Daegelus | Volume One: Subject 0333

Chapter Thirty-Five | Illusion

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When the jet landed on the airstrip, Jake reluctantly picked up the wrapped, severed arm while Zoe thanked the pilot and stewardess. Then, the girl led the way outside, and Elijah followed. He glanced around at the fences blocking the area off from the forest of cypress and oak trees, and there was a dirt road that looked to be the only clear path to get to the city, which he could see over the trees.

"Why do I have to carry this?" Jake complained, grimacing as he held the arm as far away from himself as he could.

"Well, I don't want to," Zoe exclaimed irritably.

Jake grunted in response.

Zoe then looked up at Elijah. "I think that...it's probably best if you don't go into The Darkness again until we know who this Maverick person is," she warned him.

"I don't plan on going back there anyway," the demon muttered. "Let's go."

With a nod, Zoe started leading the way towards the dirt road. "This place is a lot louder than Dawnward," she said, glancing back at Elijah. "There's a lot of music and people partying and dancing in the streets."

"That's why people call it the city that never sleeps. Literally 24/7 party, man," Jake said enviously.

"I find it a little weird that it's so loud, though; there's a Caeleste Consulate not too far out the city, which means there's a big Nosferatu presence here, and—"

Elijah stopped walking and scowled down at her. "Why didn't you mention that before?"

She halted, too, and turned to face him. "I...didn't think it would matter. It's just the Străjer. They're kind of like police, and they make sure that the humans and Caeleste are getting along and stop any fights from breaking out...that sort of thing. They're not gonna recognize you or anything; it's a completely different division."

He wasn't sure whether he believed her. He still didn't trust the Nosferatu, and he didn't want them involved, least of all seeing and recognizing him.

"She's right, dude," Jake chimed in. "The Străjer are literally like the lowest of the lowest on the Nosferatu henchmen list. They probably don't even know that the people they're working for are looking for Lyca Corp."

Zoe rolled her eyes but said, "They honestly probably don't."

He still didn't feel entirely convinced, but he was wasting time standing there, so he sighed quietly and mumbled, "Whatever. Keep moving."

Zoe continued along the dirt road beside Jake, and Elijah followed. There wasn't much to see other than trees and the occasional fox or deer. It smelled like cypress and pine, and the distant scent of pollution mixed with that of several different cooking foods filled his nostrils—it wasn't very pleasant.

The traffic grew louder as they approached the tree line, and the commotion of people echoed loudly. Through the thinning trees, Elijah saw towering glass buildings and flashing billboards. He did his best to prepare himself for the crowds and trailed behind Zoe and Jake as they stepped out of the forest and emerged onto a sidewalk.

"So, we have to head to the city centre," Zoe said, leading the way across the road and into the city. "There's an alley like...in between a curiosity store and I think a café."

"You think?" Elijah questioned.

"I haven't seen a video about it in a while," she mumbled.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again," Jake said as he tossed the wrapped arm into a trash bin. "Don't you have photographic memory? If your dads do, then you surely do, too."