A few weeks every year, Idia's parents would run off somewhere on Twisted Wonderland, hunting down their next experiment, leaving him and Ortho in charge of Styx. It was fine. It wasn't, but Idia couldn't say anything about it. There was no one else they could trust with his skillset.

While Ortho kept an eye on the security systems, Idia focused on recording data of the recently captured phantom in the examination room.

"Shroud, Sir." A scientist was leaning over one of the security tablets in the surveillance room, gaze hardening. "There's an intruder at the surface."

Idia would laugh if he weren't the one responsible for handling the situation. Nobody IRL accidentally got stuck in the middle of the ocean on top of a classified scientific base studying blot monsters.

Styx was impenetrable; built to hold phantoms and study them and keep any mage out. Whatever it was wouldn't stand a chance against the security system. "Put it up on the monitors." Might as well check it out just in c-

...

Omfg that's his partner.

The scientist noted Idia's shift in demeanour, from unbothered to stressed. His eyes widened for a split second before he trained his expression, a small frown on his face. "Uh, sir?" Idia almost didn't hear the scientist.

"Take them in, alive." He ordered quickly before storming out to head to the gates. He contacted Ortho to make sure it got done with no issues.