Ding~

The doors finally opened causing a quiet hallway to stretch before him with carpeted floors.

West footsteps were muted as he moved down the corridor, counting the numbers on each door.

’...There.’ He stopped right in front of where his mother’s apartment was supposed to be located.

He stood there for a moment, just staring at it...

Years of silence, absence, unanswered calls... and now, here he was was, right outside her door.

West exhaled slowly before reaching forward to knock.

However, the instant his knuckles made contact with the door, it creaked open.

His eyes narrowed immediately upon realizing it wasn’t locked.

That didn’t seem right... especially in a place like this which was more orderly than other parts of this city...

His senses sharpened as he stepped forward slowly, crossing the threshold.

The moment West stepped fully into the apartment, his eyes narrowed as he took in the scene before him.

The living room was in utter disarray like it had been flipped inside out.

The furnitures were overturned, cushions ripped open and fragments of glass were scattered across the floor like frozen droplets of chaos.

A shattered lamp lay on its side with exposed wiring... Drawers had been yanked out and dumped, spilling their contents across the ground without care or order...

West was instantly able to tell that this wasn’t a burglary... Someone had come in here searching for something.

West stepped forward slowly with his boots crunching softly against broken glass. His senses stretched outward, probing every inch of the space while his gaze moved from one detail to another.

There was no body, blood or immediate signs of struggle beyond the destruction itself...

He moved deeper into the apartment, arriving before the bedroom.

The door was half off its hinges and inside, the mattress had been flipped, the sheets were torn and the wardrobe doors were wide open with clothes scattered like discarded memories.

Even the walls weren’t spared... sections had been scraped, as if someone had checked for hidden compartments.

The bathroom was clean with no signs of recent use... the ktchen had cabinets open, utensils scattered and a few plates broken.

Whoever did this hadn’t missed a single corner.

West stood still for a moment in the center of the apartment, analyzing.

"...What were they looking for?"

Because he could tell that this wasn’t about theft... nothing valuable had been selectively taken...

Everything had been disturbed, like they were looking for something specific.

West exhaled slowly after checking every room and possible hiding place...

There were no clues or leads that could actively point him in the direction of what the hidden agenda here was... only destruction could be seen.

He stepped back out into the hallway, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him.

Now he had more questions. His gaze shifted to the neighboring door as he stepped forward.

"...Let’s try you."

He walked over and knocked a couple times. After a few seconds, the door opened.

A man who looked to be in his forties stood there in a bathrobe with disheveled hair and a slightly bloated face and irritated expression.

"Huh?"

His eyes scanned West from head to toe before he went; "Oh— I thought you were the escort I ordered."

"Sorry about the disturbance, I just have a few questions about the apartment next door," West spoke with a neutral tone.

The man waved dismissively with a look of disappointment.

"Bugger off, kid. Whatever happened there—" he jerked his thumb toward the apartment, "—none of my business."

He began to close the door. "Why should I tell you anything—"

Thud~

West’s foot shot forward, stopping the door before it could close.

The man frowned while turning around.

"Oi—what the hell do you think you’re—"

He didn’t get to finish before West’s hand shot forward.

He gripped the man’s neck and lifted him upwards.

The man’s eyes bulged instantly as his feet left the ground.

His hands clawed at West’s wrist while his legs kicked uselessly in the air like a puppet with cut strings.

"G—gkk—!"

West’s expression remained calm as he spoke. "Let’s try that again."

The man’s face turned red before going pale as a look of recognition appeared in his eyed.

The realization that the kid before him was awakened hit him harder than a truck.

’I’m doomed!’

The man’s body suddenly went limp as foam gathered at the corners of his mouth.

"...Uh?" West blinked in confusion upon noticing that the man had passed out from fear.

He lowered him slightly, giving him a small slap across the face.

"Oi. Mr."

Pah~

"Wake up. I still have questions."

Even after three more slaps, there was no response.

West sighed. "...Seriously?"

He reached into his inventory and pulled out a small bottle that contained contents from the Chalice.

Without hesitation, he popped it open and tilted it, pouring a bit of the glowing red liquid into the man’s mouth.

A few seconds passed before the man’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

He gasped violently, sucking in air like he had just returned from drowning.

"I—!"

He froze in shock upon realizing that he was still alive.

His eyes slowly shifted toward West. "...I’m... not dead?"

West crouched slightly, steadying his gaze upon the middle aged man. "I still have questions... you’re no use to me dead."

The man’s entire body shook visibly as the prior arrogance and rudeness vanished completely.

Only raw and unfiltered fear remain...

"Y—yes... yes! I’ll answer—anything—anything you want!"

West nodded slightly. "Good."

He stood and pointed at the apartment. "The woman who lives in that apartment... When was the last time you saw her?"

The man swallowed hard before responding with a shaky voice; "Th—that woman..."

West’s gaze sharpened slightly upon noticing his hesitation. "...Speak."

"Yes! Yes!"

"She—she was... um... kinda stuck up..."

West crossed his arms, listening.

"From what I remember... she didn’t come back often... but—" he swallowed again, "—but, she never missed two weekends in a row."

West’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...And? has she?"

The man responded swiftly. "Last I saw her... was nearly two weeks ago."

He quickly added, "Unless I missed it—I don’t think she’s come back since!"