“What about this notebook? And the symbols on it? Jason said that they were some kind of magical symbols to fuel and maintain the limbo. Do they mean anything special?” sensing that the atmosphere was getting too tense, Aimee asked another question hoping to bring light to their confusion as well as change the subject to a less cruel one.

“They’re ‘words’. Words that are blessed by a go - I mean mysteriously powerful entity. You can imagine someone became so powerful that they created a new language for themselves.” Jianmen had to tune down the information load in his explanation because Detective Kuhn and Detective Lee, though having drunk his tea and coffee and gained some temporary “boost”, were still civilians: “It’s basically the same as some of the symbols you could see from horror movies that involve occult symbols that conjure demons or spirits. I suspect this was brought into the precinct with some kind of intention of collecting negative energy, just like the two men that were captured were doing.”

“But Jason said that he heard someone cursing at him as if he foiled some kind of plan, who could want this kind of negative energy?” Aimee asked: “And what could that kind of energy be used for? ”

“Like Jason had told you, grudge is a kind of energy that can be used in curses and nefarious spells, including but not limited to the conjuring of actual evil spirits or even demons.” Jianmen waved his right hand in the air, the hologram of the bald man against lightning turned to an array with the head of a demon at the center: “And in your case, your instincts are correct, the symbol of the Bleeding Daggers left at one of the Drainer crime scenes does match the symbol in this notebook, in fact, they basically came from the same vocabulary. We have yet to tell if the grudge collectors were under the command of the same … entity.”

“Something still isn’t feeling right for me - ” Thomas asked with a frown: “The lycans and the vampires work under one high broker in the Exalted Bondsmen, right? I don’t remember any connections between them, the lycans and the Bleeding Daggers cult. For now we can be sure that the Drainer should just be some kind of sick operation run by the vampires and lycans. And what does that have to do with the men who came to collect the grudge? There’s a lot of disconnect here.”

“The underground world is much more complex than just the high brokers. ” Jianmen shrugged: “For example, Bleeding Daggers, from what I’ve learned from Josephine and the latest findings of her team, has a lot of vampire members as well - not all vampires belong to the same tribe, or even subscribe to the same social structures. Also, different sects and tribes of vampires practice very different magic as well. But I wouldn’t put it past the Bleeding Daggers to have some kind of deal with the other vampires, where one group collects the blood from the victims and the other collects the grudge from them. But there’s one problem though. ”

“Which is?” Aimee and Thomas asked at the same time.

“You may have heard that two groups of high brokers in the Exalted Bondsmen are having a war. And Bleeding Daggers were a part of a coven that has been cooperating with another high broker, the one with whom the High Brokers of Vampires and Lycans was fighting against.” Jianmen tapped the table and said: “This means that someone’s doing some double dealing under the table here - and I am just not sure who. It’s quite dangerous for anyone in that world to do this.”

“Maybe think bigger.” Mr. Night Owl said when she finished her little disk of plum wine, as she pushed the little disk forward for a refill: “I was in that limbo as well - you know, we Nekomatas have really high tolerance against all kinds of mental and will magic. We are quite immune to the effects of limbos, even limbos created by very powerful magic. But this one - this one’s different, it’s as if some high level being had directed his will into it and was trying to suck all the minds away from all of those humans and even me.”

“Mmm, I think I know the one.” Jianmen slided the disk back and thought for a short moment: “But I don’t think that bastard can recover this soon. I think I left quite a mark on him last time we met.”

“I don’t know, a lot of times crazy nut jobs willing to sacrifice their families for the voices in their head can put out quite the juice.” Mr. Night Owl licked her paws when Jianmen was filling her disk: “Your power is very impressive, but it is not dependent on faith, fervor or zealotry. If it is, you might know some shortcuts to a speedy recovery.”

“Fair, fair.” Jianmen scratched his head and said: “And I suppose, with a willing conduit, they can appear much more powerful.”

“Wait - what are you talking about?” Detective Lee asked: “It’s like you’re referencing something … something bigger?”

“Yes.” Mr. Night Owl and Jianmen answered at the same time, and Mr. Night Owl rolled her eyes just like a human: “And this discussion could be much smoother if you weren’t here as puny little humans.”

“Huh?”

“The weight of knowledge.” Aimee shook her head: “Would you excuse us, detectives? We can take some notes and relay the information to you.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I think we’ve heard enough anyway.” Detective Kuhn stood up and shook his head: “Lee, I’m gonna head back and check in with people at the precinct, you coming with me?”

“I’d advise you to take a break first.” Jianmen nodded: “You just drank the coffee and tea, it would just take you a few minutes. Especially you Detective Lee, you were under the influence of a limbo.”

“No…” Detective Lee also stood up: “I think we’ve gotta head back...” But before he could reach the door to the diner, he fell down onto an air bubble and almost hit the ground.

“I insist.” Jianmen sighed and gave Detective Kuhn a key: “Trust me, it will literally be a few minutes for you. Take a break.”