CHAPTER 149: WHERE IS SHE?

Ophis stared at the door for a long moment after Raphael left.

She could actually see... truly see, that Raphael was hurt far more than she had let show on the outside.

Her lips pursed, her face turned into a frown as she clenched her small fists. She couldn’t just stand there doing nothing. With determined steps, she walked toward Leo’s room, her expression set with a seriousness.

Thud!

She pushed the door open, blurting before she could stop herself. "Little boy! You have some nerve to talk back—"

But her voice faltered.

Leo sat on the chair in the corner of his room, hunched forward, his fists pressed against his knees. His eyes were shut tight, his body trembling as silent tears slipped down his face.

He wasn’t shouting, wasn’t fighting... he was just crying quietly, as though he didn’t want the world to hear.

Ophis’s eyes widened in surprise. The anger she had brought with her melted away in an instant. Her expression softened, her steps slowing as she moved closer. "...Little boy?"

Leo lowered his head even further, turning away, as if hiding from her gaze. He didn’t want her to see his face like this, not now, not when he was breaking.

Ophis stretched a hand toward him carefully, but before she could touch him—

"Go to sleep," he muttered. His voice was wet, fragile in a way she had never heard from him.

"Little boy, you can tal—"

"JUST GO TO SLEEP!" His voice snapped louder.

Ophis flinched, her hand hovering in the air. For a moment, she wanted to push, to insist, but her courage faltered. Slowly, her fingers curled back to her palm, and she stepped away from him. Quietly, she climbed onto the bed, lying down with her back turned. Her eyes squeezed shut, her body stiff.

She waited, listening to his shallow breaths, hoping he might calm, that he might let her back in. But he never moved. He just sat there.

Ophis sighed softly, a helpless sound, before finally sleeping... after all she dealt with a lot of things today, school.

Leo remained in the chair. The minutes bled into hours.

Almost midnight.

Ding~Dong

The clock chimed. Leo flinched at the sound, his body stiffening. Slowly, his face hardened. His eyes slid toward the bed, where Ophis lay curled up, sleeping peacefully.

In the bathroom, he splashed cold water over his face, scrubbing away the tearstains. When he raised his head, the mirror reflected bloodshot eyes, rimmed with exhaustion. He stared at himself for a long moment, then let out a long, weary sigh.

Back in his room, he changed into dark clothes—quiet, perfect for blending into the night. He moved with deliberate silence, every motion cautious so as not to wake Ophis.

Finally, he slipped out of the house, closing the door with barely a whisper.

The streets were empty at this hour, the city asleep.

Leo walked alone, his footsteps echoing softly against the pavement. In his hand, he carried a folded city map. On its surface, several spots had been marked with small, sharp X’s, drawn in pen.

What was he doing in the middle of the night?

And it was clear from his steady pace, from the worn creases of the map—it wasn’t his first time.

"So far... these are the points that had traces of dark energy," he muttered to himself. His eyes scanned the map, "But I couldn’t find her anywhere."

For days now, Leo had been chasing something. He had followed the faint trails of corrupted mana, scattered like stains across the city. Each place he visited held only fragments... traces of something vile.... And sometimes, the aftermath was far worse.

Half-eaten bodies.

And the news... he had seen it too... The mysterious deaths at night.

Of course, he knew who it was. He didn’t need anyone to tell him. Those bodies, drenched in that same dark energy, were proof enough.

Which meant... that she too was here somewhere, hiding in the shadows, hurting people.

But the problem was... the points where he had found the bodies, and the traces of dark energy, weren’t scattered randomly. They were clustered, as though circling around a particular area. Yet no matter how many times he checked, no matter how carefully he observed... it was perfectly clean.

No abnormal activity.

"Tsk... just where could they be hiding?" he muttered in an annoyed tone, snapping the map shut in frustration. His boots carried him toward the latest mark—the place where he had discovered a body just the night before.

Suddenly, a flash of red-blue light cut across the dark street. Leo flinched, his body instinctively stiffening. He turned his head quickly. A small shop stood nearby, its warm glow spilling onto the road. Without a second thought, he moved toward it, slipping inside.

"Welcome, sir!" the shopkeeper greeted with a wide smile.

Leo nodded, forcing his lips into a polite curve while his eyes flickered nervously toward the light outside. The patrol car was getting closer. "I need a..." He let his gaze roam across the shelves, buying himself seconds of cover. His eyes landed on something, and he pointed casually. "Give me that..."

"Okay, sir." The shopkeeper turned, reaching for the packed juice. Leo paid and immediately took a sip as his eyes darted here and there.

The car screeched to a stop outside. Tires squealed, and the harsh glow of the red-blue lights washed over the shopfront. The window rolled down, revealing an officer’s hardened face.

"Have you not been told?" The officer’s tone was grumpy, sharp: "No one is permitted to stay outside at night."

The shopkeeper froze, his body stiff. He chuckled awkwardly, his voice trembling. "I... I’m sorry, officer. But... I really need the money. I have to take care of my family. I don’t have another choice."

The officer snorted, leaning against the car door with a sly smirk. "So you don’t value your life, huh? If you’re so eager to die... why not become bait for us to catch the killer?"

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. He bowed quickly, nodding like a frightened bird pecking at grain. "I—I’ll immediately close the shop, your honour!"

"Good." The officer’s eyes narrowed, shifting away from the shopkeeper. They landed on Leo. His face was partly shadowed, his posture stiff, as he quietly sipped the drink.

"Oi. Show me your fa—"

Suddenly, the officer’s radio crackled,

Alert! Another body was found in Sector 23. Repeat—Sector 23.

The officer’s hand shot to the wheel. Without another word, he slammed his foot on the pedal. The car roared down the road, lights flashing, sirens faint in the distance.

Leo exhaled slowly, shoulders sagging in momentary relief. "Night patrol... ah." His voice was low, thoughtful. Things were getting serious. And worse—what if they found her before him?

Would they kill her?

He swallowed, forcing the lump down. He needed to find her first. Before they did.

"Losers..." the shopkeeper muttered suddenly, a sly laugh curling from his lips. "Haha... they’re looking in the wrong place."

Leo’s head turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"

The shopkeeper placed another drink but asked triple the price.... Leo quickly paid, sliding the money across.

As the coins clinked, the shopkeeper leaned forward, lowering his voice until it was almost a whisper.

"Just to tell you the truth," he said, his tone hushed and conspiratorial, "yesterday, while I was working... I saw a big, dark figure. It was dragging someone into the sewage."

Leo’s eyes widened, "Sewage?" He blinked... He hadn’t even considered that path.

The shopkeeper nodded firmly, his eyes glinting. "Yes. I think the killer might be hiding there."

"Then why didn’t you inform the police?" Leo asked.

The shopkeeper only shrugged his shoulders, "If I told them, they would either not believe me... or drag me into their mess. I’m a family man. No way in hell I want to deal with this shit."

Leo’s eyes narrowed, his gaze hard, condemning. "Then why are you keeping your store open at this hour? I don’t think anyone would come and buy at this time."

The shopkeeper chuckled, a sly grin twisting his lips. "Then what about you?" he shot back with a smirk.

Leo blinked, caught for a second, then shook his head in exasperation.

"Haha... also, it’s not like I’m selling only these items." The man rubbed his palms together, and with a smooth, careful motion, he revealed a small packet—fine, white powder glimmering faintly in the shop’s light. "There are things that are only sold at night," he added with a wink, his grin sharp.

Leo frowned for a second, his nose wrinkling, then realised. His expression shifted, and he gave a dry, dismissive smile. "I’m a minor... so nope."

"Oi! Wait!" the shopkeeper called quickly, leaning forward. "I’ll give you an offer! Twenty percent off!"

But Leo had already turned his back, ignoring him.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he caught sight of another man slipping into the store. Then another, moving like shadows, avoiding the patrol’s light.

Leo’s brows lifted slightly, surprised, ’They’re really betting their lives both ways... buying that poison under the Monster’s nose,’ he thought with a sharp breath.

He shook his head, lips pressing thin, before his expression hardened again as his eyes turned toward the nearest sewage access.

Meanwhile...

Raphael sat slumped in her chair, her desk covered with documents and papers, though none of them moved. She didn’t read a single line. Her eyes weren’t on the pages—they stared blankly at the wall, unfocused, as though trapped in a different world entirely.

Her mind replayed the scene again and again, torturing her.

"Just a fucking... Orph—"

Even though he hadn’t said it completely, it was enough. Her hands, resting on the table, curled weakly into fists as tears welled up.