Novels2Search

19. A sea of candles

"Hannah was a top-notch student, so she had no problem getting into this university, all while staying off the Laboratory's radar. Or at least, that's what I hope," Luke thought, reflecting on their journey. "Then, we relocated to the capital under Selim's watch. And now, here I am."

Luke often stood on his balcony, staring out at the horizon, lost in thought. He wasn't entirely sure if he regretted his past decisions.

Maybe.

The past could be both a wellspring of wisdom and a perilous pit, and Luke was all too aware of the potential dangers of dwelling on it.

Despite this, he found himself habitually reflecting on his past decisions, using the lens of his current experiences.

As the night grew darker, he decided to call it a day and go to bed.

The next day, he met Hannah near the bustling campus cafeteria. Their mission for the day was to keep an eye on the main suspect, which was convenient as they didn't have classes.

"Hannah, I've been thinking, and I don't believe it could be her. I was in class with her just before we found the victim," Luke revealed.

Hannah, dressed in her white top and matching skirt, gave Luke a side glance. "And why couldn't she have killed before class? The halls are always empty then... Was she punctual?" Hannah questioned, unwilling to give up on this lead.

Luke looked up, pondering. "Ah... yes, she tends to be late," he said.

Luke was reluctant to believe that such a vibrant and warm young girl could be the killer. As much because he liked her as because he disliked the idea of being deceived.

He, who had the ability to read auras and see ghosts, took a certain pride in discerning people's true nature.

Failing to unmask the killer after extensive interactions would be a personal humiliation.

"Alright, let's head to the roof of your building. We can see everything from there," Hannah suggested.

As they climbed to the roof, Luke brought up a theory. "Maybe she did it to herself, or the killer made her do it. In that case..." Before he could finish, Hannah interrupted, "No, we've ruled that out. There was no way she could've hung herself. It's strange that the killer left such obvious clues that these weren't suicides." Hannah explained, perhaps frustrated with Luke's defense of his classmate.

Within minutes, they reached the roof of the building.

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Hannah, her usually sharp eyes now soft with concentration, started to survey the surroundings. The distinct hum of university life below contrasted with the quiet solitude of the rooftop.

She paused, her gaze landing on an air vent.

"This will do," she declared, revealing the criteria she held to herself - a vantage point and a metallic structure to cast her psychic web.

For some peculiar reason, Hannah had always preferred to initiate her psychic maneuvers against metal objects, with air vents and metal plates being her favorites.

She confessed once that, given the choice, she would choose a tree's soothing presence, but they were rarely available in such elevated locations.

Luke observed Hannah settle against the protruding vent, its warmth radiating around them. The desolate rooftop, a forbidden area, became their secret sanctuary.

Thanks to Luke's powers, the padlock was effortlessly broken each time they ascended, and replaced when they descended. Their covert operations remained undiscovered, for now.

With her eyes closed, Hannah disconnected from the physical world, immersing herself in the psychic realm.

Luke, utilizing his psychic vision, admired the spreading web - a spectacle reminiscent of thousands of candles fluttering in the wind, yet, in truth, dancing in the subtle psychic currents.

His contemplation was interrupted as Hannah broke the silence.

"I found her," she announced.

"Already?" Luke echoed, surprised by the swift detection.

"She's hard to miss," Hannah responded, cryptically.

"And what is she doing?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"She's chasing a squirrel, close to your favorite lunch spot," Hannah reported, a playful note in her voice.

Hannah relayed the suspect's actions throughout the day. The mundane ones, like sleeping under a tree, and the peculiar ones, like the seemingly endless hours spent staring at the horizon.

Late in the afternoon, she finally retracted her psychic web, her hand absently massaging her temples. "Oooh... I have a headache," she confessed, her tone conveying her exhaustion and slight disappointment at the lack of substantial findings.

"Is the lead still worth following?" Luke asked, concern etching his features.

"We have nothing better, so I'd say yes," Hannah replied, pragmatism winning over fatigue.

Luke vented his frustration, "If only the killer had a distinctive sign - a tattoo, a scar, anything at all."

Hannah agreed, standing with Luke's help, "I must say, shape-shifting is a flashy ability. Hard to trace."

Their musings led Luke to a conclusion, half-joking, "If our powers are tied to our deep nature, this killer must have a huge self-love issue."

Intrigued, Hannah pondered his statement, "He's running away from himself... But he wants to be found, that's why he leaves clues?"

"Ahah, I don't know. Meanwhile, we need to keep an eye on the girl with the beanie," Luke said, with an air of finality.

"It's amusing that you don't even know her name... It's Cathelyn," Hannah retorted, almost chiding him.

Surprised, Luke asked, "How do you know?"

"I did my research. Plain and simple," she replied, a hint of reproach in her voice.

As they prepared to descend the stairs, Luke's phone rang. His body tensed instantly. He hated getting calls, they only ever came from Selim, his supervisor.

Fear mirrored in their eyes, Luke finally answered the call.

"Be ready to prove yourself by coming on a mission with us. Meet tomorrow morning at five o'clock, at the usual place. Be armed." Selim's words echoed before the line went dead.

Taken aback, Luke found himself speechless, his mind already grappling with the implications of this unexpected mission.