Storm clouds swept over the still waters, sending streams of rain down on the dusty, circular windows of the hospital. In the farthest corner of its interior, four walls clad in several layers of cloth surrounded by a thin mesh were enclosing a single, tall tabletop and loops of white cables attached to two iron objects with long, rubbery handles.

- It might hurt at first, but then...you'll see - a velvety voice echoed in the cramped space as warm hands gently brushed away strands of blond hair from the wet forehead of a man secured to the metallic surface with leather straps.

Desperate moans of protest barely rang through the thick material tightly wrapped around the young detective's mouth as the machine standing in the corner was activated and the sound of approaching footsteps ceased just above his head. Parted eyelids only allowed to recognize the slender fingers and an azure glow fixated on the devices stacked right next to Raziel's ear, his senses merging into a disjointed, uniform mass.

- Relax - two icy objects were attached to the temples of the howling man as the doctor's voice mingled with the deafening thunder rolling over the stone building on the hill. As another flash of lightning cut through the dark vault, the frigid body flexed violently and brown drops of watery liquid began to drip from under half-closed eyelids.

- I warned you... - the indifferent tone was the last thing that entered Raziel's consciousness before all his muscles were engulfed in a violent wave of flames that ripped through every living nerve and, seconds later, reality was completely submerged in a suffocating, excruciatingly painful nothingness.

***

The abandoned building opposite the church seemed full of anticipation, as if its owner had stepped out into the garden for a moment and was about to reappear at the threshold of a slightly ajar door. The creaking wicket gave out an agonizing groan as a scarred hand pushed it open and a hunched figure stepped into the cramped courtyard, focusing on the streak of light visible from behind the wooden surface.

Drenched boots made their way between the fence and the front door, skipping two wooden steps at a time up a terrace full of pots of withered flowers, scattered soil, and a few aluminum cans rolled by gusts of wind.

- Raziel? Are you here? - a male voice mingled with the distant hooting and chirping coming from between the lush treetops of the nearby forest as blue fingers gripped the door handle and opened it wider.

- I’d hoped we would still have time to talk! - The man stepped into the brightly lit living room, but the intoxicating smell and the deplorable state of the room hit all his heightened senses, causing his entire body to react violently. However, once the gray-haired man had mastered most of the unwanted reflexes, his analytical mind began to interpret every detail of the chaos he was witnessing.

- What the hell happened here... Hey, Torres! - the shadow of a figure fell on the worn curtain of the window opposite the entrance as the setting sun descended ever closer to the horizon, but the man got no response from the buzz-filled interior.

- He must have already packed...he could have at least cleaned up this mess....

Joseph didn't expect his subordinate to leave the house so quickly, but he didn't blame him for his lack of contact and obvious absent-mindedness in leaving the building. After long moments of struggling with his emotions dominated by anger and anxiety, rationality finally floated to the surface of his troubled mind, and the detective was left with no choice but to secure the place himself against a possible break-in while Raziel was away.

After going around all the rooms, closing a few windows and collecting a pile of papers from the floor, the man decided to return to the car in search of something with which he could effectively secure the front door of the building and the gate leading to the gravel path. However, halfway through the narrow corridor, a loud, rasping rustle coming from the dark abyss disappearing down the stairs made his intuition stop and sharpen his hearing in search of the source of the unwanted sound.

- Hello? Raziel, are you in the basement!? - the deafening call reverberated off the brick surface, but no answer came for a long time, pushing forward only the chirping of birds and the sound of vehicles from the street. Joseph stuck an attentive gaze at the outline of a small door, part of which was obscured by old broomstick and several broken buckets.

- What the... - the man's sentence was abruptly interrupted by the shrill rumble of falling wood as two large gray rodents ran out from between the pile of objects carelessly stacked at the bottom of the stairs, slid past the frozen figure and fled into the streak of light coming in from outside.

- He should definitely take care of this mess... - murmurs of disapproval resounded quietly in the small room, then Joseph followed the unexpected occupants towards the ajar door. Until the end, the man was escorted by the quiet ticking of the clock, the hustle and bustle of the street, and a pair of cloudy brown eyes peering up at the detective's pair of worn-out shoes.

***

The black abyss enclosed a figure suspended in the depths of his own consciousness in a gentle embrace, and a muffled female voice slowly floated up to the man, mussing his unconscious senses with melodious tones. The sound grew clearer with each passing second, its blurred hues blending together slowly, lazily pushing to the surface familiar images long buried in memories.

A throbbing pain violently assaulted the scarlet-painted body, whose skin began to feel the cold throbbing from the stone floor with increasing intensity, while the soft chanting continued to assault the man's irritated hearing. When reality finally fully hit Raziel, his swollen eyelids flew open violently and his bleeding lips began to mute the words that his overworked throat was unable to give out.

- Van...Vanessa... - a faint whisper echoed off the gleaming floor, but the loud melody hitting the blond from all sides intensified as his heavy breathing deepened, blocking any words Raziel spoke from fully resonating in their fragile, fuzzy form. Unable to raise his head any higher, the man could only see the wet path disappearing into the darkness of the long corridor, but the words of the familiar song began to fish out all the images of the past with a gentle gesture, pulling a powerful wave of adrenaline and determination.

- Fuck... - Raziel pressed his limp arms against the cold surface of the wall and, with its help, began to fight against his own body as he tried to rise from the wet floor. The space around him seemed to shrink and dissolve, only to double back and expand again a moment later in irregular shapes whose outlines overlapped and swept in a strange manner. Raziel struggled to keep his balance, but the wounds covering his weakened body made it difficult to do so to the accompaniment of the soft, melodious tone the man knew so well...

As the blond took his first shaky step along the corridor, a mysterious voice encircled his figure more tightly, pushing him towards the opposite wall, whose stone surface began to unravel and crumble, revealing a patch of sharp white light. Dust irritated his reddened eyes and swollen larynx, but his weakened muscles kept pressing forward, driven by the sweet promise of meeting a female figure with delicate features and a blue, soothing gaze.

- Raziel - a gentle breeze coursed down his exposed neck, a cold shiver ran through his heated body, and his black pupils widened considerably as he heard the longed-for sound coming from behind him. A soft chant blurred in the confined space, light strands of hair stuck to his wet forehead were brushed away with a flick of a slender hand, while pale fingers clung tenderly to his scarlet-covered cheek, turning Raziel's face in their direction with a slight movement.

- I've missed you - a silvery haze left the lips of a woman whose lustrous hair fell in waves over her exposed shoulders and her intense gaze was taking in the glow from the younger man's eyes, whose stunned expression brought an amused smile to her raspberry lips - Have you forgotten your sister already?