𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 [𝘼𝙐 𝙕𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙘𝙝𝙞 +18]

6: Lament

"Do you want to be here or do you prefer to leave?" Zhongli asked, his golden eyes boring into his blue ones. Childe looked away at the covered corpse of the girl, falling silent. He didn't feel sad about the fact that she had died, she had tried to kill them and she decided to throw herself into the void instead of turning herself in. Perhaps, it was a bit insensitive to think that way, but it was the truth. He noticed how Zhongli and the coroners were looking at him, making him a little nervous. He wobbled on his spot, clicking his tongue and dropping his gaze to the ground.

"I'm off to your office," he mumbled, starting to walk towards the exit, and with both hands still tied he opened the door and left, shutting it behind himself.

He sighed, looking down the long hallway he had walked through earlier with the brunet man. He wasn't quite sure about his ability to make it to Zhongli's office on his own, but it was not like he had any other options. Though there was always the option of getting lost, but he wasn't looking forward to that, especially considering how grand the stupid building was.

Childe started walking towards the elevators, trying as hard as he could to remember the floor where the office was located. Zhongli had pressed the button on his way up the first time, but he hadn't figured out exactly which one he had hit. Maybe five? Or had it been seven? But four also seemed very likely to him... He gasped in frustration, frowning as he continued to move forward, the sound of his shoes echoing along the corridor. There was no one there, and everything was eerily quiet. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, so he was glad to see that the corner they had crossed earlier was getting closer and closer.

When he finally reached the elevators he pressed the button and as soon as the door opened, he entered, directing his gaze to the panel where all the buttons were. He gulped, bringing his hands closer as he stood still for a few seconds, inspecting the numbers on each floor, hoping one of them could give him the divine inspiration he needed to guess which one was the correct floor.

Why did he not notice? Or why did he not ask Zhongli before leaving? He had no idea, he was too uncomfortable in that lab to wonder about such things.

Childe pursed his lips, pressing the number seven button.

"Let it be that one please," he whispered, watching as the doors closed and the elevator began to rise.

He didn't want to be hovering around the building; after all, these people knew who he was. Or well, they knew what they wanted to see. To them, he was a serial killer who was supposedly under constant surveillance, but here he was, on the loose, and headed for the office of the man who was responsible for him at the time.

Zhongli had given him direct permission, but who would believe that? It was the worst excuse anyone could think of, one that was screaming from the rooftops ' a lie ' — despite it being the plain truth.

The doors opened as soon as the elevator stopped. Childe walked out of the booth, surveying the floor he was on. The windows were tinted black and hardly any light came in, the overhead lights were the only source of illumination. The decoration was non-existent.

Childe swallowed hard, turning on his heels to return to the elevator but he caught his breath once he spotted a man a few inches taller than him; he had short blue hair, glasses, light blue eyes, and was wearing a navy blue suit along with some insignia, which indicated that he was someone important. What the hell did Childe get himself into?

The stranger looked down at the handcuffs, smiling slightly.

"You are Ajax, aren't you?" Childe tensed, pressing his lips together. "Shouldn't you be with Agent Zhongli?" he questioned, locking Childe's eyes with his, his tone sounding falsely friendly.