Chapter 235

“So, what do we do now?” Noah asked as she and Kyle approached Adrian.

“We’ll have to wait for the Protection Bureau to arrive.” Kyle let go of Noah and folded his arms.  “When I sent the telegram to Tezeba, I also issued an emergency warning to the Tauren Protection Bureau. If abnormal magic flows were to be detected in the entire district of Tauren, a search party is dispatched immediately. “

“I see.” Noah nodded at Adrian who was lying unconscious on the floor. “What if the Adrian over there is the ‘real’ Adrian?”

“I’ll have to see the report to know if it’s the real him or a fake replica like on The Angelic, but it doesn’t matter what he is. If he resists on the way to the Imperial Castle, he’ll get the death penalty. My guess? This one here is a replica.” 

At that point, Noah had nothing more to say. She glanced back over at the hotel, where the so-called workers were piling out, and heading into the empty buildings surrounding it to avoid getting wet. Noah held out a hand to catch some of the rain, watching the black water flow over her skin and leave a trail. She was so caught up with the rain that she failed to hear Kyle calling out her name until he tapped her on the shoulder. 

“Kyle?” She asked, snapping out of her trance. He gestured for her to follow him, and together they hid under the doorway of a house, much like everyone else. Noah wiped her hands on her trousers, making a note to wash them properly as soon as she was able to. 

“I was saying that you should try and eat something.” Kyle reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, brown paper bag. “When was the last time you ate?” 

“Breakfast, same as you.” Noah eyed up the bag. “And I’m not hungry.” 

“Noah, please. You… You’ve uncovered something that has been happening right under our noses. I think you’ve earned the right to eat.” Kyle thrust the bag into her arms. “Please.” 

Noah sighed. Kyle could be so persistent when he wanted to. She rolled her eyes and opened up the bag. Inside were a couple of cheese sandwiches, along with two apples. She picked up a sandwich and an apple, and handed the bag back to Kyle. 

“I made them both for you…” Kyle began, but Noah cut him off. 

“I’ll only eat if you eat. You’ve been on your feet for as long as I have.” Noah wiggled the bag in her hand. “Come on, Kyle Leonard. Eat you lunch.” She sang, flashing him a childish grin as he relented and took the bag from her. 

Satisfied, Noah entered the house proper to find somewhere to sit. As the place had been empty for who knows how long, the furniture was not in the best state. In the living room, the sofas were resting at odd angles, tables had been flipped over, and a thick layer of dust covered everything. 

Blowing a layer of dust off one of the sofas, and coughing as it blew back into her face, Noah cautiously sat on the sofa and waited to see if it would collapse under her weight. When the only thing that happened was the creaking of a spring, she chomped down on her apple and thought back to the factory deep within the hotel. 

She expected Kyle to sit down next to her, but when he didn’t, she looked around for him. She found him sitting on the very edge of a table that he had turned upright, a look of discomfort on his face. It dawned on her then that Kyle was the biggest neat freak she had ever known. The first time they met, he had cleaned his entire house from top to bottom even before she had even entered. Everywhere he went, things had to be spotless. And for him to be hiding in a derelict old house which likely had not been cleaned for decades, he was clearly uncomfortable.

Noah could not help but giggle at the way Kyle frantically brushed off a speck of dust that had landed on his trousers. 

“Now that we’ve had a bite to eat, we need to talk about what we’ve going to do next. We still need to interrogate Adrian, question Leina once she has had time to calm down, and find Eleonora’s soul within the factory. On top of waiting for the help to arrive…” Noah took a bite of her sandwich. “Did you bring any water?” She asked, her mouth feeling dry. Kyle rummaged in his satchel and pulled out an unopened bottle of water. He threw it to her and continued to watch her. Trying to blank him, Noah chugged half the water, unaware of how thirsty she had been. She then continued to eat, consciously aware of Kyle staring deep into her soul. 

Eventually, it was all too much for her handle.