by Jun Mochizuki, 180 pages The trio come across another illegal contractor and his chain who've somehow escaped from Pandora's keeping before he / they could be interrogated. Unlike the atypical Oz and Alice, most chains enlist their illegal contractors in serial murder and cannibalism to achieve their mutual goals (see, this is why this isn't in YA--eep!). But even so, Oz tries to reason with the contractor, discover what pain drove him to make such a bargain, and convince him to break it off and go be with his young son for a few moments before turning himself in and paying for his crimes. But Oz and his friends aren't the only ones on the escapee's trail, and the other pursuers are not as sentimental as Oz.
There are lots of sad yet revealing flashbacks in this series. In this volume, we see the trauma of Oz's non-relationship with his father and find out what happened to Gil after the tragic coming-of-age party and how he came to be adopted by the Nightrays and take on the role of Raven. We also meet his scary younger brother Vincent and watch the machinations of the Vessalius clan's Break as he schemes against his enemies and the Intention of the Abyss (the controlling spirit behind the Abyss's existence...I think...it's complicated). And poor Alice, unsure of who or what she is or what she means to any of the people around her, longs to recover her memories as she watches her companions with uncertainty and gloom. Oz needs to flash a sincere smile at her and reassure her that she has a place here, too.
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