"Where were you the night your father disappeared?" Arwen asked, while seated in a dimly lit room with Melita seated across from her.
She had a journal before her, along with a quill and some ink, prepared to write down whatever Melita had to say.
Taking a deep breath, Melita replied. "I was at home. I left work early to make dinner while my dad stayed back to finish up. According to him, he was close to big news."
"Did he tell you what the news was about?" Arwen inquired while writing down what Melita said.
Melita shook her head. "Only that it involved the upper districts and the recent case of missing people in the lower districts."
"Who came up with the rumors about a cult abducting your father?"
"I did," Melita replied.
"Do you have any evidence to back up your claims?"
"It made the most sense for me," Melita remarked. "I mean, it’s not news that cults have been spreading their influence since the fall of the Goddess, and my grandfather has been vocal about the involvement of those in the upper districts with cults ever since Sir Smith helped him. I reckon they took him to shut him up."
"I see." Arwen nodded.
"Is there anything else you wish to ask?"
"Not right now, thank you." Arwen intoned before adding. "You can leave for now. Try to get some rest."
With that, Melita got up and left, after which someone else, a middle-aged man with a muscular physique, walked inside.
The man nodded as he took his seat.
Glancing down at her journal, Arwen inquired. "According to the workers, you were the last person left with Sir Theoren before his abduction. Did you hear anything?"
"Unfortunately, no. We were supposed to leave together, but he ended up returning because he forgot something."
"Did you follow him back?"
"No, I wanted to, but he told me there was no need."
"I see. Do you agree with Melita that a cult from the upper districts is involved in his disappearance?"
Demetrius seemed to fidget in that moment, an act that Arwen did not fail to catch.
"If you know something, you have to tell me."
Demetrius let out a sigh. "I do."
"Because Theoren was working on something that could potentially expose the cult he’d always spoken about."
"He claimed to have found the final piece to the puzzle last night. He was too scared to tell me because he didn’t wish to implicate me. I guess he was right in his worries." Demetrius muttered.
"I see. Is there anything else?"
Demetrius shook his head. "No, I’m sorry."
"It’s fine. You can take your leave."
With that, Demetrius left, and Arwen let out a sigh before rising to her feet.
Walking outside, she checked the window to find that the Lightbringer had long since closed its doors, ushering another night in Sklaviunt.
She’d spent the entire day interviewing workers in Theo’s Textiles in a bid to find any clues that could point to Theo’s disappearance.
Unfortunately, she’d gotten little to nothing of use.
At least, she had to accept now that the rumors about a cult being involved carried weight.
Letting out a sigh, she couldn’t help but regret that she had lost access to her Authority over the Domain of Dreams.
That would have helped to make things easier and faster.
Alas, she was stuck with Authority over Death, which would have been useful if the case involved a dead body, which was not the case.
She made her way up a flight of stairs after crossing the factory before entering a large office, which appeared to be Theoren’s office as head and owner of the printing press.
Alex was there, seated in the chair Arwen assumed Theoren would have occupied while working.
"Done?" Alex asked with Arwen nodding.
"Nothing. But we might have to look into the cult Melita mentioned."
"A cult, huh?" Alex muttered. "It could be an Otherworldly, a Devil, or a newborn deity."
"Oh?" Alex raised a brow in amusement. "Why so sure?"
"It won’t be the first time, right?" Arwen replied. "And in any case, if an Otherworldly was involved, an Abyss Wheel Mystic should be present, but so far, nothing."
"I see." Alex nodded. "Of course, you would be right if you had all the facts right."
"An Abyss Wheel Mystic doesn’t have to be present for a cult to rise up, and even if an Abyss Wheel Mystic is present, they could easily be hiding in the upper districts, which we haven’t covered yet."
"Even then, the presence of the Abyss should elicit a visceral reaction from us, right?"
"Not if they are weak and low-key." Alex calmly pointed out as he got to his feet.
Chuckling, Alex intoned. "Our cult could be worshipping any entity. We cannot risk boxing ourselves in on one possibility while leaving out the others until we have unequivocal evidence."
"Understood," Arwen said.
"Anyway," Alex remarked. "No signs of a struggle, so I’m guessing he wasn’t taken here."
"We should check the streets," Arwen suggested, with Alex shaking his head.
"Let’s head back and collate what we have first."
"Also, I already checked the streets."
"Nothing," Alex replied with a sigh. "Whoever took Theoren did a good, clean job."
"Come on," Alex remarked as he walked up to her. "Tonight, we gather our data. Tomorrow, we will investigate the upper districts."
With that, both individuals took their leave, heading back to their residence in the middle district.
"I need a bath." Arwen drawled out while stretching as she stepped in with Alex locking the door behind them.
"You do that." Alex intoned.
Glancing back at him, she asked. "What about you?"
"I’ll get started on recording everything we’ve got. I suggest you do the same once you are done."
After saying that, Arwen hurried to her bedroom while Alex made his way to the home office.
Once he was seated, he picked up the record book placed on the desk.
A quill and a bottle of ink were placed beside it for easy access.
He picked up the quill and dipped it in some ink before opening the book to start writing, only to pause in that moment as his gaze fell on what was written within.