Over the last few days Damien had spent a lot of time staring at the wall. It was kind of scary to both May and Max. They assumed he was thinking, but one could never be too sure what was actually going on in his head.
Instead May focused her efforts on deciphering one of the books she stole from the manor. It was handwritten, no title, presumably somebody's journal, but the handwriting was abysmal. Borderline eligible at most times.
One page stuck out though, a page on 'twin gods' she couldn't make out what most of the page said though. The parts she could read said something about reincarnation, telepathy, and more outlandish ideas. Sure, it was interesting, but nothing particularly noteworthy. She was taken out of her thoughts by Max speaking.
"Damien, staring at the wall won't fix anything." Max's voice was oddly firm, but it was forced, if Damien fought back Max would run away with his tail between his legs.
"I know, that's why I'm thinking." Damien seemed weirdly calm, but this just made May more anxious.
"Um, what exactly are you thinking?" May asked quietly, she glanced at Max, and he glanced back. Both of them were thinking the same thing; 'He's gone crazy.'
"A plan, we need to get Jia back." His voice was full of determination.
May glanced at Max again, 'We're gonna die,' is what she thought to herself, but Max nodded. As if he was agreeing with her.
"What's the plan?" Max asked skeptically.
"We go in there, beat that weirdos ass, and get Jia back." Damien's signature smirk returned for the first time in days.
"Okay, Damien, what if Jia's dead?" May's voice was soft, she didn't like the idea either, but they needed to consider that this could be reality.
"She's not, or well, I don't think she is." Max responded without even thinking.
"Basis?" May raised an eyebrow.
"Gut feeling." Max shrugged.
"Stop doing creepy twin stuff and get ready to beat some ass." Damien's tone was full of determination, except both the twins were useless in a fight, for the most part.
The twins sighed, May knew Damien would go no matter what she said. And she didn't want him to die alone. It was a sad thought, but she knew he'd fight until he died. At least this time her, and Max could be there when their sibling died. She closed her book, and stood up, dusting off her skirt as she did.
"Fine, but if you get your ass beat don't blame us." May kept a brave face, but she couldn't hide what she was really feeling. They would lose Damien too, he stood no chance against the monster that took Jiahao.
Damien geared up, that is to say, he grabbed his trusty copper pipe. He had stolen it from the side of a building about a year ago, and it was his weapon of choice ever since.
"Forgive me for only asking now, but why the hell didn't you bring that with you in the first place?!" May was exasperated.
"I thought the place was abandoned, okay?" Damien scoffed.
"Yeah, the superhuman monster doesn't stand a chance against an angry ginger with a copper pipe." Max muttered.
"I heard you, y'know?" Damien glared at Max, but they both knew he wouldn't actually do anything. "And it's not like you have any better weapons!"
"I have a really tiny hammer." Max shrugged the suggestion wasn't serious at all, but it did make Damien think.
"Wait, there's an actual hammer by the sink, take that." Max did as he was told with no complaints.
Max looked at the hammer with slight confusion, what good was a hammer to him? He was no good in a fight, the hammer's potential was being wasted on him.
"Now May needs something…" Damien trailed off as he looked around the flat, hoping something would just appear.
He grabbed one of the few pans they owned and handed it to her wordlessly.
"Damien, I don't think the pan will be of much use." May sighed.
"Shut up, and hold your pan with pride!" Damien exclaimed, his voice booming with confidence.
Yep, he had truly lost it. They were going to die.
Damien led the group back to the manor, any complaints, or concerns the twins had were quickly shut down. He had an unparalleled determination to get absolutely murdered.
Once they stood outside the crack in the wall that they originally entered through, the twins really tried to convince Damien to head back.
"Damien, it's a copper pipe. Against some unknown inhuman monster, I don't see this ending well. Can we just go home?" Damien had enough of May's pestering. She was just concerned, but Damien wasn't backing down.
"May, you wouldn't understand this, it doesn't matter if I win, if I lose, if I die, what matters is that I tried. That if Jia is still alive in there, I tried to save her. And if she's dead, then I'll die with her." His voice broke as he spoke.
"She's my family, we've been stuck with each other since we were kids. We saw hell together, and came out the other side, if I die then it's okay. I'm okay with this." He smirked, but he was just putting it on.
Deep down a dark depression had been consuming him since Jiahao disappeared, guilt, loneliness, grief, everything. He couldn't sit around any longer, if he did, he'd probably take his own life. To him, it was better to die for his family than to die by his own hand. It was a sad reality, but Jiahao was his older sister. She basically raised him, she gave him a home, everyday when he felt like he was worthless she reminded him he wasn't. That nobody in this world is worthless, even orphans. And yeah, that might be stupid to some people, but to be told that meant everything to him.
May gulped, and nodded in response. This was happening, whether she liked it or not.
They followed their original route into the manor, once they were inside, they tried to retrace their footsteps, but it was like the manor had rearranged itself. Doors they thought led to one place, led to somewhere they had never seen before. It was giving Max a headache, especially because he was sure he remembered the exact route they took.
The next door they opened led… outside?
"Grass?" May mumbled, without thinking all of them stepped through the doorway, shutting the door behind them. It didn't take long for all three of them to realise, they couldn't open the door from this side.
"Shit, fuck, shit, bitch, fuck," Damien let out a string of various profanities as he searched for a door handle, but there was none. Max elbowed Damien in the shoulder before speaking, "We've got bigger problems."
Damien turned around to see a short white haired figure approaching them. They were wearing a tattered white vest, showing off their scarred, and muscular arms. An eye patch covering one of their eyes.
"Who the fuck is this?" Damien looked at both May and Max, as if they had the answer. The one thing they did know, it wasn't the same person who took Jiahao.
"I don't know, but be careful. It's not human." May mumbled, Damien looked at her like she was crazy, it looked pretty human to him.
Before they could continue to panic the figure, only a few meters away now, began to speak.
"The Master of the Manor has been expecting you, esteemed guests." The person bowed, they seemed extremely polite, and welcoming, but the spear in their hands said otherwise.
"Unfortunately, the Master is currently sleeping, as it's daytime, I've been tasked with dealing with you. I'd very much like to go to sleep myself, so let's make this quick, hmm?" They smiled, but their intent was clear.
Damien held his pipe in front of him as a sort of guard. "Where's Jiahao?!" He shouted.
"I'd tell you if I knew." The white haired person shrugged before cracking their neck.
With great speed, they kicked off the ground, jumping towards Damien, intending to strike him with the spear, but he dodged.
The white haired person glared at him, before smirking. They turned to the twins and went to strike them, but both of them managed to get away in time.
"Hey! Don't involve them. This is between us!" Damien shouted once more.
"Y'know what, it's been a minute since I've had a good fight, I'll leave the brats out of it, but you better be worth it. If you bore me, they're gone." The white haired person's one visible eye seemed crazed, like they were possessed.
"Deal." Damien's answer was short, and quick, before he launched his own attack. The other person used the handle of their spear to block the attack. Laughing when they did.
Damien was good at close combat, he thought he had the upper hand now that there were mere inches between them, but he couldn't have been more wrong.