The light of the early morning begins to dawn on a new day. Traffic is non-existent. Few people stir. The only individuals out in force are guards. They move with purpose on this terrifying day.

Remi stares up at the sky. It’s a cloudy morning. Her skin feels moist. Light clothes adorn her body. She stares up, letting the rain beat against her face. The droplets are cold, but the day is cold in general. They make no difference, for the situation has already made Remi numb.

A soldier climbs up the side of a building to reach Remi. “We’ve kept out the citizens, but too many people saw the body.”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” says Remi as her chilled breath visibly passes her lips. “Eleven people...” Her voice trails off. She hugs her arms to her chest. “Take over here. I’m headed back to the body.”

“Ma’am.”

Remi floats down from the building. Her boots land in a small puddle of water. She pays it no mind. Trudging forward, her teeth set in a firm line, tensing as she moves.

A small crowd gathers outside a circle of guards in the distance. They keep them from entering the area.

“What happened here?!”

“Why won’t you tell us anything?!”

“Is it those vigilantes?”

“What are you hiding from us!”

“I know the baron! I demand to know what is going on!”

“Mommy, I’m scared.”

“Is it true? A girl was cut to pieces?”

Varying levels of anger erupt from the crowd. They’re rowdy, but none try to break the array of guards keeping them back. The soldiers hold the line. They do not speak. They do not argue. With their job, they work with absolute, revered seriousness. As they should.

At Remi’s arrival, they part for her.

“Tell us what’s going on!”

“Why are you holding back information?!”

“I will be contacting your captain!”

Remi ignores them.

Some distance away, a group of men and women crowd around something. A few wear light dark clothing while others are dressed in full black armor adorned with white scarves and sectioned waist clothes with a tattered appearance. Even dressed like the others in armor, Nigel and Captain Van Gallan stand out amongst the crowd of soldiers.

“See anything different?” Remi asks as she enters the group.

“Nothing yet. You’re probably the better judge,” says Nigel at his friend’s approach.

Like before, soldiers part for Remi. A part of her wishes they wouldn’t, as she does not desire to see the sight before her.

It takes everything she has to keep from wincing. Her face is neutral on the face. No one can tell on the inside her disgust and increasing fear.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

On the ground lies a woman. That’s at least still clear from the body. But she is not alive. If she were, Remi would swiftly put her out of her misery. The corpse is in such bad shape there’d be no other solution, even if an Admix healer were present.

The woman was beautiful. That’s still clear. Perfectly manicured fingers. Nice hips. A pretty face. Good-sized chest. Red hair.

“Fake red hair,” whispers Remi to herself.

Delicate, precise cuts move up the woman’s body from the bottoms of her feet all the way up to the flesh just below her neck. They’re not from one action like falling, nor were they all made simultaneously. From the sizes and patterns of the cuts, they were done slowly and gradually over a long period of time. The cuts near the feet seemed to be in the process of healing while those upon her breasts are still fresh and red. The whole body is stained with blood.

Signs of sexual violence are unmistakable around the thighs and head of the deceased woman.

Remi’s jaw clenches. She can feel her teeth grinding against each other. Seeing each body hasn’t made the sight easier to look at, certainly not since the recent changes in the killer’s pattern.

The head is placed perfectly between the woman’s breasts. Her hands cover her ears. Where the eyes should be are two torn, darkened holes.

Under the body, a long piece of shaped wood serves as a platform. It’s damp with water, as the soldiers just recently pulled the corpse out of the canal from which it was floating.

“We have an identity yet?” asks Remi. Her eyes are hollow.

“Ashanti Grayridge. Her family owns multiple plots of farmland past the eastern part of the city.”

Remi scratches her head. “Ah, shit.”

“Talbert should be here soon,” breaks in Captain Van Gallan. “When he arrives, I’ll head back to the castle to report and get more men. We’ll do a sweep of the area. Nigel, I want you in charge of that.”

“Yes, sir,” agrees Nigel readily.

“I’ll coordinate my men as well,” adds Remi. “In fact—” She snaps her fingers. The dark-clothed people currently standing around snap at attention. “—sweep the immediate area again. Make sure you overlap. Teams of two. I want reports even if you don’t find anything. Got it?”

“Ma’am,” the soldiers respond before taking off at high speeds.

Captain Van Gallan gazes at Remi and Nigel. “You two always had immense potential. It’s been an honor to see your growth, even under these unfortunate circumstances.” He frowns. “You’ve managed yourselves well. With enough perseverance, we’ll catch this bastard. Don’t lose hope yet.”

“Sir,” acknowledges Remi and Nigel in unison.

A new arrival breaks onto the scene. The demeanor of the surrounding guards changes. Discomfort laces the atmosphere. Cutting through it is a single emotion: rage.

Talbert hesitates as he sees what’s before him, but quickly recollects himself and speaks. “Anything different? New changes other than what’s happened recently?” He bends down to look at the body, peering at every cut.

“Not in our first assessment, sir,” Remi responds quickly. “Our coroner will do an examination like with the rest, but, if I’m being honest, I doubt she will find anything.”

Talbert bites the edge of his lip. He looks up at Remi and nods. His gaze then turns to Captain Van Gallan. “Are you headed back to the castle?”

The captain nods. “This very moment.”

“Coming back with more troops?”

“Yes.”

“That makes my life easier, thank you,” relents Talbert.

Captain Van Gallan accepts those words. Immediately, he gestures to Nigel and Remi then departs the scene. His back is to them as the sun flashes overhead, creating a sparkle on his valiant armor.

“Remi. Nigel,” Talbert speaks. His eyes bore into them. “The public knows now?”

Remi nods. “Yes, sir.”

“Then this is now a larger priority than it was before. Every division and every department, their job is to find the piece of shit who did this. Is that clear?” Talbert peers back at the body. Sighing, he turns to Remi. “I think it’d be best if the vigilantes were stopped for the time being, don’t you think?”

Recognition reflects in Remi’s eyes. “I agree.”