Jack

Amelie

“Clomp! Clomp!” The heavy breathing of a man could be heard in the hall, which was completely dark, and the person's steps as he stepped up the stairs echoed throughout the night.

“Daaaaaamnnnnn” He cursed as his face distorted and his holiness and innocence vanished. It's difficult to believe that people adored this man.

"Your Eminence, we are currently searching for the UNRANKED artifact, which we believe is still in Dumont City, but we don't know if he has found a new owner." The two priests informed the person in front of them. He's a bishop sent by the patriarch. Since the church sent such a person, it appears that they are taking this very seriously.

They're discussing an artifact that recently escaped from the care of a church. They don't know how the artifact managed to escape, because the artifact hasn't shown any action up until now.

"I don't care who gets it; the church owns it, so either the contracted person follows us or we kill him." he said, staring at the two priests with cold eyes that seemed to look down on them. When they heard him, the two priests gulped.

“Your Eminence, it seems that the Unranked artifact took the cursed card of hatred with it.” The priest informs him

"The tier IV artifact is no longer of concern to me. First, before a higher-up called us, find the UNRANKED artifact."

"But, Your Eminence, the UNRANKED artifact has been silent until now, and it has no mysterious power, so why is the higher up so insistent on inspecting the unranked artifact?" The priests asked seriously.

When he heard his question, the bishop abruptly stopped walking and turned around. He was about to leave when he became aware of the priests' curiosity. It's understandable because a UNRANKED artifact is harmless because it does nothing, but the god revealed something, and it must be sealed at all costs. The sealed artifacts are either Tier 0 or Tier 1, but this does not prove that the UNRANKED artifact has reached the level of the sealed artifacts.

"What reason do we need if we take back what was originally ours?" the bishop replied with bloodshot eyes.

The bishop walked out of the hall, and when the priests saw him leave, they both sighed with relief, a sweat on their brows, as silence fell over the place.

...

The unexpected news caught j******f guard. The recent events in town flashed through his mind, and his thoughts leapt to conclusions. His face gradually shows devastation and despair.

“N-no sir… you’re lying. We were just together the other night. How could this be?” He refused to believe Desmond. He is concerned that something bad will happen to his friend. His eyes welled up with tears, and he wanted to rush into Amelie's house to see her and prove that it was all a lie.

"Perhaps she just stays at her professor Anderson's house, and she's already at home right now." He insisted.

“H-hey Relax, we are still investigating and currently looking for her but I’m afraid I can’t tell you more than that.” Desmond told him. He was afraid that this young man would break down any moment from shock.

"That is why I requested your cooperation in this incident, because what happened here could be related to what happened to your friend."

Jack then remembered being followed the night before and debated whether to tell the police officer or keep it to himself. It doesn't prove anything, so he decided to keep quiet about it. But then Desmond began to speak, shattering his earlier thoughts.

"If you have something to say, say it before you regret it later on if you want to find your friend," Desmond advised him. When Jack realized he needed to help his friend, he opened his mouth to tell the police officer what had happened the night before.

"It was nearly eight o'clock in the evening when Amelie and I were walking down Astoria Street when I noticed someone following us."Desmond asked Jack a question as he was about to continue, so Jack came to a halt for a moment.

"You were being followed and you didn't tell me?"

"No, sir, that isn't it. I had no idea my friend had gone missing, and I had no idea it was all connected. When my friend and I parted ways, I had the impression that I was being followed as I walked down the alleys. So, since I was the one being followed, I assume that if someone went missing, it would be me, not her. Since I noticed it naturally, I walked down the narrow streets with buildings and lights, hiding in the corners to see if anyone would pass by, but I didn't see anyone, so I rushed by the old man's bakery shop, and he happened to see me running."Jack said honestly.

"Well, first and foremost, your friend was already at home when she went missing, and second, the dead body you saw earlier was an amateur killer." Desmond spoke without emotion. Hearing this, Jack became even more perplexed, to the point where he couldn't speak. He was taken aback when he said she went missing after she returned home, rather than while she was on her way. Much more on the news that the deceased is a murderer?

“Are they really connected Sir?” Jack asked.

"I can't answer your question right now because we don't have any leads on what happened to the missing people. Okay, let's stop here, and we still need to look into this further before it becomes a bigger problem." Desmond said.

Isn't this already a major issue? Jack had a thought, but he didn't say it out loud because he didn't want to get into trouble with a police officer. He said goodbye with a nod.

"If you find out anything about this matter, please notify me right away, young man. Be careful then." Desmond said, as he left the stall.

Jack didn't have the energy to look for work right now, so he decided to pay a visit to Amelie's apartment. He walked as if he was in a hurry, hoping to see his friend at her home. On his way out, Jack prayed that it was all a joke.

Oh, God of Fate, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Please protect my friend. Please keep my friend safe, he begged God as he walked away. Everything has been strange since last night, and he can't shake the feeling that something is going on in this city. Something was wrong with this city, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

When Jack arrived in front of Amelie's apartment, he went straight to the stairs and knocked, indicating that he was now in front of the door. Sir Buck's face greeted me as soon as the door opened. When he saw me, I saw disappointment. His reaction upset my stomach, proving that he was waiting for his daughter to return home. He had to have expected his daughter to knock. That's why when jack knocked, the door immediately opened.

I struggle to keep my emotions contained so that I don't cry in front of Amelie's parents, who are already vulnerable. But my eyes appeared to be on the verge of tears. I bite my lower lip, so I don't cry in front of them. Mrs. Tanya's sobbing stopped me in my tracks, and images of Amelie flashed before my eyes. Her smiles, silly jokes, and laughter flooded my mind.

“You c-can come in, Jack.” His voice broke as he told me to get inside.

“Mr. Buck, I heard about what happened from a police officer.” I informed him that I already knew what had happened to Amelie.

“Can you tell me more about it?” Mr. Buck forced a smile and nodded at me. He signals that I will sit down with him.

"It was after midnight when she arrived, but I heard her sobbing... I asked her if she was okay, and she said she was... I-I should have insisted on entering her room, I.... It's all my fault."He said, breaking down and tears slowly falling onto his face.

“Honey, N-no it’s not your fault.” Mrs. Tanya held his hand, but despite her strong voice, her eyes told me she was barely holding on. It feels like a decade has passed now that I have a better look at them. They look devastated, and it hasn't even been a day since she left. And Jack knew that the longer she was gone, the more it cost them.

"I knew something was wrong when I couldn't see her here. She was sobbing when I left her that night. So I went looking for her. I went to the Professor's apartment, but she hadn't returned. I looked for her in every nook and cranny of this city, but I couldn't find her. I don't know where to look for her anymore. My last hope was you, but as soon as I saw you, I knew my daughter had gone missing." He is now crying. This is not the image of an adult. This is a father who is concerned about his daughter.

“We will look for her and we will find her, Mr. Buck.” I didn't know what to say or how to console them, so I just assured them.