SHAY
I was having a strange out of the body experience. The last lunch I had with Marcus kept playing in my head, and what happened right after seemed to haunt my vision, too.
The image of his lifeless form on the marbled floor in the living room was still tormenting me. It was as if it was just yesterday when it all happened.
It has been a year since his death.
I wanted a fresh start, away from The Mesial, away from every memory of Marcus.
A new leader was chosen: George Oliver. I knew of him. We met a couple of times at parties that Marcus held on random occasions.
And while the rest of the people moved on, mourning one day and continuing with their life the next, I had to pack up and leave the life Marcus had built for me.
The Mesial, being the Capital, was mostly composed of the higher society while the rest of the zones were where the more common ones reside.
But in my opinion, people in the zones are merely those who just wanted a taste of peace.
The Mesial could not offer that, no matter how glamorous it was and how much luxury it could offer.
Where Marcus' home was a separate complex from the rest of the apartels, the replacement of individual houses in this era, it wasn't the same inside the zones.
Each apartel varies in size, depending on if it would have a complete set: a living room, three individual bedrooms, a kitchen and dining room, and two separate bathrooms.
The most common apartel, though, was merely a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
It was simple living and the life I had chosen to escape the previous one I had.
Though the facilities at The Mesial were well off in terms of structure and aesthetics, I found myself feeling better working here at the medical building in Zone C4, and no, that wasn't from an explosive.
C stands for Capital. It was supposed to be M for Mesial, but it didn't sound right.
Each zone had to be named and numbered, and in every zone, there was a uniform set of various buildings. There was one for food, beverages, and clothing: the necessities. It was better known as the Neck. Comparable to the body part, it was of importance.
Then there was another building for entertainment. We call it the ET. It was some sort of abbreviation. It was where we could find different stations to satisfy one's lust for leisure.
There was another for corporate offices, mostly known as CO, also an abbreviation. It holds various stations for marriages and all that legal stuff.
Lastly, and in my opinion, was the most important, the medical building. It is as its name suggests.
The medical building also included a small section for the version of an orphanage and homes for older people. Unlike the rest of the buildings, it was the only one that didn't have a nickname. It was just that, the medical building.
There were seven zones in total. Marcus was actually thinking of adding another one to cope with the increasing population.
But now that he's gone, I wasn't certain if I'll ever see the day of it happening.
I waited for the elevator to ding upon reaching the floor of our apartel. I was supposed to be home earlier, but I stopped by the medicine store inside the medical building to grab some sleeping pills for my nightmares.
But I ended up having to help Annie, the old lady who kept on straying out from the homes of older people on the ground floor of the medical building, to buy mint candies from the snack center located near the medicine store. Again.
She eventually loses her way back because of her Alzheimer's and would sit on the cold tiled floors by the emergency room's entrance.
I couldn't count how many times I had done this ever since I moved here. But I didn't mind. I never had the chance to be with my grandparents. Annie seemed to suffice that missing piece.
When I finally heard the ding, I thought of the cold shower and some ramen for dinner while waiting for Stella, the girl I was sharing the apartel with.
But instead of happily skipping towards my planned evening, I stopped short upon seeing someone familiar and, at the same time, the not-so-familiar person standing outside the door of our apartel.
"Detective Oliver?" The man in question turned his head, catching my surprise gaze.
"Shay Zephanie, you remembered me."
Several thoughts raced through my head at his sudden appearance right here, right now. But I couldn't let him see how uneasy I felt under his watchful stare.
I forced a smile.
"Of course, I have a strange habit of memorizing people's faces and names."
"I'm glad."
I wasn't.
"What brings you here, Detective?"
I watched, observing Detective Oliver's expression. He seemed guarded and uncomfortable as I was.
"You." For a minute, I could not form any coherent thoughts or words.
"Excuse me?" I said when I finally found my voice.
"I came here for you."
I gawked at Detective Oliver, searching his face for answers that didn't seem to be there and utterly perplexed.
"What?"
--
RAFAEL
I found myself staring into Shay Zephanie's golden brown eyes, completely aware of what I just told her.
She was reluctant to invite me inside the apartel she was staying in. Compared to Marcus' previous home, this was a total downgrade.
Yet, she seemed comfortable in this new lifestyle.
The first and last time I saw her was at the crime scene of Marcus' death. She had seemed different back then.
Aside from the shock and sadness caused by her adoptive father's sudden demise, I think there had been something else going on around her.
However, looking at her right now, there was no trace of whatever that was.
I had to admit; she looked better, prettier, and if possible, she seemed… free.
"This place is… cozy". I said, making myself comfortable sitting at the kitchen table.
There was not much furniture given the tiny amount of space, but the freshly painted walls in pastel yellow decorated by several paintings hanging, arranged by colors, were eye-catching.
The pattern began with the paintings, where a splash of blue was evident.
Shay followed my gaze, placing a bowl of ramen in front of me. The seafood aroma teased my senses.
My line of work always involved sleepless nights and ramen in keeping my stomach full and my body going.
It's surprising that even in this new world, criminals still existed, which was currently led by the most notorious of them all: X.
"That's Stella's artwork. She made and organized them to match the fresh paint. A fresh start, she said."
I watched Shay Zephanie eat her ramen like it was the most delicious food in the world.
She caught me staring. I cleared my throat.
"Sorry, I… I'm used to eating ramen, swamped at work, and never with a woman." She pursed her lips.
"Congratulations then, Detective. You were able to cross off a new experience."
Unable to contain my amusement, I smiled.
"I guess I should begin a new hobby and make sure to eat ramen in the presence of a lady."
"I highly suggest that you do that."
There was a moment of silence. I took that time to ponder how to tell Shay Zephanie what I really came here for.
It was true. I came to see her. There was something she needed to know.
But do I just blurt that out?
She must have sensed it, prompting her to put down the chopsticks that she was holding. The almost friendly expression she had earlier disappeared from her face.
"Spill it out, Detective, and I need you to be straightforward about it. No excuses, no stalling."
I took a deep breath.
She was right. I have to be straightforward about this.
No more stalling. After all, this was all about her and what really happened to her parents and how they ended up dead.
"Twenty years ago, your parents were killed in your own home. It was closed as a random robbery. They found no killer."
I took another deep breath, bracing myself for what impact the truth that I would be spilling to her would invoke.
"A video footage of the killer coming out of your home in the past was recently retrieved. It showed a vivid image of the assailant." I paused, staring into Shay Zephanie's blank expression.
"Marcus, Marcus Zephanie was your parent's murderer."