"There's still no sign of him... at all...?" Belle asked Zhu Yuan.

She and Wise were seated across from her Qingyi in the PubSec precinct lobby, holding onto hope days later after the terrorist attack.

"None. We've tried everything. Ether detection, heat signatures— even the H.S.O. allowed Section Six to search. We've all found nothing, not even among the remains of the compromised thrusters."

Wise leant his head back in disbelief, his arm wrapped around Belle as she slowly turned into his shoulder.

Zhu Yuan hated seeing them like this, and if it wasn't for her own business getting in the way, she'd be on the frontline of the search.

Fairy had given hope in saying that her continued existence spelt his livelihood.

He was out there. Somewhere, clinging to life as well as he could.

So they'd cling to hope, praying he'd find his way back home.

•

Belle sat at the HDD, going over scans across New Eridu's Inter-Knot in hopes someone had spot Eous or his Ionized form sometime, somewhere.

A lead— Anything at all, would put her mind at ease.

Astra was standing behind her, feeling horrible that their efforts weren't enough to save him.

She wished she could've done more, especially after finding out that all of that discourse was on his birthday of all days.

Evelyn was at ease hearing he was alive, but she had to admit his snarky attitude was something she had begun to miss in recent days.

While Wise managed the store, Eliza had opened the door to the back room with a frown.

"Still no luck?" She asked.

"None!" Belle snapped, bursting to her feet in frustration. "I... I can't believe we put him through that. Time and time again, his life is on the line— yet we can't do anything to help him."

"You tried your best, Belle. We all did. He was ready to give up everything to save you and everyone on Starloop. Isn't that who he is?" Astra rubbed her back to console her.

"It is, and I don't want this to be how we lose him..." Belle placed her hands against the desk before looking up at Fairy's interface.

"Please..." Belle held her hand against the screen. "Please, find him."

Suddenly, Eous' face crashed into the screen from the other side. "WOAH! Talk about crash landing..."

The women all erupted into screams and staggered away from the HDD as Wise burst into the room after apologizing to a customer. They all stared in disbelief as Eous looked around the HDD in confusion.

"This is Random Play, right? I swear if it takes another day to get back I'm gonna cut the city's power." He muttered to himself.

"Eous...?" Belle called out.

Switching to the larger monitor above, Eous got a better look at the place. "Oh! It is the store! Finally! You won't believe the kinda traffic I had to surf on Inter-Knot. One sec."

He literally began to tear himself off the screen and back into reality in a splash of pixels, crashing into the keyboard and landing on the floor.

"Aw man, I will never take my physical body for granted again..." He whispered against the floor.

"H-How did you... Wha..." Wise was in complete shock, as all of them were.

"Pulled a Fairy. I thought I was about to die from blood loss, and just before I could, I kinda just..." He expressed a poof, with his hands. "Turns out I can also hijack electronics. Problem is—"

He suddenly collapsed again as all his wounds came back to him. "I'm still about to die."

~•~

He was bandaged as best as possible with the first aid they had on hand, and thanks to Enzo's Bangboo, he was healed to a minor degree.

He'd live, and that's all that matters.

It didn't take long for him to realize that he'd be find if he'd take a dip in the Hollow, so he did just that and was refreshed in no time.

The week long scare was finally relieved, thanks to Wise putting out an announcement that he had been found.

But alas, that didn't mean trouble was gonna stop knocking.

The event was seen by many, and his Ionized Ethereal form was talked about by nearly 90% of Inter-Knot accounts the week following according to Fairy.

No one knew what he was, but it was a given that the monster had gave its life to protect the people.

Or at least, that was the general opinion.

Eous didn't care anymore, he was far more fascinated that he could turn his body into electricity, albeit briefly. It was a solid addition to the arsenal outside of the Hollow, since his other elements were far stronger.

"Hey, Wise, we just received a crazy big reservation. They even paid a large deposit up front." Eliza announced as she peeked into the back room.

He rose a brow, turning to Eous and gesturing him to follow. The two were both aware that the sudden reservation was no coincidence, since the two had set up the system with Fairy not even last night.

They hadn't even promote the feature yet...

Eous led the two to front of the store where a tall man with dirty blonde hair stood with confidence.

"Apologies for the intrusion. Let's just say I'm something of a collector."

His heterochromatic eyes were a small distraction for Eous. Wasn't everyday you saw someone with one blue eye and one red one.

"I've heard your video store is the most classy one in all of New Eridu, and I must say, it absolutely lives up to its reputation. The ambience here is understated yet refined, elegant but still cozy... it's so soothing, like a steady beacon in the dark."

"You left all that on Inter-Knot too right? In a review?" Eous wondered with a grin.

The man chuckled and moved on. "I've also noticed some well-known individuals frequenting this place, including elite members from PubSec and H.S.O. Your achievements at such a young age truly impress me."

"L-Like he said, we really hope you said all that on Inter-Knot too." Wise grinned just like Eous.

"I assure you, if I'm satisfied, I'll be saying the same thing there. But I must assume the rumors of this place are true? Children of Devils?"

Eous rose a brow in confusion, but Wise's gaze grew cold and distant. "I'm not following."

"Am I imagining it? Or is the manager suddenly really tense? Children of Devils is an old movie I've been searching for, but it's so niche I can't find a copy in good condition." The man said with a smirk.

Eous and Eliza now noticed that the phrase meant something to Wise.

"Did this movie perhaps... remind you of something else, Manager?" The man mused.

"I'm just surprised there's a movie out there I've never heard of." Wise shrugged off the claim and held his chin.

"No worries, like I said, the movie is rather niche. Despite the title having devil in it, it's about vampires." The man explained, going along with the flow.

"I'm sure you know, vampires were a popular fictional concept back in the old civilization. Typically, they are pale-skinned, well-dressed, exuding a mysterious and dangerous aura. But, beneath their immaculate facade lie lethal fangs for draining human blood—"

"I can't tell if this guy's tryna be funny or menacing." Eous interrupted.

The man laughed in response and waved. "Of course, I kid, I kid. The movie is about a man who unwillingly turned into a vampire, and after years of plotting, finally kills his evil 'father,' and ultimately dies in the process."

"Sounds pretty tragic." Eliza commented.

"Well, that depends on perspective. It was the price he was willing to pay to see his goal to the end. A rather excellent ending." The man replied.

"Well, it's a shame you don't have the videotape I'm looking for... I'll just grab a copy of every movie you currently have for rent."

Eous and Eliza turned to each other with skeptic glances, but Wise was already shaking the man's hand.

"Thank you for your patronage!"

"Just think of it as my thanks for chatting about the movie with me. Your store is like a collector's gem in itself. Please, consider my payments here as an investment in a collector's prized find."

Eous wasn't buying this guys's whole facade. Heterochromia, pointed ears that just barely peeked out from the man's hair, and that pale-skin he referenced before.

It was obvious the man was making a dramatic name for himself specifically for them.

As he continued to tell Wise about possible business opportunities, Eliza tapped Eous shoulder with a curious glance.

He nodded back and gestured to the stairs.

As the man took his leave, Wise turned to Eous with a glare.

"Don't trust him. His very existence is suspicious, but it's almost like he wants us to attend those events he was talking about. As if he has answers." He relayed. "His deposits will cover our bills for several months, so the least we can do..."

"Want me to scope out that raffle he was talking about?" Eous wondered.

"If you're up to it. It hasn't been too long since you nearly died."

Eous scoffed. "When isn't that, eh?"

"Cut it out..." Wise ruffled his hair and pat his back. "I'll let Eliza and Belle know what happened. Take care and keep us posted."

•

Eous arrived at Lumina square, smirking after he hopped down from the power lines up above. He caught the eye of a few passerby, but it was still far more inconspicuous than breaking the sound barrier in his Ionized form.

It was easy to spot the long line of rather well distinguished individuals near a grand booth near an alleyway.

The man from several minutes ago had seemed to make his way here too, standing in the back of the line with a content grin.

"Ah, so he sent you after all." The man hummed in delight.

"Yeah, we try not to miss a deal. Name's Eous." He greet with a hand out stretched.

"Call me Hugo." The man shook his with a smirk. "I respect the gamble. After all, luck is always unpredictable, and it's fascinating. Whenever I get the chance, I can't help but test it."

"That's one way to go about it. I'm tired of testing my luck, but can you really beat a good bargain?" Eous mused.

Suddenly he noticed someone up ahead forcibly cut ahead of everyone at the beginning of the line.

"Hey, young man! What do you think you're doing, cutting in line?" A woman shouted.

"Cutting in line? Do you know who I am?" The brash, young man asked in disgust. "Clearly, you don't understand anything at all, hag! The head of my family, Masted Hartman, sponsors this very event! Apart from this, our family is also involved in many charity—"

"We don't care!" Eous shouted from the back, using his tail to yank the man out of line and off to the side.

"Wh-What?! How dare you lay hands on me?! One call! It'll take one call to have your life ruined—" the man fished around his pockets as he stormed over to Eous, but couldn't even find his wallet.

"My wallet... Where's my wallet?! You little pickpocket! How dare you!" The young man poked Eous' chest as he stomped in front of him.

"What? I don't have your damn wallet."

"Oh yeah? You're the only one to have touched me, so explain why it's missing." The man challenged.

"Do I look like your accountant, tough guy? Not my problem. Can you do us all another charity and leave us alone?" Eous challenged back.

"Y-You...! I'm Curtis Ravenlock! That's right, of the esteemed Ravenlock family from T.O.P.S! You'll face consequences for crossing me!"

Eous pretended to pick at his ear. "The gum on the bottom of my shoe is more conflicting than whatever you'd throw at me."

"You insolent fool! Just admit you stole my wallet and return it!" Curtis cried.

"Listen, pal, if I wanted to take a chance at someone's wallet, I wouldn't pick someone also here for a raffle, you get me? Your mere presence here confirms we're in the same damn tax bracket..." Eous snapped with a glare.

Seeing the slits in his eyes sharpen, Curtis flinched and took a step back. "W-Well, either way, my wallet is missing! Someone has to answer for it!"

"Your accusation is baseless, Mr. Ravenlock." Hugo butt in. "Your outfit, while elegant, shows un-ironed creases and noticeable signs of wear. You've likely worn it for a long time. Plus, the wet ink on your cuffs suggests that you rushed straight here from your workplace— likely so you wouldn't miss today's raffle. This is to say, it's clear you're quite careless, lost your wallet yourself, and not as well off as you claim."

Eous' jaw dropped at the merciless breakdown.

"That's... that's utter nonsense!" It was clear the claims had gotten to him as his lip began to quiver.

"Regardless, you owe my friend here an apology." Hugo replied with a thin smile.

"Damnit! You'll regret this... Just you wait!" Curtis scurried off in a hurry seeing his plan foiled.

Eous glanced at Hugo and saw him fixing his hair. "My apologies if you believe I overstepped. I really, really hate when innocent people are wrongfully accused."

"Nah, all good. Wasn't expecting that merciless barrage. I tend to just bounce back..." Eous said with a smirk.

"I must say, your wit could've handled him alone. Quite the mouth you've got." Hugo mused. "Alas, people like him should have a taste of their own medicine. That sounds fair, no?"

Eous shrugged, tilting his hand to imply he couldn't decide that.

"Unfortunately, we don't usually see such fairness in our world, do we? That's why sometimes I don't mind resorting to unconventional methods to right the wrongs." Hugo's tone was getting deeper and darker with every word.

"What are you implying?" Eous asked with a stern leer.

"Ah, ah, ah! A good movie never spoils its ending, but feel free to speculate." Hugo gave a wide grin as he pat Eous' shoulder. "Anyway, it was nice running into you again so soon. Please, accept this raffle ticket to make the occasion."

As Hugo left Eous heard all the participants in line rambling about how their wallets felt heavier.

He glanced at the alleyway they were beside and saw an empty wallet at the mercy of a black cat.

"Let's get this over with."

Eous finally had his turn in line and was met with a young woman with dark blue twintails. "Ah, it's you. Thank you and your friend for earlier. If you hadn't stepped in, we would've had to deal with him for a while."

"No problem, glad I could help." Eous lent her the ticket Hugo gave him reluctantly.

"W-Woah! You won the Grand Prize! The only grand prize of this raffle has been won!" She announced in shock. "The prize is 50,000 dennies! Please be sure to keep it safe!"

Eous squinted his eyes as he was handed a briefcase.

'Rigged as hell—'