Demon's Reborn

Chap 12

Luigi found himself standing again before the mansion which is the last place he visited with  Venice before. It's still beautiful and neat. And it's obvious from the trims on the flowers and bushes that someone had been tending to them. He commuted going there. It would be too risky if he uses any of his car. Slowly, he walked towards the heavy wooden double door and read the label above it. Who would've thought that the gates of hell in the poem is pertaining to a door carved with the representation of Garden of Eden? So ironic, he thought and knocked on the door using the metal rings held by the bronze lion sculpture nailed at the door. He waited then knocked again, this time louder. Has Persephone left already?

He walked around the mansion to find a way in. At the backside, he saw the door open before the veranda at the second floor. He made is way up and in without creating much noise, and slowly, he opened every door. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the lady sleeping peacefully while soaking in the tub. He immediately turned around and walked away when he realized she's naked. After defusing the heat on his face, he went back and was more surprised to see her crying in fear while holding a gun with her shaking hands. She's no longer in the tub and is now standing before her covered with white robe. The gun fell off the moment she realized who it was.

How am I to react? I solved the puzzle and got here. Then I found Yleine—did she really steal the seal too? Should I be mad at her? Damn it! I can't decide!

"W-what a-are you--?" "I was summoned here by Persephone," Luigi cut off after kicking the gun away. "Persephone?" Yleine asked clueless then Luigi grabbed her hand furiously. "What are you doing here? Do you have the seal? Where did you get it? Were you--" he stopped for a moment after seeing terror in Yleine's face. "Answer me!" "I w-was only sent h-here," she answered, her tears are nonstop from falling. "By who?" "I d-don't know" "What do you mean you don't know?" he asked without no intention to let go of her even if he knows he's already hurting her.

"I-I was only given money, the key to this house, a short letter with the address of this place, and a piece of paper with a strange symbol in it. I don't know who gave it to me. When I woke up from the streets, the envelope is already in front of me wrapped with cloth. If you want to see it then I'll show it to you," she told him quickly and clearly as she tries to bear the pain from her wrist. "Show it to me." Yleine led him into her room and took out everything she mentioned from the drawer of the study table. She was ordered to just sit on the bed as Luigi takes his time examining those things.

She's telling the truth and the letter is also handwritten. It's so familiar he's confident he knows who owns the penmanship. The piece of paper with the symbol was also the same thing that vigilante showed them. The key, he found nothing peculiar to it. He didn't even glance at the money too. He also found other letters in the drawer and all of them are orders. It all pertains to a video clip and how she should take it, copy it, and then give it back. Luigi is still not satisfied and searched the whole bedroom only to find those clothes and shoes he bought for her, the containers of the medicines he bought for her, her old ragged clothes, and a few bullets that she pulled out from her body.

Before going downstairs to search, he tied Yleine's hands and feet so she won't be able to escape. He searched every room and double checked the other rooms upstairs, even the attic. He found nothing that will lead to the person he's looking for. If there's anything else that could help him, it would be Yleine. But he doubts she could really help him. She was just hired and bribed by the person who has that seal. If Yleine were a secret agent, she would've done things differently, unless she's a great actress. He still can't trust her now. When he got back to the room, she's already asleep. The round of her eyes are red tired from crying and her mouth looked dry maybe from her frequent hiccups. The surrounding of the ropes on her limbs too are already discolored.

Luigi doesn't have the intention to loosen it even for a bit. She might take it as an advantage and escape again. She won't die soon from those, he thought. Then all of a sudden, he became unconscious after seeing the masked man from before. Faile.