Chapter 25
Cassandra got dressed in a plain blue top and black leg-huggers before heading out to see Mr. Goodwin. She went down the corridor to his room, but he was not there. His bed was neatly made and she wondered if he had ever gotten home last night. She continued downstairs to his office where he sat at his desk. The door opened automatically but she knocked on the sides of it anyway.
"Cassandra, good morning," he smiled warmly, "Come in. Do you need something?"
"Yes," Cassandra said as she came up to the desk. He turned to her in his swivel chair and waited. "What is the Momentum light?" she asked him. His smile faded as if she had brought up a bad memory.
"I guess you are old enough to know now. Where did you hear about this?" he asked her curiously.
"In my dream," Cassandra told him, "That prince, he told me to awaken to the Momentum's light."
Goodwin nodded. Now he was sure who was entering Cassandra's dreams. "Let me tell you the story about the Momentum, Cassandra. You may want to sit down," he told her and motioned for the chair in the corner. She dragged it beside him and sat down.
"Seventeen years ago, my brother and I worked with a man on a project. This project, it involved creating momentum," he saw Cassandra's clueless face, "When an object moves, it creates momentum," he tried to explain it in simpler words. She nodded and waited for him to continue, "Duels powered the Momentum, and it spun, producing this energy that powered the city. The Momentum's light is the energy produced. I think your prince just meant for you to wake up."
"To awaken to reality?" Cassandra cocked her head and Goodwin nodded. She stood up from the chair and put it back against the wall. "Thank you, Mr. Goodwin. I know it's hard for you to talk about him," she told him as she headed for the door then she stopped, "Hey, you know what was interesting?" she turned to Goodwin with a smirk. "The prince, he asked me to tell him a story so I told him that one about the armies."
"The army of Light and the army of Shadows?" Goodwin asked.
"Yeah, and he said that I tell stories like someone he used to know," she laughed, "Then I told him that the person who told me that story said his brother loved when he would tell stories."
"So you carry conversations with this prince in your dreams?" Goodwin asked her, "You better enjoy it while you can. When you get older, you don't dream anymore."
Cassandra smiled before leaving. Goodwin leaned back in his chair and sighed. It was him; somehow, he had found her. But now Goodwin had assembled the remaining four signers, he had part of the bargain finished. Now he had to bring them to the Executioner.
As Cassandra passed by the large front doors in the lobby, the doorbell rang. A servant rushed down the stairs to answer it but Cassandra dismissed her and opened the door herself. On the doorstep stood Commander Koda in his grey suit (a uniform from Yliaster no doubt), holding a case in his hand. At his side stood a man with short blue hair, decked in black attire. Cassandra really didn't like his spiked jewelry and chains hanging about his pants.
"Welcome, Commander Koda," Cassandra smiled and the commander fixed his glasses onto his nose, "Um, who's your friend?" she pointed to the man accompanying him.
"This is Shira from the Fortune Cup," Koda told her, "I caught him sneaking around the mansion."
Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him. Now she really didn't like the guy.
"I needed to speak to Goodwin," Shira explained, "He still owes me the other twenty-five thousand he promised me."
"Due to the circumstances of the duel, I don't think that the Director will give you the other half of the money he promised, Shira," Lazar said as he came up beside Cassandra at the door. "Commander Koda, you're here a little early. Why, it's only nine o'clock."
"I didn't have anything better to do. I hope I'm not imposing," he bowed to Cassandra and to Lazar.
"No, but that guy is," Cassandra glared at Shira, who only smiled at her. Lazar saw this and frowned also.
"I advise you get off the property, Shira, or I will be forced to call Security on you," Lazar told him.
"Fine, but you haven't seen the last of me yet. I will have the princess and I will be the new Director," he spat on the steps before getting back onto his cycle in the roundabout behind the fountain.
"Sure," Cassandra whispered, rolling her eyes.
"Do come in, Commander Koda," Lazar said, inviting him in. Cassandra shut the door behind them and followed. "Would you like some tea before we start?" Lazar asked.
"Um… yeah sure," Koda replied, uncertain. Lazar led them into a sitting room and called a servant with a bell. Cassandra sat down in a yellow Victorian chair across from Koda on the sofa. An oak coffee table with a vase of yellow tea roses in the middle stood between them.
"So, about the case," Koda began as Lazar gave orders to the servant in the doorway, "You are comfortable talking about it?" he asked, leaning over the coffee table, observing Cassandra's face.
She nodded. "I can't get anywhere if I just cry about it all the time," she replied, "Lazar has helped me get past mourning over my father's death. But I still miss him."
Koda seemed surprised. He had no idea that the little clown had people skills like that. "Okay, good. I just wanted to make sure before I accidentally upset you," he told her and she nodded understandingly.
Lazar sat down as the servant brought in a tray of tea. Koda placed the case on the coffee table and opened it, producing a sleek white laptop. He placed the case under the table and opened up the device.
"It's such a relief to finally have you working with us on the case, Commander Koda. Maybe now we can finally find the culprit," Lazar smiled as Cassandra handed him a cup of tea.
"You said on the phone that there was no firm evidence at the scene, right?" Koda asked as he typed away on the laptop. Cassandra placed a cup of tea on a saucer next to him.
"Right," Lazar said quietly, "The bullet at the crime scene had no other traces of DNA on it. The murderer must have loaded it with gloves on," he stared down into his cup of tea and thought about what he had just said. Last night kept flashing through his mind. The gun… That night eight years ago… He began to make a connection, but he dared not mention it in front of Cassandra. He could be wrong. Even though the Director could go ballistic at times, Lazar doubted that he could kill anyone. But then again, even he didn't think he could kill anyone, but he did last night.
"I can see why you guys called on me several times before. This case is a dead end. The only thing that would solve it is the murderer's confession," Koda sighed but he kept working on the laptop. Cassandra knew he was a dedicated person after watching his duel against Aki Izayoi in the Fortune Cup. Koda wouldn't give up on this case, she thought.
Mrs. Makoto cried on her husband's shoulder as they sat at the dining table. Ken had left in the middle of the night and didn't return. Charlotte had no idea where he was and he was out so late last night that no one even saw him come or go.
"Those Dark Signers took him! I know it!" she sobbed.
"No, ma, I don't think so. He probably went to apologize to Cassandra. He's probably bringing her back home now," Mr. Makoto tried to calm her down as he rubbed her back. Kimiko sat on the floor, playing with her old dolls that belonged in an antique doll collection. They were so dusty and their clothes were outdated but Kimiko didn't care. She pretended that the one in the blue dress was Cassandra, and the other one was her, and the dolls were singing together, Kimiko singing in broken notes.
"I know he's alright. I can feel it," Mr. Makoto said as if to reassure himself.
A pair of dark eyes opened up in the darkness. Their irises were blue, surrounded by absolute blackness, and their brown hair was unkempt. A red line streaked down the left cheek, and it branched off an inch just under the eye: a sign of the Dark Signer.
"Ken Makoto, you were in love with Princess Cassandra. But you were kept away from her by whom?" a deep voice asked from the darkness.
"Lazar!" Ken replied loudly and angrily.
"And who killed you?" it asked him.
"Lazar!" Ken growled and clenched his fists.
"And who will you seek vengeance on?" the voice was excited now, almost on the brink of insanity.
"Lazar!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs. His death vow echoed in the darkness and only the spider webs shook. The deep, maniacal laughter of the leader of the Dark Signers bellowed through the underground hideout.
Hi, hi, hi~