Morning arrived and Syryn was ready to be interrogated by the Torture and Interrogation officer. With a clinking sound, metal cuffs went around his wrist. He was led out of his prison and taken into a sterile-looking room.

"Good morning Dio," he wished the man sitting inside the interrogation room.

"Morning, Syryn. Take a seat." Dio was in his crisp red Sanguine uniform. He had some papers in his hands that contained information about Syryn.

Syryn took a seat opposite Dionys and placed his cuffed hands on the table. He looked around the room while Dionys arranged the papers on the table. Syryn also took this time to observe the anti mage. The royal family had very good genes and it was obvious in all the members of their family.

Dionys' eyes were on the page as he slowly perused the contents on it. Some time passed and he glanced up at Syryn who was examining his nails with interest. The anti mage noticed the mage's dark lashes lowered like moth wings against his pale cheeks. Syryn was truly exquisite and he could see why Rowan was so in love with him. When he compared the man to Lillith, his cousin sister still fell a little short in terms of beauty.

"I should charge you for enjoying my face," Syryn said in a low voice to the anti mage as he looked up through the lashes that had attracted Dionys.

Dionys smiled, paper still in hand. "How much do I owe you?"

Syryn thought about it. "Some good food. Breakfast was shit."

Dionys looked behind him where his guard was standing. "Get Syryn some good quality breakfast."

After the guard left the room, Dionys faced Syryn. "It says here that you won a brewing competition. So you're an alchemist."

Syryn shrugged.

"And you co-own a popular establishment that sells medicinal products along with potions."

"I suppose I do."

"It's a good way to entrench yourself in Elysium's society, something a spy would do."

Syryn snorted. "If that's the case then you should go accuse Salem and all the other business owners."

"You defeated Rowan when you were thirteen years old. That's really impressive."

"Get to the point, Dionys."

The anti mage leaned forward with his hands on the table. The man's silver eyes were like stars, so beautiful that Syryn felt hypnotised by them.

"Syryn, how does a thirteen-year-old child get so good at alchemy? How does a thirteen-year-old alchemy genius have time to become an expert at both martial and magical skills?"

Syryn knew that Dionys would never find anything no matter how hard he looked into his history. The Sage who had access to his memories helped Syryn put a story together that was part lies and part truth.

"I was discovered very young and trained by a man who was a teacher of alchemy. And while I studied under his teachings, I also picked up some basic magical abilities. As for my fighting skills, it's something you end up getting good at in order to survive the streets as an orphan."

Dionys narrowed his eyes in thought. His gaze was fixed on a point over the table as he mulled over what Syryn had told him.

"Where were you born?" He asked the mage.

"I don't know. All I remember is that my village was burnt down and my mother died in it. I was lucky enough to escape with a few survivors who left me in maple town."

"Where was your father and how old were you when this happened?"

"I don't know where my father was. All I remember is being raised by my mother till I was six years old. That's when she died."

"How did she die?"

If Syryn didn't have amnesia, he would have remembered the smell of acrid smoke and burning flesh. He had been gathering water at the river when the village was attacked. He came running back to the house where he lived with his mother, only to find her still warm dead body. She had been violated by bandits and then her throat cut. It was a gruesome scene that no six year old should have been exposed to. Syryn was still too young to properly process what the emotions that overcame him. Numb and shocked, he had lowered himself down next to his mother's dead body and closed his eyes. The next thing he would have remembered was his tiny body being grabbed by an adult man who carried him away from the burning house where his mother's body lay naked and cold.

"Like I said, murdered by bandits."

Dionys looked ashen. "I'm sorry."

"Then release me."

"That's-"

The door to the room swung open and Artemus came striding in without so much as an excuse me.

"Move over, Dionys." The dark-haired anti mage dragged a chair over beside the other mage hunter and sat down. "I appealed to a few people who realised that you've overstepped your authority. The case still stands but I am now a part of the investigation. This means that every time you decide to interrogate Syryn, you have to do it with me around."

Dionys smiled with some exasperation. Artemus was going to great lengths for Syryn and he wanted to know why.

"Hey Art, glad to see a friendly face," Syryn told the anti mage.

He received a nod in return. Artemus then addressed Dionys. "Carry on. Pretend I'm not here listening in."

________

Rowan had asked Artemus to take care of the business with Syryn because he wasn't willing to engage directly with the people who were behind the plot.

Dionys and Lillith weren't all that close so there had to be another reason thsilver-eyeder eyed anti mage was getting himself involved. Four and a half days to go till the choosing ceremony came around, and Syryn was already in the clutches of the enemies. Rowan wasn't afraid of the mage hunters hurting Syryn because he knew they wouldn't dare to harm the mage while he was still favoured by the blond. What they were doing was stalling for time as Syryn remained in their custody. This way, the choosing ceremony would pass on without Syryn's participation.