"So that's when it happened," Aeron remarked, crossing his arms in thought.
"If this was the first victim, then that must have been Officer Riley's head, right?" Jos asked, raising an eyebrow. His usual levity gone.
Malvin nodded grimly. "Yes, it was. She was the first to die at the hands of the Ironguard Killer...."
---
"What the hell..." Silas muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His shaken expression mirrored the horror etched across the other officers' faces. The severed head wasn't pristine—it bore the brutal signature of its killer. The back of the skull was grotesquely caved in, as though it had been smashed against something with incredible force.
"Who found her?" Malvin asked, breaking the stunned silence. His voice, though steady, carried an edge of urgency.
The officer who had brought them to the scene hesitated before speaking up. "I did," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Malvin turned to her, his gaze sharp. "When and how?"
The officer took a deep, steadying breath before answering. "I was just about to head home. I had stepped outside when I heard something... behind me. I turned around and saw..." Her voice faltered as she pointed toward the entrance.
Malvin followed her gesture, his eyes landing on a crimson splatter staining the wall and ground beside the station's front doors. "Was it thrown?" he murmured aloud, his tone contemplative.
The officer nodded. "It... it came out of nowhere. Just—suddenly, it was there." She paused, her discomfort evident, then added, "Excuse me, I'll get the other officers still inside." With that, she hurriedly retreated into the station.
"Hey, we found something!" a brown-haired officer called out, drawing everyone's attention. He crouched near the grisly remains, carefully pulling at what appeared to be strands of hair.
"What is it?" Silas asked, stepping closer.
The officer held up a small slip of paper, secured tightly in place by a knot made from the victim's hair. He worked cautiously to untie it, each motion deliberate. Once freed, he unfolded the note and read its contents aloud.
A collective chill settled over the group as the words hit them like a physical blow: "I'm coming for you, Malvin and Silas."
---
"So he was targeting the two of you from the very start?" Loreen asked, her voice quiet but tinged with shock.
Malvin sighed heavily, his expression dark. "Yes. And poor Riley was just unlucky enough to get caught in the middle of it."
Clare hesitated, then asked delicately, "Did you know her, Captain?"
Malvin's gaze flicked to her before dropping to the floor. "We graduated at the same time. We weren't close, but I knew her. We both did," he said, his voice subdued.
Tores leaned forward slightly. "Captain, do you need to—"
"No," Malvin interrupted, shaking his head firmly. "This is what I need to talk about." He straightened, inhaling deeply as if fortifying himself. "After we found the note, the officer who brought us to the scene went to inform the Lieutenant."
---
The Lieutenant arrived swiftly, her presence commanding the shaken group's attention. She knelt by the severed head, her sharp eyes scanning the scene with grim precision. After several moments of silence, she stood, brushing her hands on her uniform.
"This is going to be a nightmare," she muttered under her breath, her voice laced with frustration.
The Lieutenant turned sharply toward the officer who had found the head, her expression stern. "Did you see anything else?" she demanded, her tone brooking no nonsense.
The officer flinched under her gaze but answered steadily, "No, ma'am."
"How?" The Lieutenant's voice sharpened further, her eyes narrowing. She gestured toward the grotesque scene. "The head was thrown. Judging by the damage, it hit the wall with significant force. Whoever did it couldn't have been far. You should have seen them."
The officer's voice faltered as she replied, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I didn't. I turned around, and it was just... there."
The Lieutenant exhaled sharply, her frustration barely contained. "Unacceptable," she muttered under her breath before Silas stepped forward cautiously.
"Ma'am," he began, keeping his tone measured, "shouldn't we focus on finding out who did this rather than reprimanding her?"
The Lieutenant's glare fixed on Silas like a hawk sighting prey. "Did I ask for your opinion, Officer?"
Silas stiffened, shaking his head quickly. "No, ma'am."
"Then don't butt in," she snapped.
Malvin glanced at Silas, but when the Lieutenant's gaze flicked to him, he remained silent. She outranked him, and he knew better than to escalate the situation.
The Lieutenant pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a moment to collect herself. "Officer Lucus," she called out, her voice sharper now.
The brown-haired officer straightened immediately. "Yes, ma'am?"
"I need you to head to the Captain's residence and inform him of the situation. Take someone with you," she ordered crisply.
Lucus gave a sharp nod. "Yes, ma'am." Without hesitation, he signaled to another officer, and the two climbed into one of the parked steamwagons. The vehicle roared to life, its gears clicking as it rolled out into the night.
The Lieutenant turned her attention back to the remaining group. "Officer Laura, Officer Damis," she said, motioning toward the female officer who had first reported the scene and another officer standing nearby. "You're with me. We need to search for the rest of the body—it can't be far."
"Yes, ma'am!" both officers responded in unison, quickly stepping forward to follow her.
Before leaving, the Lieutenant addressed the remaining officers. "The rest of you, stay here. Do not touch the head, and stay sharp. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" came the resounding reply.
"Good." She gave a curt nod, then led her small group out into the dark streets.
As the others dispersed slightly to maintain their positions, Silas walked over to Malvin, who was staring at the severed head, his expression unreadable. The lifeless, glassy eyes of the head seemed to bore into him, and he hadn't looked away since the Lieutenant left.
"Hey," Silas said softly, resting a hand on Malvin's shoulder. "You okay?"
Malvin blinked as if snapping out of a trance, then shook his head. "I'm fine," he replied, though his tone was hollow.
Silas didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the matter. Instead, he asked quietly, "Do you think this is Joshua Ambrose's doing?"
Malvin let out a slow breath, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I don't know," he muttered. His gaze drifted back to the head, his voice almost a whisper as he repeated, "I don't know."