Time on my phone - [3:52 p.m.].
Looks like I barely made it.
I came running from my home to the library that I thought Chandler hinted about.
It wasn't too far away but it wasn't the closest library to my home so I was quite unknown to this place.
I was tired from this sudden sprint but I didn't sit down, I looked through the books lined up but couldn't find the one I was after.
[3:57 p.m.]
I was almost out of time when I looked around and understood the answer.
The area was nearly empty and only one person sat at the nearby seats.
I hastened and quickly took a seat beside that person, I breathed loudly and looked at the person.
That person was a young girl, who was quietly reading. As sat down right beside her she calmly raised her eyes from the book she was reading and glared at me with a completely expressionless face.
I was struck with a sudden strike of awkwardness which I somehow hid as I slightly lowered my head.
It was understandable as the library was mostly empty at that time when I came running and sat down right beside her.
Scary and beautiful were the first words that struck in my mind seeing her.
She looked slightly older than me and was a real beauty by appearance. She had thick, long and lustrous hair which did justice to her beautiful facial features. Above all, her sharp eyes which froze me were of rather unique colour.
She even looked rich just by judging her clothes and the extra accessories she was wearing. Even jokingly comparing someone to her would seem disrespectful to her.
As I slowly examined her from the side of my eye, she lifted her gaze again and this time made a sudden eye contact with me.
Without even a need to mention, I obviously flinched.
"H-hi." I tried to start a conversation.
Hearing my awkward attempt to strike a conversation she sighed and continued reading her book while ignoring me.
Right at my social anxiety.
I slowly calmed myself, looked around the empty library section and checked the time on my phone, it just turned 4:00 p.m. and as I expected she started arranging her belongings.
"Chandler sent me here." I said that while looking at her.
She looked at me as she finished arranging her belongings and stood up.
It was weird but the name "Chandler" is what made her look towards me.
"I know you are related to Chandler's death."
Perhaps her lack of response in the situation pulled a trigger as I spoke with a firm voice.
The book she held in her hands was the autobiography of Edward Thompson and the book that Chandler wanted me to focus on.
She stopped for a second before asking -
"So how much did he command you?".
So now she finally decided to talk with me.
If she said something like "Who is Chandler?" or "What do you mean, you creep?!" I would have just ran back home crying out of embarrassment.
"He asked me to come to the biography section of this library before 4."
My birthday and that article were just diversions, in truth only time, place and the person - "Someone around your age there" were the important parts.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Who do you think I am?" She replied with a question.
It was a sudden meeting but while running my way here I thought about who I was going to meet. Of course after seeing her in person, I narrowed down the list to 3.
"I think you can only have three roles here - The killer of Chandler, The partner of Chandler or a person who is just like me is a part of Chandler's plan."
If the first scenario was true then it was too soon for our encounter, unless his death was a mistake but that would be impossible given he already knew that.
The second was also highly unlikely because in this scenario in which he hinted this location wouldn't happen like this. If the second scenario was the case then his partner would have been the one to initiate the contact.
But if my last theory is correct then it would mean Chandler's death had more than just that single accident involved in it.
"..." She didn't say anything in response and continued to leave her seat.
Can't she give even a small response? I even answered her weird question.
She placed the book back at its place and came closer to me.
"Let's go somewhere else." She grabbed my hand which was placed on the table and started pulling me towards the entrance of the library.
"Huh?!"
The library was mostly empty, good for a private conversation but it didn't look like she wanted to talk here.
As we came closer to the door of the Library, she stopped near someone sitting close to the entrance, greeted her and continued.
As we got out she looked at me and said -
"I am Irina, nice to meet you".
"I'm... Shade".
"Shade, what I am going to talk about is a rather important topic so we should go to your house to talk, I don't think we should discuss Chandler's plan in a public place like this".
"...Follow me".
I was a little against the idea of taking her to my home but now I cannot leave it halfway or do it half heartedly, Chandler may be involved with a bigger scheme than what a normal person would associate with.
I was really nervous throughout the way as she didn't speak a word, I tried to point things out throughout the way but she didn't even reply to one. As a result we didn't speak at all until we reached my home.
"That's my home." I pointed when she was busy typing something on her phone.
Hearing my words she looked up at me and asked - "Where is the dice?"
I was startled by her sudden question and answered without thinking.
"I hid it in my table's drawer for now." She eased a bit after hearing my reply.
As we entered my house we were greeted by my mother who had returned from her work perhaps just before us -
"Shade? You went out for something? ... A-And who's this cute girl you brought home?"
I did think about what to tell my family members if they saw us so I was ready with a made up excuse.
"Well she is-"
"Hello ma'am I'm Irina, Shade's girlfriend."
"..."
"..."
WHAT?!
Her introduction was so shocking that even my mother froze hearing it.
Why did she…
But that's not all, as she interrupted my sentence she grabbed my arm and gave a gentle smile just before uttering that ridiculous lie.
I tried to talk again.
"Irina you-" "I'm sorry for intruding here all of a sudden, I'll be leaving soon after Shade and I would have completed our discussion." But my words were covered again.
With a low pitched and slow voice like mine, it was possible to talk over me without realising it but that was definitely intentional.
Just a few minutes ago she lacked expressions but now that's not the case. She went from a human sized doll who can only glare to a kind looking angel who only smiled... but for some reason this angel doesn't seem very heavenly to me.
My mother who was startled completely just asks -
"Ok... would you like some snacks?"
"I'm sorry but I would have to leave soon to find a hotel this late."
That was a rather unreasonable reply, not to mention the weird emphasis on the end of the word 'late' in her sentence.
"Irina, I think we should continue our talk inside." I tried to end the conversation.
"No wait! What does she mean by finding a hotel?"
It looks like that wasn't just a coincidence.
It was already too late now, Irina gave me a little peek from the side and started making up her story -
"I am currently living with my step-father, mother and two siblings but I had a little quarrel with my parents and so I was kicked out of my house. Now I was discussing this issue with Shade as he said he would help me."
Did she really lie about me helping her in a teenage romance novel-like scenario? Any person who knows me wouldn't believe it except… one.
"Well if you want, you can definitely stay here tonight. And can I talk to your parents for a bit?"
I knew this would happen.
My mother is a kind person or in honest words "Naive" she is way too gullible with these sorts of things and because of this she was strictly allowed to make big decisions only in the presence of my father.
"No, I can't trouble you all that much."
"No no, we would be glad to help you, right Shade?" She gave a smile and asked me.
As I racked through my brain my eyes looked around and saw Irina with a gentle smile of her own.
No!.. Was what I wanted to reply but both of them looking at me with a smile was something I couldn't reply rudely to.
I nodded while forcing an ugly smile on my face.
I can't believe my mother was tricked right in front of my eyes and I didn't even try to prevent it.
After that my mother left home for something, most likely to do something about Irina's made up condition.
Meanwhile I silently led Irina to my room. And as she entered, I quickly locked the door. Irina noticed the small sound and turned around but I grabbed her wrist and pushed her against the wall before she could have reacted.
"You were plotting all of this from the start right?" I grabbed her other wrist and blocked her off completely.
"Cornering me against the wall? I didn't know you were such a bold person, Shade?"
There is no way a normal person would be able to act to this level without even getting close to missing a detail.
"Answer me... Irina."
I paused in between as I realised that I didn't even know if the name she told me was genuine or not.
"I'm sorry did I misspeak about something?". She has a new smug expression now.
"You... You are being chased by the same person who killed Chandler".
That was the only reason I could think of why she would want to stay here.
"Maybe or maybe not, I don't know, I don't even know who killed Chandler."
Her statement was very doubtful but seeing her confidence and how relaxed she was I didn't asked further.
"So now let me ask you a question: after knowing the culprit's identity, what will you do to him?" Irina asked me while staring directly at my eyes.
"What do you mean? Punish him of course, or at least expose him in front of the media."
"With no evidence?"
"There is one."
"So, you are going to say that Chandler knew he was going to die and told you that? Best of luck for that."
I thought a little about it.
If there was really such a convenient thing like evidence then it would probably be given to somebody in the family like Camille instead of me.
"I can find clues laid out by Chandler."
"And? You still cannot produce solid evidence to the police or actually contact a mass media agency that can help."
"If laws can't judge him then I'll judge him myself."
"So will you kill him?"
"Don't even joke about it."
It was not like I'm a powerless person but killing a person is not something a normal person is capable of.
"Of course an average person like you cannot do anything to anyone."
She brought her face extremely close to mine and looked at me for a few seconds.
Irina was tall for a girl, taller than average men of our country but the height difference between us was still huge. If I let go of her hands she would have actually fell ahead.
I looked at the side a little as our faces were close enough to make physical contact and I could feel her breaths.
But as I looked down at her face I could see a plain expression on her beautiful face as her vacant eyes stared at mine, it was clear that she was serious about her previous question.
It looked like Irina waited for a certain reply and backed away with disappointment soon.
With that I loosened my grip on Irina's hands and let her go.
She casually suggests killing someone... also what does she mean by 'average person'?
She seemed done by our conversation and left me alone inside my room as I looked at the closed door with confusion.
A few minutes passed by as I was stuck dumbfounded by the current development.
I decided on moving the boxes I left before to proper space when I heard the sound of the doorbell.
I opened the door, my mother had finally returned back home and surprisingly with my father, who must have been dragged in it by her.
"Welcome home dad."
"Shade I heard about everything, can you wait for a bit, I want to have a chat with Irina."
"Ok..." It seems like something which will affect my life is going to happen.
"I'll tell you everything after I'm done."
"Let's just talk tomorrow then." I waved my hand and walked back into my room.
My father nodded and went inside.
I didn't want to confront anyone so I skipped dinner and waited dormantly in my room.
Later that same night Irina entered my room, I already knew she would come to talk to me so I had left my door open. I was ready for this final battle to decide whether or not I'll get my answer.
Except for a fancy looking lamp, I had turned off all the lights so that I wouldn't have to expect another visitor. Irina however never hesitated as she walked into the room.
"Good evening, did I make you wait?"
"No."
"It seems you still have some questions for me."
Please don't take it weirdly...
"There is something like a supernatural phenomenon involved in Chandler's death right?"
"Wait. H-How did you get to that?!" The usual calm and composed demeanour of Irina was absent.
My stupid question had managed to actually shock Irina to the point she cannot act to it like she did throughout the day.
Irina already prepared her fake family before even meeting me and all she knew was instructions from Chandler.
There is no way he will commit suicide but why will he die even after knowing the time and reason of his death.
"I don't think you visited the library daily and sat at that spot, but I was sent Chandler's letter yesterday and not today. What are the chances of Chandler knowing that my sister Noelle will forget to give me the letter yesterday and delay me a day?"
Noelle delayed me a day but how did Chandler, a person who died five days ago already knew that?
It all sounds unbelievable and messed up but once in a while Chandler always asked me about the existence of supernatural things, I always answered with a firm "No" to which he used to reply -
"Yes, you should not believe in something that your common sense doesn't match with but at the same time never naively deny it."
I always thought he was mocking me in a way and wanted me to have flexible thinking knowing that he was a realist himself.
Believing in the supernatural was too much for me back then, but now was not the case.
Irina just stood there silently and then her unstable expression turned into that of being amused as she laughed at the silent room, she walked up to my table and took out the gifted black dice from the drawer.
"You and Chandler are surely special, you guys don't even need your Relics to win." She said that while still having a wide grin and playing around with the dice.
Relics, What is she talking about? Wait, didn't I lock my drawer?
"Trust me, I want to reveal everything to you but it won't be possible today."
Saying that she pulled a keychain out of her pocket and slowly walked to me.
I had no idea what that keychain was, but for some reason it sent shivers throughout my body just by being present in front of it, I have felt this feeling before, though I don't remember when exactly.
As she came close to me, she raised her hand holding the little keychain, the feeling of shivers kept increasing as she walked towards me and before I knew it, my right hand was already extended towards her. I tried to retract my hand but she grabbed it.
"Huh?"
My mind started to lose consciousness, my breathing turned heavy and I felt like my body's weight increased tenfold.
As I lost my sight the only thing I could see was Irina's smiling face and then that face vanished to nothingness in the end.
"I hope this will somewhat answer your questions, goodnight." I lost consciousness after hearing that sentence.