"There were loud bangs everywhere. Smoke rising, mixed with blood and despair. Noshyan barely made it behind the tree, one hand on his left side of the stomach, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. It didn't do any good. The bullet hole was too big to just cover with his hands.

Noshyan lost his final hope and sat there with his head down. His last thoughts were of the life he could've lived if he had made it out of this war. He imagined a quiet life in a small village, perhaps by the sea, where the sound of the waves could drown out the memories of gunfire. But those dreams faded as quickly as they had come.

Time passed, bloodshed grew, and then eventually, there was nearly no more blood to shed. Skin rotted, vests and helmets decayed, but the body never moved. It stayed there for nearly 20 more years before the bones started to decompose too, leaving nothing but what could've been something.

Winters took over the world. The poor and dogs died the same death, while the rich hid their asses in bunkers. Humanity was never closer to extinction.

A tree formed on the spot where a brave soldier died a few decades ago. Its branches faced the dawn of a new era. An era which nonetheless would face the same fate as the last one. The cycle of rise and fall, of hope and despair, seemed to be etched into the very fabric of existence.

The process of rebuilding never changed. From stone to fire. From villages to cities. The civilization built itself again in just 300,000 years. This was usually the point where it would settle again for a restart with a war. History, it seemed, was destined to repeat itself.

Trees grow just to fall, hoping for the other one to do the same. Humans fall, just to rise again, just to fall again nonetheless. The endless cycle of war never stops as long as there are those who cannot look forward to what there is to achieve, but only focus on what is being lost for that goal.

The tree grew and fell and grew and fell and grew and fell until it was cut down to form a dream. A hope. The town of haven."

I put down my book, and the whole class clapped for me. The applause felt distant, like it was meant for someone else. I felt like this story was too dark for 9th standard, but it worked out. The students seemed to have absorbed every word, even if they didn’t fully grasp the weight of the message. Teaching doesn't really suit me anyways. It's a profession that demands patience, empathy, and a certain level of detachment from the darker corners of human nature—qualities I’ve long since abandoned.

My former job, being a detective, was just overall better, but my stubborn self just can't live with failures. There was something intoxicating about the chase, about piecing together the fragments of someone’s shattered life and making sense of the chaos. But strangely, the town of Haven did grab my interest, along with a meteor, a plane, and a volcano. Three events that felt more like the beginning of a horror story than real life.

"But Mrs. Violet, does that mean that World War 3 will end humanity, and it'll all have to restart from the start?" A fat boy named John asked, looking disappointed, as if a boy of 8 had heard that the sun was going to explode in 4.5 billion years.

"Before anyone else asks any questions, let me just clarify, I'm not a fortune teller, and I can't tell the future," I replied. "Besides, it's just a story. There's never going to be a world war again anyway." Let's just hope so. A hollow reassurance, but it was the best i could offer.

A life of a detective is full of adventures and risks. There was a new memory every day, a new puzzle to solve, but while teaching high school, every day felt the same. The faces changed, but the questions remained as predictable as the sunrise.

I had no lecture for next 40 minutes, so i just sat in the staff room, reading the newspaper and watching porn. That's when i read about the murders in the middle of the Cravor forest. A boy of 29 killing parents and is on the run. The details were few, but that was enough to ignite that familiar spark of curiosity.

It felt like a match dropped into a room full of dynamite. I wanted to go with a bang, so i did what any non-normal person would do. I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by, not when it could be the perfect distraction from the monotony that had become my life.

I waited out Mr. Clarke's class; it was about time he was finished with his lecture. When the bell rang, I stood beside the classroom door, looking rather anxious and worried.

Mr. Clarke was clearly attracted to me, most of the teachers and even some of the students were. He was the kind of man who let his desires cloud his judgment, who mistook attention for affection. He approached me awkwardly. "Mrs. Violet, um, what are you doing here, is something wrong? I, um, am here if you nee-"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Mr. Clarke, I think we need to talk..." I said in a scared and almost crying manner. "Come to the staff room, please."

He followed me, and by this point, he was completely nervous and somewhat shaking. I could feel tension radiating off him, the anticipation of what might happen next. He was a fool, but a useful one at that.

When we reached the staff room, it was completely empty, so i stopped there and hugged him while crying. His heart seemed to be in a race. His body stiffened at the unexpected contact, and for a moment, I wondered if he might actually pull away.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Violet, why are cryi-"

"One of the students from 12th standard brought a gun with him." I said crying. "I found it in a cabinet when i saw it was left open, and when i tried to close it, there was a gun inside." My voice trembled just enough to sell the lie, to make believe that i was terrified and vulnerable.

His face clearly stated the he, without a doubt, fell into the trap and believed me. I could see the wheels turning in his head, the panic setting in as he tried to process what i had just told him.

"What!? We need to inform the authorities. What was it-"

I put a finger on his lips. "If we inform the authorities, it'll only ruin his life. We're teachers; we've got to teach him a lesson without his life getting worse." I leaned in closer, letting him feel the warmth of my breath on his skin. It was a calculated move, designed to disarm him, to make him trust me.

"But he could've killed man students; he's a criminal, he deserves to get punished. No lesson will teach a scumbag like him anything." His voice was shaky, uncertain, but i could tell he was starting to waver.

I put my hand on his chest. "Please, Mr. Clarke, I don't want to ruin the boy's life. Please just hear me out." I let my hand linger for just a moment longer than necessary, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my fingers. "I put the gun in my car's trunk, i want to you to get the gun from there. The stundents' name is armus. I want you to call him here and threaten him with his own gun, and make him apologise."

"But that's very dangerous, what if he-"

I squished his shirt on his chest. "Do you not trust me? Do i mean nothing to you, Mr. Clarke? Please." I let my eyes well up with tears, the final touch to push him over the edge.

He was clearly blushing at this point, his face flushed with a mix of emotions he couldn't quite control.

"Ok, but make sure no one comes in the room while i do this." His voice was barely above a whisper, the words forced out as if he was struggling to breathe.

I won.

"Sure, the class beside this room is empty. I'll stay there and watch over." I had him exactly where i wanted him. It was almost too easy. It's kinda boring when it's this easy.

It was so stupid of the school to not put a camera in the staff room. This'll cost them. I had always wondered how much damage could be done if someone exploited that little oversight. Now, i was about to find out.

Mr. Clarke was going downstairs to my car to get the gun. So i took the opportunity to go the principal's office. Timing was crucial, and i had it down to the second.

"May I-I come i-in?"

"Yes" said Mrs. Agatha. And old lady of around 55. She looked up. "What's wrong, Mrs. Voilet, why are you crying? Oh good lord, you're shaking too, what happened!?" She was genuinely concerned, which made it easier and a bit more boring to play my part.

She offered me water; i slowly drank it, giving myself a moment to collect my thoughts. "Mr. Clarke is using my registered gun to threaten a student in the staff room," I said, weeping. The words felt almost surreal, but i delivered them with the conviction of someone who truly believed the lie.

"Mr. Clarke is doing what!!" She yelled and took the phone and dialed some numbers. "Hello, security, a guy has a gun in the staff room. Call the police and get there as soon as possible." She put down the telephone, shaking. "Mrs. Violet, you stay here, I'll be back."

She went outside. I stayed and pulled out my phone and started writing a letter and used to printer on the side table to print it.

About 2 minutes later i heard an alarm, and all the students running out of classes, running outside. They were taught to hide under their tables in these types of situation but guess that didn't work.

There was a rubix cube in her desk. I was decently good at it so i picked it up and started solving it. It was gonna take about 20 minutes before poilice arrived, i had to do something to maybe not waste my time and a cube was all i needed. On average, i could solve a rubix cube in about 2 minutes but my cousin could do it about roughly 30 seconds. I'd admit, i was kinda jealous of him.

I was right. The cops arrived just 20 mintes later and upon 5 minutes of entering the building they took Mr Clarke in handcuff and placed him in the police car. There were a lot of cops to catch one fat pig. He shouldn't have trusted a woman's tears, i wondered who's gonna trust him with his story.

The student he threatened, Armus, came out unharmed and was crying out loud, and there were many teachers surrounding him and supporting him. Guess i went a bit too far. Just a bit.

Mrs agatha then finally entered, took her long enough. "I can't believe that monster was blaming you for it. He was screaming that you told him to do it. Such disgusting demon." She said. "And the police has your gun for now, they want to see some papers before they give it back."

"It was my fault i put my gun in my car." I said with crocodile/woman's tears. Had to play this game a little more to top it all of.

"No child, don't blame yourself for it. You never knew that monster would take advantage of you." She bought my tears the same way he did. "Now you go back home, anyone you want me to call? Your family or husband?"

"No, but there's one thing." I said wiping my greatest weapon away.

"Go on sweetheart."

I handed her my resignation letter. "It's too much for me now, sorry i can't."

"I understand. It's been a rough time. You always seem so energetic and positive, and experiencing something like this gives trauma. Take your time."

I won again.

Finally got rid of this tedious job. It was about time i focused on this Elias guy's case.