Cyrus stares blankly at the white mug of coffee on his desk, stirring the dark brown liquid inside. Steam rises from it and drifts through his nostrils, soothing him with its enticing aroma.

But, no, none of this is comforting to him, and none of it is right. The aroma of the coffee serves as a painful reminder that he should not be sitting idle right now. Cyrus shouldn't be slacking off when Raiden and the others are out there, possibly in danger.

It's been nearly a month since Raiden's team left for Arcelio Palace, but they haven't returned until now. Nobody has seen them, and there is little to no information about their whereabouts.

The laities are even dispatched to gather information, but they always come back empty-handed.

Four Aragons are missing.

By that point, it had been declared that their mysterious absence was due to a Blood Demon.

It must be.

Since then, Cyrus has been restless. He hasn't gotten much sleep in the last few weeks, and he's lost his appetite. That's why even the enticing coffee in front of him can't make him feel better. That aroma only adds to the swirling emotions inside him, a feeling akin to attending a funeral.

He clenches his teeth, attempting to push away the unwanted thoughts that have arisen in his mind.

They're not dead, they shouldn't be. Cyrus has lost count of how many times he has reminded himself of this. And he won't stop until he proves himself right.

The Order even sought the King's assistance because the palace was the last place the four Aragons were - but no information was provided. Furthermore, the royal family is still mourning the loss of their people and the departure of Ian, the crown prince.

Ian also informed them that the last time he saw Raia's team, they were leaving the palace in a carriage. Of course, after receiving that information, they questioned every coachman in Yohan City to see if they had four teenagers wearing long black coats as passengers. But none of them are certain if they came across anyone who fit the description provided.

There is, however, this coachman who was found unconscious on Orchard Street. Unfortunately, he had no recollection of anything before losing consciousness.

The majority of Nirvana Order members from various branches have concluded that Raia's team is already dead. But then, Cyrus, on the other hand, does not share the same assumption - he believes Raiden and the others are still alive somewhere.

He even promised me that he will achieve the highest Divine Level of his Blessing, Cyrus ponders, recalling Raiden's words.

Knocks come at the door, but Cyrus is too preoccupied with his thoughts to care until the door opens.

They're still alive. They must be, Cyrus assures himself, his eyes narrowing.

"Bishop Galbraith!" Sonnet's sharp voice snaps Cyrus out of his daze. The hand stirring the coffee freezes, and he turns to face the woman.

"Sonnet . . ." His voice falters.

Sonnet regards him with a frown, but when she sees his crumpled face, her expression softens.

"I know you're worried about Raiden and the others," Sonnet speaks in a voice akin to the soothing sound of waves at night. "But that isn't an excuse for you to forget about yourself. Look, have you tried looking in the mirror yet?"

As Cyrus lowers his head, his hair tickles his nose, reminding him of how long his hair has grown. He shifts his gaze back to the coffee, his jaw clenched. He doesn't need to be told how he looks; he is well aware of it. He's aware of how much he's changed . . . how much weight he's lost as a result of sleepless nights and skipping meals.

He clenches his fists into tight balls and scans the stack of papers on his desk. Cyrus has kept himself busy with the papers since Raiden's team went missing to keep himself from overthinking. But he guesses it isn't working.

As a bishop and one of the Nirvana Order's ministry leaders, his duty is to keep the headquarters organized and to investigate cases that may involve demons. He also searches for people who have received the Calling of the Light.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally picks up the waiting white mug and takes a sip of the lukewarm coffee, only to spit it out.

"What's wrong?" Sonnet asks as she walks over to his desk.

"It's too bitter," Cyrus says, grimacing as he puts the coffee mug back on his desk. "I think they forgot to put sugar in it."

A thin smile pulls on Sonnet's lips. "I guess it worked, then."

Cyrus regards her with a puzzled look.

Sonnet pulls over a chair from beside Cyrus's desk and sits herself down. "It's done on purpose. I advised Milan to make the coffee bitter."

Cyrus blinks, flustered. "What, why?"

"Because I believe that a small surprise like that can replace that solemn expression on your face."

Cyrus looks at her for a moment before finally smiling, something he hasn't done in weeks.

"Thank you, Sonnet," Cyrus says in a quiet voice. "And I'm sorry for making you worry."

Sonnet giggles with her fist in front of her mouth. "Don't apologize to me, apologize to Raiden and the others once they return."

Cyrus lowers his head as a sharp twisting pain invades his chest.

Sonnet sighs. "We know that they're alive, so don't fret much. You're like my eldest child here, so better act like a big brother that you are, okay?"

Cyrus lightly shakes his head, rubbing his thinly grown beard - but there's a perceptible smile etched on his face. "You're too young to be our mother, Sonnet. There are others here much older than you."

"Tee-hee," Sonnet giggles. "Well, I'd still like to see myself as the mother here."

Cyrus smiles, getting a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. He does see Sonnet as a mother.

Cyrus was only seven years old when his family - his father, his mother, and his three-year-old brother - were killed by a Cimmerian. That was nineteen years ago. Alfonso Galbraith, his father's brother and the Mikaelean's Bishop at the time took him to the headquarters and made him his personal assistant. He then met Sonnet, a lively girl who was only fifteen years old at the time and was a Laity. Sonnet was the sister he never had. But, as time passed, he began to see her as a motherly figure, just like everyone else in the headquarters.

He couldn't be happier to have another family after losing his own so soon. And this time, he vowed to himself that he would protect his family in order to avoid the same tragedy that had befallen his previous one.

I can't lose these people who became like a family to me, Cyrus clenches his fists when that thought crosses his mind. I can't lose my brother.

Cyrus's expression hardens as he pulls out a scrap of paper with information scrawled on it.

"I almost forgot, can you summon Nihar?" Cyrus says with urgency. "I recently received a phone call from a priest. He reported a strange phenomenon in which he witnessed someone displaying inhuman strength."

Sonnet frowns. "Outcast."

"Yes, and it's possible that it's already tainted many innocent people. Let's just hope it hasn't gone into transition yet."

Sonnet rises. "Sure, let me get the young man -" A soft knock on the door interrupts her sentence.

Nihar peers into the room and smiles when his eyes find Cyrus's. "Bishop Galbraith," he greets before he pushes the door wide open then steps inside. He is dressed in corduroy pants and suspenders.

"Nihar," Cyrus utters, surprised.

"Bishop Galbraith," Nihar repeats and runs his fingers through his wet hair, a sheepish smile on his lips. "Is there any news yet about Nathan and the others?"

Nihar receives his answer when Cyrus lowers his gaze. "I see."

Sonnet sits back down, looking at Cyrus.

"Anyways," Nihar continues with a shrug, trying to sound upbeat. "Don't worry much, we know how strong they are, especially Nathan. That guy never accepts defeat." He lets out a dry chuckle.

Cyrus smiles at him. "Yeah, you're right."

The room falls silent, and Nihar clears his throat. "Bishop Galbraith, I actually have a request."

Cyrus blinks. "Oh, what could that be?"

"C-can I go to Uriel?" Nihar scratches his head, looking embarrassed.

Cyrus's brows shoot up as in understanding. From what he knows, Nihar has a lover in the Urielean Branch who is also an Aragon. Of course, he's worried about her after what happened to one of the Urielean Branch members the previous week.

Looking at the young man's sparkling eyes, Cyrus can't help but feel bad for having to decline his request. With Raia's team gone, the Mikaelean Branch is down to eight Aragons. The others are on a mission, and Nihar is the only Aragon available at the moment, so Cyrus has no other choice.

"I'm sorry, Nihar, but we need you right now," Cyrus says in a low voice. "There's actually an assignment for you today."

Nihar's smile fades for a moment, but he quickly puts it back.

"No need to say sorry, Bishop Galbraith," Nihar speaks in a gentle voice. "I understand; it was my mistake to request something so selfish in the midst of a crisis." He lets out a dry chuckle. "So where's the place? I'll beat this demon as soon as I can."

Before Cyrus can say anything, the door bursts open and Milan walks in.

"Milan?" Cyrus says, adjusting his glasses.

Milan lowers himself into a slight bow and smiles sheepishly at Cyrus, as if sorry for bothering him.

"Bishop Galbraith, Inspector Antoine is here," Milan declares.

Cyrus's eyes widen slightly. He opens his mouth to say something, but the sound of heavy footsteps changes his mind. He closes his mouth as a man in a long purple coat enters the room.

Antoine pauses with a flat gaze on Cyrus, then crosses his arms across his chest.

Cyrus rises from his seat to greet him. "Inspector Antoine."

Sonnet has also stood up from her seat to greet the Inspector and gives a quick nod, whereas Nihar remains upright with a cold look in his eyes.

Sensing the tension and awkwardness building up in the air, Milan bows once again before ducking out of the room. Nihar then takes the piece of paper from Cyrus and exits after informing him that he will now depart for his mission.

There is a moment of silence after the door closes. Then Antoine fishes out a cigarette from his coat pocket and stuffs it in his mouth before searching his pocket again for the match.

Cyrus watches him as he lights up his cigarette. Antoine begins puffing out blue smoke, which causes Sonnet to cough when it reaches her face. The Inspector ignores the woman and moves closer to Cyrus's crowded desk.

"So I'm guessing the search still hasn't progressed a bit," Antoine says this while holding his cigarette loosely between his lips, a faint blue smoke rising from it and drifting lazily in Cyrus's face.

"No," Cyrus confirms his statement, keeping his voice steady.

Antoine snorts. "Why do you appear like someone who has already given up? Fix yourself, Bishop Galbraith, that's not how a servant of Azarios must look like."

Cyrus's brows come down into a barely perceptible frown.

"If you really believe in the Light, then you should know that those kids are still alive," Antoine continues, then his lips curve into a shady smile. "Or should I say, at least one of them is? Besides, God won't let his people die so easily. If you know what I mean."

Cyrus doesn't need to be told, especially by someone like Antoine, what the man is talking about. And, of course, he believes Raiden and the others will have Azarios's protection. Because why not? They are his disciples. Raia is also with them. Cyrus is convinced that the Urielean disciple is a gift from Elysium. She can't die like that, and his brother, Raiden, can't be dead already. After all, the boy's promise is one of the reasons Cyrus hasn't given up hope yet.

"I believe they're still alive," Cyrus finally speaks, and his voice is as calm as it has always been. "And our people are doing everything they can to gather as much information as possible. I know soon we'll come up with a clue."

Antoine blinks at him before bursting out laughing. Calming down, he inhales the smoke and holds the cigarette between his fingers before blowing out the bluish smoke. Then his dark brown eyes pierce Cyrus's amber ones.

"Of course, of course, Bishop Galbraith," he utters in a more or less mocking tone.

Cyrus's frown deepens slightly. He is undeniably grateful that Antoine shares his beliefs, but he cannot forgive him for the way he treated Raiden the last time.

"Nonetheless," Antoine says, drawing Cyrus's attention away from his grumpy thoughts. "Raiden is going to get a lecture from me."

Cyrus's eyes widen, but he keeps his cool and maintains a stone expression. Antoine is a man of power. He is a member of the Carnegei Corps, the gendarmerie of Valliere, Raquel's largest country, also known as the Holy Land, and is ruled by the Holy Church. The Pope himself appointed Antoine as deputy leader and delegated authority over the Nirvana Order to him.

And, as one of the Ministry's leaders, Cyrus cannot defy him or Antoine can use that to remove him from his position anytime. They've been working together for years, but they never get along. That was all after the destruction of the Halo Project.

"But we know this would happen. That's why we sent four warriors to guard the prince rather than just one or two. Because we know that a Blood Demon will appear. I'm sure four Aragons are more than enough to defeat a Blood Demon, especially since one of them is a Modified."

Cyrus does not respond, his face betraying no emotions. He can't argue with that. Having a Modified Aragon like Nathan on a team increases the chances of victory, not to mention Sunshine, who has already unsealed the full power of her Blessing. However, are they sure of that? Or are they merely underestimating a Blood Demon? Even if Nathan is there, he's still young and inexperienced.

"So don't worry too much, Bishop Galbraith, I'm sure those kids will do their job," Antoine says, his eyes boring into Cyrus'. "They are designed to kill a demon, after all."