Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Great Tree Moon, 25, 1949.

The brown tree leaves swirl with the wind, flocking the street where Garreg Mach Police Station is built. Inside, the numerous agents, office workers, auxiliaries and people with problems made a busy environment, even when this wasn't the biggest police station in the country. They don't have to deal with many issues: a robbery here and there, maybe some street fight. There were few occasions in which the population of Garreg Mach needed them for more significant crimes. 

Garreg Mach is a small city, and the monastery at the top of the hill take most of the territory. Many people that live here usually leave on holidays and weekends to find some diversion that they cannot find in the small town. Since the end of the war, the city has been growing, and clubs were being open. With them, crime seems to have taken roots in the streets. 

Because of this, Seteth Clarke, a detective in service for fifteen years (counting the war interruption), want, no,  need,  a companion. He works tirelessly, even when a significant part of his job requires be sitting in front of a desk. Filling up reports of his colleagues and answering complaints of people who had nothing better to do than spy on their neighbours to see if they were stealing their plant pots. And believe him, in the small and boring city of Garreg Mach, plant pots robbery has become a hobby of a big part of the population. He yearns to be in the streets, assuring that everyone is safe, stopping crimes before they become something worst. But Rhea, commissar of this police station, always decline.

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"You're far too important to risk yourself by being shot in the streets. We need your diligent ways to..." Rhea hesitated, looking for the right words, moving her hand in the air, "fill up our reports. And you are great at hearing people complaints too!" she ended with what she thought was a reassuring smile.

"Don't think praise will make me change my mind, Rhea. I need to be out there, doing something more relevant" he clenched his fists on his sides, Rhea closing her eyes, frustration increasing.

After a moment of silence, Rhea opened her eyes, sighing and looking sternly into his eyes. "If you don't do it for me, then think about Flayn." It was a low blow to bring his daughter into the conversation making his face contort into an angry scowl. "What would happen to her if some thug kills you?"

"I'm always thinking on her behalf and her security, and you know this. So that's why I want to go out there, to make this city a safe place again, for her and everyone," Seteth chimed and returned Rhea's gaze with one of decision, "and if something happens to me, she has Indech and Macuil; she has you too." 

"It seems that I cannot persuade you to stay in your office", she groans and closes her eyes, mulling over the situation, to open them again after few minutes that felt like years. "Alright then, I'll let you take some cases, and we'll see how you do" Seteth gave her a triumphant smile, trying to conceal his emotions, don't letting his excitement shows. "But I have one condition," the commissar held out her index finger to give him pause, making his grin falter, "you need a companion, and if you don't get one...forget about doing the street job."

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A week has passed since that conversation, and he hasn't found a partner. It's not that he hasn't asked one of his co-workers. Catherine was the first one to come to mind. Still, she rejected his offer, alluding that she makes a pretty good team with her actual partner, Shamir, and she doesn't want to be swift companions at the moment. He even tried patrolling with Alois one night. Still, he had to spend most of the time hearing terrible jokes and assuring him that ghosts don't exist. Even if they do, they wouldn't be in the streets (a conversation that led to a debate of why the spirits always appeared in terrifying places, leaving Seteth incredibly exhausted). At the end of the work shift, Alois confessed that as much as their conversation about his fears were very comforting, he decided to continue working with Gilbert. Is he that bad that someone would prefer a man who continuously drops self-hatred commentary over him? He has fame in the police station for being the sternest, self-righteous and uptight person, but is it horrible the idea of working with him? 

Many more rejections followed Alois', and he now found himself in his office filling more reports getting annoyed by the second. Hope seems to escape through his fingers. Finally, he is resigning to the idea of being stuck at his desk, hearing nonsense from bored citizens and how his colleagues were doing a great job solving crimes out there. 

"Hey, Seteth!" the loud voice of Alois make him jump in his seat, and while he tries to recover his composure, looks at his co-worker, waiting for him to continue, "are you still searching for a partner?" 

Seteth clears his throat, dry for not having talked for hours, being unbothered in his office, "I suppose I' am, yes, without luck," he says and exhales loudly, letting his nuisance known, "why are you asking, if I may know?"

"Well boy, today is your lucky day," Alois beams while raising his fist and making Seteth straighten in his chair with curiosity, "I think I just found the right person for you!" 

"Is that so?" the detective tries to maintain calm, no raising his hopes yet. But, even so, he cannot help his pulse to go crazy, his heart pounding in his chest wildly. "Who is it?"

"Tell me, Seteth, do you know the name of Jeralt, the Blade Breaker?"

Of course, he knows that name. Jeralt Eisner was, a long time ago, one of the best police officers of Garreg Mach; he solved a lot of crimes at the moment and is like a legend in the police station. But he resigned 21 years ago, before Seteth became a police officer himself. From what he knows, he is working now as a private detective, reaping success after success. Some people prefer to go to him than to come up to the police. 

"Is he going to return to his work as a cop after all these years?" Seteth asks incredulously, more surprised by the idea of him being a partner with a living legend than of Jeralt coming back. Maybe it is indeed his lucky day.

"Well....no" Alois seems sad about his former master not being a cop once again, but recovering fast, beaming again ", but his daughter wants to join us, and she has a reputation of her own. I'm sure she'll be a great asset to this police station."

"Why, did she have excellent grades at the Police Academy?" a big part of his enthusiasm died. The idea of babysitting Jeralt's daughter isn't appealing. 

"Oh...she didn't study at the Officers Academy," shock was apparent in Seteth face, mouth agape, eyes wide. "She has been working with Jeralt for quite some time. He trained her well; you must have heard her monicker," tension filled the air in the office, "the Ashen Demon."  

Oh no , he knows that name too. Many arrested criminals talked about the Ashen Demon when they were being interrogated. And they were terrified. They always speak about a person who didn't show any hint of emotion while they kick their asses; how they always appear silently, like a shadow in the night, and strikes when you least expect. Seteth would have never imagined that the frightening Ashen Demon is a woman, and least of all, that she is, in fact, Jeralt Eisner's daughter. Just, how old is she even? The detective was aghast. 

"That is..." Seteth rubs his temples, closing his eyes to calm the upcoming headache "absurd. I think I'll pass. I'm sure that sooner or later, I'll find a more capable partner. However, I appreciate the trouble you went through". He tried to give a reassuring smile to the other police. Still, it indeed failed, his face returning to the usual frown. 

But Alois doesn't leave his office. Instead, he starts changing the weight from one leg to the other, locking both hands and playing with his thumbs while looking at the floor, embarrassed. "Well...that's going to be a problem..." Seteth raises his eyes from the reports that fill his desk and looks to Alois with a questioning gaze "They are already here, Jeralt and his child."

"What?!" the detective jumps to his feet, making the chair fall back.

"They are both talking to Rhea in her office right now, and she looks pretty pleased to welcome her" 

"And you never thought of telling me sooner?!"

Seteth storms out of his office, leaving Alois behind. He starts walking through the hall to Rhea's office until a small crowd waiting outside her door makes him stop. Everyone wanted to have a look at the person that had become the nightmare of a huge part of the criminals in this city, a glance to the infamous Ashen Demon.  People should start calling this place "The Gossipers Station". It seems that that would describe better the nature of the people who work here. At least my brothers haven't succumbed to...  He stops his train of thought when he sees two heads with green hair in the middle of the congregation.  Shit. 

"What the heck are you two doing here?" he barks, pointing at them, making the two turn around abruptly to see him. 

"What were you doing that you weren't here, brother?" says Macuil, clearly not intimidated by Seteth, while Indech only waves his hand at him with a slight smile on his face without more explanation.

Seteth sighs wearily, "Working, what you should be doing now."

"I don't have many assignments at the moment; you know how tedious this place can sometimes be, " he crosses his arms in his chest. "And I wouldn't like to lose the opportunity to see with my own eyes the Blade Breaker himself...and the celestial angel that accompanies him" he glances at the door with a mischievous smile. 

Celestial Angel? Macuil... really have a weird taste.  "You mean the Ashen Demon?" Seteth pinches the bridge of his nose.  That damn headache is getting stronger; a good cup of coffee is in order when I end this nonsense. 

"Is she really the Ashen Demon?! Well... if you wanted to banish my interest in her, you just have failed, Sethie," Macuil says, rubbing his hands.  He has, indeed, a peculiar taste. 

"She is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to stop Rhea before she does something terribly foolish" he passes them and heads directly to the door, where Manuela is trying to hear something, her ear pressed to the wood. Hanneman behind her, telling her not to be a busybody while trying to hear something too. "Now now, Hanneman and Manuela, stop the childish behaviour immediately and go back to your posts", they both give him a wary look and move from the door, but don't leave the hall.

"You're such a killjoy, Seteth!" The crowd hears Manuela's soprano voice, some people making a sound of agreement and nodding.

Seteth knocks twice, and Rhea's voice sounds from inside the room, letting him know that he can enter. The detective closes the door and turns around to find Rhea in her chair in front of her desk, locked hands visible at the top of some documents. On the other side of the escritoire, a man and a woman were sitting side by side. The man appeared to be of considerable height, even in a sitting position. He had broad shoulders hinting at his strength. He is wearing a trench coat ( what a cliché) , and he was holding a hat in his lap. 

The woman, on the other hand...Seteth couldn't see her face from his position, but her hair was a dark shade of blue at shoulder height. She wears a trench coat too, but a grey one, different from her father's camel. She hasn't moved an inch since he entered; if someone tells him it is a corpse, he would believe it.

"Seteth! You just arrive at the appropriate time" Rhea smiles at him while she stands up and walks around her desk to where her visitors were sitting, and they stand up too, "let me introduce you; this is Jeralt Eisner. You must have heard his name, don't you? He was a great detective when he used to work with us". The man only nods to Seteth in recognition but says nothing. "And this..." she walks to stand behind the girl, putting both of her hands on her shoulders, "is Byleth Eisner. She's going to be our newest member to the police station and... your new companion!" Rhea is beaming. Seteth is just standing there,  like an idiot. 

The woman is now facing him, and the detective can have a view of her face. She is...not what he was expecting. She was petite, not as short as Flayn, but she looks tiny, more now that she is standing by her father and Rhea's side. Her wide eyes are deep blue, like the ocean itself; she has small snub nose and rosebud lips. And even with a lack of expression on her face, he can only describe her appearance as innocent.  Surely, Alois must have been joking when he told me that she is the Ashen Demon. Impossible that this girl is the all criminals' torment of this city. 

"You can call me Byleth; It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance" the woman suddenly speaks to him and extends a hand for a shake, her expression inscrutable.

Seteth stands there, glancing at her hand, then at her face (which hasn't betrayed any emotion yet), and then at her hand again, that she extends more towards him, like insisting him to shake it. "She's not going to remove her hand until you two have a proper handshake and introduce yourself, " says Jeralt, who puts a cigar in his mouth and searches in his pockets for the lighter, "so, would you be so kindly?..." he ends the sentence with a nod to his daughter extended hand. 

"Oh...yes, of course, " Seteth looks at Byleth's eyes again and clears his throat, "my name is Seteth Clarke; I've been in service as a detective for fifteen years now. It's nice to meet you, Miss Eisner." He grips her hand and shakes it, and then, he doesn't let go.  It's so tiny; my hand covers hers entirely. She doesn't try to retire her hand either, and they stare at each other eyes, searching for something unknown. Until someone decides to interrupt their pursuit of an answer without question by coughing loudly. 

"Are you done? Because I need to speak with my kid before I go." Jeralt snarls with an annoyed scowl on his face, and Seteth break the grip like he was burned, retracting his hand and folding his arms behind his back. Byleth continues watching his face, not saying a word. 

"Indeed. I have to talk to Rhea about this new appointment." Seteth chimed, directing his gaze to the commissar, who is smiling at father and daughter, oblivious of the tension that had raised in her office.

"See you around, Jeralt. It has been so lovely to see you here again, just like old times" the private detective stares at her for a moment before going out of the room with his child. 

With the two of them out of sight and the door closed, Seteth stares at the floor, trying to put his thoughts in order before opening his mouth and closing it again multiple times, mulling over his following words. "What do you think you're doing, Rhea?" he finally splits out. 

His superior only crook one eyebrow and look at him with a questioning gaze. "What do you think I'm doing, Seteth?" the detective finally looks up at her, a bothered look on his face. 

"You know who that girl is? By what monicker do people know her? The things that criminals have to tell about her ways?" he asks bewildered, pointing at the door, perplexed by the calm demeanour of the commissar. 

"Yes, I know everything. I know that she's the Ashen Demon." she only crosses her arms and looks at him coolly.

"And you still hire her?!" the detective is now wholly bemused.  She has lost her mind.

Rhea shrugs. "I think she is the right one."

"The right one for what?" Seteth shoots his arms to the air; the commissar only closes her eyes and exhales deeply.

"Seteth, you know that crime rate has been increasing non-stop since the end of the war. We need someone who has first-hand experience and knowledge about illegal business and criminal dealings". The detective hung his head and holds the back of the chair in front of him, his knuckles white. He opens his mouth to say something, but Rhea stops him. "Jeralt has rejected my proposal of coming back. He already does a great job with his private business. But his daughter wants to join us, Seteth. And...hell, she can't be that bad. His father speaks wonders of her work. Just...trust me in this. Would you?" Rhea finally slumps in her chair, looking at Seteth pleadingly.

"I suppose...that I can see if she is capable before I judge her so harshly", Rhea beams at that, "but why do I have to be her partner? Surely, Alois would be more than pleased to guide her, she being Jeralt's daughter and all."

"Ah. I just think you've always been a guide by nature," she whispers, "you showed as much when you were a priest, Cichol," Rhea gives him a knowing smile. 

Seteth just exhales deeply while pinching the bridge of his nose, but he finally looks at her and answers her smile with a sad one. "I'll do my best, Seiros" with that, he turns around and make his exit of the commissar's office. 

Coffee time.  But he stops promptly when he sees a figure standing in the hall, resting her back at the wall in front of Rhea's door, staring at the floor. Byleth Eisner herself, who looks up at him, cocks her head and waves her hand. Her emotionless face doesn't give a hint of her thoughts, and she just waits for him to say something. But his throat is dry, and words never reach his mouth as he watches her. There's only one thing he can think about right now:

I'm going to work side by side with the Ashen Demon. Goddess, help me.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Strangers in the night Pt.2

When Jeralt opens the door to exit Rhea’s office, the people waiting outside, expecting to get the latest juicy gossip, jump startled and start pacing around the hall. Looking everywhere except at the newcomers.

“This place hasn’t changed a bit,” he mumbles, annoyed, still holding the cigar he put on his mouth inside the office. Then he looks at his daughter, who seems distressed. ‘‘You should get accustomed. Here, people like more babbling than working”

“I cannot blame them. This city is not exactly a living party,” Byleth responds, looking around, paying attention to every face in the passageway.

A blonde was chatting animatedly with a short-haired one, who seems exasperated by her companion tale. On the other side, an old man with a monocle bicker with a woman dressed in a large gown that emphasizes her charms. And finally, two green-haired guys whispering at each other, stealing glances on their way. Yet, when they realize they were being watched, the one that was leaning against the wall, with his back to her, seems to tense, and starts racing to the end of the hall, going downstairs. However, the other one returned her gaze, eye her up, and wink with a smirk. Ugh.

“Let’s go outside, kid” her father puts a hand on her shoulder and starts walking to the front door. They’re arriving at the reception desk when a boisterous voice stops them in their tracks.

“Hey Captain, you’re leaving already?” Alois comes closer, beaming at them. “It really saddens me you’re not coming back, Jeralt. Imagine! We two back again in the streets, beating up criminals, just like good old times.” He looks like an abandoned puppy, tempting her father to take him home.

“My time as a cop has ended, friend. Now I pay my bills with the money I gain with whatever poor devil wants me to do.” The police look absolutely discouraged. Jeralt, seeing this, sighs heavily, swears under his breath, and continues. “Look, maybe I’m not coming back, but my kid is staying, so you’re going to see me around more often than not.” The private detective smiles tenderly and ruffles her hair “someone has to keep her in line, and surely will not be the idiot she has as a partner,” Byleth snorts at that, but Jeralt knit his brow.

“So… you two have finally met Seteth, huh?” Alois looks like he is hesitating about his next words, “he’s really not that bad like he seems. In fact, I went patrolling with him the other day and we had a very interesting conversation. He doesn’t hold his tongue however…” he rubs the back of his head “What was your first impression, kiddo?”

My first impression? He just stood there and stared at me. He said little too, but it was very apparent that he was far less than pleased. His eyes are beautifully green tho. Not that I’m going to say that in front of Jeralt.

“He’s fine… I suppose. It’s too soon to say,” she shrugs “I just hope we get along well enough to do our job properly”.

“It matters not. Congratulations on getting the job, by the way!” the police smack her in the arm and let out a loud laugh. “And you know, if you have any problem, no matter the time or place, your big brother Alois will be there for you!”

My big brother? “Thanks, but I think I can handle well enough for now. And if I have any problem, I’ll ask my new partner,” Who thinks am a bother already. Well, greenie, get used to it. Alois seems crestfallen, so she adds “but I really appreciate the sentiment”

“Now, if you excuse us Alois. I have to talk to my kid outside, and then she’ll be entirely at your disposal for you to swear your life to her protection,” her father nods at the police and jabs his thumb at the exit door for her to move out with him.

The air is chilly this evening and some tree leaves swirl around; steam is coming out from the sewer hole in front of the police department. There is no soul in the street, even when is early in the night, only a father searching in his head for the best words of encouragement, and a daughter that doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into. Jeralt ultimately finds the lighter deep down in the right pocket of his trench coat and light the cigar he has been holding all this time in his mouth.

“Look…” he rubs the back of his head, “I want you to feel confident about this decision. You have my support, no matter what. In fact, I think what you’re doing is right, joining the police department and all that, but…” I hate that ‘but,’ “I still don’t trust Rhea, she has something on her mind and-”

“Why?” Byleth simply asks, crossing her arms on her chest.

“Why what, kid?”

“Why don’t you trust Rhea?”

“It’s a long story, and I don’t think I should explain it to you right here, right now. She has ears everywhere. But I’ll tell you one day, that I can promise,” he smiles warmly at her, “just, please, watch your back while you’re here, and don’t trust that partner of yours, he looks like a snitch,” he chuckles, but his face contorts in a serious scowl immediately.

“I’m more worried about you than me, old man. You’re sure you can keep up with the detective job without me? Watch out with lumbago. I’ve heard that is incredibly painful at your age.” Byleth cocks her head to the side and smiles slightly. Jeralt stays silent for a moment, eyes wide and mouth agape, and then he lets out a loud laugh that almost makes his cigar fall to the ground, but he catches it in his fingers.

“I’m going to miss working with you, kid. Well, I have to go now, get in there and show them what you got!”

The detective goes downstairs, looks at her over his shoulder and gives her a wave before disappearing into the night. Byleth stands there, staring the way he left for a moment, then sighs heavily. It’s time to start this new stage of my life. Let’s hope it’s not a shitty one. First, make friends with Seteth.

She enters the Police Station again. The entrance hall is not huge, equipped only with a desk -empty right now, even when the phone doesn’t stop ringing (these people take their job calmly, that’s for sure)- and some chairs as in a waiting room. On the right, there’s a door which seems to lead to the prisoners’ area, so surely there is an interrogatory room, the one to take the mugshots, and the cells inside there. At the end of the reception, there is a passageway that leads to the offices. The babble that filled the place before she went outside with her father had grown distant, people nowhere to be seen. Byleth looks around and starts walking to the offices, resigned to wait for her new partner outside her boss’ door. When she arrives, voices can be heard inside. So, he’s still in there. She leans into the opposite wall, looking down. The floor is decorated with black-and-white tiles, immaculate. I don’t know the rest of the team, but certainly the cleaning staff is great . The door opens.

Byleth hears her partner walking outside the office. For a moment she thinks he’s going to miss her standing there, but he stops in his tracks, and says nothing. Back to the awkward. Come on, say something! No word comes out of his mouth, but still she can feel his intense gaze directed at her. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself, that’s what Jeralt says, anyway . She looks up at him, waves her hand as in a greeting, hoping it looks friendly. He still doesn’t say nothing. Damn, man, does Rhea pay you to keep quiet?

“Hi, again,” she says hesitantly, and he seems startled for a moment, before he collects himself, clearing his throat and folding his arms on his back.

“I hope you have introduced yourself to the rest of our co-workers.”

“No, I haven’t. I was just speaking with Jeralt. Surely, your help will be appreciated,” she says and trust he’ll be kind enough to lend her a hand with their colleagues, but he exhales profoundly and frown.

“I suppose, as your superior-” Wait, what?

“You’re not my superior,” she announces. He seems rather shocked by the statement.

“I beg your pardon?” confusion is now replaced by exasperation.

“You’re not my superior. If I’m not wrong, Rhea appointed me as your partner, and that means we’re equals.” She crosses her arms and crook a brow.

“Maybe that’s true, but certainly, as someone with more experience as a police officer, I should be in charge” now he crosses his arms too, gazes at her eyes, challenging her to oppose him. But, it’s true, he has more experience as a cop. Byleth has always worked as a private detective, she’s been fighting all her life. She knows every monkey business in this city. But she doesn’t know how police should perform in front of problems.

“Okay, you want to be in charge? So be it. However, I think we would take more advantage of this... experience… if we work as equals. Consider it. We can both learn from each other.” Byleth shrugs and looks at his eyes, searching for some kind of understanding between both parts. The answer is, on the contrary, very disappointing.

“And what, pray tell, would I learn from such a… inexperienced and untested rookie?” Uh, harsh. Take it with grace, By . She groans and studies him. He wears a navy-blue suit, white shirt under the blazer complemented with a black and gold tie; a handkerchief sticks out from his chest pocket, its looks made of expensive cloth, and it also has his initials embroidered; his leather shoes unpolluted. This guy hasn’t left his office in lengthy time. Am pretty sure he doesn’t know how street business work nowadays . The police apprentice exhales and leads a hand to her chin, pondering on her next words.

“Seteth,” the detective just gives her an affirmative hum, urging her to continue, “do you know who you need to ask in this city if you need information about any shady activity going on?” his eyes go wide, lips in a tight line, “or what are the places most frequented by criminals?” he can only open his mouth several times, but he only let out a whine. Just like I thought . “Look, I mean no offense, but you certainly have something to learn from… what did you called me? … oh yes, an inexperienced and untested rookie,” Seteth 0- Byleth 1 .

Seteth looks absolutely indignant. His face contorts in a furious grimace and holds out a finger, ready to snap at her, when he’s interrupted by the voice of a recently arrive companion “Oh hell Seteth, this beautiful lady just put you in your place!” another green-haired man approaches them, smirking. Oh no, the lewd guy from before . Her partner seems equally mortified by his presence. Wait, green hair and green eyes, an impossible coincidence . He stands beside Seteth and looks at her. “Well brother, are you going to introduce me to your companion already?” Of course, they’re siblings, there’s never only one clove in a coffin .

The detective exhales profoundly, straightens, folding one arm on his back and signal the other man with a hand, “Miss Eisner, this is Macuil Clarke, he works downstairs in the forensic laboratory assisting Dr Essar. Unfortunately, he’s also my brother.” Macuil directs a deadpan expression to his brother, who pays him no mind and continues, “Mac, this is Byleth Eisner, she’s going to work as a police officer from now on, and… as my partner.”

Many expressions are painted on the assistant’s face: surprise, confusion, and finally, amusement. He tries to stiffen a laugh with a hand in his mouth, but his shoulders shake anyway. When he finally seems to control the chuckle, clear his throat, and looks at her smiling slightly. “Sorry about that, my lady, and please, accept my most sincere condolences, for your patience is going to die in his company.” He makes a mocking bow and looks at Seteth, that is pinching the bridge of his nose, looking totally wrecked.

Byleth seems unamused, giving alternate gazes to one sibling to the other, with her arms crossed and one hand on her cheek. “Alright, so we have the grumpy, the funny… shall I ask for the gloomy brother?”

She means it as a jest, but they both answer “Downstairs”, which makes her eyes go wide and lead her arms to her sides. “Well, Indech is not gloomy, if we are to be honest, he’s…. shy,” Seteth clarifies, a sad expression on his face.

“That’s an understatement. He is a hermit,” Macuil adds. Great, is anyone normal in their family? Well, who am I to talk?

“And I’d like to introduce you to him and the rest of the team before my work shift ends, so, if you would be so kindly to accompany me, Miss Eisner.” Seteth points a hand to the end of the hall, where is what looks like a lounge room for employees that she didn’t see earlier.

Macuil and Byleth follow Seteth to the place. This is provided by some counters, one of them with a little gas stove, in which settles a kettle to prepare coffee; a fridge used to keep cool people's lunches. On the opposite side, there is a sofa and two armchairs, with a coffee table in the middle. There’s also a bulletin board at the front wall, it’s full of papers of various festivals, charity galas and food banks. Her new colleagues are all there, chatting and drinking coffee, yet they leave whatever they are doing to stare at them.

“May I ask for your attention for a minute?” Seteth makes a call to their co-workers, that come near, standing in front of them in some kind of semi-circle. “I introduce you all to Miss Byleth Eisner, she’s going to work with us from now on. I hope you’ll treat her correctly and with respect.” Byleth looks at him and raise an eyebrow. How very ironic.

“Please, just call me Byleth. It’s an honour to be here, I’ll give my best.” She has her hands on her lap, and bows slightly, feeling every gaze upon her.

“I sure hope so. I’ve heard much about you. It would disappoint if you didn’t give your best” the blonde is the first to talk, but she doesn’t offer her hand to shake, “my name is Catherine by the way” she leads her arms to her back and smiles, Byleth only nods.

“Please, excuse my partner. She received a blow a long time ago and since then she has lost her manners. I’m Shamir,” the short-haired woman extends her hand and gives Byleth a short and firm handshake.

“I’m Doctor Hanneman Essar, but you may call me just Hanneman. I work as a forensic surgeon downstairs with the gentleman behind you,” she looks over her shoulder and sees Macuil already looking at her face, and winks at her, “May I ask you about the possibility that you possess a crest?” that calls Byleth attention back to the old man, but before she can answer he continues, “if that is the case, please, allow me to run some tests, they won’t be painful, I prom-.”

“Oh, shut it Hanneman, the poor one just arrived and you already are harassing her. How rude,” a woman with hazelnut hair interrupts the doctor, looking at her with a kind smile, “my name is Manuela, I’m usually at the reception hall, but I also have some medical and first aid knowledge, so if you get wounded while out there, come to me, I’ll fix you,” with that she winks at Byleth, who stares at her and cocks her head. I know her face, but from what?

“Do I know you? your face rings a bell” with that the other woman looks at her astonished. For a moment she looks like she shines of pure delight.

“Of course, you know my face! Finally, someone with a minimum of film culture, I was feeling rather lonely in here. I’ve appeared in many musicals, you see? I’m sure you’ve seen me in any of those,” She really is overjoyed, it almost pains me to tell her .

“Em, no, I don’t think so. I know you for something entirely different, but I cannot put my finger on what exactly.” the former actress is absolutely aghast, but before she can answer Byleth, a hand lands on the rookie cop shoulder, who looks at the man besides her.

“Miss Eisner, I’d like to end with the introductions, and we don’t have time for Manuela’s stories, so, please, come with me downstairs” Manuela snort, still, she doesn’t say nothing more.

Byleth waves farewell to the group, and goes downstairs with Seteth and Macuil. At the end of the stairs, there’s a little corridor with some chairs, and a door, which lettering announces that inside is the morgue and the darkroom.

“There’s a darkroom in there? This place is certainly bigger than I imagined,” Byleth announces, and both siblings turn to look at her.

“Oh, yes. We need one for the crime scenes photographs and mugshots,” her partner explains to her.

“It’s also Indie’s sanctuary,” Macuil replies.

They enter, and Byleth gives a look to the morgue. It has two autopsy tables, and some surgical trolleys with chirurgical supplies. “And what are those?” she points to some kind of giant refrigerator.

“It’s a mortuary cold chamber, is used to keep the body and prevents the decomposition,” Seteth clarifies, “but right now, we don’t have any corpse here,” he adds, and walks to the door at the right wall, knocking twice, “Indech, please, open the door, I have to present you someone” The door cracks open ever so slightly, and a face appears in the darkness, shiny green eyes scrutinizing her. The man behind the door looks at her apprehensively, while a pink shade blush is painted on his cheeks, betraying his shyness. Seteth smiles at gestures her way, “brother, this is Miss Byleth Eisner, she’s going to work here, you’ll have to see her daily, wouldn’t you like to properly introduce yourself? Outside from the darkroom?” instead of stepping outside, he tries to hide even more in his sanctuary, making Seteth sigh.

So Byleth steps forward and extends her hand towards the door. “Hi, Indech, you may call me Byleth. I hope we get along.” She tries to smile, but like so many times, she doesn’t know how to do it properly. Still, she assumes she sounded assuring enough, because Indech opens the door a little and grips her hand and shakes.

“Hello, Byleth, is a pleasure to meet you,” he whispers, his voice deep. Both Seteth and Macuil look absolutely astonished. It seems I just have won him .

“Wow, Indie… you talked with a newcomer,” Macuil says, and the detective shakes his head, like coming back to reality after being lost in thought, “well Sethie, are you going to introduce Indech and tell that, unfortunately, he’s your brother too?”

“On the contrary, I’m very lucky to have him as a brother.” Seteth smiles again at the shy man, who answers with one of his own. Macuil doesn’t look so pleased.

“Tsk, I shouldn’t be surprised. You two have always been inseparable. In fact, I’m the unlucky one to have you both as a family at all.” the forensic crosses his arms and looks away, looking absolutely offended.

With that, Macuil and Seteth begin to argue, pointing their fingers at each other, their voices growing louder. Indech’s quiet voice tries to stop their argument, while he tries to separate them when they get too close, still hiding behind the door. Byleth, it’s long gone into the confines of her own mind, and watches the scene in front of her without fully registering what’s going on. All she can think about is how her life has changed from one day to the other, and how much louder things are going to get with these siblings around.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Night and Day

Great Tree Moon, 28, 1949

The weekend passes with little trouble. Seteth continues his life as usual, like nothing really happened. But deep down, he knows that anxiety is eating him from inside, his heart feels heavy in his chest, and present and future both seem clouded. He doesn’t know if he’s eager to work with Byleth Eisner, or frightened. Watching The Ashen Demon work with his own eyes, to see if the rumours are true or just tales from criminals in shock. That certainly fuels his curiosity, one that, as hard as it is to admit, he wants to feed with actual images of the mysterious woman in action. However, the rational part of him tells him to be careful, to be wary, to don’t take his eyes off of her. What if he needs to stop her in case she becomes excessively violent? The thugs he has interrogated exaggerated, or is she really like that? Seteth’s mind is a hurricane right now, taking away all the calm, and Byleth is in the centre.   

At least he had Flayn with him. She, as usual, spent the weekend in their apartment. Studying in the Officers Academy, situated in Garreg Mach’s Monastery, keeps her away from him all week, with her staying in the students’ dormitories. It’s not something that pleases him, having her in a place where he cannot watch over if something happens, but she’s surely safer there than alone in their home while he works in the Police Station. The Officer’s Academy is an institution that boast in being the most demanded from elites’ families to educate their progeny. Therefore, the security of the place is excellent in all aspects, having their own security forces. Seteth will have to conform with that, but having her under his watchful eye surely put him more at ease. What certainly didn’t help to alleviate his anxiousness was the conversation he had with his daughter.  

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It was Saturday, the dim morning light passed through the windows, and illuminated the little dining and living room; music is played in a low volume from the turned-on radio. Seteth was sitting at the round table they use to have breakfast and dinner (they usually have lunch out when they’re together); a cup of ginger tea and a–burned- toast in front of him. On the opposite side, a sleepy Flayn was spreading butter in her own toast, Sweet Apple Blend in her cup. The detective took the newspaper, Garreg Mach’s Gazette, and look through the pages without paying much attention to the news. He’s just occupying his hands while he waits for his daughter to clear her mind after waking up. Suddenly, he heard her voice.  

“We had little time to talk last night,” she said, absentmindedly spreading strawberry jam. He had picked her up from the Academy late at night. The discussion with Macuil delayed him more than expected, and then he was angry because Byleth had left saying nothing. That woman... “How’s your work been going?” his mind so occupied with thoughts about his new partner that he had forgotten he was talking with his daughter, “Father?”.  

He didn’t know how to answer. Should he tell her that everything was alright, that life continues as always, that he’s still stuck in front of his desk? Or should he confess to her that things had somehow changed and that he’s now waiting for the inevitable moment in which he’s going to take cases and putting his life at risk alongside his new partner, the infamous Ashen Demon? Would his daughter be concerned for his well-being? Instead of answering following these two options, he created a third route.  

“Good, but what about your studies? Is everything going well?” he asked, turning the conversation into her life. The safer option.   

“As always, classes are boring, but I still have my fellow students to entertain myself and I have a lot of friends now!” she beams, a happy aura all around her. She seemed so contented that it almost pained him it immediately vanished into a bothered frown after seeing his alarmed face. Just thinking about any male student with ill intentions of getting close to her makes him wants to go up there and chase them all. You cannot trust youth these days, they’re all perverted. “Father, please, I’m being careful and everyone is very kind, there’s no need for you to be worried!”  

“Cethleann... you know is impossible for me not to worry, this world is full of peril! You need to be careful” his daughter crossed her arms. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to shoo his concerns. This was not the first time they had discussed this issue, and he knew exactly what she was going to answer. Still wary, when she opened her mouth to reply he interrupted her and made peace “I... apologize, I should trust you more, and that you’re capable to handle yourself” he smiled softly at her.  

“That’s better!” she led one hand to her mouth to cover her giggles, “but tell me, have you talk to Rhea?” she took a big bite to her toast and looked at him expectantly.  

“Talk with Rhea about what?” suddenly he was anxious again. What is this about? Does she know? No, impossible.  

“Yes, you know, what we were talking about last weekend, about the possibility of starting taking cases if you get a companion...you remember you told me, right?” Oh, that.   

“Yes, of course, I remember. And yes, I had a talk with Rhea” with that, Seteth returned to reading the newspaper, covering his face with the large sheets. Flayn lifted in the chair, supporting herself on her knees, trying to catch his eye looking over the paper, without avail.  

“Aaaaaaand?? What happened? Have you got a partner, or are you going to stay in your office?” the girl ripped off the newspaper from his hands, leaving the detective holding only two little pieces of paper.  

“Flayn! That was uncalled for!”  

“What is uncalled for is you ignoring me, father! Now, tell me, what did Rhea say?” Seteth sighed and left the torn paper on the table. I can lie. He stared at Flayn, who was waiting for his answer, resting her head on her hands, leaned over the table. No, she hates lies, and eventually she’ll discover about Byleth. It’s better if I say the truth now. He clears his throat.   

“I... I have a new partner” his daughter let out a sound gasp, covering her mouth with her hands.   

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? Is someone who already worked in the department or is someone new?? If that is the case, what’s their name?? Ohh ohhh, it’s a man or a woman??” Flayn was getting excited by seconds, already jumping in her seat, she was fighting to catch her breath between so many questions. It’s almost endearing, if the subject wasn’t about his new companion. But when was the last time I see her getting this excited over something?   

“Flayn, please stop, take a breath. I’ll answer your questions, but continue eating your breakfast. I’m sure that it has grown cold,” the girl sat down as usual, and took a sip of her tea, still watching him with wide eyes. “Her name is Byleth Eisner, she’s daughter of a famous detective that used to work at the department years ago,” now it was his time to take a sip of his coffee, that was cold already, painting a disgusted growl on his face.  

“Byleth... By-leth” she was tasting the name in her mouth, looking at the ceiling, as if she was trying to imagine how the owner of such name would look like, “what a beautiful name...” As beautiful as the woman herself... Wait, no! Focus, Cichol. You cannot trust her. “Did she study at the Academy?” she took another bite of her toast, chewing slowly while expecting his answer.  

“No, she has been working with her father all this time. Rhea seems to think that that is enough to employ her. I’m not that sure” Seteth crossed his arms, clearly trying to show that he was displeased with his superior choice. His daughter, however, had her mind on other matters.  

“She used to work as a private detective these years?… Incredible,” she sighed dreamily, holding her chin on one hand, staring no place in particular, like fantasizing how being a private detective would be, until something seemed to come to her mind, “Out of curiosity, what is her age?” she asked, leaving the detective dumbfounded by such a question. Exactly. What is her age?  

“I didn’t ask her” he held his chin with one hand, deliberating about Byleth’s appearance, about her tight white shirt under a grey trench coat, her pencil black skirt, her stockings with floral pattern and that oversized... medallion? that hanged from her neck. “S... she certainly looks quite young; she even could impersonate as one student from your class”   

Flayn looked startled for a moment after such disclosure, and kept quiet for a moment before beaming brightly and stating “I want to meet her!” Seteth looked completely shocked and gaped, but before he could say anything his daughter continued, “Ohhhhh, I know, next Friday don’t go to pick me up at the Academy, I’ll go to the Police Station myself, and then you can introduce me to your new partner!!”  

“Wait a minute, Flayn, I don’t thin-”  

“Yes!! It sounds absolutely fantastic! And I could ask Annette or Mercedes to accompany me...”  

His daughter continued rambling, talking about all of her plans, but Seteth stopped listening minutes after, staring at her open-mouthed. This cannot go worst. 

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It’s already Monday afternoon, and they have talk little. Seteth goes on with his usual work, while Byleth was given a tour of the Police Station by Rhea, and now is sitting crossed legs across his desk reading a report. Her skirt and stockings nowhere to be seen, replaced by the police uniform trousers. It seems that the commissar had given her the attire at some point and his partner had decided to only use its pants, keeping her usual white shirt and trench coat. Another change was the losing of her hanging medallion, supplanted by the police badge pinned in the left breast pocket.   

“What a gaze you’re giving me, something wrong?” Byleth said without looking up from the paper, unsettling Seteth   

“How?... It doesn’t matter,” he clears his throat, “I was just noticing that you’re wearing only the uniform trousers”   

“Yeah... we can both agree that a skirt is not the most practical piece of clothing to pursue criminals in the streets,” she shrugs, looking down at her legs.   

“Why don’t you wear the rest of the uniform, it would look more professional” now he’s looking at her legs too, which she uncrosses and turns entirely his way.   

“Says the man who’s wearing what looks like a very expensive three-piece suit” Byleth rests her head on her hands, elbows on the desk, and eyeing him up and down, making the detective blush furiously.   

“Well... I-... I have been working lengthy time in an office, so suits have become my uniform and IT looks professional,” he stutters while looking down at his outfit.    

“If you say so...” she leans back on her chair and continues her task, but after some seconds, sensing that Seteth is still staring at her intensely, she lowers the paper and looks at him “We’re not here to judge what the other choose to wear, okay? I hope we’re on the same page about that”    

“Indeed. But I was wondering...” Byleth leaves the report on the desk, folds her arms and wait for him to continue, “are you really Jeralt’s daughter?” now was time for the rookie cop to look startled, but she’s not really that surprised. The detective is not the first to ask.   

“That’s what I’ve been told,” she shrugs again.    

“That’s quite a vague reply to such a basic question. In the future, I would advise you to answer such queries with confidence,” he crosses his arms too, looking at her sternly.   

“Why, Seteth, should we move to an interrogation room?” there’s an amused glint in her eyes that doesn’t show on the rest of her face, “it almost sounds that you don’t trust me”   

“I don’t” he retorts, and she says nothing, only puts a hand on her cheek, tilt her head to the left, and watch him as he seems to consider his next words, “I mean no offense, I hope you understand. I just don’t know how to handle you”   

“Bold of you to assume you can,” she says and smirks at the sight of a deep red tint on the apple of his cheeks. That little smug smile makes his heart leap in his chest, and it doesn’t seem to calm when he coughs to gather his thoughts again.   

“W... what I meant is, that I know next to nothing about you. Until Friday, I didn’t even consider the Blade Breaker to have a daughter, which is strange because he’s like a living legend around here. And no one, never, not even Alois, mentioned you,” he watched as her face moved from a flat expression to a thoughtful one. No... that’s not it, she’s concerned.   

“I didn’t know he was a cop” flabbergasted, the detective gape at her, trying to find the best thing to say after such revelation, but she speaks first, “in fact, I discovered it a week ago while we were tidying up his office” she took the police badge that hanged from her left pocket and offers it to him, “I found it hidden deep in the last drawer of his desk”    

Seteth holds the badge and examines it. It looks exactly like his own, but the steel is rusty. He flips it, finding three letters carved there barely visible, but still readable: J. R. E. It’s obvious that are the Blade Breaker’s initials... but what does the R stand for? Does he have a second name? First news I have about it. His thoughts are interrupted when he hears his partner coughing, what makes him look up to see her extended hand, palm up, waiting to recover her precious emblem. He returns it to her and before he could speak anymore words, a knocking on the door disrupts their conversation. What a timing, now that it was getting interesting.    

“You may come in,” he says loudly, still gazing at Byleth, who doesn’t seem to mind the intrusion, occupied with pinning the badge back to her pocket. The door opens, and a young police officer, wearing the (entire) uniform and his peaked cap hiding most of his features, greets him with a wave of his hand.   

“Good afternoon, Mr. Seteth, nothing to report!” the detective rests his back on his chair and crooks an eyebrow at the newcomer. If there’s nothing to report, why do you have to come here and interrupt? “Wait, there’s something. Miss Rhea wants you two at her office, she has a fresh case” the two colleagues look at each other before standing abruptly.  

“Thanks, you’re dismissed,” says Seteth while he straightens up and arranges his appearance, then gazes at Byleth, waiting for him by the door, waving goodbye to the other police. When she notices that he’s scrutinizing her again, turns his way and answers his glare. He seems to hesitate. They were very... engaged in their discussion, and the detective wanted nothing more than to linger in his office and unravel the mystery his new companion is before engaging in some precarious tasks, but it seems it will have to wait. “We’ll continue our...talk at another time, let’s go”  

“I’m looking forward to” the sarcasm in her voice doesn’t sound harsh, instead, there’s a playfulness in her tone that doesn’t match the dull expression on her face. Why she only seems to emote when she teases me?   

They walk side by side down the hall and stop in front of the commissar door. He knocks and waits, looking at the floor, until Rhea’s voice sounds from the other side. Seteth opens and steps aside to let Byleth, who mutters a quiet word of gratitude, enter the office first. Then he steps inside and closes the door behind him. Rhea is reading some documents with a serious frown on her face, but her expression seems to lighten and beams at the sight of them, or more precisely, at the sight of the recent addition to the department.   

“The two people I hoped to see,” her tone was serene and a little smile graced her lips, her eyes softening. “I have a recent case for you both. I cannot wait to see the results of your cooperation”  

“To the point, Rhea, what is it?” Seteth interrupts her niceties. The sooner the work gets started, the sooner it’ll be resolved, the fewer individuals in danger.   

Of course, his earnest response had its reaction. Byleth merely looked at him from the corner of her eyes, folding her arms in her back. Rhea’s smile falling, annoyance shining in her eyes when she contemplates him. However, the superior just sighs and throws a paper on her desk, and gestures for them to look at it. Seteth takes a step forward, takes it and starts reading the report.  

“It’s a disappearance case. Three students from the Officer’s Academy have vanished during the weekend. Nobody has seemed them since Friday evening,” the commissar informs them, face down, clasped hands on the desk. Seteth’s face goes pale.   

Students missing? How could this be happening? I thought the Academy was safe. A shiver run through his spine, and his mind fell into the endless hole of terrible possibilities. What if one of them is Flayn? He would lose her forever? Just like he thought he was going to nearly a thousand years ago? A warm presence brings him back to reality. He looks to his left from the corner of his eye to see Byleth leaning slightly to his side, trying to read the report. He extends the arm that was holding the paper to the left, letting her get a better view of what was written in it. She looks up at him and nods in appreciation, going back to her reading. Seteth, instead, stares back at Rhea, his eyes pleading her for more information.   

“The thing is, that those students are not any student. They are the heirs of the three most important business in the country, each of them from one state...” after hearing that, the detective let out a breath he didn’t notice he was holding and remains still while Rhea sum up about the three disappeared youths’ backgrounds.  

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, from Faerghus State, is the heir of the most powerful and wealthy Security Company of all Fodlan, Blue Lions Inc. Son of Lambert Blaiddyd, a politician and activist that died during the massacre occurred during the electoral campaign in Duscur. Before the tragedy, he had left the leadership of the family business to his brother, Rufus, who will step aside once Dimitri reaches legal age to take charge. It would be logical and reasonable to think Rufus didn’t want to leave the company to his nephew at all, and decided to eliminate him definitely, to have full control over the family wealth. It wouldn’t be the first-time family members to betray each other for something as frivolous as money.  

Edelgard von Hresvelg, daughter of Ionus von Hresvelg, is the future president of Black Eagles Pharmaceuticals, in Adrestia. The company laboratories are the biggest in the country, and their experiments had led to many discoveries that allowed them to create the treatment for a lot of diseases. However, Edelgard’s older siblings had died from an affliction that almost killed the young heir herself. Because of that, and perhaps to help her escape the horrible memory of her brothers and sisters’ death, she ended under her uncle, Volkhard von Arundel, tutelage, leaving the estate to travel (destination unknown) before entering the Academy. Perhaps the passing of her siblings wasn’t so accidental as it seems and whoever did it thought it was a good time to end their job by making the principal heir disappear.   

And last but not least, is the mysterious Claude von Riegan, grandson of Oswald von Riegan, chairman of the successful Golden Deer Transports, a chain store that also sends to everyplace in Fodlan, having their head office in Leicester. There’s very little-known about the heir of the Riegan family business. He appeared two years ago for the first time in his welcome party, organised by his grandfather in Derdriu. One year later, he entered the Academy. And that’s it, that’s all it is known about him. Many people thought he wasn’t even part of the family, and instead he’s some kind of chosen by Oswald to avoid that the rest of his family sells the business to the Gloucesters after his death. Maybe the other family, tired of the Riegan trying desperately to prevent the loss of the company, took the reins of the situation by getting rid of their last hope.   

Whatever it was, the three were in danger and they had to act before it was too late. Seteth turns his head towards his partner, staring as Byleth listens to Rhea without even blinking, like absorbing any kind of knowledge that could help her while investigating the crime. Suddenly, she looks back at him. The detective hasn’t notice that their superior had stopped talking, and both women were waiting for him to say something. Seteth is embarrassed at being caught staring at the young officer and looks back at Rhea, who is glaring at him, unamused. The detective clears his throat and put his best determination face.  

“We’ll find them, commissar. Leave to us, we won’t let you down” he looks back at Byleth, who is still watching him, and she nods, matching with only that gesture his resoluteness.  

It’s time to see what the Ashen Demon is capable of. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Night and Day Pt.2   

 Byleth had spent all weekend studying the regulations manual that Rhea had given her. It was a rather large and boring book that now is collecting dusk in the desk of her apartment. Yes, she had read it all; she had understood everything, and the knowledge she had gained was well kept in her mind. However, and as hard as it is to admit it, she hadn’t read it because Rhea told her, or because she was interested in the slightest. She read it because she wanted to prove herself to her colleagues, and most of all, to Seteth. She wants to demonstrate to him she wasn’t just an inexperienced, untested rookie. Or a person who simply attacked criminals with no hint of emotion, the Ashen Demon everyone claim she is. She wants to do this job, and she wants to do it right, and she’s certain that her partner is going to be a pain in the ass with regulations while out there. She’s going to show him what she’s capable of, not only her proficiency as a fighter, but also that she’s willing to play by the rules. Even if it’s only to not make him uncomfortable when they’re working.     

All this time, she hadn’t had to face many challenges, nor that she needed to please her father. Jeralt had always believed in a “modern way” of nurture his child, which consisted in leaving Byleth to her own matters for her to learn from the consequences of her actions. That doesn’t mean he was an absent parent. In fact, they were always together, each other the only family they had left. The private detective didn’t hesitate when it came to show affection towards his daughter, from ruffling her hair, a squeeze to her arm, or even an arm over her shoulders as in a side hug. She had learnt everything from him in melee fight, shooting, even sword training; and Byleth always gave her best in Jeralt’s lessons to show him gratitude for taking care of her, never wanting to disappoint. Yet, it came a moment when she noticed that disappointment was out of the map, always finding a proud smile on her father face every time they ended their training sessions and she had beat him, or when they had taken care of any shady affair together. Even if she would have chosen another path in life, like becoming a nurse, a librarian, or a professor, Jeralt would have been proud of her. And it’s not like Byleth doesn’t appreciate that affection and pride, but she’s craving for a defiance, and it seems that Seteth is more than willing to dare her.    

Their first real talk this Monday wasn’t that bad. She didn’t expect him to judge her by her clothes, but that’s okay. It showed her he’s a picky one. And then he just admitted that he doesn’t trust her, which is okay too... I guess.  But that complicate things. You cannot go out there, worried by being shot by a thug while you keep a watchful eye on the partner behind you. And what if she’s the one who needs to be wary around him? Jeralt had advised her to be careful with Rhea, but does the warning extend to Seteth? He called him a snitch after all. Not that she cares about what he tells Rhea, however, that added a new level of alertness while working together. Nonetheless, this will have to be a worry for another time. Three students had disappeared, the case is now responsibility of Byleth and Seteth.   

When they leave Rhea’s office after gathering all the information they could get from the commissar, they walk in silence back to Seteth’s office. Her partner wanted to gather his gun and his overcoat before they left to head to the Academy to investigate. When they arrive, Seteth takes off his blazer, leaving only the waistcoat over his white shirt, and crouches down to open the third drawer of his desk, searching for something. Byleth gazes at him from the other side of the escritoire, and notices the muscles of his back flexing. I shouldn’t have underestimated him. He seems fit for a person who has been locked in this place, arranging others’ papers.     

“Miss Eisner, where’s your gun?” Seteth suddenly asks, and Byleth is startled for a moment, realizing that she has been staring at him all this time. Luckily her companion didn’t notice, and she isn’t the most emoting person in Fodlan, composing herself rapidly and answering.    

“Hidden. And I told you, Mr. Clarke, to call me Byleth” she paces his office, looking around without stopping her gaze nowhere in particular, and hears her partner sighing heavily.    

“Alright, Byleth. Where are you hiding your gun?” he keeps looking for whatever it is in his drawer, but looks up at her when he doesn’t hear her answer. I think is time for a bit of teasing. She opens her arms to the sides.    

“You can frisk me if you want, you won’t find the gun however” she says, no emotion showing in her face. Seteth is all beet red, opening and closing his mouth several times, before groaning and going back to his search, trying to hide his blush. It’s so easy. He says nothing else, probably wary of her teasing him again.    

After some minutes, finally Seteth stands up with a gun holster he places around his arms and holding it in his chest, so his weapon is hidden under his left arm. Then he takes his brazer and put it on again, walks to the door, takes his overcoat, that has been hanging in the rack, and turns to stare at her.    

“We’re going to take my car. Are you ready?” she nods and follows him outside his office. When they arrive at the entrance hall, they encounter Macuil reclined over the reception desk, chatting with Manuela, who is sitting in front of said desk, filing her nails. Both of them look up when they hear Seteth and Byleth approaching.    

“What’s up, you two?” Macuil waves at them, but he avoids looking at Seteth, focusing entirely on Byleth. Then she remembers both siblings discussed that Friday evening, the day she arrived. Byleth really tried to say goodbye to the brothers. Still, they were so engrossed in their argument; they didn’t notice her. Even less when she just left them to their own affairs, not wanting to pry. They haven’t made peace yet. It must be difficult to have siblings.     

“We’re in charge of the disappeared students’ case. We are heading to the Academy to investigate,” Seteth retorts, also evading his brother’s gaze, crossing his arms on his chest. Byleth looks at Manuela, who is entirely focused on her nails, now taking a red nail polish from her bag, unconcerned by the tension between the two men. This is common, it seems.     

“So... you’re finally going out there” the forensic assistant stares at the floor, and starts moving his left leg, like kicking something invisible, keeping his hands in the pockets of his brown trousers.     

“It seems that way...” the detective still has his arms folded, but looks at the door, like he’s about to run away, escaping from this horrible situation. However, nothing happens. They just stand there in silence, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.     

“Well...” Byleth breaks the silence, making both look at her expectantly, like waiting for her to say something to dissipate the tension in the hall, “if you two have ended being awkward” she says while walking to the front door, opening it and turning to look at them, “my partner and I should get going, we have work to do” she emphasizes the last words, urging Seteth to move.  Both siblings stare at her open-mouthed, their jaws almost dropping to the floor, when a melodic laugh sounds from behind them.    

“That’s the way, girl! You two should learn from the new one,” the receptionist continues painting her nails with a smug smile on her face. Seteth and Macuil both seem something between indignant and embarrassed. The first one walks her way and exits the building without another word, the second growls.     

“Bah, I’m leaving, I have much work to do, I’m a busy man after all,” the forensic heads to the offices.    

“Keep telling yourself that, Mac! But feel free to come and talk to me if the mood strikes,” Manuela says, waving at him, wiggling her fingers, and then turns her attention to Byleth, “and you be careful out there, I wouldn’t like to heal you... so soon,” she adds with a wink.     

“With a partner like the one I have... I can’t promise anything,” the apprentice waves at Manuela and leaves the department.   

She follows Seteth, who’s walking towards a navy-blue car with shiny silver bumpers and mirrors. The vehicle seems new, almost like it’s just out of the fabric. “Oh, a Varley Coronet, you have good taste” she comments getting near the door of the co-pilot seat, which her partner opens and steps aside to let her in, “always the gentleman it seems,” Seteth only coughs at that and walks to the other side, entering and sitting at the driver’s place.     

They stay silent for some time, Byleth looking outside through the mirror as Seteth drives towards the monastery at the top of the hill. At this hour, citizens were finishing their work shifts and were heading home, while some housewives entered the different shops for their last purchases, maybe the ingredients for today’s dinner or some magazine to entertain themselves. Life is simple in this town. Every day is like the one before, and certainly, like the day after. But Byleth knows better. She has seen what this city hides in the shadows, an entire underworld full of crime, treason and money stained with blood. And she’s going to fight all of that if it means others won’t have to see the darkness she has seen. The disappearance of the three students worried her. There isn’t news of them since Friday evening, which means that three days had passed since anyone has seen any of them, three days in which anything could have happened. Still, it is better to remain calm and collected. Losing her head will not save those kids.     

She turns to look at her partner, who is driving without taking his eyes away from the road ahead. Byleth studies his features, from his vibrant hair (that looks so soft), his intense green eyes, his prominent nose, to his chinstrap beard so well groomed. He doesn’t look bad... not bad at all. She scrutinizes him so intensely that Seteth notices her stare, turning his head slightly, and gazes at her from the corner of his eye.     

“What?” he asks suddenly and Byleth looks into his eyes, but she doesn’t answer immediately, pondering over her next words.     

“Would you like to continue?” she says finally, leaving the detective confused, making him leave the sight of the road for a moment to look at her like she’s crazy and then returning to the street ahead.    

“Continue what?” he answers eventually, stealing glances at her way, not wanting to lose a glimpse of either the path or his companion.    

“Our talk from before. Or should I call it interrogation?” Byleth folds her arms and stares at him, leaning herself in the door.     

“It wasn’t an interrogation, you weren’t detained. I just want to get to know my mysterious partner better, and for that I need to ask you some questions,” he declares, now looking to the right street of a crossroads, keeping an eye to see if another car approaches.     

“Oh, do I have to add mysterious to the list of adjectives you’ve granted me since we know each other?” Byleth cocks her head to a side, a hand on her cheek. Seteth crooks and eyebrow and seems that he’s going to respond something, but she sighs and interrupts him, “okay... ask away”     

The detective seems hesitant for a moment, then clears his throat and asks, “since when do you work as a detective? At what age did you start working with your father?” she places her index finger over her chin and looks up at the roof of the car, trying to remember.     

Still, her mind is blank as always, not capable of reminding dates, her childhood or adolescence. Her memory only seems to gather the events that were part of her routine, and even that seems very recent. Waking up, training, eating, chasing criminals, sleeping; and the same over and over. From time to time, some reminiscences slip out. Images of her fishing with her father; of other kids harassing her, pushing her, mocking her; blood on her hands that seem hesitant to leave her skin, even when she doesn’t stop rubbing them under the sink faucet of the bathroom. She’s lost in her thoughts when the sound of Seteth coughing takes her aback and makes her turn to look at him, seeing the detective looking at her while the car is stopped in a red traffic light. Byleth collects herself and lay her hands over her lap.    

“I don’t know exactly at what age I started, but I assure you, I’ve been working long enough as a detective to know a trick or two when it comes to beat the hell up the thugs in this city” at that, Seteth answers nothing, but a worried frown is already on his face before she even ends the sentence. He stays silent for some time, but it seems that he’s considering his next course of action, gripping tighter the steering wheel, something that not goes unnoticed by Byleth. When he clears his throat (a common gesture), she looks him in the eye and waits for the next question.   

“I don’t mean to pry, but... may I ask your age?” Seteth exchanges quick glances between Byleth and the road, wanting eagerly to check her reaction to such a query. She can only think: shit, how the hell I explain I don’t know how old I’m to him? Thus, she evades the question the best she can do, by asking him one in return.    

“Are you saying that when you asked me if Jeralt is really my father you weren’t prying?” she crosses her arms and looks at him inquisitively.   

“Well... I-I just wanted to make sure... that... well” he stutters, now looking entirely at the road, a slight blush of embarrassment dusts his cheeks. Byleth only sighs, opening her mouth to respond, yet something catches her eye and she turns to look forward.    

Garreg Mach’s Monastery is impressive. It takes most of the land in the state, and you could see the great stone walls of the cathedral inside rise to the sky from every part of the city. However, the view that welcomed them left Byleth astonished. The entrance iron gates are massive, and groups of people, from students to nuns and priests, go through them. Inside, there is a little square. Around it, numerous shops were open, and at the end, a grand stone staircase that led to a gigantic building. Everything seems older than time, and yet, there was a lively ambience. Byleth observes everything from the car, not noticing that her mouth has been open for quite some time. Seteth stops the car in a parking lot outside the monastery and looks at her, and seems startled for a moment.  

“I take you’ve never been here?” he asks, his eyes wide.  

“No... it’s imposing...” she cannot stop gazing the magnificent structure in front of them and finds difficult to form words to describe what it makes her think. Or feel. Her companion seems to find the situation kind of amusing, if the light smile on his face is any sign.  

“It certainly is. It must be to leave you without words” she let out a quiet snort at that, looks at him from the corner of the eye and smirks.   

“Or to make you smile. This must be a special day” now is his time to snort and go back to his usual frown.  

“Let’s go, we have much to do”  

Seteth gets out of the car, walking to the gates, Byleth following soon after, keeping her hands in the pockets of her trench coat. The air is cooler at the top of the hill, which makes her companion wear now his overcoat too. They walk side by side in silence to the direction of the stairs when a man walks in front of them and blocks their way.  

“Halt! Please, identify yourselves, what are your business here?” Seteth takes his police badge from the pocket of his coat and shows it to him.  

“I’m Seteth Clarke, and this is my partner, Miss Byleth Eisner. We’re the detectives that the Police Department has sent to investigate the case of the disappeared students. If you would be so kindly to take us to your superior, we would be most thankful”   

The security guard looks at them, narrowing his eyes, before turning his back to them and start walking, “follow me, Principal Dahlman is in his office, I’m sure he’ll want to talk to both of you”.  

The detectives walk after the man, but something inside of Byleth grows impatient. Why do we have to waste time talking? Three students are missing. We should be investigating the academy to see if we can find anything useful. She stops in her tracks as they are arriving to the Central building. Both men continue walking, but Seteth notices she had stood there, looking at them, so he turns around to stare at her, confused.  

“What happen? Something’s wrong?” he walks a few tentative steps towards her.   

“I’m going to investigate, you can talk with the principal, try to get from him the most information you can,” her partner opens his mouth several times to interrupt her, but she continues talking, paying no mind to his reaction, “we don’t have time to lose with niceties, and you’d be the one to talk most of the time, however...” she shrugs, and lean to a side to catch the security guard attention, “excuse me, where are the dormitories?”  

The guard that had stopped to wait for them, seem startled for a moment, deliberating if he should let her wander wherever she wants. After some seconds he talks, “take this hall to the left, and then turn left again until you arrive at the greenhouse, there at the right, you’ll find the dormitories. The names of the students are written at the doors of each chamber”   

Byleth gives him a quiet word of thanks and turns her gaze to Seteth, who looks a little annoyed by her impromptu decision, yet he seems to calm down a bit when she gives him a determined nod, like saying: Do what I know you can do after so many days of having to struggle with bored citizens’ complaints. He returns her nod, but his is one of surrender, knowing that he cannot change her mind, and adds, “please, do nothing inappropriate while you’re not under my vigilance”. He still thinks he’s my superior, huh? She just waves at him and starts walking the path to the dormitories.   

While she walks to her destination, some students stop to watch her, small groups talk in hushed whispers and point at her. Very subtle, kids. I would never guess you’re talking about me. She hears someone whistling and cat calling her. We have a winner for the Very Subtle Ironic competition. When she arrives at the dormitories’ door, she speeds up to climb the stairs, only to run into someone that she had failed to see because she was looking at the floor. The smaller girl leads her hand to her head and looks perplexed and pained. Byleth studies her to see if she got any harm. What she discerns is a very long, curled, light green hair, and vibrant green eyes that stare at her blue ones.   

“Excuse me, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was heading. Are you okay?” the other girl nods slightly, still astonished by the trip. Still, she seems to lighten up when she sees the police badge of Byleth, gasps and put her hands over her mouth.   

“Yes... yes, I’m perfectly fine! But may I ask you a question?” the rookie cop crooks one eyebrow in question and nods hesitantly. Why does this seem so familiar? “Ohhh, great!” the tiny young woman clears her throat (wait, that’s familiar too) “have you started working at the Police Department recently?” Byleth gives a curt nod, “you have been assigned with a partner... that is very stern” this is getting interesting, she nods again and the girl place a hand on her chin, considering her next question, “aaaaand, your name is Byleth Eisner?” the detective snorts a little.  

“Wow, kid, we could use someone of your great deductive intelligence at the Station,” the other woman leads her fist to her mouth to cover her giggle, “I guess you are part of the Clarke family.”  

“The green hair betrays me, right?” she giggles again, “yes! I’m Seteth’s daughter. My name is Flayn, it’s a pleasure to make your acquittance,” the student bows with a hand on her chest.   

“His daughter, you say? Huh...” He has his secrets, eh? “So... if you know my name, that means he has told you about me...”   

“Ohh yes, of course. We have spent all weekend talking about you!” the excitement shines in Flayn’s eyes.  

“Is that so?” Byleth cocks her head to a side and puts a hand on her cheek, trying to hide her smirk. This is getting very interesting indeed, “what did he tell you exactly? Out of curiosity...”  

“Well... he told me your name of course, that you are daughter of a famous detective and you have been working with him for some time” the girl plays with the ends of her curls gazing at the floor, she looks as innocent as a kitten playing with a ball of wool, “he was right though, you look quite young...” she now looks up at Byleth’s eyes, “how old are you? If I may ask, of course” What the hell happens with these people and age? Okay... a distraction. Oh right, I need to investigate.  

“Look, Flayn, I would love to stay here and answer all your queries, and also ask you questions about Seteth to tease him. Sadly... I need to investigate something before he comes and starts lecturing me about losing time,” especially when I was the one that had the idea to come here to avoid losing time. Byleth walks through the hall. Flayn trail her after laughing a little at her comment, “hey, you weren’t going somewhere? I wouldn’t like to keep you from any appointment...” What is she? Seteth’s little spy?  

“I was heading to the Dining Hall to pick something to eat, but that can wait! You mentioned that you have to investigate something before my father comes. You mean he’s here? In the Academy?” the girl folds her arms on her back while she walks behind Byleth.   

“Yes, he’s talking with the principal to gather information about the disappeared students” the detective stops in front of a door, in which the name Edelgard is written on an iron plaque. She’s one of them. Let’s see if the door can be opened. Byleth grips the door handle and tries to open, however, it’s closed. Ugh, of course it is.   

“Disappeared students?” Flayn gasps, “I haven’t heard of it!” Byleth crouches, one hand in the pocket of her trench coat, searching for her lock picks.  

“Yes, three students haven’t been seen since Friday and the Academy contacted Police Department today for us to investigate. Their names are Dimitri, Claude and Edelgard,” she says the last one nodding at the door to signal it to the girl, “do you know them perchance?” Byleth works on the door to open it with the lock picks while she waits for Flayn to answer.   

“Ohh, so that’s why they didn’t appear in class today... Well...” the girl puts a hand on her cheek and consider her answer, “I’ve talk with Dimitri a few times, he’s very gentle and responsible, that’s why he was chosen to be class delegate of the Blue Lions,” These people give names to the different classes? How adorable... “Claude... he’s quite troublesome, he likes to scheme pranks and gossip about people secrets, however, he’s charismatic and leads the Golden Deer class,” Byleth keeps struggling with the lock, sticking out her tongue in concentration, a troublemaker, huh? “And Edelgard... well, she likes to keep her affairs to herself, and maybe Hubert, he follows her everywhere... she’s strong-willed for what I’ve heard, she’s the principal head of the Black Eagles,” and a secretive one, great.   

The door makes a sound, and it opens, letting Byleth and Flayn see the interior. The detective stands up and starts walking inside, looking everywhere in the room’s dark, window blinds down. No one has been here in sometime. Everything was in place and tidy; the desk is devoid of anything on its surface. Byleth checks the drawers, but are closed, and their locks are too small to try her lock picks trick again. She bends beside the bed and looks under. Nothing there. Still, she narrows her eyes, and sees there’s a small package at the bottom, and she reaches to take it and open it. What she founds inside is a small bear plush, color faded and some tears in its fabric; and a dagger. Why the heck should a teenager have a dagger? Anyway, it’s not my business at the moment. She puts everything back on the package and returns it to its place, standing up. She checks the window, yet everything seems in place, the glass is not broken and the lock has not been forced. No one entered here this way.   

“What are you doing in Lady Edelgard’s chambers?” Byleth turns around and sees a tall man with black hair towering over Flayn, his arms crossed, and an angry scowl on his face. Wait... Lady Edelgard!? In what century does this guy live? The rookie goes their direction and places herself between the girl and the man in uniform.  

“Excuse me, she’s with me,” Byleth holds the badge that is hanging in her chest and shows him, “I’m Byleth Eisner. I’m a detective from Garreg Mach Police Station. I’m here to investigate the disappearance of your... friend, and other two students,” the man now gives a step back, but continues looking at her with disgust, “you know where Edelgard can be?”  

“I know nothing” he looks at her in the eye, trying to convince Byleth, however, the detective knows better. He’s lying, and why would he be doing that?   

“Alright then... If that’s the case, I’ll have to ask you to step aside and let me continue my investigation” she does a shoo gesture with her hand for him to leave. Yet, the black-haired student looks angrier than before, taking a step towards her.   

“How dare you? You cannot enter someone’s chamber and-.” he was pointing his finger at her, when he was interrupted by a deep voice that came from their left, making the three that stood there turn their heads to see who it is.  

“Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but to listen the conversation” there, in the middle of the hall, a very tall man, with silver hair, looking at them, “I’m Dimitri’s protector, Dedue. You said you are investigating his disappearance. I want to help” he walks towards Byleth and extends his hand, which she grips and gives it a handshake.  

“Great, nice to meet you Dedue. Do you have a key for Dimitri’s room? I don’t want to force another door” Byleth ends the sentence pointing with her thumb at Edelgard’s door, to which Dedue responds with a surprise face and a nod. 

“You did what!?” the other man (who Byleth had forgotten already) snaps at her, but she doesn’t care, walking past him, giving a nod to Flayn to indicate her to follow. 

“Okay, Dedue, we’re following you”  

The three walk to the end of the hall until they arrive at Dimitri’s room door. Dedue opens with his key, and steps aside to let her in. This room is dark too, so she turns on the lights and looks around. This chamber is also in order, yet there were more books. Byleth register them, finding some textbooks, novels and Luna Knight comics. What piqued Byleth interest was a leather diary at the end of all that mountain. She opens it and starts reading, feeling a little guilty for violating someone’s privacy, yet she doesn’t seem to care that much. This can be a valuable hint; I cannot let petty details get in the way. She jumps directly to the last written page. That way, she doesn’t have to poke into his life that much. The last entry of his diary belonged to the Thursday before his disappearance, and it basically detailed some events of the day. However, at the end of the page, he mentions something interesting:  

“This week has been crazy; I cannot wait until Saturday. I really need a distraction, and I think that hanging out with Edelgard and Claude will help. Should I mention something to Edel?  Does she remember our childhood friendship? She acts like she doesn’t when we cross paths at the Academy. Maybe it was important only for me? It doesn’t matter. I’ll wait to see if she mentions something first” 

Byleth closes the diary and place it where she found it. This means that they had plans for Saturday, and they were thinking of coming back to the Academy, so they didn’t run away. She steps outside the room. “Dedue? Did Dimitri tell you something about his plans for Saturday?” 

The student seems disgruntled and crosses his arms. “We had a discussion about my role as his protector and told me I overwhelm him sometimes. So, he probably decided not to tell me what his plans for the weekend were. He would be free to get away from me,” as he talked, the sadness reflected more and more in his eyes. 

“Oh, Dedue” Flayn puts a hand on his back in reassurance. 

“I... see” Byleth places a hand on her chin, reconsidering all the information she has for now, when she sees something green moving outside the window in front of her. She takes a step forward and look through it, recognizing Seteth looking around, looking for her, “Flayn,” the girl looks at her, eyes holding a question, “your father is downstairs, would you like to give him a surprise?” Byleth ends the sentence with a smirk. 

“Yes! Let’s surprise him, Miss Eisner!” Flayn looks absolutely excited, her arms in the air. 

“Oh, Flayn, you can call me Byleth” she gives the tiny student a warm smile, and then looks at Dedue, extending a hand towards him, “thank you, Dedue. You’ve been of great help, not like others” she says the last words louder, so the man with black hair, who is looking at them from the other end of the hall, could hear her. Dedue grips her hand. 

“Please, find Lord Dimitri. I cannot stop thinking about how much I have failed to my duty to protect him; I would never forget myself if he’s hurt,” he closes his eyes and shakes his head. Lord Dimitri? Really, this place, besides impressive, is also too weird. 

“We’ll find him, I promise” she gives him a determined nod, and lets his hand go before walking past him, followed by Flayn, who waves goodbye to Dedue. The two women go downstairs, and exit the building, walking to the greenhouse, at which doorway Seteth is standing, his back in their direction, “Flayn, hide behind that shrubbery,” the girl giggles and does what she is told. Byleth clears her throat, “Seteth, here” her partner turns around and starts walking her direction. 

“I finally found you. My talk with Principal Dahlman took longer than expected, and... well, he really had little to tell” he closes his eyes, and an annoyed frown paints his face. Something in his tone of voice tells her he’s admitting that she was right, that talking with the principal was an unnecessary nicety and a waste of time, yet he is reluctant to say it aloud. I suppose I can get a victory from that. Seteth 0- Byleth 2. “What about you? Have you found anything useful?” he folds his arms on his back. 

“Yes,” he’s flabbergasted, eyes wide and mouth agape (I’m starting to feel offended by his complete lack of confidence in my capacities). “I have discovered two things.” She cocks her head to a side and puts a hand on her cheek. “The first is that the three students had plans for the weekend, and no, it wasn’t running away. One of them left his diary in his room. I don’t think he would leave something that personal behind” Seteth is yet astonished, but he nods at the information she’s giving him, “and the second thing...” she takes a step to one side and gaze at the shrubbery where Flayn is hiding, “is that you, Sethie...” he looks tormented by her use of his nickname and he’s about to interrupt her, but he doesn’t have a chance, “have secrets too, one of them being your beautiful and adorable daughter. Flayn, come here”. If he hadn’t had a heart attack all this time, he’s having it now. He just stands there, mouth and eyes wide open, like his soul had abandoned his body. 

“Hello, father!” Flayn jumps from her hiding spot, and runs to give him a hug “At the end, I will not have to go to the Department this Friday to meet your partner, because I already know her!” she laughs animatedly and Byleth watches the scene with a smirk on his face. Seteth returns his daughter's embrace, but he doesn’t look at her, he only runs his hand through her hair absentmindedly. 

“How...” his voice an octave higher, so he clears his throat and tries again. “How did you two...?” 

“Ohh, we run into each other!” she giggles, and whispers, “she’s great, father, I’m so happy you have a companion like her.” Seteth, however, doesn’t seem so confident about that, trying to swallow a lump in his throat, before giving his daughter a very forced smile. Flayn is about to say more, but suddenly, her stomach growls, making them jump a little. “Ohh my...” she puts her little fist over her mouth. “I should go to the Dining Hall to have dinner. I’ll see you this weekend, father!! And Miss Eisner...” she says turning around to gaze at her with a warm smile on her face, “I hope we see each other soon so you can ask me any question.” Flayn ends the sentence and tries to wink at Byleth. Instead, both eyes close and she looks like she’s blinking awkwardly, what makes the rookie cop chuckle. 

“We’ll meet again soon, Flayn. Hurry and go eat something” the girl beams at her and leave them there, in silence. For a moment, Byleth thinks he’s going to snap at her for interact with his daughter, but he just coughs and decides to forget everything that just happened. 

“So... aside from this kind of... joke. Did you learn something else about the three students?” he crosses his arms again in his chest, and waits for her to inform him. 

“Well... that wasn’t a joke, it was a surprise... but anyway. I encountered two interesting individuals while I investigated. A man that seemed close to Edelgard, and was furious because I entered her room...” Seteth is startled by that information and is going to snap at her, but she lifts a hand and stops him, “yes, I know what you’re going to say. That I cannot enter someone’s room without permission, but we not have time for such pettiness,” he opens and closes his mouth several times, trying to find the right words, but he yields and resigns to only pinch the bridge of his nose with his fingers, “and the important thing is that said man lied to me, “Seteth looks up at her, with an eyebrow raised in question. “I asked him if he knows where Edelgard and the others are, and he said he doesn’t know, trying very hard to look at my eyes. That’s a sign he’s lying. He knows exactly where his friend is” 

“And the other individual?” 

“His name is Dedue, is Dimitri’s protector or something like that. The people here are very strange...” she says that last part in a whisper under her breath, “but he doesn’t know where Dimitri is. It seems they had a discussion and the other just left saying nothing where he was headed,” Seteth lead his hand to his chin and consider the information, “there’s only one room left to be registered, we could...” 

“Sorry, are you two the cops in charge of Claude disappearance?” both detectives turn their heads to the side to see a young woman with pink hair, and Byleth answers the question assenting with her head, “my name is Hilda Valentine Goneril, I’m in the same class as Claude, I’m his friend, do you know anything already?” Seteth and Byleth look at each other and nods, the first one answering. 

“As my partner was commenting me, the three students had plans together for last Saturday. Maybe something happened together while they were out. Do you know where they were heading, perchance? Any information you could give us would be of great help,” Seteth smiles softly at the girl and tries to sound the gentler he can. So, he’s only a stick in the mud with me, huh? 

“Ohh yes!! He said something to me, but...” she gives an embarrassed smile and plays with the ends of her hair, “I paid little attention to what he was saying to be honest... He looooves talking, you know?” both detectives let out a sigh, and Seteth is ready to dismiss her to continue their investigation, but Hilda seems to remember something, “wait... he said something about a place... ohhh what is the name?” she closes her eyes and bites her nails, “Re... reeeee, Retire? No wait, that’s what would I want to do,” she laughs at her own joke, but it certainly doesn’t amuse Byleth and Seteth, that look again at each other, annoyed frown in his face, blank expression on hers, “but yeah...it starts with Re-something...”  

This seems like a dead end, but suddenly something hits Byleth’s mind. A memory of her childhood. Bare feet, loose clothes (probably one of his father shirts), her hair a mess. She gets out of her little bed, rubbing her tired eyes. A deep voice awakened her, and the faint light of the lamp on his father’s desk can be seen through the door threshold. She heads silently to the door and opens it carefully. Jeralt is sitting in front of his desk, writing something in his diary while he mumbles the words aloud. At first, his voice is unintelligible, but after some moments, she understands what he’s saying: “It was a good idea we came to Remire. This town is tiny. Rhea would never find us here. Damn, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t even appear on any map. I don’t know what she did, or what she’s planning, but I will not let her hurt By”. He pauses and turns around when he notices her eyes looking at him. At the sight of her, he smiles, turns his head towards the diary, closing it with one hand and stands up, “hey, kid, what are you doing here? Did I wake you?” he walks towards her and picks her up. She nods at his question and he laughs, “let’s get you back to bed, kid” 

“Remire” Byleth suddenly says, making Seteth and Hilda look at her, “the name of the place is Remire” 

“Yeeees! That’s the one. You’re a brilliant detective!!” she beams at Byleth 

“How... How did you...?” Seteth is stunned by her deduction, looking at her with wide eyes. 

“I used to live there with my father for some time... a long time ago... But it doesn’t matter, we have to go there.” Byleth turns entirely to stare at Seteth, determination shining in her eyes. 

“We... can’t” something between sadness and indignation taints Seteth's face. He frowns and closes his eyes 

“Whaaaat? Why not?” Hilda asks shocked. 

“It’s outside our jurisdiction. We need to go back to the Department, inform Rhea, so she can call Adrestia-.” he’s rambling, and Byleth cannot hold back any longer 

“That’s nonsense,” she interrupts, and Seteth is flabbergasted by her interruption, and he’s about to continue, but she takes control of the conversation and proceed, “by the time Rhea calls them maybe it will be too late...” her partner puts a hand on his chin, considering her words. I have almost convinced him. Common, greenie! 

“But the regulations say...” the detective continues, not entirely sure about what she’s proposing. 

“Fuck regulations. This is about what is right, and the right thing is to hurry and make sure those kids are safe” Byleth watches him, she’s decided to persuade him, and if he doesn’t agree, she’s going to Remire by herself and do what she has to. But it will probably be easier with him by her side. After some seconds of deliberating, he looks at her and nods, resolute. 

“Let’s go,” he just says, and both start walking towards the entrance. They are ready to head to Remire and get to the bottom of this.  

I’m going to solve this. Whatever it takes.  

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Night and Day. Last Part

Seteth feels his heart throbbing in his chest while he walks towards his car alongside Byleth. Is the first time he’s going to break regulations. He doesn’t know what she has made to convince him to do so. Something in the way she looked at him, with a determination that he couldn’t describe, make him want to do the right thing, even when it didn’t sound like the proper thing to do from the point of view of law. She’s making him walk the thin line between good and evil, the one that belongs to what is right but also questionable, and he’s not even regretting it. I have to agree with her about this. If we lose time, it could be too late. We don’t know if it is too late now. They can be in danger. Even if they aren’t, we shouldn’t delay any longer. Not that I’m going to tell her she’s right. Someone has to hold the leash here, and is going to be me. They enter the car and Seteth turns to look at her, hesitating for a moment, when suddenly she too, turns to stare at him.

“Are you going to drive or not? You know where Remire is?” she asks, sounding impatient, that strange shine in her eyes again. He’s startled for a second, before coughing and closing his eyes, pondering over his next words.

“I-... I just want to make something clear” he opens his eyes to gaze at her intensely, he wants her to know how serious he is about this matter, “this is a onetime thing,” she crosses her arms and crooks one eyebrow in question, “we will not break regulations. Never again. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so... I’m going to listen to you this time and go to Remire. However, I’m still your superior, that means that when we arrive there, you do nothing until I say so” he’s pointing upward with his index finger, looking like some kind of strict professor reprimanding a student, and Byleth doesn’t seem to be amused by it. She just sigh, return to her normal blank expression and looks forward.

“Whatever, let’s go”

They stay in silence for a long time. The only interactions between them are Byleth pointing the right path to arrive at their destination. The tension was dense enough to be cut by a knife, but Seteth can feel Byleth gaze whenever she steals glances his way. She looks like she wants to say something, but always seems to choose to stay quiet. Still, the curiosity wins at the end.

“Why didn’t you tell me you are a dad?” she asks, looking at the road, avoiding with all her strength to look at him. Seteth is startled for a second, before recomposing himself and sighing.

“You didn’t ask” he looks at her, who seems like she’s going to say something, but he interrupts, “you don’t like to pry I assume?” she snorts, and now she gazes at him with a smirk on the face.

“No, I don’t. But now that I think of, it makes sense,” she folds her arms again in her chest and looks him up and down, what makes Seteth feel his cheeks warming.

“W-... What makes sense?” he lifts an eyebrow, staring at her from the corner of his eye.

“That you’re a father, you have the vibes,” she smiles while saying that. It is not a smirk or a smug expression. It’s a little warm smile that makes Seteth’s heart skips a beat, a lump to form in his throat, leaving him without words. He swallows hard, grips the steering-wheel tighter, ready to answer.

“I don’t think I know if that’s a good or a bad thing,” he lets out a nervous chuckle at the end. Byleth puts a hand on her cheek, stares at the roof, then she smirks and stares at him.

“Well...when you treat me like some kind of irresponsible teenager you have to educate, like a moment ago...it is certainly a bad thing,” he frowns, open his mouth to complain, but she raises her voice and continues, “but... I could see in the Academy that you have a soft spot for kids, and Flayn looks like a fine young lady. It looks like she loves you a lot.” Seteth blushes, feeling proud of his daughter giving such a good impression; that her affections towards him are so visible. He clears his throat.

“I-... I’ll take it as a compliment then,” he says it with a smile on his face. When he turns slightly his head to gaze at her, she quickly looks to the other side, trying to avoid his eyes, what makes Seteth crook an eyebrow, confused.

Silence fills the space inside the car once again. Seteth focuses on the road ahead. It is twilight time already, and darkness will soon arrive. The detective prays that nothing bad had happened with the disappeared students, because if they found trouble when they arrive Remire, it would be more difficult to resolve it in the dark. But, if they’re not in danger, why didn’t they appear today in class? Laziness? No. For what Principal Dahlman told me, they’re not the type of missing classes, and they are responsible enough to leave a note or tell someone if they’re going to be absent. Also... what Byleth told me is very suspicious. Why anyone would lie about not knowing where their disappeared friend could be? Youth these days... what do they have in their minds? That thought makes Seteth remember something. He steals a glance towards Byleth, who is watching the sunset through her car window.

“Byleth...” her shoulders jump a little, shocked for a moment by the sudden sound of his voice calling her. She moves, flexing her head back to look at him over her shoulder and hums affirmative to indicate to him she’s listening, “you never answered,” she lifts an eyebrow, wondering. He clears his throat, readying himself to throw his question at her again, “How old are you?”

After the question, a tense silence surrounds them. Byleth looks everywhere except him, like trying to find a new distraction to direct the conversation onto another topic. She fidgets, her hands grabbing the cloth of her trousers, and she fixes her glare in her lap. Seteth opens his mouth to ask her if something is wrong, or if it makes her uncomfortable. But why? She’s young, it’s not like she needs to hide it like some kind of... vanity secret like Manuela does. His thoughts are broken by her quiet voice, “I don’t know”. Seteth is absolutely astonished. At first, he thinks he heard wrong.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” the detective starts exchanging glances between the road and his companion, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“I don’t know how old I’m... Jeralt never told me, we never celebrated birthdays...” she looks down, embarrassed. They’re in silent, until suddenly, Seteth snaps.

“What was Jeralt thinking rising you this way!?” he’s almost yelling, what makes Byleth look up at him, totally surprised by his reaction, “one thing is that he has secrets, I respect that... but why that have to extend to your life? How can he deny his daughter the most basic information about herself!? It’s madness!!” he continues rambling, absolutely enraged by her statement, gripping tighter the steering-wheel with a hand while he rubs his temple with the other.

A strange sound makes him stop. It’s like birds dabbling in the water, but looking at them while having your head underwater; you hear them sing while they bath, but everything else is like muted. He turns his head towards the source of such sound, and what he founds is Byleth covering her mouth with a hand, an amused glint in her eyes, cheeks slightly red. She’s laughing at him. She cannot be the Ashen Demon. It’s impossible. When she notices his stare, she removes the hand over her mouth and tries to calm down.

“I’m sorry, Seteth, it’s just...” she lets out another quiet laugh, “you just exuded a lot of dad vibes right now!” she chuckles, and Seteth focuses his attention entirely on the road, red to the ears, and for the first time in a long time, he pouts.

“I don’t understand why you’re laughing. It’s a very serious matter. You should know your own age!” After recomposing himself, he looks at her from the corner of the eye. She has returned (unfortunately) to her casual blank stare, looking at the road ahead. “Does Rhea know this?” he asks after some seconds.

“No. You’re the only one, aside from my father, that knows,” she responds, still not looking at him.

“Then why? Why would you share this with me?” he’s stunned; she shrugs.

“As you said, you need to know more about your partner. Consider it as an investment: I give you information, and you give me trust... maybe some information about you too?” she gives him a smug smile and looks at him, her head cocked to a side. He feels his heart pounding quickly in his chest, and he has to close his eyes to recompose himself.

“We’ll have to see first how we handle this together, and then we can talk about exchanging information,” he says, signing a contract with her.

“Look. We have arrived,” she points at a signal post in which it could be read Welcome to Remire.

Seteth continues driving down a dirt road, until he arrives at some kind of camping area, with a parking at the right side. In the distance, he could discern the lights of the centre of town. It looks like a tiny village. He stops the car in a parking lot, and leans into Byleth’s seat, she leaning away from him, and opens the compartment in front of her, taking the lantern laying inside. When he goes back to his sit, and turns to look at his companion, he notices her cheeks are tinted pink. Wait... Is she blushing? No...it must be a light trick...yes, it must be that. He clears his throat.

“Let’s go,” they get out of the car and watch around. He turns on the lantern, “you said you used to live here with your father?” he moves aside and closes the car’s door.

“Yes. I know it doesn’t look exactly like a special place, but it has its charm, there’s a...” she shuts up, looks at the floor, narrowing her eyes, like trying to remember (it seems like she has trouble remembering some things, but I cannot blame her... she doesn’t know her own age!), “lake. There is a lake near, yes. My father taught me how to fish here” she says absentmindedly, gazing into an undetermined point in the woods (she enjoys fishing?), “in fact...” she points to one place, and the detective move to her side and he aims the lantern that way, discovering a path. She faces him and nods, starting walking in that direction.

“Wait! How do you know we’re going to find them if we follow that route?” he hesitates between following her or not. She just extends her arms to the sides, like signalling all around.

“Well... I don’t know. What I certainly know it’s that they didn’t come to Remire to do cultural tourism in town,” she points with a hand to the faraway lights of the small city, “what leads me to the question, why did three rich brats come to see in a place like this?” she crooks one eyebrow, and waits for him to answer, but when he opens his mouth (to answer that I don’t have the slightest idea) she continues talking, “we arrive, and the first thing we see is a camping area, so maybe they came to camp here?” she now puts her hands on her hips, looking satisfied with her deduction. However, Seteth doesn’t seem that convinced.

“Yes, that is a good lead, but...” she crosses her arms and lifts an eyebrow, “where are their cars? Mine is the only one in the parking,” he thinks he has destroyed all of her reasoning; however, she smirks. What is she thinking now?

“First, they’re rich kids, I’m sure they have someone that drives for them,” he opens his mouth to interrupt her, to say that her deduction is failed. Because no one knew where they were, not even their drivers, so the idea that they had been brought here by them is not possible. Instead, she continues talking, fully aware of the impossibility of that path in the investigation, “but that is not the case, so... it only leaves one way in which they could arrive here and not leave any car in the parking,” she points at the opposite side, where the road continues. Seteth turns around and points with the lantern to where she’s signalling, seeing what she means, “a bus stop”.

“Huh,” Seteth snorts, and keeps looking at the signal before moving to stare at her. She’s looking at him with a smug smile, and had led her hands to her hips again. I have to admit, Jeralt as a father sounds awful, but he trained her perfectly to be a detective, “let’s walk that path then”.

They follow the route, Seteth ahead to illuminate the way. The sounds of the forest surround them. Birds, the tree leaves moving with the wind, some other animals in the distance. But no voices, what makes the detective doubt the deduction. They walk some more down the path, focusing entirely on the possibility of seeing something moving, or someone talking in the distance, giving careful steps to not be detected. Still, nothing. They arrive at a forest clearing, and Seteth looks around, pointing everywhere with the lantern. There’s no clue, no hint that could lead them to the students. Then, he turns to tell Byleth that maybe they were wrong, that they should go back to the car, and come back in the morning, when there’s more light. But, when he opens his mouth, a noise sounds in the distance. Is short, but the two cops know exactly what it is.

“A shot,” Byleth is alerted, focusing her gaze in the direction the sound came, “let’s hurry!” she walks fast, but she stops when Seteth calls her.

“Hold on! What if it is a hunter?” he asks, completely serious.

“A hunter? At night?” she lifts one eyebrow, sceptical.

“Night hunting exist you know?” he crosses his arms, challenging her to confront that argument.

“Well... but it wouldn’t be bad to check, right? What if it’s not a hunter?” the rookie cop shrugs.

“And what if the hunter shoots us because they think we’re animals?”

“Yes... because everyone knows Deers and rabbits carry lanterns when they go out at night. C’mon, Sethie!” she doesn’t let him answer, she just turns around and speeds up to the direction she was heading before.

Seteth only follows her, almost running. He almost loses her a few times, her dark clothes the perfect camouflage in the forest’s darkness. They run a long time. It feels like hours have passed. His heart is pounding heavily in his chest. And then, he sees Byleth stopping and crouching behind a shrubbery. He approaches and stays beside her, not fully aware of what she has seen. Still, when he opens his mouth to say something, Byleth grabs him by the blazer and pulls him on her way to make him crouch, too.

“Turn off the lantern,” she whispers. He does what he’s told, and gaze at her face, illuminated by the moonlight. She truly is beautiful... Ugh! Cichol, focus! He’s reverie is interrupted when he notices her staring, and pointing with her head a place ahead, and then put a finger over her mouth, asking him to be quiet.

What he sees there is a parked car, and light coming through the trees. He turns to look at his companion, who is narrowing her eyes looking at that point, and then moving past him, crawling towards the light. He crawls behind her, and when they arrive at a shrubbery near the place, they can see everything very clear now. A group of people, all dressed in cheap suits and fedoras, like it’s some kind of uniform for thugs and other riffraff. At the left, three tents, and besides them three youths wearing uniforms, hands tied on their backs. The students! On the right, one delinquent is under the car hood, working on something, when suddenly, the car makes a sound, the one that the detectives heard before. It wasn’t a shot; it was the exhaust pipe. Seteth lets out the breath he was holding when a figure catches his eye. A man, dressing something slightly different to the rest, sleeves rolled, he’s not wearing any hat, and his beard is badly shaved. He doesn’t stop pacing around, nervous, leading a hand to his face in a frustrated manner.

“Kostas?” Byleth asks in a whisper, making Seteth jump a little, startled.

“You know him?” Seteth points with his head at the man.

“He’s a gangster, but if I’m being honest, I don’t know why people would follow him. He has made some sloppy jobs in Adrestia, and he tried to blackmail a businessman of Garreg Mach. That’s why I know him. My father and I chased him, but he got away. I think this is his greater idea,” she tells him, when she’s interrupted by Kostas yelling at the man arranging the car.

“Idiot! How could the car go to hell? It was okay when we arrived! We should have left here this morning, before they could notice the absence of these brats,” he barks, punching the roof of the car, damaging himself, making him take his fist in the other hand and rubbing where he had been hurt. He doesn’t... look very smart.

“What if it isn’t his idea? What if he was hired to do this?” the detective asks his companion after seeing that gang leader isn’t exactly a criminal genius.

“Huh... that would make sense. But I don’t know who’s the most stupid... him or the person who hired Kostas to do this job,” she shrugs, and then looks at the three students. Behind them were two thugs, guarding them, “Sethie, I know you told me I do nothing until you say so, but... look... we have to knock down those two and free the students, so they can hide and we can handle the rest of these idiots,” she looks intensely at him, waiting for a confirmation.

That sounds like the perfect plan, but the detective isn’t convinced enough. He’s not ready to let go the hold on the Ashen Demon leash. What is going to happen when I tell her she has my permission to do what she’s planning to do? Is she going to go feral? Someone is going to die tonight? But I don’t have a better idea... Alright, let’s go. Seteth nods at her, and Byleth’s face turns into a mascara devoid of any emotion. The shine in her eyes disappears, becoming two dark holes. What the hell? She crawls again towards the two thugs that are watching over the kidnapped youths. Seteth follows her, but there’s a big difference between the two cops. While Seteth has to look carefully where to make his next step to not make a sound, slowing him down; Byleth is a natural. She only looks forward, every step quick and deliberately made, no sound in her movements. Before he could realize it, they were already behind the delinquents. Byleth turns around and whispers.

“I handle the one on the left. Can I count on you to knock out the one on the right?” she asks, any intonation in her voice gone. It is only a single flat line of sound.

“Indeed,” he nods resolutely to her.

They go ahead, behind their respective thugs. Byleth doesn’t grip any weapon, but she prepares her hands to attack. Seteth takes the gun that has been hiding under his left arm, but instead of holding it by the grip, he holds it by the barrel. The two cops look at each other again, nod, and lunch forward.

She puts a hand over her thug’s mouth and push him back, then she uses her fingers to hit him in the throat, what cut his breathing making him desperately grab his neck in pain and bend, which let Byleth the possibility of punching in the face and sending him to the floor.

The detective hits strongly with the grip of his gun in the nape of the delinquent, leaving him unconscious, what makes him to lean forward, ready to fall. Seteth grabs him by the neck of his shirt and pulls from it, so he can place him on the floor without making noise, in a hiding spot.

When they finish, they look at each other. Seteth smiles nervously at her. Byleth just stares and nods. That’s when an appreciative whistle calls their attention, making them look up. The students have seen everything, and were looking at them over their shoulders, completely stunned by the cops’ actions. Byleth crawls towards them and lifts slightly her trench coat, leading her hand to her back and uncovering a knife in a blue sheath, which she bares and moves forward to cut the robes that were holding their hands together in their backs. The first one to be liberated is a blond boy with blue eyes, blue cardigan over a white shirt, black trousers and dirty leather shoes, who crouches beside Byleth and gives her a smile and a nod.

“Thank you. We are in your debt. It wouldn’t do for us to fall into a place like this. Please, lend us your strength. Let’s work together to drive out these delinquents!” the boy is completely convinced of his words, fierceness shining in his eyes, ready to help.

“What are you talking about?” Seteth asks, a frown on his face. Is this child talking seriously? He has just been freed, and he wants to fight?

“I’m going to help, of course!” the student continues.

“None of that! You run away from here, and let us, the authority, take care of this!” the detective interrupts the blond young man, a stern tone in his voice. Before the student could respond, Byleth talks.

“You know where the parking is?” both men are startled by her sudden intervention, but the younger one nods at her, “great, be going, your friends will follow you soon. In the parking, there’s only one car. Wait there” her voice is not harsh, no hint of authority there, and yet the boy, still hesitant, turns around and crawls away.

The next one is a boy with brown hair, a yellow sweater over a creamy colour shirt, beige trousers, and brown derby shoes. Instead of carefully crouch, he lets himself fall into a seated position, making a soft noise, alerting the two cops, who look up to the other thugs to see if they had heard it. Fortunately, they had their focus on their boss yelling and having a tantrum to notice them. Byleth and Seteth sighs relieved, and glare at the newly liberated student.

“Thanks for that! The gods of fortune must be smiling on me!” he announces, and winks his eye.

“You heard what I said to your friend?” the rookie cop asks, and the boy nods, smiling, “be going then, try to not get separated from him”

“Don’t need to tell me twice!” he winks one last time and disappears between the shrubberies.

There’s only one student left. A girl with a red cashmere jacket over a white shirt with a black ribbon around her neck; a skirt with black and red square pattern, red stockings over her legs; and black ankle height boots. What calls more the attention is her white long hair, with little black ribbons, accessories to stylize it. When she’s free of her hand bonds, she bends and turns to look at them. Instead of giving a word of thanks, she scrutinizes them before talking.

“You have a strange aura about you…” the girl fixates her gaze entirely on Byleth, forgetting Seteth’s presence, not giving him any sign of recognition. You’re welcome, I suppose. “You could arrive here without alerting those incompetents... you’ll have to show me what else you can do” she smiles, and starts moving towards the path that leads to the parking, following the other two.

The detectives hide behind the shrubberies again to study the situation. There were four more thugs, five if they include Kostas. None of them have noticed that the kidnapped kids are escaping, all of them looking the other way, at the car, where one is still fixing the car, while their boss is yelling at mere inches from his face. They really are incompetent. That leaves two delinquents to be taken care of by each cop. Then they can take care of Kostas together.

“Alright, what about I beat those two at the right,” Byleth points at them, who were whispering to each other while they stare at the scene unfolding in front of them, “and you take care of that one leaning against the tree, and the poor guy under the car hood?”

“It seems fine to me, but what about Kostas?” he asks, not tearing his gaze away from the delinquents ahead.

“It seems he’s not carrying any gun, so he’ll probably run away or go to find one, that would give us time to handle the others” she responds, and after some meditation, Seteth nods, opens the cylinder and counts the bullets inside. Six, I think that is enough. I’m not a good shooter as Indech, but I think I can work with this. “I’ll go first, and then you, it’s that okay?” at that, Seteth responds with a quiet yes, and prepares himself, while he looks how Byleth runs forward.

She’s quick and silent. The delinquents don’t see her until it’s too late, and she had stuck her knife into the thigh of one of them, who let out a yell. That alerts the one leaning against a tree, making him recompose and try to draw his gun, hanging on the holster of his hip. Before he can shoot Byleth, Seteth already was pointing at him with his own weapon. Failing the first shoot, still, the second made his way into the thug’s arm, making him release the gun and put the hand over the wound. At the same time, Byleth had hit the injured thug in the head with the butt of the tang, and then grab the other by the back of his head, and hit him with her lifted knee. The two shots made the man behind the car hood jump and hit his own head with the metal. After Seteth had kicked the other in the chest, making him fall backwards, he run towards the mechanic thug, take his hand and put it in the hot car’s motor, then hitting his head with the bumpers.

“Oh, hell no!! You will not ruin this for me!!” as Byleth said, Kostas had run to the back of the car, and had taken a weapon from the trunk, pointing it against Seteth, who also lift his weapon, ready to shoot too. That’s when a sound from between the shrubbery made them turn their heads in that direction, finding there the students, crouching while watching the exchange of hits. Why are they still here!? “The brats are escaping!” Kostas shout, but his gang is too injured to do anything about it, so the boss stops pointing at the detective to point at the students.

“Time to run!” the boy in yellow says before hurrying down the path

“Claude, wait!” the other male student yells and follow his friend.

This leaves the girl in red behind. She looks paralyzed, looking at Kostas, who pulse the trigger. The bullet travels fast toward the young woman, that closes her eyes, accepting her fate, when a shadow of black, grey and dark blue steps between the shot and the girl, receiving the wound for her.

“BYLETH, NO!!” Seteth yells, staring numbly at how the events unfold.

~~~~~~~~

When Byleth opens her eyes, all she can see is darkness. The only thing moving is dust floating in the air. I’m dead? A greenish light behind her calls her attention, making her turn around. There, majestic stone stairs lead to a magnificent throne, in which a woman is seated. Well, seating is not the proper word to describe her position. She’s laying her head in one of the throne arms, while her legs hang over the other. Her hair is of a lively green, long to the hips, blunt bangs over her forehead. On the top of her head, lays what looks like a tiara or crown that holds the hair in place; and braids made with the hair and pink and white strips of fabric, falling over her shoulders. She’s wearing weird navy-blue robes, and everything seems to be united by golden chains; gold patterns at the end of her skirt.

“You’re so troublesome, you know that?” the voice of the woman at the throne sounds all over the place, creating an echo. All this time, the lady had been looking at the sky? But now she has turned her head to look at Byleth at the end of the stairs. “You put yourself in the trajectory of a bullet to prevent the death of one girl that was too stupid to run. And look where that lead you...here” she says extending her arms to signal everywhere around. Byleth doesn’t know if she should say something or continue to be quiet. What the heck is happening? “Are you going to talk or not? To thank me at least... don’t be ungrateful”

“Excuse me, who are you?” Byleth asks after some seconds, and the strange woman huffs indignant.

“What do you mean?? You don’t remember me!?” she seats now and lean forward, an angry frown on her face. Byleth cocks her head to a side and places one hand on her cheek, trying to remember from what she knows her. When the memories seem to elude her, she closes her eyes, making everything clear now.

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“Weirdo!” a boy push Byleth and she falls backwards, painting in her face a pain grimace, “we don’t want to play with someone like you. Don’t come near us!” he says while going to his bicycle and riding away with his group of friends.

Byleth is seven, and she doesn’t have friends. Her impossibility of showing properly her emotions makes the other children dislike her and think she’s weird. She tells herself she doesn’t care, that she can always play alone, or with her father when he comes back from work. But she’s bored, and solitary games are not exactly the most entertaining. And Jeralt always arrives home tired after working all day. So, she just sits there, looking up at the clouds, waiting. For what? She doesn’t know.

“Are you going to stay there and do nothing? I’m bored” a voice takes Byleth back from her reverie. She looks at the source of the voice. A girl that looks the same age as Byleth stands there, looking at her with her arms crossed, a bored look on her face. She always appears when Byleth is alone, never when someone else is around. And she can be quite bossy.

“Oh, hello, Sothis,” Byleth responds, lifting one arm and waving at the newcomer. “I read in a book that you can discern shapes in the clouds. I want to see one, but all look the same”

“Shapes in the clouds? Pfff, that’s stupid!” despite saying that, Sothis sits beside Byleth and looks up to the clouds too. They stay in silence, until the green-haired girl points excitedly to the sky, “That one looks like a dragon!” Byleth narrows her eyes, trying to discern it, but there’s a problem.

“Sothis...” the other girl hums affirmatively. “What is a dragon?” Byleth finally asks.

“What!? You mean you don’t know!? Really, you read books about shapes in the clouds, but you have read nothing about dragons. You really are a weird one, By!” the girl chuckles, but Byleth only stares at her and blinks awkwardly, what makes Sothis stop laughing, “okay... I’ll tell you. Dragons are incredible creatures. They’re big, their skin is made of hard scales, some have horns, and some spit fire!!” Byleth hears attentively, her mouth in the shape of a small “o”.

They stare there all afternoon. Byleth hearing stories about dragons from Sothis, until she has to go back home. Maybe she has a friend after all.

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“Sothis,” Byleth says when she opens her eyes and looks at the woman on the throne, that gives her a triumphant smile, puts a fist over her mouth and does the sound of a trumpet.

“You are correct!! Well done, By! Though... I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s impossible to forget someone as fantastic as I’m,” she completes, crossing her arms proudly.

“So, I receive a shot and see my imaginary friend from my childhood. I’m really dead,” the cop places her hand on her chin.

“How dare you calling me imaginary?” Sothis yells angrily, “And no, you’re not dead... yet,” she pouts.

“What do you mean that I’m not dead yet?”

“I... stopped time” the green-haired woman shrugs, explaining nonchalantly, extending her arm and looking at her nails.

“How?”

“A little trick I know... and you don’t” she stares at an undetermined place, refusing to look at Byleth, playing the offended part.

“Well, okay...you stopped time. Now what?” Byleth crosses her arms on her chest and waits for the other woman to answer.

“Two things can happen...one: you don’t thank me and I resume time letting you die by a shot,” the green-haired woman elaborates, what makes Byleth lead her arms to her sides and look at her with open mouth and wide eyes, alerted. “Or two: you appreciate all the trouble I went through and I turn back the flow of time to give you another chance to save that girl. You decide,” Sothis continues, she is the one to cross her arms now; Byleth sighs heavily.

“Thank you so much, Sothis. You really went through all that trouble to save my ass. Happy?”

“Save the sarcasm for yourself, Byleth. I’m here to help. But... well, I suppose that I’ll have to go back in time. Life without you can be very boring! So... I’m going to give you another chance,” Sothis stands and a wheel with a lot of strange signs appear in front of her, something like a crest in the middle; she turns her wrist and the wheel moves, “that’s it,” she looks at Byleth, who understands nothing, “good luck, and don’t fuck it up again” then she snaps, and everything goes black.

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After Seteth had kicked the other in the chest, making him fall backwards, he run towards the mechanic thug, take his hand and put it in the hot car’s motor, then hitting his head with the bumpers.

“Oh, hell no!! You will not ruin this for me!!” as Byleth said, Kostas had run to the back of the car, and had taken a weapon from the trunk, pointing it against Seteth, who also lift his weapon, ready to shoot too. That’s when a sound from between the shrubbery made them turn their heads in that direction, finding there the students, crouching while watching the exchange of hits. Why are they still here!? “The brats are escaping!” Kostas shout, but his gang is too injured to do anything about it, so the boss stops pointing at the detective to point at the students.

“Time to run!” the boy in yellow says before hurrying down the path

“Claude, wait!” the other male student yells and follow his friend.

This leaves the girl in red behind. She looks paralyzed, looking at Kostas, who’s ready to pull the trigger, when a shadow of grey, black and dark blue runs towards him, yelling.

“Hey! You remember me, asshole?” Byleth shouts, making Kostas points at her, but he’s too stunned to do anything else. How can she be so quick?

“The Ashen Demon! Noo, not you!” Kostas responds, before being kicked in the hand by Byleth, missing the shot that hits a tree trunk. Then she punches him in the face and throws him to the floor. Byleth looks at the student, and nods, telling her without words to run, and that’s exactly what she does, disappearing in the darkness.

“Seteth, do you have handcuffs?” the rookie cop suddenly asks, not taking her eyes away from Kostas, who is still laying on the floor, dizzy from the punch. The detective is too astonished to respond immediately to her question. He looks around, seeing how the thugs she attacked were still wriggling in pain on the floor, one of them clutching at his thigh, blood staining his white trousers and running through his fingers. He swallows hard. I should remember to not make her angry. If she can get angry, that is. “Seteth? Handcuffs?” she asks again.

“Y-yes, wait a second” he searches in the pockets of his overcoat, and takes the handcuffs inside. He’s going to hand it to her when she falls to the ground.

“Fuck you if you think you’re going to put me in jail!” Kostas had tangled Byleth's legs with his own, making her fall to the ground. He stands, kicks her in the stomach, and runs away.

Seteth is too paralyzed to do anything to keep that from happening. But when he recovers sense, the only thing he can worry about is his partner, who is still lying on the floor. He hurries her way and helps her recompose. Worry painted in his face.

“You should have gone after him! I’m fine... I’ll be fine,” she says between coughs.

“Nonsense! Are you injured?” he asks, checking her to see if he could discern any wound. She snorts.

“Pfff no, he just left me without breath for a moment, but I’m okay” he helps her sit, and then stand up. She still grabs her stomach. She inhales profoundly and then lets out the air through her mouth. “Okay, I’m fine... we should go towards the car, and make sure the kids are fine,” she says, moving towards the path.

They walk side by side all the route until they arrive at the parking. There, beside the car, the three students are waiting for them. When they see the two cops, they quickly approach, almost running.

“Hey, guys, thanks for saving us! That was great!” the boy in the yellow sweater, smiles and winks at them, “my name is Claude by the way” he leads his arms to the back of his head.

“Well... I almost get shot, but never mind. I’m most grateful. My name is Edelgard, is a pleasure to meet you” the white-haired girl gives them a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, and is most of all, directed to Byleth. What an arrogance...

“And I’m Dimitri. I’m also glad to meet you. I could learn a thing or two from you!” finally says the blond student, while he extends his arm to give a handshake to both cops.

“Alright, alright... if the introductions and thanking are over, get into the car, we’ll take you back to the Academy. It’s late and I’m sure you three are exhausted,” Seteth claims smiling softly at them, trying to calm down the students, “I’m going to use that emergency phone right there to warn Adrestia Police Department to come here and take care of the delinquents, and then we’ll be able to leave”

After having to explain to a very rude cop from Adrestia all that had happened and where to find the unconscious thugs, he goes back to the car, where everyone was sitting already, waiting for him, exchanging their points of view about the experience. I hope the fall asleep. A headache is already forming. However, the adrenaline in their bodies keeps them agitated, and they can’t stop talking about how badass was their performance, which makes Seteth and Byleth laugh softly, and looking at each other with proud smiles on their faces. When they arrive at the Academy, they had fallen asleep for some time. When the students sleepily get out of the car, Seteth makes Byleth roll down the window to say one last thing.

“Remember to visit Police Station tomorrow to give us all the information about what happened!” the three students turn around and nod groggily, “have a good night!” he says smiling brightly, Byleth just wave at the youth, and then they leave.

“You’re such a dad,” Byleth enounce, a smile on her face, not looking at him.

“You’re quite flattering today,” he responds with a proud smile on his face, what makes his companion let out a soft laugh. It feels good to be the one teasing, instead of being teased. They stay in silence for some time, Seteth sometimes looking at the other cop from the corner of his eye. Byleth supports her elbow over the door of her side, head leaned over her hand, looking forward. She looks tired... and lost in thought... maybe she is more affected by what happened in Remire that she let see. I should say something... “Well...I have to admit...you were right” the sentence calls Byleth attention, and she sits upright.

“Right about what?”

“A-About... about everything,” she looks at him questioningly, crooking an eyebrow, “about going to Remire, about the path, about the strategy... I wasn’t sure about you, but maybe I was wrong. You’re not as bad as I thought,” she snorts, but smiles nonetheless.

“So... I have passed Seteth’s ‘Perfect Cop’ exam? I have succeeded your expectations?” she smirks, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

“Let’ss... not exaggerate,” he smiles, “you’re still an inexperienced rookie, and you need to respect more the regulations, but I’ll admit you have potential”

“I’ll take that as a compliment then,” she says, remembering his words from earlier, making him chuckle.

When they arrive at the Station and get out of the car, Seteth turns to look at his partner.

“You can go home. I’ll take care of informing Rhea,” he walks to the door.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t like that you take care alone of our job,” she stops at the end of the stairs, looking at him from below.

“Yes, don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll only tell Rhea that the students are safe and are coming tomorrow to be interrogated, and then I’ll wait for my brothers to leave together,” she nods absentmindedly.

“If you say so... Good night, Seteth... see you tomorrow,” she waves, turning around and start walking.

“See you tomorrow, Byleth,” he says waving at her, seeing how she walks away, “have a good night.”

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Byleth opens the door to her apartment, founding inside her solitary life. The place was cheap, but it was also a shit, but she liked it because it reminded her of Jeralt’s office. There was only a living room/kitchen/office and a bathroom. Oh, and let’s not forget the little wardrobe beside the exit door. Byleth closes and leans against the door, sighing heavily. She recomposes and paces towards what looks like a giant shelving full of archives boxes. Then takes a piece of cloth hanging from the top of the piece of furniture and pulls down, discovering a wall bed. She walks to the wardrobe and takes out her trench coat to put it in a hanger. She disrobes, leaving all the clothes on the floor. I’ll take care of that tomorrow, I swear. And finally, she let herself fall into her bed, before crawling to rest her head on the pillow. Ugh, finally, bed. She turns to lie on her back, looking at the ceiling, placing a hand over her eyes. A memory strikes her mind. “I-... I’ll take it as a compliment then,”. Seteth’s smile clouds the front of her mind and, blush finds its way to her cheeks. He’s cute.

“Can you, PLEASE, stop thinking about your partner that way and go to sleep!? You have work to do tomorrow!” a voice sound inside her head.

“Yes, you’re right, I’m going to sleep. Good night!” Byleth responds to the void of her apartment.

“Yeah yeah... good night”

Byleth turns to her right side and closes her eyes, ready to fall asleep. When she realizes.

WHAT WAS THAT VOICE!?

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: I've got you under my skin     

Great Tree Moon, 30, 1949    

These past two days have been chaotic. Starting from Tuesday morning, when Seteth and Byleth were received with a big applause at the Station. Their colleagues have heard that they had found the three students and saved them, and gave the two cops a big welcome.    

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It was a sunny morning. Flocks of birds flew over the clear sky of Garreg Mach. Parents carried their children to school. The milkman left six bottles per door, and the paper man left a newspaper for each mailbox. The day, from the eyes of anyone, was like any other day. Just like the day before, and just how is going to be the day after. But from the eyes of Seteth Clarke, detective at Garreg Mach Police Department, it was a special day. The first case he gets his hands on, and he resolves it in record time.  Well, I didn’t do it alone.  The memory of Byleth’s proud smile when they were driving the students back at the Academy sent warmth to his cheeks.  We work together better than I thought. Maybe she’s not that horrible after all.  That’s when he remembered the moment before they attacked Kostas’ gang. Her face, devoid of any kind of emotion, her eyes lacking any shine he had come to appreciate during their interactions; a flat tone of voice planning and giving orders; almost inhuman speed, and a strength capable of sending to the floor a man twice her height and weight. That’s what criminals talked about, and Seteth had to admit that it was indeed a sight to be seen. It was terrifying to see the aftermath, but the detective couldn’t stop himself from admiring her proficiency as a fighter. He spoke the truth when he told her she has potential.     

He parked his car a few feet away from the Station front door, looked at himself in the rear-view mirror to groom his hair one last time before facing the day, and got out of the vehicle. That morning he was wearing a navy-blue blazer, over a light blue shirt. Not tie hanged from his neck, two buttons unbuttoned, he thought he looked quite  juvenile.  The outfit was complete with black trousers and black brogue shoes. He walked towards the doors when the image of his companion at the end of the street made him stop in his tracks. She was not wearing the uniform trousers. Instead of that, her outfit was a sleeveless white shirt, decorated with collar pins connected by a thin chain. All of that accompanied by a black knee height pleated skirt and black boots with heels. Grey trench coat nowhere to be seen. He noticed too that a pink diadem decorated her hair, even when it basically didn’t hold any of her cobalt blue hair back, away from her face. The soft breeze of the morning blew strands of her mane into her eyes while she delicately used her fingers to put them away again.  A sight to be seen indeed.      

He waited for her at the end of the balustrade of Police Station stairs. She stopped at the opposite banister, stared at him, only to cock her head to a side, smile and wave her hand. She returned to a normal upright posture, however she looked startled by something, and rolls her pupils to a side, as if she were listening to something besides her.  That’s... weird.      

“ Good morning, Miss Eisner,” he said after deducing that she would say nothing. Her shoulder jumped a little and gazed at him again.    

“That again?” she asked, an annoyed edge in her voice, what made Seteth lift an eyebrow questioningly, “calling me Miss Eisner? Seteth... call me Byleth, alright?” she sighed, but ended the sentence with a smile. The detective smiled back.    

“Alright, Byleth. Shall we enter? We’ll have to make sure everything is prepared for the students’ testimonies when they arrive,” he explained while looking at the watch hanging from his wrist, and then extending an arm to indicate his partner to go first.    

“What did Rhea say when you told her we rescued the students?” Byleth climbed the stairs, and grabs the door handle, but ceased her movement to rotate her head, looking at him over her shoulder. Seteth halted behind her.    

“Oh, she was beyond herself with happiness! She told me to tell you she cannot wait to meet and to give you her praises,” Seteth responded. To be honest, he was more than astonished to see Rhea’s reaction, and her impatience to talk with his partner. It was almost... too much.  What must Rhea be thinking, and why she’s so smitten with Byleth?     

“ Ah... that sounds good. I hope she bathed you in praises too?” Byleth asked, looking a bit flustered.     

“Y-Yes... of course.”  No, she didn’t.  In fact, Rhea only thanked him, then started lecturing him over trusting her judgement over people more, of how she was right about Byleth all along...it was really frustrating, because he had to tell her she ( maybe)  was right.    

“Seteth?” Byleth inclined her head slightly forward to catch his eye and make him get out of his thoughts.    

“Oh... yes! Excuse me, I was lost in thought. Let’s get inside,” his companion pushed the door to enter. “I’m sure we’ll talk with Rhea almost inmediat-.”    

His words were cut by a sudden burst of applauses from the first second they put a foot inside. In the reception hall, all their colleagues were standing, clapping their hands, Catherine and Alois also whistled. Macuil and Indech were there too. However, they stayed away from the rest of the crowd. The shy brother clapping calmly, while the other just looked at the two companions and smirked. Byleth and Seteth just stood there, startled by the welcome. Alois was the first to talk.     

“Congratulations, you two!! Your first case together, and you resolved it on the same day. Incredible!!” he almost yelled, quite spirited, beaming from ear to ear, clasping his hands on Byleth and Seteth’s shoulders.  

“Thanks, Alois,” she breathed, smiling to the other police.    

“We both appreciate you cheering up,” Seteth enunciated, a warm smile on his face, “but now...” he continued putting back his stern demeanour, “we all should go back to work. Is going to be a busy morning,” he finished, a little more loudly so everyone heard him. And of course, they did, making their small audience groan in unison and disperse.   

The detective stared at his companion, that glared back, and both nodded, moving towards the commissar office. Still, they were stopped when Macuil gave a step forward, with the full intention of having a word with them.   

“Good morning, brother. Good morning, my beautiful lady,” he took Byleth’s hand and led it to his lips to give a kiss to the back, but the cop was quicker, taking her hand away from his grasp, an annoyed glint in her eyes, “I assume you don’t like kisses?” Byleth opened her mouth to respond, but the forensic continued, “alright then, no kisses,” he chuckled, “Indech and I only wanted to give you our congratulations for a fantastic job. Isn’t that right, Indie?”    

The other man had seen the exchange, looking at his brother with an exasperated glare. However, when Macuil asked him, he seemed stunned. He recomposed and corrected his posture, standing straighter, what made him show his true stature and shape.  He really is all muscle and bone, the very same picture of health.     

“I-I-I-... Y-... Yes,” he stuttered, and glanced everywhere except at Byleth, who spoke next.   

“Hey, Indech, I’m happy to see you outside of the darkroom. This means you trust me more?” she questioned, smiling warmly at the shy man.   

“Huuh!? I-… W-well...I...” he blushed furiously, and looked everywhere more nervously than before, “I HAVE TO GO” he run and went down the stairs at the end of the hall. Byleth stood there, eyes and mouth open widely. The other two men sighed heavily, embarrassed by their brother’s actions.   

“Please, excuse Indech. He... It will take some time for him to grow accustomed to you,” Seteth explained, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Byleth only nodded at him.   

“Well... after this... unpleasant moment... Rhea is waiting for you two in her office. She wants to talk about a call from adrestian cops or something like that,” Macuil informed them, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.    

When the two cops entered their superior office, they halted in front of the desk, waiting for Rhea to end her task. She looked up at them and gave a serene smile, leaving all parchments on a side of her desk.   

“Good morning. First, congratulations! You did an amazing job rescuing those students. Principal Dahlman called me first thing in the morning to express his more sincere gratitude, and to say that Dimitri, Claude and Edelgard will be brought by an Academy security car this afternoon, once the classes end,” she beamed, her words made the two cops smile proudly. “However, and as much as I tried to convince them...” she let out a sigh, Byleth and Seteth glared at her confused, “Adrestia Police Department want me to penalize you both,” she completed, joining her hands over the desk, and looking down.    

“Penalize us!? W-Why!?” Seteth asked, completely flabbergasted, “We saved those students!”   

“Yes, but you broke regulations intruding in the territory of another state’s jurisdiction. Not only that, but I was also informed that most of the delinquents they found were deeply injured.” Rhea frowned and Seteth gaped.  I knew it...    

“ Bullshit! There were more important things to think about than regulations,” Byleth chimed, arms folded on her back, voice low but confident, and the commissar seemed surprised by that.  

“I know. You both had to save those students. But law is there for something, Detective Eisner, don’t you forget about that,” the superior warns the rookie without losing her calm demeanour. She just sat back in her chair and stared at them, exhaling slowly, “your punishment will be teaching a traffic seminar on the Academy,” the two cops opened their mouths to complain, but Rhea continued, talking more loudly, “AND... taking charge of the traffic penalties for a month”  that’s the worst kind of job! “ I’ve already talked with Dahlman. You can go to the Academy next Monday for the seminar. You two are dismissed,” she ended the sentence, and waited until they’re out of the office. While Byleth paced to the door, Seteth stayed back, still staring at the commissar.   

“Please, Rhea, accept my apology. It was my fault, to be honest,” the woman crooked an eyebrow, and let him continue, “I shouldn’t have let my partner, my subordinate, to convince me of breaking regulations, and of course I shouldn’t have unleashed the Ashen Demon to take care of those thugs”   

“Seteth... please, leave now. We’ll talk another time about your actions,” Rhea said, eyes closed, he turned and left the office with his partner.    

They stood there, in the middle of the hall, in silence, Seteth exhaled loudly. Byleth glared down at the floor, saying no word or producing any other sound.    

“Well, we should start worki-” Seteth started, but was interrupted.   

“You unleashed the Ashen Demon, huh?” his companion whispered, still without looking up.   

“Byleth, I-”   

“Don’t”   

“Don’t what?” Seteth asked, lifting an eyebrow, and led a hand towards her shoulder to make her look at him.   

“Don’t call me Byleth, Mr Clarke. You may call me Miss Eisner from now on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll do my job at Alois office” she stated, turned around, and walked toward the other offices, opposite way of his, leaving Seteth there, open-mouthed, when he heard a whistle that made him rotate his head towards Macuil, that was still leaning over the wall.   

“You really fucked up, Sethie, you really did”   

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Since then, she has been avoiding him, only interacting on counted occasions and for brief moments, like passing him a report, or to tell him someone was looking for him. He tried to talk to her, to clear things up between them. But he discovered that the Ashen Demon existed also outside of the fighting time. The shine in her eyes died out every time he came near, and the up corners of her mouth when she talked with other co-workers fell when he tried to enter the conversation. Seteth tried to focus on his work, but somehow, the idea that he had disappointed or, goddess knows it’s impossible ( right? ), made her sad, distracted him more than he cared to admit. They had a very pleasant conversation in his car. She also had complimented him as a father. He can say that, even if he didn’t trust her entirely yet, he was relaxing around her, and even came to appreciate their easy chat and teasing. He had thrown all of that through the toilet when he pronounced the words “unleashed the Ashen Demon”. But what part of that sentence bothered her the most?  It couldn’t be calling her Ashen Demon, right? She must know her own moniker by now. It was the use of the verb “unleash”? I have to admit it sounded worst that I intended...   

His thoughts are cut when someone knocks on the door of his apartment. Is Wednesday evening, the day he and his brothers had agreed as their Poker Night. Of course, the card game is a pretence. This is the only night when they can talk sincerely about the truth of their immortal lives, to use their true names ( well, my true name to be more precise ), to remember old times, how they think things are going to be in the next decades, and to complain about humans ( well, this is more a Macuil thing ). Many of their colleagues had made comments about doing that all together, mostly Alois. But how to explain to them it wasn't more than an old dragons’ reunion to criticize their entire race?  How to explain to them that three of four of the Saints they are so devoted to, get together one night every week to drink whiskey, smoke and bet, while making comments about how bad humans had done through all history?   

The detective walks toward the door. He had taken off his blazer and had rolled the sleeve of his shirt to get more comfortable and to clean a little of the living room and arrange all that is necessary for their poker game. When he opens the door, the sight that welcome him was Macuil leaned against the door frame, a cigar already in his mouth and a brown paper bag in his hand, something like a bottle inside. Indech stood in the hallway's darkness, hands in his pockets, glaring at the floor.   

“What’s up, idiot?” Macuil greets, passing inside and pacing towards the table.  

“How many times I’ve told you not to smoke in my apartment? Or to smoke at all? Is bad for your health,” Seteth chimes, trying to disseminate with one hand the smoke his brother had left in his path.  

“Cichol, my dear stupid brother... I have over a thousand years old... do you really think I give a fuck about my health anymore? At this point I think nothing can kill me...” Macuil responds, leaving the paper bag on the table, opening and uncovering its content. A bottle of whiskey.  And a good one, Mac must felt generous tonight.    

“ Hi, brother. I brought a new deck of cards I made; I hope it’s not a problem?” Indech asks, entering silently, and standing there, staring at his brother.  

“Of course not, Indie! I’m sure is going to be a beautiful one. I cannot wait to see it!” he says, giving his shy brother a warm smile that he reciprocates.   

“Well ladies, are we going to start or not?” the other man called them from his seat in front of the table.   

“Yes, yes, we’re coming. Did you really take off your shoes?” Seteth asks, incredulous over the overconfidence of his small brother, and walking towards the kitchen. Macuil only groans, but don’t put on his shoes again, “I bought some nuts and other snacks, are you two fine with that?” he takes the food bags and shows them through the window that separated the kitchen from the living room.   

“Yeah, yeah, whatever... I’m only going to drink” Macuil mumbles, cigar still in his mouth, his hands occupied preparing the poker chips, dividing little heaps, six per seat, each one a value.   

“Do you have jerky meat, Cichol, the spicy one?” Indech questions, rolling the sleeves of his celadon shirt, and sitting on his chair.  

“I’ll check,” Seteth opens the door of one cabinet, the one used for Flayn’s candies and snacks, and searches between all that, to find a small bag at the end, with the jerky meat his brother loves, “you’re lucky, Indech, there are still two strips left!” Seteth lift the bag, and shows it to the other man, that beams, a hungry shine in his eyes.  

“Seiros will not join us tonight?” Macuil questions, shuffling the deck of cards Indech had given him, “or is she too busy to spend time with her keen?”   

To be honest, Seteth hasn’t talked with her since yesterday, still sore after she had penalized him and his partner. He understands her actions, of course, but that doesn’t mean he wants to spend much time with her and he knows they would discuss, probably over Byleth. “She was busy tonight,” he finally responds.  A little lie cannot hurt anyone, right?  He takes all the food and three lowball vases. He leaves all in the centre of the table, and then went back to get the ice bucket, but he really doesn’t have ice cubes inside, they are little metal cubs, that get cold, so when he puts them in the drink, it doesn’t get watered.  If you’re going to drink whiskey, you have to do it right.    

“ Shall we start, old dragons?” Macuil deals the cards, Seteth taking his place in front of the table, and serving the drinks, two cubs per vase.   

“Look who’s talking,” Indech responds to his brother, letting out a chuckle, taking the cards he has been given. 

“Although, I have to admit, as much interested I’m in winning all your money as always...” Mac explains, but is interrupted by his two brothers.  

“Because you cheat”   

“Tonight, I’m more interested in other matters,” Macuil continues, he says living the deck of cards at a side, and taking his own cards in his hands, “like, for example, hearing my dear brother Cichol talk about his experience working alongside the stunning Ashen Demon” he smirks, looking at Seteth over his cards.  Now I understand the expensive whiskey.    

“ Ah. Well, I’m sure Indech won’t be as interested as you are Mac...” he says, trying to avoid as much as he can this conversation, and searching for Indie’s help with pleading eyes. However, what he finds at the other side of the table is a convinced and intense glare.  

“Talk, brother,” the shy man responds very serious.  

“You too, Indie!?” Cichol is alerted, and now he knows he cannot escape this topic. Indech blushes and averts his glance.   

“Now, now, start talking, idiot,” Macuil pushes.  

“Well, it was good,” Seteth says, and then stays quiet, hoping that is enough for his poker companions. But of course, it isn’t.   

“Don’t make us get it out of you, Cichol,” Macuil push two 5 chips ahead.  

“That, listen to Mac, Cichol” Indech continues, pushing himself one of 25, and a jerky meat strip in his mouth, slowly chewing it.  

“Alright, you two! You’re the worst, are you sure you two don’t want to take charge of interrogations at the Department?” they don’t respond, just stare at him intensely, Seteth just sighs, “she... she was the one that... basically the one that uncovered all the truth. The one that investigated the students’ rooms while I wasted time talking to the principal. She was the one that led us to Remire, that found the path to the place where students were kept captives. The one that led all the planning in the fight against the thugs. And Goddess...how she fights! I’ve seen nothing like that before! That speed and strength, the way she maintained the calm during all the attack...it was...breath taking...” he is rambling, but he cannot stop himself from saying all those things. He even had forgotten to make his bet. His brothers just look at him, open-mouthed, and stay in silence for a while, before the two whistle at the same time.  

“I’ll have to ask her for a date for Garland Moon before another jackass is ahead of me,” Macuil says, going back to his cards. Indech looks at him with an eyebrow lifted. Seteth is flabbergasted.  

“You...you what!?” Cichol is very alarmed  

“What you heard, brother. I’m going to ask her for a date”  

“You... won’t do such a thing! And stop hitting on her. It makes us all uncomfortable!” Seteth is almost yelling. Macuil crooks an eyebrow, leaves his card on the table, inclines on the back of his chair and stares at him with a smug smile.  

“Or what? What you’re going to do if I don’t stop, brother?” he spits the last word. The detective held a finger out, pointing up, ready to snap, when the third brother extends his arms to stop the other two.  

“Please...don’t fight...don’t again,” Indech says with a calmed voice, “Macuil, don’t be like that...also, didn’t you have a date with Manuela a week ago?” he distracts his brothers, bringing up another topic. Seteth and Macuil relax, and the second leans forward and supports his elbows on the table.  

“Yes, but it went horrible! She arrived late. Then, when she sat at our table and we were ready to order, she asked for the most expensive wine and dish. Not only that, ohhh no noo, the horror doesn’t end there! She got drunk, and started telling me about the horrible date she had before arriving the one she had with me!” he was furiously red, and grips his whiskey glass strongly, giving a gulp to the drink before continuing, “and then she was so inebriated that I had to accompany her to her apartment, which, on top of that, was made a pigsty!”   

He gives another big gulp to his drink, emptying the vase, then he takes the bottle and fills it up again. Silence takes over the atmosphere of the apartment. Nobody says anything, no sound made by anyone. When suddenly, the other two brothers burst of laugh. So hard that Indech hits the table with his hand, and the floor with one foot. Seteth puts one hand over his eyes, and the other over his stomach.  

“YOU TWO, STOP, STOP INMEDIATLY. I DEMAND YOU TO STOP, ASSHOLES, IS NOT FUNNY!” Macuil had jumped from his chair, making it stumble and fall back, and he is pointing at his two brothers, who cannot stop laughing. That’s when feathers start growing along his temples and cheeks, “STOP, CICHOL, OR I’LL DESTROY YOUR FUCKING APARTMENT!” more feathers appear on his face, his eyes a shiny green. However, his brothers don’t stop.  

“Be careful, Cichol! Mac is going to turn himself into the giant chicken and is going to peck all of your belongings!” Indech exclaims between chuckles, making Seteth laugh even harder.  

“You two are idiots!! I hate you both!” Macuil grabs the bottle of whiskey and rushes to the door to exit the apartment.  

“Macuil wait! We’re sorry, please come back!” Seteth yells at his brother, but it was too late. He is out of sight.   

“Bah, always the same with old Mac,” Indech says, taking a sip of his whiskey. They stay there, sitting, without saying more words or laughing more, when Indech breaks the silence by asking the most uncomfortable question he could ask Seteth, “Do you like her?” there is a smile on his mouth, but his eyes hold a pensive gleam.  

“Who?” Seteth decides to play dumb. He doesn’t want to answer, but he and Indech know each other too well.  

“Do not play dumb with me, Cichol. We are thousands of years old; you cannot use that trick with me,” he looks at him seriously, nothing escaping from his eyes, “it’s the first time I hear you talk about someone that way since...”  

“Don’t” Cichol knows where this is going, and he doesn’t want to have this conversation now, and so, he dissipates Indech’s thoughts, “I just... admire her proficiency, nothing more. Also... she doesn’t want to talk to me now. As Macuil said... I fucked up with her...”  

“Well, you talked to Rhea about her like some kind of... hunting dog you can unleash every time you need it,” Indie tries to sound as conciliatory as he can, the detective just hides his face with his hand, red from embarrassment, and groans, “you know you did wrong...” Seteth nods, “then you know what you have to do”  

“I’ll apologize, of course. I hope she listens to me though; she has been avoiding me since yesterday morning”  

“I’m sure everything goes well,” Indech smiles warmly at his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Now... should we clean this up. I think Mac is not coming back”.  

It was an intense Poker night... and they didn’t even play Poker. The only one that won that night was the Ashen Demon.   

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: I've got you under my skin. Pt. 2

Harpstring Moon, 2, 1949 

The clattering of plates and vases, of clutter and chattering, sounds all over the restaurant. Families eat together, children throw food and cry for some silly reason. Teenagers lounge over their booth sittings, talking (or yelling, to be precise) about classes and the football match of tomorrow. Waitress in roller skates moved all around the place, putting every dish in front of its correct diner, and then rolling again to the next table. A group of people are around the jukebox at the end of the hall, in front of a tiny dance floor decorated with black-and-white tiles. Is Friday evening, and the city is livelier. Not much tho, but few people that live in town and came to this restaurant to have a good night are enough to fill the entire space.  

Byleth is sitting in a metal chair in front of a little rounded table with a “marble” (More like plastic pretending to be marble) board. At her right side the “empty” chair of her father. He had gone to the bar to order, the restaurant too full to be seen by a waitress with all the people around. He had lost his patience and stood up to take the drinks himself. But in reality, the seat only looks empty from the eyes of the others. However, for Byleth, it is very occupied by the woman that is living inside her head. Sothis hasn’t stopped appearing since Monday. She has been lecturing all week, criticising her, laughing, telling her what to do and how to do it. An authentic pain in the ass. 

“Heard you~! I can hear all of your thoughts, so... stop insulting me, will you? I’m only trying to help you,” Sothis chimes, supporting her head with her hands, her elbows on the table, leaning forward.  

“That doesn’t make it less annoying, Sothis,” Byleth thinks, deciding to not say that out loud and look like a crazy person. 

“Well, it isn’t exactly my pleasure to be stuck inside the mind of someone so DULL and UNGRATEFUL as you, Byleth” the woman, that looks like she’s more floating than actually seating, crosses her arms, “especially when you don’t stop thinking about your partner~ “  

“That’s not true,” Byleth seats back in her chair, and crosses her arms too. Well, the truth is, that she thinks of Seteth, a lot. But I don’t want to. 

“Keep telling yourself that...” Sothis smirks. 

“Ugh, can you please stop entering my thoughts? That’s private. And, to be honest, I cannot stop thinking about him because he makes me feel...” 

“Frustrated?” 

“Yes, but also...” 

“Annoyed?” the invisible woman continues asking. 

“Yes! But something... more...” 

“Angry?” Sothis completes. 

“Angry? I... don’t know...” Byleth puts a hand on her cheek, and thinks about the new door Sothis has opened. 

She has never been angry before. Her emotions are often muted or are briefly shown. In fact, she started feeling more, not immediately but gradually, since she started working in the Police Department. It is angriness what makes her avoid Seteth at all costs? She hasn’t really talk to him since they exited Rhea’s office, and every time he came near or tried to start a conversation, a warmth took over all her body, and her mind filled with a lot of insults towards her companion, a behaviour Sothis tried to calm down before those words came out of her mouth. Unleash the Ashen Demon...so, that’s how he sees me... nothing he said in the car that night meant nothing at all, and that slight understanding they had achieved with their first resolved case together was an illusion... 

“You feel betrayed,” the green-haired woman interrupts her internal monologue, and puts a hand on her chin, “I have a theory... do you want me to share it with you?”  

“No,” Byleth responds, deadpan. 

“Okay, this is my theory...” Sothis continues and the cop sighs, “You are angry because you feel that your trust was betrayed by a person you like and you’re attracted to-” she explains, but is interrupted by the turbulent thoughts of Byleth, obfuscated by the words of Sothis. 

“What are you talking about!? No! I don’t like him!” she sits straighter, frowning, completely on alert, Sothis only crooks an eyebrow, and opens her mouth to say something, when reality makes the cop jump from the conversation inside her mind. 

“Byleth... are you okay? You seem tense” the other occupant of the table had put a hand on her forearm to make her pay attention to him and was talking with a reassuring voice. 

“Oh, yes. I’m only remembering some things from work. Nothing to worry about, Aelfric,” she responds, giving him a small smile. 

Aelfric is her father’s friend. He’s usually very busy with his job (that now that I think of it, I don’t know which is ...), but sometimes he would go to Jeralt’s office to have some chat and remember old times. But most of all, they talked about Sitri. Byleth’s mother had died during birth, and the young detective only know about her for what Jeralt and Aelfric had told her. She knows Sitri was a very kind and lovely person. Intelligent, good cooker, loved flowers. A person of delicate nature and calm demeanour. Byleth has seen photos of her, and she had to admit, they look very much alike. But something makes them very different. And is that Sitri had a beautiful and sincere smile, one that would light the entire room. However, Byleth fights to make even the slightest sign of a smile. An irony that doesn’t escape the cop. However, her little grin doesn’t go unnoticed by the man in front of her.  

“When you smile, you look so much like Sitri. Your resemblance to her is astonishing...” he whispers, squeezing her forearm in what he surely thought was a comforting gesture. However, for Byleth, it is getting awkward, so she takes away her arm and puts her hands on her lap, under the table.  

“I... know little about that... sorry,” she explains, her face expressionless, looking at him in the eye. He hesitates and seems surprise for a second, before smiling and putting his hand back, crossing his arms over the table. 

“Of course... sorry for making you uncomfortable,” he says that, but it doesn’t sound sincere.  

“Really... this guy creeps me out,” Sothis whispers, looking at him, narrowing her eyes, suspicious, holding her head with a hand. 

“Aelfric? Why?”  

“I... don’t know... something about him...just...isn’t right,” she adds, tapping her finger on the table, “And, hey! Don’t try to direct our conversation to other matters. We were talking about how hooked you are to your partner!” 

“I wasn’t the one that started talking of how creeped you are by my father’s friend. And for the last time... I don’t like Seteth! In fact, If I saw him now...I... would punch him!” the cop yells inside her mind, but the other woman isn’t looking at her. Instead, she stares as three people come closer to the table. 

“Alright... let’s found out if that is true, because look who’s coming” 

“What are you talking ab-” 

Jeralt had gone to take the drinks to the bar, but he had found something else. And that something is a father and his daughter, the two of them with very green eyes and hair. The man wears a forest green sweater over a white shirt; brown trousers, and loafers. He looks incredibly embarrassed standing there. The girl, on the other hand, has a grin that illuminates the whole place, and rocks over her heels, her arms folded on her back. She wears something like a uniform. A black cardigan over a white shirt, golden bow on her neck; a mid-pleated black skirt with golden embroidery at the edge. Her legs are covered by black thighs, flat ankle boots on her feet. Seteth and Flayn stayed behind Jeralt, that was holding two beer mugs and a vase with something that looked like orange soda. 

“Look who I found spying on you,” says her father, a disgusted frown on his face, making Byleth crook an eyebrow, open her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by Seteth. 

“I wasn’t spying! I only... heard my work partner’s name, and I poked my head from my seat to see if it was her, that’s all!” he tries to excuse himself, rubbing his hand over his other arm, trying to avoid her eyes. 

“You say that, but you didn’t stop staring at her when you confirmed it was actually the Byleth you know.” Jeralt leaves the drinks on the table, and turns his head to look at the green-haired man. Seteth is bright red, and he’s going to respond, but Flayn cuts dry the accusations, jumping forward.  

“Byleth! I’m so happy to see you again! How have you been!? Father was just telling me how you two solved the case of the disappearance of my classmates! But I like to hear it from you too, I-” the girl is going to continue rambling excitedly when Jeralt intervenes. 

“Wait, wait wait... you two know each other too? How’s that?”  

“I met Seteth’s daughter when we went to investigate the Academy last Monday,” Byleth explains nonchalantly. “I’m fine, Flayn, and you? Hope your studies are going well,” she smiles warmly at the girl, that beams even more, about to answer, but Seteth has something to say too. 

“It’s not the only coincidence tonight, it seems. Good evening, Principal Dahlman,” the detective turns to the other man seated on the table, Aelfric, that haven’t said a thing in all conversation, and was staring at Seteth with something somber in his eyes. Still, when everyone turns to look at him, he gives a very forced smile. 

“Good evening, Mr. Clarke,” 

“Oh, so you are Principal Dahlman? I didn’t even know you were working in the Academy, if I’m being honest,” Byleth says, looking at Aelfric, that rotates his head to look at her now, this time with a warm smile. 

“Yes, it has been some time since I’m in that post, but is not something I usually talk about,” the director answers, “now that I think of it, I didn’t see you when you were at the Academy investigating. What were you doing?” the rookie cop is going to respond, but Seteth is ahead of her. 

“Miss Eisner was investigating the student’s rooms while we were talking. And I have to say, she did a fantastic job,” Seteth states, staring at her with a nervous but sweet smile. Byleth, however, gazes at him with a deadpan expression. Does he truly think that he’s going to win me over with silly flattery? That I’m going to forgive him so easily?  

“Don’t be petty. He’s trying at least...” Sothis had moved from her seat to a stand position behind her, supporting her head on Byleth’s left shoulder. 

“Oh, now you defend him?” 

“Well... I like him. He seems like a great man. I’m an excellent judge of character, you know?” the green-haired woman explains, and Byleth snorts. 

“I see. Well, it was nice to see you this evening, but I’m sure that both of you had plans for tonight. Have fun,” Aelfric had returned to his false smile, trying to get the newcomers to disappear immediately. Why does Aelfric want to get Seteth and Flayn out of the way so earnestly?  

“I told you. He’s weird. He gives me goosebumps,” Sothis intercedes again, and makes a gesture like she’s shivering in disgust. 

Seteth nods and opens his mouth to part ways, but Flayn has other ideas. “What? Noo!! We must celebrate this joyous coincidence! Let’s sit at the same table! My father and I could get a good table, big enough and with booth sittings. Come!” everyone in the group seems to hesitate. Aelfric, Jeralt and Seteth ready to decline the offer, when the girl joins her hands and pouts, about to plead. “Pretty pleaseee!! I wanted to talk with Byleth! Pleaaase” it was impossible to deny her. This girl truly knows how to get what she wants. 

“Yes, I like her too. She’s a persuasion master,” Sothis adds.  

Byleth stands, take her beer mug, and nods to Flayn with a small smile on her face, making the other girl grin widely, running to hook her arm with the one of Byleth’s that is not occupied holding a drink, directing her to their table. The men follow them, disgruntled. But then, the small girl seems to remember something, and let Byleth go, letting her sit in one of the booths, relenting her pace, to stay behind her father and pushing him to sit beside Byleth.  

“You there, father. So you can talk with your partner! I’ll sit next to Jeralt!” she says animatedly.  

“Flayn, not need to push! Be careful!” Seteth complains, almost falling in his seat, very close to Byleth. He looks up at her, and they both stare at each other eye. Seteth is the first to blush. His eyes are so green. Wait...no... 

“Sothis!” Byleth yells inside, thinking that the thought was a product of the woman inside her mind, but Sothis only laughs. 

“What? It wasn’t me! It was entirely your thought. And then you say you don’t like him. Liar~!” she laughs more, and Byleth is mortified. “Where is the punch you were going to give him, huh? Where?” the green-haired woman smiles widely at her, showing her teeth, pointy fangs standing out.  

Byleth blushes, averts her eyes away from him, leans over the wall, drawing away. Seteth sits straighter and averts eyes from her, too. Flayn sits opposite Byleth, Jeralt next to her, looking at Seteth, suspicious, and groaning. It only leaves Aelfric without a place, just standing there, staring at the group, looking pissed off. 

“Hey, Al, take a chair and sit by the edge of the table,” Jeralt suggest, but his friend doesn’t move, rubbing his arm with his hand. 

“Now that I remember, I have things to do tomorrow. I should go,” he says, and waves at Jeralt, “Good night, friend,” he turns to look at Byleth, “Good night, Byleth... It was nice seeing you again, I’m glad everything is going well with work,” he smiles warmly at her, “Goodbye to both of you,” with that he walks away and leave the restaurant, not waiting for father and daughter to say goodbye. 

“Huh... That was weird.” Jeralt rubs the back of his head, but rotates to stare at Byleth, that shrugs. Then he takes a little sip of his beer.  

When they arrived at the table, dishes were already displayed, and Flayn had moved them so they were in the right place in front of their diner. Flayn is enjoying what looked like a hamburger, but inside the two breads, there is a breaded steak; On the same plate, some french fries. The dish is accompanied by a strawberry soda. Seteth, on the other hand, has a dish of Grilled Herring, with salad, and a glass of water. Byleth takes a sip of her beer and watches how Flayn takes a good bite to her hamburger.  

“Flayn, what is inside... your sandwich?” the rookie asks. The girl swallows hard and gives a gulp to her drink to help the food go through her throat. 

“Flayn, be careful! Eat more cautiously. I don’t want you to choke!” Seteth is almost yelling at his daughter, a worried tone in his voice. The girl ends swallowing and rolls her eyes. 

“Yes, father. I’m being careful! What is inside the bread is a fish steak, Byleth!” Flayn beams, showing how completely happy she is with her dish. 

“A fishy family, huh...” Jeralt comments, taking another sip of his mug, not saying anymore.   

“We like fish, yes. It is very healthy,” Seteth adds, using his fork and knife to cut his fish and put it on the clutter with some lettuce, “are you two not going to eat anything? The food here is very good,” the detective continues, leading the bite to his mouth.  

“No, we only came to drink... but let’s end with small talk,” Jeralt states, Seteth and Byleth looking at him questioningly, “your kid said before you were talking about the resolved case, I’d like to hear the story too. By hasn’t had the chance to do it herself,” he smiles at her, but Byleth doesn’t seem in the mood to talk, not with Seteth so close to her. 

“It was good, nothing out of the common,” she shrugs, crossing her arms and looking away. 

“That’s all? C’mon, kid! You’ll have to give me more than that” 

“Your daughter did an amazing job. I have to say that you taught her splendidly how to do detective work and to defend herself. Her proficiency in melee fight still astonishes me,” Seteth states, and continues eating the food in front of him. 

“Yes! I had a chance to talk to my classmates, and they were still stunned by both of you! They said you complimented each other perfectly!” Flayn enounces excitedly, making Byleth and Seteth smile. Still, when he gazes at her, she goes back to an expressionless face, and averts her eyes from him. He cannot know how proud I’m that I worked so well with him. 

“Don’t be childish! If you want to forgive him, do it! Don’t let your pride take the better of you!” Sothis is sitting on the table, her legs over everyone's plates and vases, but it doesn’t matter, because nobody sees her, only Byleth. She’s crossing her arms, and looks at the blue-haired cop with a frustrated frown on her face.  

“He’ll have to apologize first, don’t you think?” Byleth crooks one eyebrow and crosses her arms, too. 

“Yes, I suppose you’re right... But I know he’ll not disappoint me. I told you he’s a good man, didn’t I?” 

“Yeah... whatever...” 

“Huh... good to hear then,” Jeralt finalizes that conversation, but seems that he has noticed something, “so... a father and a daughter having dinner together... and the mother, where is she?” bad move. Immediately after he ends the question, tension fills the surrounding air. Seteth leaves his clutter on the plate and takes the handkerchief to clean his mouth. Flayn leaves his hamburger and stares sadly at the dish.  

“My... wife, died some years ago... we rarely talk about it,” Seteth is the first one to talk, frowning.  

“She... loved fish too,” Flayn adds, her eyes glassy. 

“Sorry... I shouldn’t have asked,” Jeralt apologizes 

“I’m very sorry to hear it... I’m sure she was a great woman, having a daughter like you, Flayn,” Byleth says, a small smile directed to the small girl, that looks up at her and beams, her eyes still at the verge of tears, and nods vehemently. Seteth is smiling at Byleth, who blushes when she notices he’s staring at her.  

The rest of the dinner passes in silence. When everyone ended their food and drinks and asked for the bill, Seteth insists on paying, saying that Byleth and Jeralt only drank. The private detective lets him at the end, still hesitant. When they exit the restaurant, they are ready to part ways. 

“Well, good night, greenies, it was... a good time,” Jeralt smiles, and rubs the back of his head, “I’m going to accompany Byleth to her apartment-,” 

“If you let me, detective...” Seteth interrupts him, “I would like to be the one to walk Byleth to her apartment. We... need to talk about something related to work,” Seteth looks at her intensely, waiting for her to say something. Jeralt stares at him, suspicious, but then he looks at his daughter, to know what to do. Byleth yields. 

“Yes, of course,” she gazes up at his father, “it’ll be okay... See you tomorrow, dad?” Byleth nods. 

“Okay, kid... same time as always,” the detective walks forward, but stops beside Seteth and whispers, “try nothing funny, greenie,” there is a warning in his voice. 

“Indeed, Flayn is coming with us too... Goodnight, Detective Eisner,” Jeralt snorts and continues his path, not before waving farewell to his daughter. The three also start moving towards Byleth’s apartment. 

“If the child weren’t here, I would say this is very romantic, don’t you think?” Sothis is smiling, walking into reverse, her arms folded on her back.  

“Shut up, Sothis,” the blue-haired woman responds. 

“Okay, okay... I’ll not interfere in your date, then~!” Byleth snorts. 

“What was that?” Seteth suddenly asks. 

“What was what exactly?” Byleth questions back 

“The date tomorrow with your father,” he explains. 

“Ah... we usually go fishing every Saturday,” she says, “and you’re prying again...” she adds, annoyed. 

“You’re right, excuse me,” he apologizes. 

“You like fishing too!? Ohh how wonderful!! Father and I go to Rhodos Coast every summer holidays and spend the whole day fishing. My father is not very good though!” Flayn covers her giggles with her fist. She makes Byleth chuckle a little. 

“Flayn... would you leave Byleth and I some space? I need to talk to her about something very important,” the girl nods and speeds up a little, walking a few paces ahead of them. 

“What is it?” Byleth asks. Seteth clears his throat. 

“I wanted to apologize...” 

“I told you! HAHAHA, he’s good!!” Sothis yells, triumphant. 

“It was unfair to you. I shouldn’t have said the words I used to apologize to Rhea. I talked about you as some kind of hunt dog I can unleash when I need it, and you’re more than that. Much more. You... directed the investigation better than I could have done. And you resolved the fight magnificently. ” 

“Even when we didn’t catch Kostas?” 

“Even then... he played dirty,” he chuckles, and Byleth smiles. 

“That’s true,” she concedes. 

“So...do you accept my apology?” 

“Mmmm, let me think... “she places a finger on her chin, and looks up at the sky, then stares back at him, with a smirk, “I can forgive you if you take care of my part of traffic fines for me”  

“Preposterous! I have to take care of mine too!” he exclaims, “woman... I just made it out of that office and you want me to go back there again,” he chuckles, making Byleth laugh a little too, “but... I accept the punishment. Anything for my partner’s forgiveness,” he continues, grinning at her. She blushes furiously, but Sothis’ voice spoils the moment. 

“Ohhh, look at you two! So cute!” the green-haired woman smirks, as saying: <<I told you>> 

“Shut. up. Go to sleep or something,” Byleth barks in her mind. 

“Okay... I’ll stop interfering in your ‘’date’’ “Sothis makes the quotation marks with her fingers and disappears. 

They continue their path in silence, sometimes stealing glances at each other and smiling. She looks up at the sky, trying to discern the few stars that can be seen in a city. At some point, Seteth does the same, and before they notice, they are in front of Byleth’s gate. 

“This is my building. Thank you both for accompanying me.” 

“Of course, it was a pleasant walk here, we-” Seteth says, but is cut when Flayn jumps forward and embrace Byleth.  

“I had a lot of fun tonight! I hope we see each other again!! Oh, you can come with us to the cinema. Father and I usually go when there’s a new release!!” the girl rambles excitedly, beaming. 

“Flayn! Don’t overwhelm Miss Eisner!” 

“It is nothing,” she says while separating from Flayn, that gives a step back, situating next to her father, “Also...you can call me Byleth, Seteth,” she smiles at him, making him look from her daughter to her, smiles warmly and nods. 

“Alright. Flayn and I should get going. Good night, Byleth,” 

“Good night, Seteth, Flayn,” she nods and climbs the stairs to enter her building, but turns around to watch them walk away.  

She arrives at her apartment and follows her daily ritual. Takes out the wall bed, disrobes, leaving all the clothes on the floor with the promise of taking care of it the next day, and lays in bed in her small clothes. She turns to rest on her left side and finds Sothis laying in the same position on the opposite side. Byleth jumps a little. 

“Good night, By,” Sothis kiss Byleth’s forehead and turns around, “try not to have... heated dreams about your partner, I’ll have to see that too~!” 

“SOTHIS!” Byleth feels all her body warm up and getting red from head to toes. She turns around and hides her face on the pillow, completely embarrassed. Still, she cannot stop thinking of how much she wants to work by Seteth’s side again. They did complement each other perfectly, indeed.  

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Time after Time

Harpstring Moon, 5, 1949   

It is a chilly morning of Monday, and the air is going to be colder once they arrive at the Academy. Just as Rhea had told them, the students were waiting for them to receive a seminar about traffic. Seteth still think is stupid, that he and his partner shouldn’t be punished. They have been working with traffic fines since Tuesday while their co-workers investigated the whereabouts of Kostas. The commissar refuses to let them join the search or another case.  Not until you two learn to respect the rules,  she had said.  Nonsense. We respect the law, but the situation required for us to go there.  But he knows there is no use to explain anything to Rhea, not when something got stuck in her mind.   

And here they are now, in his car, direction of Garreg Mach Academy, to talk to some teenagers about the driving license ( I wouldn’t even give them the license for the tricycle ), the different traffic regulations and traffic fines. To sum up, and from Seteth’s perspective:  a perfect waste of time.  At least he can spend time with Byleth. They haven’t talked since Friday evening. Thanks to their fortuitous encounter in the familiar restaurant, he could apologize correctly and he can say now that they are again in their previous relationship, the one they had before his terrible slip. It’s not that they have chatted much today... but she greeted him with a smile on her face, and that’s enough for him to know things are good between them.    

He looks at her from the corner of his eye. Byleth is sitting in the passenger sit, at his side. She’s wearing a long neck black sweater; a grey A-line skirt, at calf level, cinched at her waist; on her feet, block heels of shiny black. Also, she had pulled her hair in a lazy bun, letting Seteth have a full look at her ears. She is holding in her hands her classic trench coat, just in case is colder up there. That’s when she notices he’s gazing, and turns her head to gaze back at him.   

“What happens?” she narrows her eyes, tries to discern any change in his expression.   

“Nothing, I was just... thinking that this is the first time I see you with your hair pulled up, that’s it,” he clears his throat and hopes he didn’t sound awkward. Byleth leads a hand to her bun.   

“Oh, this? Is not so uncommon. I usually put my hair in a ponytail to train,” she responds, turning her entire torso to have a better look at him, making Seteth wary.  What is she looking at? “ What about you, Seteth?”    

“What do you mean?” he asks, crooking one eyebrow.   

“Do you... pull your hair in a ponytail when you train?” she questions almost shyly, and Seteth rotates his head slightly to look at her questioningly, “you have quite a mane, it would be the most practical thing, isn’t it?”    

Quite a mane? So... she likes my hair?  That thought makes him blush. He’s so lost in thought that he doesn’t notice when Byleth bites her lower lip and starts moving her hand towards his hair. She’s almost brushing with her fingers some strands when the detective realizes.  Byleth...is going to touch my hair!? She WANTS to touch my hair!? I wouldn’t mind that she.... Wait.... NO!  He rapidly grabs her wrist with one hand while the other still holds the steering-wheel. Byleth’s eyes go wide and mouth agape. They stay quiet for some seconds, until his partner swallows and tries to draw her hand away from him, but he still has a tight grip on her wrist.   

“You... are quite protective of your hair, huh?” she says, a smirk on her mouth. Still, the nervousness shines in her eyes, unsure of what to say about his behaviour. She frowns a little, and Seteth realizes that maybe he’s hurting her and releases her wrist.   

“Please, pardon me. I... yes... I’m pretty protective of my hair,” he answers and keeps his eyes entirely on the road. But Byleth rubbing her wrist makes him look at her again, “Did I hurt you!? I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have had...” he tries to explain. However, Byleth lets out a chuckle.   

“Relax, okay? I’m fine...” she reassures, stops massaging and rests her hands on her lap, where her coat is, “you have good reflexes and strength,” Byleth comments, looking at his arms from the corner of her eye, “those attributes would have been great to catch Kostas when he knocked me out, and yet...” the cop adds seriously, but Seteth can see the smirk on her mouth.  She wants to get on my nerves by teasing me... again. Time for a payback.    

“ Excuse my lack of action that night, but it was the first time in a while I saw someone act so recklessly as you did... and to be thrown to the floor so pathetically,” he smiles smugly and hears Byleth snort.   

“Okay... touché,” she responds, the sound of her smile in her voice.    

They stay silent for a moment. Outside, Seteth can see that the road is wet. It has rained recently, during the night. The rain season is not until Garland Moon, but it seems it has come earlier. The road started going uphill.    

“Are you sore?” Byleth suddenly questions. Seteth jumps a little in his seat and stares at her.   

“Sore? About what?”   

“That Kostas run away... It bothers me, and I wanted to know I’m not the only one...” his partner explains.   

“Well... I’ll admit that it pains me he escaped, but what bothers me most is that Rhea doesn’t let us take part in the search.” Byleth nods at that, understanding his point of view. “We’d be most helpful... and I feel we would redeem from our mistake...” he ends. She frowns and looks down at her hands.   

“I can’t believe a scoundrel like Kostas could knock me... I’ll have to train better,” the rookie mutters. She seems lost in thought, and from time-to-time she crooks an eyebrow and rolls her eyes.  Is like she’s talking with someone... That’s very weird...    

“ Byleth... are you okay?” he turns to look at her, concern in his eyes.   

“Oh... yes, I was only... thinking about all the case...” she looks through the window, up to the sky, “there is something you said that night that I cannot stop thinking about...” she gazes at him, determined, the same look she had when Rhea first talked to them about the disappeared students. “You saw how Kostas works and the group of idiots that forms his gang...it’s impossible that it was him, the one that planned all”   

“You’re right... but then, who? Who wanted to kidnap the three students, the three heirs of the most important businesses of Fodlan, no less? And why?” he stops the car at a crossroad and stares at her entirely, directly at her eyes.   

“Money?” Byleth shrugs.   

“That would be plausible...but with only one student they would have had gather a lot of money, and it would have been simpler... And let’s not forget that the three went to Remire by themselves...how did Kostas know they were going to travel there?” he drives again, but is also focused on Byleth’s answer, who puts a hand on a chin and looks at the roof, thinking.   

“According to the students’ testimonies,” she begins, “they wanted to spend some time together to bond, being the three delegates of each class and all that. Took the last bus to Remire, the one that leaves Garreg Mach’s station at 6:15 PM on Friday. They arrived at the camping area at 7:05 PM. No one was there at the moment, or at any, on that matter. They were alone during all weekend. It was Monday morning that Kostas arrived. His car awoke them, taking the students by surprise, not being able to defend themselves.” She leads her hands again to her lap, and stares at him.   

“Lucky for us... the car suffered some kind of damage, what made Kostas oblige one of his thugs to go to a gas station to buy tools and gas, go back to the camping and repair it. That took longer than expected... and that’s when we arrived,” he completes, and smiles, “they were truly inept”   

“Yes... but how did Kostas find them, and why Monday and not a previous day? I hope our bungling friend sings when we catch him...” Byleth concludes and looks forward, seeing how the enormous gates of Garreg Mach seemed to become bigger as they move closer.    

Unlike the other day, when crowds of people went in and out, this morning the place is almost deserted. Only a few merchants are preparing their business for the day. However, the detectives couldn’t see any student, monk or nun.  It’s only natural. Students must be preparing for class and people from the church are getting ready for today’s services.  Seteth stops the car in a parking lot and moves to unbuckle the security belt.   

“ I was meaning to ask...” Byleth says while opening the door to go out of the vehicle, “why there are nuns and monks in the Academy?” she questions.   

“Well, this isn’t only an Academy. It’s also a Monastery,” the detective elaborates, “you didn’t know?” he exists his car and looks at her through the roof of the car.    

“I’m asking, do I? I didn’t know... but why the church would give part of the place for classes?”   

“I suppose they do it because is a good way to gain money to maintain all these buildings. I think they also offer some kind of additional education for people that would like to join the clergy.” he brings a hand to his chin to think.   

“Okay...so they get money and with hope, a candid soul joins the church. Interesting...” she comments and starts moving toward the large stone stairs that lead to the entrance hall. Seteth speeds up to catch her at the end of the stairway.   

“You sound like you don’t appreciate the church. Aren’t you a believer?” he asks, more curious than challenging.   

“I know nothing about the church. I didn’t receive religious education, and my father never talked to me about it... and when he did, it wasn’t with admiration to be precise...” she explains.   

“How’s that!? It’s incredible that someone like you exists! The Church of Seiros is all over Fodlan. It’s almost impossible to not receive, even a little, of religious education. And even if that’s the case, you must have heard something, not only from your father!” Seteth’s voice pitch had risen and he had to stop in one step to stare at her while she continues climbing the stairs.    

He was incredulous that things in Byleth’s life are like that. That her knowledge of the principal faith of the continent is so null is unbelievable, and yet...here she is.  Really, how did Jeralt raise her?  She halts too and turns around to gaze at him.   

“I take you are a believer?” Byleth asks, no expression on her face, not criticizing him.    

“I‘am. I pretend to follow its teachings the best I can to have a good life, and I enjoy educating my daughter in that way too,” he adds proudly.   

“So... you know a lot about Church’s teachings?”   

“Well... y-yes, I like to think so...”  I was a priest, nonetheless. But I cannot tell her that.  She rotates to continue climbing up, but not before looking at him over her shoulder with a smirk on her mouth.   

“You’ll have to teach me then. We don’t want my soul to be condemned for simple ignorance, right?” she moves her head to set her eyes forward and continues walking, leaving Seteth there, gaping and blushing. He shakes his head to come back to reality, and hurries to catch up with a smiling Byleth that is waiting for him at the top.   

“W-... well, I could teach you something about the church, if you would like to, that is...” he stutters and tries to catch his breath. Byleth chuckles and opens her mouth to answer, but they are interrupted by a newcomer.   

“Good morning, Mr Clarke...” Aelfric stands by the threshold of the great gates of entrance, arms folded on his back. He’s wearing a black suit, a white shirt, with a red tie on his neck. The light that enters through the doors, make his glasses project a shadow that hides his eyes, but Seteth can see his frown furrowing, and the corners of his mouth are set downward. “Good morning, Byleth,” the principal’s expression changes immediately. His eyebrows lift and gives the rookie cop a warm smile.   

“Good morning, Principal Dahlman,” answers Seteth, trying to match his serious gaze from before, but he doesn’t even receive a sign acknowledging him. Dahlman is only focusing on Byleth.  Of course, he’s smitten with her...    

“ Hey, Aelfric. How are you doing?” she just waves at him, in her face her usual lack of expression.   

“I’m so happy that you’re here. I’m sure the students will be thrilled to have this seminar with you!”  and with me... but you don’t care, right Dahlman? “ First, would you like something to drink or eat? I can ask for whatever you want from the refectory...” he asks, looking concerned for her well-being.    

“A coffee would be nice for the cold,” she looks at Seteth, asking with her gaze if he would like to join in her petition. He nods at her.  A coffee would be great before having to endure this nonsense.     

“ Alright!” the other man paces towards another person, and talks with them quietly. The shop boy runs to another room, then the principal walks back to the cops, “the coffee will be here at any moment!”   

“Thanks, Al,” Byleth answers, giving the brunette man a slight smile.  Al? She calls him by a nickname? Well, she called me Sethie... However, it’s been some time since she has called me that... Wait! Why do I care!? I hate that nickname!  “ Seteth?” his companion is looking at him with a lifted eyebrow, and it makes the detective go back to reality.    

“Hmmm, yes?” he responds.   

“I was telling Aelfric how we were going to structure the seminar... Are you okay?” she cocks her head to a side, staring at him, preoccupied.   

“Oh... oh, yes, of course...” he clears his throat, “we are going to start with the exams to get the drive license. We’ll continue with the most important traffic regulations. We don’t want them to think that they can do with their cars whatever they want! So, we’ll end giving a warning informing them about the traffic fines...”   

 “Yes. Byleth already had told me that... but it seems that your mind was elsewhere, Mr Clarke...” Aelfric gives him a forced smile. Seteth frowns.  Asshole...  The detective opens his mouth to answer, but the shop boy arrives with two coffees that he passes to Aelfric. “Coffee is here!” he exclaims, handing a cup to Byleth. Seteth extends an arm to take the other cup, but Aelfric leads it to his mouth and takes a sip. When he ends, he looks at him with wide eyes, “Oh...you wanted one too?”  Of course, I wanted one too! I nodded to Byleth!  Seteth retracts his hand and sets his face in a deadpan expression that would not give the principal any victory by letting him know it bothered him.   

“We can share mine...” Byleth suddenly whispers, and both men spin their heads. She’s looking at Seteth directly into his eyes, “if you would like... that is. I know you need a shot of caffeine...you look pretty distracted. I wouldn’t want your mind to wander in the middle of the seminar...” she smirks.  Teasing me again? In front of another person? The payback is going to be a big one, Miss Eisner.  Despite his thoughts, the detective can only smile at her while she takes a sip, a smile hinting over the cup rim. The principal, however, doesn’t seem pleased at all, the corners of his mouth going downward, narrowing his eyes at Seteth.   

“If it’s not a bother... I really need a sip of your coffee. I wouldn’t like to leave... a rookie to give alone such an important seminar in this prestigious academy...” is his turn to smile smugly, seeing how Byleth almost choke a little with the drink, and then passing it to him, smiling with a crooked eyebrow. He takes the cup and gives a sip to the coffee. It is pretty strong, and leaves Seteth a bitter flavour in his mouth, but the aroma is delicious. He ends drinking and signals Aelfric with the cup, “excellent coffee... Aren’t you drinking yours, Principal Dahlman?” the other man only stares at him with hatred in his eyes, the hand holding the cup shaking.    

“Aelfric, are you okay?” the rookie cop asks, leaning forward, trying to catch the brunette man stare. He jumps a little, Byleth’s voice taking him out of his musings, and looking at her with a forced smile.   

“Oh, yes. Of course, not need to worry about me, Byleth! We should hurry, however. You probably want to see the class where the seminar is going to be held,” Aelfric finalizes, and turns around to walk through the hall, not before giving Seteth a hostile gaze.    

The cops follow him and see how students are finishing their breakfast and exiting the dining hall. Some of them gather in small groups of friends that chat cheerfully; others are more relaxed, leaving their trays in the counter for cleaning; and then, there are the solitary ones, who are still sitting in front of the large tables, waiting, perhaps, for the dining hall to not be so crowded before leaving. Seteth looks forward, not wanting to lose track of the principal, while Byleth wanders her gaze everywhere, studying the place. She opens her mouth slightly, truly fascinated by the building.    

They exit the hall, and Aelfric turns left, entering a small garden. There, monks and nuns are sitting in a small gazebo, drinking some tea. Even with the chilly air of morning, they could enjoy the few sun rays that pass through the clouds. They go out, and now they turn right. Seteth can see the dormitories. A building of two floors made of wood, with a little courtyard in front. Some students were leaving their rooms after gathering their belongings for their morning classes. The teenagers look up at them, their eyes filled with curiosity.    

The three continue their way, but two faces call the attention of the detectives. A young man with dark brown hair combed back, green shining eyes and a playful smirk, talks with a girl with pink hair and eyes. She is laughing at something he has said, but her gaze crosses the one of the cops. She smiles and waves at them, making the other student turn around confused. However, when he realizes who they are, he also smiles and makes a sign with two fingers as in greeting. Seteth and Byleth approach them, and Aelfric stops to watch from a distance.    

“Good morning, Riegan,” Seteth greets the male student, “good morning, Miss Goneril,” he lowers a bit his head to salute the girl. Byleth just waves at them with a smile on her mouth.   

“Hey, look who we have here! My saviours,” Claude winks, “Surely your boss have raised your salaries after saving the richest students on town,” he laughs, and Seteth open his mouth to interrupt and tell him they don’t do their job for money, but the young man continues, “It’s a joke! But thank you very much for saving me, and his  Princeliness  and imperial princess by the way,” he winks again.    

“You see? I told you both, he loooves to talk,” Hilda enters the conversation, “he’s so troublesome, but I’m happy you saved him! His pranks aren’t very amusing half of the time, but... he makes classes funnier, I guess,” she covers her giggles with her mouth.   

“Ouch, Hilda! And here I was thinking I made you laugh with my jokes...” he fakes a tone of offense, but smiles.  We don’t have time for this.    

“Well... we should be moving. See you both in the traffic seminar,” Seteth says, parting ways with the students. Byleth waves at them again and follows him.    

They walk to a building with three enormous doors. Three different colour banners hanging from the door frames, with the animal that represents the different classes. Aelfric stops in the courtyard in front of the rooms, and the cops look at him.   

“Classes start at 9. You’ll start with the Golden Deer. When the bell of the cathedral chimes, the class will be over, and you’ll pass to the next one, the Blue Lions. The Black Eagles are the last ones,” the principal explains, signalling to each classroom. Still, something doesn’t fit from the eyes of Seteth.   

“Wait... Rhea told us to give ONE seminar, not three!” he barks, but tries to maintain the volume of his voice low.    

“Yes, but we don’t have a class big enough for all students, so is better to give the seminar for the three classes in different hours... I think is a simple task... unless you not feel prepared for it, Mr Clarke,” he concludes with a smug smile, and Seteth’s blood boils in his veins. He opens his mouth to respond, but Byleth is ahead of him.   

“We are prepared for it, don’t worry about it, Aelfric,” she enunciates, crossing her arms and smiling at the principal, who grins back and places a hand on her shoulder.   

“I know you are prepared for it, Byleth,” he admits. Seteth rolls his eyes.  Very subtle, Dahlman...  Byleth turns around, like signalling Seteth that she wants to approach the first class, and also to escape the unwelcomed touch of the principal, “see you later, then,” Aelfric waves goodbye and leaves toward his office.   

The detective follows his companion, but their walk is interrupted by a blond teenager that gets near them, followed by a tall  man  with white hair. Seteth recognizes the first one as Dimitri Blaiddyd, but he doesn’t with the second one. Byleth, however, seems to know him, because she doesn’t seem worried by his presence at Dimitri’s side. She also waves at them as she did with the last couple of students they greeted.    

“Hi, Dimitri. Hi, Dedue,” she says when the two halt in front of them.  Oh, so this man is Dedue... he’s not as I expected...  The white-haired man only nods at her, but Seteth can see that his mouth hints a small smile towards the cop. Dimitri, on the other hand, bows at them.   

“Permit me to thank you both again. Your actions that night saved the lives of Claude, Edelgard and mine. Not only that, but you did magnificently, coordinating with each other perfectly! I have much to learn yet!” he smiles.    

From the perspective of the young man, that seemed like innocent words, but they make Seteth’s heart beat fast for a moment, and his mind to repeat the statement over and over.  Coordinating each other perfectly...  The thought makes him smile, a warm feeling in his chest. And the comment doesn’t go unnoticed by his partner either, who seems to blush a little. He coughs to clear his throat.  And my mind too.     

“ Thank you, Mr Blaiddyd, but we were just doing our job,” Seteth tells the student, and gazes at Byleth, who nods in affirmation. Dimitri seems surprised by a second, but smiles at the end and turns to the other man.   

“I’ve been told that you know him, Miss Eisner, but I think Mr Clarke hasn’t had the chance. This is Dedue Molinaro, a friend and classmate,” the blond student introduces his companion, and the other seems alarmed while he grips Seteth’s hand for a shake.   

“I’m his protector. The Academy was very kind to accept me between the students of Mr Blaiddyd class,” he explains, closing his eyes.  His protector?  Dimitri shakes his head and sighs.  There must be a story behind this. A story that is not our business to uncover... for now.  Byleth coughs to call the attention of the others.    

“Hey... this is being very nice and all... but classes are going to begin, and with that, our seminar,” she says, pointing at the Golden Deer class with her thumb, “we’ll see you both in an hour,” Byleth concludes, waves her hand to bid farewell and starts walking towards their destination.    

Seteth bows his head to the students and follows his companion, placing himself beside her. He feels her leaning towards him and standing on tip-toes, leading her mouth very near to his ear. Her warmth breath moving strands of hair. A shiver runs all over Seteth’s spine, and his face goes red before she even whispers.    

“I told you, people around here are weird...” she says, and separates entirely from him. The detective feels the cold again, and it hits his entire body, while he watches how Byleth speeds up, and turns around to look at him, “are you coming or not? We don’t want to arrive late to our first seminar!” she smiles and rotates to continue walking forward.    

“Y-yes! I’m on my way!” he stutters, and hurries up, entering class just in time as the bell chimes.  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

After three hours of the same talk, of having to call the attention of students that passed little notes, and of answering stupid questions, Byleth and Seteth can say that they are over with one part of their punishment. They are getting ready to head out of the Black Eagles’ class when he feels someone staring at them from the doorway. At first, the detective thinks is the principal again, expecting to continue his one-sided courtship. However, when Seteth rotates to look, what he founds waiting for them is a girl and a tall man, the last one with his arms crossed on his chest. He couldn’t see their faces. The light that came from the doors created a shadow that hides their features. That’s when the little woman walks forward, and now Seteth can see her visage. Is no other than Edelgard von Hresvelg. Her white hair combed delicately to place hair accessories to hold the strands away from her face. Byleth, that was leaning over the desk checking something, turns and sees the student approaching.  

“Good day to both of you,” Edelgard greets them, a small smile on her mouth, but her eyes are only directed towards Byleth.  Another one that is smitten with her. I cannot blame her, though. Byleth saved her from being shot.    

“ Good day, Edel,” Byleth answers, waving at her with a slight grin on her face.  Edel? You’re taking a lot of familiarities today, partner.  The shorted name is not ignored by the student either, making her blush a little, but recomposing quickly.   

“Good day, Miss Hresvelg,” Seteth salutes, but it goes unnoticed by the white-haired girl, that only has eyes for his companion.   

“I wanted to thank you two for saving me back in Remire,” the two cops nod, grinning at her, and the student continues, “I also wanted to congratulate you both on today’s seminar, it was... very instructive...” she hesitates a little over her words. Seteth could see that she didn’t actually care for the traffic talk. She had other things in mind, “However, my reason that brings me here to speak here and now is because I was meaning to ask you, Miss Eisner, where did you learn to fight?” she concludes.   

“My father taught me,” Byleth responds, but says nothing else, as if that explains everything. She had gone back to her emotionless face.   

“Your father, you say?” Edelgard questions, astonishment clear on her face, “well, that’s surprising. I don’t know many fathers that would train their daughters to fight like you do. You’re an interesting one,” the student smirks.   

“Yeah, well... with the kind of job my father has, I cannot blame him for teaching me how to defend myself,” his partner explains, “anymore questions? Yours or your friend’s, Mack the Knife?” Byleth looks at the end of the room, at the doorway, where the man is still standing, and he growls when he hears the nickname Byleth has given him.  

“Hubert?” Edelgard asks, turning and looking at her companion, and then snorting, “no, he’s just waiting for me...” she rotates her head again, and from the corner of her eye, looks at Byleth up and down, before continuing, “that is all. Thank you for your answer, Miss Eisner. I hope we see each other again soon,” and with that, she walks to the door and disappears with Hubert. Seteth just stare at the door, trying to understand all that just happened.  

“Told ya, people are reaaaally weird,” he flips his head to look at her, that is already gazing at him with a smile on her mouth. He grins back.  

“I’ll have to concede you the reason,” he answers to her commentary as he puts on his overcoat.  

“Well... now that we are here, and we have time...” she says, “why don’t you give me a first lesson?” she smirks, crossing her arms on her chest.  

“A-a first lesson about what?” he stutters, not entirely sure what she means.  

“Well...this is a monastery, and Aelfric mentioned a cathedral...isn’t it the perfect place for a religious lesson?” she asks innocently, shrugging.   

“Oh... oh, yes, you’re correct. I... I would like to tell you about my faith, yes,” he smiles warmly at her that is putting on her trench coat and looking at him.  

“Let’s go then,” she says, pointing with her head at the door.  

They walk towards the cathedral across the bridge. Some students stop to look at them, recognizing their faces from the seminars. Byleth cannot help but be totally mesmerized by the place, looking up at the buildings and peeking out over the bridge railing.  She really looks like a child discovering new things.  The idea makes him beam.  Finding people that are fascinated by such normal thing feels like a breeze of clear air.    

The two detectives enter the cathedral, and Byleth opens her mouth, completely astonished. The colours of the stained-glass windows illuminate the whole place. People, students and clergy alike, are preparing for choir practice, and some others are praying, standing near the altar or sitting in the pew. Byleth and Seteth walk down the aisle, when his companion points at something.  

“Who is she?” Seteth gaze at where she’s signalling.  

“Oh, that’s Saint Seiros,” he explains, still staring at the stone statue on the altar. Draconic wings in her tiara, sword in hand, ready to impart justice. Byleth regards him from the corner of her eye, waiting for Seteth to continue. “She defeated Nemesis on the Battle of Tailtean Plains, and liberated Fodlan from his Wicked Reign, with the help of the Four Saints...” he continues  

“The Four Saints?” Byleth lifts an eyebrow. Seteth moves his gaze towards the room at the right and walks there without a word. Byleth follows him.  

They enter a chamber with four statues on the corners. Each one with their respective weapons and plaques on their feet, telling who they are. Still, his companion only paces to the centre and gives a glance at every statue from the distance. Seteth also starts wandering through the room, looking at the statues’ faces.  Indech looks in his as strong and powerful as he’s now in flesh.  He gives some steps forward and looks at the one of a mage.  Thank goddess that Macuil is no longer into the big hats fashion.  He laughs to himself and turns around. His heart skips a beat when he sees Byleth looking at Cichol’s statue closer and tilting her head to a side. He walks to stand beside her and stares up. The statue of Saint Cethleann makes him smile warmly.  You look so beautiful in this statue, my dear daughter...   

“ Saint Cichol...” Byleth breathes, still looking up at the stone face of the saint. Seteth feels warmth in his cheeks, blush forming, “It is said that he was a compassionate yet stern figure whose faith was so true he was able to perform miracles...” she reads from the plaque, lifting one eyebrow. Seteth cannot stop looking at her intensely. He could have never thought that hearing her saying his real name would make him react that way. One corner of her mouth goes upward, forming a smirk. “He sounds like a cool guy,” the statement shocks Seteth.   

“C-cool... guy?” he repeats, eyes wide and mouth agape.  

“Yep, with the lance and the funny hat...”  Well... the mitre wasn’t my choice, to be honest! But the lance...   

“ Y-yes! The Spear of Assal. It was such a fantastic weapon...” he doesn’t realise his words. Byleth crooks an eyebrow, looking at him questioningly, “I mean... for what I’ve read from the sacred texts,” Byleth hums in understanding. He clears his throat and continues, “it is said that it was forged by Saint Macuil for the War of Heroes...” Byleth looks at him confused, “is the war in which Seiros and Nemesis faced each other...” she nods. He opens his mouth to continue, but voices from outside the cathedral alert them.  

“Are you sure they came here?” it was Aelfric's voice. He must be looking for the two cops to talk about the seminars. Seteth turns to the doorway, ready to face the other man, but Byleth grabs him by the arm and pulls from him to make him go with her behind Cichol’s statue, hiding. He’s going to ask what is she doing, but she puts her index finger over her mouth to ask him to keep quiet, and that he does, waiting to hear the principal’s voice again. “They are not here...”  

“That’s weird... I saw them walk towards the Saints' Chamber... maybe we should check behind the statues...” another voice says, and both cops are alarmed.  

“And why should they be behind the statues, if I may ask?” Aelfric sounds frustrated, and Seteth can even hear him pinch the bridge of his nose.  

“Hiding... maybe?”  

“Why would they hide!?” the principal is almost yelling.  Exactly, why would we hide?   The other person is going to answer, but the brunette man continues, “this was stupid. Let’s go, maybe they are in the Dining Hall...”   

Byleth and Seteth hear steps walking away, and they let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. They wait until it was safe to assume they were far enough, and paced to the centre of the chamber.  

“Why did you want to hide?” he leans forward to catch Byleth’s gaze, who looks directly at his eyes.  

“Well... I did it for you,” she enunciates, and Seteth’s eyebrows are shot to his hairline. “I felt the bad vibes between you and Aelfric before... I’m sorry for his behaviour. He has never acted like that...” she excuses the principal actions. Seteth smiles at her and shakes his head.  

“There is no need for you to apologise for another’s actions. The principal and I are adults. I hope we can get along enough to be in the same room. But I have to admit... I’m touched to hear that you hide to save me from an... unpleasant conversation,” he watches how Byleth's cheeks tint pink before opening her mouth to respond, they hear another voice coming from the doorway.  

“Father? Byleth? What are you two doing here?” the cops turn around to find Flayn grinning at them.  Great, now she’s going to think something wrong.    

Flayn has been teasing him all weekend. She has not stopped hinting about how beautiful Byleth is, and how a fetching couple they would make. Seteth has repeated to her repeatedly that they are only work partners and nothing more. However, when he remembers her blushing as she did a moment ago, he thinks maybe it would work...  No, Cichol. Get a hold on yourself. She certainly doesn’t see you that way, she’s just shy... yes, that is... But she’s not. She teases me endlessly. A shy person doesn’t do that! Maybe she... NO!  He shakes his head and looks at his daughter, that is smirking at him.  She looks like an innocent child... but there is certainly a malicious mind hiding there. I’ll tell her not to spend so much time with her Uncle Macuil.   

“ Hello, Flayn,” Byleth greets after a moment, waving her hand at his daughter, “your father was teaching me about the church and the saints... just now, he was telling me about Saint Cichol and his Spear,” she says innocently, not knowing the catastrophe she has unleashed, making Seteth cough hard and feel cold sweat on his forehead. Luckily, Flayn is as innocent as a flower, and only took the hint that he was talking to Byleth about his saintly alter ego.  

“Is that so? Ohhh, that’s fantastic, we can talk about what he has told you during lunch!! I’m sure the Dining Hall have space enough for you two!” Flayn beams, placing herself and hooking her arms with theirs, one to pull from Seteth and the other from Byleth.  

“Wait a moment, Flayn! We have to go back to the Department!” Seteth protests. He would like to stay and talk with his daughter all day, but they really had work to do.  

“Oh noo!” Flayn deflates, and the detective opens his mouth to cheer her up, but it seems that she can do that for herself, because she beams again and continues, “then I’ll accompany you to your car!!” she pulls again from them, making the two cops laugh.   

Byleth tells Flayn what little she has learned today from her partner. But Seteth looks back at the Saints’ chamber. He thinks about all he and his brothers have gone through, about the war, about the thousands of death bodies in the battlefield... about a face he cannot see anymore, not even in dreams. He turns his head to look forward.  

Is time to move on... there’s work that needs to be done.  He stares at Byleth, that is grinning at his daughter, who is telling her something.  At least I don’t have to do that work alone anymore.  

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Time After Time pt.2  

They are leaving Flayn in front of the Dining Hall. Students were already on the line to pick something to eat, all the room fill up with noise. Some of them were already sitting in front of the large boards, gathering in little groups of friends. Byleth could see how, even when the tables aren’t marked by any sign that pointed that it belongs to a house specifically, the students just sit with the students of their same class, creating a rainbow of blue, red and yellow. They look very strict, or maybe they are doing it aesthetically on purpose.   

She can recognise some faces from the seminar. One copper-haired girl chatted animatedly with a blonde one, the latter passing what looked like a dessert to the other, who takes a full spoon of it and tastes the dish, looking completely delighted. A very energetic boy, dressed with a red cardigan of the Black Eagles, that fully contrasted with his cyan hair, seems to tell a fight to his friend, that is falling asleep while seated. A male student with big glasses, holding what looks like a notebook and moving frenetically a little coal pencil, staring up and down between the room and the paper, while the girl at his side was saving small pieces of bread inside a handkerchief. Byleth, however, doesn’t see a familiar face in all the crowd. Where is she?   

“Well, we have arrived. Thanks for accompanying me!!” Flayn said excitedly, turning to embrace her father, and giving him a peck to his cheek, making Seteth smile warmly. “I’ll join my classmates now,” she then rotates to embrace Byleth next, who, as always, seems surprised by such show of affection coming from the girl, “take care you two!!” the girl free her arms, gives a step forward, smiles at them over her shoulder and waves goodbye.  

“You be careful as well, my treasure,” Seteth cannot stop grinning, waving at his daughter, watching as she runs to the line to pick a tray. He walks and stands in the doorway of the Dining Hall, not capable of taking his eyes off his daughter. Byleth gazes at him from afar. The tenderness he shows towards his child makes her smile, too.  

“He’s such a loving father...”  

“Yes...” Byleth answers.   

“And he’s so handsome too...”  

“Yes, he’s very.... wait.... SOTHIS!” the cop flips her head fast to the right where Sothis is standing invisibly, her arms folded in her back, and looking at her companion with a smirk on her face, “Can you please stop?” the smug smile of the other woman disappears when she turns her head to stare at Byleth, unamused.   

“Oh, c’mon! Can you please, pleaaaase, admit that you find him attractive and then we can get over with it?” the green-haired woman rotates, crossing her arms on her chest and supporting her weight on one leg, lifting a hip. Byleth pouts, and then sighs.   

“Okay... he’s attractive, but that doesn’t mean I like him...” the cobalt-haired woman estates, and the other lets out a frustrated groan, but recovers the composure quickly and stands straight, clearing her throat.  

“Well... I did it for you...” the invisible girl imitates Byleth, remembering when she and Seteth were in the Saints’ chamber, making the cop blush furiously.  

“Yes! I said that, what of it!? I didn’t want him to feel bad with Aelfric... that’s all,” she shrugs.  

“That means something, silly! It means that you care enough for him for wanting him to don’t feel bad!” Sothis explains, a hand on her cheek, totally tired of having to explain such obvious statements.  

“I care about him. He’s my partner. We face thugs when we get out there,” Byleth responds, looking at Seteth’s back frame, him resting his shoulder on the doorway, crossing his legs and his arms on his chest. Sothis just let out a sigh and turns to look at the man too, but after some moments in silence, she gazes Byleth from the corner of her eyes, which open wide and a smile finds its way to her mouth, like a memory just came back.  

“Do you remember your first boyfriend?” the green-haired woman asks, her smile turning into a smirk.  

“Boyfriend? I’ve never had a boyfriend...” Byleth crooks an eyebrow, flipping her head to the other woman again.  

“Of course you had! Don’t you remember!? “ 

The rookie cop leads a hand to her chin and closes her eyes. Soon, images come to her mind.  

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Byleth is 16, and she still doesn’t have friends.  

She sits alone at lunch, nobody wanting to be near her. However, she catches some people staring at her, and when they realise she’s staring back, they blush and turn away. How strange, but she doesn’t overthink about it. She goes back to eat the sandwich she had to make that morning on her own. Peanut butter and jam. Her favourite, she believes, but she doesn’t know for sure.   

Byleth is still finishing the humble dish when she sees from the corner of her eye someone approaching. She looks up and finds a familiar face. Weirdo. That word floats in her memories, but she doesn’t understand why. She only knows this boy because no one talked about anything else than him. Brett Aikman. He’s very popular in her high school and she has heard other girls chatting about his persona in the changing rooms. It seems that they find him attractive. Byleth doesn’t know about that, but she supposes his blond hair is pretty. When she finds nothing more that is interesting in him, she goes back to her sandwich, but is confused when she hears him sit in front of her.   

“Hi,” he greets, shaking a hand in the air and then crossing his arms over the table, leaning forward.   

“Hi,” Byleth answers, and continues eating.   

“How are you?” Brett asks, smiling at her.  

“Fine,” she shrugs, finishing the sandwich, takes her lunch box and open it to grab a spoon and a yogurt cup. Brett says nothing else, but after a moment, he chuckles when he sees Byleth holding a handkerchief with her teeth. She looks back at him and crooks an eyebrow.  

“Sorry! Is just...you’re so cute...” he smiles again, and she inclines her head to a side. Cute? She thinks of that word, and recognise is the first time she hears it from someone other than her father. She leaves the yogurt on the table and takes the handkerchief hanging from her mouth to put it on her lap. Something inside her knows that the way he’s calling her cute is not the same as Jeralt’s.  

“Oh, okay...” she takes off the tape of her dessert and leads a spoon to her mouth. Brett continues watching her. What does this guy want?   

“I was wondering... if you would like to have a date with me...” he rubs the back of his head, grinning shyly. Oh... She leaves the spoon on the table and stares at his eyes, then she averts her gaze, thinking about his proposal. Maybe...it can be good. She shrugs again.  

“Alright...” at that response, Brett stands up, beaming brightly. Byleth looks at him, her face betraying no emotion.  

“Great! Can I pick you up this Saturday at five to go somewhere?” he asks, enthusiasm obvious in his voice. Byleth just nods, “Okay, see you then!” he waves farewell.  

A date, huh?  

After the first, many more followed. A walk to the park, a dinner in a restaurant on a Friday evening... And the furthest they had gone was holding hands. Anyone that saw them would call it adorable. Some even said they were a fetching couple. The energetic football player, extrovert and handsome, with the shy and quiet daughter of the local detective. People whispered as they passed, side by side, both talking about their trainings. However, Byleth felt nothing special. She saw Brett as someone with whom she can talk about insubstantial things, but she definitely didn’t sense anything of what romance books talked about.  

A month later, Brett was growing impatient. When they seat on a bench, he would usually lean over her to steal a kiss, which she always evades by leaning away. Or maybe a hand in her thigh that crept up to her groin. A hand that she always took in one of hers to stop from going further. Byleth was feeling bad. By this time, they should have done something more, right? But every time he tried, she always put a halt to it, and she thought she was disappointing. So she finally let go.   

They are in her room one night, Jeralt still working. Byleth and Brett are sitting in the bed. He cups her cheek with one hand, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with the other. He leans forward, leading his mouth to hers and capturing her lips. Brett closes his eyes, passes his tongue over her teeth to ask permission to enter. Byleth allowing it. Brett places a hand on her shoulder and pushes her to lie in bed, moaning in pleasure from the kiss. For Byleth, though, it is not pleasurable. Is sloppy. And maybe she doesn’t feel many emotions, but she knows this is bad and something in her chest pains. Still, when she’s going to tell him to stop, he rests his head in her chest. What the heck is he doing?   

“Oh... goddess, it is true...” Brett separates from her and smirks, “you don’t have a heartbeat...” Byleth averts her eyes, feeling shame for the first time in her life, “that’s why you don’t show any emotions, right?” the corners of her mouth go downward. I’m definitely feeling something now. He stands up and take the jacket he had pulled off when he arrived, and look down at her, “you’re such a weirdo... don’t talk to me in high school on Monday, we’re over... as if we had something,” he snorts, and leaves without saying goodbye.   

Byleth just stays laying on the bed, rolling to her side and staring at the wall. She feels a great pressure on her chest. A pain that doesn’t dissipate just spreads all over her body. But she doesn’t cry. Not now, not ever. And somehow that makes her feel worst. How is she going to relieve all her stress? She hides her face in the pillow and just stays there for hours. She wishes she had a friend with whom to talk about all this, but she doesn’t. That is when she hears a voice.  

“It’s not your fault... I think is no one’s fault... well yes, his. He shouldn’t be such a sloppy kisser, puag!”   

Even when she feels horrible, she laughs a little at the comment. She recognizes the voice as familiar, but she doesn’t know from where. However, if things are going to be like this, she happily accepts this voice as her friend.  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Byleth looks down. The memory still pains her. After that, she focused on her training so she could help her father. Luckily, she never had the urge to start another relationship with anyone, even when she received many petitions for dates from men and women alike. She always had plans. Seteth will not be the exception to that.   

“Ugh, why are you so stubborn!?” Sothis yells at her, stamping her foot on the floor, “I can read all your thoughts. You like him!”  

“Sothis, I met him two weeks ago... I cannot know and you either... We don’t even know his age!” Byleth responds and gazes at Seteth, who is still staring at Flayn from afar.  

“Do you care about his age?” the green-haired woman asks, crossing her arms.  

“No, but...”  

“Then what’s the problem!? Really, humans are a pain. You all look for a dilemma where there is none! Ugh... I’m so tired...” she sighs and shakes her head.   

“We work together... what would my father say? ... and Rhea? No... I will not lose this job just because I find my partner attractive...” Byleth concludes, shaking her head. Sothis sighs.   

“Okay... have it your way. But I guess that won’t stop you from teasing the man endlessly, right?” she gives Byleth a smug smile.   

“Oh... of course I’m going to continue teasing him. It’s so amusing,” the cop smirks too, and the green-haired woman laugh heartily.  

“You are impossible...” Sothis responds between chuckles. Byleth opens her mouth to say something, but she sees Seteth standing straight and tensing. She narrows her eyes and walks towards him.  

Her partner is looking at one table, the corner of his mouth downwards, his eyes distilling wariness. Byleth follows his gaze, and sees how Flayn is leaving her tray on the table, while a boy with ginger hair pulls out the chair for her to sit. The girl turns and smiles at the other student, who blushes and sits again at her side. Pfff.... adorable. However, for Seteth, it is not, if the way he groans, stands straighter and gives a step forward is any hint. Is he really going to walk there to lecture the kid? Byleth cannot permit that. She is a weirdo that felt little in high school, but she knows what embarrassment is and how, a father meddling in their child’s affairs, is one of the most shameful moments to any teenager, more so if they do in front of their friends. So, she grabs Seteth’s arm and drags him away from the hall and to the exit door of the Monastery.   

“W-what are you doing!?” he asks frenetically, looking at her, frowning, an alert in his voice.  

“We have a lot of work to do, partner, we should get moving...” she hooks her arm with his and pulls, making them walk faster towards the car. She is a little ahead of him, so she cannot see his face. Still, she’s surprised that he hasn’t complained more. This was easier than I thought... weird.   

They arrive at the vehicle and Byleth turns to look at him, finding a blushing Seteth staring at their joined arms. She looks down too, and starts feeling warm in her cheeks as the realisation strikes, separating from him quickly, and entering the passenger seat of the car to hide her face.    

“You two... are dorks...” she hears Sothis voice from the back and Byleth flips her head to look at her mental companion, who is laying all over the seats, gazing at Byleth with a crooked eyebrow, “so... you have decided to let this infatuation pass... but what is going to happen if he’s the one to act on his feelings?” the woman asks, rolling to lie on her back and staring at the ceiling.   

“H-... his feelings...?” the cop is completely confused at Sothis question.  

“How. Can. You. Be. So. CLUELESS!?” her friend is yelling and leads her hands to her face, yelling in frustration, “He likes you, idiot! You like one another! KISS ALREADY AND STOP BEING STUPID!”   

“W-what are you talking about...? He doesn’t like me either... he doesn’t even trust me! For what I know, he wasn’t planning on telling me he has a daughter!” Byleth feels her nerves building up when she hears the other door of the car opening.   

Seteth seats and put on the security belt. He doesn’t look at her, only turns on the car and drives. Byleth looks forward too. They stay quiet for some time; he staring at the road and she through the window, watching the people go by. The cop sees a couple walking side by side, holding hands, smiling at each other. Byleth rests her forehead in the glass. She sees how her visage is reflected in it and jumps a little in her seat when Sothis face appears next to hers.  

“That would be lovely, right?” the other woman asks.  

“What would be lovely?”  

“That...having someone to spend time with...to have physical contact and affection...you don’t want it?” Sothis asks, now looking at the cop floating in the air. Byleth observes the couple for some more seconds and sighs.   

“I don’t have time for that...” she says, deflecting her eyes from the glass. The green-haired woman groans.  

“I perceive that time is not the problem here~” at that, Byleth crooks an eyebrow and observes the invisible girl, “you know what I think?” the cop opens her mouth to interrupt her, but Sothis continues, “I think that you’re afraid,” her expression changes to a deadpan one, “after what happened with Mr. Sloppy Kisser, you don’t want anyone else to know you only to leave at the end because they think you are a ‘weirdo’” Sothis says the last word imitating Brett’s voice and doing the quotation marks sign with her fingers.  

“Is not that! I explained to you before. He is my partner! My co-worker! It is wrong and unprofessional...”  now is Sothis turn to crook an eyebrow, “and I’m not afraid of what people think of me, I’m used to being called different things, like Ashen Demon...” the floating woman smirks and sits in the air. She does a flip with her hands and a notebook and glasses appear in them. With a hand free after putting on the glasses, she also reveals a pencil. Byleth looks at her, confused.  

“Talking about that moniker... weren’t you angry at him for calling you that?” Sothis writes something in the notebook.  

“I-I wasn’t mad because of that. It was the... the mistreatment” Byleth gazes down at her lap, grabbing the cloth of her skirt, her knuckles white. Sothis stares at her through the rim of her glasses, “and stop trying to psychoanalyse me!”   

“By, darling... I’m the only one that can do it properly, I live inside your head, after all~. Now, be a dear and tell me more about that moniker of yours...” Sothis beats her lower lip and scribbles something on the paper. Byleth is getting annoyed.  

“Don’t call me By,” the cobalt haired cop says with a warning in her tone. Sothis simpered and cocked her head to a side, before slapping her fingers and making the paraphernalia disappear.   

“I call you what I want” she leans forward, mere inches separated from Byleth, who is narrowing her eyes, eyebrows knitted together, and ready to answer.  

“Byleth, are you alright?” the car had stopped in a red light, and her companion was staring at her, quizzical expression on his face. The cop realises that she must look like a looney and sits back again, trying to gain some kind of dignity.  

“Yes... I’m fine... I was just, deep in thought...” Seteth hums in understanding, and continues driving when the light goes green.   

“Okay... I’m going to stop... for now,” Sothis says cheeky, and evaporates from Byleth sight, to reappear again in the backs sits, “just know, that is okay to not have a couple... but I think you should get to know him better. Something tells me you two are on the way to build a very nice relationship... even as only friends,” the woman disappears completely then, leaving Byleth alone with her thoughts.   

She stares at Seteth, who hasn’t stopped looking forward to the road. Byleth studies once again his profile, pausing most of all in his hair and eyes. They are a beautiful shade of green. Emerald, maybe? Is the first time that she sees someone with his attributes in all her life. Of course, she hasn’t forgotten his brothers, but Byleth is particularly smitten with Seteth. Maybe Macuil has a long and shiny hair that is always trimmed in a braid, just like his beard; and his glasses give him a distinguished look. And perhaps Indech is tall and strong, broad shoulders that make him appear gigantic. It doesn’t matter, because her eyes always wandered back to Seteth. Tired eyes with crow feet on the edges, wrinkles in his frown... and yet, for her, he is the most handsome of the three, and she cannot understand why. She rests her head in one hand and gazes at him. At his wavy hair that falls to the sides, his concentrated gaze, his groomed chinstrap beard. Today he wears his usual navy blue three pieces suit, a black tie with gold embroidery matching with his golden watch hanging from his wrist. He’s always dressed to succeed. In what? Byleth doesn’t know, but he’s succeeding, nonetheless. Know him better, huh? She smirks, ready to inquire more in her partner’s life.  

“So... you’re not only protective over your hair...” she says, and Seteth is startled by a moment. He exchanges glances between the road and Byleth, confused by her statement.  

“What do you mean?” he asks.  

“You were ready to annihilate the poor kid that pulled out the chair for Flayn,” the cobalt haired woman crosses her arms. He clears his throat.  

“That wasn’t my intention. I simply wanted to warn the perpetrator... of his peril...” her companion completes, a grave expression on his face, narrowing his eyes, as if the student was in front of him. His seriousness is even more amusing to Byleth, that covers her mouth with a hand to hide her laugh from Seteth, that still notices her giggles. His face seems to brighten a little, and even a smile grace his lips for mere seconds, before he returns to a stern look and cough. “Are you laughing at me, Miss Eisner?”   

“Yes,” she nods vehemently, “you just say it so serious” Seteth is using all his strength to not smile, unable to control the corners of his mouth trembling. Only when he coughs again is capable of reign himself.  

“I-it’s because I’m extremely serious...”  

“Yes... of course. I can see that, Mr Clarke,” Byleth grins slightly.  

They arrive at the Department, and Seteth parks his car in the street, just in front of the stairs. He unfastens his security belt and rotates to look at her. She, feeling observed, flips her head to look back at him.  

“I have to ask... what is your relationship with Principal Dahlman?” he questions, gazing at her, and the query disconcert Byleth. Not the question I was expecting...  

“ME NEITHER, PUAG,” Sothis voice comes back to her mind, sounding especially disgusted.   

“He’s my father’s friend. He also knew my mother... That’s it,” she had led one hand to her chin, contemplating the part of Aelfric in her life... and truly, he has little importance for her, “Why do you ask?”   

“Nothing, simple curiosity,” he answers too quickly, sitting straight again, when something struck him, “you said he knew your mother...” he doesn’t finish the sentence, but Byleth knows where this is heading.  

“She died giving birth to me,” she states, as nothing. Byleth has never given too much thought to the fact of not having a mother...  

“That’s not true! I remember one time...” Sothis interrupts.  

“Well, there will be time to reminisce about that at other moment, but not now...” Byleth says. 

“I... deeply lament hearing that,” her companion avoids her gaze, looking through the window. “I know how hard it is for children to grow without a mother. My wife’s death was...” the words get stuck in his throat, and Byleth thinks emotion is going to take hold of him and make him cry, but he clears his throat and continues, “It was a great hit for Flayn. She still misses her so very much,” he directs his gaze to his lap, doleful.  

Byleth moves one hand to rub his back. The gesture makes him jump in his sit and flip his head to look at her. She gives him a smile that he returns before nodding, telling her without words that he has recovered. 

“We should enter... we have still much work to do,” Seteth sighs and opens the door to get out of the vehicle. Byleth follows him.  

They ascend the stone stairs and Seteth pulls the door out and steps aside to let Byleth enter first. She smiles at him and nods in gratitude; he entering behind her. Both open their mouths to say something when they hear a hubbub in the reception hall made by only two individuals. 

“Our last date was horrendous, and you expect me to ask you out again after that!?” Macuil was shouting to the receptionist, that is staring at him, unamused, folded arms in her chest. 

“Ohh c’mon, Mac, it wasn’t that bad! We had a great time!” Manuela responds cheerfully. 

“YOU had a great time; it was a torment for me!” the forensic assistant shoots his arms into the air. His usual kempt hair is dishevelled, and the braid in his beard undone, glasses hanging from his neck.  

“We had wine and good food, and the chat was so interesting! I don’t know what are you complaining about...” she extends her arm to look at her nails, Macuil gapes. 

“You... woman, are impossible!” 

“What happen here?” Seteth interrupts the discussion, peeved face. Macuil turns around quickly, placing his glasses over his nose, looking relieved to see them. 

“Ah, you two! Good, follow me, I have something to show you...” he responds gleefully, winking at Byleth. Really, this guy... 

“He’s cute... but his mother should have taught him not to flirt with someone that is clearly not interested in him...” Sothis enters the conversation. 

“Indeed” 

Seteth and Byleth follow Macuil downstairs, entering the morgue. As always, is cold inside, the door to the darkroom closed. But there is something different today. Hanneman stood next to one of the autopsy tables, a body lying on it. It looked like a woman; long dark hair spread all over the table; pale skin that seems too bright under the room lights. Byleth cannot take her eyes away from the body. She recognizes some traits of the dead, but she doesn’t know from what. Is Seteth’s voice what breaks her trance.  

“Well, what did you want, Mac?” 

“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to flee from that conversation, and you two were the perfect excuse,” Macuil responds with a cheeky smile. 

“Great... now I have to save you from unpleasant conversations about your disastrous dates?” her companion comments, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. His brother opens his mouth to complain, but Byleth cuts this conversation by finally asking. 

“What happened?” she nods at the table with the corpse. 

“A murder,” Macuil simply estates, the two cops are flabbergasted, Seteth with eyes and mouth wide open, Byleth looking at the forensic, impassive, waiting for more information, “she was found today by the milkman in a back alley near Hevring street. She has been recognized as Lauren Ward by her mother. Her family and friends told us she didn’t have any enemies... this was a complete shock,”  

“Cause of the death?” Byleth ask, already into the case. 

“Loss of blood. A cut in her throat. However, no blood was found in the crime scene...” Macuil rubs his head, “that makes us think she was killed in another place and the killer put her there, but why?” 

Byleth returns her gaze towards the body, that Hanneman was moving now to the mortuary chamber to be kept there until her burial. A hollow sensation took over Byleth’s body, and she felt herself moved towards the chamber too. The ringtone of a phone sounded all over the room, making her jump. Seteth moved to answer the call, grabbing the phone next to the door of the dark room. 

“Detective Clarke at the phone, what is it?” her partner says and listens to the person on the other side. He rotates to look at her for a second, before returning his eyes forward, “all right... tell Rhea I’ll be there in a moment. Thanks” he hangs and walks toward his brother and Byleth. “Rhea wants to see me, can you wait for me here?” 

“She wants to see you... alone?” the cobalt haired cop asks, feeling left out of an important matter. 

“Yes, don’t worry, I’m sure it is nothing...” he smiles warmly at her, and rubs her arm, before pacing away from the morgue and climbing the stairs. She gazes at the door for a moment, when she hears Macuil coughing to call for her attention. 

“So... you and my brother...?” he smirks, folding his arms on his chest, making Byleth blush. 

“HA! I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT SEES IT!” Sothis yells excitedly. 

“Shut up, Sothis, this doesn’t mean a shit!” the cop shouts back in her mind, hostile tone in her voice. Byleth opens her mouth to answer, when the door of the darkroom opens. She expects to see the gigantic shape of Indech lurking at the door. But he doesn’t appear. Instead of him, another gigantic form appears, but not as taller. Byleth even has to move her eyes to the floor to see the newcomer. 

An enormous turtle that stares at them, an angry scowl on her face. 

What the heck happens in this place!? 

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Time After time. Final part  

Seteth ascended the stairs towards the offices. He looks at the palm of his hand and remembers how he rested it on Byleth’s shoulder.  Perhaps I overstepped...  He remembers how Byleth led her own hand towards his back in the car, and smiles.     

They are getting along. Working with her is not as torturous as he thought at first, even when he still thinks he should keep an eye on her. Yes, she made a great job in their first case. She had led them well, and was a magnificent fighter...  But she received the moniker of Ashen Demon for something, right?  Perhaps he had apologised for treating her like a hunt dog, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to trust in her blindly as Rhea does. The distrust also helps to keep his attraction in check.     

There is no room for doubt now. He thinks she’s lovely and beautiful, and she’s capable and professional too. Smart, strong and, even when her expressions are hard to read sometimes, funny. It wasn’t possible to not feel attracted to her.  But it cannot be. Even if she has teased me endlessly, that doesn’t mean she likes me back.  And there is the fact that they are both partners, co-workers. It would be wrong. That doesn’t stop him from imagining what could it be, if she is attracted to him too...  No, that’s impossible. I should keep an eye on her though...     

But none of these matters now.  He’s approaching Rhea’s door. He straightens his clothes, takes a deep breath, and knocks. When he finally enters the office, he can see the commissar, standing by the window, one arm crossed over her chest and the other leading her hand to her mouth. As usual, when she was nervous, she bits her nails. Is not something anyone knows about her, and she doesn’t let anyone knows either. She had permitted this oddity because it was him, but she wouldn’t have allowed herself to do it if he were someone else. That insignificant gesture worried him, but at the same time, make him proud. Proud of being one of the few people, along with Indech and Macuil, that knows Rhea behind her serene facade. But on this occasion, it makes him tense.  What on earth is happening now to make her so nervous?      

He closes the door behind him, and the commissar flips her head to stare at him, still biting the nail of her thumb. Before she can talk, the detective asks.    

“What is happening, Rhea?”    

“Seteth... I think is time you join the Kostas’ hunt,” she responds, trying to appear composed, takes her hand away from her mouth and join the arm with the other, crossing both in her chest. Seteth crooks an eyebrow.     

“Certainly, this change of opinion must mean something is going terribly wrong...”     

“Whatever do you mean?” Rhea turns to the window again, and she looks like she’s monitoring every passerby in the street. The detective simply coughs to clear his throat, placing a fist in front of his mouth, just before folding the arms in his back.    

“Well, commissar,” he says with a petulant voice, making special emphasis because he has decided to not use her name right now, “you made very clear that neither me nor my partner could take part in the search until we learned to respect the rules... I assume we have accomplished such a task?” Rhea lets out a heavy and frustrated sigh.    

“Stop being petty, Cichol. This is serious. We have found Kostas and his gang,” she explains, and stares at him over her shoulder.    

“Wha-What? But those are great news! Why are you acting so...”    

“They are in Zanado,”    

The office is full of silence after the pronunciation of that name. The last home of Nabateans. His vision turns red, remembering the massacre occurred centuries ago. He wasn’t there when it happened, but he saw the aftermath. No bodies left, only blood. The place gained with that the name of Red Canyon of Zanado. He hasn’t been there in quite a while; the images of that scene are still vivid in his mind and his heart. He couldn’t go alone, and he couldn’t ask Rhea or any of his brothers to go with him, and of course, he would not go with Cethleann. Soon the place turned into a constant presence in the back of his mind, just like other unpleasant memories. He takes a deep breath, and his knuckles turn white for the force he’s closing his fist, but he waits for Rhea to continue.    

“I’ve been able to maintain people away from the place in all these centuries. I have spread rumours of curses, provoked collapses to make it difficult to walk around. I have destroyed books that talked about the place...” Rhea is now staring at the floor, her body trembling with fury, “destroyed camps of archaeologists, killed grave robbers... and after all that... it comes to nothing, because some stupid, inept thugs think it is a great place to hide from the police...” she turns her head to look at him directly at his face, the pupils of her eyes betraying her real nature.     

Seteth swallows hard, trying to maintain a calm demeanour, when someone knocks at the door. In mere seconds, her whole behaviour change, her eyes once again human, a serene smile on her face. The door opens and one worker from the offices enters with papers in her hands.    

“Miss Rhea, I have the reports you asked for...” the cop walks through the office towards the escritoire, where she leaves the information.    

“Thank you very much, Miss Reid, you’re dismiss,” Rhea tilts her head to a side and smile, the cop reciprocates and leaves. The commissar returns to a serious expression and looks at Seteth.  Is incredible how she can change her entire persona in seconds.      

“ Who is in charge of Kostas’ search?” the detective finally asks, expecting that Rhea didn’t give this case to the worst option.    

“Alois and Gilbert,” she says as if nothing.  Of course, it had to be the worst option.  Seteth sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “don’t be like that, they are good cops, and they have found that thugs!” Rhea points him with a finger, a reproach in her eyes.    

“I’m not judging, but... I would have preferred that Shamir and Catherine would have taken care of this. At least we know Catherine would do anything for you... even keep a secret,” Seteth responds, and crosses the arms on his chest. He knows Catherine feels an extreme devotion for Rhea. If she had found anything incriminating against her, she should had been silent about it. But Alois cannot keep a secret for his life.  It’s not that he is a bad cop, it’s just... that he’s not a good detective.      

“They are working on another case...” Rhea responds, shrugging.     

“The Lauren Ward case?” he asks, his boss crooks an eyebrow, “I was in the morgue with Macuil and Byleth before you called for me,” Seteth explains, Rhea nods in affirmation, “going back to the matter of Zanado... what do you want me to do?” Rhea turns around and collapses in the chair.    

“I need you to go there and take care of that gang before they discover something. And I need you to bring me Kostas alive to be interrogated...” she takes the reports and glances at them.    

“And what about Byleth?”   

“What about her?” she lifts her face to stare at him, questioningly.    

“Well, I’ll have to go with her. She’s my partner. She will ask questions,” Seteth explicates.    

“Don’t need to worry about that. Just tell her that Zanado is... an archaeological place or something. I believe she won’t inquire more about it,” she returns her eyes to the papers, telling him without words that the conversation is over. Seteth takes the hint and paces to the door, when he’s interrupted, “Oh, Seteth...” the commissar says, making the man flip his head to look at her, “I trust that you have apologised to Miss Eisner...”  Of course she had to bring this up.     

“ Yes, Rhea. We’ve... talked about that. I apologised and we are getting along again,”     

“I’m glad to hear it,” she gives him a smile, “I hope you can see now why I was so adamant to hire her...”    

“I think I’m starting to understand, however... I still need to ask you some questions about her,” he responds, and see how his superior is furrowing and let out a frustrated sigh before leaving her office.    

Seteth walks down the hallway to the stairs. Thinks about the end of the conversation with Rhea. He still had, indeed, questions about his partner. She didn’t know that her father was a cop, and yet, she came to the Department with Jeralt, and started working here. Twenty-one years ago, Jeralt left his post at Garreg Mach Police Station. Byleth doesn’t know her age... he had her before or after he left? Rhea knew he had a daughter, or it was a surprise for her too? Maybe she knew the identity of the infamous Ashen Demon all this time...  I’ll have to ask her when I come back. For now, I’ll keep these queries in the back of my mind.  He sighs, ready to open the door to the morgue, but screams make him stop.    

“DID YOU REALLY BRING YOUR PET TO WORK?” it was Macuil’s voice, alerted. Seteth is looking at the door, a confused expression on his face, crooking an eyebrow.    

“I couldn’t leave her alone in the apartment!” Indech’s voice joins, but in a lower tone than the one of his brother.    

“Indie... is a turtle... It’s IMPOSSIBLE that nothing wrong happens to it!”    

“She feels alone!” Indech increases his volume. He is getting nervous.     

“Oooohh, when Ci... S-Seteth..” Macuil almost slips, and the detective can hear a nervous laugh in his voice.  REALLY, MAC!? “ When Seteth sees this, uuuuhh boy, he’s going to be pissed!”     

Seteth decides that it’s the perfect moment to enter and stop the discussion between his siblings. “Why would I be pissed?” he asks, and the two men flip their heads to look at him.    

“Look at that! Indie brought that animal to work again!” Macuil explains, pointing at the floor. Seteth follows where the finger is signalling and sees it. A big chunky turtle with a brown shell, standing on the floor. And what is more surprising, Byleth siting on her haunches, scratching the turtle’s chin, a gesture the animal seems to enjoy very much. That’s when his partner lifts her head, stares at him and smiles. His heart stops in that moment.    

“Her name is Aquamarine, and she feels alone in the apartment!” Indech’s voice brings him back to the living and makes him turn around to look at his brother. Seteth opens the mouth to talk, but is interrupted by Macuil.    

“I leave Beagan at home every day and nothing is wrong with him!” his brother states, crossing his arms over his chest. Indech is ready to confront the other man, but Byleth is ahead of him.     

“ Who is Beagan?” she asks in a quiet voice, curiosity obvious in the tone.  Oh no, now he’s going to start talking about his birds...      

“ Ohohoho, I’m glad you asked, my beautiful lady!” Macuil had led his hands to his hips, and was ready to babble, “Beagan is my wonderful Eleonora’s Falcon from Sreng. Is a medium-sized one, but is majestic nonetheless!” Indech leans against the wall near the door of the darkroom, and Seteth just stands there, rubbing the temples with his fingers.     

Every time someone asked any of his brothers about their pets, they lose their minds. The detective cannot blame them. It is possibly a defense mechanism against all the traumas they have lived in their long, long lives. Indech confided to him once, telling Seteth that he wasn’t able to transform again in the Immovable. Only when his emotions went out of control he could show little signs of his bestial form. Some scales, spikes in his back... but not the gigantic tortoise he once was. Macuil hadn’t talked about him about his incapacity to transform, but he started suspecting when he acquired his first dozen of chickens. However, his anger the other day during Poker Night told him he, as Indech, could still show some signs of his draconic form too. Even when it was little, it was more than Seteth could do. He doesn’t even remember his dragon form. The thought makes him sad, but he consoles himself, thinking is not the most important thing he had forgotten in the sands of time.     

“Your bird doesn’t feel alone because he’s accompanied by one hundred chickens!” Indech finally slaps, pointing at his brother     

“You have one hundred chickens? That’s weird,” Byleth says quietly, still crouched on the floor, caressing the turtle.    

“I DON’T HAVE ONE HUNDRED CHICKENS! I... I ONLY have twenty-six chickens...” Macuil responds, looking at the floor, ashamed.    

“Woah... that’s... a lot still. Why so many?”    

“Well... they are wonderful birds, and they produce eggs, so... free food,” his brother shrugs.    

“How many eggs do you it daily?” his partner questions, half stunned, half terrified. Seteth must stop this before Macuil continues talking about eggs.    

“Well, this conversation is futile, and we need to go,” the detective cut the conversation, and extends one hand to help Byleth rise from the floor. She looks hesitant at first, looking at his hand as a strange object, but then she grabs it and stands up.     

Still, she doesn’t let go when she stares down at the tortoise, waving her other hand as saying farewell. Seteth’s cheeks get very warm, and he can feel in his core the tact of her hand, how it slightly moves in his, the calluses on her fingers... He didn’t feel all of this the first-time they held hands, too nervous and too focused on her expressionless face to notice the heat in her palm. That’s when Byleth notices that he’s still holding her and looks down at their joined hands. Too much close again, like when she dragged him and hooked her arm with his in the Academy. But this time it is his fault. She takes away her hand and starts moving to the door at a quick pace, leaving him there, standing, his hand lifted, and staring at her movements. A playful whistle sounds from the side of the room. Indech is still leaning against the wall, gazing at him with a slight smile on his face, while Macuil had folded his arms on his back with a smug expression.     

“L-let’s go! We have things to do!” his partner almost shouts, but she doesn’t turn her head to look at him. She just opens the door and exits. Seteth’s mind seems to awake then and starts moving.    

“Y-yes,” he hurries to follow Byleth, but he still can see the grins on his siblings’ mouths when he rotates to close the door.    

They ascend the stairs, walk to his office, that he opens with the key in the right pocket of his navy-blue trousers. Once inside, his partner sits on the chair in front of his desk ( our desk?),  taking some reports and reading them. Still, Seteth can feel that she’s not paying attention to the words at the papers at all. She’s acting like she’s reading, but her head moves too quickly, and she passes to another before she can even grasp what the previous one was about.  Why she seems so nervous? It cannot be the hand hold, right?  He looks at him again and remembers the sensation of having hers there. The reminder of the softness of it, even when it was calloused by the training and fighting, spread a pleasant warmth to his cheeks and ears. He hastens and takes the gun holster from the rack and walks to the escritoire. There he sits on his chair and opens the first drawer, taking out the gun, and placing it in the fold.     

“Why are you taking the pistol?” he looks up and sees Byleth staring at him, peeking over the papers.    

“We are going out again. We... we have a new case,” at that, his partner leaves the reports on the desk, leans over it and gazes at Seteth with great interest.    

“Is that so? Which one?” she asks, maintaining her voice calmed.    

“We’re joining the Kostas’ hunt... or, more specifically, we’re recovering the Kostas’ hunt,” he responds, pulling off his blazer. Byleth stays silent for a moment. Seteth places the gun holder, and she stays silent. Is not worrying until he hears her swallowing hard, what makes him look at her, his face still inclined down, fastening the holds with his hands, “Are you alright?” after that question Byleth seems to have been awaken from a trance, one that she intends to dissipate completely by shaking her head.    

“Oh, yes! So... Rhea has changed her mind?”     

“It seems that way,” he ends with the gun holder and takes the blazer to put it on again.    

“And... where has the search of that scoundrel had led the previous team to?”   

“Zanado” Seteth simply states, and prays that she doesn’t ask questions, but is useless.    

“Zanado?” he rotates his head to stare at her, who has a crooked eyebrow. A strange feeling takes over him. A desire to tell her everything. That Zanado was his home, the home of his people. The people that were annihilated almost two thousand of years ago. He desires to tell her everything, and yet...    

“I-Is... an abandoned archaeological place... nothing out of the ordinary, is mostly deserted...” Seteth stands up and turns to close the blinds of the windows, and to avoid looking at her while he awaits her answer, that takes too long to arrive.    

“Sounds like a good place to hide,” she comments after some seconds, and Seteth is surprised.  I... expected... some questions... but this is good, I suppose, “ Let’s go then,” Byleth stands up and paces towards an armoire at the left. She opens it and takes from it a large bag.     

“Let’s move, yes... what is that bag?” he asks, pointing at it.    

“My things,” Byleth simply responds, moving to the door and looking at him over her shoulders, as if challenging him. He opens his mouth to ask what those things are, but thinks better.  Don’t pry, Cichol; not let her win. Don’t let her know that she already knows you too well.  He gathers all his strength to shrug and respond in the most nonchalant way possible.     

“Alright,” he paces toward the door, passes her and opens it. He sees from the corner of his eyes how her eyebrows lift in surprise, and he smirks.  Cichol 1-Byleth 0.      

Seteth walks down the hallway to the reception, followed soon after by Byleth, who says nothing. However, he observes her by inclining a little his head, seeing how she pokes her tongue at him. He fights to not smile, “what an immature gesture from someone in your position in this respectful department”    

“Smart ass,” she mumbles, but a smile peek in the corner of her mouth.     

They arrive at the reception hall, and the desk is empty, but the phone is ringing.  As always, Manuela is disregarding her responsibilities...  He takes the telephone and leads it to his ear, careful to not move his hair too much.    

“Garreg Mach Police Station, what is your emergency?” he says in a monotone voice. Seteth hears a breath on the other side of the line, but no voice answers, “Hello? Are you alright?” he continues listening to the heavy breath. No words are said, however, until the other person hangs up. The detective takes the phone away from his ear and looks at it, a crooked eyebrow, confused by the strange call.     

“Who was it?” Byleth asks, her hands in the pockets of her trench coat.    

“I don’t know, they said anything...” Byleth shrugs at that, pacing more towards the door, not giving the call any importance. Still, Seteth takes a paper off the desk, leaving a note to Manuela. ‘ Call the last number, potential person in danger. PD: Stop escaping from your duties, Manuela. Seteth,’  he writes and place it over the telephone.     

After that, he joins Byleth. Together they exit the Department. The partners enter the car, Seteth fastening the security belt immediately, but Byleth just waits until he turns on the car and drive for some miles before reacting.    

“Okay...don’t look back,” she estates while standing from her seat, a little crouched by the car roof and moving to the back seats, where she had put her bag when they entered the vehicle. Seteth looks at her, eyebrows shoot to the hairline, trying to pay attention to the path, but preoccupied by his partner’s actions.    

“W-what are you doing? And why I cannot look back?” he stutters, gripping the wheel tighter.    

“I’m changing my clothes”    

“WHAT?” his arm makes a quick movement to the right by the surprise, the car going out of the path for a second before Seteth could recover his composure and lead the vehicle to the right part of the road, “Why are you changing here!?” he asks, perturbed.    

“Well... we cannot lose time, so... better if I change on the way to the place, right? Just...don’t look back and everything will be fine” she explains, staring and examining the clothes inside the bag, taking out the uniform trousers, a white shirt with the police badge still hanging from the pocket, and finally black ankle boots.    

He hears the clothes being discarded, zippers unfastening, heels falling to the car’s floor. Seteth’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, and his ears are of a deep shade of red. He guesses by how warm they feel.  Don’t look back. You are not a perv; you aren’t Mac. Don’t look back and everything will be fine, as she said.  He has never counted so many discounted lines on the road as he’s doing now, anything to focus only on the road. However, when he hears a hit and a groan, he cannot help but look at the back sits in the rear-view mirror, catching sight of her muscled abdomen for a mere second. That mere second serves to fuel the heat in the rest of his face and count the discontinued lines more frenetically. That’s when he feels her moving to the co-pilot seat, already dressed in her action clothes.    

“Y-you could have told me you needed to change clothes and I would have given you a moment to go to the changing rooms,” he stutters again, and wonders what it is about her that makes him a nervous mess.     

“And lose the opportunity to see you so flustered? Never...” she smirks while accommodating in her seat, leaning over the door, crossing her arms and staring at him playfully, “you didn’t look back, right, Sethie?” Byleth asks, a serious expression on her face. He feels cold sweat on his forehead.  I’ve already lied today; I can do it again.  He shakes his head.    

“Not at all,” she inclines forward, narrows her eyes and scrutinizes him for some seconds, before leaning against the door again.    

“Okay... I believe you,” he lets out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, “or maybe you’re a good liar,” Byleth shrugs, “In that case I wonder how many secrets are you hiding from me and how many times you have lied,” one corner of her mouth turns upward.  You have no idea.  He decides to be teasing, even when he doesn’t feel he deserves to tease her about all the things he had kept away from her knowledge.    

“You can’t truly expect to uncover all my secrets just a week after meeting me, right, Miss Eisner? You’ll have to work harder to know some things about me... maybe if you’d tell me more about yourself, I’ll be less reticent to talk about myself,” is his turn to smirk now, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Her grin appears more genuine now, and a dust of pink appears on her cheeks. She coughs and recovers her composure.    

“Well, tell me more about this place we’re going, Zanado,” Byleth asks, staring through the window.  What a change of subject...     

“ There isn’t much to say... honestly,” he lies.    

“It is a valley, a... forest, or what?”     

“It is a Canyon, the Red Canyon to be more precise,”  please, don’t ask me why it is called like that, “ but I’ll tell you something. The ground is unstable, so I ask you to follow my instructions closely, understood?”     

“Yes, sir,” she does a military salute, and goes back to look through the window. However, after some seconds she turns and asks, “are there going to be more cops at the place or we’re alone again?”    

“Before today, the search was a responsibility of Alois and Gilbert, so I suppose they’re going to be there,” he hears Byleth exhaling heavily through her nose, she seems distressed, “are you alright?”    

“Yeah... I’m just mentally preparing for Alois’ puns,” his partner responds, resting her head in a hand, the arm reclined over the car’s door, looking defeated already, what makes Seteth snorts.    

“Glad that we agree his puns are terrible,” he smiles at her, and Byleth reward him with one of her own.     

The sun of noon makes the Ogma Mountains shine in the distance. The mountain range surround the road and the dust covered it, making difficult to see the line that separated the directions. A silent wind moves the sands of the land; the fewer plants that grow in the place contemplated, impassive, the lonely car that dared to enter a now deserted home of many memories. Seteth thinks how incredible is that a small place such as the county of Garreg Mach, would have this variety of landscapes and climates. Here it looked that a very hot summer; you couldn’t tell that in the city, the streets wet by a recent rain. The detective tries to remember how this whole place was when he lived here. The image of a river comes to his mind; its waters clear permitting to see the bottom of copper shade that tinted the waters red. Nabateans usually went to that river to wash their clothes, small groups gathering there to sing popular songs of their culture. It’s all so distant now, so many lost memories.    

 He sees the ruins at the left, so he turns that way, entering a dirt road. After some miles, they see another car.  I hope it’s Gilbert’s.  Seteth parks in front of the other vehicle. He unfastens the security belt and looks at his partner. She’s wearing more proper clothes for this work, but something is amiss.    

“Byleth, where is your gun?” he asks. Still, he’s partner refuses to stare at him. She continues looking through the window, “Byleth?” her shoulders jump a little and she sighs.    

“Mmmm, yes, my gun... you see... I don’t have one,” his partner finally says, and Seteth gapes.    

“What do you mean you don’t have one!?” he’s stunned, he cannot believe what his ears are hearing, “but... but you told me last time we went out on a case that you had one... hidden!” the volume of his voice increases.    

“I... lied?” Byleth shrugs, “I just don’t like guns, y’ know?”    

“You...don’t like guns,” he repeats disbelieving, “and yet you charged against someone armed!?” Seteth snaps, and notices how she goes pale for a moment, averting her eyes, avoiding his gaze.    

“Everything went well...at the end,” she shrugs again, but still doesn’t dare to look at him. Seteth pinches the bridges of his nose.  I cannot believe she’s so reckless!     

“ You are staying here,” he estates, what makes Byleth turn to look at him alerted.    

“What!? No way, I’m going!” she’s almost yelling, the first time he has heard her raise her voice so much.    

“Byleth, I cannot let you go unarmed to fight those... those thugs, is dangerous!” he raises his voice too. He cannot believe she still wants to enter the wolf’s mouth without something to protect herself.     

“Oh, c’mon! You saw me last time; did I really look like I needed a gun?” Byleth crosses her arms on her chest, daring him to debate her on that, which he cannot. He sighs and decides to reach an agreement    

“Look...you are a good fighter, yes. But that is not enough! A shoot can be the difference between life and death, and I cannot let you run into such a peril in clear disadvantage. I’m just asking you to reconsider...” his discourse is interrupted by some tapping in the window of his side.     

“Hey, lovebirds! Problems in the paradise? HAHAHA” the boisterous laugh of Alois makes the two partners incline their heads to look outside and stop the discussion. Alois just stood there, hands on his hips, proud of his own joke, while Gilbert stands behind him, looking mentally tired.  Wait... did he say lovebirds!?  He blushes furiously at the thought, and he can see from the corner of his eyes that Byleth heard the word too, if the pink in her cheeks is any sign.      

Seteth tries to clear his mind by coughing and moving his hand to the crank handle to turn down the window. “Good day, gentlemen. I’ll be with you in a moment...”    

“WE’LL be with you in a moment,” Byleth shouts from her side, making clear her statement by leaning back and staring at Seteth with a challenge in her eyes. He exhales heavily and closes the window again.    

“Byleth...”    

“Seteth, I can take care of myself, just... trust me, will you?” she says in a quiet voice. The detective gazes at her eyes and sees the same determination from when she was decided to find the students. He knows in that moment that even if he locks her up in the car, she’d find a way to get out and run to catch the gang. He sighs again, and with courage, he rested both his hands on her shoulders, staring at her deadly serious.   

“Alright... you’ll come. But promise me you’ll follow my instructions and that you won’t do anything risky... please,” he begs, and his partner seems hesitant to promise such a thing, but she nods at the end, “also, stay behind me...” Byleth open her mouth to object, but he continues talking, “just as a precaution...” she exhales and turns to open the door, getting out of the car. He follows and starts walking with her towards their co-workers that had moved away from the car.   

“Is there any problem?” Gilbert asks, looking worried at both. Seteth stares at her and she stares back, shaking her head.    

“No problem at all,” the detective says, turning his eyes towards the ginger-haired man.    

“Let’s move then,” the older cop says, and starts pacing the dirt road towards the ruins. “The gang is situated in what I think is the centre of everything, an enormous building still standing,” he explains. Alois hurries to stand beside Byleth.   

“A Rangeld and an Eisner fighting together again, just like old times!” he says animatedly, she only stares at him acknowledging his words, not saying anything, but he continues, “when Jeralt and I used to work together, we were unstoppable, and after a case resolved, we usually went to a bar to celebrate! What parties we used to have!” Byleth hums.   

“Yes... that sounds like my father,” she responds.   

“Ohh, so the good old Jeralt continues drinking like a champion, huh?”   

“Sometimes... too much. He owns money to half of the bars in the city,” she says in a bitter tone, that Alois doesn’t sound to get, because he lets out a cackle that she doesn’t follow, just looks forward and continues walking.    

“Is he always talking about Jeralt?” Seteth asks Gilbert, who has been silent all the way to the hidden place. The other cop sighs and responds.   

“All day, every day,” the ginger-haired man says nothing else. Seteth remembers the night they went patrolling and lets out a breath, too.  I feel tired only reminding it.  The group continues walking down the road. Alois doesn’t stop talking about his younger times with Jeralt, without Byleth answering. That’s when they see a bridge ahead, and Gilbert whispers loud enough so everyone listens to him, “Alright, the thugs are on the other side of that bridge. We should stop here and organise the attack”   

“Good idea,” Seteth answers, and crouches behind a broken wall, waiting for the others to join. Byleth stops next to him, Gilbert and Alois in front of them.   

“After we cross this bridge, there will be two more, one on the front and the other on the left. There are five guards taking care of the front bridge, but only two on the one of the left. After those bridges is the hiding camp of Kostas, surrounded by other six thugs. I think is a good idea that we separate,” Gilbert explains.   

“Agreed,” Seteth nods, “Byleth and I can take the bridge on the left, Alois, and you can take care of the front one. That way we’ll be able to surround Kostas by attacking on two fronts,” the other cop nods, him and Seteth stare at Byleth and Alois to check if they agree to the plan. When they nod, the cops take out their guns and prepare, except for Byleth, who waits for the others to be ready. That’s when Alois stands up.   

“Okay, let’s get these thugs... CANYONATED!” he’s laughs at his own pun, but the group looks at him with alerted expressions. More alert when they hear running steps and voices coming from the bridge.   

“Did you hear that!?” a male voice asks.   

“Yeah! Let’s check. Maybe someone has found our hideout and we have to send them to the other neighbour!” responds another voice. Seteth, Byleth and Gilbert stare at Alois with angry scowls, while he crouches, looking at the floor ashamed. The ginger-haired cop sighs heavily and turns his head to look at the other detectives.   

“Alois and I will take care of those two. I’ll give a signal when we’re over so you can get out and follow the plan the best we can.” Byleth and Seteth nod, watch how his colleagues move away, weapons in hand, ready to attack the criminals.    

They heard fight and weapons falling to the floor. Whining and cries of pain. Then silence. A whistle, a signal, makes the couple of detectives move to the bridge. There, Alois and Gilbert are waiting for them, the latter a little dishevelled. They walk together, see how now there are three guards on the front bridge and one on the left. Each cop hurries to their respective path. Seteth tries to monitor the thug ahead, while also making sure Byleth keeps her promise. But she’s quicker.   

The detective sees a shadow of white, grey and black running at his side. Empty eyes, mouth in a thin line, and only a goal in mind.  The Ashen Demon.  Soon, she’s ahead of him, and Seteth’s heart is on his throat, imagining the worst that can happen. He hastens, trying to catch her before she does something stupid. Hoping against hope. But he should know better. He should trust her more, because when the thug finally realises what is happening and catches the glance of his partner running towards him, it’s too late to defend himself. He cannot even hold his pistol. She grabs him by the wrist with her left hand, lifts his arm and hit him in the ribs with her right elbow, leaving the delinquent without air, leaning forward. She connects her elbow next to his jaw, giving one last hit that sends the thug to the floor.    

Seteth just stands there fascinated by her proficiency, just as he was that first night in Remire. He shakes his head, trying to recover common sense.  I cannot let her continue doing what she wants! She promised...  He paces quickly towards her, a lecture ready in his mind about not being reckless. However, he catches movement from the corner of his eye. A thug that comes running, fist prepared to punch her. And Byleth, who doesn’t seem to notice. So, he runs too, placing himself between his partner and the other man. The delinquent seems taken aback by his sudden appearance, which doesn’t leave him time to recalculate the angle of the punch and making easier for Seteth to grab the fist with his right hand and crush the knuckles. He Yells in pain and his knees fail. The shouts are stopped when the cop hits him with the gun handle in the nose and the jaw, then throws him back, too dizzy to stand up again. Seteth sighs and turns to stare at Byleth, that seems to be still in her Ashen Demon persona, if only the complete devoid of shine in her eyes, and the lack in her face of any expression were any sign.    

He goes closer to her, taking her shoulders and giving her a shake, “Byleth,” he says first in a whisper, still, when she doesn’t respond, he shakes more vehemently and raises the volume of his voice, “Byleth!” he says again, and now his partner seems to have been awaken. Her eyes recover some of the life he usually seems in them when she teases, and her mouth form a little ‘o’. She gazes at his eyes, and determination seems to fill her.   

“What? We have work to do!” Byleth escapes from his grasp and rotates to direct to the bridge, but Seteth stops her, grabbing her arm, making her look at him.   

“Byleth, you promised me! You promised you wouldn’t do anything risky and that you would follow my indications, remember!” he’s almost yelling. They look at each other’s eyes before Byleth averts her gaze and nods.   

“You are right... I’m sorry, but we should hurry. Alois and Gilbert need us,” she says, directing her stare to his eyes again, moving aside to let him go ahead. He speeds up, crossing the bridge, followed by Byleth.    

They continue walking to the camp and see Gilbert and Alois taking care of the delinquents at the right side, but no sign of Kostas anywhere. Still, there are two men waiting for them on their side. Seteth raises his weapon, but doesn’t shoot, hoping that the gesture will make the gangsters think twice about their next actions. But is not that what makes them freeze in the spot. They can see Byleth hurrying behind him, ready to strike if they move. The stories about the Ashen Demon make them betray Kostas and throw their weapons. The cops relent their pace when they get nearer, Seteth taking handcuffs hanging from his gun holster, Byleth the ones from the pocket of her trench coat ( it seems that she has learned a lesson from our last case ). They restrain the delinquents, sitting them against a ruined column.    

“At least we didn’t have to fight these two,” he says, smiling, relieved. However, his partner doesn’t answer. She had placed behind him again, narrowing her eyes and looking around.   

“Where is Kostas? Gilbert said he was here... do you think he has escaped?” Byleth asks, and her voice is monotone, with no intonation he has come to appreciate during their little time together.   

“Maybe... let’s wait for the others to discuss our next course of action. That scoundrel cannot be far...” he explains, placing his hands on his hips, looking around too, but soon, he rests his eyes on her. Byleth seems to be in a middle estate. Yes, she seems like she’s there, but at the same time, she isn’t. Seteth sighs and flips when he hears someone approaching from the other side. Alois and Gilbert walk towards them after taking care of their respective thugs. The green-haired man paces their direction, leaving Byleth behind, watching out of the place.   

“Any sign of Kostas?” Gilbert asks, passing the back of his hand through his sweaty forehead, Alois not far behind him.   

“I’m afraid he has escaped after hearing the fight and seeing us, but if we’re lucky, we can still catch h-,” Seteth is interrupted by the sound of someone falling to his knees and the safety of a weapon being lowered.    

“You were looking for me!?” Seteth hears a familiar voice and flips his head, seeing how Kostas was grabbing Byleth by the hair, making her crouch on her knees, and pointing a gun at her head. The detective grabs his weapon and points at him, but the leader of the gang laughs, “oh c’mon, hide that! You didn’t shoot me in Remire and certainly you don’t have the courage to do it now!” Seteth swallows hard and clench his teeth.  Shit... Rhea wants him alive, and I don’t have enough aim to shoot in a specific point without the risk of hurting Byleth...    

He lowers his gaze and sees his partner struggling, but Kostas tightens his hold on her head, making her stop. She can only move her eyes to look at him. Alois and Gilbert intent to walk forward, “eh eh eh, you two, stay there or I blow her head.” Although his words, Byleth doesn’t seem frighten or worried, it’s like she has lived this countless of times. She gazes at his eyes and nods the best she can.  Is she really telling me to shoot!? Even when I can hit her? She’s... putting her trust in me that way? “ Look... just let me go and this little whore can live,”    

Seteth sighs heavily, trying to control his anger. He’s still pointing with his own gun at Kostas; exhales and pulls the trigger. The bullet flies to Kostas’ upper arm, what takes the gangster completely by surprise, making him yell in pain and lose the hold over Byleth, “What did you say? That I don’t have the courage? I dare you to say it again,” the detective says and watches how his partner grabs the wrist of the hand that was restraining her, turning over her knees, punching the side of the thug’s knee, what make him cry more in pain, and finally grasp his ankle, throwing him to the floor, where he twists in pain.    

Byleth stands up and kicks Kostas in the ribs, a little vengeance from Remire, “let’s handcuff this asshole before he tries anything again,” she says, still staring down at the writhing mess that is the gangster now. Seteth hurries to restrain Kostas. When he’s over and on his feet again, he rotates to look at his partner, resting his hands on her shoulders.   

“Are you alright!? Did he hurt you?” he moves her, checking that she doesn’t have any injury.   

“I’m fine, Seteth, don’t worry!” she smiles at him, resting her hand over one of his, “good shot by the way,” Byleth smirks and Seteth sees the teasing coming, “I was only ten percent sure you’ll shot him without hurting me, but you’ve exceeded my expectations” she taps his chest with the back of her hand and separates. He takes his hands away, looking at her, stunned.   

“Only ten percent!? You wound me!” he exclaims, trying to give his voice an indignant tone. However, he’s already smiling. She opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted.   

“Nice work, you two! It was amazing what you did there, Byleth. The expected from The Blade Breaker’s daughter!” Alois shouts, laughing loudly and approaching to them, “You didn’t do a bad job either, Seteth! And I thought the only good shooter in your family was Indech!” the cop clasps his hand on Seteth’s shoulder to encourage him, but the detective only nods.    

“We both are staying here, taking care of the wounded criminals. You should take Kostas to the Station to interrogate him,” Gilbert says, and the pair of detectives nod.    

Seteth grabs Kostas’ by the arm that is not wounded and makes him stand up on the leg that Byleth didn’t wreck. The green-haired man, turn to ask Byleth to go ahead, prepared to open the car and watch out for delinquents that can be waiting for them in the way. However, when he flips his head, he founds Byleth is not there beside him, but at the edge of a cliff, staring at the ruins.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   

“ This place... is familiar ,” Byleth whispers. She gazes at the ruined buildings that look like stepped towers. The dust made the atmosphere an orange tone, giving the landscape a very ancient look. She hears laughs, people talking in a language she doesn’t recognise, steps...    

“ I know what you mean,”  Sothis voice sounds in her head, but she appears next to her, arms crossed over her chest, “ but... I cannot... recall any time in your life in which you have been here. Is strange...”     

Byleth observes everything, and something seems to call her attention. A shade of green almost disappeared but still visible, painted in an outside wall of a building. She narrows her eyes, trying to discern the figure drawn there.   

When the sound of a shoot echoes all over the place. Byleth turns her head quickly, expecting the worst, hoping that none of her colleagues are hurt. Hoping that Seteth isn’t hurt. However, they only seem shocked, no sight of injury in them. Until she sees it.   

Kostas was shot in the head.    

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: My Favorite things    

After all the rain of the previous days, this Friday cannot be more heated. The sun shines and illuminates all the training area. The sound of phones inside the offices is still heard faintly. It’s almost noon, and even when she’s hungry, Byleth Eisner doesn’t stop punching and kicking the bag.    

Sweat clings to her skin, makes her hair get stuck in her forehead. She moves quickly, circling her aim, an imaginary thug that only exists in her mind. Just like the green-haired woman that is now sitting on one bench near her spot, who yawns, bored. But the cop will not stop, even when she starts feeling the tiredness in her body. The temperatures taking their toll. Hit with the left arm, kick with the right leg. Quick! You can do better than this.     

She continues, completely missing how Sothis, who was watching her uninterested, with her head in her hands, leaned forward, is now looking up at the door, as three individuals enter the place. The invisible woman smirks as she recognizes one of them and stares at her mental companion from the corner of her eye. Only when their voices are louder does Byleth stop punching. Gazes confused at the bag before inclining her head to a side and look behind it to see Seteth, Catherine and Shamir approaching. She takes a deep breath and expulses it with a sounding sigh. Then she takes off the fingerless boxing gloves and walks to meet her co-workers.    

Seteth is the first one that notices and gifts her with a small smile and a nod; Shamir don’t say anything, but surely she has seen her walking to them; Catherine takes a bit more time to realise she’s coming, but when the blonde does, she just grins and leads her hands to the back of her head. Byleth observes them, pacing slowly but with certitude to place herself beside her partner. She feels the white sleeveless shirt clinging to her torso; her leather boxing boots, black with white laces, feel heavier than before, her feet boiling underneath; the ends of her hair, hanging from a ponytail, bounce in the air, the only thing that prevents it from getting wet with the sweat that runs through her neck. She feels her face warm, possibly from the heat that was hitting the training area. Passes her arm through her forehead to clean the sweat there. The cop halts and rests the weight on one leg while she places a hand on a hip. Byleth sees how Seteth’s cheeks turn a light shade of red when he looks at her. The temperatures must suffocate him too. I’m not surprised tho. Why does he always have to wear three pieces suits?     

“But he looks good, right?” the cop jumps a little when she hears Sothis talking at her ear, but otherwise, she doesn’t respond to her, her face the very image of nonchalant-y, “ ohhh, c’mon, are you really going to be so childish, pretending to ignore me?”     

“ You are the one being childish... I’ve already told you; I’m not interested in him that way, and you keep teasing?” Byleth sounds incredibly frustrated in her mind. She’s even surprised at herself, but she cannot let the imaginary woman continue doing what she wants.   

“ Look who’s talking! The very same one that said she teased that man because you are ‘partners’ and is ‘fun’” Sothis says while she makes the quotations marks with her fingers, “ but look at him... he’s so enamoured by you...” she continues, places her hands over his shoulder and rests her chin on them, inspecting Seteth’s face.    

Every time she maintained a conversation with Sothis, time slowed down, and this permitted her to observe everything in better detail.    

And at this moment, she could observe how his eyes light up, the corners of his mouth turn upward, his cheeks now pink. A soft warm breeze moves his hair, spreading its aroma, something fierce and cosy that she finds quite pleasant. This is the first time she notices the light freckles on his nose, the little wrinkles and crowfeet that form when he smiles. She finds it all charming. His mouth opens, probably to greet her. Byleth is ready to hear his soothing voice calling her “Miss Eisner” in front of their colleagues, even when she has told him to call her “Byleth” one hundred times. However, she cannot stop the snug sensation that spreads through her chest whenever he uses her last name.    

Byleth rotates her eyes, catching Sothis staring at her with a smirk. Now that I realise... She compares Sothis and Seteth’s hair. The same shade of green... The other woman inclines her head, her cheek in his upper arm, looks at the cobalt-hair cop with a lifted eyebrow, questioning her course of thought. Same eyes... Byleth gazes closely. She considers something she hasn’t paid attention until now. Pointy ears. Sothis’ has her eyes wide open, flips her head to stare at Seteth and then at Byleth again, but before she could say anything, a blond shadow steps in her way.   

“Ashen Demon!” Catherine is in front of her, her arms over her hips and a bright smile on her face, “let’s combat,” she passes one arm over Byleth’s shoulder and starts walking to the centre of the training area, dragging her along. Byleth struggles under the other cop's vice grip, rotating her head, just to see that Sothis is already gone. What she also sees is Seteth, who extends his arm to stop the other woman.   

“Catherine,” Shamir’s voice is low but commanding, “leave her alone, she doesn’t seem willing to train,”    

“What? Nonsense! I must test the newbie’s abilities and check that she doesn’t disappoint Miss Rhea,” the blonde cop rotates all her body, her arm still surrounding Byleth’s neck. She has to take some steps to stabilize herself, but other than that, she doesn’t make more movements to escape.   

“There is no need for you to test anything, Catherine,” her partner says in a serious tone, a step forward, “I can testify about the proficiency of Miss Eisner. We’ve been in two cases together already,” Seteth continues, and smiles again at Byleth, she smiling back.    

“Yeah... I’ve heard as much... But I want to see it for myself!” the cop grins and rotates again, pulling Byleth with her, her grip on her neck tightening and draining the last drop of patience from the cobalt haired woman.    

“So... you want to see how I fight?” she mutters, loud enough so her co-worker can hear her. And that she does, because she stares down stunned to ensure it was truly the captive colleague the one who talked. But Catherine doesn’t have time to check much.    

Byleth reaches one of her arms around Catherine’s and pushes her face. The other hand is griping the wrist of Catherine’s hand placed under her chin, creating enough space to escape from the lock. Still holding the blonde’s wrist, Byleth gives a step back, and twists the arm to pin it against the other woman's own back. She can hear Shamir snort at her back. Seteth says nothing, but she can imagine him gaping at the sight.    

“You like to play dirty, huh?” Catherine says, teeth clenched. She tries to fight as Byleth constrains her arm even more, which makes the blonde cop hang her head like regaining some strength to fight back.   

“Please, just yield. I don’t want to fight you,” Byleth whispers, not relenting.   

“You call this a fight?” the other woman says, the laugh in her tone while she rotates enough to hit Byleth in the face with the elbow of her other arm. However, the Ashen Demon is faster, releasing the twisted arm to jump back to get some space from the taller cop. This is a fight then... she thinks while positioning herself ready for a defence, “Prepare to face the rage of Thunder Catherine!” she yells. What is that stupid moniker?     

Catherine launches forward, her fists prepared. Byleth dodges all the punches directed her way. She can see the full force her co-worker is putting on every strike she sends to her. Is truly impressive.  Surely, she’s stronger than me, so let’s avoid getting hit... The cobalt haired analyses her opponent’s clothes. Is basically the same as her, but instead of red shorts, Catherine wears white tracksuit trousers. Her white tank shirt is under those trousers’ waist, and the legs are hidden inside the red boxing boots. When the attacks become repetitive, a pattern Byleth can predict easily, she uses the seconds between the strikes to look from the corner of her eye.    

Seteth and Shamir are sitting on one bench. He’s seated straight, his attention fully in the fight in front of them. And that makes Byleth double her efforts. She cannot grasp the meaning of this reaction. Still, it makes her proactive in the fight, also sending punches Catherine’s way, strikes directed to vulnerable areas and making the other woman relent. Shamir is laying back, her head resting against the column behind her, her arms crossed. She truly looks bored.     

Something else catches Byleth’s focus. A giant figure dressed in a white sleeveless shirt, grey tracksuit pants and white snickers. But the most highlighted feature: the green hair. Indech paces along the shadowed hallway behind the columns that surround the primary space of the training area. Still, Byleth is not the only one who notices him. Shamir straightens in her seat, and doesn’t go back to the previous position. Instead, she stands up and follows the photographer to the shooting range, but she doesn’t enter, just looks in through the crystal door. Weird.     

When she turns her attention again at the bench, she notices Seteth is looking a little down at her legs, and then he looked up again at her face.    

Wait! Was he eyeing me up and down!?     

Byleth enters in panic. Between the heat and that thought, her mind just goes blank. She can feel her cheeks warmer, and she’s sure is not because of the fight. But is because of the fight that in one second, she feels herself floating in the air, before collapsing to the ground. She’s laying on her back, watching the blue sky, some birds passing without a care in the world about what was going on in the training area, the shine of the sun passing slightly through the roof of the main building. Her sight is broken when a blonde head peaks out from the bottom edge.   

“Wooohooo, I won against the Ashen Demon! Everything well down there?” Catherine asks, but is not truly interested in Byleth’s well-being. She flips her head and calls for her partner, “Ehh, Shamir! Go and tell Miss Rhea what happened! C’mon rush!!” she yells, but Shamir ignored her, still looking inside the shooting range. Byleth can also see how Seteth stands up from the bench, alerted, truly worried for his companion.   

“ Oh, he’s such a cutie!” Sothis says, and the cop realises that the invisible woman is laying on her side, next to her, “ he worries so much for you...” at that, Byleth furrows her eyebrow and groans.   

“ I don’t need him to worry about me. I can take care of myself,” she answers, and before her friend can say anymore, she goes back into action.    

Byleth takes advantage that Catherine is still bending, her hands on her knees, to take impulse and lift her lower body, keeping her weight on her neck and upper back. Her legs surround Catherine’s neck, and using the other cop’s surprise, pulls and throws her to the floor. In only mere seconds, Byleth has two locks on the blonde woman: her tights keep Catherine unable to turn her head; her hands, pins the arms of the cop in her back.    

“That’s cheating!” Catherine tries to say, her cheeks pressed against the floor.   

“I didn’t yield. You should be more careful before singing victory, Cathy” her co-worker struggles under her lock, but Byleth holds her even tighter. “Now, yield. I want to take a shower already,” she says, and looks up, seeing how Seteth seats again and gapes, truly impressed. Shamir had also left the shooting range door to watch the fight, now smiling smugly. Catherine continues struggling for more seconds, but at the end, she rests her forehead on the floor.   

“I yield...” she whispers, embarrassed to have lost against the rookie cop, not wanting her colleagues to hear the words. Byleth releases her and stands up, leaving the blonde lying face down.   

“It was a good training,” the cobalt-haired says, extending an arm to help Catherine stand up. However, the other woman looks at her hand, disgusted, and stands by her own, leaving to the changing room without a word. Byleth just stands there, staring at how she goes away, when a voice calls her from her back.   

“Don’t worry about her,” is Shamir, who has silently walked to her with a smile on her face, “she’s pissed now, but she’ll get over it. It was nice seeing you fight, Ashen Demon... see you around,” the woman concludes and disappears from the training ground.   

 Byleth observes the door for some seconds before flipping her head and stares at the man sitting on the bench. He realises she’s gazing at him and sits straighter, a hand waving at her. She smiles and looks down while approaching, and seeing the empty space beside him, she takes a seat.    

“That was... impressive. Few people can say they have won Thunder Catherine,” Seteth explains. He stares at her hands, which she is taking care of, her knuckles brushed, her wrists sore. Something calls his attention. A minor wound in the index finger of her left hand, a drop of blood running freely over the back of it, “let me...”   

 Seteth leads his hand to the breast pocket, and Byleth now realises that he isn’t actually wearing a three-piece suit. Today he had put a black blazer buttoned in the middle, over a baby blue shirt; no tie around his neck this time; his trousers matching the blazer over some black leather derby shoes. Seteth grabs his handkerchief, his initials embroidered in the same shade of blue as his shirt. He holds her injured hand then, gently by the fingers, and pulls it to him, pressing the cloth against the wound. Byleth cannot help but blush as she gazes at how he takes care of it.   

“What is with that moniker? Thunder Catherine?” Byleth mumbles to break the tension between them.    

Seteth chuckles, “she started using that nickname some years ago because of a coincidence...” he explains, inclining his head to a side, trying to get a better look at the wound, his attention focused on stopping the blood.   

“Coincidence?” she asks and focuses on his hands instead of gazing at his face, too close for her liking.    

“Yes... the story I’ve heard was that, during some altercations, Catherine yelled, and at the same time, a thunder sounded in the distance. Since then, she calls herself Thunder Catherine,” he concludes.   

“...” Byleth stays in silence. She gives a lot of thought to the story, but she still doesn’t find any sense, so she laughs quietly, “that’s the most stupid story I’ve ever heard...” she continues laughing, what makes Seteth join, he lets out a snort before cackling. It sounds so nice...    

“ Indeed,” he finally says as he takes away the handkerchief from her hand, “but I suppose all monikers have a stupid origin story. Don’t you think, Ashen Demon?” Seteth looks up at her eyes and smiles smugly.   

“I suppose, yeah...” she looks up at his eyes too. An electrifying feeling running all over her body. She can feel the surrounding air crisping, the tension an enormous weight over her body. Until he separates and cough.   

“Well, I think I did all I could. It stopped bleeding at least,” he whispers and points with his head at her hand. There was no more blood, but the handkerchief had little red stains.    

“You shouldn’t have cleaned it with your handkerchief. Blood stains are difficult to wash,” she signals at the cloth. Seteth lifts an eyebrow at her, “I’ve had to clean many during my detective years... not my blood tho,” she completes and he smiles.   

“Don’t worry about it. I have many handkerchiefs to replace this one. Also, is only cloth... your hand was more important,” he blushes while saying that, and Byleth blushes too. He has to cough again to regain the composure. “So... are you going to have dinner tonight with your father, just as last week?” Seteth asks, occupying his hands by placing the cloth again in his pocket.   

“No... he’s busy with a case. But we’ll see each other tomorrow for our weekly fishing trip,”   

“Splendid! So, you’re free today?” he keeps questioning and is now her time to raise an eyebrow. Where is this going?    

“ Mmmm, I suppose. Why do you ask?”   

“Well, ummm, Flayn has told me many times... she has insisted, you see...” he stutters. Byleth waits patiently, her hands on her knees, she leans forward. “She wants to invite you to our cinema night. I think she mentioned to you these dates...” Byleth nods, absorbed by his nervousness, “she would love... I mean, we would love if you would like to come with us, that is,” he clears his throat and averts his gaze from her.    

“ HE’S ASKING YOU FOR A DATE!? FINALLY?” Sothis appears just behind Byleth, her hands over her mouth, not able to content her excitement.    

“ He’s not! It was his daughter the one who wanted to invite me!” Byleth chides.   

“ Killjoy... But you’re going to accept, right?” the green-haired woman asks, bending over to watch Byleth’s face.   

“ I suppose I’ll accept, yes. He... he seemed very nervous about asking me to join. It would be... rude to decline,” she says nonchalantly while she tries to hide her blushing face from Sothis.   

“ Okay, I don’t care about the silly excuse you have to give me to not accept that you have a crush while you’re dying to go to the cinema with him. I just care that you’re going,” and with that, Sothis disappears, leaving Byleth furrowing.   

“So... what do you say?” Seteth brings her back to reality, expectant to hear her answer.   

“Y-yes, I’ll go to the cinema with you and Flayn. Is going to be... an experience,” she accepts, rubbing her arm with a hand.   

“Why is that?”   

“I... I’ve never been in a movie theatre... in fact, I’ve never seen a movie,” she admits, averting her eyes away from him. He must think I’m weird. She knows that by the way he’s looking at her, with eyes and mouth open, agape. However, he maintains the calm and smiles fondly at her.    

“I think... you’re going to love it! Is a great experience. And I... well, I can talk in Flayn’s name too, to say it’s truly an honour to accompany you in your first time in a cinema,” he continues smiling, he even dares to place a hand on her forearm, what makes her cheeks go warm. She stands up abruptly and turn her head around to look at him with a grin.    

“I should get a shower, I must smell horrible,” she lifts a hand to wave at him as she walks away, “I’ll join you in our office when I’m over, okay?” Byleth asks, but doesn’t stay to hear his answer. Instead, she hurries to the changing rooms, decided to not flip her head to look at him, staring at her with a smile on his face.   

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Byleth taps her food quickly on the floor. She’s standing in front of her tiny wardrobe, choosing what to wear for today’s cinema night. After finishing some reports in the office with Seteth, their work shifts ended. They had agreed that he would pick Flayn from the Academy, and then they’d come to her apartment to go together in his car. She has been in her home for an hour now, and even when there’s still time, she cannot take her mind away from the task at hand: choosing a nice outfit for this no-date. I should think about more important things... like Kostas’ death.     

Four days have passed. And they still don’t have all the answers they need about what happened. Someone killed Kostas, someone that wasn’t there, but far away. Macuil and Indech had worked together in the ballistic test. They had discovered that the bullet found in the gangster’s head belonged to a sniper rifle. And also, that it was a model used during the war, banned after the conflict. Many thoughts plagued Byleth’s mind: Who can have such a weapon? We were being followed? Or the killer was already there, waiting for something to go wrong? And why they would kill Kostas? So important was the information he kept? Her head hurt, and she has to sit in bed, throwing herself over her back and looking at the ceiling. She just wanted to leave the mind blank for some seconds. Let’s out a heavy breath as she feels herself relaxing. But a voice has to break her calm.   

“ Are you going to choose a dress already? We don’t have all day, you know?... He arrives at five!” Sothis yells. She is laying on the bed, a leg over the other, in her hands a magazine which Byleth doesn’t have the slightest idea where she got from.    

After inspecting the cover, she can read the titles of all the articles inside. “How to have a wonderful date: five tips that will help you conquer your treasured man!”, “S.O.S: I have a date and I don’t know what to wear! Discover here the latest trends!”, “My crush has a daughter, what can I do!?”   

“How many times I have to tell you...? IS NOT A DATE!” Byleth permits herself to yell in the void of her apartment, not giving a damn about what her neighbours may think about her.    

“I haven’t said it was a date... have your tongue slipped, darling?” the green-haired woman peaks her eyes over the magazine, but the cop can see the smirk in them.   

“I can read the articles’ titles, you know? Stop it” Byleth twist in the bed and tries to kick Sothis, but her leg goes through the other woman, as if she weren’t there. Sothis just looks at her with a deadpan expression until she talks.   

“You know... is nothing wrong with having a date...”   

“I would call it a date if it was a date... but it’s not...” Byleth averts her eyes, staring at the ceiling again.   

“Do I recognize disappointment in your tone?” Sothis goes back to the smug expression, but Byleth doesn’t care anymore.   

“No... I’m just thinking about how all is going to be... How is a movie theatre? How is a movie!?”   

“Girl... I don’t even know what a movie is,” Sothis shrugs and continues reading the magazine.   

“Is like... a photography, but it moves...”   

“It moves!? How?”   

“I don’t have the slightest idea... I suppose we’ll discover tonight,”    

They stay silent for some minutes. The only sound was her breathing and the pages of the magazine being flipped. A car claxon from time to time. Soon, time becomes evasive, and an eternity feels to pass. Is only a cold air stream that enters through the window and makes an only-in-her-underclothes Byleth shiver, what urges her to move. She gives a few steps toward the wardrobe and back to square one. The cop changes her weight from one leg to the other, bites the nail of her thumb, and then leads both hands to her hips. Okay... so I could wear the outfit of the other day... but is too professional. She wanders her eyes to the part where her dresses hang. Is better if I choose something casual... Extends her hand and picks a perch from which is hanging a navy-blue dress, white dots in the upper part of it, short button tab sleeve, scoop neck, circle skirt in the lower part. It looks nice.     

“ Yeah... wear it!!” Sothis was standing behind her, peaking over her shoulder, a big grin on her face while she assesses the piece of clothing, “Also... you should hurry, it’s 4:30 alre-”   

“WHAT!?” Byleth asks alarmed as she pulls up the dress and fastens the buttons on the front. She runs to the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. As she expected, the tangles are visible at simple sight. She grabs the brush and starts combing, to no avail. “Ohh c’moooon” she complains.    

Combs with more strength, and it seems that helps, enough for her to leave the utensil in its place and take a black diadem hanging from the knob of the bathroom’s door. I look... Byleth stares at herself in the mirror, and sees that her hair is still a little dishevelled. Doubt takes over her mind for a moment, her hand almost reaching the brush again, but she thinks: is not a date. I look decent. Shrugs and goes out of the bathroom. Paces quickly to the wardrobe again, grabs a grey wool cardigan and takes grey flat ballerinas. She sits in bed, and put the shoes on her feet...   

“Are you really going to leave your hair like that!?” Sothis yells at her back, a look of horror on her face.   

“Yep, no need to get fancy...”   

“Combing your hair is a minimum, not getting fancy...” the green-haired woman points at her hair, signalling specially to an enormous knot.    

“For your information, I did comb my hair, but is still tangled, and... well, I don’t think this even deserves so much effort,” the cop says while she stands up, turns around and crosses her arms.   

“Byleth Eisner...” Sothis uses the same tone her father, on very counted occasions, uses when he’s frustrated with her, “go to the bathroom immediately and unravel that giant ball of hair, right now,” she finalises as she points at the bathroom door. Byleth thinks about it for a second, shrugs and walks there, “nice... you should obey me like this more often,” Sothis says with pride, her chin up and self-sufficient smile on her face.   

The cop, instead of grabbing the brush left on the bathroom sink, approaches a little chest of drawers at the end of the room, opens the first one and... grabs some scissors. Sothis that had stood outside the bathroom door, now flipped her head to her, and seeing the sharp utensil, her eyes go wide, realising what Byleth’s plans are.   

“Don’t you dare...” the cobalt haired woman smiles smugly at her and holds the big knot with her right hand, while she leads the scissors to its root with the left.    

Sothis runs, but she can only watch the destruction unfurling just in front of her. Byleth closes the scissors, and the ball of hair comes off in her left hand, just after she throws it to the floor, reassemble the diadem again and stares proudly at her reflection in the mirror.    

“You’re a monster,” the green-haired woman whispers, falling to the ground and looking at the ball of hair with pity.    

That’s when a claxon sounds in the street. And she knows. She simply knows is him. Yet, Byleth hurries to the living room and looks through one of the three windows at the end. She takes care to not throw to the floor the little lamp that is over her desk, just under the window in the centre. And there he is, just as she predicted. His navy-blue ( how many things of one colour can a person have? ) Varley Coronet is waiting for her in the street, the shine of his green mane reflected on the glass of his window. She observes how he rotates his neck and looks up. His eyes lock with hers, and a smile form on his face. She lifts her hand and waves at him, and sees how he does the same. Byleth separates from the window, walks to the bed, grabs the cardigan and gets out of her apartment.    

She has to remind herself that Flayn is going with them too, so she leans a little forward when she’s approaching the car to see where his daughter is sitting. The back seat... Should I sit with her behind or...    

“ Byleth!” Flayn yells from the other part of the window as she waves her hand at her, “I left the front seat free for you!!” she finishes while entering her head in the car and sitting properly, still, she looks like she was bouncing from anticipation. That settles it then...    

The cop walks to the passenger door and enters the car. When she turns to stare at Seteth and greet him, Flayn is already over their sits, resting her elbows on the back of each one, and her head resting between her hands. At the sudden emergence of the girl, Byleth can only stumble a little while saying “hello” to her partner. Seteth is equally startled by his daughter. However, when he hears Byleth’s voice, he flips his head at her and smiles, answering her greeting with one of his own.    

“My father told me you have never gone to the cinema. How is that!? Is fantastic!” Flayn asks, her large eyes wide, but enthusiasm shined in her voice.    

“Well, I... never had time for this kind of entertainment, I suppose...” Byleth shrugs.   

“Good thing you could come with us today!! And you can come next time too!” the girl is drowning in excitement, and it endears the cop, who smiles sweetly at her over her shoulder.   

“ Yeaaah! We’re going to have a ball!” Byleth hears Sothis from the back. The invisible woman had seated next to Flayn and had raised her arms to the sky, infected by the exhilaration.    

All the way, the detectives heard the times Flayn and Seteth had gone to the cinema. She could remember everything: what movie was, what she ate, the hour of entrance and exit, what they did after... The girl really seemed to love cinema, and her favourite kind of movies seemed to be something she called “romantic musicals”. She rambled about her most loved actors and actresses, how she was mesmerized by the way they danced while singing, how all the stories had a happy ending. It was amusing to Byleth seeing her partner go pale when his daughter mentioned how lovely it would be to be dragged to dance by a handsome and charming lad. He really worries too much.     

It doesn’t take too much time to arrive at the cinema. A big and shiny post sign that says “Gautier” illuminates almost all the street. People crowded the entrance, most of them students looking for a nice evening. Under the big light, a sign of today’s new movie: On the town. The three get out of the car. Byleth asks herself why she had to grab the cardigan. The air is cool, but the pavement still emitted warmth from today’s sun.    

Another person who also thought it was better to get cosy for the possible cold weather was Seteth. He’s wearing a blue cardigan over a white shirt, red tie on his neck; brown corduroy trousers, a leather belt around his hips; brown leather boat shoes on his feet; he had also taken a dark brown and garnet saddle bag that hangs from his shoulder.    

“A bag?” Byleth asks as she points with her finger at it.   

“Well... yes, we use it to bring the goods,” Seteth responds, almost embarrassed. The goods? She looks at him with a raised eyebrow and he let out a soft sigh while opening the purse. Inside, Byleth can see all kinds of candy and snacks bags, just as two cans of soda. Byleth smirks.   

“Smuggling, huh? Should I report you and your kid? A good time in jail would teach you both a lesson...” she teases as she crosses her arms on her chest, a smug smile still on her face. Seteth snorts, a nice pink dust on his cheeks, but smiles too nonetheless.    

“Is not my fault that the cinemas have increased the price of the candies... we’re just being thoughtful, official,” he responds and lets himself smile teasingly at her too. But a cough interrupts them. Flayn is staring at them, arms folded on her back, smiling innocently.    

“Are you two prepared? We need to buy the tickets!” she says, amusement sounds in her voice, before she hurries to cross the street and waits for them on the cinema sidewalk.    

Seteth and Byleth cross too, and get swallowed by the crowd there. The line to buy a ticket was large already, full of couples and families with kids. The entrance hall had an unpolluted red velvet carpet floor; at the end, a big red door, with gold details and rounded windows to look inside. At one side of the hall, what looked like a bar. Soda machines behind the counter and on it, a popcorn machine, which let out a smell that flows all over the place. Teenagers launched over the bar to ask for their food, as noisy and impolite as always, but there was something endearing about them. Her analysis of the hall was stopped by Seteth, who touches her arm to call for her attention.    

“Byleth, I’m going to stay in line to buy the tickets. Can you please accompany Flayn to buy some popcorn?” he asks, a concerned look on his face.   

“But, don’t you have a bag full of food already?” the cobalt haired woman asks, incredulous. How much do these people eat?    

“ Yes, I know. But Flayn always wants popcorn to eat during the ads, and we cannot take out the snacks while there is still light...” he pleads with his eyes, and Byleth doesn’t find it in herself to say no.   

“Okay... Flayn, come, lets buy some popcorn!” she lifts a fist to show her excitement to the girl, who smiles brightly and hurries to stand at her side, “we’ll be here in a minute,” Seteth smiles and nods before he walks to stand in line.    

“How do you prefer the popcorn, Byleth?” Flayn asks eagerly, almost running to the bar. Byleth has to fasten her pace to catch her.   

“I’ve never eaten popcorn,” she says as she looks around, careful to not run into anyone that carried a soda vase.   

“What!? Then you must taste it! We can buy all varieties. I looove the sweet ones, but the salty are good too! I’m not a big fan of butter ones though...” Flayn explains, her eyes shining as she describes all the flavours, without being able to take her eyes away from Byleth. It was inevitable then that she trips with someone, “oh, please excuse me! I was so distracted that I...” the girl starts to apologise, but she stops when she sees who the person is.    

The man with brunette long hair turns around and smiles at the sight of Byleth. Aelfric wears a black sweater over a white shirt; black trouser, and black leather brogue shoes. Why does he always wear black?     

“He looks like the evil and not attractive version of your partner,” Sothis says as she appears next to her, her arms already crossed on her chest as she looks disgusted at the person in front of her.   

“ Don’t be like that... Aelfric is not ugly, he just... doesn’t make the best choices with his hair,” Byleth shrugs internally.   

“ Whatever...”    

“ Byleth! So nice to see you! What are you doing here?” Aelfric doesn’t take his eyes away from her. He doesn’t even notice Flayn. The girl looks as annoyed as Sothis, but at least she tries not to show it so much.   

“ What the hell we would do here if we weren’t going to see a movie? Idiot...” Sothis sounds really annoyed while mumbling.   

“ Sothis... he’s just trying to be kind,” Byleth excuses Aelfric, and the invisible woman just groans. “Seteth and Flayn invited me to come to the cinema with them. I suppose you came to watch the movie too?” she turns now to the man as she asks.    

“Oh... yes! Of course!” he responds, though he looks a little doubtful, “you came with your partner you say?” he’s serious now as he rotates his head looking for Seteth, “where is he?” Why does he look so apprehensive of Seteth?    

“ He’s in line to buy the tickets, we came to get the popcorn,”   

“Ohh, I see. Then permit me to accompany yo...”   

“No,” Flayn says after being silence during all the conversation. She doesn’t seem to notice that she had to say something and the tone she used. Byleth looks at her, confused. She’s always so nice. What happens to her? Aelfric, however, looks at the girl indignant, he folds his arms on his back. Then Flayn realises, smiles nervously and explains, “I mean... no, please, don’t let us occupy your precious time. We can take care of the popcorn on our own.”    

“But I’m offering it would be my pleasure to go with you both to buy the snack. In fact, I was going to buy popcorn too!” he smiles triumphantly, and extends an arm to the bar to let them pass first. That is when something hits her mind. She saw as everyone in the hall is accompanied, groups of friends, couples, families, co-workers with the child of one of them...   

“You... came alone, Al?”    

“Ah. Yes! I enjoy watching movies on my own. That helps me concentrate better on the movie and not get distracted, you see?” he tries to explicate, but Byleth is sure she can see pearls of sweat under his fringe.    

She hums in understanding and walks to the bar with Flayn at her side, who doesn’t stop stealing upset glances towards Aelfric following behind them. However, the girl seems to cheer up when she sees the popcorn, and rapidly turns around to grab Byleth’s arm and point at them. The cop can only chuckle at the girl’s excitation. The woman asks for three bags, one with salt and two sweets. Flayn’s eyes shine, gazing at how the employee put the corn inside the bags. When they were served, he passed them. The girl holds two, while Byleth one as she handles the wallet with the free hand. Still, when she finally can take out a bill, Aelfric extends his hand and gives the boy behind the bar the payment.   

“Wait, Aelfric! You didn’t need to do that!” Byleth complains, flipping her head to look at the man, who is smiling, satisfied.   

“Oh, but I wanted to. What’s done is done...” he saves his wallet in the pocket of his trousers and leave the hand inside, imitating the position of the other hand.   

“And what about your popcorn?” Byleth asks, and in her tone, annoyance can be heard, while she crooks an eyebrow.    

“I... My urge for the snack has passed, I hope you enjoy yours, By,” he smiles more awkwardly than before and Byleth checks something.   

“Well... at least Seteth will be happy...” she says as she shrugs and sees how Aelfric’s expression change to one of confusion, “the money with which I was going to pay those was his after all,” Byleth completes with an air of innocence but checks Aelfric’s face from the corner of her eye. An eyebrow twitch, he clenches his jaw. Bingo. But why are you so annoyed by Seteth? Aelfric seems to calm down and smiles in a fakery, sweet manner.   

“I’m glad to hear that... I suppose a cop earns less than a principal...” he says and Byleth can hear the pride in his voice, but she also can hear paper bags being held tight. Flayn was looking at the man with a frown that reminds her of Seteth. Like father, like daughter.     

“ Yeah... I suppose. Well, anyway. Flayn,” Byleth calls the girl, who turn her head to her, her mouth slightly open, “we should go with your father, he must be worrying already, knowing how he is...” Flayn recovers the smile and nod vehemently, “it was nice to see you, Al. See ya,” Byleth waves at the man, not letting him say nothing more, and walks besides the green-haired girl to the line to buy tickets.   

“ Well done, By! Now, you have to ignore him completely. I hope we don’t see him again,” Sothis celebrates, poking her tongue out at the man, who is still standing there, startled, “ although...it is curious that you decided to jilt him when he started talking bad about your partner...” now the woman is staring at her, mischievously, a smug smile on her face and lifting her eyebrows suggestively.   

“ I did it because Flayn looked upset, not because I care about what he says about Seteth,” Byleth disregard Sothis teasing while she turns her gaze to Flayn, who looks cheery again and that makes the cop smile too.    

They approach the line and they can already see Seteth there. He has his arms crossed, taping the floor with on foot. He looked nervous, but as he set eyes on them, he seems to calm considerably, before frowning.   

“Where were you two!? I was worried sick!” his pitch is an octave higher when he asks.   

“We were eaten by the popcorn machine. It was truly a hustle...” Byleth jokes and Seteth just deadpan at her, Flayn giggles.    

“Hilarious, Miss Eisner,” he responds in a mock indignant tone after sighing, “but in all seriousness, why it took you so long?”   

“There was this ma-”    

“There were a lot of people,” Byleth interrupts Flayn, who looks at her surprised, but goes back to a sweet smile when the cop winks at her.   

“I-... I see,” Seteth responds, and Byleth knows he has caught the lie, but he has passed it, “Well, I’m almost there and we’ll have our tickets soon.”    

He’s right. After some minutes, they have their tickets and go to their assigned seats. The screen room has soft lights at the sides, but asides from that, the room was dark. Their seats were comfortable and decorated with red velvet that combined with the red-carpet floor. The three of them sit, Byleth in the centre, with Flayn at her left and Seteth at her right, by order of the girl. It doesn’t take long for Flayn to launch over the popcorn, eating them with relish.   

“Byleth, taste this!” she says, her mouth full and Seteth asks her alarmed to be careful before he passes her the strawberry soda can that he kept inside the bag.    

The girl opens it and takes a sip, helping the food to go through her throat better. Then she leaves the drink in one support of the seat to extend the arm that holds the popcorn bag to Byleth. The cop looks at the food with a raised eyebrow. The corn is covered in a shiny pink substance, and it smells nice. She takes one and throws it inside her mouth. The flavour is an explosion of sweetness that Byleth doesn’t hate, but is not to her liking. She tries to smile at Flayn, but is clear that the snack is not her favourite.   

“You don’t like it? Ohh,” Flayn seems sad, but she recovers immediately, pointing at the popcorn bag Seteth is holding now, “maybe you like the salty ones! I’m sure my father can share them with you,” she concludes, looking expectantly at the two adults.    

Byleth flips and faces Seteth, who extends the bag to her. She does the same ritual as with the pink ones. The cop analyses the snack, white this time, and they seem like they have nothing special. She picks one and put it carefully inside her mouth. This... this is actually very good!  She hums in appreciation and picks other.    

“Salty are my favourite too,” Seteth suddenly says as he smiles and looks how she’s enjoying the popcorn. She lifts her eyes to look at his and smiles, “I’m not much of a sweet tooth. I always prefer strong flavours,”   

“Oh same, I’ve always loved spicy and salty food over sweet,” she responds as she takes other popcorn and leads it to her mouth.   

“I’m glad that we have this in common. Now I can invite you to lunch knowing your preferences,” he says, a tender grin on his face. He doesn’t seem to fully understand what he was hinting, or that the idea of having lunch together is irremediably making Byleth blush. She’s going to respond when a sound came from the screen.   

She was so focused on tasting the popcorn that she hadn’t noticed the room was already full of people. However, she did not expect what she saw in front of her. The voice of a man, like the ones she hears on the radio, narrating some... cartoons? Of a hotdog moving and dancing with a cheery music alongside with soda cups marching with rhythm. That passed to a parrot playing guitar and announcing some kind of snack. All those images moving in front of her. It all was enthusiastic and joyful. Byleth looks at Flayn from the corner of her eye. The girl seemed to be enjoying the popcorn and the ads, she looked happy and not alarmed at all. She turns her gaze to Seteth then, who isn’t looking at the screen but inside the bag, taking out the other can of soda. When he rotates to place the drink on the other drink holder, he realises Byleth is staring at him. He looked down at the can of soda and then at her again. She doesn’t miss the light blush that appears on his cheeks.   

“You...you can drink from my soda too” he stumbles a little as he points at the can, “you shared your coffee with me once, it’s only fair,” he smiles and now is Byleth’s turn to blush.   

“Oh...is not that, but...” she explains and Seteth crooks an eyebrow at her, “is all the film like this?” she asks and they stay silent for some seconds, the only sound the music that came out of screen. Then he silently chuckles and shakes his head.   

“Byleth, these are only the ads,” he explicates, and her mouth and eyes go wide, looking at the screen again.   

“Oh... okay. And...” she continues whispering, “I’ll be glad to share that drink with you,” she says, smiling at him. His blush intensifies.    

After some more ads, the film started. It was about three sailors that enjoy a free day in Embarr, where they meet three ladies and spend the whole day together in the city. The story isn’t great, but Byleth cannot take her eyes away from the actors. They dance and sing, their movements quick and with grace. The colours of the women’s dresses are lively and seem to shine on the screen.    

At some point, she hears Seteth snort at some joke and she has to look at him carefully so he doesn’t notice. A smile is still plastered on his face, that is illuminated by the colours coming from the film. His hair changes of colour too, mixing and creating a mosaic of different tones. His eyes shine too, and she realises this is the first time she has seen him so calmed. The shoulders are no longer tense, and the edges of his eyes are decorated by the smiling crowfeet she likes so much. She would be lying if she said she grasp anything about the end of the movie, her eyes fixed on her partner from the first moment he quietly laughed.    

And then the movie was over. The screen turned off and the lights at the sides were on. People cheerfully standing up and commenting the film, joking and getting out to the hall. Seteth turns his head to look at her as he opens his mouth, but is interrupted when Flayn stands up abruptly and places herself in front of them.   

“It was great! I loved the film. And you, Byleth? Did you like it??” the girl is jumping and looking at the cop with a tangible enthusiasm that could be felt in the entire room.    

“Oh... yes! It was... incredible!” she responds as she smiles brightly at Flayn. She can feel Seteth also grinning at her from the corner right.    

“ You mean your partner is incredible, right? Because you couldn’t tear apart your eyes away from him...don’t you think I didn’t notice~” Sothis says from inside her mind and Byleth can see her smug smile, which makes her blush a little, but decides to not give the invisible woman more content to tease her by responding.    

“And you, father? Did you like the film?” Flayn asks as she turns her attention to Seteth, who smiles at his daughter and nods.   

“It was nice. Now... we should get moving,” he says as he stands up.   

They get out of the cinema, the place not the same it was when they arrived first as it was deserted now. Some few popcorns laid on the ground, now being swept by the employees that were already closing the bar too. Flayn danced while she walks to the car, infected by the music of the film that is still sounding in their heads, the music that she is humming enthusiastically. As the journey to the cinema, the one to return to her apartment was filled by Flayn talking about how much she had enjoyed the film, all the songs she loved and the dances she would love to learn. The cops could only smile tenderly at her while they exchange some glances. Is not too much later that they arrive at her apartment. Seteth stops the car in front of the door and looks at her. She’s going to say something, but is surprised by Flayn hugging her from the back seat.   

“I enjoyed this night a lot!! I hope you can come with us again!” she exclaims, releases the cop and leans forward between the two front seats.   

“I had a great time too, Flayn,” Byleth responds quietly, a smile directed at the girl.   

“Yes, it was a nice evening, and I agree with my daughter statement, I... I hope you can join us again at movie nights...” Seteth stumbles a little when he says the last, and she can she a nice pink dust his cheeks.    

“Yeah... I would love to join again the next time,” she continues. Byleth knows is time to say goodbye and get out of the car, but she wants to maintain a little of physical contact with him before parting ways. So, she extends her hand and touches his forearm as she says, “goodnight, Seteth... and Flayn, thanks for inviting me... see you again soon,”    

Byleth concludes as she gets out and walks to the door of her building, not letting Seteth and Flayn respond. Still, she turns around and waves at them, a gesture they reciprocate. The cop watches as father and daughter leave and she enters. After such a night, her apartment seems more boring than ever. All the walls are grey and the furniture black. I should paint someday...    

But as she thinks about it, she knows. There will be no colour as precious as the green mixed with all the colours of the world.    

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: My funny valentine

“Hey, beauty, do you have plans for Garland Moon?” the red-head lad leaned forward as he supports his forearm on the back of Byleth seat. The woman sighs and turns her head to look at the boy. He wears the Academy uniform, the colour blue highlighted in the blazon of his cardigan, decorated with a roaring lion. Byleth analyses him, up and down.  

“Dude, how old are you? Also... do you know I’m a cop, right?” she finally says. Seteth takes a sip from his water glass. He decides not to intervene, acts nonchalant as he stares through the window next to him. Still, he’s paying close attention to his partner’s conversation.  

“I don’t mind if you’re a cop, a professor or you clean the streets in the morning,” the boy responds as he leads a hand to his chest, right where his heart is not situated, and fakes modesty and sincerity, “a beautiful and graceful woman such as yourself deserves to spend the most romantic day of the year with someone that showers you with love and affection,” he concludes. Byleth just stays there as she gazes at him with her cheek resting on a hand, totally bored.  

“Are you finished?” the cop asks, and the boy opens his mouth to continue but she interrupts, “now, if you’d be so kind... I would like to keep eating my lunch and talking with my partner”.   

“Uuuuh, cold. I like it,” the redhead says with a smirk, “but I have to say, you would be even more charming if you’d smile, just sayin’” he winks. This young man is the very epitome of oblivion... and annoyance.    

Byleth only breathes out as she takes her own glass of water and before she can take a sip, she mumbles, “if you don’t leave now, I’ll arrest you”.  

“Okay okay, I’m leaving! Man... is so difficult to flirt these days,” the student grabs the backpack he left when he approached and leaves the restaurant.   

They eat their lunches in silence. As usual, Seteth asked for a fish dish: Bourgeois Pike. It was one of the most expensive dishes in the restaurant, but he just received his month salary. And with so much work we’ve been dealing... I think I deserve it. The fish is fresh, he can taste it, and the spices are of excellent quality. It has a strong flavour, just as he likes it. Byleth, on the other hand, asked for a Daphnel Stew, a simple dish with minced poultry.  

Is their third lunch together. As he hinted at the cinema, he was glad to know Byleth’s favourite flavours. That way, he could invite her to his preferred restaurants to get lunch when work didn’t let them go home at the end of their work shifts. But these hangouts did more than just provide them with a full stomach. The cops were starting to know each other better. Well... at least to know the things we remember and are able to share. With time, Byleth seemed to recover some memories and talked about her childhood in Remire. The stories were always anecdotes of fishing trips with Jeralt or about playing in the fields. However, her teenage years were still a mystery, not even able to recall when she started to train and work as a detective. As for Seteth, well, he uses these lunches to share shameful stories of his siblings, and sometimes tales from Flayn’s childhood.   

That way, he would take his revenge on the talk father-daughter they had after leaving Byleth in her apartment.   

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Seteth drove the car road down. Flayn had moved to sit in the front passenger seat and hummed one song from the movie. The night had been lovely, and it wasn’t precisely thanks to the film. He observed how Byleth and Flayn get along, how his daughter clings to his partner's every word and enjoyed all her jokes and comments. It’s been so long since he had seen his precious child giggle and smile so much, and it made him smile too.   

Also, he cannot avoid thinking about how Byleth had been staring at him for almost the entire movie. He acted like he didn’t notice, but he had to fight really hard to not blush at so much attention. How many centuries have been since someone looked at me so closely? He had thought and he couldn’t stop the warmth that creeped to his cheeks. The man had to lead a hand to his mouth in a silly attempt to hide it. He starts reigning himself when Flayn spoke.  

“When are you going to invite Miss Eisner to a date?” she simply asked as if nothing. Seteth had to grip the staring wheel tighter before turning his head towards his daughter in disbelief.   

“W-What!? Whatever do you mean!?” he stuttered, “my relationship with Byleth is nothing like that! It would be... inappropriate, yes, that is... Besides, what makes you think I would like to have a date with her?”   

“Oh, Father, you don’t fool me. You’re like an open book to me!” she covered her chuckle with her tiny fist. She looks quite proud of herself. “I’ve seen the way you look at her... and the way she looks at you too! You like her and she likes you!” she concluded as she joined her hands and grinned.   

“Preposterous! I don’t even know what you mean. I don’t look at her in any romantic way and-…. Wait... did you say she likes me? W-What makes you think that?” he asked and had to clear his throat before his voice could betray how flustered he really was. Flayn rolled her eyes and lifted one hand to count with her fingers.  

“The way she talks and teases you, how she smiles when she’s with you, how she stares, how she wanted to have physical contact when she said goodbye... Oh, and of course, what she wore! That dress was soo nice. I’m sure she thought it was a date! And she did something with her hair... but I cannot pinpoint what exactly did she change...” she had led her hand to her chin like imagining Byleth’s image to discover what was different.   

Seteth said nothing. While thinking about what his daughter was saying, he focused on the road ahead. He actually sensed something like that. He still felt the tension from the training grounds, the images sending a shiver down his spine. And yet, he cannot fathom what exactly caught her eye to make her blush like that. He has confidence enough to admit that he thinks of himself as averagely attractive, but he’s old too. Way too old, ancient... And she’s so very young... so beautiful.    

He knows exactly what caught his eye about Byleth. Her big blue eyes in which you can get lost, her tiny snub nose and her rosebud lips. But is also her proficiency and wits, for both work and tease. Maybe it sounded juvenile, but part of him was attracted by the mystery that was her life. He wanted to uncover her past with her. It was like a puzzle and Seteth wanted to be part of it. That feeling almost makes him forget he needs to ask Rhea some questions about his partner. He just doesn’t want to know the answers that way. Maybe is just that... attraction and nothing more... I’m sure it will pass with time...   

“ Father?”   

“Mmmm,” he hummed in response to a question he couldn’t register. However, his daughter, instead of being annoyed by his lack of attention she giggles again.  

“Never mind,” she said as she turned to look through the window and hum the same song.   

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Until that moment, it was easier to ignore the magnetism that pulled him to her. But now, he’s very aware of her gestures and how her lips move when she talks. Like now...  

“Seteth?” Byleth asks, an eyebrow crooked and her head leaned to a side. She is still holding her spoon but resting it inside the bowl of stew.   

“Oh... yes, Byleth? Were you asking something?” he questions as he smiles at her, praying that she doesn’t realise at where he was staring.   

“Ah, is nothing. I was just saying that Garland Moon is a pain sometimes...” she looks down at her dish and leads the spoon to her mouth.  

“Have you... received many invitations from red-head oblivious students?” she chuckles and shakes her head.   

“This is the first occasion it got that specific, but give it time...” he laughs too and turns to his fish. He cuts a piece and place it on the fork with some vegetables.  

“So... many invitations?” he tries to act nonchalant. He doesn’t move his head to face her, but rolls his eyes to observe her reactions.  

“Some...” she responds with a shrug.  

“Mmmm, it should be expected... You are an attractive woman,” he says as if nothing while he leads the fork to his mouth. And there it is... Byleth blushes, all her face a soft red that sets her alive. Is lovely.    

“ I... I suppose...” she leaves the spoon and extends her arm to grab the glass of water. Seteth snorts before clearing his throat as he prepares for his next question.  

“And, with so many invitations, I... guess you have a date for Garland Moon?” he asks, returning his gaze to his dish. Please... tell me you don’t. His mind betrays him as he thinks so. Why would I care!?   

“ Oh, no, not really,” she shrugs again as she returns to her plate, “I wasn’t interested in any of them. It would be...” Byleth moves her hands in the air as she tries to find the right word, “cruel? To give them hope, I mean...” Thank the Goddess.  She doesn’t say nothing else about the matter but continues asking, “and you?”  

“Me what?” he responds as he rests the fork on the edge of the plate and reaches for a handkerchief to clean his mouth.  

“Do you have plans for Garland Moon?” she concludes the question. Just what I wanted to avoid. He coughs and leaves the paper on the table.  

“Well...you see... Flayn’s birthday is on Garland Moon too,”   

“Ohh that’s great! How old is she then?”   

“Sixteen,” he says without thinking. She has been sixteen for decades. Seteth sighs and averts his eyes.   

“Something tells me you’re not happy...” she creases her eyebrows in worry.  

“I-We usually celebrate her birthday together. I make her favourite dish and buy her preferred pastries... This year I promised to grant her whatever she desired, as she has been focusing on her studies and getting good grades.”  

“Uuuuh, what she asked for? A puppy?” she laughs as she says it. It is only natural to see Flayn as an innocent girl whose primary wish in life would be a puppy.   

“ Emmm...no, I would pray to the Goddess for my eternal gratitude if that was the case,” he says seriously, but makes Byleth laugh louder. It sounds so nice. Seteth smiles at her, and for some seconds, he forgets about his affliction.  

“Then? What was her desire?” at that question, he returns to his serious expression.  

“That I would permit her to go on a date,” he just spits it. They stay silent for some seconds before Byleth burst into a cackle. “Is not funny, Ms Eisner! Who knows what is in that young man’s mind?” Seteth leads a hand to his face, a sign of his exasperation, “and she made me swear I would grant her wish no matter what it was,” he rests his head on the hand, now supported on the table.   

“Your daughter is smart, you should be proud,” Byleth says, her glass over her lips before taking a sip.  

“Oh, I’m proud, don’t get me wrong... I just wish she wasn’t that smart at my expense”  

“And who is the lucky lad that will continue living after asking Flayn on a date?” the woman asks in a humorous tone.   

“Ferdinand von Aegir,” he simply estates, and Byleth lifts an eyebrow as she questions how he got that information, “what? Did you truly believe I wouldn’t investigate him a little before fully accepting him taking my precious daughter out?” his companion snorts. “He is coming to our apartment to pick Flayn. I’ll meet him then,” he sighs.   

“Can I hope you’ll not kill him the very same moment you lay eyes on him?” Byleth smirks.  

“I will not promise anything ever again...” they both laugh. He looks at her and smiles smugly. Maybe... I could tease her a little... “ You can always come and make sure I do nothing illegal...”  

Byleth’s eyes go wide open as her mouth before she averts her gaze. Oh... maybe I overstepped. I should tell her it was a joke! He opens his mouth but is interrupted by Byleth.  

“Alright, I’ll go,” she whispers, still not looking at him. Oh? This... has proceeded better than expected...   

“ Do you?” his voice sounds out of breath and he has to swallow to reign on his nerves.   

“Yes! I mean... why not? I usually spend that day with my father, but he’s still busy with the same case, so...” she lifts her right shoulder and leans her head to a side as she smiles sweetly.   

“If that’s the case, I’ll make us dinner!” he blurts out, completely excited by the prospect of inviting her to his home. Inviting her to my home on Garland Moon! I’m getting bolder with the years!   

“ Then I’ll buy the drink... I guess you’re a fan of red wine?” she continues grinning at him, infecting him with happiness.   

“Red wine would be perfect...”  

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The day is here. One week later and he’s still not prepared. For anything. He’s not prepared to let his daughter go out or let Byleth get in. But prepare I must .   

This was his free day, and he used it to go to the market and buy the finest products. He spent the entire morning thinking about what dish, in the small and simple repertory he knows how to prepare, he can make for Byleth. She likes strong spicy flavours... So, Spicy fish and turnip stew? Or Super Spicy Fish Dango? He gives a long glare to the tomatoes. They had a fantastic shape and their skin shined under the light of the living summer sun. The second it is. Then, he walked to the best fish shop of Garreg Mach and bought a bag full of fresh White Trouts.   

When he returned to the apartment, he made sure that there were candles. This isn’t a romantic date, of course, but a dinner under the light of candles is a lovely image. There is a foyer cabinet at the entrance, where he and Flayn keep the basic things such as lanterns, batteries, spare keys... and the said candles. He crouches and looks inside the main drawer. It seems Flayn has been using it a lot, because Seteth finds some things that are not supposed to be there, like scissors or adhesive tape. I’ll have to ask her to tidy this up on the weekend. After taking out of the way all those things, he sees them: small circles of red wax, a close new package. The cop takes them out and leave them at the dining table.   

He turns his head up to look at the clock over the window that connected the kitchen with the living room. 12 am... and Flayn is still sleeping... He sighs. Even when she has been awake for decades now, she still had sleeping problems, and Seteth suspected she had stayed awake all night and had fallen sleep with the first light of the morning. She must be nervous too... she has a date today after all... He cannot avoid the pain in his heart as he receives stitch of fear and worry for his daughter. You promised, Cichol. Seteth expires audibly the air through his nose, roll up the sleeves of his white shirt and paces to the kitchen. It was a rather laborious dish, so he had to cook now.  

It took two hours of scrapping the scales of the fishes and turn their meat into a compact mass to make balls, while he dried the tomatoes in the dehydrator. At the moment when he was placing the fish meat on the refrigerator, Flayn walked out of her room. As always, she went first to the bathroom and then walked directly to the kitchen.   

“Good morning...” she mumbles groggily, rubbing her eye with a fist.  

“Good morning, my treasure! Happy birthday!!” Seteth went immediately to kiss her at the top of her head, “if you don’t mind, today we’re eating the leftovers of yesterday’s lunch...” he explains. Flayn nods clumsily, but her nose seems to detect the smell of the tomatoes.  

“Have you been cooking?” there is confusion in her voice and she gazes at the dehydrator.  

“Ohh, yes! Super Spicy Fish Dango!” he says as he takes out the container with the fish sandwiches.  

“Mmmmm, such a hard dish... it is a special occasion?” Flayn asks, lifting an eyebrow at her father, and he has to bite the inside of his cheek, but forces himself to smile at her.  

“Of course! It is the birthday of my beautiful and most precious daughter, and she’s going on a date for the first time! Isn’t that a special occasion?” he laughs while he thinks: It is not, is a horrible occasion! If he hurts Flayn... there will be no place far enough for him to escape!   

“ Father... I know that is a deceive. Please, spare me the lies.” Flayn crosses her arms on her chest and stares at him sternly. So smart... He coughs, placing a fist in front of his mouth and an arm folded on the back.   

“Well...you see... Byleth is coming to assure that I do not present a threat to your... friend,” Seteth says completely serious. Flayn stays quiet for some seconds, and the father fears she hasn’t taken the joke. Half a joke. But he can see how his daughter’s face lightens up, and she leads her hands to her mouth in delight.   

“Oh, Father! You finally ventured to ask the woman you’re treasuring for a date! This is the most joyous occasion indeed!” she’s beaming, almost jumping in the place. Where is she learning all those things?   

“ Flayn, Flayn! Please, don’t get so excited! It is not a date, we’re simply two partners enjoying dinner because they have no plans for tonight... that’s it,” still, he cannot help the flush in his cheek, or the nervous gesture of rubbing the back of his head.   

“Oh, whatever! She’s coming!!” she’s now jumping for sure. She doesn’t even care that the fish sandwiches are cold, or that she doesn’t have a drink to accompany the food.   

When they end their lunches, Flayn runs to her room with the pretext that she needs to wear all her dresses to assure which one is the best for her date while Seteth continued preparing the dinner. For hours, his daughter walked from her chamber to the living room, like it was some kind of fashion show, to ask him which one was the best and with what accessories it combined. For him, she was perfect and charming in all of them.  

 The sun was falling, and they were soon at twilight time. Soon, Flayn’s date would arrive. As Byleth. Seteth doesn’t know who is more nervous of the two, but he can certainly know: he hides it best. Flayn had decided at the end for a blue sleeveless dress, white collar and brown buttons on the front; a long circle skirt that reached her knees. To combine all that, she chose brown ballerinas, as some seashells pins for her hair.   

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Father and daughter looked at each other. Who will be? He leaves the dishcloth on the counter and walks to the door, Flayn peaking from the back of the couch. Seteth takes a breath and opens.   

And there she is. Lovely as always.   

Byleth is standing in the doorway, a bottle of red wine in her hands. White sleeveless shirt with a loosened black bow around her neck, a side low ponytail; a black sarong skirt and kitten black heels. He just stares at her without saying anything until Byleth lifts an arm and waves her hand at him. Seteth shakes his head and steps to the side to let her in.  

“Good evening,” he finally articulates as he smiles. Byleth looks at the surroundings while muttering a “Good evening” herself, “please, make yourself comfortable, dinner will be ready soon,” he concludes as he goes back to the kitchen. His partner still looked around, her mouth agape, taking special attention to the photographs hanging on the walls.  

“Byleth! Good evening!” Flayn yells, jumping from the couch.  

“Hello, Flayn! Good evening!” Byleth responded as she looked at the girl up and down, “wow, look at you... you look charming for your first date!” at that, his daughter turns a lively crimson as she spins to show the cop how her skirt dance in the wind.  

“Do you really think so!? Ohh, I hope he likes it too!” Flayn looks down at her dress and fidgets on her fingers, playing with them nervously.  

“If he doesn’t like it, he’s an idiot,” Byleth estates as she places a hand on the young woman's shoulder, at which she responds, grinning widely. Well said. “Hey, Seteth, where do I put the wine?” she calls to him.  

“Oh, come to the kitchen, I’ll prepare the ice bucket for it,” he responds and Byleth does as she is told, walking there and placing the bottle on the counter. Seteth grabs it and looks at the etiquette, “Fancy... it must have cost you a lot.” Are you trying to impress me, Miss Eisner? At that thought, he cannot stop the smirk that forms on his lips.  

“Not really. I just... spend little money, so I thought it would be nice to have a whim tonight...” she excuses herself. He takes the bucket from a cabinet and fills it with ice cubes, accommodating the wine between them and leave it on the counter as he then checks the oven.   

“Well... what is in today’s menu?” his companion asks cheekily, crossing her arms on her chest and leaning over one console.   

“I know you like spicy food, but I hope you also like fish... I prepared Super Spicy Fish Dango!” he smiles at her.   

“Oh, sounds tasty! And yes, I like fish too,”   

“Great then,” his grin grows wider, “it seems this dinner will go pretty smoothly!” she opens her mouth to tell him something, but someone knocks at the door. Is him. Seteth takes a big breath and puffs out his chest as he walks to the entrance in the most menacing way he can.   

He opens and there he is.   

A tall boy with ginger hair brushed back and creating a wave on the front of his head; golden eyes that shine under the light of the hall. He’s dressed in a red cardigan over a white shirt with a black tie around his neck. Black trousers over camel derby shoes. He looks like the typical student. When the boy sees him, he has to swallow up before forming a fake self-assured smile.  

“Good evening, sir, I came to pick up your daughter, Flayn,” he says with an air of pride that Seteth cannot digest.  

“I know...” he looks at him with a stern gaze, furrowing his eyebrows until it hurt. The cop is about to say something when his daughter appears running from his back and launching over the boy.  

“Ferdinand!” she sounds so excited, and that makes Seteth calm a bit, not wanting to show his angry face in front of his daughter, “Well, father, have a good night!” Flayn says as she pulls her date from the arm to the stairs.  

“Wait a moment there, young lady! I need to set up some rules!” he says before coughing and lifting a hand with a hand pointing up, “you’ll come back before 10...”  

“What!? That’s too early!” his daughter complains, “we’ll arrive at midnight!”  

“Not even in your wildest dreams, daughter...10:30 is the latest I can accept.” he crosses his arms now as Flayn pouts.  

“11:30!”  

“No way!”  

“11 then! Not a minute later or sooner!” she crosses her arms too. Seteth takes a while longer to dissipate the stern position and expelling the air he has been holding.  

“Alright... I suppose that half an hour more cannot be harmful...”  

“Yes!! Well, we’ll be going no-”  

“Nothing of kisses, or hugs, or any physical contact on that matter! I’m watching you... even if you don’t see me,” he says the last part as he narrows his eyes at the boy, who is sweating nervously as he swallows hard, “and remember, young man, I’m a detective... if you harm her, in any way, I’ll make any arrangement to put you in jail for an eternity... I hope you understand the peril...”  

“Yes, of course, sir! I’ll make sure she doesn’t suffer any harm on my company, never!” the student is almost yelling, the nerves giving the best of them. At that, the father smiles tenderly and directs his gaze to his daughter.  

“Alright then, have a good evening, my precious daughter!” Seteth gives his daughter a peck on the forehead and wave goodbye, watching as they leave. Then he closes the door and leans forward, supporting his head on the wood.  

“What a show,” he hears Byleth from the kitchen, and he can sense the laugh in her tone, “but you did better than I expected.”  

“And what did you expect, Miss Eisner?”   

“More guns,” she concludes, and Seteth has to snort at that.   

He smells the dish on the oven, so he turns around and walks to the kitchen looking inside the appliance.  

“Well, I think our dinner is ready, so let’s stop talking about guns, shall we?”   

Byleth chuckles, takes the ice bucket with the wine and heads to the living room after saying over her shoulder, a smirk on her lips, “we shall,”  

For the next hour, they share a quiet conversation about each other’s day. Byleth had worked today, and she had been dealing with some complaints and a patrol with Alois. She told him the new “joke” their colleague had invented. They both groaned and, at the same reaction, they shared a laugh. His companion also told him how his brother, Macuil, seemed to have a second date with Manuela. It seems they were going to the park to see some kind of concert. Seteth doesn’t know if he should feel sorrier for Macuil or Manuela, but he cannot wait to receive the tale of the date on Poker Night. But what surprised him the most was that Indech, of all people, had presented himself in the Department with a gigantic sunflower that he gave to a surprised Shamir. Since when he has a crush on her!? I’ll have to ask him from the very first second I see him!   

In conclusion, they had a lovely dinner, full of laugh and light conversation, and Seteth’s heart cannot be fuller... and his head dizzier. He always thought alcohol had little effect on him, but there was something in the air that made him push his guard down and let the drink show the better of him.  

They ended the dish and had moved to the couch, sitting on their sides and supporting their elbows on the back of the furniture, looking at each other directly. Her nose was read from the wine, but she seems more lucid than him.  

“That was fantastic, Seteth, you’re a great cooker,” Byleth says as she smiles, still cleaning her mouth with a handkerchief that she leaves on the coffee table.   

“Don’t need to exaggerate. When you have a lot of time to yourself, you learn a few things,” he responds grinning to, and he cannot stop looking at her, how her lips are swollen and red from the spiciness of the dish, “but I’m happy you enjoyed it,”  

“Very much so, you’ll have to teach me how to do it,”   

“I’ll gladly teach you my cooking secrets,” at that they both laugh before falling to a comfortable silence. After some moments, they both open their mouths to talk but interrupting each other, what make them chuckle again. “Please, you first,” Seteth offers.   

“Alright... I’ve realised you have a lot of photos on the walls. You seem to love collecting memories,” she grins fondly.  

“Yes, of course. Is a way to keep my family close when they are far from me,”  

“Still... I cannot stop thinking... and I hope I don’t overstep...” Byleth tries to say, looking down at her hand over her thigh, and Seteth cannot fathom what kind of question would make her insecure like that, “I’ve noticed that you don’t have photos of her...”  

“Her? Who are you-... oh” a new kind of tension settles in the room, and he doesn’t know how to feel. Is a long-forgotten feeling, a mix of uneasiness and self-conscious, and he doesn’t know what to do next. However, he swallows and proceeds to explain, “well... I don’t have photos of Rhiannon because,” because the last time I saw her face, photography didn’t exist, “ they were burned...”  

“Burned?” Byleth asks startled, “what do you mean?”   

“They accidentally got burned, alongside with Flayn’s childhood photographs, when my last home suffered an incident,” a slaughter, “ and it burned to the ground. Nothing was left,” only five left.   

“ I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” Byleth whispers and reaches to touch his forearm.  

“Don’t worry, Byleth...” he reassures her with a sad smile and a hand over hers, “the memories of her still live in my heart, and they will never be burned from there,”  

“Would you...like to talk about her?” she asks hesitantly, leaning her head to a side.  

“About Rhiannon? Yes... maybe one day, but not tonight,” he averts his gaze.   

However, the sound of Byleth’s sigh make him look at her again and he sees sadness in her eyes, she looks a little crestfallen, and Seteth feels the urge of consoling her, so he extends his hand to tuck a loose strand oh hair behind her ear, a movement that makes her stare at him with eyes wide. Still, he did not place the hand back where it was. He lingers there as he passes the back of his fingers through her cheek. At the same time, he cannot stop observing at her lips, and his mind goes back to his conversation with Flayn in the car. You like her and she likes you! She’s still as she stares back at him, surprised. I was bold, and she came to dinner... maybe I’m even more lucky if I’m bold now.   

“ Seteth?” Byleth asks, but is too late.  

He launches forward and crashes his mouth with hers. He passes his tongue over her lips, asking for entrance, and she permits it. She’s kissing me back. He sucks at her lower lip and attacks her mouth again. His hand still on her cheek, caressing the skin there. It all feels perfect for a little amount of time.  

Until Byleth leans her head back and shakes it. Her hands pushing his chest for him to separate. She bites her lower lip and stares down. Seteth leads a hand to the wrist of one hand resting on his chest as he inclines his head to try to catch her gaze, but he doesn’t make it before she talks.  

“W-we shouldn’t... I’m sorry,” she says as she turns her body forward, not facing him. Seteth doesn’t dare to say anything. He’s out of breath and his mind is blank. He can only place a hand on his forehead. They stay silent for some seconds, before Byleth stands up, “I-I should go,” at that statement he also stands up abruptly and follows her to the door.  

“I’m... I’m so sorry, Byleth. I shouldn’t have done that. It was foolish of me!” he cannot even open the door before she does, going out to the doorway and turning to look at him one last time.  

“Don’t worry, Seteth... I had... a lovely evening. Thanks for the dinner... see you at work, okay?” she concludes and Seteth cannot believe how the night could deflate like that. But he’s surprised when Byleth stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek, “good night”, and with that, she leaves.   

It’s 11 pm when Flayn arrives home after a wonderful date. Her cheeks cannot hurt more by how much she has laughed and smiled. Still, when he enters the apartment, the first thing she sees is her father, sitting on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a hand covering his eyes. The living room dark, the candles long extinguished.  

“Father?” he doesn’t respond. “Byleth... left already?” she continues asking. And then he reacts.  

“Cethleann... I messed up... I really, really messed up” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: I'll be seeing you.

His lips crashed against hers. They were soft, warm... inviting, and before she could realise what she was doing, she was kissing him back. A shiver run through her spine, the hair stands on end. Her mind feels like floating, and even when her heart doesn’t beat, she can sense her pulse going crazy and her cheeks getting warmer. She leads her hands to his chest, searching the beatings of his heart with the fingertips. And they are so strong that she thinks it’s about to burst out from his chest. Byleth has never felt so good, and yet... This isn’t right. It isn’t right even when his hand on her cheek is so tender and his lips slide over hers, oh so well. So, she lightly pushes and turns her head down, separating from him. Closes her eyes to gather herself as she shakes her head. 

“W-we shouldn’t... I’m sorry,” she swallows hard and says as she turns her body forward, instead of facing him. 

“What are you doiiiing!?” Sothis yells inside her mind, and Byleth can see how she leads her hands to the head, exasperation painted on her face. But the cop doesn’t mind her, she just stands.  

“I-I should go,” at that statement he also stands up abruptly and follows her to the door.  

“I’m... I’m so sorry, Byleth. I shouldn’t have done that. It was foolish of me!” he cannot even open the door before she does, going out to the doorway and turning to look at him one last moment. Byleth stares at his worried face. The crowfeet she likes so much when he smiles are present now too, but this time, they show how mortified he is. His frown is deepened and his eyes were watery with desperation.  

“Don’t worry, Seteth... I had... a lovely evening. Thanks for the dinner... see you at work, okay?” she concludes and knows she doesn’t want to end the night like this. She cannot endure that sadness is the last thing she’s going to see from him before fleeing from his apartment. Byleth stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek, “good night”, and with that, she turns and leave. 

“Why did you have to kiss his cheek!? He’s going to get confused; you’re sending him contradictory ideas!” the green-haired woman continues shouting as Byleth hurries down the stairs and exits the building. Her pulse still threatening to make her collapse. She bites her lower lip to rein herself, but she can only think about one thing. 

“I need to see my father...” she repeats in her head, as she looks everywhere around, trying to discern which is the shortest path to Jeralt’s apartment. 

“Jeralt!? Do you want your partner dead? Why do you want to see him?” 

“I don’t know! This is the first time I’m feeling something like this. He’ll be able to help me...” she rests a hand on her forehead and to her surprise, she feels cold sweat soaking her skin there. 

“But this is not your first kiss. Why are you reacting like this?” Sothis continues asking, an arm crossed over her chest while the other rest her hand on her chin as thinking.  

“I don’t know, Sothis! Please... just... let me concentrate, okay?” Byleth is also yelling in her mind as she turns to the left, her steps fast as she directs to the veteran detective’s apartment.  

“Alright... if you need someone to talk... I’m here, basically because I cannot go anywhere else, but... yeah...” 

She can feel the crisp air hit her cheeks. The warm sensation she felt in Seteth’s apartment lives only in her core. Her legs are numb as she speeds up. Byleth tries not to look alarmed to the other passer-by, so she gets herself into her Ashen Demon persona. I’m safe now... She thinks, a mask of stoicism covers her face, eyes falling into a void of inexpressiveness. She cannot feel anything anymore, just a knot that keeps rotating inside her mind. A bundle of black threads that becomes bigger with each step and threatens to swallow her whole. But there’s always a light that avoids that from happening. A presence so bright that the edges of those strands tremble and retreat. She doesn’t know if she should be thankful or angry, as for now, she would love nothing more than falling into the icy darkness that shields her. But before it happens, she discerns the building of her father and raises her eyes to stare at his window. The light is on. He’s at home. Good.  

She climbs the stairs and searches inside the pocket of her dress, taking out the key-chain which contains her apartment keys, the one for her locker at the police station and the most important at the moment: the keys to her father’s office. She opens the main door, ascends the stairs to the third floor, and instead of just using the key to enter the place, she knocks. It wouldn’t do good to just open the damn door in the middle of the night and scare the shit out of dad. She can hear rustle at the other side, some steps that halt there. Byleth can see in her mind her father looking through the peephole while holding a gun with a hidden hand at his back. What she cannot understand is why he takes so long to just open. C’mon, old man, let me in! At last, it cracks open and before she can she her father’s face; she starts talking. 

“Hello dad. Look, don’t worry. I’m just wanted to check on y...” her statement is interrupted when she lifts her eyes and doesn’t find Jeralt there, “Aelfric? What ar...” 

“Byleth! What are you doing here so late?” he asks, his mouth slightly agape and eyes wide. 

“Ugh... this guy...” Byleth hears Sothis inside her head, but she doesn’t respond. 

“That’s what I should be asking! What are you doing here? At my father’s apartment? At this hour!?” the cop asks, and she feels her body go rigid, alert, in fight-or-flight mode. Maybe she wasn’t in the best clothes to fight, but she would not stay still. 

“Well... ummm, your father gave me a key long ago...” he explains as he rubs the back of his head. A key? My father? Huh... 

“Do you think that’s possible?” Sothis questions. She has appeared next to Byleth and has her hands crossed on her chest. 

“Not at all... My father is the most cautious man in Fodlan... he wouldn’t give a key to anyone,” 

“So... he’s lying! AHA, I knew something was off with him! I see through your shitty soul, creep!” the green-haired woman exclaims as she laughs, triumphal, “c’mon, arrest him! You can do that, right?” 

“Yeah... but...” 

“But what!? He’s a criminal, do your job!”  

“Why is he lying, and why is he here?” Byleth crooks her head to a side, an eyebrow lifted as she assesses the man in front of her. His hair is a little dishevelled, like if he has been taking fists of it; his eyes are red and tired, and even when he tries to falsely smile, she can see a pain behind. 

“Aelfric... why are you here?” she asks in a soft tone, like getting near a wounded animal. He seems startled by the question; totally forgot she was there. 

“I... I usually come to see the albums of photographs...” Aelfric explains, averting his eyes. 

“Albums? Do you mean the ones with my mother's photos?” Byleth continues asking, a hand to her cheek. 

“Exactly...” he rotates his head to stare back at the living room, some albums and photos sprayed all over the tea table, “I just... want to remember her...” the man continues.  

Byleth observes Aelfric, and she cannot help but pity him. However, words come to her mind. The memories of her still live in my heart, and they will never be burned from there. She curses in a whisper as she closes her eyes, before opening them and leaning to a side to stare at the albums there too. 

“Do you care if I join you?” she finds herself asking and doesn’t wait until his father’s friend responds, just walks forward to the couch and sits there, already passing her eyes through the photos. 

“Well, of course!” Aelfric says as he shuts the door and hurries to sit down next to her. 

Byleth observes the images. They are all of her mother. Sitri always appears smiling in the photographs: sitting over a towel on the beach, a straw hat on her head; giving a walk across what looks like a park as she smells the flowers at the side of the path; in one, she is standing next to the railing of Police Station stairs. The cop crooks an eyebrow and realises something. 

“Aelfric,” she calls the man next to her, who only responds with a hum, not averting his eyes from the photographs, “how did Jeralt and Sitri meet?” a nervous tone at the edge of her voice. 

“Oh... well, I’m sure you have heard the story a lot,” he responds, and even when he tries to say it in an amused way, Byleth can hear some kind of irritation coming from him. 

“No,” she simply responds as she lifts her head and looks at him directly, “my father has never told me anything.” at that statement he finally stares at her, totally surprised before sighing defeated. 

“Oh, Jeralt...” Aelfric closes his eyes, and then forces a smile, “well, she and me studied in the Officers Academy, you see? We were always surrounded by people that had a bright future secured. When we graduated, many of them flight from here to chase success. But Sitri...” he halts for a moment, Byleth rotates her face to see a nostalgic grin appearing on his mouth, “Sitri just wanted a peaceful life. While I continued my religious studies at the Academy, she opened a florist shop at the Railway Station of the growing city of Garreg Mach. She loved flowers...” the man continues in a whisper as he joins his hands. 

“Yeah... I know it... but when did Jeralt join the scene?” Byleth asks, trying to not show her impatience.  

“At that time, she also started delivering lunch to her mother in the Police Station...” 

“Her mother?” the detective interrupts, absolutely confused. My grandma was a cop too? How did I not know this? 

“Yes... Rhea. Didn’t... you know?”

“WAIT WHAT!?” Sothis is absolutely flabbergasted. 

“Wait, what!?” Byleth repeats. She tries to not look too astonished, but her eyebrows rise to the line of her hair. “H-how old was Sitri? And how old is Rhea!?” 

“I-I think Sitri was 20... As for Rhea... I wouldn’t even begin to guess, but she’s certainly older than she looks... although, I have to clarify, that she’s Sitri’s adoptive mother...” Aelfric explains. After some seconds of silence in which Byleth tries to assimilate all the new information, the man next to her seemed to realise something. “I’m surprised your partner didn’t tell you anything. I wonder if he knew...” he simply estates. 

Could it be that Seteth knew it? She bites her nails as she turns away her stare at the window, watching the lights of the streets enter through the glass. Byleth tries to remember all the conversations she has had with him. She can see them in his office the first day she started working at the Department. Until Friday, I didn’t even consider the Blade Breaker to have a daughter, which is strange because he’s like a living legend around here. And no one, never, not even Alois, mentioned you. His words resonate in her mind. She separates her fingers from her mouth and stares back at Aelfric, who is acting as nonchalantly as possible. No... Seteth didn’t know... Just how many secrets does Rhea keep from him?  

“No, he didn’t,” Byleth says quietly and can see the brunette man open his mouth to object, “and I don’t think is his responsibility either... Not when my father could have told me this himself. Sitri was my mother, and I didn’t even know how she met him...” she can hear the sharp edge of her voice as she stands up. She doesn’t understand why she’s so angry or why she’s defending her partner. A sensation of warm soft lips come back to her skin and she has to lead her fingers to her mouth as a blush spread over her cheeks, “I... I must go,” she walks to the door, not even letting Aelfric respond. The man stands too and follows her. He opens the mouth to say something, but Byleth interrupts him again, “good night. Be sure to lock when you’re finished,” she turns and gazes at him. She notices how stunned he is by the abrupt turn of the events. But she only nods as she says “bye” and with that, she’s out.  

Byleth exits the building and walks to her apartment. The air is colder than before, and there is no warmth inside her anymore. Her steps are heavy and slow, as her shoulder lean forward. It has been a day...  

“Indeed...” Sothis reappears. She walks beside Byleth, her arms folded on her back, but she’s straight and there is a rhythm in her steps. To the cop’s surprise, she doesn’t tease her. The green-haired woman only walks in silence by her side, as if she was giving her support. However, Sothis realises her thoughts, smiles knowingly and continues, “don’t worry... there is no mystery that stays hidden forever, that I can assure you... you’ll find all the truth someday” Byleth just hums in response and continues walking.  

When she arrives at her apartment, she doesn't remember. She suddenly appears lying in her bed, only in her small clothes. She is on her side, grabbing the blanket with her fists, trying to make herself look like a little bundle. There are so many thoughts on her mind, and she would love nothing more than they would go silent. But there is a sensation that she feels over the others. The soft passing of fingers through her cheek. A strand of her delicately being tucked behind her ear. Lips crashing. The strong beats of a heart that is not hers under the fingertips. 

It all felt so good and new.  

But it is not right. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Every time we Say Goodbye 

Breath in 

Breath out 

Breath in.... 

Breath out....... 

Seteth has been repeating the same over and over as he does his breathing exercises. He has had two days to put his thoughts in order. That’s what he believed, at least. But now, when he’s heading to work in his car, the mind turns into a chaos again. Passes his fingers over and over through his lips, trying to erase his mistake from the other night.  

I kissed Byleth. I kissed my partner... I’m such an idiot! His grip on the steering wheel tightens. The cop is mortified. After all these years, he has thought he had mastered his self-control over the emotions and impulses. But now, a few cups of wine made him launch forward to catch the mouth of a co-worker. And not any co-worker! His partner, someone he found suspicious about merely weeks ago! Seteth knows so little of her, and she knows so little of him... What would she say if she... no, there is no point asking myself that. He lets out his exasperation with a loud sigh.  

It has been two days since he last saw her. Two days since that night. Byleth hasn’t been seen at the Police Station. Her free days after their dinner were a coincidence he was thankful for. Seteth didn’t know what he would have said if he had to meet up with her the next day. As if he knew what to say now... He would apologise, of course. His kiss had been imposing. Even when she kissed me back... He shakes his head to dismiss those thoughts away. She probably felt obligated! He can see the images clearly in his mind. One moment he was caressing her cheek, sliding his lips over hers, Byleth’s fingers resting on his chest... And a moment later, she was pushing back; her face away from him, pain painted on her eyes and legs, leading her to the door. But... she kissed my cheek when we parted... Enough! She did it because she pitied you, Cichol!  

Already in front of the building, Seteth stays sitting in his car. He looks at the windows and tries to discern the cobalt hair of Byleth, but he doesn’t see anyone. Maybe she hasn’t arrived. He thinks when a shadow stops just next to his window. At first, he’s surprised. Why would anyone stop there? Then he grew frustrated. That person is in the way between his hiding spot and the place he’s avoiding for now. However, when he was about to objurgate the person in question, moving his gaze up to meet their face, he found the object of his concerns. Byleth is standing there, an eyebrow raised as she stares at him, a hint of sadness in her pupils. Seteth gapes, ashamed of have been caught and with no idea of what to say. 

“Are you avoiding me?” Byleth asks as she averts her eyes away from him. He can know for sure she’s showing dismay now. Seteth doesn’t doubt a moment to open the door and get out, quickly leading his hands to her, to make her look at him. But he thinks better of it and retreat his arms. 

“No... but I will not lie, I knew this was going to be...an awkward encounter,” he stays still and observes how she goes sadder by the second. Wrong words. He opens his mouth to continue, but is interrupted.  

“Can we sit?” she questions and nods towards the stairs that lead to the main door. Seteth is startled for a second before accepting and walking there beside his partner. Once seated, Byleth continues. “I’ve been talking with someone...” she rolls her eyes and stares at the sky. That again. As if she was conversing with an invisible entity... “with a friend...” she finally says with a sigh, “and she advised me to come clean and be sincere, so we can continue to have a good work relationship.” I like the sound of that. “That is, if you’re willing to hear...” her eyes meet his with the certainty he has come to cherish these last months. 

“Well, of course! There are few things I appreciate more than honesty,” if only I could be honest myself... he thinks and the little confidence he felt just a moment before evaporates slowly. Still, Byleth doesn’t notice it, and if she did, she says nothing. 

“Okay... So, we cannot deny there is something between...us,” she makes signs with her hands to point at them both, then she stops for a second, as if she’s trying to assemble the words like in a puzzle, and blushes, “let’s call it attraction...” 

“Excuse me... did I hear right?” Seteth’s cheeks are aflame. “attraction... Are you... attracted to me?” his entire face is beet red and he can feel the warmth in the point of his hidden ears. It seems the blush spread to Byleth, who averts her eyes and cough before staring at him again with a dignified look on her face. 

“Do... I really need to answer that question? I mean, I was hoping we could focus this conversation on a more important matter, if you don’t mind...” 

“Oh, yes! I’m sorry. Please, continue...” I’m such an idiot. She’s trying to say something and here am I, only caring that she finds me attractive... 

“Alright... so I recognise this... feeling, but I wish we could stop this now while we can,” she explains, her gaze focused on the floor in front of her.  

Seteth feels his heart tighten and hurt, and he cannot bring himself to accept that her petition has disillusioned him. He forces himself to just admit the rejection. Of course, you old fool...she’s doing the right thing. Stop being childish. He thinks as he prepares to answer Byleth, to tell her she’s right and they should move on when she continues talking. 

“At least for the moment...,” the green-haired man’s gaze snaps to stare at his partner and gapes, “we’ve only known each other for what? Two months? I just think...we should try to be better friends? Before jumping the big gap to... other type of relationship, I mean...” her face is a nice dust of pink and she doesn’t know where to rest her eyes, looking everywhere but him.  

“Well, of course! You’re right! I was so selfish to impose on you, to just... throw myself to you and let my impulses got the better of me. I’m so sorry for that,” he says while he stares at her from the corner of his eye and tries to discern her thoughts, “but I would love nothing more than continue knowing and working with you as we have been doing for now...” Seteth finalises with a kind smile that Byleth answers with one of her own.  

The detective extends his hand to grab hers. Still, when he’s reaching for it, a racket sounds from inside. There are people shouting and running. Seteth sighs as he imagines is, once again, the result of some kind of shenanigan between his co-workers. These people...  

“Let’s get inside before our colleagues destroy the Department,” he stands up and starts climbing the stairs, with Byleth quickly following behind after snorting. 

However, what they found in the reception hall is absolute chaos. Manuela is on the phone asking for an ambulance. Macuil is running towards where the cells are situated, while Indech is standing there as he talks with Shamir, who looks totally unfazed by what’s happening around, but her feet tapping on the floor reveals the tension inside her. Catherine is in front of Manuela’s desk as she listens the talk on the phone intensively.  

“What is happening here!?” Seteth shouts, earning the attention of everyone in the place. The first one to react is Catherine, who turns around to respond as she leads her hand to the back of her head. 

“We... we were going to interrogate him... but he was dead,” the blonde cop explains as she gazes at the floor. 

“Who is dead?” Byleth asks, already on her professional stance, a determinate look on her face. 

“Mr Lonato,” Shamir is the one to answer, and Seteth’s mouth goes wide. 

Catherine and Shamir have been out of Garreg Mach for some days, away in Magdred Way. It is a little town on the road that connects the region of Gaspard and Ogma Mountains, where Garreg Mach city is situated. The local authorities suspected that a politician in town, Mr Lonato, was encouraging a rebellion among the people against the government and how the church still has a hold on the country’s laws. The two cops from the city travelled there to help ease the tension. However, when they arrived, everything went to hell. Protests became violent and police had to dissipate them by force. It all ended in many injuries on both sides and many arrests, one of them, Mr Lonato’s. He has been brought to Garreg Mach Station for interrogation, Magdred’s cells already full. 

“We received a call from town’s police station,” Catherine began to explain, “they told us they found a very incriminating letter in Lonato’s house that signalled he was planning, along an unidentified group, of assaulting Garreg Mach Monastery...”  

“With what intentions!?” Seteth is alarmed and he cannot believe what his ears are listening.  

An assault on Garreg Mach? There is an Academy there, with children! For Goddess’s sake... He’s trembling at the thought, even when he doesn’t know for sure what was going to happen. Then, he feels Byleth’s hand on his shoulder and her eyes pleading for him to calm down. Seteth breathes and nods at his partner. 

“We don’t know,” is Shamir who responds to his inquiry, “we were going to interrogate him to get that information...but it seems someone got ahead of us and ended with his life before he could sing,” she completes. Seteth is going to answer when Macuil gets out of the cells’ part of the building and everyone’s eyes rested on him. His brother cleans his hands with a handkerchief.  

“Yep, he’s very dead,” Macuil estates the obvious, “but the killer seems that is no one other than himself...”  

“What!? He...he committed suicide?” Catherine is startled as she stares at Macuil, then she looks down at the floor with regret shining in her eyes. 

“It looks that way, a suicide pill I presume...,” the forensic sighs as he explains, “I wonder... what secrets he had to come to that point...”  

Silence drowns the entire hall. Everyone avoided looking at the others. After some seconds, Rhea gets out of the cells. She says nothing at first, but by the look in her eyes, Seteth knows she’s angry. And with reason... 

“Manuela,” the commissar says in the middle of the quietness, “is the ambulance coming its way?” 

“Yes! It will be here at any moment...” the receptionist responds. 

“Good...” Rhea looks around and lets out an exasperated breath, “who was guarding the cells when it happened?” the question already sounded like an accusation and nobody dared to step forward, averting their eyes away from the commissar. 

“It was me, Miss Rhea,” finally, a trembling voice sounds from one corner. A young police officer gives one step towards his boss, his face almost hidden by his cap. Rhea flips her head to look at the cop. Seteth thinks she’s going to snap in front of everyone right then and there, but she just sighs. 

“You saw something suspicious?” she asks and maintains the calm. I should have known better; she always knows how to maintain her composure.  

“Nothing at all! He looked like he was sitting normally, but... I suppose I was wrong,” the man rubbed the back of his head. 

“Don’t worry, no one would have known...” Rhea concludes, and looks around, “I’ll call Principal Dahlman to tell him about the supposed assault to Garreg Mach. Everyone, except Macuil, Catherine and Shamir, goes back to work. This is taken care of already. You three, come to my office,” she finalises and walks away.  

Even when Rhea ordered to go back to work, some stayed in the hall, not sure what to do after this awful event. Byleth and Seteth among them. The green-haired detective knows he will not be able to concentrate, more so, knowing that there is a group of people planning to enter the monastery where his daughter is staying, with the possibility of her being hurt. At the end, he just let out a breath he was holding and accept he’s not able to do anything at the moment.  

“Let’s get to work, we ha-,” he says as he leads a hand to rest it on Byleth’s shoulder, just as she has done mere moments ago. Still, he stops when he places his eyes on her, and he knows something is wrong. 

 His partner is staring at the hallway, the direction Rhea went. She’s serious, and Seteth sense something is troubling her by the way her pupils seem lost in thought.  

“Byleth... are you alright?” he asks, finally trying to call her attention with a hand on her back. She jumps, startled by the physical contact. 

“Y-yes, I was just thinking about something... nothing important,” she responds. Seteth knows she’s lying, but he doesn’t push her, “let’s go, we have so much to do...” Byleth grins falsely at him and walks to their shared office.  

A conversation for another time, then... 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Many days have passed, a new month began, and the Police Department has been busier than ever. Calls to the deceased’s family, a lot of explanations to be given, thrown accusations, and no truths revealed. The police body of Garreg Mach, along with Magdred’s Way, hasn’t been able to find any hint about the group planning the assault on the monastery. However, some cops in the department, Rhea, Macuil, Indech and Seteth among them, suspected that the perfect moment to do such a thing is the Day of the Rite of Rebirth.  

It is an old religious celebration thought to bring back the Goddess to Fodlan. Not that it ever worked. Seteth has always had contradictory feelings about this day. It was created by the necessity of Seiros to bring back their mother, and it pain him so.  

When it first started, he wasn’t there but in a cave, lost in the continent's immensity, taking care of his sleeping daughter. Then he reunited with his kin, and she explained to him, with all kinds of detail and emotion, how it worked. He observed the previous days to the Rite how Seiros grew illusioned while she prepared everything in her part as Archbishop, and even when he didn’t know what to think, he couldn’t bring himself to contradict her. Still, he also had to watch how her face adopted the most heartbreaking sadness once the Rite was over and mother hadn’t returned. Priests and nuns went out of the tower, ready to enjoy the festivities and meals of this joyous day, while she stayed behind, on her knees caressing the lilies’ petals that were fallen on the floor, lingering in the last remains of hope. And he had to repeat that sight, over and over, through the centuries.  

Everyone at the Department prepared for that day. Rhea had talked with Principal Dahlman, and even when he said the security force in the Academy and Monastery were competent and many, he asked for more help from the Department. A chance to have Byleth there again, for sure, Seteth thought. But if it meant he was there with her too and able to have everything controlled where his daughter was, the petition was welcome. The pair would have the assistance of Catherine and Shamir. They would split into two groups. On one side, Byleth and Seteth would patrol the zone of the Cathedral, the Holy Mausoleum included, while the other partners would guard the part of the common areas of the Monastery.  

As the day was coming closer, Seteth felt his anxiety swallowing him up. The only thing that helped was his trainings with Byleth. After their talk on the stairs, the green-haired man felt that things weren’t as awkward, but he could sense some kind of distance with his partner. She would always find an excuse to not attend the reunions with all the Department body and asked to receive the information from him. Their exercises together, some kind of mechanic dance she broke every time he came too near, walking away to have some water or stretch, just to begin anew in a prudent space. Seteth knows this is the right thing to do, as he feared he could lose control of his impulses again. Still, it scares him their relationship had given a step back, and he doesn’t know how to regain what was lost or how to continue walking forward. He often thought of inviting her to the cinema with Flayn, just as they had done merely a month ago, or to lunch as it was becoming a habit of theirs. But she always declined or said she was busy. At the end, and even when it sounded horrible to his ears, the only thing he had left to recover the confidence with Byleth, was this mission to go smoothly, to find that rapport they had showed in the last two cases, hoping it would prove them both that they are great partners and that is worth it to stay together.  

And now, the Day of the Rite of Rebirth is here. They are both in his car, no words exchanged. The two cops concentrate on the work ahead. But Seteth cannot help but miss the times they used to tease each other, to ask questions about their lives, and to lie without poison. He just looks at his partner from time to time, at how she stares at the world outside the window passing by. The detective squeezes his mind to find some conversation, but it obfuscates, so he goes back to stare at the road ahead. Cichol... just act like at the beginning. Like she was some kind of mystery to solve before trusting her. He sighs and is about to abandon all kinds of hope to engage in a conversation. 

“Something’s bothering you?” Byleth’s voice sounds from the right and when he directs his gaze towards her, she’s staring at him with worry in her eyes. This is my chance! 

“Oh, it is nothing, really, don’t need to concern yourself...” he responds as he shrugs. 

“You are worried about today’s case, right?” she asks, now looking forward, her arms crossed. 

“Only the normal amount. It makes little sense to me why anyone would assault a monastery, that also, has an Academy...” he lets out a breath and rubs his temple with two fingers. 

“For what I know, the man who died wanted to stop the influence of the Church over politics. Maybe the assault is symbolic...” she tries to explain, but it doesn’t convince Seteth. 

“Yes, maybe, but... they cannot really be so reckless to enter a fortified and secured place just to send a message.” 

“Mmmmm, does the monastery have something of value within its walls?” Byleth asks as she repeats a gesture that Seteth cannot stop thinking is so her. She leads her hand to her cheek and cocks her head to the side, as she reflects. 

“Well, the Cathedral has the Holy Mausoleum inside, which has the tomb of Saint Seiros along with some replicas of the Heroes’ Relics,” he explains as he stops at a red light.  

“Heroes’ Relics?” she lets her arms fall to her lap while her eyes focus on Seteth’s face. He chuckles. 

“Sometimes it amuses me how little you know about the Church...” he turns his head slightly to watch how she smiles and shrugs. This is going fine! “The Heroes’ Relics are the divine weapons bestowed by the Goddess upon 10 heroes that have been passing to their descendants over time,” Seteth starts explaining, but his façade turns gloomy next. “The church has been asking the families to hand those weapons, but most of them have rejected such a petition, so the monastery can only show replicas...” 

“Why? I mean, is not that they are going to use them,”  

“I cannot deny that, from their eyes, it must be some kind of prove of their prestige. To have a relic is to be respected as one of the heroes’ descendants, even when they only have them hanging from the wall of their living rooms,” he feels the bile rising in his throat, the complete disgust at that imaginary sight. 

“I will never understand rich people...” she says as she continues staring at the outside, their destination already in front of them.  

“That makes us two,” Seteth responds to end the conversation. He parks on a free slot, a car doing the same behind them.  

In the other vehicle, Catherine and Shamir had been following them. They are the first ones to get out of the car, the blonde cop stretching her bones, while the other places her weapon in the hidden gun holder. Seteth and Byleth stay in the car. The first checking everything is in order, the second just waiting. 

“Prepared?” he asks as he rotates his head to look at her. She only nods and gets out of the car to reunite with their co-workers. Seteth gazes at them through the rear mirror, sighs, exits and walks to the group, “everything ready?”  

“Yep, ready to kick ass!” Catherine responds while he gives Seteth a thumbs up, which gains a lifted eyebrow from the detective. 

“Yes,” the simple response of Shamir is a significant contrast to the one of her partners. I really understand why Indech likes her.  

“Let’s go then...” Byleth says as she walks towards the iron gates of the monastery. 

There are fewer people than ever, the shops in the entry square closed. It is a festive day, after all. Once again, he climbs the stairs that lead to the entrance of the Main Hall, but this time, there is no teasing or smiles shared with his partner. The atmosphere is dim and quiet, the steps and wind the only sound at the place. That’s until they arrive at the end of the stairs, the principal already there, waiting for them. Aelfric has a serious face as he watches them, but then he sees Byleth and a smile appears over his mouth. What I wouldn’t give to erase that grin from his face... Seteth shakes his head, knowing is not right to think that way.  

“Good morning!” principal Dahlman greets them. At his back, four men are standing. They look like part of the security force of the monastery, if the weapons they carry are any hint, “I would like to stay here and talk about all the details of the day, but I fear the rites are about to begin,” he continues explaining, and Seteth sighs without realising, what gains him an annoyed look from Aelfric. Still, the principal clears his throat and speaks again, “these are the best among the security body. They’ll help you with anything you need, feel free to give them orders. Please, be careful,” he means to say that to all of them, but he’s only looking at Byleth, who doesn’t give him any kind of response. Seeing this, the principal leaves without another word.  

“We’re doing it as we planned, right?” Catherine asks, a step forward to look at the guards’ weapons.  

“Indeed,” Seteth responds, and looks at the armed men, who stay still waiting for orders, “you two will take two guards with you and patrol the common areas,” he explains, already two of the guards moving to stand besides Catherine, “Byleth and I will be in the Cathedral and the Holy Mausoleum,” he carries on as the two guards left walks to his side, “let’s hope all stays in nothing...” he concludes and stares at his partner. Byleth answers with a determinate glance and a nod. 

“Yep, see ya later, Seteth,” Catherine says, and turns to the left to start her tasks. Shamir only nods before following her partner.  

“Let’s go,” Byleth moves past him towards the Cathedral.  

Seteth follows from a respectful distance. He analyses her clothes. The same uniform she uses every time they go to investigate a case. A white button shirt under her classic grey trench coat. On her legs, the black uniform trousers, which have a pocket already broken, the threat falling apart. And some boots that betray how little her feet actually are. Seteth snorts, something that calls the attention of Byleth, who turns her head to look at him over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. He shakes his head to dismiss her worries, but continues grinning nonetheless. His partner slows her pace and walks beside him, gazing at him intensively. 

“What?” she asks, her mouth a thin line and her big eyes completely focused on his mouth. 

“Nothing, really...” he responds, but he cannot stop to feel amused by her face, as if her eyes would be capable of tear up the truth from him. And I cannot discard how that would be possible. After not receiving a proper answer, she grabs the cloth of the arm of his blazer and shakes it a little, which ends up provoking a chuckle from Seteth, “okay, stop, conduct yourself as a responsible adult, please,” 

“You were the one who started!” Byleth pouts. They stare at each other for some seconds before they smile and laugh quietly. She realises she was still holding the fabric and releases it like it was burning, quickly leading her arms to her sides, a small blush on her cheeks. Seteth continues smiling, but now he’s staring at the path ahead. 

They are already crossing the bridge to the cathedral. Byleth no longer wanders her eyes around, magnified by the buildings that rise in the monastery. She no longer peeks her head over the railing to look at the bottom of the mountain on which it is the religious space. The cop has grown accustomed to it and she wears her usual expressionless face.  

Once inside the cathedral, Seteth turns around to stare at the guards that were following them. 

“Alright, can you two patrol the Cathedral while we take care of the Holy Mausoleum?” he asks, but is really an order. 

“Sure do,” responds one of them, and starts moving with his colleague around the nave. 

Seteth nods to the end of the religious building where a chamber is open, and allures his partner to follow him. He remembers the first time they were there. How he talked about Seiros fight against Nemesis to her; how they continued the lesson at the Saints’ chamber; how she has pushed him behind Cichol’s statue to hide from the principal. Well... I did it for you. Her words resonate in his head and he cannot help but smile to himself. When they arrive at their destination, the iron gates to the mausoleum are open, two guards are already waiting there. The cops enter, exchanging no words with them. After some stairs, they are hit by a warm light that could be called ethereal. It is all columns and little altars through all the place, along with some giant showcases that show the divine weapons.  

“So... which are the real ones?” Byleth asks in between the sacred quietness as she wanders her gaze over all the relics. Seteth continues his way forward, perfectly capable of telling the difference between a real one and a replica. He stops in front of one, his arms folded on his back. 

“This one. Freikugel, the relic of House Goneril,” he stares intensely and focus in how the divine weapon seems to pulsate. Byleth stops next to him and stares at it, cocking her head to the sides. 

“Why it does that?” she asks in a thread of voice, almost scared of the answer. 

“We... Nobody knows,” Seteth decides to respond, but he knows very well why it beats. Because it has the heart of one of my people. He averts his eyes, not being able to hold the repulsion much longer.  

He roams the rest of the mausoleum. More replicas than he can count and wonders where the real ones must be. Many of them must be how he told Byleth, but he doesn’t want to believe the all the families would be so reckless and vulgar to do such a thing. At the end of the nave, a showcase with Blutgang. I’m not surprised. The Crest of the Beast must be extinct, and if it yet existed, there would be few that would admit it. I’m sure whoever had the weapon made a good treat to gain the maximum money for it. On the right side of Blutgang, a cabinet with Thunderbrand, one of the most powerful relics there are, recovered by the Church after the fall in disgrace of house Charon. Byleth stops next to him as she glances around without paying much attention to the objects and more to the atmosphere. 

“Time for another religious lesson?” Seteth questions as a joke, but he has to admit how much he wants her to accept. When she nods with a smile, his heart is jumping inside his chest, “what would you like to know?” 

“Mmmm, why did the goddess give the heroes these weapons? I mean...they look more demonic than sacred...” 

“Well, She gave them those weapons to... fight a greater evil that came from the north. They defeated that evil and had long lives, and when they perished, their power and weapons passed through their descendants...” lies, all lies... Seteth steals a glance towards Byleth, who is staring at him attentively and almost pains him to continue telling her this made-up tale. 

“And when does the other guy enter the story?” she asks, curious. Seteth lifts an eyebrow. 

“Which guy?”

“You know... the guy Seiros kicked their ass, the one with the weird name...” she’s completely serious, but it makes him laugh quietly. 

“Nemesis?” 

“That one! You knew who he was all the time, right? You just wanted to mess up with me...” Byleth says as she feigns indignation. Still, he can see a smirk appear on her mouth. 

“Not at all...you just needed to be more specific, you know?” he grins too at her. “Nemesis also had a powerful weapon. The Sword of the Cr-” his explanation broken by the sound of some shots from the outside.  

Before he can even open his mouth, Byleth grabs him by the arm and drags them both behind one altar. They peek their heads to look over the stone. A group dressed in black descended the stairs, weapons in their hands. They are five. Two of them stay behind guarding the entrance, while three hurry to the end of the nave, at where the Seiros’ coffin is placed. No... Seteth panics when he identifies an industrial drill in the hands of one of them. A drill which could tear apart anything in its way. No, no, no, no... The cop flips his head to stare at his partner, who is still focused on the entrance. He follows her gaze and finds that a new individual has joined the others. However, they wear a mask of a skull. What the heck?  

“You two, stay here, and don’t let anyone enter or I’ll put an end to your lives myself” his voice is deep, dark and blood-curdling. His pace is confident and heavy. Apart from the mask, he’s dressed in a black three-piece suit, leather black gloves and derby black shoes. He stops in the middle of the nave and glances around. Byleth quietly lowers her head to be completely hidden by the altar. Seteth follows her. 

“So... their plan is to rob whatever is inside the coffin?” she whispers as they hear the drill starting to function. 

“We must stop them, right now!” Seteth tries to whisper too, but his eagerness to end with this robbery makes his voice sound louder than he desires. 

“Okay... then we must end with the two thugs near the coffin and make the drill stop... I would avoid the guy in the mask tho...”  

“That sounds right... you brought a weapon today, right?” he asks as he holds his gun. When he doesn’t receive an answer, he lifts his head to look at Byleth, who averts her eyes to not have contact with his, “Byleth... please, tell me you have a hidden gun...” he pleads but she can only shake her head and grab the knife she always carries, “Damn, Byleth...” Seteth pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“I handle myself very well with just a knife. I don’t need a gun,” she explains silently. 

“I know but... these people aren’t Kostas’ gang. These are professionals and I’m sure they are armed to the teeth. How are we supposed to stop them if I’m the only one that carries a weapon?” he tries to make her see his point. She continues avoiding his eyes until she comes up with an answer. 

“Just...watch my back,” she says. Seteth opens his mouth to protest, but she continues, “Shoot them from here and I’ll manage the close combat...” 

“Byleth, that is...”  

“Trust me, please...as much as I trust you,” her eyes beg him to follow her plan. He knows is dangerous, but he cannot say “no” to her. Not when all her plans have gone fine and had helped more than once to solve a case. He sighs and places a hand on her shoulder. 

“Alright... but please, please... be careful,” she only nods at her petition before she peeks her head again over the altar. The thug in charge of the drill is already done with half of the work. We must hurry.  

“I’ll try to get near those two and make you a sign to star shooting. When I get rid of them, focus on the guy of the mask, slow him down so I can handle the one with the drill.” Byleth stops moving without waiting for an answer from Seteth. 

She moves cautiously and silently. Like a shadow that navigates the place as if she owns it. Without pause, she gets close to the coffin, crawling the last part of the way and glancing over her shoulder at Seteth. She stands a little and remains crouched. She just needs to climb some stairs and she will be ready. Byleth rise her knife and sends it flying to one robber’ legs, which tears up a scream from him. The signal! Seteth shoots at them, still covered by the stone of the altar. His partner launches forward, kicking the injured one in the stomach and sending him back, stumbles against the coffin and falls. The other one leads his hand to his gun holder, but before he can do anything with the weapon, one bullet from Seteth’s graze his leg and makes him grit his teeth and providing Byleth with more time to hurry, take a hold to his hair and lead his head towards the stone railing of the stairs, knocking him out with the hit. When she ends with the two guards, runs to stop the one with the drill. 

Everything goes smoothly, and then Seteth remembers the masked man. He aims with his gun at the place he last saw him. But is nowhere to be found. Did he run away? The cop narrows his eyes as he tries to find any trace of the intimidating leader. Suddenly, an extreme force pulls from the collar of his shirt, drags him out of the altar and throws him into the middle of the nave. Seteth falls on his back and he feels the impact in all his bones. The man with the mask is towering over him and prepares his fists, cracking his knuckles. 

“Seteth!” he hears Byleth scream. She is already descending the stairs to go help him. He has never seen her so alarmed in a fight, but he must stop her. 

“No! Byleth, stop the robber! I’ll be fin-” a punch lands in his jaw before he can even end the phrase. It leaves him dizzy, the room turning around in his mind. Byleth is still at the stairs as she debates on whether she should help him or follow his orders. Seteth tries to recompose himself and shouts, “I’ll be fine! GO!” the next punch connects with his cheek on the opposite side.  

Byleth watches the beating, ultimately turning around when she hears the top of the coffin being removed and falling to the floor. 

“Hey boss, look what’s inside here!!” the robber calls the leader and lifts the object. 

It cannot be... 

The Sword of the Creator... it looks as terrible as the last time he saw it. In the hands of Nemesis. How many of his people had passed through its blade? And now it’s here, like a premonition of death. It doesn’t glow, it still can cut. However, the thug doesn’t enjoy holding it much longer. Byleth throws herself to his middle and takes him down to the floor. They both fall, the sword discarded in the middle between them.  

“You stupid...” the man says as he stands and grabs the gun that has been hanging from the holder around his waist, aiming at Byleth, “you’re about to stop messing around.”  

Byleth is quicker. She takes hold of the sword and, with a swift movement, cuts the arm of the thug, who yells in pain as he falls to the ground. And then, silence. Something calls the attention of Seteth. 

The Sword of the Creator is glowing... Impossible, I must be hallucinating...  

“Interesting,” the masked man says. He has been focusing on the fight between his subjugate and Byleth, and he doesn’t look panicked or worried at all, just curious. Then some steps on the other side of the Mausoleum make him flip his head there. “It seems my time is over... I’ll have to face her other time,” he continues, and his tone is disillusioned and bored. He stands up, still grabbing Seteth by the shirt and lifting him to the air, and saying no other word, he hits the cop with his head and lets him fall to the ground. 

The last thing he sees is Byleth running towards him, calling his name. But Seteth is no longer conscious of his surroundings. And he only can think: 

The Sword of the Creator was glowing... 

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Ain't that a kick in the head. Pt.1

It was my fault. Byleth thinks, her head buried in her hands, her gaze dunk on the floor. She's sitting on the couch in Seteth's living room. The same place weeks ago that witnessed their kiss, now is present in her torment. The things at the Holy Mausoleum went out of hand.

---------------------------------------------------

Their colleagues, Catherine and Shamir, arrived in time and got rid of the robbers at the door. But Seteth had received some punches by the mysterious man with the mask. The same one that disappeared like a shadow. 

When Byleth raised, hands trembling around the handle of the Sword of the Creator, blood drops tainting her face in red… she just could throw the weapon aside, turn around and run towards her partner, who was unconscious on the floor. 

She slid the last two centimeters to him and grabbed his face to make sure he was alright. He had his nose broken and some cuts all over his cheeks and chin. Byleth tries to wake him, light touches to injured places, tries desperately to wake him to no avail. Only when she flips her stare to observe Catherine approaching, to tell her to call an ambulance, Seteth comes back to consciousness. 

"Don't," he mumbled, Byleth moves her head nearer to him as she tries to uncover what he's trying to say, "Don't take me to the Hospital… I need…" he coughs hard and holds on to her arm for dear life, "take me to my apartment…"

"W-what are you talking about!? You need to be seen by a doctor immediately!" She separates a little to look at his radiant green eyes, but one is half closed, blood running down and covering part of the eyelid.

"Please, just…listen to me," his hold on her arm tightens, the hand trembling with the little force he has, "call Macuil, he'll know what to do… take me home…" and with those final words, he falls unconscious again. Byleth separates and stares at the man incredulously.

"Shit!" Catherine exclaims from her back, "I'll go and call the ambulance!" the blonde woman continues as she starts turning around to the surface.

"No…" Byleth says.

"What!? What do you mean 'no'? He needs help!"

"Call Macuil. I'll take him to his apartment…" The cobalt-haired cop slides away and rests on her haunches before leading her arms under his body. 

One hand to hold his neck, the other around his waist. Then, with great effort, she stands up as she carries him in her arms. 

"This is crazy…" Catherine whispers while she leads a hand to cover her face. 

"I know, but this is what he wants," Byleth responds as she walks away. A strange strength giving her the impulse she needs to take him home.

--------------------------------------------------

And here she is now. Blaming herself for what had happened.

" It wasn't your fault," Sothis voice rings from her left. The green-haired woman is sitting next to her on the couch. 

" It was… if I had a weapon, I would have taken care of the guy with the mask and Seteth would be okay…" Byleth buries more of her face in her hands.

" You despise weapons… and for a good reason… There is nothing wrong in not wanting to kill people, even if they are bad," her imaginary companion rests a hand on Byleth's back and rubs up and down as she tries to console her.

" And yet… I killed someone," she looks at her hands. Blood is washed, but she can still feel it running down her fingers.

" That man was going to shoot you in the head. You defended yourself…" Sothis' voice is louder as she chastises her.

" I could stop when I cut his arm… but I also sliced his throat when he fell, silencing him forever," Byleth presses her palms into her eyes. Sothis clicks her tongue.

" What's done is done… You are alive, and your partner too. The mission is accomplished. That's what matters. What I find weird is how the sword lightened up when you held it…"

"I don't really care about that. The monstrosity is back in the casket…" 

"I guess you're right, but it still bothers me…" Sothis is about to continue talking when the door to Seteth's chamber opens. 

Macuil gets out, holding a little briefcase with medical tools with him. He had shaved some weeks ago, weirdly coinciding with Garland's Moon Day. The forensic now showed his angular features, and he didn't look as old as before. In fact, he appeared to be a newly graduated student from college. His hair also appeared cleaner, braided as usual. However, his personality was still the same. When Byleth sees him close the door, she stands up in a jump and rushes to him, startling the forensic when he turns around.

"Is Seteth okay!? He's going to heal? The injuries were too bad? I sh-"

"Relax, my lady," he says with a hint of a smirk as he raises his hands to stop her questioning, "my most stupid brother is going to be okay… he just broke his nose, which I, dare say, masterly fixed. He also has some cuts over his face aaaaand… some bruises on his back. Nothing that a little rest and a good ointment can't heal," he walks to the exit door and Byleth follows him with her eyes.

"Can I see him, or he isn't presentable?" she asks with a tint of hope. Macuil stops when he's about to grab the hold of the door, looks at her over his shoulder and smiles smugly.

"Ohh… yes, you can see him. He's very presentable… and, please, make sure he applies the med I left… even if he complains," he chuckled, "Bye!" and with that, he's gone, leaving an insecure Byleth waiting next to the chamber's door.

" What are you waiting for? Enter!" Sothis is now next to her, her hands on her hips, a raised eyebrow. Byleth holds the doorknob but doesn't open.

" What if he doesn't want to see me?" The cop leads a hand to her chest. It isn't beating, as always, but she can feel the anxiousness still.

" Why wouldn't he want to see you?" Her friend crosses her arms.

" Maybe he's disappointed… maybe… he thinks I failed and that he's hurt because of me…" Byleth grabs the white shirt tightly.

" Nonsense! He told you to stop the robber at the coffin. I'm sure he's happy they didn't get the sword!"

"Are you sure?" The cobalt haired woman feels like a scared child for the first time in her life, and she finds it silly and embarrassing to be seen this way, even when it was by someone that lived in her mind like Sothis. 

" Have I ever been wrong?" The other one responds with a snort before nodding to the doorknob, alluring Byleth to open once and for all.

The cop sighs and finally enters the room. It is a very spaceful and neat chamber. All the furniture was made of the same wood color and it was all put together harmonically. In the front wall, two windows were framed by wardrobes with drawers. 

On the right, a king size bed with a forest green blanket and white sheets. Inside, tucked comfortably between the covers, a figure with emerald green hair, eyes closed. Anyone would think the man was fast asleep. 

Byleth observes him, how he looks so relaxed, and even youthful. His dark long lashes curve lovingly; his mouth, a thin line of firm lips. The bandage over his nose and the cuts all over his cheeks should make him hard to stare at. However, Byleth finds it difficult to look away, absolutely mesmerized by his image. 

Until something calls her attention. She lowers her gaze and catches him chest bared, a trail of green hair that continues down the blanket. The cop feels her cheeks go aflame, the temperature in her head increasing non stop, her pulse going wild. Even more so when she hears his voice.

"Did you forget something, Macuil?" Seteth asks, his eyes still closed. Byleth doesn't know what to do. 

She's there, at the door, unable to move or talk, just staring at him and trying to not make any noise to disturb. C'mon!! You're the Ashen Demon, keep your cool and do something! It is too late. Her partner opens his eyes after not hearing an answer. His frown grows deep until he gets the same cherry color as her all over his face once he sees her.

"BYLETH!?" He yells, tormented, while he quickly covers his torso with the sheets. Is the sound of the scream what makes her turn around, get out of the room and close the door behind her.

"I'm so sorry!! Macuil told me you were presentable!" She shouts back, her gaze totally focused on the floor.

"DAMN IT, MAC!" Seteth curses his brother. Byleth hears shuffling on the other side of the door and then a grunt.

"Are you okay!? Do you need help?" She asks sincerely. She cannot help but blame herself for startling him like this, too.

"No! Please! I'll let you know when I'm truly presentable!" 

They both stay quiet from then on. Byleth hears him groan and shuffle, opening drawers on the wardrobes. She wants to ask again if he's fine, wants to help, but at the end, no word comes out of her mouth. Then, the sound of blankets shifting and finally his voice again.

"Now. You may enter. " His voice is out of air, a small tint of pain. 

Byleth opens, her cheeks still warm as a summer's sunset. The cop sits in a chair next to the head of his bed. She avoids looking him in the eye, but catches the white linen t-shirt he's wearing now. Even when the fabric covers most of his torso, she still can see his collarbone, an image that makes her avert her gaze again. Neither of them say anything, completely staring everywhere but each other.

" Well, time to behave like adults and talk, don't you think?" Sothis voice sounds from the back of her mind, " don't let this brief incident take away from you the opportunity to say what you want to say" she concludes and Byleth cannot do anything but agree.

"I'm sorry," she breathes, but it sounds like a scream in the room's silence. Seteth turns his head to stare at her, however, he still avoids her eyes, his face beetle red.

"I-It wasn't your fault. Macuil seems in the mood for pranks today, it seems. It was his…" he responds louder as he folds his arms, corners of his mouth downward, frown deepened.

"I… I wasn't apologizing for that," she continues whispering, the confession gaining the absolute attention of her partner that dares to gaze at her face, "it is my fault that you're injured like this…"

"Byleth…"

"No, please, let me continue. You were right. It was dangerous to go without a weapon, more so when it was against such a big armed group. It was egocentric of me to just run towards danger like that… and I put you at risk because of it…" she fidgets with her fingers, grabbing the cloth of her black trousers, "if I had a weapon I could have… I could have ended with the guy with the mask and you shouldn't have been injured like that… I'm so sorry," Byleth concludes as she finally raises her head to look him in the eyes, trying to convey all her honesty in her gaze, to make him trust her words.

"Byleth… nothing of what happened was your fault," Seteth responds, his voice a thread which trembles, “I agreed with your plan, remember? It was also my doing to act the way we did… I shouldn't have put you in the position to choose between me or the mission. And I should have been more careful and watched the leader more carefully…" he continues and Byleth can only shake her head incredulously, "at the end, it all went for the best…," he smiles shyly. Still, the grin disappears soon, his face turning into a grimace of pain from the cuts.

"Does it hurt you!? Can I do anything to help?" Byleth leans forward as she's almost yelling, her pulse galloping with worry.

"It's just… the cuts sting," he goes back to his usual serious face. Rotates his head and stares at the small bottle over his nightstand, "Macuil told me to apply an ointment every time I feel them pulsate… Can you…"

"I will apply it for you!" Byleth shouts as she hurries to grab the medicine. Seteth's eyes go wide and blush once again.

"I… I was going to say if you could hand me the bottle!" he explains, but when he sees Byleth confused and blushing, he adds with laughter, "well, fine…", his eyes wanders to his lap, the smile not disappearing. 

Byleth grabs the bottle and one cotton stick. She sits on the edge of the bed while she opens the salve carefully, then leaves the cap on the nightstand again before applying a bit of the dark liquid on one end of the stick. She spreads the med over the little wounds, softly, with short touches and observing all the reactions, worried to not hurt him even more. However, she notices his intense gaze watching closely all of her features until he stops on her lips. Byleth says nothing, but Sothis has other plans.

“ It seems someone wants another kiss~” the green-haired woman coos and giggles. 

The comment turns Byleth absolutely red as she tries to focus on all the minor cuts. She’s not the only one. Seteth seems to realize what he’s doing involuntarily and rotates his eyes and clears his throat. 

“May I ask you something?” he questions after a few seconds.

“Of course,”

“Did… did the sword really glow?” He sounds a little apprehensive, his hands holding the blanket, and Byleth doesn’t know if it is because of the query or the salve which stings. 

“Yep, it glowed…” she responds as if nothing to take some heavy weight from the topic. 

“I see…” the corners of his mouth go down and his eyes are more avoiding than before.

“You know what it means?” she asks, but doesn’t have the hope for an answer.

“Perhaps…” Seteth responds as he exchanges glances between his hands and her face, “Have you talked with Hanneman?” 

“Hanneman? Mmmmm, not since…” Byleth doubts. She separates and leads her index finger to her chin as she looks up. “Yesterday, I think… Why?” 

"Well, this is nothing but a conjecture, however, they say Heroes' Relics activate when the wielder possesses the corresponding Crest…" he swallows hard.

"Wait, was that sword a Heroes' Relic? And you are saying I have a Crest?" Byleth blinks fast, her eyebrows joining her hairline. "What is even a Crest to begin with?"

"What do you mean by that!? You don't know what a Crest is?" Seteth's reaction is a mirror of hers, which he has to relax when he feels the pain of his broken nose. The grimace makes her go back to the task at hand.

"Well, no… At least I don't think so," she shrugs as she focuses on the cut over the bridge of his nose the kindest way possible. 

“You really are a case without a solution…” Seteth sighs, resigned. Still, when Byleth pouts and punches him jokingly on the arm, he cannot help but laugh. “Alright, I’m sorry!” He lifts his arms in surrender. “Let me explain,” he coughs over his fist and proceeds to his lecture, “it is believed that a Crest is a power, bestowed by the Goddess…”

“What a generous goddess, huh?” Byleth interrupts with an ironic tone, which Seteth chastises with a heavy cough, “sorry, continue,”

“As I was saying, they are powers that are inherited by blood from their first havers, the Heroes I talked you about,”

“Ooooh, so…they are like the weapons we saw… but as blood?” she raises an eyebrow as she questions.

“Something like that… only the ones that possess a Crest can wield a Hero’s Relic,” Seteth ends explaining, his arms crossed on his chest and his face twisting from time to time from the sting of his wounds.

“And… you think I have one of those?” Byleth asks as she moves away and leaves the cotton stick on the nightstand. 

“I think so, yes, but I’m sure Hanneman will be able to tell you more about it.”

“Huh…” she mumbles as she closes the bottle and leaves it next to the stick. “Tell me, do you have one?”

“I do,” Seteth simply responds, and the cop has to stare at him with a raised eyebrow to persuade him to talk, to which he answers reluctantly, “the Major Crest of Cichol,”

“Cichol…” Byleth leads her hand to her cheek and looks up, sure she has heard the name before.

“One of the Saints…” he avoids looking at her, his eyes lost in something beyond the window.

“Ohhhh, the funny hat guy,” 

“You really remember Cichol for his hat but not Macuil!?” Seteth responds incredulously, his voice a scream. 

“What does Macuil have to do with any of this!?” Byleth asks, confused. 

“No… not that one…” he closes his eyes and lets air escape through his nose. Byleth thinks in exasperation, but she can see an emotion she cannot quite figure out. “I meant Saint Macuil” 

“Oh…” she whispers as she nods with her head in understanding, “so…your parents gave him the name of the Saint?”

“Yes, that is correct…”

“If they saw him now, they would know he has nothing saintly…” Byleth says with a smirk. Seteth’s eyes are wide and he doesn’t take the joke for some seconds, but when he does, he bursts into laughter, a sound so charming that she cannot help but smile tenderly at him. He should laugh more.

“I hear you~” Sothis sings in her ear.

“ I don’t care~” the cop sings back to exile the invisible woman to the back of her mind again. 

“You are right,” her partner says between chuckles, trying to rein over himself as his chest continues trembling and his face shows a painful smile, “my brother is definitely not a Saint,” he concludes while he grins at her sweetly. 

“Oh… talking about your brothers,” Byleth remembers, “Indech will bring Flayn this evening, when her classes end,” she completes as she goes back to the chair. 

“D-Did she see me? Injured like this, I mean…” his smile falters, his eyes falling to the mattress. 

“Yes… I’m sorry. When I took you out of the Mausoleum, there was a crowd at the entrance trying to see what had happened. And she was there…” Byleth also looks down at her lap, where her fingers fidget. 

“Don’t need to apologize… I would have preferred that she didn’t see me like this, but… I’m just glad she’s coming later and that she’s alright,” he stares at her face, a grin again over his lips. His hand took hers, what made Byleth jump a little in surprise. However, she doesn’t take it away, tightening her hold in reassurance. 

“Well… until they arrive, I’ll stay with you, so… tell me stories about you and your brothers,” she smiles smugly, leans against the back of the chair, but doesn’t release his hand. It doesn’t go unnoticed to her how he blush and how he doesn’t want to let go of her hand either. 

“Really? Surely you must have more important things to do, like reporting to Miss Rhea,” Seteth stumbles, not able to take his eyes away from her. Byleth just shakes her head.

“Nah, nothing more important to do than this…” the cop says as a matter of fact. But when she catches her words, her cheeks get warm again, “I-I mean… Catherine and Shamir told me they would take care of the report, so… I can stay,” she averts her eyes as she ends.

“Very well… let me think,” he leads his other hand to his chin and looks up, trying to find the perfect story to tell her. Does he have so many?  “Oh, yes!” exclaims as he lifts the index finger, “I can tell you about my travels with Indech in our youth… Would you like that?” The question is shy, his eyes avoiding hers. 

“It sounds great, Seteth,” she responds with a sweet smile, which he returns. 

They share stories and laughter for some time until exhaustion took over Seteth, making him fall asleep quietly, still with Byleth’s hand in his. When she hears the door being opened and the clear voice of Flayn, the cop leads the joined hands to his chest and lets it go carefully, a last glimpse to his face before leaving the room silently.

“Byleth? Were you still here?” the young girl exclaims, her little hands covering her mouth.

“Shhh, your father is sleeping,” Byleth whispers, but smiles at her nonetheless. Indech awaits behind Flayn, saying nothing.

“Oh, yes, of course…” she lowers her voice too.

“Then, I should be going, Flayn. I’ll come back tomorrow to check on your father,” the detective explains as she passes next to the girl, a wave of her hand announcing her parting. 

“You don’t want to stay and have dinner with us?” Flayn’s mouth corners go downward.

“I cannot, sorry, I have to take care of some matters,” Byleth opens the door and turns around one last time. “Goodbye,” with that, she closes the door and starts descending the stairs, not before hearing Flayn offering to cook dinner and Indech alarmingly persuading her to rest while he takes care of the food.  

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Days passed. Byleth visited every day to inform him of what was happening at the Station. Many cops were sent to search for the masked man, who soon received a name, heard in whispers everywhere in town: The Death Knight. Byleth thought it was ridiculous to mystify a criminal like that, a criminal who beat up her partner and who was up to no good. For what he wanted the sword inside the casket? Or maybe he worked for someone else like Kostas? So many questions and not that many answers. 

However, the mood lightened up when Seteth went back to work. It seems Rhea had called and ordered him to stay at home to recover fully from the wounds. Every day, he complained about how his injuries weren’t that bad to separate him from his job. Byleth always answered the same: “you’re just a workaholic” which he always reacted with a scoff and a frown. She hoped the moment he went back to the Department he would relax a little to recover his routine, but nothing further from the truth. He’s just as tense as always. The first thing he did was drag her to the morgue and finally talk to Hanneman.

“Hey, don’t need to hurry!” Byleth exclaims between laughs as she walks quickly behind him.

 “It is adamant we uncover if you have a Crest! It has been in my mind since that day…” he says while he opens the door and lets her pass.

“I don’t think is that urgent…” she responds, entering the morgue and looking around. 

As always, the door to the darkroom is closed, but she can hear Indech working inside. Macuil is on his desk, his focus entirely on his chemical experiment. He’s crouching over the chair and he’s wearing safety glasses. And finally, Hanneman. However, it calls to her attention that he is talking with two men, dressed in black, at the back door. They seemed to be exchanging documents while a third man load something on the back of the car. A funerary car. The partners observe the conversation from afar, expectation building up to know what had happened. When Hanneman ends and closes the back doors, Seteth gives a step forward, determined to get the information as soon as he can.

“Oh, Seteth, I’m glad to see you around again!” the old forensic greets the cop with a smile, “and is nice to see you too, Detective Eisner,” Byleth only answers with a nod. 

“Yes, I’m glad to be back too, but what was that about?” Seteth asks, cutting the pleasantries and going directly to work talk. 

“Unfortunately, another murder has been committed,” Hanneman explains with a grim expression as he shakes his head and walks to his desk, the two cops staring at him with arched eyebrows.

“Another murder?” This time, Byleth is the one to question, not only out of curiosity but also a strange feeling that expands through her body. 

“A young woman named Rosemary Mitchell. Her family had been looking for her for weeks, to no avail… until her body was found in a ditch near the city exit. Such a terrible loss…” Hanneman ends while sitting on his chair and crosses his arms. The place stays quiet for a time, as if the cops were keeping a minute of silence for the victim, when Byleth remembers something. 

“Tell me… did she have the same conditions as the other victim?” she asks, making the two men lift an eyebrow. “What was her name? Ugh, I have it in the tip of my tongue ....” leads a hand to her cheek and crosses the other arm over her chest as she closes her eyes, the name of the other woman dancing unclearly in her mind. 

“Lauren Ward,” Macuil says from his own desk, still paying attention to the liquids he’s handling. 

“Yes, that one… Thanks, Mac,” Byleth answers, at which the other forensic just hums with a smile on his face. “If I remember correctly, Ward died from blood loss, but no blood was found in the crime scene. It happened the same with Mitchell?” 

“Indeed, and it seems the killer used the same weapon… Still, I’m amazed by your memory, Miss Eisner. Apart from the name of the victim,you remembered everything about the case,” Hanneman comments with a smile, which fades quickly. 

“Is just… detective experience, I suppose,” she explains as she shrugs. 

“Regrettable, another group is in charge of that case, and we came here for very different reasons,” Seteth interrupts, a step forward and lifting a hand. “We need you to run your Crest tests on Byleth,” he continues, and it doesn’t go unnoticed the way Hanneman’s face light up in excitement, “I suspect she may have a one…” with that, now the forensic looks like a light bulb who stands up in a jump and sits up again. 

However, another person doesn’t seem so happy. Macuil lets out a groan while he looks from the corner of his eye, an expression of full disgust on his face. Does he hate the passion of his companion that much? Still, he doesn’t vocalize his apprehension as Hanneman hurries around collecting the utensils necessary for his test while rambling about how thrilling it is to have someone new with a Crest in the Department. 

At the end, it was a simple blood extraction which the forensic quickly analyzed as soon as he got the red liquid in a small bottle. Hanneman tried to convince her of “donating” a strand of hair for his studies. A harassing Seteth cut immediately, accusing the forensic of going too far. 

“You always think the worst of people, Mr Clarke,” Hanneman laments, “first you don’t want to take part in my research about Major Crest of Cichol, and now you’re also interfering in Miss Eisner's prolific career in Crestology… Science will die because of people like you…”

“Now, now, Hanneman, fewer cries. You know as well as I that there’s only needed blood to uncover someone’s Crest,” Seteth defends himself, and Byleth can hear Macuil snort at her back. The old man is going to bark back, when his tool starts shining.

“Aha, here it is!” he exclaims, “let’s see what mysteries are you hiding in your blood, Miss Eisner,” continues while he looks through the binoculars of the instrument, “Oh my…”

“What happens!?” Seteth asks, tension in his voice as he jumps forward to stay beside Hanneman.

“It is a Crest I’ve never seen before!!”

“What?!” the two Clarke brothers exclaim, Macuil running to join the rest of the group at the other side of the morgue.

“Yes… For the Goddess, this is such a discovery!” Hanneman is trembling as he takes notes in a paper next to the tool and goes back to look through the lens. 

“Let me look!” Seteth yells and is almost pushing Hanneman away. Why is he so impatient to know what my Crest is? 

“Be careful! Now you’re in a hurry to know about Crest, I see?” the forensic chastises, but he’s already standing and the cop is looking through the instrument.

Seteth stays silent for some seconds, the tension in the room unbearable as he doesn’t make any sound. Still, Byleth can see how his eyes get wide, his pupils dilate and he gapes. Then he throws himself back to the seat and whispers something. She opens her mouth to question what is happening, but Macuil gets ahead of her.

“Brother, what happens?” he asks as he crosses his arms, and Seteth mumbles again, “speak louder, will you?”

“The Crest of Flames…” that’s the only words that escape Seteth’s mouth, which leaves Byleth confused. What the hell is a Crest of Flames?

“Impossible…” Macuil responds, his expression mirroring the one of his brother. Then she hears the door of the darkroom being opened, Indech’s silhouette standing on the doorway.

“Exactly, impossible!” Hanneman doesn’t realize of the estate in which the three brothers seem to be, “that Crest hasn’t been seen since Nemesis! It is impossible… or… maybe… can it be!?” he asks and places himself in front of the instrument and looks through it again.

Byleth is sitting there, and she can feel her whole life changing. Time seems elusive, and she doesn’t know if it is going too fast or too slow until she cannot grasp anything of what is happening around her. Sothis voice is her only rock to help her don’t lose her mind. 

“ You should take a deep breath, because I think things are going to get complicated from now on…” 

Chapter Text

It was being such a good morning. Byleth stopped by his apartment to go with him to work. She made sure he was truly alright, fully healed to go back to action. 

Her fussing was amusing to him. Always been called overbearing and "too preoccupied for his own sake", it warmed his heart to see such behavior in his companion. 

Once they arrived at the Police Station, the first thing Seteth wanted to get over with was the Crest Test. He expected, no, hoped , that her crest was a minor insignificant one, the result of a crest bearer having a slip in the past, the Crest arriving to Byleth by pure luck. The Sword of the Creator glowing? A misunderstanding. Surely it had to be a mistake.

But it wasn't a mistake.

Byleth bears the Crest of Flames. The one that murderer, Nemesis, stole from their Mother. The Goddess Sothis. It was only natural that the sacred, horrendous weapon recognized its rightful owner after such a long time when she grabbed its hold and cut down an enemy as if he was butter. 

Now, he walks the hallways of the department, planning what he's about to tell Rhea. How will she react? However, what frightens Seteth more is the possibility that she already knew, and that opens a whole new gate of questions, which only makes him more wary of his commissar. She was so adamant to accept Byleth in the department, even when the young detective had no experience with cop work or studies, that it was impossible she didn't know, at least, that she had a crest, something not even Byleth knew. 

He found himself in a position in which he trusted more his companion, a person who arrived mere months ago, than Rhea, a part of his family, a millennia old friend who knows everything about him.

Seteth stops in front of Rhea's office door and knocks twice, immediately hearing the commissar asking him to enter. She's signing some documents, a serious expression on her face, not staring at him. The cop waits patiently for her to finish. Still, his wariness is visible in the way he changes his weight from one leg to the other, or how one hand holds strongly the other on his back. Finally, Rhea lifts her head and smiles at the sight of him, a grin that unnerves him.

"Seteth… I'm so glad to see you back and in good condition," she says in a calm voice.

"I'm glad to be back at work," he answers, yet not returning the smile, "but I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries. Byleth has a Crest… the Crest of Flames, to be more specific," he continues as he scrutinizes her reaction.

Rhea opens her mouth in surprise and her eyebrows lift. She turns around in her chair, looking through the window.

"Huh…" that's the only thing she answers as she leads a hand to her chin.

"Did you know?" Seteth turns the conversation into an interrogation, one he's willing to get out from with the answers he seeks. However, the commissar is smart enough to not face him as she answers.

"No… I mean, I suspected she had a Crest for what I had heard about her, but not… that one. Interesting," 

"Interesting? I would call this situation worrisome or troubling, not interesting!" He has to control himself to not yell at the veteran Nabatean. 

"That's not a surprise. You find everything worrisome, Cichol," she lets out a chuckle as she stands and finally faces him, pouting as she gazes at his frown, "I don't know why you react like this. I believe this is a magnificent opportunity."

"An opportunity for what, exactly?" Seteth pinches the bridge of his nose. I can't believe she's taking this in such a relaxed manner.

“Think about it. You're the companion of the Crest of Flames bearer. Nothing will stand in your way. All the menaces will be erased thanks to her…'' the smile she wields now puts Seteth's hair on edge. 

"Rhea… she's still a human, she has her limits, it doesn't matter that she has a Crest or can wield the Sword of the Creator…" shit. He remembers he had forgotten to tell her, or more accurately, that he hadn't wanted to tell her that bit of information. 

Rhea flips her head quickly, looking more surprised than when he told her Byleth has a Crest.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner!?" Surprise is replaced by anger. Not so long ago, he would have apologized profusely and told her everything, now…

"You're also hiding things from me. I guess we're not even just yet," 

They look at each other's eyes, challenging to say the next words. It is Rhea who ends up sighing and recovering.

"There is no use discussing this now… not when there are more urgent matters at hand. I have a new case for you." She walks to her desk and grabs a paper. “The Lance of Ruin has been stolen. Your mission is to find out who the thief is and retrieve the Holy artifact” the sentence finished with her sitting on the chair. 

“The Lance of Ruin… I guess the owner had it in a very showy place, making it easier for anyone to grab it. Is going to be dif-”

“You’re wrong,” Rhea interrupts him, not even glaring at him, instead, checking on her notes, “Mr. Gautier had the relic inside a vault, this one with a code only people from the family, and very few at that, know.” She now rolls her eyes to look at him from under her lashes. “That clearly delimits the list of suspects, don’t you think, Mr. Clarke?”

There it is. Seiros showing once again how easy it was for her to put a barrier between both of them. By calling him by his invented last name, she was disposing of any glimpse of familiarity or companionship. She’s making sure he knows she’s the one giving orders. When she’s like this, it is impossible to speak reasonably. Seteth exhales slowly, readying himself to put on the mask he uses for business. 

“I suppose… But if that’s the case, why call us to solve this robbery? Why not ask for Faerghus Police Department to take care of the case?” he asks as he crosses his arms on his chest.

“Faerghus’ cops are already investigating Gautier Manor and interrogating some members of the family… However, Mr. Gautier thinks his younger son, who studies in Garreg Mach’s Officers Academy, may know something… we are the ones nearer the place, so it’s logical they asked for help,” 

“He suspects his own son?” 

“He suspects his son has some information, or maybe… he hopes the boy will have the courage to say the name he couldn’t pronounce,” and with that, Rhea goes back to writing her notes, not even saying parting words to him. 

Seteth takes the hint and leaves the office, supporting himself against the door when he closes, leaving a deep sigh to escape his mouth. Just arrived and back to action… this is what you wanted, right, Cichol?

"Are you alright?" her voice sounds from the right startling Seteth.

Byleth is standing in the middle of the hallway, one arm folded to rub the elbow of the other. Her eyes betray the worry she must feel inside. Of course, I left the morgue without a word in a hurry. He stares intensely at her face as she averts her eyes to look at the floor.

She bears the Crest of Flames.

The thought hits his mind with the same intensity the image of the Crest did when he first saw it through the microscope. 

It's not her fault. 

"It is nothing," he responds with a hesitant smile, "but it seems we have work to do." Byleth's mouth opens in surprise, "a robbery case"

"They don't let you take a break, huh?" His companion folds her arms on her chest.

"You know what they say: ain't no rest for the wicked…" Seteth walks down the hall, passing next to Byleth, who he regards with a smile.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself," Byleth says, turning around and pacing next to him.

"I… I meant the criminals, Byleth," he crooks his eyebrow, pained by her answer. But it goes away once he glimpses her smirk. 

"Oh, yeah, sure…" she agrees ironically. He cannot help but chuckle, happy to have recovered the normalcy between them.

He remembers the way she held his hand when he was injured and didn't let go after he fell asleep, heat raised to his cheeks. 

"Let's go, I'll explain to you on our way to the office"

As he tells her about all he knows of the relic and their first lead, Byleth listens attentively. She nods and encourages him to tell her more as they enter their shared office and sit on the chair. 

"So… we need to talk to this Gautier Jr.?" Byleth asks, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

"Indeed, he might know something," Seteth responds as he opens the drawer where he usually keeps his guns. 

He never takes weapons home. It would only take one mistake and someone could get hurt at home. Flayn could get hurt. They are better here, at his workplace, ready and safe for his job.

"I don't know you… but I'm not exactly excited with the idea of traveling all the way up there just to speak with a kid," she says nonchalantly as possible, but he can sense some kind of awkwardness in the way she avoids looking at him. 

Why? Did something happen with 'Al'? He would never admit it, but his heart brightens with such an idea in mind. It's not that he enjoys her having problems with that man… but he suspects, or I want to suspect, that Officers Academy's principal aim with Byleth is nothing good. It is better if she doesn't get closer to him. For pure safety reasons, of course. He doesn't like the idea of risking important information because of her personal troubles. However, he is more than happy to comply with her in this case.

"We… can call the Academy if you prefer," Seteth suggests, grabbing the black phone which rested on the desk, "I'll ask for the Gautier boy, and maybe he can come to the station," Byleth looks at him surprised, "what?" 

"Is really Mr Responsibility choosing the easiest route? That guy really hit you good in the head…" she teases him as she rests her head on a hand, elbow on the desk. Seteth blushes, but doesn't take him long to remember the perfect answer.

"I do it for you," he responds, staring at her, serious as ever, enjoying the way she sits straight in her chair and her cheeks tint pink, "but if you truly think I'm failing my duty, we should leave now…" 

"No! I was just joking… let's call," Byleth rests her hands over his, which were picking up the phone. 

They stay like that, gazing at each other, clearly comfortable with the touch of their hands. Until Byleth remembers where they are and takes them back as if she was burnt. Seteth immediately misses the warmth, and with a sigh, he leads the phone to his ear. 

It doesn't take much time for a woman's voice to sound from the other side. The operator, with the boring tone of anyone that has been waiting in an office for someone to call, asks him who he'd like to talk to. 

"I would like to talk with Garreg Mach's Officers Academy" 

After that, and with no other word from her part, he waits patiently for the connection with the institution. Seconds later, the voice of another woman, a different boredom poking from the fake cheerful greeting. 

"Good morning, you're talking with the Officer's Academy secretary's office. What can I help you with?" 

"Good morning, I call you from the police department," with those words pronounced, he can hear the person on the other side sitting straight, her chair clattering with the floor, "I would like to talk with a student, last name Gautier," the woman doesn't respond for a time, but she's there, the sound of her breathing still in his ear. Finally, she responds.

"I'll call for him, excuse me a moment, please," and with that, she leaves him waiting.

"What happens?" Byleth whispers. She has been observing him all the time, leaning over the table and resting her chin on it, her arms crossed in front of her.

"She's going to call the student," he whispers back, and she only nods in understanding. Moments later, Seteth hears the other phone being picked and the voice of a boy. He cannot help but find it familiar.

"My greetings, I'm Dimitri Blayddid, delegate of Sylvain Gautier's class. Unfortunately, my… colleague, hasn't appeared in class today," the student just says that without even stopping to take air, a tired edge in his explanation, "do you need me to tell him something once he comes back?" 

"Dimitri? I'm Seteth. Do you remember me?" The detective asks with the hope he would recognize his voice and remember their last meeting.

"Of course! It's a pleasure to talk to you again!" It seems the boy cheers up a bit after this, even when Seteth knows his words are said mostly out of politeness rather than actual happiness.

"How is that Mr. Gautier didn't attend classes? Is there some kind of problem?" always to the point, Seteth turns to his natural state of ' worried the perfect amount'. 

"Oh… no, not at all, it's just…" Dimitri hesitates to respond, and the cop can see clearly in his mind how the young student scratches the back of his head, but ends up sighing, "this is actually a normal behavior in Sylvain,"

"How so?" Seteth calms down a bit, but the surprise of Dimitri's explanation still makes him wary.

"Sadly, he likes to skip classes to… flirt with women at breakfast restaurants… and other places in town too," he finally blurts out. The two men just stayed quiet for a bit until Seteth had to ask.

"You're joking, right?" 

"Unfortunately, no…" Dimitri sighs again, the situation the other boy creates taxing him. "I've tried to convince him to take studies more seriously, but… to no avail" he ends up, defeated. Seteth exhales slowly and prepares his mood of 'lecture' for the Gautier boy.

"Thanks for the information, Dimitri. I'll go find your colleague in town. You can go back to class,"

"Thanks, farewell," 

Seteth hangs and immediately hides his face in his hands. Youth these days. This is the kind of boy I warn Cethleann about. 

“You really seem like someone who has received all the bad news today,” Byleth says with a cheeky smile. Seteth snorts.

“That… can be entirely possible, yes,” he responds, liberating his face from his hands and using one to scratch the beard on his chin.

“Tell me, don’t keep everything to yourself. You were talking with Dimitri?” She tries to soothe his worries, giving him a small smile. The green-haired man cannot help but smile back, thankful to have her there to share the weight of responsibility. 

“Yes… it seems our student doesn’t enjoy studying, so he prefers to spend his days going from one place to the other, just flirting with women,” Seteth doesn’t know how many times he has sigh this morning, but he felt his soul leaving his body already. Byleth gasps. 

“Oh no, what a philanderer! A danger for candid, innocent souls such as Flayn…” she says in a low voice.

“Exactly! What the heck happens with youth!? What if Flayn falls for someone like that? I would b-” he’s almost yelling then, he realizes. I fell into her trap. He gazes at her and spies her smirk, “don’t mock me, please, is bad for my heart” 

Byleth chuckles, “sorry, I couldn't help myself," she lifts her arms as if in defense, "so… where are we heading to?"  

"We'll have to patrol the town in search of a student, focusing on restaurants and other crowded places… which can result in a very easy or very difficult task…" he ends the explanation as he pinches the bridge of the nose, a headache already forming.

"Yeah, it's early in a Monday morning so there aren't many people having fun, what would make it easier to spot a student… but I think he wouldn't be so stupid as to skip classes and still use the uniform in town, so… it could be any young man," she rests her hand on her cheek, giving a thought to their plans.

"Indeed," he stands and arranges his jacket correctly, "the sooner we start the search, the sooner we can end this nonsense." 

He looks down at the still open drawer. An old gun he hasn't used in some time laying there. He rolls his eyes to look at Byleth, who is also standing.

"I agree. Let's go then…"

"Wait," Seteth calls, still not sure what he's about to do.

"What?" She flips her head to look directly at him.

"You… should take this," he holds the gun and extends his arm to hand it to her. I hope I'm doing the right thing. Byleth looks at the weapon with disgust and then at his face, immediately opening her mouth to protest, "I know you said you don't like guns, but please…" he interrupts with a plea. She snorts.

"You really don't want to get hurt again, huh?" Byleth asks as a dry joke, averting her eyes.

"On the contrary," he responds, his gaze searching for hers, "I don't want you to get hurt," Seteth continues, and his statement finally makes her look up at him with surprise. She opens her mouth again to chide, buy he cuts her off again, "you don't have to use it, but I assure you it would take a heavy weight from my shoulders if you just carry it with you" 

Byleth sighs as she extends her hand to take the pistol, rotating it to give it a look, and hiding it in her trench coat. As she does this, Seteth places his own weapons in their folders. 

"Alright, I'll take it… I wouldn't want my companion to have a heart attack every time we go out there," she says with a sad smile.

"Thank you," Seteth responds with a nod, "let's go, before that philanderer ends flirting with all women in town."

Both leave the station and enter the car, patrolling the small city of Garreg Mach. They do not exchange words, completely focused on spotting the few breakfast restaurants. But, as they suspected there aren't enough places where a student can be at this hour, and less of all, to do what the infamous Sylvain Gautier is planning. 

However, every time they entered one of these restaurants and asked for the boy, waitresses knew exactly who they were talking about, adding a sour face to their responses. It seems he's not very good at talking with women as he thinks he is. 

Seteth was already exhausted by the time they exited the third cafe that morning. 

"Perhaps he decided to stay in his room today…" Byleth comments, hands on her hips and her gaze wander the streets. 

"Maybe, but we have to continue searching. This case should not be a difficult one if we just ask him," he responds with a sigh. 

"What if he was the one to steal the Lance of Ruin?" she asks completely seriously, now staring at Seteth directly.

"Preposterous… but now that you say it…" the veteran cop leads his hand to his chin, considering the idea, "He may be part of the family who knows the password. Maybe he took advantage of his stupid habit of skipping classes to not raise any suspicions," the plan is getting clearer in his head and he starts seeing Sylvain Gautier in another light. Byleth, on the other hand, is following something on the contrary sidewalk with her eyes. "Yes! Maybe he stole it and fled the country, probably Sreng, and that's why we haven't been able to find him!" He finishes with a fist in his hand, as a judge who hits his hammer against the table to pass judgment.

"Nah," his companion simply says and leaves him completely astonished. Seteth opens his mouth to ask, but Byleth only nods to his back. He reluctantly turns around. 

A boy, hair the color of red flame. Dressed in a white shirt, some buttons opened, revealing his collarbones; a lion roaring patch on the left side, blue tie almost undone. Brown pants with leather derby shoes. He's following closely, two women quickly walking, arms joined, and stealing wary looks at him, who cannot stop insisting on inviting them to something. 

"Let's forget I said anything. He's just an imbecile," Seteth says with a deadpan expression.

"Yep," Byleth agrees.

"Time to talk with him," he immediately suggests, already launching forward to the student. Still, his companion catches his arm.

"Wait! Let me do it," the hold on him, releasing a bit as she didn't take her eyes away from the objective.

"What? Why?" 

"He came all the way to talk to some women… alright, let's give him just that," she made a gesture to herself, "not the type of chat he was waiting for tho," 

Seteth gives it some thought, but ends up agreeing. It is true that, given the attitude of the student, it should be easy for Byleth to get information from him, even if it's just the minimum. 

He observes how she walks towards the Gautier boy, who has been already left behind by the two women he was chasing and was now scratching the back of his head as he observes them go away. However, his face lights up when the female cop calls him and he turns around. The detective has to watch how the student eyes Byleth up and down with a smirk on his face, and feels his blood boil. He's so obvious, he cannot even try to hide how clear his interest is just superficial. 

But it all works just as they plan. Byleth guides Sylvain to a cafe just in the corner, and Seteth takes the hint to cross the street and observe them discreetly through the glass. His companion sits in the booth in front of the student, and where she can see Seteth outside, ready to give him a sign in case something goes wrong. On the other side, he can visualize Gautier's back, and how he inclines forward to watch Byleth as closely as he can, placing his forearms on the table between them for support. 

Seteth leans on a lamppost and watches them talk. The student seems to enjoy Byleth's comments as he chuckles from time to time. She, however, doesn't seem to like the intentions of Sylvain to catch her hand. They spend some time like this, just chatting "pleasantly" as they drink coffee. 

Then the moment arrives. Byleth crosses her arms on her chest as she seems to ask for something. Sylvain stiffens and sits straighter. Then, he leans back, mimicking Byleth with her arms also folded and starts talking. His companion raises an eyebrow and interrupts him, extending her palm to stop the discourse. What is happening? That's when Byleth locks eyes with him and nods. The signal. Seteth hurries and enters the cafe, approaching the student from the back. 

"Let me introduce ourselves. I'm Byleth Eisner, and him," she points at Seteth, making the student turn his head to finally take sight of the newcomer, "is Seteth Clarke. We're detectives from Garreg Mach's Police Department," with this, she takes out her plaque and shows it to Sylvain, who cannot stop exchanging looks at the two cops, and sees how Seteth also exposes his plaque for him, "we have some questions," 

"Shit…" the boy simply says, "Look, I swear today I didn't have class!"

"That's a complete and utter lie," Seteth interjects, cutting short the student's excuses, "We talked with Dimitri, and it seems this is a usual behavior on your part…"

"What a sneak! He hasn't told anyone else, right? Oooooh, Ingrid is going to kill me!" Sylvain buries his face in his hands. You shouldn't behave like this if you're that afraid.

"We aren't here for this," Byleth interrupts, but doesn't make the boy look up. "The Lance of Ruin was stolen last night from your family's manor… know something?" 

"What?" The student finally peaks up from her hands to look at her with incredulity. "How did that happen?" 

"It seems someone opened the vault where the relics were being kept and took it," Seteth is the one who explains. "For what we've been told, the vault opens with a code only some family members know… so, we repeat, do you know something?" 

Sylvain recovers the composure, sitting up straight with his arms placed on the table. Still, he averts his eyes as if planning his next words.

"What did my father say?" He asks, still not meeting the eyes of either of the two cops.

"He suggested we ask you, and here we are," Byleth responds, her voice calmed and not rushing the boy to answer. 

"A-and… what will happen to the person who did it?" 

"Depends…" Seteth considers the question and tries to remember the Penal Code of Faerghus, "if they hand the relic willingly, your father will have to decide if he wants to continue with the robbery complaint…" the cop leads a hand to his chin. "If the thief resists, though… he can go to jail and pass from 1 to three years between bars. And… if they attack the cops, it will be much more," 

Sylvain reflexes on Seteth's words. His nerves betray him in how his fingers fidget with each other. But ends up sighing. 

"I think it was Miklan Gautier, my half-brother…" he finally spits out. 

"Why do you think that?" Byleth asks. 

"He was disinherited some years ago because he didn't have a Crest… it is only natural he would keep much resentment against the family, and what better blow than to steal the relic?" 

Seteth couldn't believe what he just heard. Disinherited? By the lack of a crest!? His heart beat with force, filled with rage. Can't believe humans continue this nonsense even to these days! He closes his fists with strength until he hears a voice deep within his mind. Who are the culprits of this? Shame drowns him entirely, making him look down, his fists to open, not daring to say more words. 

"And you know where he may be?" Byleth continues asking, oblivious to her partner's struggle.

"No… he started hanging out with bad company. The last we heard was that he had entered a gang, but nothing else," Sylvain finalizes.

"Thanks for the information, Mr Gautier. Please, call us if you remember anything else," Seteth places a hand in the boy's shoulder, in what he thought it could be a gesture to ease his worries, but then he tightens the hold, "and now go back to class, Dimitri is worried for you," he adds a warn in his voice, one which the boy doesn't miss as he swallows hard. 

Byleth stands up, leaves some coins on the table, and walks next to Seteth, nodding at him to leave. 

When they get out of the cafe, the cold air hits their faces, leaving them slightly dizzy and restraining their words for a moment. Until she speaks.

"I didn't think crests were so important, not to the point of disinheriting someone for the lack of one…" 

"It shouldn't be so important, but some families tend to be nonsensical, it seems," he simply responds, still feeling the ashes of his anger just moments ago. He looks at Byleth then, who is staring to some point in the distance as if giving some thought to his words.

She has the Crest of Flames. 

Seteth shakes his head. Now it wasn't the time to focus on that. They have to find the whereabouts of Miklan, and he knows they cannot take much time, or else he would flee with the relic. So he repeats in his mind: it's not her fault . 

"It seems we have reached a dead end…" he comments.

"I wouldn't say so yet," she responds, finally looking at him. 

"What do you mean?" 

Byleth roams her eyes up and down on him, taking notes of his clothes, and making Seteth's cheeks warm. 

"See you in Apostles street at 10 p.m… you can go dressed like that, but try something less…office look," she ends up saying. 

"Where are we going?" Seteth asks, fearing his companion's plan. 

"To the place where you can find the answers to all questions," 

And with that cryptic response, Byleth turns and starts walking down the street, leaving Seteth gaping at her.

What kind of place is that!?