Chapter # 02: The Eight Victim
704 Words
“Kael it would take us half a day to reach Eastern district,” Halt said while adjusting his mask.
“Not today my partner,” Kael said.
“You called a Joy user?” Halt said while coming out of the house.
“I knew you’d ask,” Kael said to Halt while smiling slightly.
As both detectives stepped out into the street a young boy was already waiting for them at the end of the road.
“Sorry for the wait detectives,” said the young boy.
“You’re right on time my boy,” Kael said.
The boy smiled.
“I’ll never get used to this feeling,” Kael said and Halt immediately responded, “Because you were not born with it, my friend.”
“And thank God for that,” Kael said.
The boy laughed and said, “People usually say the opposite.”
Halt adjusted his mask and said, “Enough talking, we have to hurry there’s a crime scene waiting for us.”
The boy smiled again, and everything blurred around the two detectives- a sign they were going to reach their destination quite soon.
Halt and Kael arrived at the scene moments later. The streets had already been sealed off by the members of the Silent Eyes.
“Move aside,” Kael ordered.
The crowd quickly stepped aside as the two detectives approached the dead body.
Halts expected the crime scene to look like the previous ones blood spilled everywhere, shattered bones, and another dead end where there are no clues but the moment his eyes fell on the body, he froze. There was no blood. Not on the victim. Not even a single drop on the ground. For a brief moment, neither of the detectives spoke. A cold chill crawled down the Halt’s spine.
The victim looked pale. Too pale. As if every drop of blood has vanished from his body. Kael stared at the corpse and said:
“This… this isn’t like the others.”
As the two detectives started their investigation Halt knelt before the dead body. His eyes moved across the dead body carefully.
No fractures. No wounds not even a sign of struggle. He found nothing as if the victim’s body was untouched.
For a brief moment Halt wondered if this murder was even connected to the previous seven or not. Then slowly his gaze reached the face and he froze at the spot.
The corners of the victim’s mouth were cut open and pulled upward by brute force.
A smile had been carved into the dead man’s face. A smile so wide that the skin of his cheeks had split apart.
Halt’s breath caught in his throat and for the first time in his years of investigating murders genuine fear crept into his heart.
Behind him, Kael noticed a change
“Halt?”
No response.
Slowly Kael’s eyes shifted towards the victims face and the moment he saw it he also felt the chills shoot down to his spine. The smile seemed almost alive.
As if it was mocking him.
In that moment, Kael stepped forward.
“Move aside partner.” he said.
Halt frowned.
“You're not seriously going to use it here?” said Halt.
Kael didn’t respond. He knelt before the corpse placed his hand on its cold forehead. For a brief moment, nothing happened then a faint glow appeared in his eyes. The corpse lips twitched slowly and unnaturally and a broken voice a voice filled with terror came from the dead man's mouth.
“The stone…”
The corpse fell silent once more.
Kael staggered backward but Halt immediately caught him before he lost balance.
“Why push yourself like that?” Halt said.
Kael let out a weak laugh and said, “Unfortunately, Regret doesn’t care what I do.”
Halt sighed and released him.
"One day that emotion is going to kill you."
Kael looked toward the corpse.
"The stone..." he whispered. Halt, those were his last words.
Halt said nothing his gaze shifted towards the direction of the city square towards the ancient black stone.
For a strange moment, it felt as if the stone had been waiting for him all along.
- Writer
