Alexandria's Keeper - Lord of the Mysteries

"Well, Mister 'I'll protect my girlfriend at all costs,' if you could, in fact, be a little bit kinder, I'd greatly appreciate it," Irina said, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Especially since I'm not insulting your sweet and gorgeous girlfriend. Thank you!"

Dunn blinked, taken aback. "I'm sorry, what?"

Nice reaction, I like it. A solid 10/10, Irina thought, trying to suppress a grin. Maybe next time I'll refer to her as his wife instead of girlfriend. That could be even better.

From across the room, Madam Daly laughed heartily. "Oh, she's hilarious! I like her!"

Dunn looks like he's dying inside. He's speechless, Irina noted, her inner amusement growing. But Madam Daly's loving this. I can't help but smile. They deserve a happy ending together. This world is far too cruel.

"Don't give me that deer-in-headlights look, Captain," Irina said, her smile widening. "With the way you were defending her, it's obvious you two are a couple."

"I didn't— She's not— We're just partners, nothing else," Dunn stammered, visibly flustered.

"Wrong!" Irina chimed, wagging a playful finger. "You wouldn't feel so attacked if she wasn't special to you. And why are you panicking? If she were just your partner, there wouldn't be a reason for this much stress."

Dunn's jaw clenched, his voice tight. "Madam Daly, Miss Irina, please. We were discussing something important."

I need to get him to stop treating me like some kind of criminal, Irina thought, her smile fading slightly. I want to work with him, not against him. The 'girlfriend' comment was a little below the belt, but hey, maybe I can make that come true!

Daly tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "She's right, you know. You're being much colder than usual, Dunn."

Dunn muttered under his breath, "I wonder why..."

Did I hear him right? Why can't he whisper any louder...

Daly narrowed her eyes. "What was that?"

The previous night, the only conscious Nighthawk left standing, Dunn Smith, raised a frying pan and swiftly brought it down on the back of the girl's head. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious, just like Leonard.

Dunn checked her pulse to make sure she was fully out before turning to Leonard. As he approached, a low groan escaped his partner.

"Ugh... my head... Did someone hit me? Or did someone hit both of us?" Leonard muttered, slowly stirring. "And, Captain... are you seriously not going to offer me a hand? How cruel…"

Dunn felt a wave of relief wash over him, comforted by Leonard's usual sarcastic banter.

"It's good to know you're still yourself," Dunn said, a rare hint of a smile breaking through his otherwise stoic demeanor.

Leonard blinked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Dunn asked, watching as Leonard tried to stand.

Leonard frowned in concentration. "Hmm… Oh wait, I touched that mirror, didn't I? And... uh... I… hugged... her...?"

Dunn's brow furrowed. He looks as confused as he sounds. What exactly does that pocket mirror do?

"That's right. Do you remember anything else? Something specific? Did you hear anything?" Dunn pressed.

That old man tried warning me but he was too late... The poet recalled his words.

Pallez intervened, say what you want to him but do not mention the voice.

Huh? What voice is he talking about? He couldn't help but feel confused.

Leonard rubbed his temples, his expression clouded. "Other than feeling a strange urge to touch it, not much. Everything went fuzzy after that. But I do remember wanting to give her the mirror back. That was stuck in my head—felt like it was the most important thing, like my life depended on it."

No voice? Pallez thought, carefully surveying his surroundings. Could I be the only one to hear it?

A tense silence settled over the room.

Then, Pallez Zoroast's voice echoed in Leonard's mind. Don't touch that mirror again. Same goes for your captain. Leave it with the girl. We don't want to know who—or what—was behind it.

Leonard hesitated before speaking. "What if we take her back to the base? We can leave the mirror in her hand. I'm definitely not keen on experiencing that again."

Dunn considered it for a moment, then nodded. "It's risky, but she didn't seem hostile, even when holding it. Let's tie her hand to the mirror, just in case."

Decision made, they moved quickly to bind her hand to the mysterious artifact, the room heavy with unspoken tension.

Sometime later, in the basement of the security company.

"Ughhh… my head hurts again, but this time in a different way." The newly stirred Irina massaged her temples.

"Have you slept well?" Leonard asked.

"I don't know, you tell me. Does it look like I did?" She shot back.

"I'll take that as a no, then. You were out for less time than I expected," Leonard replied with a hint of smugness in his voice.

Is it just me, or…?

"Why do you sound so smug about it, Mister...?" Irina trailed off, eyes narrowing.

"Of course, how inelegant of me. I'm Leonard. Leonard Mitchell, a Nighthawk."

"Irina. No last name. Nighthawk, huh? What a kinky man you are," she quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Nighthaw—what?" Leonard stammered, visibly thrown off.

Irina took her time sitting up on the bed, a slow grin spreading across her face as she watched Leonard's bewildered expression wipe away that smug look of his. Take that, Leo!

And that, my dear audience, is how you get a satisfying reaction from someone who thinks they're above you. Bravo, me!

Pallez's voice chimed in his head, Huh…

Irina smirked, letting Leonard suffer a bit longer before raising her right hand. She could feel the pocket mirror still bound tightly in her grip.

Why is this thing tied to my hand? And where am I? This place doesn't exist in Irina's memories. No sign of the orphanage, no familiar surroundings... Am I underground? I don't even hear any outside noise.

Leonard, clearly relieved, began to speak, "Oh! You could've started with tha—"

Before he could finish, Irina interrupted with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Not so fast, Mr. Smug. You're not getting the upper hand just yet.

With a slow tilt of her head, Irina covered her tied hand with the other and said, "Spoken from the one with a gun holstered at his side, to a newly awakened, frail girl lying in a room I've never seen in my entire life. My, my! Now that I think more about it... Nighthawk? Is that some sort of kink of yours?"

A loud thud echoed through the room as Leonard's chair clattered to the floor.

"Absolutely not! What kind of guy do you think I am?! I—" Leonard's voice boomed, his face red with indignation.

Irina immediately started to tremble at both the noise and Leonard's raised voice. "You're even yelling at me now! I—I'm going to cry. Did you give me something to drink? Or worse, a drug—"

"Miss Irina, please! You have to listen to me! This is a huge misunderstanding! I would never do something like that! We were investigat"

No matter how much Leonard tried to explain, Irina's trembling only intensified. She lowered her head, clutching it in her hands.

"I-I've really made you angry, haven't I?" she hiccupped between words. "But, Mister Leonard, I find myself alone in an unknown room, with a single bed, a chair... and a strange man who's apparently been watching me while I slept. I can't even remember what happened, and you—"

Leonard could hear a faint sound he thought were hiccups. Despite her words, Irina fought to keep herself from bursting into laughter. I can't hold it in much longer. I'm going to lose it any second now. I can't even look up because this stupid smile won't leave my face!

"Miss Irina, please! I understand the situation is... questionable—"

"'Questionable' is putting it mildly," Irina interrupted, her voice trembling with feigned distress.

"But! If you could just listen, I'd be more than happy to explain everything!" Leonard's voice was frantic, trying to hold it all together.

Irina's quiet babbling continued, but Leonard couldn't make out a single word of it, his mind racing to manage the misunderstanding.

Pallez's voice echoed in Leonard's mind. Leonard, she's actually... you know what? Whatever. Not my problem.

What does he mean by that?! Leonard thought, frustrated and clueless.

After what felt like an eternity of explanations, both Irina and Leonard had finally calmed down. The Poet sat back on his overturned chair, rubbing his temples.

Irina cleared her throat. "Allow me to summarize what I've understood so far."

"Of course! Please go ahead," Leonard replied, trying to sound as composed as possible.

Look at him now, all sweet and cordial. Splendid job, me!

Irina began. "So, you and your Captain, Dunn Smith, received multiple reports about strange, mysterious, and unexplainable occurrences. Naturally, you two decided to investigate, which is part of your job as Nighthawks—this hidden organization that deals with problems related to Beyonders, people with supernatural powers who often cause harm. All of this is under the banner of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. Did I get it right?"

Leonard raised an eyebrow. "You left out the part where your pocket mirror started doing strange and unreasonable things. Also, the fact that you, yourself, are a Beyonder. Either you were born one, or you don't remember drinking the potion because you clearly don't seem to know anything about it. And yet, you're showing no strange behavior, even though you've been in contact with the mirror for at least two hours now."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room after Leonard's clarification.

Irina hesitated for a moment. "...May I?"

Leonard's confusion deepened. "Of course."

She stayed silent for a few seconds longer, watching him. "..."

Leonard leaned forward slightly. "...?"

Look at him, she thought, he's so confused but also dying to know what I'll say. He looks like an adorably cute puppy!

Finally, Irina spoke, voice dripping with confidence. "That's bullshit."

The words landed hard, and Leonard's expression faltered, his face crumpling in a mix of defeat and disbelief.

Oh no. His face! He looks so defeated now—my poor, precious puppy. Who hurt you?! Then the realization struck. Oh right, it was me...

Before she could bask in her own guilt, Dunn's voice cut through the room. "Leonard, that's enough."

The suddenness of his voice startled Irina, causing her to jolt upright. Where did he come from?! she thought, her heart racing. Scared the living hell out of me! Does no one have respect for a woman's privacy in the Victorian Era? You can't just barge into a room without knocking!

Irina sighed, trying to regain her composure. "Great! Now there are even more strangers here. Nice to meet you all, I'm Irina. No surname."

As her eyes drifted behind Dunn, she noticed a woman slowly approaching. Her dark hair was elegantly braided at the back, and her striking blue eyeshadow and soft blush accentuated her delicate features. The hooded black robe she wore gave her an air of mystery, while the silver bracelet with a white crystal pendant dangled gracefully from her wrist, completing the look of a spirit medium.

The woman smiled warmly. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Irina. I'm Daly, Daly Simone. You can call me Daly. You're truly an exquisite lady, though I must kindly ask that you refrain from bullying our young poet over here."

Caught red-handed, Irina thought, her smile widening despite it. Maybe I was too obvious... or maybe it's because I was smiling a bit too much after all.

She's so beautiful, she mused, admiring the way Daly smiled with that knowing look on her face. Even with that teasing grin, she radiates elegance.

Irina winced playfully. "Ouch, you figured it out. Great minds think alike, Madam Daly."

The woman in question turned towards Leonard, the disheveled Nighthawk was still slouched on the chair. Daly, with a calm, composed tone, addressed him. "Leonard, would you mind giving us a moment?"

The Poet rose, a small sigh escaping him. "Of course. I could use a break anyway." Without further words, he strode swiftly to the door, vanishing from the room in seconds. Daly's gaze lingered on his retreating figure as the door clicked shut. Dunn, however, remained unshaken.

"You really scared him, Miss Irina," Daly remarked, a faint surprise in her voice. "That's no easy feat."

Irina's mind raced. Interesting… she's surprised, but I can't play with her like I would with others. I respect her too much. She smiled inwardly. Besides, girls always stick together, right?

Dunn broke the brief silence. "I must admit, I feel the same.""

His eyes flicked toward Daly, betraying a hint of emotion before he quickly masked it. Irina's smile grew sly. Well, well… isn't that something?

Daly, unfazed, continued, "I heard you don't remember what happened?"

Irina arched a brow, feigning innocence. "Oh, so you were eavesdropping while I bullied your companion, but chose not to intervene? Madam Daly, that's surprising. I didn't peg you for the type to let that slide. I think I'll have to reassess my view of you."

Dunn's voice sliced through the room, cold and sharp. "Do you really think now is the time for such an attitude?"

Damn, Irina thought, shivering inwardly. Even the North Pole would be warmer than that voice.

Daly shot Dunn a quick glance, a silent message exchanged between them.

Irina smiled, deciding to play coy. "For all that is divine, please be gentler. I get chills just hearing your voice, sir...?"

She paused, feigning a lack of recognition. Might as well ask his name, just to keep up appearances.

"Dunn Smith," he replied curtly. "And if you could show a bit more discretion, there'd be no need for such... measures."

Ah, much better, Irina thought with a smile. He's just being protective of Madam Daly, how sweet! But he's still too harsh on me. Let's fix that.

She turned back to Daly, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Madam Daly, how can you stand there while your partner treats me so harshly? Don't you have even a shred of sympathy for a poor girl like me?"

With a subtle tilt of her head, Irina sent Daly a hidden wink, hoping she'd catch on to her playful ruse. She wasn't sure if Daly would play along, but it was worth a shot.

Daly's eyes softened as she returned the wink, her expression almost conspiratorial. "You're right, Miss Irina. I think I need to reconsider my priorities."

Dunn's face, which had barely softened earlier, now turned to stone. His expression grew icier by the second, clearly displeased.

"I don't think that's necessary, Madam Daly," Dunn said stiffly, his patience wearing thin. "Irina, you—"

Uh-oh, Irina thought, suppressing a grin. He's really angry now. Look at those eyes...

A shiver crept down her spine under Dunn's intense gaze. His stare was enough to make anyone nervous.

Time to change that look on his face. Irina got ready to put her plan into motion.

I can't help but wonder what she's up to. She's starting to irritate Dunn; why is he taking all of this so personally? I won't lie, she's piqued my interest. There's no malice radiating from her. She seems more like a playful child than a Beyonder who narrowly escaped losing control. Daly thought with muted curiosity.

Irina looked at Dunn with a mischievous grin. "Well, mister 'I'll protect my girlfriend at all costs,' if you could be a bit kinder, I'd really appreciate it, especially since I'm not insulting your lovely and charming girlfriend. Thank you!"

His girlfriend? Is that how we appear to her? Is she being serious or just teasing?

The Captain's brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, what?"

Dunn is momentarily at a loss for words. It's understandable; he doesn't like me like that. He probably sees this as an affront to his honor. Daly couldn't help but be saddened at her own thoughts.

It's a funny joke, if only it were true...

Daly laughed, clearly entertained. "Oh, she's hilarious! I like her!"

Irina rolled her eyes playfully. "Don't look at me like that. With the way you were defending her, it's obvious you two are a couple."

Was he really? He's always like this. We've worked together for years and are just friends. Daly tried to rationalize her coworker's reactions.

Dunn's face reddened to her surprise. "I didn't—she's not—we're just partners, nothing more."

Is he panicking? No, he's flustered... is that a good sign or a bad one?

Irina smirked. "Wrong! You wouldn't feel so defensive if she wasn't someone special to you. And why are you panicking? There shouldn't be a reason for that if you're just partners."

Her logic is solid. Now that I think about it, I've never seen Dunn act like this when similar situations arose with other squad members. Am I truly special to him? Hope began to stir within her, causing her heart to race.

Dunn cut in, his tone firm. "Madam Daly, Miss Irina, please. We were discussing something important."

Oh no, my dear, you aren't escaping this conversation as easily as you think!

Daly chimed in, she was not going to let this opportunity go to waste after all. "She's right, though. You're being much colder than usual."

Dunn's expression shifted, deep in thought. "I wonder why..." He muttered out loud.

'I wonder why'? What does this mean Dunn?

Daly raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"Nothing important!" Dunn replied hastily. "We're losing sight of the main point here."

Irina waved her hand dismissively. "I've done my part here. Madam Daly, I trust you can handle the rest later. However, I'm curious to see how this situation unfolds. Come on, Dunn Smith, let's continue with the interrogation, or whatever you Nighthawks like to call it."

Daly smiled warmly. "Thank you, dear. If the situation allows, I'll happily share the outcome of our future discussion."

Dunn sighed. "Can we please return to the main point now?"