The group fell silent, absorbing Tsukasa's revelation. Kaeron, usually so composed, shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their stares.
“That’s quite the statement,” Alicia crossed her arms, stepping back from Kaeron, “Tsukasa, why wouldn’t you reveal such a thing way sooner?”
“Because Kaeron doesn’t pose a threat,” she repeated, “If she wanted to kill, she would have done it already. The fact that she’s trying to keep us together speaks volumes about her intentions.”
Azrael’s eyes sparkled, “Oooh, this does make things way more interesting...Kaeron took the lead...and she could also turn on us at any point, couldn’t she? How do we know Kaeron’s isn’t just playing the long game?”
“Because I am not a killer,” Kaeron firmly asserted. Her fist around the scabbard loosened, “I’ve been trying to keep us together because I am used to these situations. I am trying to protect you all from mauling each other.”
“Hmm...Tsukasa did mention you’re good at investigating. So have you done this stuff in the past?” Lan’en asked her.
“Yes. I am not just a hunter. I’m an investigator.”
“Then why haven’t you solved the case yet?” Azrael took her chance to butt in with her usual, snarky tone.
“Because this isn’t just a murder case. There isn’t a motive or evidence whatsoever, and there were no witnesses. I can’t work like this...Noir died so suddenly and I-”
“Maybe you just aren’t as good as you thought,” Lilin chuckles, “maybe you’re simply as lost as we are.”
Kaeron’s patience was growing thin. She sighed deeply, trying to keep a calm tone, “Listen. This is not about me.”
“She may not be able to figure out the killer but you two are no better!” Youma suddenly intervened, “You keep stirring up these...stupid discussions that are ruining us as a group!”
Lilin scoffed, shaking her head in disappointment, “You’re all doomed.”
“Can we just let it go? Please. I’m tired,” Shiria whined, “It’s sad to see people arguing.”
“Welcome to the real world, little girl,” Azrael sighed, walking out of the arcade with Lilin following suit.
The arcade suddenly felt a little emptier. Kaeron sighed and looked at everyone, “Alright, everyone. We need to calm down. I understand some of you are having high emotions, but this is exactly what the killer probably wants. Chaos, distrust, and inevitable violence. Lan’en, I didn’t like what you were trying to do to Azrael. I know she is irritating, but showing that you have easy hands to throw makes you less respectable.”
Lan’en hung her head, “Yeah, I just...she just started talking shit about my friends.”
“I’m not blaming you for feeling hurt. I am blaming you for letting her make you show that you were,” Kaeron held her hand on Lan’en’s shoulder, “now then, where else should we go? I think we had enough of this place for today.”
“What are we going to do about Azrael and Lilin?” Servalia asked, “They left.”
“I can’t handle them. They are free spirits who don’t care about anything but themselves. I will make sure they don’t hurt us if they’re the actual culprits," Kaeron replied.
“They probably are. Azrael follows Erisia,” Lan’en scoffed, “it’s a dead giveaway.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Kaeron retorted, “Anyways, again, where should we go?”
Alicia rubbed her temples, “I want somewhere quiet, please…this arcade is killing me."
“We should all go to the library, then,” Servalia suggested, “we can relax and read some books.”
“I don’t care as long as we’re together,” Youma said.
“Me neither,” Lan’en shook her head.
“Yeah, I’m okay with the library,” Shiria chimed in. Then, she looked at the quiet Tsukasa, “What about you?”
“The library shall do,” Tsukasa nodded gently.
“Okay then, let’s go to the library.”
Everyon started walking out of the library. Shiria noticed Lan'en hanging her head as she sighed with a frown. She gently hugged her, whispering to her ear, "Don't worry Lan'en...I would have hit her too."
Lan'en looked at her weirdly at first, but then she giggled and smiled bitterly.
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The warm library split everyone up even more. Everyone has different tastes in books, after all.
Shiria wandered around aimlessly, looking at each one of the passengers dealing with stress in their own way. Servalia used her guitar, which she grabbed from her room after asking Kaeron to pass nearby the dorms. She practiced it without the amplifier, hence only small sounds could be heard.
Alicia and Youma read two different books...a philosophy book and a fantasy tale respectively.
Lan’en sat and was napping. The library’s armchairs were very comfortable to sit on, and as soon as the adrenaline of Azrael’s fight subsided, she gave in and fell asleep.
Tsukasa was sitting too, her eyes looked tired. She rubbed her hands together anxiously.
“Tsukasa, are you okay?” Shiria approached her, sitting beside her on another chair.
“Yes, I am,” She sweetly smiled, “I’m just not fond of libraries. I have bad memories related to them.”
“Oh, I am so sorry…” Shiria put her hand on Tsukasa’s leg, covered by her beautiful, peculiar dress, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Tsukasa observed Shiria with her sharp eyes. Then, she smiled bitterly and leaned back into the armchair, taking a deep breath, “It’s nothing breathtaking. My father used to own one back on my home planet. I grew up in there, with him. Books were everything to him, so much that he didn’t really care about his only daughter, the only member of his family. He was abusive and…”
“It’s okay. I don’t want you to say things that could trigger bad memories,” Shiria rubbed her hand on Tsukasa’s leg before leaning back into her armchair as well, “Let’s change the topic. Why did you get invited to the Elysium?”
She hesitated for a second. But then she sighed, closing her eyes. “I guess knowing about each other is good for building trust,” she began, “I was invited because I am an ambassador for one of the main planets of the waning sun empire.”
“You mentioned this empire before. What is it?”
“Well, it’s basically a federation that owns various planets. Same culture, same laws. It’s an empire that aims to expand itself into dead or poor planets to repopulate them. I am an ambassador of one of the planets. This invite was given to me because of that.”
“Oh, you must be a very important person then,” Shiria commented with a cute smile, “I’m honored to talk to you!”
“Thank you. You’re such a sweetie,” Tsukasa smiled back. She relaxed even more in Shiria’s presence, “To be honest, I’m only amazing on paper. All I do is manipulate my way of talking using my power as a means.”
“What do you mean?”
“See, my power focuses on seeing one’s deepest corners of the soul. While I said that I can see someone’s strengths and weaknesses...what I truly mean is that I can see where their souls are more vulnerable. I am a kitsune, moreover. People often see me as a ruthless, sly fox. However...I hate manipulating others. Lilin is the exact example of the type of person I despise the most. She is very, very good at twisting your brain in the wrong way.”
“You just explained to me why you’re not only good on paper...but also in real life too! Despite your job, you care a lot about others nevertheless. No matter what your power should be used for, no matter what your DNA is made of. You are yourself...and you are a very nice woman, Tsukasa.”
Tsukasa’s eyes glistened, a sudden surge of emotions making her turn her head elsewhere as she cleared her throat, “Thank you, Shiria. Truly.”
Meanwhile, Kaeron’s mind was clouded with thoughts. She stood by the library’s entrance. She could see everyone from there. Her eyes barely blinked, and her body barely moved.
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image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mvbl25km5mk8b6wbuxiv1/Kaeron-Montemira.png?rlkey=6bacwbhyy0vxu29t82xmc0kn2&st=96vwzr3x&raw=1]
I’m rusty. I haven’t dealt with a case since her death. I have to focus...I have to figure out who is lying.
Azrael said I’m not good enough for a reason.
She knows.
She knows who it is and she is not going to tell me any time soon.
The reasons why I believe so are very simple.
One. Azrael may be brave or strong...and Tsukasa probably is right when she says one of the reasons she acts the way she does is caused by her capabilities. But I do believe there is more to it. She is smug because she knows who to avoid.
Two. Whenever we talk about the identity of the killer, her eyes dart to Lilin in a suspicious way. They look at each other, even if it’s probably subconscious.
Three. Their wording hints at much more than what it seems to convey. For example, when we were talking about me being the potential killer, Lilin said ‘’you’re doomed’’.
Clearly, they both know something we don’t.
I have to figure it out.
My eyes drift to the others.
Shiria...sweet and naive...she’s too trusting. I’m guessing it’s her stress response, but she is acting as if nobody is going to stab her in the back. She doesn’t really see a killer among us.
Tsukasa, the sly Kitsune, has been open and kind enough, but she’s hiding something deeper. Maybe something personal, maybe something related to the situation. She is bottling up anyway, that’s for sure.
Alicia. Well, she’s sharp and we are probably having a similar pattern of thoughts. The problem is that she’s letting tension and stress gnaw her mind, she made a mistake earlier and got sucked into Lilin’s behavior. Despite that, however, I still think she is the most reliable person I can talk to when it comes to critical thinking.
Youma. She’s tough, but even she can be rattled. She acts ready for everything but at the same time...I doubt she’ll be able to act when push comes to shove.
Servalia seems like someone who would faint as soon as she sees the killer in front of her. I’m sorry, but I don’t really see anything good in that woman right now. She is overly caring and naive. Her gentle mind is overwhelmed.
Lan’en is…
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If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Kaeron suddenly had a gut feeling. She immediately approached Lan’en, shaking her shoulder.
“Lan’en.”
No response. Her head fell to the side, along with her whole body.
“Lan’en! Lan’en!” Kaeron suddenly shouted, shaking her with a heavier hand.
“What’s going on?!” Shiria rushed to the scene first, looking at Lan’en, her eyes filled with panic, “What’s wrong with her?!”
“Servalia! We need your help! Now!” Youma yelled at the woman, who immediately dropped her guitar and ran towards the group.
“What is it?!” She asked, immediately answering herself, “Oh my god, Lan’en!”
She put her hand on the girl’s chest. Purple sparks of energy came out of the fingertips and entered her body.
“What are you doing to her?!” Shiria asked, grabbing her arm and trying to pull it away.
“I’m trying to check her vitals! Let me go! You’re interfering!”
Shiria didn’t let go at first, but then reluctantly let her friend do her best to save Lan’en. She grabbed Kaeron’s arm. Her teeth were clenched, her body was trembling...tears fell down her eyes.
After a while, Servalia removed her hand and had a huge breath of relief.
“Is she…?”
“No. She’s okay. She’s just in a deep state of sleep.”
Kaeron turned around and covered her face with her hand, sighing.
“How…?” Youma wondered, slapping Lan’en’s face, “Lan’en!”
“Her vitals are okay. The only thing out of place is her brain activity,” Servalia explained, crossing her arms worriedly.
“Is there a chance she was drugged?” Kaeron asked her.
“Yes,” Servalia admitted, “I just don’t want to...accuse anyone.”
“What?!” Youma gasped.
“Who could have drugged her?” Tsukasa wonders, “She doesn’t have injection holes anywhere, right?”
“I should strip her naked and check...but she would have felt the sting if she was injected, I suppose...” Servalia replies.
Kaeron suddenly turned around once more after her question to Servalia. Her eyes lit up with suspicion.
She pointed her finger straight to the next suspect.
“It was you, Shiria. You drugged Lan’en.”