Chapter 271: _Searching for Orion
Steel Falcon Guild
A portal glowing with a magnificent white light opened at the centre of the compound. A few Hunters outside turned to the scene, confused and alert.
"Who could be opening a portal here?" Someone asked.
"Has anyone seen the Guild master around?"
"I didn’t hear anything about visits."
Figures stepped out of the portal.
First Ambrose, whose tears were already dried up. His face was hardened, silver eyes scouring the place the second he crossed over.
Gabriel, Devon, Viktor and even Valentine followed. Loki had stayed back to go check on Augustus, fearing he could get possessed too.
The other members of the Pantheon promised they would continue searching for the Void Entity.
Ambrose barely heard a word any of them said.
[Scanning...]
[No signs of Guild master Dorothy’s A-Rank signature anywhere.]
’There has to be something.’ Ambrose’s eyes dimmed. ’Loki said she was here this morning. If she left there must be a clue or something to let us know where.’
Devon walked up to his side just then. "Are you sure you’re up for this?" He asked softly. "You can just stay back while the rest of us—"
"I’m more than up for this," Ambrose kept on moving, his gaze settling on a Hunter he identified as B-Rank. "You. Did you see the Guild master leaving at any point today?"
The B-Rank frowned, eyeing Ambrose from head to toes. "... Aren’t you the C-Rank recruit from Phoenix Flight?" His attention wavered to the formidable men behind him.
A few of them were powerful Espers he recognised instantly.
Devon Ferguson, aka the grandson of the legendary Phoenix king. The Heir of the Morozov empire. Even the god of space himself.
What was Guide Ambrose doing amongst these monsters? And why did it seem like he was even leading them in whatever this was?
"I am." Ambrose cut to the chase, head tilting with a practiced smile. Charm aura went into full swing, slowly deconstructing whatever emotional restraints the man had toward him. "Now could you please answer my original question? It’s kinda an emergency."
The man was taken off guard, blinking erratically like there was something in his eyes. Suddenly he felt the need to answer this handsome young man’s question... regardless of how suspicious it sounded.
"Y–Yes, actually." He nodded. "I did see her."
Ambrose’s smile widened. "When?"
"S–She left around ten AM or so. I can’t remember but it was the same time when the moving people were almost done bringing in the new weapons."
"And? Do you know where she went off to?"
The Esper’s mouth parted then quickly closed. His brows knitted like he was internally realising there was something off here.
But that was no issue to Ambrose.
He simply stepped further until he was only a few feet away from the man.
"... Noah." He read out the name tag in a gentle voice. "We really need to know."
’What are you doing to him?’ Devon’s voice managed to filter into his head through their permanent link.
Equal parts uncomfortable and jealous.
’Relax.’ was his response. ’He should be talking soon.’
Valentine and Gabriel exchanged a look, also oblivious to what was happening.
Eventually, Noah shook his head with a defeated breath. "I really don’t know where she went off to." Ambrose found his previous enthusiasm disappearing. "But... there was something odd about her."
Valentine made his way to them. "Something like what?"
Whatever he lacked in charm he made up for exceedingly through the sheer unease his presence brought.
"Uhm..." The guy took a step back. "Her eyes were pitch black. I thought I was imagining things at first. Then she looked directly at me."
Noah’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
"I swear I’m not making it up," he said quickly when he noticed the expressions around him. "The moment she looked at me I felt cold all over. I even rubbed my eyes because I thought I was seeing things."
Silence settled over the group.
Ambrose, Gabriel, Devon, Viktor and Valentine all exchanged looks. The Guide beckoned the B-Rank to leave when he stayed too long.
"So," Gabriel finally broke it, "she was already showing signs before she even left."
Valentine’s crimson eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Not necessarily."
Everyone turned to him.
"If Kali’s theory is correct, then possession doesn’t happen all at once." He folded his arms across his chest. "It could have been gradual. Whatever Noah saw may simply have been the point where the Void Entity finally gained complete control."
Devon frowned. "Meaning Dorothy might’ve still been... herself before then?"
"Perhaps." Valentine nodded once. "Or perhaps she was already fighting it. Either way..." his gaze shifted back to Noah’s receding form, "he witnessed the final stage."
Ambrose clenched his jaw. "So we’re still back to square one."
No one argued with him. Because he was right.
They finally knew Dorothy had indeed been possessed.
Unfortunately... They still had absolutely no idea where she’d gone afterwards.
Gabriel exhaled through his nose before raising a hand.
"Then there’s nothing else keeping us here." Space rippled around his fingertips as familiar white light gathered between them. "We should continue the search somewhere el—"
"Wait." Ambrose’s voice stopped him.
Everyone looked toward the Guide.
He had already turned away from them, silver eyes settling on the grand manor that served as Steel Falcon Guild’s headquarters.
"If Dorothy planned anything," he murmured, "she wouldn’t leave without preparing."
Without waiting for objections, he strode toward the building.
Devon instinctively took a step after him before stopping.
Gabriel dispersed the forming portal with a flick of his wrist. The others silently watched instead of trying to stop Ambrose.
Inside, the manor was eerily quiet.
The polished wooden floors reflected Ambrose’s hurried footsteps as he made his way through familiar corridors.
He ignored the curious looks from passing staff members, climbing the staircase two steps at a time until he reached the last floor.
Dorothy’s office.
His fingers wrapped around the handle before pushing the door open.
The room looked exactly how he’d remembered it.
Bookshelves.
Awards.
Stacks of paperwork.
A polished mahogany desk.
Ambrose immediately began searching, opening drawers, scanning documents, hoping for anything that might point him toward where she’d taken Orion.
Anything at all.
"What exactly do you think you’re doing?" The voice came from behind him.
Ambrose spun around so quickly he made a chair scrape across the floor.
Aether surged instinctively through his body as his gaze locked onto whoever had just entered the office.
