CHAPTER 84: AUTOPSY

Osiris rose smoothly from his chair as the heavy oaken doors opened.

High Magus Edric stepped inside the office, his magic tingling along the edges of the room, filling it with a gravity that not even Osiris could ignore.

The man’s robes were a deep red embroidered with golden sigils that shimmered faintly in the air.

This was the second most powerful man in the kingdom. Not just because he was powerful, but because he had the ears of the most powerful man in the kingdom, the King.

After all, power wasn’t just about how much strength you had, but also how many nobles and mages you could order and influence.

Long story short, Edric was the kind of man Osiris knew he had to be careful with. So, he inclined his head, bowing just enough to show respect while maintaining his own dignity.

"High Magus Edric." He greeted warmly, his voice smooth as ever. "An honor. You arrived sooner than expected."

"I have no patience for delays." Edric replied, his tone brisk but not unkind. His eyes were fixed on Osiris, not missing anything. "I want to know what the autopsy revealed about the girl. Juniper Rowe. Her father demands answers. So does the Council."

Before Osiris could answer, there was a knock at the door. The coroner entered, an older man with tired eyes and the scent of herbs clinging to his cloak. He bowed low, first to Osiris and then even deeper to Edric.

"My lords," the coroner began, his voice gravelly from long nights spent dissecting corpses. "The autopsy has been completed. My report is ready."

"Proceed." Osiris commanded, his expression blank.

The coroner adjusted his spectacles and opened a thin folder, speaking as he glanced at his notes.

"In the girl’s body, we found traces of a potion. It had been administered less than twenty four hours before her death. The potion itself is unrecoverable, burned into her system, but it is almost certainly the source of her transformation."

Magus Edric’s eyes narrowed. "It is?"

"Yes, High Magus." The coroner said quickly. "The girl’s body bore changes... radical ones."

"Her physiology was altered in such a way that it appeared natural, as if she had been born with them. Externally, she looked like every other human, but internally, it’s another story."

"It’s as if the demonic essence granted by the potion was not injected or grafted, but infused almost perfectly into her very soul. She was... remade."

A faint murmur of interest escaped Osiris as he folded his hands behind his back. "Perfectly between human and demon," he mused.

"Almost perfectly," the coroner corrected hesitantly. "The brain was already deteriorating. Necrosis had set in. I suspect it was a result of the instability of the potion. The body was holding, but the mind... was unraveling."

Osiris tapped a finger against his chin, thoughtful. "A weapon, then. A weapon that burns too fast."

There was silence as they all processed what they’d just heard.

Finally, Osiris leaned forward slightly. "Tell me. Were there any signs, any residual traces in her body, that might point us to where she had been held? Food, water, soil under her nails?"

The coroner stiffened. He hesitated. His lips parted, then closed.

Edric’s gaze snapped to him. "Spit it out."

The coroner swallowed hard. "All signs, my lords, point to the fact that everything Juniper Rowe consumed, her food, her water, even the trace minerals in her blood, originated here. In this very building. The Investigation Authority."

The room froze. For a moment, not even the flickering flames in the sconces dared to move.

Osiris and Edric exchanged glances.

Edric’s eyes darkened. "Are you certain?"

"As certain as my science allows, High Magus." The coroner whispered. "I... I can show the samples, if you wish."

"Enough." Osiris said softly, his voice hard. "Continue your report."

The coroner cleared his throat nervously, rushing through the remainder.

He spoke of organ integrity, of the timeline of her transformation, of the irreversible damage to her soul. When he finished, he bowed low again and retreated quickly, leaving the two men in silence.

Edric turned slowly to Osiris, his eyes boring into him. "Is it possible, then, that the perpetrator hides within your own Authority?"

"No." Osiris said immediately, his voice calm and unshaken. "Impossible. The Authority is under lockdown. Security is tighter than it has ever been. Every soul within these walls has been accounted for."

Edric did not blink.

Osiris went on, voice measured. "More likely, this is a calculated misdirection. Someone who knows the details of our fare, of what our staff consumes, planted such traces deliberately to cast suspicion upon us. A clever trick, nothing more."

Edric remained silent for a long moment, weighing his words. Finally, he said, "Look into it. Thoroughly. We have an organization capable of creating demonic hybrids in the capital. I want this taken care of before the King returns from the frontlines."

"And remember. You’re now tied to this. If the Council suspects rot within the Investigation Authority itself, even you will not be shielded, Osiris."

The High Magus turned and left, his robes trailing behind him.

Osiris stood in silence, staring at the empty space where Edric had been. Slowly, he walked back to his chair and sat, leaning back, fingers steepled beneath his chin.

Juniper Rowe had been turned into something else. Half-demon, half-human. She had been released deliberately, in the capital, where panic would spread and power would shift. Why?

He closed his eyes, piecing the puzzle together. Someone had the knowledge, the resources, and the audacity to perform such a transformation.

Someone had access to potions that should not exist. Someone had taken a noble daughter, twisted her, and thrown her away like bait.

But the bigger question burned hotter in his mind.

How did Noah Webb fit into this?

Osiris remembered the boy’s resilience. The way he had endured torture, pain, and spell after spell without shattering completely.

The hatred smoldering behind his eyes even as he hung half-dead from chains.

Juniper had been turned into a monster. Noah was already surviving like one.

"Why you?" Osiris whispered to the darkness of his office. "Why do you not break?"

For the first time, doubt flickered in his mind. Not doubt in his authority, but doubt in his understanding.

And Osiris Lawless did not like not understanding.