Eternal Life ( Mephisto x Reader )

9. Third area

   Three days in Kōtō ; nothing. Once every day, each team came back unsuccessful. I was growing worried. And sad for the families whose relatives we were looking for. A group of incompetent exwires, that was all Johann Faust had sent them...

    Friday. The area Nako, Rin and I were searching was quiet. No screams, no strange noises. A dumpster, litter scattered around ; a bulb was crackling in one of the apartments above. I felt sorry for whoever lived here. 

   This was where the first victims had vanished. From what we knew – what Mephisto had shared, anyway – there was no connection between the three disappearances. However, it was likely there would be more during our time in Kōtō... I just hoped we would be able to learn something from them ; better, put an end to them.

   Our three phones rang at the same time. I shook my head a little, forcing myself to focus. I looked down at the screen. 

- What is it ? Nako wondered out loud, taking her phone out too.

- Must be about the mission. Rin frowned.

"New disappearances

3rd team area

Be careful"

   The sender read 'True Cross Academy'. In other words, Mephisto. I looked up at my friends. I knew that Rin was close to Shiemi in the third team. I knew what he would say next. 

- We have to go check on them !

   Just as I had predicted, he turned his head to the bus stop, feet from us, and took a step forward. 

- No we don't, I retorted and grabbed his arm. This is an important moment. We must be even more careful in our own area.

- If the person has been reported missing, then they vanished some days ago... Nako thought aloud, ignoring us. Did you guys notice anything wrong ? They could have disappeared here, despite living in the 3rd area.

   Which would imply a connection between those places we had been surveilling. Not impossible, I thought.

- I don't remember anything, Rin mumbled.

- Neither do I... I said. I don't think they were here. Do you have anything in mind, Nako ?

- Well, except the fire yesterday, I have no idea...

- We told Yukio about it, he didn't seem to care.

- True, there were no victims, I confirmed.

   We stayed silent for a moment, thinking. There was something to Nako's idea I could not quite shake off, but I could not link it to the news. Could someone have disappeared in the fire ? After all, the rescue team had found no victim in the rubble... 

   I shivered. Flames. Orange smoke. We had seen nothing.