Love Letters Through Corpses

Chapter 9: Soul

Although she would rather stay in the interrogation room or better yet be allowed to go home, she didn't quite have a choice but to follow as the older teen was already pulling her out of the room. She reluctantly entered the autopsy room.

As they entered, they found Agent Kleio already talking to the examiner in charge, explaining the sudden need of evaluation once again. He looks back to see his partner, not expecting to have two students following behind him he raises an eyebrow at Agent Brook.

"Why did you bring them?" Agent Kleio asked.

Agent Brook looked at the two before answering, "We need them." He answered.

The two agents silently waited for the examiner. Sage and Daexoen stood comfortably still, eyes wandering around the unfamiliar room. It was a quite spacious room with 2 metal tables and cabinets and a door leading to another room. In Sage's understanding the metal doors on the walls were the compartments the bodies are placed after examination. The room was quiet but the atmosphere wasn't as heavy as Daexoen thought it would have been.

However, the silence wasn't long when two more agents came in through the door. One of the agents was wearing a semi formal outfit, his hair fixed into a clean cut and his shades hung nicely on his nose bridge. He had this warm expression on his face, and a very mellow aura, one that you could say you can rely on yet also trust, perfectly embodying his role as the head chief of the station. Behind him followed a more intimidating agent. He had this strict and harsher look. For the two teens, he gave off a quite boastful and cocky impression.

Agent Lucas- the head officer, immediately greeted the two agents, "Agent Brook, Agent Kleio I heard you found something."

He noticed the two students present in the room, specifically Sage. She looked quite familiar to the agent but he can't tell where and how they must met. However, it seemed that Agent Lucas wasn't the only one who noticed the duo.

"And why are there students here? They shouldn't be involved." Agent Yuan, his partner, said.

Agent Brook stepped over to explain, "Agent, I know we aren't supposed to involve others but they found something that the examiners didn't. I don't want to put them at risk especially my only nephew but if they can help us find the criminal then..." he paused for a moment looking reluctantly at the two, unsure on how to continue his sentence.

"We'll help. We'll just look at the victims, we won't touch them nor tell anyone about this" Daexoen insisted.

However, although it sounded quite tempting the agents were still contemplating about this decision. Risking civilians was always the number one rule they're never willing to break, and just realizing how extreme the suspects in this case would go through it wasn't impossible that that rule would be broken.

"Even so. You'll get involved and what can you help? You're just a couple of kids." Agent Yuan suddenly intervened.

The two teens looked at the officer with irritation. It was indeed insulting hearing those words of degradation. It was one of those times that Sage didn't dare to think rationally. She immediately changed her mind on getting involved with the current case. She disliked being pushed over and she wouldn't just stand there to hear such BS from him.

The female cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention, "Agent Lucas. I don't know if you'd remember me but I must say, though I don't want to get involved in all of this, I already am. The bombing at Deviox academy was set for us. So either you stay stubborn and force us out or you let us help, either way it's not our loss, it's yours." she bitterly said.

Agent Lucas was caught guard by the female's familiarity. He froze in his place as he remembered the young girl in front of him. Memories of the past started to flash in front of his eyes as he stared at the female's now grown up face. He couldn't believe that she was in front of him again. The little girl he last saw has now grown up. He suddenly couldn't contain his grin when he recalled the different rumors and news about this genius-like girl.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "I see. You grew up perfectly. I'm glad. Very glad." A pinch of pride burst in his heart. However, he felt his heart sink after meeting the eyes of the younger. "It's still the same. Your eyes are just like the ones that looked into mine 4 years ago. A lonely void of nothingness."

"Ps--" but before he could finish her name he was told off by the younger.

"Sage. I prefer Sage" she corrected him.

The female didn't want to hear that name again. It was like a nightmare to her, a nightmare she knew she couldn't ever escape. Although she couldn't fully comprehend her emotions, she knew that the past was something she still wasn't ready to face. A past she hoped she'd never once again face. And hearing that name would have brought everything back.

He nodded, "Sage." He corrected himself. "It's nice to see you again." he sincerely told her.

The other agents looked confused yet decided to ignore the strange familiarity of the two, seeing as not one of them would open up the ordeal. However, one person can't seem to do the same as he looked at the other with curious eyes. His thoughts run in a circle filled with unanswered questions of the female's and the agent's sudden familiarity.

"Do they know each other? How? What was he supposed to call her? Why does he look at her with sadness and repentance? What happened to her?" He thought as he continued to observe the longing gaze of the officer towards his schoolmate. However, his thoughts ran short when the examiner finally arrived.

"Sorry for the wait. Here are the victims'' said the newly arrived examiner. "The first victim is Ms. Stephannie Kriton. The second is Ms. Yevves Trams. and the third is Ms. Chelsea Pyton." she said as she revealed the corpse of the females.

Three bodies were now right in front of them. Weirdly, the victims were around the age of 20-25. All females yet according to the police database, none of them have anything in common.

Sage sighed, "We only asked for the first one but anyway, It was on her right arm" she shrugged pointing towards the first victim of the case.

Agent Yuan raised an eyebrow at her, "What was?" he asked but was left with no replies.

Daexoen looked at the examiner, "Did you ever try to wash the bodies?"

she shook her head before answering, "Not yet we were planning on doing so later this afternoon. The families of the victim will retrieve the bodies on Monday." 

Both Agent Brook and Kleio took that as a cue to grab a pail of water and a sponge from the lab’s bathroom, gently scrubbing the forearm of the first deceased victim. However, to everyone's dismay nothing happened.

"This is a waste of time, this is why you shouldn't go and believe kids so easily," Agent Yuan mocked.

Ignoring the pitiful mocking of the officer, "There's a writing." both teens said.

The agents looked at them confused, "No there isn't, some fooling around and go home." Agent Yuan irritably said.

Daexoen grunted, "Can you shut up for a minute?" he said, giving the agent an annoyed look.

Sage wasn't any better, "Honestly Agent Yuan, your voice and constant yapping is getting very annoying so please like he said. Shut up." She told him.

The said Agent grew silent at the embarrassment and humiliation he just received from them. Two know-it-all students just embarrassed him in front of the other agents as well as his partner. Rage was an understatement as he looked at the two teens examining the victim. He cursed the two multiple times in his head before actually listening to their explanation.

Contrast to the previous Agent the other three were amused at the boldness of the two. It's not everyday you find two undergrad students bravely talk back to an agent.

"What troublesome duo this is" Agent Lucas thought as he looked at the two with pure amusement.

Sage once again pointed towards the victim's forearm, "There's writing on her arm, but it is written with the substance Phosphors. Phosphor emits visible light in response to radiation. When hit by the UV light it becomes excited and naturally fluoresces, or in other words, it glows. As I've said it is not that visible but if you look closely you'd notice the sudden change on her skin."

That being said the lights were turned off immediately as a UV light source was brought in. The light was slowly brought down from her shoulder to her elbow, as it went down just a bit they saw a small tattoo from the victim. A rose. Not just any rose but a black rose with thorns. Below the said tattoo was a small word. A word Sage was oddly familiar with but can't seem to point to where. A word that they didn't know would have been the greatest clue they could ever receive from the suspect.

'Soul'