After a few minutes, Missio arrived at the Augustus manor. He parked his SUV in the brightly lit garage and stepped out. Exiting the garage as the lights died down behind him, he strolled across the front garden.
He entered his home, the familiar scent of his house making him at ease. Without taking his shoes off, he sat down on the couch and rested there for a few moments. Then, Lilla approached him.
"My lord…Sir Victor is ready for the therapy session." She informed.
"Okay, I'll be there in a few." Missio replied.
Lilla nodded and went back to work. Missio leaned forward and pulled his hair back. Lingering for a few moments, he eventually stood up and headed forward. Reaching a door, he halted before it and placed his hand on the doorknob. He opened it, peering inside. There, he saw a man with blonde hair, green eyes, wearing a blue shirt and black pants. He smiled and waved at Missio.
Seeing this Missio's lips couldn't help but curl upward as he entered. Feeling safe, he approached the man.
"What's up, Kiddo? How did your day go?" The man asked.
"It went well, Victor." Missio sat down on the couch.
"I see – I see… but I heard from Lilla that you seemed a bit more stressed than usual today."
Missio paused for a moment. Lifting his head, he tilted his head slightly.
"Well, I guess…it was a tad bit stressful today."
"Okay, son. Just spill it all out," Victor said, leaning forward like he already knew the answer would hurt.
Missio's lips parted, but for a moment — nothing came out. His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, ticking loud enough to drown his thoughts. Then, it all broke loose.
"I… I had that dream again," he whispered, voice cracking. "The same one. The one where – " His hand dug into the pillow, fingers trembling. "I thought it was over. Two weeks. Two weeks of peace, and it just… came back."
Victor didn't interrupt.
Missio laughed weakly. "The Prime Minister called this morning. He wanted to me to arrest a National Assemblyman a-and he told me that… Dick did something 17 – 17 years ago…"
His breathing quickened. "Then, the chaos fragment opened. And for a second… when I saw that rift—" He stopped. His nails pressed against the pillow fabric. "I didn't want to move. I wanted it to take me. I actually—"
"Hey," Victor said softly, cutting in. "You're here now. You made it."
Missio looked down at his trembling hands and smiled faintly. "Barely."
A silence filled the room. Not awkward — just heavy. Like both knew there were words that would never leave either of their mouths again.
***
The bereft soon left the room and headed back to his own. Halting near the entrance, he gazed into the darkness, feeling a sense of… comfort. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He took off his katana and leaned it against his bed-side cabinet. Then, he threw himself onto the soft mattress face-first. His body sunk into the cozy foam, letting his body rest just a little.
Rolling onto his back, he stared at the ceiling in a daze. He remained like quite some time. Then, Mythos's mechanical voice brought him back to reality.
[Incoming call from 'Colonel of the Marshals']
The Lieutenant General blinked, parting his lips.
"Accept." He said softly.
Suddenly, a voice echoed into his ear drums.
"Lieutenant General, do you have a moment?" A man's voice called out to Missio.
"Yes, I do." Missio responded. "Have you done what I asked?"
The Colonel heaved a sigh. Remaining silent for a few moments, he cleared his throat and answered the Lieutenant General.
"Yes, the protection for Assemblyman Dick Quartel has been voided. The Marshals that are protecting him currently will inform him and leave soon after."
Missio licked his lips.
'That's good…'
Groaning, he pushed off the bed and sat with a hunched spine.
"Very well. Thanks for your cooperation."
As Missio thanked him, the Colonel suddenly raised a question.
"Sir, tell me. Are we to be involved in this case any further?"
Missio paused for a moment. Rubbing his chin, he thought deeply for a few moments. Then, the Lieutenant General answered him in an even tone.
"If, even with all the evidence the Prime Minister has gathered, the trail is extended. I'm afraid that we will have to bring in those Marshals who protected Dick to better our chances at winning. However, if that doesn't happen, then you won't have to be involved in anything."
The Colonel smacked his lips.
"I understand, sir. Thank you for your time."
Then, before Missio could say anything else, the Colonel cut the call.
Now, the bereft was alone once more. Gazing at the ground with blank eyes, he didn't think, didn't speak nor feel.
He let himself exist, simply exist as who he was currently.
'This job is the worst…'
Truly, his father had better regret his decision to send him to the Black Ops. At least, Missio would have a way to release his anger by slaying Chaos beasts but now, he was stuck in a political chess game which he desperately didn't want to be a part of.
'I should've just joined the Special Ops.'
He thought to himself. However, right then, Mythos spoke once more. Missio perked up, thinking it would comfort him. But he utterly wrong.
[Incoming call from 'Colonel of the Police Force']
A crooked smile made its way onto his face. Of course, how could he forget? He was all alone. Nobody was coming to save him ever. So, instead of trying to escape this darkness, he has become one with it.
Now, he could feel safe in the dark where no one could see him or recognize him.
Missio sighed and opened his mouth.
"Accept."
Mythos's mechanical voice disappeared soon after, replaced by a human voice.
"Lieutenant General."
The Colonel's rough voice made Missio click his tongue. Then, after a few moments, he replied in a solemn tone.
"What do you want, Colonel?"
"Everyone is ready."
Missio raised a brow.
"What?"
The Colonel didn't falter and repeated in an even tone.
"Everything and everyone is fully prepared. We've made a plan of attack and obtained the arrest warrant. We'll conduct the raid on Dick Quartel's home tomorrow."