Behind The Smile||Karmagisa

Chapter 29: Lost and Found

"Let the games begin." 

Sebastian clapped, giving off an obvious signal for us to start searching. However, my body was frozen in place; and I didn't know why. Maybe it was because of the heat of the moment and body refuses to react as quickly...or it was simply because I was scared. Scared of the possibility that I couldn't find him, scared of the possibility that there were traps all over the place --scared that Karma isn't even in this building and this whole thing could simply be a waste of time. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Levi yelled from across the room. "You're the one dying to find him! Move already! We only have 60 minutes." 

And I snapped. My legs instantly responded and I ran to where he was standing. "I don't know where to start," I admitted, wanting a sort of guide to lessen the chances. 

"Try the second floor," Levi suggested, pointing upwards. "Izaya and Shizuo are checking the first floor and Gakushuu is checking this floor." 

"What about you?" I asked, wondering. 

"Eren and I are setting up a backup plan in case this all is just a big trap." 

I tilted my head to the side, still a bit blurry on what he meant and questionably demanded an explanation. "I'm talking grenades." he cleared, a smirk appeared on his sly face as he ran off, giving me a knowing wink before he left. 

I smiled, an action I shouldn't be doing now, I know, but I just had to. Levi didn't only think about a straightforward attack, he thought of something for backup too. A subject he found important and necessary aside from a performance that distracts people's attention from the main picture. 

He was bloody prepared for a situation like this. 

And I could only hope to be like him. 

I ran down the stairs after a good ten minutes of searching the current floor to assist Izaya and Shizuo with the first floor. "Anything?" Shizuo asked, spotting me from a distance and ran up to me. 

"Nothing," I answered, panting. "Where's Izaya?"

"Trying to access the vents and electrical system," he said, shooting a thumb towards a random security camera. "He needs his time. Let him work." 

We continued our search; up and down, left and right --even in the smallest of corners and places. It was like we were trapped in a mouse cage, thinking that there was a way out when, in reality, there wasn't. 

After say 30 minutes, we gathered at the starting line for a quick meet up --everyone breathless and tired from possibly flipping this whole place upside down. "Did anyone find him?" Shunii demanded, wiping off the sweat from his forehead. 

We all shook our heads as a click escaped my lips, annoyed at how I felt like we were dancing in the palm of their hands. "How about that access, Rat?" Shunii continued, his tone desperate. "I thought--" 

"You know Ciel is the type of person to double if not triple secure his systems." Izaya cut him off, snapping. "From day one, I couldn't even hack into his general documents. His personal info would be out of the question to obtain." 

"Then, what the hell do we do?!" 

"I see you five are really struggling here," a deep voice suddenly interrupted us as we all glared at the demonic butler. "You do realize you have at most twenty more minutes to finish this game. Or would you like to have me send his head to you?" 

I gritted my teeth, my heart pounding in my throat. I couldn't think even if I wanted to. Ciel's got us all wrapped around his little finger and it's like we don't even have a fucking choice but to submit to him.