He started with the lowest house, The Grims. The Grims were the family with the most members, sprawling across generations and branches, hence there was another hierarchy within the family. The Grims were grouped into chiefs depending on the amount of mines and "workers" they controlled, a system designed to keep order and remind each member of their place. Yet despite this rigid structure, they still quarreled among themselves, ignored certain rules, and occasionally challenged authority. Sebastian investigated the part of the family that had faced the most troubles and had the most to lose. Although the members he examined fit this category—squabbling, disobeying laws, and stirring minor unrest—they didn't seem to do anything alarming or connected to Frank's disappearance. In Sebastian's eyes, they appeared clean, unremarkable, and ultimately irrelevant to his search.
Next he watched the Zaleska's. The Zaleka's were by far the richest family in New Darkovia, their wealth towering above others like a monument. Yet despite their fortune, they didn't wield as much influence as one might expect. While they lacked strong manpower, they possessed another kind of power—immense technological dominance. They were leaders in both the technology advancement industry and the energy distribution sector, shaping the city's progress. Sebastian, however, found nothing linking them to Frank's disappearance. Their castles were empty of secrets, and although their advertisements flaunted their wealth and the latest devices that had and bought, their lives seemed sterile. To him, they were boring, forgetful, and devoid of drama. Sure, they had material possessions, cursed energy, and life energy in abundance, but Sebastian wasn't concerned with such things. "What do the dead want with possessions anyway?" he thought, dismissing them completely.
The Qanan's were next. Throughout the history of New Darkovia they were known for being hot‑headed and arrogant, yet now they had grown unusually quiet, maintaining their place but suppressing their fire. Sebastian suspected this silence was unnatural, so he investigated thoroughly.
He discovered they were simmering with hate and malice, preaching that they were the rightful rulers of Darkovia. Yet again, no evidence tied them to Frank. Their rage was contained, their ambition whispered, but their hands were clean.
Surprisingly, the Ritvegda's followed. Although Maru, their kin, had become the rightful prince of the city, a cause for pride. Yet jealousy poisoned their hearts. Instead of celebrating, they spread rumors and whispered slander. Still, their words never became action, and Sebastian found no trace of Frank among them. He moved on.
Finally, he reached The Strix. Unlike the others, they weren't a family but a cult—a gathering of soul beings united by a cause: spreading death, destruction, misery, and despair for profit. They thrived on chaos, occasionally destroying one another or terrorizing citizens out of sheer habit. The Ritvegda's and Zaleska's recognized this danger, but also its potential. So they imposed rules on knights sworn into their households from The Strix, channeling their violence into targeted assassinations. The Strix complied, killing whoever the families disliked. Violence lessened, but it never vanished—it lingered, simmering beneath the surface, waiting to erupt again.
As you might have guessed, the Strix were the most interesting faction. They broke hundreds of Darkovian laws daily, flaunting their defiance with lawless arrogance, and somehow walked scot‑free. However, even they didn't dare take Frank—it would probably be bad for business, too risky even for them, a gamble that could unravel their fragile balance of terror. So as Sebastian finished his search and looked at the notes he had made, he wondered aloud, his voice heavy with frustration, curiosity, and a gnawing sense of futility:
"Where is he?"
As Sebastian pondered over this question, news about the return of Diego reached him. At first, he didn't think much of it, dismissing it as just another everyday news. Yet when he remembered the series of events that followed the subtle proclamation Diego made before leaving New Darkovia for the homeland—the way Maru's expression hardened, the sudden measures he enacted, and the way he became uncharacteristically busy immediately after Diego's departure—it was glaring. Diego had resolved to do something noteworthy, mysterious, and possibly life‑changing. Returning to the present, Sebastian mentally reviewed his notes on the five great families. He realized that while searching for Frank, he had unconsciously shifted his focus toward which family was the most dramatic, chaotic, or intriguing. But despite their individual allure, none of them were what Sebastian truly sought. The one who filled the blanks, the shadow behind the curtain, was Diego.
Although Sebastian couldn't yet prove how Diego fit into his growing theory, he felt compelled to meet him, to observe the actions that would inevitably follow Diego's return.
***
Meanwhile, as Sebastian wrestled with these thoughts, Diego was approaching the same conclusion—though for entirely different reasons. Diego sensed something deeply mysterious about Maru's servant, Frank. He hated secrets, despised being kept in the dark, and resolved to uncover the truth. Driven by suspicion and a relentless need for clarity, he prepared to confront his long‑time nemesis and rival—Maru.