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[color=DEBA5E][b]Samad[/b][/color] & [color=7CCD7C]Cade[/color]
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[indent][b]Location:[/b] Arriving at the Peraltas’ mansion [/indent]

Cade jumped when suddenly a woman, likely of oriental-his guess was Japanese or Chinese- ancestry, had promptly appeared near the other asylums. He still wasn’t use to the teleporting ability that every alchemist had as he looked over, embarrassed, to see if Samad had also been caught off guard by the display. The Iranian never even flinched through his left hand was cupped under his right and a small point of a katar was easily seen under his coat. It retracted, quietly and quickly, back into his sleeve. Samad’s reaction even to the unexpected never ceased to amaze the younger man while he straightened himself upright and tried to brush off the unsettled fear still scratching at his calm, trying to render it into pieces. Her words spoke loudly into Samad’s and Cade’s mind, broadcasting her eagerness. 

Actually having seen how many newcomers had arrived, something felt off to Cade as he eyes met Samad. The look the Iranian gave seemed to suggest he was thinking the same thing. Something was up and they both knew it. AMRO, though, didn’t seem to be ready to reveal the details and this only made the linked pair uneasy.  

Cade moved closer to his partner, then leaned in. He whispered his concerns into Samad’s mind. [i][color=7ccd7c] ‘Something’s not right. There are too many asylums here for a simple babysitting job…” [/color][/i] 

Samad was about to reply to Cade, then the woman, his eyes staring at the others admiring the sinful scene when something happened.     

Cade and Samad froze in place when the echoing sound of a finger snap cracked within their heads. It vibrated and shook within their ears, lingering while the world twisted and warped in their vision. Both asylums stood eerily still, their breath inhaled and held within their chests, but it felt like their very souls were drifting away against their will. Gradually, darkness washed over them before the void seemed emerged around them and the darkness faded into nothing. Cade promptly collapsed onto all fours then spewed up the contents of his last meal, shaking terribly. This made enough of a scene that Samad casually walked over and crouched beside him, patting the younger Asylum’s back. The expression on his face, however, was one of annoyance and edginess despite his handling of it. 

"Welcome to the void, the pathway between all minds." Angel’s voice stated, his figure coming into view finally. "You need not worry, we aren't in anyone's mind or some cliche like that. The void is a pathway between your consciousness and my consciousness, consider it like a pit stop where the perception of time does not exist."

The place itself looked like a pure, white room to the linked asylums. Likely their minds putting some sense of recognition on the colorless, shapeless and unknown place to ease the fear of the unknown. Either way, the white space felt more unsettling to Samad and Cade the longer they stayed within its boundaries. It didn’t help that Samad wasn’t fond of Cade being in such a vulnerable position as he hands wrapped about his partner, then gently coaxed Cade upright again. Cade adjusted his glasses with his hand. They had slipped down slightly on his nose and he leaned heavily on Samad for support, his legs still feeling like jello despite his figure not being physical right now. He couldn’t stop the trembling as much as he tried through. Something that likely made him look pathetic, a fact that made him both irritated and angry at himself. 

Gradually, during Angel’s brief summary of where they were, the place became more normal. It broke apart and shaped itself while they were still within to resemble a large, Victorian stylized library. Candles were their only source of illumination casting faint, soft yellow light everywhere. Cade carefully placed his weight on his feet feeling sure he could fully stand now, thanking Samad for his assistance. Samad said nothing, merely shrugging off the appreciation as a vilipend thing. 

It didn’t take long before the youngest Chrono squeaked in an excited voice. "The Delacours are all dead! They are dead, so dead, very dead, super dead!" 

Samad turned his head, his surprise and shock hidden under a mask at the news. Cade wasn’t so talented. His face paled when all color drained from it, his eyes fixed in horror at the Chrono while Angel continued. 

"As my partner so eloquently placed it, an entire Bloodline has been annihilated. This changes the very nature of our roles as well as the meeting, if we do not resolve this matter....we are looking at an alchemic war between the rogues of this world. I can't stress enough the amount of paperwork I will have to complete.....if that were to happen....we are talking months of paper work.....we cannot allow that and so we must prevent any further tragedy."

Cade just stared at Angel’s concern about paperwork with stun awe. He couldn’t believe his ears. The man was more worried about [i]avoiding[/i] paperwork of all things than actually realizing their roles had shifted from babysitters to judge, jury and finally executioners. Some of the bloodlines had children, his mind fluttering back to the Kians and Palladinos, causing the sourness from earlier to intensify for a second round. His arm jerked out to clasp Samad’s shoulder as his balance wobbled. If those bloodlines were found guilty… there was no telling what AMRO would do. They would all, man to child, all wiped out. It wouldn’t have mattered if they were innocent or guilty, a fact that sicked Cade at his very core. 

[i][color=7ccd7c]‘What if it was the Legendes that did it?'[/color][/i] Cade’s fingers tightened at the thoughts of a bloodied, dead Anya laying there as her life ended. It was like someone had punched him in the gut. Samad noted Cade’s reaction and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the man’s overactive imagination had kicked in.[i][color=DEBA5E] ‘Cade, get a hold of yourself!’[/color][/i] The man snapped into Cade mind’s mind while trying to help keep Cade and himself standing, his arms gently guiding his partner to the nearest chair. Cade folded in on himself with his arms cradling his head and face looking down at the ground, resting in a slouched position within his chair.  
 
"So, um, what exactly are we supposed to do in there? Y'know, now that there's been another mass murder... are we supposed to just act casual?"  

Audrey’s words snapped Cade from his own thoughts, his head jerked up then answered her. His eyes seemed a bit cold and frustrated at the situation he, and to some extent, Samad was placed in. [color=7ccd7c] “We become Judge, Jury and Executioners then hope we get the correct culprits. Then we wipe out the whole family… if we chose wrong, we could kill a whole Bloodline and the murderers walk free.”[/color] 

Samad shifted uncomfortably in place, not liking Cade’s tone but not wanting to draw attention to himself while he mentally tried to access Cade’s mind. He suddenly hit a wall. The Iranian blinked, slightly surprised that Cade had decided to block him or was too pissed to notice it. Samad tried again but once more, he found himself in the same position. It was times like this he wished he could simply stab the doctor just to feel better. 


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[color=EECBAD]ღ~Kians~ღ[/color]
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Sahar kept the children close, especially Dara, after the incident with Lei Gong. Her hand rested carefully upon his shoulder and briefly tightened in warning when his head flickered over the activity, his curiosity drawn to not to the scantily clothed women but the pool and towering walls. The boy, oddly enough, was addicted to heights. A trait that was allowed to be explored back home with numerous walking planks, climbing walls without the ​rope, and more. However, she refused to allow him to wander off from her sight again. Her fingers held their grip causing Dara to lower his head and stare at the ground, seeming to find his toes suddenly interesting like any other child. 

It was a visual clue to submission to his mother’s desire for his safety. The Shah’s wife could easily feel the rebellion in her young son’s figure, thanks to the eagerness to explore the estate, but his teachings came first and finally yield the result she wanted. Gradually she had loosened her iron like grip and retracted her arm back to her side. 

Parisa and Ziba stayed close, on instinct, as their eyes absorbed the sight. On habit, Sahar’s hand came over her youngest’s eyes to shield her from the over exposed females and males, her mind was too innocent, unlike her elder siblings. Six years was far too young to be exposed to certain subjects, even for a Kian. 

While the Queen Anne patriarch, Lucas, Amaka and others interacted about the presentation of the estate, Nima noticed Lei Gong and his sister make their way back toward them. On impulse, Nima looked over to his wife then nodded subtly. Immediately the children huddled near her as she counted the heads, making sure all three were accounted for, then held them close to her. Her dark eyes stared in defiance at Ying to attempt to murder her children again while a mother’s scorn rose to the surface and wafted off her usually calm aura. For a moment, Nima found it hard to see this creature that stood protectively over his children as the very timid, soft-spoken woman he had originally married. It was rare for her to show this side publically after all. 

When the alchemists approached, the Shah, his heir, and the guards took up their positions. Nima fixed his body in the front, between the pair and his family. His arms were held at his side with his chest out, his eyes fixed forward and studying the two. At his side were two of the non-blood related alchemists with Yaser and the third following behind the heir. Nima’s bearded face tightened in anxiety while Loafeng bowed politely then inquired about their children. 

The Shah’s voice was gruff and accusing in his reply, the dark eyes narrowed in a heated glare at Ying, “Yes, it’s part of the Kian family up bring regrettably. Though I don’t appreciate the accusation the Lost Number made, namely jumping to conclusions about my youngest son. Had she believed Dara was even [i]able[/i] to do you harm and didn’t just merely traumatize him with darkness then I’m sure we would be burying him instead. We have enough funerals within our own family to deal with.” 

“Nima,” Sahar’s soft words reached Nima’s ear, her hand settled on his shoulder. Sahar rarely spoke and so, when the seemingly submissive woman did then the Shah made certain to listen. For it a moment it appeared the two were merely staring at each for an awkward length of time. In reality, they were having a non-verbal argument which ended in Sahar’s victory. 

The Shah’s breath inhaled in defeat and finally addressed the Laofeng’s question in a different tone. “I don’t appreciate having my family being nearly killed twice in a short period of time. I thought AMRO would’ve trained their dogs better than this. Even if we’re only a nuisance to them, there’s little excuse for such behavior.”