's eyes widen as a memory pops up of a man who was not only crazy to call himself a friend of Abaddon's family, but he even actively played with Anna and Aaron when they were younger. Although the person in Anna’s memory looked completely different than the man in front of her.

  Growing impatient, the guy let out a loud groan. “Oh, come on! There’s no way you forgot me!” Z immediately covered his mouth, realizing he was shouting in a library. Z shrinks from the dozens of eyes on him. Some were curious, most still frightened by the armed men, who left a moment ago.

  “Hey, can we talk somewhere else?”

  Before Anna could answer, Nandi pinches her dress while warily looking at the hooded man, “You don’t have to go with him.”

  Anna gave the worried girl an assuring smile. “It’ll be fine.” She removes Nandi’s hand from her dress and walks past Z and out of the library.

  “Sorry about the noise!” Z shouted as he ran out of the library. “Do you really not remember me?! I mean I know I haven’t been around lately, but still.”

  “I remember.” Anna stopped and faced him. “But you change a lot.” The Z she met in the past was a plain-looking man with dark brown hair.

  Z laughs while bashfully brushing his hand through his hair. “When you’re in love, you’ll understand. It has a way of changing people.”

  Anna examines Z silently, somewhat curious about what women found interesting in this era.

  “Hey, I know what you’re thinking!” Z points towards Anna, offended by her judgmental stare.

  “No, you don’t.” Anna quickly retorted.

  “Yes, I do! You’re thinking, ‘There’s no way this guy got a girlfriend! Aren’t you?!”

  Z pulled his phone out of his pocket and shoved it into Anna’s face. “See, that’s my girlfriend! Isn’t she beautiful?!”

  Utterly uninterested, Anna moved the phone out of her sight, not bothering to look at the picture. “Are you going to explain why you called me out here? And where do those guys take Aaron?”

  Z audibly blinked, confused by Anna’s question. His eyes widened a moment later, fully remembering why he came here. “Ah, right. Somebody came down here to interview the students here.

  “Interview? The way they burst into the library and dragged Aaron away, it looked like they were going to interrogate him.”

  “I know.” Z sighs. “Listen. I really don’t know what’s going on. Your dad suddenly called me on my day off, mind you, and gave me instructions on how to get to you guys through this interview.”

  “Do people normally come here to ask questions?”

  “There’s a lot of civilians who are interested in magic. But we normally turn them away. To avoid information from falling into enemy hands.”

  That means whoever is asking questions must be high up if they don’t get chased away. Anna thought Z chuckled to himself, watching the little girl fall deep into her thought.

  “You’re a lot like your father, and I’m not just talking about your looks. He is always in his head trying to do everything on his own.”

  “What did Aiden want to tell me?”

  “Straight to business. Also just like your father. “Z said with another sigh. “First thing first, tell me your name and age.”

  “Anna. Nine.”

  “Boring! Come on; you need to put some energy into your voice. Like this.” Z throws up two peace signs and says in a girlish tone. “Hello! My name is Anna; I’m nine years old! I’m happy to be here today~” Z said with a wink.

  A deep and awkward silence fell over the two. In the distance, a faint chuckle could be heard from the students who caught the act. Anna’s face slowly turned red, embarrassed she was even associated with the guy in front of her.

  “Did Aiden tell you to do that?”

  “No,” Z said, embarrassed. He hung his head low to hide himself from the stares. “He’s wanted me to tell you a few things. First, answer each question as truthfully as possible. Apparently, the interviewer can sense lies. Also, don’t take too long to respond. They'll ask even more questions if you hesitate to answer or lie. He told me the interview can take hours if you don’t cooperate.”

  “I’m surprised you are still calling whatever is going on an ‘interview.”

  “One more thing.” Z suddenly looked at Anna grimly. She stares back at the man, impressed he has the mental fortitude to act serious after acting like a clown.

  “Your father also said that you must say yes to the final question no matter what.”

  “Which is?” Z shrugs his shoulders.

  “He didn’t say. All he told me was that it’s important you said yes to the final question they ask.”

  Anna fell silent, wondering what the final question was or why Aiden went out of his way to warn her.

  “Looks like our time is up.” Z looked down the hall to see the two soldiers who escorted Aaron. Approaching them. “Remember what I told you.” Z gently pats Anna’s back, pushing her forward.

  “You guys can take a break; I’ll handle things from here.”

  The two soldiers silently look at each other for a moment before letting the two pass. They follow behind the two mages.

  The two soldiers turn what should’ve been a quick and quiet walk into a tense one. The armed men warily watched the mages like they were feral animals that might lunge at them at any moment.

  “Don’t worry,” Z whispered. “They won’t do anything as long as I’m here.”

  “And what about Aaron? You let them take him away.”

  “Don’t worry,” Z repeated. Although the more he was, the more Anna worried. As long as he follows my advice he’ll be alrigh-“ Z’s voice faded away. Both mages stopped the moment they turned the corner.

  At the end of the hallway was a lone wooden door that gave off a foreboding aura. However, what worried the two mages the most was Aaron, curled into a ball right by the door.

  “Keep moving!” A soldier barked as he shoved the two mages forward. Anna glares back at the two. Both soldiers aim their guns at the mage. “Try something. I’m confident I can pull this trigger faster than both of you can say hocus pocus.”

  Anna stared into the barrel of the gun. In an instant, her mind simulated her taking the gun and shooting both men. Before her body could enact the plan, she felt someone grabbed her.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Just listen to them,” Z said as he tightened his grip on her to hold her in place. Anna smacked his hand off her and turned her ire towards him. The harsh words that almost left her mouth faded when she saw Z clench his teeth tightly to hold back his anger.

  “Fine.” Anna took a breath to calm herself. She reluctantly approached the door, taking one last look at the shivering boy one last time before entering the room.

  The smell of lavender hit her nose the moment she entered the room. The inside of the room was bare.

  “Ah, you finally made it.” A woman with brunette hair wrapped in a tight bun sat in the center of the bare room, typing something onto a laptop.

  Anna's attention went from the brunette to the familiar redhead who almost stood perfectly still in the corner of the room.

  “Sit down.” The woman spoke with such confidence and authority that, for a moment, Anna thought she was the academy's headmaster. Anna obediently sat in the chair, looking the woman up and down, searching for anything that might’ve associated her with one of her enemies.

  “Have you settled down?” The woman asked, her eyes never leaving her computer.

  “Sure.” Anna shrugged her shoulders.

  “Good.” The woman finally tore her eyes from her laptop. She focused her piercing brown eyes on the little girl in front of her. “My name is Jeze. My company’s job is to ensure all the children in our wonderful little country are physically and mentally healthy. We accomplish this by speaking to a few students and each school to get a sense of whether they’re in a healthy environment.

  “So, you just happen to randomly pick me and my brother out of everyone in this academy?”

  “Indeed, you’re quite lucky. Not many people get to taste my homemade cookies.” Wearing a half smile, Jeze slid a container filled with cookies over to Anna. “It’s peanut butter.”

  “I’m fine.” Anna pushes the container away from her. Still smiling, Jeze handed the cookie over to Claire. “You have been standing there for quite a while. You must be hungry.” Claire glanced at the sweets before turning her attention back to the two.

  “Fine, more for me.” Jeze shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a clipboard. “I’m going to ask you a few questions. If you ever start to feel uncomfortable or want me to stop, let me know, okay?”

  Anna nodded. She straightened her back, preparing herself for whatever had traumatized Aaron.

  “First question; How are you enjoying your school life, Abaddon?” For the briefest of moments, Anna's world froze. It took a preternatural amount of willpower for Anna to keep her face from even twitching from the question.

  “Abaddon? I think you might be confused. I’m Anna.”

  “Ah, right. Sorry, it seems like I made a mistake.” Jeze let out a dry laugh as she wrote something on her clipboard. “I read a lot about your family. I can’t help but wonder, how do people treat you? Your great, great, great, great, well, your ancestor attempted to kill the gods, and you know, you’re living in a country where one of them is worshiped. I’m assuming a lot of people here are not a fan of you.”

  “I’ve been stuck at home for most of my life because of my illness. So, I haven’t been around many people. But so far, everyone has been treating me well.”

  Jeze rapidly jotted on her clipboard as Anna talked. “An illness that prevents you from leaving home. That must suck.” Jeze said, her eyes never leave her note. As soon as Jeze finished writing, she leaned forward, her dark brown eyes twinkling with curiosity.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry; it’s just that your family history is so interesting. Your ancestor was an emperor, you know? Which means technically you’re a princess.”

  “Really? I don’t feel like it.” Anna answers as innocently as possible.

  Jeze chuckles slightly. “Tell me, Anna, how do you feel about Eris?”

  Answer truthfully. Z’s words echo in Abaddon’s mind.

  Anna stopped for a second to think about the question. “I find it interesting they preach about freedom, yet so many kids here are forced to be in the military.”

  “Do you hate her?”

  “Should I?”

  “Think about it, if it wasn’t for Celestials. You would’ve been more than just some sick girl. You would’ve been a princess of a country, possibly the entire continent. They took away a bright future from you; doesn’t that upset you?”

  “I see no point being angry about something that happened so long ago. All I care about is the future.” Anna answered truthfully, confident she could rebuild her kingdom again.

  “Fourth question; Have you ever heard a voice in your head or had a dream that felt like someone was trying to reach out to you?”

  Anna’s heart stopped for a moment. Her mind races with speculation, but her face remains stoic as she calmly speaks. “A dream?” Anna tapped her head pretending she was thinking about the question. “Dreams are hard to remember. I had a dream I dated an actor.”

  “I see,” Jeze said as she continued to scribble something on her clipboard while asking questions. Most of which seemed focused on her heritage. Anna quickly realizes that the questions were designed to get a reaction out of Abaddon.

  Anna thanked Aiden as she answered each question. Confident if she didn’t get a warning beforehand, she most certainly would’ve given herself away.

  About half an hour later, Jeze finally put down her clipboard. She leans back in her chair and lets out a relieved sigh as she stretches. “That’s about everything.” Anna’s shoulders drop as the tension leaves her body. Jeze chuckles, seeing how relieved the little girl looks.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to exhaust you. Since you told me so much about yourself, it’s only fair if I told you a little bit about me. As you already know, I’m a sort of an investigator, but you probably didn’t know that I’m also a mage.”

  Anna’s eyes glow faintly as she examines the woman to confirm if it is true. A soft, barely visible energy flows around and through her body.

  “To be more specific, I’m a specialist. Do you know what a specialist is, Anna?”

  “No, I haven’t learned that yet.” A wide smile spread on Jeze’s face as she stood up.

  “Most mages are trained to be proficient in at least three or four schools of magic to have a versatile set of skills on the battlefield. Specialists, on the other hand, train to master one skill. I am an enchantment specialist. Specifically, I specialize in delving into people's memories.”

  As Jeze spoke, she slowly made her way around the desk. The smell of lavender grew stronger as she approached Anna. “This leads me to my final question. Can I read your memories?” Anna froze. The question nearly destroyed her fa?ade.

  “Don’t worry. I have no intention of prying too deeply. I just want to see your school life. It’ll help me get a better understanding of the environment. Of course, if you feel uncomfortable, we can stop here.” Aiden’s message flashed in Anna’s head, stopping her from saying no and leaving.

  “If it helps with your research, I don’t mind.”

  Jeze smiled grew wider as she gleefully turned to Claire.

  “Claire, as a witness to this interview, do you believe the interviewee, Anna, was manipulated or forced to agree to have her memories searched?”

  “No, Anna, of her own free will, consented to have her memories scanned,” Claire said robotically.

  “Thank you, Claire.” Jeze let out a content sigh. “Sorry about that. When you have the power to mess with a person’s mind, you need a witness to prove that I didn't force you to do something against their will. Now, where were we?” Jeze placed one of her knees in Anna’s chair and leaned forward until her face almost touched the little girl’s. Her eyes became cloudy as she murmured something under her breath. Mana gathered to her forehead, taking the form of a translucent tendril.

  “!” Anna let out a yelp and threw herself backward to get away. Jeze grabbed her shoulders to hold her still.

  “Relax, this will only hurt a little,” Jeze whispered. Anna dug her nails into the armrest to keep herself from running.

  The tendril phases into Anna’s head. A searing headache washed over her as she dug something into her mind, forcing her to remember the time she was bedridden because of her illness, her first crush, and all the time she spent with her family. All these memories flashed in her mind along with something else.

  “Please, my lord, you need to rise.”

  No! Abaddon fought through the pain and pulled memories of his past life away from the invader. Using nothing but his will, he threw his current memories before the invader to hide his previous life.

  After a few agonizing seconds, Jeze pulled away, and the tentacle on her forehead dissipated into tiny particles of light.

  Anna observed the woman searching for the tiniest change in her demeanor, wondering if she saw any of her past memories.

  Jeze walks back to her desk, her expression unreadable. “You can go now.” She waves the little girl away while typing something onto her laptop.

  Head still pounding, Anna stood up and slowly walked out of the room, debating whether she should leave or kill the woman.

  “Hey, are you okay?!” Anna brushed past Z and continued down the hall, her mind full of questions.

  They know I’m alive! How do they know I’m alive? They even knew about the dream I had. Anna stopped, realizing everything the person in the dream said was true. She shivered at the realization wondering if she should listen to the dream and wait for them to find her.

  “No.” Anna shook her head swiftly shutting the idea down. There were too many unknowns around the voice in the dream for her to consider it an ally, plus she wasn’t confident that she could handle any more mind probing from the investigator.

  Resolved began to flow through Anna as she swiftly decided to deal with the current situation before anything else could further complicate her already complicated predicament.

  If that lady keeps trying to discover my original identity. I’ll have to kill her before that person in the dream finds me.

  .

  .

  .

  The sounds of clicking echo through the small dark room. The only source of light was the screen from Jeze’s laptop. “Hm,” She groans as she rubs her eyes; tired from staring at the bright screen for so long.

  “You know, you can sit down if you want.” Jeze looked back at Claire, who was still standing in the corner. Jeze would’ve thought Claire was a statue if it weren't for the occasional blinking. You’ve been standing there for a few hours. Aren’t you tired?”

  “I’ll leave my position once the headmaster returns.”

  “My, aren’t you a good girl?” Jeze swung her chair around, finding the stoic girl her more interesting than continuing her report. “You would do anything for this headmaster?”

  “If it’s in the realm of possibility.”

  “Such loyalty. Is it because he saved you from the Red Labs?”

  Claire’s body twitches at the mention of the project. Jeze scooted closer to Claire, ecstatic to see her poker face cracked.

  “You looked surprised. Don’t worry. I didn’t look up much. I prefer to hear it from your mouth.”

  “That’s confidential.”

  “Aw, c’mon, you can tell me a little bit, can’t you.” Jeze leans in closer, sensing a bit of anger in Claire’s voice. “We spent so much alone time in this room; doesn’t that make us friends?”

  Light spilled into the room as the door suddenly swung open. The excitement building within Jeze immediately vanished when she saw the overweight man wearing a bright smile walk into the room.

  “Sorry, I’m late. You’re free to go, Claire.”

  Without a word, Claire brushed past Jeze, leaving the room. The warm smile from Ozlan vanished the moment Claire shut the door. “I appreciate it if you didn’t bully my subordinates.”

  “I can’t help it. Whenever I see something cute, I want to hurt it, badly. Like that girl, Anna, ah, I wish I could’ve had some alone time with her.” Jeze's body shivered at the wild thought running through her mind.

  “Speaking of Anna, are you done with your investigation?”

  “Ha! Of course not!” Jeze laughed as she turned her attention back to her laptop. Ozlan slams it shut.

  “What was the point of interrogation then?” Jeze tilted her head, confused by the question.

  “Do you think Abaddon would reveal himself if I asked a few questions?”

  “What about the memory examination?”

  “Unreliable. The further back I looked, the vaguer the memory becomes. The memory test is more designed to get a reaction out of the subject. Guilty people tend to violently lash out when I try to check their memory.

  Ozlan rubbed his temple, exhausted at the thought he must deal with her a bit longer. “You seriously don’t think one of those kids is the Mad Emperor?”

  “Oh, Ozlan, you should know by now. It doesn’t matter what we think. Our job is to follow our lord’s orders. Your job is to groom these talented children into weapons to be used against other Celestials’ champions. While mine is to sniff out any threats to the current state of our world.”

  “That may be the case but remember this…” Ozlan’s voice became colder as he talked. These children are under my protection if you hurt them. I don’t care who you work for. The person you’ll be answering to is me.” The headmaster stormed out of the room. Leaving Jeze behind with his ominous warning.

  “How scary. Looks like the coldhearted colonial still alive somewhere underneath all that blubber.” Jeze chuckled. “As much as I like to see the chubby old man jiggle with rage, I should focus on my work. After all, the investigation has just begun.”