The officers took turns to get tested before being healed. The most injured took priority—those like Donsentos were the first to be taken care of, followed by those who had been fighting on the front lines.
Danzan, despite his wounds, stood at the very back of the pile. Neither in a hurry nor did he appear willing to move from there. The only person in his eyes was the Seruth monster. Until it was in a cage, Danzan was restless.
Kairo, after reluctantly leaving Nyx for some minutes, went for his turn. Navigating amidst the sea of people, he found himself at the forefront.
He wasn't particularly in a hurry to get back home, but he had a question that was burning in his mind.
Now, he could almost see the answer just on the other side of this line, thus he pressed himself forward.
What Camilla had said was still vivid in his mind, plus the imagery of that woman during the fight with Draco. All of that led Kairo to believe there was more to the history with his mother than his father was willing to admit. And the two people concerned with the story were actually present—this was the perfect moment to clear his doubt.
"No need to rush, Officer Kairo. Everyone will get his turn," the female doctor said, feeling his urgency.
But Kairo just anxiously glanced at Mirelle and his father—the duo were currently talking with another group and appeared about to leave.
"They're surely tired of tight spaces after the submarine," another added with a smile.
Kairo kept his cool, not in the right mood for pleasantries. The doctor accelerated, and after a few seconds, Kairo was allowed to pass. Without wasting a second, Kairo joined Mirelle and Magnus. When Kairo arrived, his eyes fell on Mirelle.
'The resemblance is striking,' he thought, remembering the image of the woman in his dream. Although Mirelle was now clearly older. Mirelle and Magnus had exchanged a tactile glance—nothing friendly, but that of pure professional attitude.
"I have a few questions I would like to ask both of you. If possible, right now," Kairo said. In Mirelle's eyes, he could see a faint change—something rare coming from her. Yet it was too insignificant for him to assume anything yet. Although his heart was already drumming in his chest.
"I don't have time for this now, Kairo. We will talk when I'm free. Right now, the mediatic implication of what you've done with Corry needs to be handled, not forgetting the fact that you disobeyed Mirelle and allowed Nyx on the boat. All of this cannot go unpunished, especially coming from you, Kairo," Magnus said, his voice sterner than usual, as if he was blaming more than he could possibly say out loud.
The change in Mirelle's expression lasted just a millisecond. Back to her neutral self, she said, "Settle down, Kairo. Get some rest, go out with your friends or... I don't know, but for now, we can't talk about any of this."
Kairo was not duped—clearly, the story between these two was deeply related to him. At first, he didn't want to believe it, but now doubts crept into his heart. If he was just a second right, would that mean Mirelle was his mother? But if that were the case, why did he have no memory of her?
"You won't hide it indefinitely," Kairo said to his father, walking away with a disappointed sigh.
......
Kairo could only step to the side while waiting for Nyx. Danzan and the Seruth monster were the last to be taken in. And soon, it was escorted by Magnus himself, allowing Danzan to get some rest. While observing his disappearing figure, Kairo wondered what the card he possessed was really like. All he knew was that the Seruth monster could answer questions no one else had answers to. This was probably the reason behind the name Seruth. As for the card that allowed him to do that—it was still a mystery to Kairo.
"Hey, what's with that head? You look like a beaten dog. Something wrong?" Nyx's face popped in front of Kairo's, shielding his entire field of vision.
Startled, Kairo leaned backward slightly, getting enough space to admire every detail of her face—from her perfectly drawn eyelids to her rosy lips.
"Nothing important. What's your plan? According to my father, we have a few days off before we return to work. Want to come home?" Kairo asked. Although he liked the library of the Card Mage Police, it wasn't the best place to get fresh air and rest after all that had happened to them. His father was never home, and with all the aftermath of the prisoner escort to handle, he would be busy for a long time, Kairo thought. Thus, Kairo felt he might as well invite her.
"Taking me on a date to your home? How original, Kairo. What about the restaurant and the bouquet of flowers?"
"We could buy one on the way if you wish, or maybe we could head directly upstairs if you prefer," Kairo said, his lips curling upward. From the very beginning of their relationship, she had been the one teasing him, but now it was over. It was like after the submarine, Kairo had suddenly grown more confident.
"You've become really bold," Nyx said with an embarrassed expression, her cheeks turning almost rosy.
"I had a good master," Kairo added, satisfied with his performance. His vengeance was just starting.
The duo took one of Magnus's cars and left the Card Mage Police. By the time they arrived near the villa, the day had given way to night. Although they could have used the portals for their movement, these were reserved only for official missions. Thus, for normal transport, Kairo and the others had to make do with what was available. This, in turn, made it easier to track the movement of Card Mage officers in the HQ and facilitated logistics.
Kairo lived in Card Paradise, the wealthiest part of the entire city. On their way, Nyx kept her eyes wide open, admiring the beauty of the houses and the decor. This wasn't the first time she had come by, but it was the first time Kairo personaly deove her home. It felt quite strange because he had never done something like that.
On their way back, the duo chatted about what made this place so special apart from the wealthy families. Kairo explained it was called Card Paradise for a good reason. According to some legends, the castle of the Donatello had been built exactly on these hills where the houses were located seven thousand years ago.
This was obviously just speculation from the land sellers to attract buyers. But it had worked well over the years, and many interesting activities had popped up like endless mushrooms around this place—most notably the Card Casino, where people would pay a hefty sum of money just for the chance to get a rare card. Kind of a modern and public auction.
At home, Kairo and Nyx settled down. They both took a bath in their bathrooms before getting a meal. Nyx was really lively and happy being back. Acting like she was in her own house, she visited every aspect of the villa, dragging Kairo into an endless debate about which painting was the ugliest. Kairo would argue vehemently that these were masterpieces his father loved, but she saw nothing but random strokes plastered on a wall.
By the time it was noon, Kairo was getting sleepy and returned to his room. He hesitated for a second before allowing Nyx in, and the duo fell almost instantly asleep next to each other, exhausted from their long ordeal.
Early the next day, Nyx met Kairo in the kitchen for breakfast.
Still wearing her pajamas, she walked like a lost kid looking for her toy. She asked with a long yawn, "What are you doing, Kairo?"
"Informing myself. Looks like Felix and Rellion escaped," Kairo said, gathering the news from the newspaper on his tablet. Felix was the only Grade Four criminal who had managed to flee using this opportunity. Kairo guessed this was why the success rate of the mission was only 85%.
Furthermore, Rellion was nowhere to be seen. He had escaped unscathed, and he would probably be coming back next time even stronger—this time with his real body.
"After what he did to Inquisitor Mar, we can't let him roam free. We'll get him back in his cage," Nyx said with half-open eyes. Kairo smiled, amused by her antics, stepping to the side so she could sit next to him on the counter.
"That's not even the worst part. The media is crushing Father with their calumny. I don't even get whose side they're on—ours, the Card Mage Police who defended their asses, or that of the false propaganda," Kairo said, a little vexed by what he was seeing.
"That's their job—find the juiciest piece of news. They don't care how it affects other people," Nyx added.
In a short interview, Kairo and Nyx could see a man talking about the Card Mage Police—specifically about his father. The man appeared in his thirties, a tad younger than his father. Dressed in a clean black suit, he posed with elegance on the chair. Clearly, this was not his first time going through such an interview. The thing Kairo found most peculiar about his appearance was the diamond earring on his left side. It gave off an independent and carefree vibe—the type of person bound by no rule, Kairo thought.