It was a tranquil morning in the prosecutor's office. Warm rays of sunlight filtered in through the window, illuminating the lavish room. It was where Barok van Zieks often worked, which explained the elegance of the interior design. One look at the glass case full of ornate chalices or the kegs of wine lining the wall opposite the desk and one could easily discern that it belonged to the Reaper. As of late, Kazuma Asogi also occupied the space. He'd been learning under Barok to be a proper prosecutor. It had been a few months since the big case that involved their pasts, and they'd said farewell to their Eastern friends returning to Japan. Since then, things had settled down quite a bit.

Kazuma sat on his cushion on the floor, his little desk in front of him with papers scattered across it. He was spending his morning reviewing some of his mentor's recent cases. The former Reaper of the Bailey had been on a win streak as of late, putting infamous criminals behind bars, or in some circumstances, straight to the gallows. Kazuma may have once thought van Zieks to be a true Reaper, but now, he had nothing but respect for the man.

While his Nipponese protégé learned, Barok enjoyed a warm cup of tea at his desk. The morning paper was folded in front of him, its contents waiting to be read. After taking a few sips of his drink, he unfolded the paper to skim over the headlines. That's when his gaze landed on a specific column that made his blood run cold. "The esteemed Bellerose family murdered", was the title. With his pale blue eyes widening ever so slightly, he began reading.

Tragedy strikes the Bellerose family on the cool night of February 14. Henry Bellerose and his wife Adeline were both found dead in the foyer of their home. The family's servants were also killed in this brutal attack, save for a single maid found injured and taken to St. Synner's for treatment. Screams from the estate were reported by a couple passing through. Three armed men were arrested upon exiting the estate in a futile attempt at absconding with the Belleroses' wealth.

Barok could practically feel his heart pounding with worry. He didn't even realize that he'd been holding his breath, but finally exhaled rather loudly. How could something like that happen? Especially to a family he knew rather well. It was normally easy for him to keep a cool head when it came to crimes of all kinds. But this particular crime…it involved her. He swiftly read over the remainder of the column, praying that he'd see some positive news since her name wasn't brought up in the murder.

The heirs of the Bellerose family, Barnaby Bellerose and Sophia Grace Bellerose, are reported to be missing. Police suspect a kidnapping.

Barok abruptly stood, his chair screeching against the floor. Without a second thought, he slung his beverage at the nearest wall. The cup shattered with an audible crash, tea splattering onto the wall and floor.

Kazuma flinched, jumping to his feet and twisting around to see what caused the noise. "Sir…" His dark eyes moved between the spilt tea and shattered glass to his mentor. "You really need to stop breaking so many expensive glasses."

"Pray forgive the discourtesy of flinging my hallowed tea in the office." He rested his palms against the wood of the desk, staring intensely at the newspaper. "There's been a murder. No, a massacre."

Kazuma approached the desk, following Barok's gaze to the newspaper. "The esteemed Bellerose family murdered," he read aloud, humming quietly. "Bellerose… I believe that's an aristocratic family, isn't it?"

"Correct." The tall Englishman straightened, his outrage masked behind his stoic demeanor. "I was quite familiar with the Belleroses. To hear of this grim news is…quite tragic."

Kazuma could actually hear the sorrow in his tone. It could even be described as sounding broken. Taking the paper from the desk, the Easterner read over the column in detail. He found himself grimacing by the end of it.

"Vile snakes," he murmured under his breath. "A sole survivor of the attack, this servant's testimony would be indisputable proof of the criminals' guilt. They'd hang for certain." Crossing his arms, he looked to his mentor. "What do you think, van Zieks? Planning to bring justice to these killers?"

"As much as I'd revel in their adjudication by my hand, I'm afraid I must leave the prosecuting to you this time, my learned friend. I trust you can handle it." Barok moved around his desk, heading straight for the door.

"Wait." Barok stopped but kept his back turned. "Don't be reckless. If you're going to investigate the whereabouts of the missing persons, don't do anything illegal please."

Barok glared from over his shoulder. "I'll abide by the law. I'm going to aid the investigation team to track them down."

It grew silent between them. In the past few months, Kazuma had almost never seen van Zieks in a time of weakness. But now was one of those rare occurrences. Barok might've been a master of intimidation and at concealing his emotions, but there was something in his eyes that was different. There was fear. Desperation.

"Who are these people to you?" the Nipponese inquired, wanting to hear the honest truth. "These heirs of the Bellerose family."

Barok turned to face him, the corners of his lips twitching down with irritation. "Will divulging my private life please you in some way?"

Kazuma couldn't keep from smiling mischievously. "It will. For several reasons. You would never miss the opportunity of prosecuting the murderers of people you knew." His expression went serious in a matter of seconds. "Most importantly though, when dealing with any case, the truth must always be brought to light - the whole truth, no matter how difficult it is to speak of or how hard it is to swallow. That's what he taught us back then. Ryunosuke."

Crossing his arms, his mentor lowered his head slightly. "Barnaby Bellerose was a close friend to my brother. They used to hunt and fence together, and they shared similar pursuits in the legal world. As for Sophia, she was a talented woman with a heart of gold unlike any other. She and I were betrothed years ago, but after the Professor case, our families drifted apart. Her parents no longer wished for her to get involved with the van Zieks after that, especially given my reputation. I figured it was for the best. The last thing I wanted was to involve her in the dangers I faced."

"Ah, I see." Kazuma gave a slow nod of understanding. "I'll be honest, I never expected you of all people to harbor such feelings." Barok closed his eyes and turned his head away, unwilling to admit to his admiration. "Well then, I'll make certain the killers won't get off the hook." He smiled confidently. "Justice will be served."

"Thank you." The Englishman turned once more, making his way to the door. "I believe our first order of business would be to take testimony from the survivor. Their experience of the attack and knowledge on the Bellerose family could be all it takes to bring this case to a close."