The house was empty, with no light at all. Some of the furniture bore traces of dust. The sound of the pen sliding across paper did not stop.
Seated in a chair, the young woman leaned forward, swaying her head. The computer screen before her showed the horrors of the massacre. The bags beneath her eyes were deep, forming a dark coloring beneath them. A drop of saliva ran from her mouth, her face falling against the notebook full of annotations.
For a moment, she lifted her head, moving her hand to switch the computer screen, a ten page report opening before her. With one click, it was sent.
So the young woman's face buried itself in her own arms.
***
One morning, Slady coughed, seated before a clearing of flowers. Licking her lips, wiping away the bloodstain, her voice came out in a hoarse tone. She told Raizer that she was without direction. Her mind was failing. Her heart ached. Could this be a punishment? She told Raintalya that she couldn't stop crying, that she does this alone, but even so, finds herself unable to grow used to it.
She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling along with the sound of weeping. The grass was wet with the drops, her fingers sank into her hair, and the mark on her skin seemed to have formed an extra layer of skin. In her chest, there was nothing but darkness. She is doing everything wrong. She is no longer the person they knew. After that city... after the laboratory... she simply changed.
For a few more minutes, her crying continued, mixed with a fit of coughing, with red puddles forming on the ground. However, silence took hold out of nowhere. The wind remained constant, moving the leaves and grass. Slady rose, wiping her face. It was not the time to cry, there was still much to be done.
Her figure turned away, vanishing with each step toward the shadows.
In the library, she rested her hands on the counter of her kitchen, her legs brushing against each other, the fabric of her skirt swaying. At her side, there was a telephone, showing the contents of a certain report.
Rin Yuang... she was far too insistent.
***
In a room, there were a few bodies covered by white cloth. Rin Yuang leaned against the wall, writing something in her notebook. One of her colleagues raised her head. Without hesitation, she gave her a light nudge with her elbow on the shoulder. Rin should rest, it wouldn't do her any good to stay awake like this. She disagreed, she was too close to solving this case.
Enough! She should sleep! Roger and she would take care of the rest. Let her go have some coffee, enjoy the day, Rin had already done enough. Rin Yuang let out an unhappy sound, leaving slowly. Her friend smiled, wishing her a good rest. She only nodded.
By the way, Cas, did she know where Roger was? Should she know? He must be taking his sister, but he was quite late. She would understand later. With that, she dismissed Rin Yuang. And with a sigh, she obeyed.
Walking through the dark corridors, male murmurs coming from closed rooms, Rin Yuang alternated between firm steps and near stumbles, pressing the notebook to her chest. When she turned toward another corridor, she struck her face against a soft chest, falling to the floor.
She apologized at once, how foolish of her! However, the tall figure before her, a woman in a closed lab coat, the fabric of her brassiere revealed through a short opening, leaned down and, with a calculated smile, extended her hand, helping her up.
When she recognized her, Rin Yuang's eyes widened, Aurora! What was she doing there? The gray haired woman, adjusting the other, patting her on the shoulder, scratching her hair. What else would she come for? To help the investigators with the Theatrical Killer case. But that wasn't part of her job.
So what? Rin Yuang's job was investigating criminals, but every now and then she entered Inferius to hunt them. Why couldn't she hunt a demon on Earth?
Rin opened her mouth, but closed it again. It made sense. Her eyes kept closing, her body stopping for brief seconds before reopening them, trying to say goodbye while thanking her for the help. Aurora laughed and, suddenly, a sturdy humanoid robot revealed itself in the darkness, with Rin stopping at once. Poor girl! Just because she was in a good mood, she would give her the privilege of being transported.
The officer smiled for a moment, but then the smile vanished. She didn't need all that... suddenly, her body was lifted into the air by the machine, which flew with jets beneath her feet and the other's screams echoed through the corridors.
Aurora, crossing her arms over her chest, lifted the corner of her lips before staring at the ceiling, what was she here to do again? Ah, right. Turning around, the woman in the lab coat and the skirt over her trousers went toward the room where the bodies awaited.
***
In the streets, Rin Yuang felt the sun burn over her head, still holding the notebook to her chest, watching the robot go off at an astonishing speed. Seeing her house in the distance, she also noticed a figure approaching. Rin stopped, a smile growing on her lips.
She gave Slady a good morning, asking what she could help with. Nothing, but heavens! What happened to her? Nothing much, it's just work. She didn't look like a worker, but like a former war soldier. She would take her home and stay with her.
No need... yes there is, and don't even try to disobey. With that, she pulled her by the hand. Rin Yuang didn't even tense her shoulders, she just followed, squeezing back.
The door opened, Rin Yuang relaxed the moment she stepped onto the floor. Slady had already done enough, she didn't need to help further. But she refused at once, sending her off to a bath. The officer's pupils spun with the other's bustling about, putting her in the bathroom, placing the clothes in her lap, and closing the door.
In the living room, Slady took up a broom and covered her nose. The movements stirred up dust hidden in chairs and on the floor itself, creating a wave of grime around her feet.
While the sound of the shower filled the silence, Slady took a damp cloth and passed it gently over the tables and counters. Curiously, she sat down cross legged and picked up a photograph turned face down. Wiping away the layer of dust, she pressed her lips together at the image.
It was a girl with a man and a woman. In the background, the city was adorned by a completely clear sky. The three of them sat on grass surrounded by flowers, with the little girl, smiling with gleaming teeth, in her mother's lap, who sat in her father's lap, who had a smile as white as the two women's.
Leaving the image in its proper place and position, Slady rose and walked with crossed arms through the house. The excess dust had settled, and, opening the windows, the home filled with light.
The bathroom door opened, with Rin Yuang coming out dressed in the clothes provided. Walking to the living room, she looked around with her mouth half open. Everything was so... perfect.
Slady put her hands on her hips, she was very good at what she did. Now it was time for Rin to sleep. The woman looked away, taking a few seconds before taking a deep breath... okay.
Settled in the bed, Rin Yuang expressed her gratitude once more, she didn't deserve all that attention. Slady shook her head repeatedly. She did deserve it, very much so.
She lay down beside her. With a brief smile, she opened her arms. Rin Yuang looked her over from top to bottom, the dress stretching with the position of her body, the neckline of the garment hiding even her neck. Finally, she came closer and rested her face against her chest.
Slady brought her fingers to the other's hair, her nails scraping the scalp with controlled slowness. Her eyelids remained open, the world working through the glass. Adults kept walking, children kept playing, and the old kept resting.
Without her expecting it, she heard Rin Yuang's voice.
Should she give up on this case?
She widened her eyes, shifting her chest slightly to hide the sudden jolt of her heart. Give up... give up... that was up to whatever she thought best. She just didn't want to see her destroying herself over this case. What could she lose? A position? Better to lose a position than one's mind, wasn't it?
But it's important.
It is... she apologized for that, she didn't mean to be dismissive. Being the Light of Justice isn't just influential, it would mean guiding the justice of an entire city, an entire continent. It's just a biography, she had no right to argue about it.
...
Rin Yuang's eyes remained closed. Instead of another word, a soft snore was heard. Slady didn't react, serving as a human pillow.
She... she doesn't deserve to go through this, not because of her fault. Wouldn't it be fairer to turn herself in, admit her mistakes? That way, she would find peace.
But everything she had built, would it all go away? No... Elisa would hate her for having lied, Shaphira would never again be able to trust someone of the same rank, Faller and Victoria would probably feel very guilty for having allowed the closeness of someone like her.
Rin Yuang would go through a mixture of all this. That's cruel, very cruel. It's better, in the end, to try to free herself of this weight in her own way, with her own methods.
She's so close to putting an end to all this. So close to finding, or creating, the perfect culprit.
Slady needs to go through this, it's her last trial before living only as... Slady, the kind librarian.
How appealing that sounds. Living in her quarters with the money she obtains, with the presence of the girls who warm her heart. And if possible, she would try to look for Ferinish, she deserves to be at her side.
...Why couldn't everything be perfect?
Returning her focus, she saw the officer still lying there. Straightening her clothes, Slady rose. Her eyes wandered across the whole room, the wind swaying the curtains.
Closing all the windows, she gave one last look at the officer. May she make the right choice.
The door closed.
***
Her hands rested on the files upon the desk, Aurora's even breathing being the only sound in the room covered in darkness, with the exception of a pane of glass, where a man with his back turned to her observed the whole country. The woman finished reading every word, raising her chin. This doesn't seem right, how would the Theatrical Killer have installed gas systems in Libretãnhya's sewers? What would his intention be? And, above all, was he certain this was it.
The answers are in front of Aurora, see for herself.
This is ridiculous, simply ridiculous! Would he try to kill an entire population out of dissatisfaction? No, he would gain nothing from that. Fortunately, the gas isn't lethal, it only puts people to sleep. Still, perfectly... harmoniously positioned. If he tried to destroy it, he would end up destroying the sewage system itself.
It's needless chaos, therefore, it's believed that only deactivating the system would be necessary. Being as clever as she is, Aurora could manage it, couldn't she?
She could, but it's a very efficient piece of technology, the bastard would make her spend some time working it out. He's very clever.
Cleverer than her?
The woman raised an eyebrow, giving a half smile.
Never in this life.
***
The sun set in the late afternoon. Rin Yuang enjoyed it, seated on the bed. Her mind wandered through a distant past, the men who invaded her home, all the blood, and the desire to put them in the... cemetery. But the image of having their dead bodies beneath her, of being discovered, arrested. And the media, in the end, calling her something worse than them...
The woman shivered.
She still remembered having accepted the offer. Having that power, that authority, would allow her to push for stricter laws. Her heart beat harder with the idea of no one going through what she went through, through the years alone, and seeing that, even imprisoned, those who had stolen her family's love were eating, without needing to work or compete for a position.
They lived better than their victim.
Her fists pressed into the bed. Would Roger be able to understand that? He never lost anyone, he was always the model man, seen as a kind brother and the family's support.
No, Slady had said that following this desire for vengeance would only make her lose her morals. If before she didn't know evil up close, now that she not only knows it but lives it, there would be no hesitation in doing what she believed. And, in the end, she would end up truly worse than the monsters who created her.
She... she doesn't deserve that position. Not so soon, she still needs to improve a great deal before asking that her ideas be heard.
This should feel so melancholic, but, on the contrary, she felt as though a weight had lifted from her chest. Yes, this is the night she would leave this case. Roger needs to hear this.
Covering her legs and chest with thicker clothes, Rin Yuang stood in front of a mirror. The bags under her eyes were less dark, and in the depths of her eyes, there was a gleam. This isn't giving up, it's just recognizing that there's more to improve, right?
Leaving, Rin Yuang filled a bag with documents and walked hastily toward the family home. The image of the two of them playing on the lawn was still clear, even after years had passed.
The moon now lit the city, the skies drawing infinity in a pattern unknown to humans, far beyond what humanity could ever reach. The winds, once warm, now made smoke rise from every exhale and inhale.
In front of that house, she knocked a few times. She didn't have to wait long, the door opened, revealing a woman in her sixties, her lips rising at the sight of her. Rin, dear! Please, come in!
Naturally, she removed her shoes and crossed the doorway and entrance without breaking her stride. Would she accept a sip of tea? It wasn't necessary, she felt fine today. Why was that?
Many things had happened today, they'd given her a break from the case. How wonderful! Very wonderful! Resting is good for clearing the mind. Too bad retirement had already made her rest too much.
The woman gave a laugh at the end of the sentence. Walking into the kitchen, the older man appeared for a brief second, Roger's father, reclined in his armchair, a bottle of liquor standing beside him and the sound of the television broadcasting a sports game at low volume.
Seated at the table, she watched the woman move slowly, putting water on to heat, filling a cup, and dipping the tea bag into the boiling water. Patiently, she sat across from her, bringing the drink to her mouth with the same calm.
What brought her here, her angel? Rin Yuang wanted to see if Roger was around, she wanted to tell him something. The old woman smiled, could she know? Yes... she told her the plan.
...But why? Wouldn't that give her a good position if she managed to catch him? It would, but she realized she was wasting time chasing someone who would never be caught unless he wanted to be... and Roger deserves it more than her.
Dear...
The older woman went to Rin, sliding her wrinkled but firm fingers, strong from years of work, over her shoulders, pressing specific spots that made the younger woman lose her tension. She believed strongly that Roger deserved to be Rinoto's successor, but Rin Yuang deserved it too, it had always been what she wanted, hadn't it?
Maybe someday. But she had met someone who had made everything clear to her. Did she remember the phrase the old woman used to say, "Give someone power and you'll discover their true face," when they talked about politics? Rin Yuang thought her true face wasn't a good one, she didn't want to risk it.
Rin was being very cruel to herself. Was she really well? Because if not, she should count on her.
Feeling the hand over hers, she returned the squeeze. She was doing very well, it's just that the things she'd come to realize were many indeed.
Standing up, the young woman took both of the old woman's hands and kissed them, thanking her for the welcome.
...By the way... where is your little girl?!
She turned around suddenly, a small girl running toward the second floor amid laughter. She chased after her, producing a mix of giggles, hushed screams, and pleas to stop the tickling, in a youthful voice.
The older woman kept a smile, going to the stairs to ask the two of them to behave, in a loud voice.
A few minutes later, the child was tousling Rin Yuang's hair, while the latter rested her head against the girl's chest, closing her eyes. Shouldn't the little girl stop pulling Rin Yuang's hair? It's already short, did she want to make it worse?
Of course not! Auntie's hair is beautiful! She loves it!
Then she'd better take care of it, it took a long time for it to reach her shoulders.
For a few more minutes, Rin Yuang savored those moments living with that family. Soon, she said goodbye to the girl with a kiss on her forehead, to the matriarch with a hug, and to the patriarch, turning off his television, drawing a half hearted complaint from the man.
Once more, she was out on the streets, fixing her hair. Cars passed by at speed. A few teenagers chatted nearby, heading into a cinema. Couples kept chattering in private spots, and the solitary rested in the peace of the night.
In front of the Criminal Investigation Department of Libretãnhya, Rin Yuang entered, the automatic doors sliding smoothly. The receptionist had her legs stretched out against the counter, and upon seeing the officer, immediately stood and gave a clumsy salute. She laughed, there was no need to panic, just be more careful next time someone walked in.
Next, she asked to know if Roger Trager's room was occupied. The receptionist put a hand to her chest, breathing once more, and quickly checked, confirming it. Rin Yuang said thank you and even added that she wouldn't tell anyone if she saw it unoccupied again sometime. The worker clasped her hands together and expressed gratitude to the heavens, hiding her face in her arms.
Knocking on the door, it took a minute for a muffled voice to allow it to open. Upon entering, Rin Yuang froze at the sight.
The room, once so impeccably organized, was a mess. A shirt tossed on the bed, beer cans thrown in the corner, and papers scattered across the room. With his legs numb on the floor, the man, Roger, in a state of half undress, his shirt missing, raised an empty gaze.
What was the bitch doing there?
Rin Yuang bit her tongue to keep from snapping back, as she would in their usual banter. But the wording sounded strange, why would he curse at her like that? He'd never done it that way. The drink must have made him lose his sense of himself for a while.
Asking what had happened, Roger stammered, no word coming out properly. He tried to stand but fell. Rin caught him, sitting him down on the bed while she knelt before him. She's here, tell her what happened. Does he need water? With his voice failing, letting out disjointed words, he asked her to leave. Rin Yuang would not leave.
Taking a glass of water, she brought it to the man's lips and helped him drink, holding him by the back. Swallowing, Roger fell onto the bed. He tried to invite her for a night of pleasure, they would have fun. She refused at once, did he even know what he was saying? Just when she wanted to tell him something.
She said? He said? No... she's crazy! A crazy whore! Or does she think he doesn't know what she's planning?
He stood up abruptly, his eyes dull and fixed on nothing. Rin Yuang remained impassive, but couldn't help asking what he meant by "planning."
He knows she wants to take his place, in everything...
He took a step, but tripped over his own clothes, striking his face against his friend's knee. Rin Yuang acted at once, gripping his shoulders and trying to check for an injury, but only blood dripped from Roger's nose, as he broke into a wide stretch of a smile.
Why was she doing this to him? He loves her, and she tries to steal his family, his sister, everything he loves? And now she tries to steal the one thing that makes him feel he has a purpose?...ANSWER HIM!
Unable to react in time, Rin took a blow from the glass bottle. The force of the impact left her lying nearby, a ringing echoing inside her mind, her vision distorting, swaying and curving into spirals.
DOES SHE KNOW WHAT HE'S FEELING?! WHAT IT IS, SUDDENLY, TO FEEL NOTHING AT ALL?! IS SHE SATISFIED, HAVING STOLEN HIS LIFE?!
Mounting himself over her, he seized her throat, the relentless force completely blocking the passage of air. Rin Yuang groaned, her face turning purple within seconds. She tried to push him away, struck his chest, but Roger remained motionless, his eyes clouded and a line of yellowish saliva running from his mouth.
But, managing to reach the broken bottle, she drove it into his neck. He fell, coughing up blood. What had she done?! Cursed woman, just like the Theatrical Killer himself!
Rin Yuang pulled back with her arms, her chest rising and falling without pause, tears visible. How... how could this be like that monster? How had everything ended like this? How could a case do all of this?! Roger... Roger isn't the guilty one, the drink is only a consequence. It's all that damned demon's fault!
Forget everything, Roger! She's not the one who needs help, he is! And she will be the one to lift this weight from their shoulders.
She's the weight! Go away... he... he's going to kill her!
A current of magical wind passed over the man's neck, the shards of glass coming out cleanly. Dragging himself, he averted his gaze from the woman and, on the verge of tears and clumsy movements, reached for bandages, at the same time murmuring apologies, wrapping them around his skin.
Rin Yuang left, hiding her face, the door closing automatically behind her. In the corridors, she couldn't stop crying, her friend's wretched state still vivid in her mind. Her conscience believed that the alcoholism and the attempted murder, consequences of the drinking itself, were the fault of the case that made them compete against themselves while suffering under pressure and the hopelessness of there being no justice...
The Theatrical Killer.
In her dormitory, she sat in the corner of the room, her emotions overflowing like a stream. Roger is her friend, she should protect him as he had done throughout his whole life. What cursed idea was this, that she wanted to replace him in his own life? Where had he gotten this lie from? Was his mind, like hers, also fragile now?
This... this can't go on like this. Slady was wrong, she will not allow herself to be broken by evil. She will bring justice, as her friend's mother had told her, it was her dream.
And now, that dream is closer than ever...
And, in this moment, there's another reason to achieve it.
To bring peace to herself and to those she loves.
She swore, swore aloud, that she would make the Theatrical Killer's life a hell.
***
The streets of Libretãnhya lay empty, not a living soul wandering about. The solitary had carried their peace home, couples had chosen to bring their love within four walls, and the young returned yawning from the cinema, parting ways, each heading to their own safe place.
Seated on a bench, holding a cup between her fingers, a woman wore a faint smile. In the depths of her gray eyes, a red gleam emanated. Her shoulders trembled for an instant, a laugh echoing inwardly while, from the corner of her lips, blood trickled down.
From the shadows, a man emerged dressed in black clothes, at his waist, two daggers, at his neck, a scarf keeping a wound from leaking. His voice came out hoarse, sunk in confusion.
He did what Miss Slady asked... she... she won't get any closer anymore.
Very good. That woman needs to learn not to use the man she loves for her own benefit. How does he feel, now that he knows the truth and has done his... partial justice?
Well, he feels good... but he still feels an emptiness in his chest.
Then they will raise the stakes. Understand something, that woman will bring his ruin. HE is the key to justice. She, on the contrary, will be the key to injustice. How will someone full of vengeance, held back by the law, act once they have power?
Roger answered with a quote, "Vengeance will overflow and reach even those who are loved." That's what Slady said. She will try to remove him from her path.
Perfect. The Theatrical Killer is only the bridge for her to reach power. If he wishes to feel something, he should feel good, as a man and as a human. So, come with her, if he wants to put an end to evil. She said, smiling, the gleam of her teeth the only thing visible in the darkness, besides her shining eyes.
With his head low and his gaze distant, Roger nodded, following without noticing the figure heading toward an even greater darkness, both of them vanishing completely into it.