Twinkle—sigh!
Chirp, chirp!
Morning came, stretching across the sky as the world slowly woke. Sunlight slipped through the trees, painting gold across the leaves.
"Where are we heading now?" James Lee asked, brushing crumbs from his lap after finishing breakfast.
Aryana raised her eyes, thoughtful. "Let's check out the crime scene first. After that, we can visit the local branch of the Aetherium Knights… or maybe swing by the Freelance Arcana Order. We need information either way."
"Alright. Let's move," James said with a quiet nod.
They climbed into the same black, floating vehicle from yesterday. Its smooth hum filled the air as it glided above the dirt road, weaving through thick forest paths. The trees stood tall like silent guards, letting light fall only in broken pieces.
After about an hour, the road opened up into a wide grassland. The wind danced across the tall blades, and in the distance, an old windmill turned slowly under the morning sun.
"This is where the last victim was found," Aryana said as she stepped down, her boots crunching against the dirt.
"I heard it was a couple," she added. "They snuck out here to fool around 3–4 days ago… ended up dead."
A few meters ahead, a patch of dried blood stained the grass. Beside it, a small clearing showed signs of a campfire — only cold ashes remained. Someone had fought back. A burned patch hinted at a spell being cast, maybe the last thing the victim ever did.
Elaris crossed her arms. "So what now, Aryana? It's just grass and wind. No signs, no evidence. Maybe we should've gone to the Arcana Order first. At least there, we could talk to someone."
"I just wanted to see it with my own eyes," she replied, her tone soft. "Sometimes… being there helps you understand more than just hearing about it."
"The Aetherium Knights already came here," he pointed out. "They didn't find anything."
"Even so, we'd have come here eventually. Might as well get it over with," she said, brushing her hair aside.
But the look in her eyes gave her away. She wasn't just here for clues.
I watched as she took a deep breath, tilting her head up into the breeze.
"Let's relax for a bit," she said with a small smile. "The air is nice. I want to lie down on the grass."
Without waiting for an answer, she dropped onto the ground and rolled across the grass like a carefree child.
"Ahhh~ this wind feels amazing!"
"Haha~ Elaris, come here!"
"Tsk. I knew it. You just wanted to play around," Elaris muttered, but her steps betrayed her. She joined without much of a fight, flopping beside Aryana with a sigh.
"Wow~ this really is nice..."
I let out a quiet sigh and walked away, toward the bloodstained grass.
Maybe they can't see anything.
But I can.
Most people would need days — maybe even weeks — to uncover a single thread.
But for me… one trace is enough.
I crouched down, closed my eyes, and placed my hand gently over the grass.
Backtrack — activate.
A soft pulse spread through my fingers, like ripples across water. The world around me dimmed. Everything faded into black — the breeze, the voices, even the sun.
Only silence remained.
Then, like a whisper in the dark—
"Yesterday…"
"…Killed…"
"…Two people…"
The echoes came slowly, shaped like memories slipping through cracks. Then—
I saw it.
In the firelight.
Footsteps padded softly across the grass.
A hushed laugh.
Clothes brushing.
The girl's voice was tender. "It's been too long since we last met, my love."
"Yeah," the boy said, smiling. "I've been working overtime all month… finally saved enough to buy a car. Just like your father wanted."
She leaned into him with a soft grin. "Then why don't we tell him we don't need permission?"
"I missed you," he whispered.
"You're so sweet," she murmured, gently caressing his cheek.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a flower — simple, a little wilted, but clearly picked with care.
"You're more beautiful than the moon tonight," he said.
Her eyes softened. Their foreheads touched. And then their lips met in a kiss — deep, full of all the words they hadn't said in weeks.
Haa…
Their breathing slowed, hearts beating in sync under the starlit sky.
"After this," he said, brushing her hair behind her ear, "I'll propose. I want to show your father I can give you a life worth living."
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Even if the ring's not expensive… I'll say yes. Nothing else matters."
He held her hand.
She rested her head on his chest.
And in that perfect silence—
Crunch.
Something moved in the dark.
Claws tore through the boy's back, bursting out his chest in a spray of blood. His body stiffened. His mouth opened as if to speak — but no sound came. His eyes met hers for a brief, helpless second.
Then he collapsed, face first into her lap, blood soaking through her skirt.
"W–wait… what—"
Her voice broke. She held him close without realizing he was already gone. Her hand trembled against his cheek, still warm.
And that's when she saw it.
A towering figure stepped into the firelight.
Humanoid. Muscular. Bloody red claws. Two meters tall.
Its skin was stretched tight over raw muscle. No lips — just jagged teeth exposed in a twisted smile.
It looked at her.
Not with rage.
Not with hunger.
With joy.
The creature tilted its head slightly, almost like it was admiring her pain.
Then it moved — fast.
One swipe.
Her body jerked. Claws split her stomach open in one clean slice. Blood sprayed across the blanket, over their scattered clothes, mixing with the boy's.
She slumped forward, face pressed to his. Her fingers gripped his shirt weakly, like she still didn't want to let go.
In her final moment, she remembered — magic.
Her fingers sparked. A burst of fire shot toward the monster.
Sizzle.
It missed. The flame scorched only a patch of grass.
A large clawed hand reached down — and snuffed it out.
The creature stood above the two lovers… breathing in the scent of blood like it was perfume.
"Jezil..This is all for you.." it murmured
Then it crouched.
Slowly. Casually.
It opened its mouth wide, thick saliva dripping from its teeth.
And it drank.
Not like a beast starving —
But like a man enjoying wine.
James Lee witnessed it all, and in the last afterglow of the firelight, he saw its face...
The face of the boy he saw on the train yesterday... where the pitiful expression from before was now twisted into a bloodthirsty psycho — a maniac.
Boy… you really wasted the empathy I had for you…
Then James looked past the creature —
And spotted a vague, bloody human silhouette watching from the tall trees.
Probably five meters tall. Silent.
Looking in this direction like a proud master observing his student's first kill.
After the creature drained every drop from the couple, it stood up — its form shifting slowly, turning human again.
James turned back toward the trees—
But the silhouette was gone.
"Looks like that's all there is to see."
He turned his gaze toward the couple.
"What a pity..."
Darkness closed around him again —
Bringing him back to reality.
"Boo~!"
"What!?"
In the blink of an eye, my body moved on instinct.
James Lee vanished — gone in a flash, sprinting through the grass like the wind itself.
"Hey—hey!!"
"JAMES LEE!!!"
Hearing this familiar voice caused me to stop.
I turned around and saw Aryana and Elaris looking at me with speechless expressions.
"...Damn it, Aryana!" I groaned, walking back toward her. "Didn't I tell you not to surprise me like that?"
Although I raised my voice, I wasn't actually angry. Her liveliness eased the negativity I felt because of that backtracking.
She giggled.
"Sorry~ I didn't think you'd freak out that badly."
"Anyway, what were you even thinking about? We called you a dozen times, yet you just stood there."
"Yeah, what were you doing, edgy boy?" Elaris smirked. "Pretending to be deep? You're not that handsome, you know."
"Edgy boy? Don't just throw nicknames around!"
I clicked my tongue.
"And I wasn't pretending to be atmospheric," I said. "I was using my ability to track the thing that drained their blood. Unlike a certain someone who did absolutely nothing and just... enjoyed herself."
Elaris narrowed her eyes.
"Oh? Talking big now? Let's see who actually contributes during battle."
"Heh, I was clearly the MVP," I muttered, glancing away with my hands behind my back, looking like a master. "Wherever I go, I shine."
"Shameless," she scoffed. "Delusional, too."
"Hmm so that's why you're not responding
So, what did you find?"
Aryana gave me an 'I understand' kind of look and asked what I'd discovered.
She didn't ask about my ability at all.
"This girl's really thoughtful… it's comfortable being around companions like her."
I smiled faintly.
"Alright then—let's talk about that after we get back."
"We can't handle this alone. I think we need the Aetherium Knights' help."
"Why?" Elaris asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We can probably deal with the murderer himself," I said. "But he's not working alone. He has a companion... and that one might be much stronger than any of us."
Elaris and Aryana exchanged glances, both silent for a moment.
"Hmm... so we need someone who can check and balance the stronger one?" Aryana murmured thoughtfully.
We didn't need to say anything more.
We climbed back into the black, floating vehicle. The engine hummed gently as it lifted off the ground, gliding above the forest once again.
About half an hour later, the trees gave way to a wide clearing, and tall stone towers rose into view on the horizon.
The Aetherium Knights' local base stood at the city's edge — a large fortress built from silver metal and rune-carved stone. At the entrance stood two majestic statues: one male and one female knight, swords crossed in front of a never-fading blue flame.
As we stepped inside, a soft voice echoed from above.
[Welcome to the 3rd Southern Branch of the Aetherium Order.]
"We have something to report regarding the recent blood-draining murders," Aryana said clearly.
There was a short pause.
[Understood. Please wait.]
[...Report received. I have reviewed your intel. Thank you for your contribution.]
I stepped forward.
"Wait—can we participate in the arrest of the suspect?"
[...] That decision lies with the assigned Knight. Please wait a moment.
A low hum followed.
Then—
Hiss—
A large door slid open from the side chamber.
Footsteps echoed across the floor—steady, powerful.
A tall man stepped into view, clad in dark armor with polished gauntlets. His cloak bore the insignia of a Second-Rank Knight: a rising sun behind three silver swords.
He stopped in front of us and removed his helmet. Sharp green eyes met ours, and a scar ran clean across his jaw.
"Kael Drayden. Second Rank."
His voice was calm, but firm.
"Assignment accepted."
He glanced between us with surprise in his eyes after all we look like a child (4'8 btw)
"You three. You're the ones who found the clues?"
"Yes."
Kael folded his arms.
"If what you've reported is true... then the killer will strike again tomorrow."
"Eh? Tomorrow? How do you know that?" I asked, surprised.
"You said the suspect was obsessed with a girl named Jezil, right?"
He turned to me, his gaze sharp.
"According to the registry, she and her new fiancé are scheduled to visit the mountain west of the city tomorrow. That makes it the perfect time to act."
"Then can we participate? We already in the flowing nerve stage". I asked
"You're too young to be participating in this go back home and study"
"But we work hard for the clue and we only want to fight the weaker one.
"....You must have come here for excitement right? If you insist then you will bear the consequences"
Kael looked toward the glowing interface on the wall.
"Prepare yourselves. We're heading out at dawn."
We nodded without a word.
Kael turned, his cloak fluttering slightly as he walked back toward the command desk. A nearby wall lit up, displaying a map of the city and the mountain range to its west. The route to the target location was highlighted in faint blue.
"You'll be issued provisional clearance to operate under my command," Kael said. "But don't get in the way. If things escalate, follow my lead. Understood?"
"Got it," I replied quickly.
Aryana and Elaris both gave quiet nods.
...
Meanwhile, inside a dark apartment, the walls were covered with photos of a girl — taken from different angles, spanning from her childhood to her late teens.
Pat! Pat!
In the darkness, two bloodshot eyes slowly opened.
"...Jezil... Jezil... you're mine. No one can separate us... not even your parents. I know you like me, but they stopped you... but it's okay... it's okay... I'll find a way..."
A hand gently caressed one of the photos, and a twisted voice murmured through the shadows.
"Not bad! Not bad! That's what I like. Keep that up… but don't forget who gave you that power… hehehe..."
In a creaky chair, the vague figure of a tall man — nearly two meters — let out a low, broken laugh, enjoying the madness that filled the room.
"Now~ now~ what are you gonna do~? I heard your lover is going on an outing with her new fiancé...
But... is it really just an outing~?"
"Damn! Damn! DAMN!! How dare they?! Jezil is mine! Mike! MINE!!"
Carl howled with rage, smashing everything around him.
Except for two things:
One — the space where the figure sat.
Two — the photograph of Jezil.
"Let it out more! I want to hear that rage!" the figure cackled.
"Don't worry, I put up a barrier in here."
He leaned forward, voice sharp and gleeful.
"Tomorrow afternoon... they're heading to the west mountain outside the city.
Do what you want with that information... hahahaha!"
And just like that, the figure vanished into the dark —
leaving only Carl's heavy, ragged breathing behind.
"...I won't let you go.
Tomorrow... you'll be mine.
I'll save you...
I promise...
My love..."
.....
The Next Morning — 4:45 AM
We stood at the gates in light tactical gear issued by the branch. Simple light-armor robes with mana-enhancing threads and crystal-core cuffs. They weren't flashy, but they were flexible — good for mages who needed movement.
Kael arrived right on time, adjusting his vambraces and slinging a thin blade across his back.
"Let's move. We'll reach the mountains before sunrise."
"This is it!"
I look forward excited for today's fight .
"Edgy boy watch me later ok? I'll show you how strong I am"
Elaris didn't forget to remind me.
"Yeah don't cry later"
"Hmph!.."
....