The sun began to set at the end of the horizon, its orange hue illuminating the sky for just a brief longer, tainting the world in its warmth. Sporadic streetlights scattered along the empty street road, occasionally flickering on and off as the world grew quieter under the sun's departure.
Durandal walked along the empty path, her eyes glanced towards the myriad of familiar looking houses all lined together in rows. The neighborhood was quiet, the streets accompanied only by her footsteps and hers alone; a sign of the night that was fast approaching.
Just then, her phone buzzes, humming a familiar tune as she reaches into her pocket. Taking it out as flickers the screen awake, a single word flashing across the bright blue surface as she tapped at it, before pressing it against her ear.
"What is it, Rita?" Her voice lightly echoed, the only noise accompanying it were the slow, rhythmic steps coming from her own two feet.
[Evening, Lady Durandal. I was able to procure some personal records relating to that person you had informed me about,] the woman on the other side calmly spoke. There was a sense of gracefulness in her voice, a soothing elegance to it that helps to calm even the most nervous of souls, including Durandals.
Her eyes slightly narrowed at the woman's words, her voice growing lower as she says:
"Please continue."
An audible hum was heard through the speaker, before that elegant voice began to speak.
[By looking through the database of all residents currently living in Nagazora city, we were able to find someone who most closely resembled the description described in the journal; being that of a woman going by the name of Raiden Mei.]
"Mei…" Durandal muttered under her breath, before shaking her head gently, her mind refocusing on the topic at hand.
[From the earliest records of her dating back at the start of this year, she was born on April 13th, 1995, currently twenty-five, standing at 175 cm and weighing around 50kgs. Physical description matching with the journal's description, with long indigo hair, violet eyes, and her current occupation is an office worker in a technology-based company. Her current living address, I had already sent it over to you.]
Durandal hummed, nodding her head instinctively to the girl's words as she kept walking.
She had read the address Rita sent her; she had been making her way over there already for the past hour. It would have been much quicker had she drove, but the car unfortunately belonged to the police force, and she was officially off-shift, so there was no way for her to procure one without bringing attention to herself; attention she did not need right now.
Her relationship with the police chief was already mild from the beginning, and it had only gotten worse over time. She needed to keep a low–well, lower profile than she did before, to avoid riling him up any more than she already did by just being around.
A part of her understood why he had such a vendetta against her, she was only transferred to here a month prior along with Rita and the rest of her division, which meant that the two sides had barely gotten time to even know each other before she started butting heads with him. Not to mention how much of a…troublesome group her division was composed of, and it's no wonder he didn't take a liking to her.
So she understood his feelings towards her; she understood.
But god did it still frustrated her to no end.
The thought made her audibly sigh, her eyes flickering over to the end of the long, empty road she had been walking on for the past hour; she needed to speed up if she didn't want to be outside when it got any darker.
But instead of quickening her pace, her steps began to slow, until she was barely walking at all. Her gaze broke away from the road, glancing over to the side of her head where her phone was resting against; there was nothing but silence on the other end.
"Rita?" She called out to her, a questioning tone to her voice.
[Yes?] The girl immediately responded to her call.
"Why did you stop?"
[That was everything, Lady Durandal.]
…Huh?
"...Everything?"
[Everything.]
Durandal remained in place, her face scrunched up in a confused expression.
She had no doubts about Rita's claim, knowing her partner enough; more than enough, to understand the kind of person she is. The mere thought of Rita not being thorough enough in her research, especially one requested by the Kaslana personally, never even crossed her mind. So to find out that the information they have on this person was not simply lacking, but nearly non-existent sends Durandal's mind into a confusing spiral of unanswered questions.
"I see…that is incredibly–"
[Odd, yes?] Rita finishes her sentence, sounding sympathetic to the girl's confusion.
[It could be that whoever this person is, they likely never stuck around in one place long enough for any official records to be recorded of them, but that is a highly unlikely scenario, with too many varying factors to make this theory feasible. What would be a more feasible one, however, is–]
"Is that somebody, or something, had wiped away most of her records and history, intentional or not," Durandal muttered, ending Rita's sentence; her eyes narrowed as the words lingered on her tongue.
If it really is the latter, then who could possibly be capable of doing that, and why go through all that effort? What was there to gain from erasing such things? Was there something there that needed to be hidden? Does Raiden Mei herself even know about the fact that she exists as a literal ghost with barely any history to her existence whatsoever?
These questions ran through Durandal's mind like a speeding car, her mind failing to find any concrete answers for each one. Yet the more she tries, the more outlandish and out there the answers become, and the more she attempts to justify them, the more they begin to sound like gibberish.
In the end, she could only arrive at a single, incomprehensible conclusion.
This Raiden Mei, was a complete enigma.
It made her just all that more nervous and cautious for the oncoming meeting she will have with that woman.
[...If I may ask, Lady Durandal,] Rita's voice suddenly perks from the phone speakers, dragging Durandal's mind back into reality.
"What is it?"
[This person…could she be a suspect behind your sister's missing case? I assumed that you wouldn't ask me to search for someone if not for this very reason.]
"...Yes, you're right," Durandal took a moment to compose herself before she spoke, her gaze hardened. "She's the most probable suspect we have right now, with her appearance matching the person described in the journal, being potentially the last possible person my sister had met before disappearing."
[I see. May I ask who you received this information from?]]
"That's…" her voice trailed off, the memories of this morning's event replaying in her mind vividly, and with it, her cheek pulsed with pain, a residue from what she received from that same girl.
The event had left her utterly dumbfounded at how it all played out, with her failing to come to terms with how she actually feels in the aftermath of it.
That girl, Bronya, seemed so adamant about this Mei's innocence that she would react so violently towards her, had made her question just what exactly the girl was hiding from her; it was frustrating, and confusing to be left so clueless.
Even now, the thought of what happened still made her stomach churned in irritation, her anger threatening to flare up again. She couldn't understand why the girl would say such things so boldly, and so readily ignore the facts as if they meant nothing; as if the fact that her sister was in continuous danger, potentially by the hands of this woman, was something that can just be brushed off with no consequences.
It was wrong; Durandal came to believe that at least.
And yet…
Why was she defending her so much? What is it about Raiden Mei that would make her act that way? Why did she care so much?
The question swirled inside the Kaslana's mind, only aiding in the conflicted mess of emotions she was currently going through. But regardless, she brushed those thoughts away for now, opting to prioritize the present before anything else.
"I was…'given' the name of her from someone this morning; the one I said I was going to meet," she said, trying to maintain a sense of neutrality in her voice.
[...Is that so?] Rita responded after an odd delay. [Bronya, was it? How did she come to find that out?]
"It's not important right now. What matters is that we have a lead," she didn't give Rita a chance to pry any more out of her, choosing to close it off here.
Perhaps sensing the finality in her words, Rita didn't press any further, only choosing to gently hum through the phone.
[Alright, then I suppose you should find that girl quickly, Lady Durandal.]
"About to turn the corner towards the house's street address now."
Her steps resumed, walking steadily across the quiet neighborhood. As she passed by a sign that signals the end of one street and the start of another, a three way intersection presented itself.
She looked to the left, finding a sign with a name etched onto its blue surface; the street she was looking for. As she was about to turn the corner however, someone entered her line of sight, coming from the right side of the intersection as they entered the street she was just about to leave.
Their appearance was unassuming, wearing a simple work uniform with a relatively short skirt. Their gaze kept downwards as they passed by Durandal, their distinct violet eyes gently gleamed under the orange hue of the setting sun.
Violet?
The thought made Durandal freezed, her eyes widened as she snapped her head, her eyes bearing down onto the slowly shrinking figure that just passed her.
"...Rita," she called out to her, her voice dropping into an indescribable stillness in its tone.
[Yes?] Rita immediately responds, sensing the oddness in her voice, [What is it?]
"I think…I just found her."
Durandal muttered, her eyes lingering on the swaying hair of that person, the length stretching down to their waist as it gently sways from side to side, a unique indigo hue reflected under the lamplights that began to flicker on and off as the evening began to dissipate, the night taking its rightful place.
Footsteps echoed across the concrete pavement, the once rhythmic tune continuing its ever churning melody, the lamplights casting a stage for the lonely performance.
Durandal followed Mei, trailing just behind her every step, yet never quite matching her pace.
Her gaze lingered on the woman's footwork, each step graceful and elegant, leaving no error for clumsiness or uncertainty in its path. Yet there was something she couldn't help but be bothered by, one that only became more apparent to her the more she began to realize it; a missing noise that always accompanied every step, every click of the heel, every rough smack of shoe against concrete.
The sound of footsteps, one that Raiden Mei simply did not have.
At first, Durandal hadn't noticed it, too focused on the sheer coincidence of encountering the woman out on the street like this. But now that she had time to calm her nerves and think, the lack of noises coming from that woman's steps began to take up more of her mind, leaving her more puzzled as to how one could be so silent in their steps.
It unnerved her frankly, that even when focusing on it, it still took an unreasonable amount of concentration to make out the very faint noise of her shoes hitting the ground, amongst the ever constant humming of the myriad of fluorescent lights that scattered along their path.
Nevertheless, Durandal buried that thought away, deciding that it was better to ponder over it at a different time. She then refocused her gaze back onto the woman as a whole, a thoughtful expression on her face.
When Durandal had called out and explained to Mei what and why she was looking for her, the woman barely spoke, simply nodding to her every word; almost mechanically. Just as sudden as her encounter with this woman was, she then invited her to come back to her place so they could properly discuss things.
Durandal had expected to be met with confusion, surprise or perhaps even shock; those were the norm for most people when an officer suddenly calls out to them out of the blue. And yet that simply wasn't the case for her, demonstrating a level of composure and calmness that took her back from how formal Mei was.
Though, it only made everything about her all the more enigmatic and suspicious.
A person with no past history and an eerily calm demeanor…
It was enough to set her caution level around her all the higher, her eyes never once letting the woman leave her vision longer than a moment; she couldn't risk it.
But those details that she was only just beginning to pick up was not the source of her suspicion. No, it was something else, something that immediately grappled her onto Mei, a question that dangled in her mind the very moment they saw eye to eye.
Why was she walking away from her own home?
The question lingered on her mind the moment when Mei invited her to come to her house, turning her heels back to the direction that she was going to go. She didn't bring up why that was the case, nor even expressed any kind of emotion that would indicate that she had somewhere to be before meeting Durandal.
Did she accidentally go the wrong way?
That was always a possibility, but would someone who had demonstrated such a level of calmness and composure like her, ever make such an uncharacteristic mistake? It wasn't entirely impossible, but it was unlikely.
Was she meaning to go somewhere but changed her mind then?
But that only opens up another question; why? If she had so choose, Mei could have simply told Durandal that she had somewhere to go, instead of backtracking so quickly. Where was she even headed to? Was it really somewhere not that important that she can afford to follow along with Durandal's request? Or perhaps…it was the opposite?
She shook her head, letting out a forceful sigh to calm herself down; she was getting too ahead of herself. Right now, there are far too many pieces and far too little connective tissue to tie them all in. Anything she comes up with would be based purely on speculation and theorycrafting, which would only lead to her projecting unrealistic ideas onto things and subsequently, would influence her too much; it wouldn't be the first time.
For all she knew, these questions could be answered with a simple, human mistake; that they meant nothing at all and were just oddities that she noticed.
Durandal didn't believe in that though, yet she also knows just how stubborn her heart can be at times like these; more than she'd like to admit. But at least she has her head to rely on to hold herself back; she had Rita to thank for that. At least, she's trying to apply it here, right now, even as her instinct is telling her to screw all that.
For now, she was to ask her about anything she might know about the missing person's case, nothing more. That was the reason she gave, and it was one she needed to maintain, to not make her suspect anything, at least not for now.
"I'm sorry for making you walk all the way, Ms. Durandal."
The sudden call to her name snapped Durandal out of her thoughts, lifting her gaze to meet Meis. The woman was glancing back at her, one eye staring intently as she waited for a response.
Durandal took a moment before gently shaking her head, calming her ever churning mind.
"It's alright, Ms. Raiden," she said calmly. "I was already on my way to your home before running into you anyways."
"Is that so?" Mei asked, her tone sounding not that surprised. "I'm relieved to hear that then."
A brief moment of silence lingered between the two, Durandal observing the girl's back before perking her lips up once more.
"Did you have somewhere you needed to be before this, Ms, Raiden?"
The question was left unanswered for an unusual amount of time, before Mei casually turned her head to glance at Durandal.
"It wasn't anything important. I was planning to head to a store to buy some ingredients for dinner, but I believe speaking to you was much more important than that."
"I see. I'm sorry for taking up your time."
"No, it's alright. I don't mind it at all," the woman gave a small smile, eyes gently shut before she turned ahead again.
"We're here."
Durandal's eyes widened slightly, seeing the girl suddenly stop in front of a nearby house to her right. Turning her gaze over to the building in question, she noted the house's modest size, looking similar to the many buildings that laid neatly against one another in this long stretched-out road.
It looked to be a fairly modern-looking home, though bearing some markings of a more traditional-styled Japanese infrastructure; at least Durandal recalled it as such.
Not paying any notice to Durandal's thoughtful gaze, Mei strode into the small entrance to the house, walking up the few staircases that ascended towards the front door, its wooden material reflected in its brownish surface.
Durandal followed suit a short moment after, walking up the same staircase as she focused her eyes onto the woman's hand, a small keychain present as it clattered against one another as Mei seemed to search through each individual key one by one.
The keys continued to banged against one another for a while before she could find the right one, inserting it into the lock as an audible click sounded from the door. Opening it, she stared into complete darkness, lacking any kind of visibility for one to even perceive from the outside looking in.
"Please wait here for a moment, I'll turn on the lights," Mei uttered to Durandal before disappearing into the darkness of her own home.
Not given the time to properly respond, Durandal hesitantly complied to her request, standing just shy from the doorway as she tried to peer inside, finding nothing but the void staring back at her. It unnerved her a bit, turning her gaze onto the door itself as she stared at the lock.
Remembering the time it took for the woman to open the door, she mentally recounted the entire process, before arriving at the proper time; a full minute. That alone wasn't anything noteworthy, not even remarkable at that, but what caught her attention was the fact that her keychain only consisted of four keys, with over half that minute spent looking through them over and over, as if she was trying to remember which was the key to her own front door.
She shook her head again however, a forceful exhale exiting her nose as she briefly shut her eyes.
Calm down, stop overthinking it.
She mentally reassured herself, taking slow deep breaths as she did. For all she knew, there could be hundreds of possible reasons for why one would struggle to find the keys of their own home, and her mind was just over fixated on a potential answer out of hundreds of them; she needed to stop this before she tires herself out more than anything.
God knows she's already tiring herself out more than ever nowadays; best not to add more onto the pile.
She reopened her eyes, still finding herself staring into the empty dark abyss that was Mei's home. How long has she been at it, all just to flip up the lights in her own house?
...Ten seconds…..fifteen seconds…..twenty secon–
Light suddenly flickered, enveloping the entire room in its bright embrace. Her vision once clouded in uneasy darkness was now cleared of any overly imaginative ideas, her eyes now showing a long hallway that stretches a few meters from where she stood.
At the end of the hall was Mei, standing to the side of the path as she peered over to Durandal, a very faint smile barely visible from a distance flashed through her lips.
"I'm sorry for the long wait, I was just prepping tea for the both of us. Please, come inside," the woman said, before disappearing behind the wall.
Durandal blinked, before letting out a soft sigh of relief.
So it was just tea…
She thought as she entered the house, closing the door behind her as she promptly took off her shoes, before finally setting foot onto the wooden surface of the hallway.
...Though, why do it in such darkness?
That question lingered in her mind as she made her way down to the end of the hall, turning a corner to where Mei was a moment ago, as she entered into a spacious looking room.
It took a moment before she recognized what kinda room this was, indicated by the long couch situated at one end of it, with a large TV in the opposite direction. She strode into the living room, her eyes scanning the interior to find nothing of note, except for a few magazines that laid on the table placed in front of the couch, along with the remote for the TV it looks like.
As if hearing her entering, Mei's voice rang out from further inside the house.
"I'm almost done, so please make yourself comfortable before then."
Durandal thought about declining the offer, but seeing that she had already made the effort of setting it up already, there wasn't any way she could politely refuse it.
So instead, she took her words to heart, finding a seat for herself on one of the armchairs laid neatly beside the long, gray couch. Sitting down, the Kaslana resumed her examination of the living room, noting how oddly empty it looked.
There wasn't much to distinguish this room as lived in, if she had been looking for a place to buy, this room wouldn't look none too dissimilar to the myriad of other houses that would be put up for sale. Well, except for the massive speakers that were situated on either side of the TV.
It was the only thing Durandal could find that gave the room any sense of identity, but she felt as if it didn't quite fit in with the rest of the place; perhaps because she didn't think speakers those size would be something that a person like Mei would ever have, judging from her first impression of the woman.
She looked down on the table, its surface engraved with see-through glass, seeming quite thick as well. There was a bundle of magazines stacked neatly on top of one another, with the very top cover being that of the latest news and advertisement of latest technological advances and smart devices.
Curious, would someone like Mei ever read these things?
Letting her curiosity take over for a moment, Durandal reached out her hand to touch the magazine, before her eyes widened at the sensation. Her fingers paused at the very tip of the cover for a few seconds, before continuing down to graze her hand over it.
It's covered in dust.
Touching the magazine had made her come to that realization, her hand tainted with its dirty grime as she lifted her finger to look at it. Her eyes flicker with utter confusion, finding it difficult to make sense of this.
She turned her gaze onto the remote, using her other clean hand to touch it. Sure enough, the remote was also covered in dust, likely remaining untouched as long as the magazine has.
This didn't make sense, her lips parting slightly as she whispered those words to herself, staring at the objects laid before her. If it was just magazines, she could have made the reason that the woman had simply just left it there without reading it, but the remote? Something which you would always be required to turn on a TV model like the one in this room, being completely covered in dust as if no one has even bothered to touch it for weeks on end, perhaps even months?
Does she not use the TV? No, that wouldn't be right, considering that she clearly cared enough about using it to afford such massive speakers, clearly foreign from the rest of the furniture that likely came pre-installed when this house was bought.
So why? What even are these odd and so incredibly strange details even pointing to? What do they all mean?
Durandal planted her palm to her head, feeling so tempted to frantically scratch her hair off as she tried to gather her thoughts. The oddity of everything was throwing her mind into overdrive, her desire for answers growing more desperate.
Asking Mei was out of the question, she needn't put any more suspicion onto the woman for no good reason, lest Durandal wanted to make her so uncomfortable she would request for her to leave.
But, if she really is…
Then what do these things mean? What do they add up to? Was there even a connection between any of them?
Durandal pondered and ached over it, her mind racing and looping these details quickly as she shut her eyes, her face contorted as she fell into thought.
Walking in the opposite direction of her house, the keychain, the abnormal time to turn on the lights, the dusty magazine and remote, the state of this room and perhaps even this entire house.
Direction. Keychain. Lights. Dust. Unlived-in.
Home. Keys. Lights. Dust. Foreign.
...Home?
This is…this was her home?
"Oh."
"Ms. Durandal?"
The voice made Durandal flinch, masking her reaction ever so subtly with the deliberate stretch of her arm as she gazed up, her eyes reopening as she looked at Mei, standing beside her with a tray in hand.
"Is everything alright?" The woman asked, her head tilting slightly to the side with a curious look on her face.
"...No, everything is alright. I was just thinking about something, that's all," Durandal replied, her voice as neutral as she could muster.
Seemingly sensing no oddity in her voice, Mei's eyes widened ever so slightly, before she let out a gentle small smile.
"That's good to hear. Here," she says, placing a small cup of freshly made tea onto the table. Durandal nodded to her, gently grasping the cup as she blew the hot air out of the way, letting her take a small sip of the contents.
"...It's quite nice," Durandal commented, a surprised tone in her voice.
"I'm glad you found it to your liking. I personally find this brand of tea quite pleasant to the tongue," Mei said with a smile, before setting the tray aside as she went to sit onto the armchair on the opposite end of Durandal.
She eyed the woman, raising the cup to take another sip of the tea, at least, that's what she was pretending to do. She hadn't touched the tea with her lips at all, even as she complimented it just then.
This woman…
She sets the cup down after feigning another sip, crossing her leg as she placed both hands onto her lap. Her gaze narrowed at Mei, her expression hardened as her mind came to a singular conclusion.
...is absolutely suspicious beyond measure.
"When you said 'missing person's case', were you referring to the one that happened last month?" Without wasting time, Mei said calmly to her.
Durandal nodded, her gaze firmly locked onto Mei.
"Yes, that's the one. I assume you are familiar with the details of it, Ms. Raiden?"
"What the newspapers have covered about it, yes; though I have only learned of it quite recently from a friend."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, I'm not one to keep up with the news. But if it helps, I am willing to answer any of your questions, Ms. Durandal."
"I appreciate your cooperation," Durandal spoke, promptly placing her phone on the dusty table in front of her. "Will you allow me to record our session for this conversation? This is just to make sure we don't mix up any details from your statements."
Those purple eyes glanced down at the phone for a brief moment, before promptly returning its gaze back to Durandal.
"I have no objection to that," Mei calmly said, her body remaining perfectly motionless as she sat with her hands formally placed on her lap.
Durandal gave the woman a nod, before pressing the record button on her phone. Once it was properly rolling, she straightened her back, her eyes narrowed evidently at Mei.
"We'll start off simple. During the night of the incident, do you recall where you were during it?"
"Yes, I was putting in overtime for my work place, and only clocked out around the evening or so," Mei immediately answered, her expression unchanging from the half-smile she keeps plastered on her face.
"Do you remember the time that you left?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that it might have been around six or seven."
"Where did you go afterwards?"
"I headed home soon after."
"Did you make any detours during your way home?"
"I did."
Durandal's eyes narrowed further, tilting her chin slightly down as she peered into those violet eyes.
"Can you remember where you went?"
"I can, it was for a party I had planned."
"Was it a family party?"
"No, it was for an event I took part in. I was the one in charge of making the meals for the party, so I decided to take a detour to a nearby convenience store to gather some ingredients for it."
"I see, can you recall the name of the store?"
"I don't."
"What about the address? Do you remember where it was located?"
"It was in a quiet part of a small neighborhood, though I didn't pay attention to what road it was on."
"How long did you spend inside? Do you remember the time it was then?"
"It was probably around ten or fifteen minutes, but I didn't look at the time to know for sure."
"When you were checking out, was there anyone else inside the store with you?"
"Only one, it was the store clerk."
"Did anyone else enter after or during your exit?"
"Hmm…" she hummed, her eyes never blinking as she kept it firmly on Durandal. "...there was one, actually."
"Can you describe to me how they looked?" Durandal immediately requested, her eyes meeting hers with equal intensity.
"It was a girl, if I recall correctly; a high schooler. Though I didn't get a good look at her uniform to know which one."
"Can you remember anything specific about them? Their eyes, or perhaps their hair? Maybe the way they talk?"
"Hair? Well, yes I do remember but…"
"Did you talk to them?"
"..."
Mei stared at her, her gaze unflinching as her lips parted, failing to conceal the half-smile that etched across her face.
"Ms. Durandal, if I may ask…" she spoke softly, her head tilting down ever so slightly. "These have been oddly specific questions, are they not?"
"..."
Durandal didn't show it, but her mind halted at that moment, her face frozen as she realized just a bit too late how far she was pushing it.
"When we met, you had called out my name, even though that was the first time we had seen each other."
Durandal leans back, her legs uncrossing as she plants both feet onto the floor, her gaze lingered on the woman's form.
...Damnit.
She could only curse her stubborn heart now.
Mei's expression remained neutral, her eyes never once blinking as she peered through Durandal's very form.
"It wasn't by chance that we are having this conversation, was it?" She asked, yet her tone was telling enough that it wasn't a question.
"…No, it wasn't," Durandal finally admits, a forceful sigh escaped her lips as she spoke. "I will be honest with you, Ms. Raiden. We have been looking for you specifically."
"Why is that?"
"Because we have evidence that points to you potentially being the last person to come into contact with our missing person."
Durandal then reaches into her inner pocket, taking out a small leather journal as she places it onto the table. Mei's eyes darted to the object for a moment before turning back to her.
"What is that?"
"It's a journal, belonging to the clerk from the very store you visited on that day. Please take a look for yourself," she slides the journal to Mei's side, before leaning back slightly as she straightens her posture, her arms crossed over her chest.
Mei eyed her for a moment before breaking away, her hand slowly reaching for the journal as she lifted it up to her eye level, opening the pages as she lightly flips through each one.
"Please flip through the page with the date September 3rd written on the top."
Heeding her words, the woman continues to scour through the pages before stopping at a certain one, her face laid still for a moment. For just a second, Durandal swore she could see her eyes widened ever so slightly, her mouth agape as if letting out a gasp.
"This is…" Mei's voice perks up, eyeing the contents of the page. Durandal stiffens her shoulders, her gaze intensifies as she parted her lips.
"As you can see, the physical description written in the journal matches quite well with yours. And from your own admission just now, you were the exact person the clerk saw on that night, with the girl."
"...Are you implying that I might be a suspect in this case?"
You are one.
"...No, it's too soon to make such a hasty judgment," Durandal contained her urges, her hand gripping tightly to her elbow as she carefully took long deep breaths. "Currently, you are just a witness, potentially the last person to come into contact with the girl before her disappearance."
"I see…" Mei's eyes wandered downwards, the journal falling as her arms lowered down to her lap.
"Can you recall your encounter with the girl for me?"
"There isn't much to recall unfortunately," Mei apologetically said, her eyes looking somewhere else besides Durandal as a very faint smile showed on her cheeks. "I remember her bumping into me before apologizing, and when I told her it was alright, she decided to help load my items into the car."
"And what happened after you two did that?"
"We exchanged a few more words, before she waved me goodbye as she walked away. I didn't pay very well attention to where the girl went."
Liar.
Durandal observed the woman's demeanor as she processed her words, her gaze narrowed further as she waited for her to say whatever she wanted, her foot pressing down the carpet floor harder, her chest feeling like a weight was pressing down on it.
"Why didn't you report this to the police? Surely you would have known what the girl looked like, right?" Durandal mustered a question, just barely managing to hide the bumbling irritation that seemed so desperately to seep its way into her every word, every pore of her skin, every infatuation of her tone as she coldly gazed at Mei.
"I didn't know," the woman simply answered, making Duranda's eyes widened from surprise at her admission.
"What?"
Mei turned her gaze back onto Durandal, the smile long since faded from her face.
"Like I said, I only just found out about the missing case very recently from a friend, and my memory of the events wasn't as sharp to really remember the girl's face clearly enough to recognize her in the paper."
"Really?"
"Yes, my friend can testify that for me, if you'd like me to call them."
Both went silent at that, staring intently at one another as the seconds passed by. Durandal's eyes were sharp, like needles prickling at Mei's skin. Meis was firm, her gaze never once breaking away from her until finally, Durandal huffs, closing her eyes as she forces her shoulders to slump.
"No, that won't be necessary for now," she voiced. "It's too late for that right now, and I'm merely here just to talk to you as a witness, that's all."
"I see…I apologize for not being of much help then."
"There's no need, Ms. Raiden. You have answered us what you can, and that's–
Not good enough.
"...good enough."
Mei gives Durandal a half-smile, her eyes darting back onto the journal. With a careful flick, she turned onto the next pages almost absentmindedly, before suddenly her eyes seemed to widen once more; much more obvious this time.
"...You said…this belonged to that clerk?" She asked, her voice sounding strangled somehow.
"Yes, what is it?"
"They…mentioned me again in the next page, on a different date…" she says, looking through more and more of the pages. "...and another one…and another…"
"Is that so?" Durandal tilted her head, a genuine surprise etched in her voice.
Durandal realized she didn't search any further after the date of September 3rd, as it was the only one that mattered to her; she hadn't realized that the woman would show up later as well. That might have made things a lot easier for her had she kept looking, though she did give it to Rita briefly to search through it already, so there was likely nothing new on it.
"Do you recognize what those notes are talking about?"
"I do. These are…notes of conversations I had with them," Mei uttered, her eyes glued to the page as she kept searching, her pace growing ever so slightly frantic before she seemingly stopped, perhaps reaching the final page that was written in the journal.
Her hand lingered on the page, unblinking in her gaze as she parted her lips, lacking in any essence.
"It stopped. It was…everything."
"...They must have been fond of you," Durandal commented nonchalantly, not getting where the woman was heading with this, her eyes narrowed cautiously at her.
Mei didn't react to her piercing gaze, simply focused on the journal.
"Fond of…me?" She whispered, sounding almost unconvinced.
"Is there something the matter, Ms. Raiden?" Durandal noted the strange behavior, snapping Mei out of her odd trance.
"N-no, there isn't, I just…ah," Mei paused, her eyes frozen as if she saw a ghost, her lips quivering. "...what happened to the clerk? Why do you…have this?"
Faced with such a question, Durandal pondered over the meaning of Mei's words, her eyes searching for some kind of answer, yet found none from those frozen violet eyes.
"They're dead," she reluctantly confessed to the woman. "Just last night. The news haven't been made public yet, but the case is currently ruled as a suicide; that journal was found on their body after the body was examined."
"..."
Mei said nothing, utterly silent in her response. Durandal gauged her reaction yet found nothing once more, her eyes covered by her indigo hair as she lowered her head. Durandal didn't think much of it, looking away as she fell into her own thoughts.
There was no doubt in her mind that this woman was actively hiding something, or at the very least incredibly suspicious in her odd behavior and her demeanor. But what that is was not what Durandal could deduce; at least not on her own.
Regardless, even if she could deduce it, she had no proof or evidence to support her claims. This woman, this Raiden Mei, as suspicious as she can possibly be, but so long as no actual incriminating or damning evidence was found of her, there was nothing Durandal could do to pin her as anything more than a somewhat odd suspect or an unfortunate witness.
This made Durandal's nerves racked with frustration, her teeth smashing together momentarily as she grinded them to calm herself down. She could do nothing as of now, and it was getting tiresome.
But whatever she thinks, Durandal knows it was all she can do for now, letting out a forceful sigh as she shakes her head, uncaring how unprofessional she may look right now.
Turning her gaze back onto Mei, whose face was still hidden behind her lustrous hair, Durandal cleared her voice before her lips parted.
"I think we can end this session for now. If there is ever a need, I'll be sure to conta-"
She paused, her mouth agape. Her gaze locked onto Mei, a wide-eyed expression on her as she took in what she was witnessing.
Mei was still sitting in her chair, unmoved from her original position. Yet her entire body was trembling, her shoulders shuddered as her hands gripped tightly onto the closed journal laying on her lap. Her head casted downwards, her bangs covering her face as she shook in place.
A drop of tear then fell down onto her hand, splashing against the journal tightly clutched in her fingers.
She looked up, her once composed and unnerving eyes, now glazed and dulled as those blurry violet irises blurred, tears bubbling within them as it began to flow freely down her trembling cheeks. She didn't register anything around her, her eyes simply cast to the side as her entire body shook in place.
"...Why are you…" Durandal couldn't help but mumbled, the words coming out louder than she intended. And for a moment, Mei's head jerked towards Durandal before she reached her hand to wipe away the corners of her eyes, yet the tears wouldn't stop pouring out.
"I…I didn't–I didn't even tell them m-my name…I–" She couldn't continue, pressing her palms against her face as she lowered her head, her silent weeping now turned into audible sobs.
Durandal watched as the woman before her, just moments ago the perfect image of a composed and collected lady, now crumbling down into nothing but a sobbing mess; her cries piercing deep into her very soul. She couldn't comprehend such an extreme contrast from her, her mind failing to understand how this even happened.
Her name? Why would her name…
She pondered and wondered, her eyes glued to the sight before her, utterly entranced by this public display of vulnerability. Why was she like this? What could have possibly been so triggering to her? What does that have to do with her name?
Tell who?
Her body leaned back, her gaze now turned into a confused one as she listened to her sobs. A cruel thought entered her, one dictated that this display, this "performance" of Mei was merely just a mask, a make-pretend to lull her into believing something that simply isn't real.
Her mind would tell her that.
Yet her heart couldn't believe it even for a second.
This was real; Durandal can't deny it.
But…why? Why now? Why would she be crying now? What does it even mean? What does that have to do with her name? Why?
"She could never-Mei would never-!"
...Oh.
"...Ms. Rai–...Mei."
Durandal shuttered slightly, her gaze lingering on the woman's small form before her, the sharpness that once etched so deeply in her eyes now all but vanished. Mei continued to sob in her hands, her body shaking as she seemed incapable of responding to her words; and yet, Durandal felt no deterrence from it.
"It's okay…everything will be okay…"
Durandal didn't know what to say, anything she could think of simply wouldn't help.
"Everything is going to be alright…"
So she could only say what others have said to her, to let Mei run her emotions to its course.
The sobs continued for what felt like hours, yet never once did Durandal try to interrupt her.
She couldn't, for she knew better than anyone than to stop someone that is grieving, that is hurting.
She couldn't, for she knew what it's like to hold such pain in your heart, such regrets in your soul.
She couldn't, for she knows the anguish that comes with the choices you have made, and the choices you wished you made.
She can't, for Durandal realized they were the same.
"...Ms. Durandal."
"Hmm?"
Durandal perks up at Mei's call while she is still busy tying her shoes back on, her eyes landing on the purple-haired woman's frame slightly obscured by the half-closed doorway. The woman fidget slightly at her gaze, her violet irises lingering on something else besides Durandal.
"I…I'm sorry for…how I acted back there. I really made things awkward for you..."
She confessed, making Durandal pause in surprise. But she only gives her a soft sigh, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"I didn't mind, so please, no need for apologies."
Mei didn't respond, her face lowering ever so slightly at that. Visible tear marks still stained her cheeks, her gaze flickered almost nervously as her hands gripped onto the door.
Noticing her trepidation, Durandal huffs a little, before reassuring the woman.
"If there's ever a need, I'll be sure to contact you for help. You have my number, right?"
That seemed to help, the girl's face softened a little as she finally looked at Durandal, a small faint smile on her lips; a tired one, but a smile nonetheless.
"...Yes, I'll keep that in mind…good night, Ms. Durandal."
"Goodnight, Ms. Raiden."
With those last words exchanged, Mei gently closed the door, leaving Durandal to stand outside the quiet neighborhood.
Her eyes lingered on the door for a brief moment, head lowered ever so slightly as she did. Finally, her shoulders punched up, as she turned her gaze away from the closed door and onto the empty road before her.
Stepping down from the staircases, the girl began silently walking through the streets, her path illuminated by the fluorescent lamp-lights, their humming once drowned out by sounds of distant noises now being the only thing to accompany her footsteps.
She continued on for a while, reaching an intersection branching into two directions. She stops, just right on the very edge between the two, her eyes focused on neither.
The Kaslana stood in place, making no indication of whether to turn left or right. Instead, she very slowly backed a few steps, shifting her back to press against the nearby wall, her tensed shoulders barely grazing the concrete.
She reached into her pocket, taking out her phone as she fidgeted with the screen. Finding Rita's number, her thumb wavered, her lips puckered into itself as she contemplated her decision, before going through it as she pressed the call button.
The phone's ringtone echoed in the empty street, its music loud and clear for just a few seconds before immediately stopping as the receiver's voice reverberated through the speaker.
[Lady Durandal?]
The voice on the other end was soft, calm and composed, yet Durandal could tell there was a slight hitch at the end of her words, uncharacteristic for her partner to make; it was soothing for her.
She raises the phone up to her ear, pressing it firmly against it as she whispers to her.
"I'm here."
There was an audible sigh of relief coming from the speaker.
[Did everything go well?] Rita asked, her tone growing audibly lighter.
"Yes," Durandal answered curtly, her fingers wrapped around the phone just a bit more tightly. "I'll send the recording over to you later."
[I am glad to hear that. Are you going to keep investigating for the night?]
She didn't answer that, her hair gently shifting against the gentle wind that blew against her face, covering her eyes for a brief yet tangible moment. She lowered her gaze, staring vacantly at the pavement as she moved the phone closer to her cheek, feeling the warmth of the device spread across her face.
The silence was deafening, sending a cold shiver onto her spine, her lips thinned before she finally mustered the will to part them.
"Rita..." she muttered, weak in its calling, almost shaking.
[...Durandal?] Immediately picking up the oddness of her voice, Rita called for the Kaslana's name, forgoing the formalities as her voice changed into that of an even gentler tone.
Durandal bit her lips, finding her throat dry. Her hand moved to grasp her elbow, digging her digits into her sleeve as she squinted her eyelids shut, finding sight alone painful to even perceive.
"I messed up," she admits bluntly, her voice shaky in delivery.
[What?] The woman sounded surprised, seemingly taken aback by the sudden admission of guilt.
It only made the next few words of hers all the harder to say.
"This morning…I had an argument with her; about Mei. I lashed out at her, believing she was ignoring the truth to cover for her friend."
Her body trembled, her fingers squeezing tighter onto her elbow until her knuckles turned white.
"I thought I was justified for it; that I was right for saying what I said. I thought...I thought, that she was naive for thinking the way she did."
Her back arched, lifting herself from the wall as she leaned forward, finding it so hard to breathe.
"But–" she palmed her face, digging those fingers into her hair as she tugs away at them painfully, her blue irises trembling as she gritted her teeth. "-I was wrong. No, I was just…angry.
"I was just angry; so, so angry. I kept saying things, horrible and awful things to her. Because of the belief that I was right, that I could justify it all as being right. That I–"
She recalled the girl's words, ringing through her ear like loud speakers pressed against her skull; a never-ending scream of anguish. Those very words that etched with conviction, with unending struggle to hold onto, to justify, to believe in, to confide in.
Durandal didn't understand then; she couldn't.
But she understands it now. She understood why the girl said that, why she was so damn adamant about it.
Because she had seen the very reason why anyone could believe in such words. Why even she herself had come to believe in those words as well.
And now, all Durandal could feel was an unending torrent of sickness, bubbling deep within her stomach and her chest as it threatened to suffocate her, to drown her in the pit she had dug for herself.
"...I'm so…"
She was a fool.
No.
She was so much worse.
She was an idiot; a hateful, rageful, despicable idiot that couldn't for one second shut her mouth and listen. A bumbling fool that can't for once in her life just listen to someone and actually talk.
But no, she just had to be angry. She just had to let herself lose control, she just had to lash out at that girl without even thinking, just for a moment, on why she would ever say that; why she would ever defend her friend like that.
When she should have from the very start realized that was all the reason someone would need to defend somebody, when that alone is enough to want to believe in someone's innocence.
But that isn't all there is to it, is there? You saw it already. You already know that now.
Mei's genuine display of vulnerability only made it worse; so much worse. Because it completely brings into question everything Durandal had built up in her head; her suspicion, her doubts, her bias, and her own misguided and heavily one-sided judgment. All of it, serving to build a narrative that fits into her idea of events, that fits into her head, her mind, her views.
And look where that got her, alone in the middle of the streets, barely holding onto as her body was trembling violently in anger, in frustration, in hatred; all directed atherself.
She didn't want to find the culprit. She didn't want to find her sister. She said all those awful things to Bronya because she was just angry.
How utterly repulsive.
How disgusting.
How despicable is she?
How arrogant was she?
Why was she like this? Why does she always keep doing this? Always believing in her own bias and rejecting others who don't think the same. Blinded by her beliefs, by her own personal reasons that she couldn't, no, refuse to even see other's reasons, to hear other's pleas when they are so clearly desperate to be understood, to be heard, to be seen. When all that Bronya wanted was for her to listen, to believe in her for just one moment, the agony on her face then was so palpable, so clear to Durandal now, and yet it was already too late; she already messed everything up.
You damn idiot.
"Idiot…"
Her voice hitched, noises that barely sounded like that of a human uttered from her trembling lips. Her hands shook, gripping ever so tightly against her forehead, and her chest so constrained she could hardly let out a breath, not that she wanted to.
Her eyes are heavy with tears, falling heavily to the ground as she tries and tries and tries, so hard to contain it, to keep it in, but it just won't stop; nothing can stop it. She caused this, it was all her fault.
The girl on the other side listened intently to Durandal's sobs, not a single sound emanating from the speaker. Then, just as she was about to let her phone slip from her hand, Rita's voice uttered from the device, audible and clear to her burning hot ears.
[Do you remember…the first time we ever fought?]
The question made her body quiet down just a little, her trembling hand very slightly subsiding as her mind pondered over the question in spite of the intensely chaotic mess that it was in.
She stayed silent however, her sobbing still continuing ever constantly, even as she found the answer to that question.
Of course she did.
She recalled every single thing that led up to it; the near death experience that pushed them both off the edge, the rolling of the die that was casted onto them both, the choosing of the one to go first, and the animosity that brewed within her as she screamed and shouted at the one she could feel nothing but unending frustration towards, unending hate towards.
Yes, that person was Rita, the same one as now.
But why bring it up? What was the point of this?"
Durandal could only remember how badly she hurt her, how much her words had likely etched deeply into her psyche, and how she never once forgave herself for what she said, not now, not ever. She regretted all of it, a feeling that was only made worse as she contemplated it again and again, and even worse still as she thinks about it again now.
So why?
[...This reminds me of that time, the time when we would always come to head over the most simple things,] Rita finally continued, as if instinctively understanding what was going on in Durandal's head. [You were angry, just like how you said you are now. You lashed out, said hurtful things to me, pointed your finger at me and ridiculed me for things that I failed to understand or get why you would say so.
[I didn't understand what you meant, I couldn't. But I knew that I was angry too, that I lashed out too. And perhaps, it was then that I first realized…]
She paused, as if mulling over her own words before continuing.
[That all of that was never directed at me. That you never genuinely mean all those hurtful things to me. All that anger, all that frustration, all that rage, it was never directed at me in the first place…it was at you.]
That sentence made Durandal flinch, her shoulders jumped up a little.
Noting the audible silence, Rita's voice only grew softer as she spoke.
[All of it was always at you, for you. You hated yourself. You hated what you perceived was your own incompetence that led us into the situation that we were in then. You hated how much you had deemed yourself useless in the face of adversity or anything else, how truly incapable you were at doing anything. You were frustrated by it, you were angered by it, you hated so much of yourself that you projected it, just to further feed into this never-ending cycle; believing that you deserved every bit of it. Just like how you are doing it again right now.
[So no, I don't think you are a fool or incompetent, Durandal. That is not what you need to tell yourself right now. What you need, really need, is a break; a real break to vent away everything that has been brewing inside you properly.]
"...I–"
"Durandal."
Her breath hitched by the firmness of Rita's voice, clearly serious about what she's saying. And yet, in spite of that, what could only be described as a sigh of exasperation, yet ending with what felt like a smile as she called out to the Kaslana once more; to really call out to her once more.
[Bianka.]
This time, the girl's head rose from her arms, cheeks soaked with tears, yet those hazy eyes were widened at the mention of her name from the only person who knew of it.
[I know just how hard you work, how much you try your hardest to find your sister. I know how much it has drained away from you, how you refuse to rest, eat or even sleep just to keep going, to just have extra time. I know how much you push yourself to perfection, and how it has led you to this point.
[And I don't dislike that about you. Not at all. But you aren't perfect, and you never needed to be. You're still human, you still make mistakes. Please…don't be so harsh on yourself anymore, Bianka. You don't deserve it.]
"..."
At Rita's words, she could only sniff out a rough cough, finding her voice so dry and hoarse. Her eyes felt sore, her body tired beyond belief as she struggled to lift herself up bit by bit, taking seconds longer before she could finally rest her back fully against the wall once more.
She closes her still wet eyes, letting out a shaky breath as she tries to steady her breathing. Her heart beat erratically, finding it hard to control her overwhelming emotions as she took a few more breaths.
"...But I still hurt her," she mumbled, her heart ached like needles prickling against its very surface.
[Yes, and you have to apologize for that; after you have gotten some proper rest.]
"...But would that be enough?" Durandal lifts her head slightly, her eyes reopening as they stare into the empty night sky. "Would it really be enough just to be sorry? Even after what I said?"
[I'm here, aren't I?] Rita spoke, a gentleness to her voice more palpable than ever before. It was so much that it made the Kaslana gasp, taken aback by the fragility behind her voice.
[An apology isn't just to ask for forgiveness. It's to give you a chance to mend things, to give others a chance to move forward and heal in spite of what happened. For their sake, and for yours as well. You showed and proved that to me once already, so prove it to her as well.]
"...I don't really…"
[Yes, you can. You always can. Everyone in the division wouldn't be here if not for that. I, wouldn't be here if not for that, if not for you. It's what's so endearing about you, after all.
[So show that to Bronya as well.]
"...Mm."
Bianka finally responded, just barely able to contain another tear from falling. She leans her head onto the wall for support, her grip on the phone lessens as she could feel the soreness on every part of her body, her shoulders slumped as she finally lets out an exhausted sigh.
"Thank you, Rita. I...I really appreciate it," she says, gratefulness etched into her every word in spite of the dryness of her voice.
Rita simply hummed at that, her voice returned to the usual soft-spoken tone she uses, though there was something much more intimate behind it; a feeling the girl had grown to know all too well.
[Thank you for letting me be in your life, Bianka. I truly am grateful for it.]
"...Rita…"
[Hmm?]
"You…don't need to say it again after the first one.."
[What do you mean?]
"...My name…you don't have to.." She couldn't finish the sentence, her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head.
[Oh…Oooooh.]
That stretched out hum somehow only made her more flustered, fidgeting with the phone against her cheek; somehow, it wasn't the phone that was heating up her face.
[Do you not like it?]
"O-of course not.]
Her stutter only made Rita chuckled, her voice growing playful as she spoke.
[Please don't be worried, I'm not in public. It's just the two of us right now.]
"Even so, it's still..hearing it repeated so many times…"
Rita didn't need to hear the rest of that sentence to know what or how she was feeling, which only made the light chuckle coming from her all the more embarrassing for the Kaslana.
[Just come home soon, and I'll make sure you will rest properly tonight.]
Hearing that, Bianka takes in a deep breath, wiping her teary eyes away as she finally calms herself down enough to lift herself off the wall, her eyes turning back to the road once more.
"Alright, thank you again, Rita," she walked, her legs a bit shaky from the whole ordeal, but she still pushed on.
[The pleasure is all mine, Bianka~.]
Her partner's teasing was certainly not helping her at all in this department however, quickly making her cheeks burn up again as she frantically walked just a little faster. And yet, she had no desire for it to stop, her heart soothed by the girl's presence.
And so, with phone in hand as she continued to listen to Rita, Bianka made her way down the street, heading home for the night; she's gonna need a long night's sleep.
Mei stood motionless at the doorway, her eyes glued to the wooden frame, her hand remained fixed onto the handle. She didn't blink, she couldn't blink, her eyes burned onto the door.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally relents, a sigh escaping her lips as she lets go of the handle, turning to face the hallway, now a vacant stare etched in her irises.
She forced her legs to move, each step like weights chained onto her very feet as she dragged herself across the hall, entering the living room once more.
Moving over to the table where she had just sat in front of minutes prior, she cast her gaze onto the two cups of tea sitting on the glassy surface; one of which was still filled to the brim.
The girl didn't drink a single drop of it; that much she recognized immediately.
A long, drawn-out sigh escaped her, her eyes glued onto the full cup of tea with a pitiful expression.
It really was just tea though…
Her knees give out a bit as she lets herself fall slightly forward, planting her palm onto the table, undeterred by the dust covering it. She reached towards the cup, her hand close to grasping the handle.
As she did, her mind wandered, her eyes glazed over.
She recounted the entire evening, replaying everything in her head again and again, each time the memories only growing more hazier than ever before. Strange, shouldn't it be the opposite?
"...What do I do-Ah."
Her hand accidentally knocks over the cup, it's content spilling across the table, a muddied yellow color staining the dusty table as it drips down the edge, further dirtying the floor.
"..."
She stared at the mess, her eyes unblinking. Then she slumps onto the table, clutching the side of her head as she rests her head onto her palm.
She lets out a shaky sigh, one so etched in exhaustion that it felt almost painful to even muster it out. Her eyes hurt, struggling to keep them half-opened as she gazed at nothing, the only thought on her mind was…
I really messed up.
That single thought was all she could conjure, one so accurate to the complete mess that she had caught herself in. The worst part of it all however, was the fact that she hardly remembers anything, if at all.
She thinks back to the murder, remembering barely a single thing. Her mind had completely zoned itself out, leaving only what she could gather before it happened, and the bits and pieces of recollection she could gleam from herself afterwards.
Not a single one of those fragments showed that she even tried to make sure no kind of evidence damning to her would be left. She must have never checked the body itself, her mind blocking out the entire event.
And just like that, she was now trapped in a situation she simply couldn't lie herself out of. The only reason she even got through this was through pure luck, that's all.
She rubs her face, a groan escapes her dried and hoarse throat as she did.
The only thing she could bring herself to focus on was the clerk themselves; the one she killed without thinking it through, without considering just what she was doing, and all that has left her was…
Why?
Why did she do that?
Why did she resort to such a drastic measure? What even convinced her that such a miracle-like plan could ever work?
But it wasn't a miracle, it was just foolishness. Paranoia was what drove her to do what she did, and paranoia was what got her into this mess.
Mei planted her head onto the edge of the table, her breath short and erratic as she tried to think, to calm herself down from thinking, yet it was to no avail. Her mind churned with conflicting thoughts, each one vastly different yet all related, wrestling in her head as she let out a shaky breath.
She had no idea how many were onto her. For all she knew, it could be the entire police force, and they were simply observing her every move for the right time to strike.
Why…
No, something felt off. If that really was the case, the circumstances felt too odd. Why would they send just one officer to talk to her? Off-duty at that? Why reveal such information? Everything felt too rushed, too hasty like…
Why did I…
…Like it was only in response to new information given, and not by order. Could it be that that woman, that Kaslana, was working on her own? No, she likely isn't; she was bound to have help. But the entire force? That felt unlikely now. Her showing up unannounced, alone and subtly confrontational like that was all the evidence needed to prove that.
Why? Why did I kill them? I could have../-
In that case, it was likely that they were doing this under the radar, or rather, if that Kaslana didn't feel confident enough to do it on-shift, it means that she has something to hide. Perhaps, if she could get the entire police force involved, it would cause enough of a ruckus to drown out any way for her to keep investigating without being suspected. But how…
Just why would I-could I-did I–
No, she didn't need to put suspicion on her. She just needs to get rid of her. If she can eliminate her out of the equation, and then bring in the rest of the police force into a fabricated ruse, it would cause this entire thing to be swept under the rug, abandoned. It was that simple.
It isn't.
Yes, it is. There was only one thing she must do now.
It's not.
She already knew the answer; the only answer.
Stop it.
She needed to prepare for it, to make time for it all to work, the sooner the better. There is no other choice.
Shut up.
All she needed was a spark, a fuse, and a lead to it. She had everything she needed, she just needed to enact it.
Just shut up.
She needed to kill Durand-
"I said shut up!"
She yelled, scrunching her face in agony as she tugs at her hair, pulling it violently, her teeth gnashed together as she can barely breathe.
Her eyes shot up, an intensity in them that threatened to burn a hole through the very table itself. A shaky, burning hot breath left her mouth, before she gritted her teeth.
"I will not hurt her."
I won't hurt anyone else for this, no more.
She nearly growled out those words, a declaration to her own mind as she forces those sickening thoughts back into the darkest recesses of her broken mind.
She will not bring herself to hurt another person; not again. She will find another way, no matter what.
...
And like it had heard her, the constant noises in her head stopped, buried away deep as she could think of the reality of her situation; a reality that finally makes her feel the true weight of the pressure put onto her.
"Ahhh…"
She whimpered, planting her face onto the table fully as every part of her ache immensely. She really didn't need this tonight.
"I'm tired…"
She muttered to herself, sounding like she wanted to cry again. But no tears would come out this time, for she had already exhausted all of it; every part of her is exhausted at that.
She lifts up her gaze, staring into the mess that was her table and the floor. She'll have to clean that tomorrow.
"...oh, right.."
Mei forgot. She didn't live here anymore.
Her thoughts drifted over to Kiana, wondering what the girl was doing at this time, or perhaps she was already asleep?
Either way, Mei lifted herself from the table, feeling the weight of her every limb as she did. She really wanted to just lay down again and pass out already; god did she crave to just sleep forever right now.
But she couldn't, it wasn't safe to leave the girl alone.
She'll have to apologize to Kiana tomorrow.
AU: Well, guess you didn't need to wait for a full month this time, huh? Surprise surprise, I actually didn't disappear off the face of the Earth again like last time, so that's progress right? Right?
Anyways, this chapter is the longest one yet, and quite frankly, a pretty emotionally tiring one, both for the characters and for me. Lots and lots of tears were shed in this indeed, enough to make me want to lay down in exhaustion as well. But hey, we got through it, and I'm quite content with how this all turned out.
I hope this chapter gave some good insight into more of these character's dynamic and relationship with one another, as this story wouldn't exist without it. To me, the most tricky part was definitely Durandal-ahem, Bianka's impression of Mei, as that would be quite crucial going forward. I'm pretty pleased with how it turns out though, but do let me know what you all think.
I also quite enjoyed giving a slight-ahem, tease on what Rita and Bianka's relationship is like beyond the surface level, and I do hope that I'll be able to really showcase the depths of it properly, at least before the end of this story. Lots of things are being set up now, and boy it better pay off.
Anyhow, that's all I got, once again thank you for reading and supporting this fic even now. I have no idea if I'll be able to update again like this soon, but I shall try. See y'all in the next chapter!
P.S: The next three chapters are going to be something else, so look forward to that.
Also, Q&A time.
Question: Where did Kiana learn how to lock-pick? Did she just know how to somehow or someway?
– Kiana learned or well, was taught how to lock-pick by her sister, Sirin, back when they were kids. The girl was quite a candy addict, and would often try to sneak some without her parent's notice. It got bad enough that they would lock up the candy jar to prevent her from stealing, so Sirin taught her to steal even more effectively. Bianka ended up catching them both one day, but decided to let them indulge themselves, in exchange for a bracelet Kiana made. Kiana made two as a gift for them both.