After fighting, the Phantom dissolves into a black ink puddle.

"Okay, yeah. I see now that thing didn't look like Grim at all..." Epel saus.

Vil sighs, "Good grief. You must be better about reining in your impulses."

"We've been seeing more Phantoms out and about. It would appear the lower levels are thawing now," Rook says.

"I wonder where Grim is. I just hope he didn't get attacked by a Phantom..." Epel wonders in concern.

"I hope not," Briar says, concerned.

"It would be really bad if Grim was attacked by one," Sereia says, worried.

But reassure, "Worry not. He's a clever, plucky boy, for all his faults. I'm sure he's hiding and staying out of trouble."

"Though imagine if I opened a can of tuna right now, the noise would bring him runnig," Vil says.

"Wish I'd brought a can of his favorite tuna with me..." Briar says.

"Yeah, Grim should be able to find it in seconds," Sereia says.

Then Epel says, "Oh yeah, speaking of Grim. Vil, you and Briar said you never saw him when you were in Styx HQ, right? ugh the next area.

"That's right. We have no idea where they kept him at. All we know, it was somewhere in Styx HQ."

Then Vil says, "I imagine they suspected he was under the influence of blot when he attacked. Though if he was supposed to depart with us tomorrow morning... Perhaps they couldn't identify any link between blot and his going berserk after SDC.

"Grim is a direbeast," Rook says, "No matter how accustomed an animal becomes to humans, they can always revert back to their feral roots. It's not something they could control even if they wanted to. It's pure instinct. But the same could be said of humans, for reason is as fragile and unreliable as a sheet of thin ice."

Then turns to Briar, "Briar, when Grim injured you...I think it's very likely that his violent-or should I say beastly -display wasn't a conscious choice on his part."

"I know, but still..." Briar says, and looks at his injury, "I still need to find him. I'm worried.

"Don't worry Briar, we'll find him," Serai says.

"I know," Briar says.

Then Epel says, "I agree with Rook. After all, you've spent more time with Grim than anyone else on campus, Sweets. You're a package deal as a student. ll you once we're through the next area. I hope you two are reunited soon."

"You're right," Briar says with a nod.

Then Rook says, "Actually, Briar, was Grim taking good care of his claws before all this?"

"Huh?" Briar says, confused.

Then Rook says, "The average domestic cat is around 50 centimeters long and even they need their nails regularly clipped. If not, they can grow so long they can hurt people by accident. And Grim is a 70 centimeter long direbeast. His claws will need even more looking after if he's to live with humans.

"Nail care is just as important for humans, you know," Vil says, "Letting your nails just grow without tending to them at all is unacceptable. It's not just unfashionable; it's unsanitary. Conversely, neat, clean nails give off a sense of refinement. You'd better make sure you tend to yours, Briar says.

Briar giggles, "Okay okay, but it's going to be difficult. You know how stubborn Grim could be."

"That's true," Epel replies.

Rook chuckles and says, "Heh heh heh. Premember that once Vil and I were better acquainted, the first thing he told me to do was take care of my nails."

"Of course I did. Your hands were in an abysmal state," Vil says. They were callused from gripping your bow string, not to mention completely dry and cracked.

"I hardly paid attention to them, since I typically wear gloves," Rook says, " Then you told me that the spots not visible to others are the ones we must tend to most of all."

That's when Epel remembers, "Oh, that reminds me, what happened when you two first met? You started to tell us about it at Ramshackle, but then the Charons busted in. I've been wondering about it ever since.

"Oh, right... I did mention that, didn't 1?" Vil says. It's nothing too terribly exciting.

"I'm still curious about hearing it," Briar says.

"Me too," Sereia says.

Trinket also nods in reply.

"Well, if you insist," Vil says.

And bgins to say, "Rook and I first spoke with one another a few months after we started school. I can't say he gave a very good first impression..." But soon notices something ahead, "Oh look."

Everyone soon turns to see another door.

"The next containment facility is coming up," Vil says.

Epel replies, frustrated, "Aww, man! But you were just getting started!

"Making it through the containment facilities and reaching the Underworld is more pressing than idle chitchat!" Vil says, "...And not to burst your bubble, but it's honestly nothing to write home about. If you 'still insist on hearing it, I'll tell you once we're through the next area.