“We’re here. My house.” Aurelius sighed. “Why’d it have to be mine, of all of them?”

“Are we gonna go inside, or...?” Officer Yulio questioned.

“Yes, yes, just...” Aurelius stopped. He went up the steps and opened the door.

Two men dressed in black turned to him with panicked faces. They dropped Cosmia and she gasped for breath. Aurelius growled. The two men fled toward the backdoor. Aurelius went for Cosmia and kneeled by her with a hand on her back.

“Stop in the name of the law!” Yulio shouted after the men.

“It’s no use.” Aurelius whispered. “Cosmia, are you alright?”

She looked deep into his eyes. “Who are those guys, Aurelius?” she asked shakily.

“I don’t know, dear. We’re wondering the same thing.” he looked up at Yulio. “Get her on the couch while I look around, please.”

“Yes’sir.” Yulio grunted.

Aurelius slowly got back up and walked around to the back of the couch. He scanned the stairs and the kitchen until something caught his eye. A sparkling bit of blood on the wall.

He looked toward Cosmia. “Did they...hurt you?”

Cosmia shook her head with breathless gasps of air. “N-no. But they d-did say that-”

“What? What did they say?” Aurelius asked.

“Th-they said they wanted to know where the _artifact_ is. I d-didn’t know what they were talking a-about, and that’s when y-you walked in.” Cosmia shook and groaned.

Aurelius widened his eyes. “I think I know what they’re after now.”