But before the scalpel could cut into Rion's body, the front door opened so loudly that the three of them jumped in surprise. The chief stepped in, pointing the gun. His body was soaking wet from the rain.
"This is the police! Everyone stay where you are and raise your hands!"
Soon several policemen came in and surrounded the three of them. Rion's parents raised their hands in fear as the old man tried to escape. But after no more than five steps, he was knocked down by a shot in the leg.
"I warned you. Tie them all up." The chief said coldly as several policemen stepped forward to handcuff them.
The old man screamed hysterically as the police handcuffed him. He struggled wildly as the police led him away.
The chief looked at Rion's parents with disgust and anger, "You are his parents. You are supposed to protect and love him, not sell him like he's a farm animal. You don't even deserve to be called human."
While Rion's father remained silent with a wrinkled face, Rion's mother shouted angrily at her husband, "Damn you! This is all your fault! Your fault, you bastard!"
Don't care about either, the chief rushed over to Rion, who was lying still. He tried to wake him up. He patted his cheeks, shook his shoulders, and tried to feel his breathing and his heartbeat. He even checked his pulse.
When the chief couldn't feel it, he tried to pump Rion's chest, "Kid! Can you hear me? I'm here to help you like I promised! You'll be okay, I promise! Just try to open your eyes!"
The assistant chief stood silently beside him, looking sadly at the boy. He knew the harsh reality that the chief could not accept.
The chief's voice began to panic as he continued to pump Rion's chest, "Where's the ambulance? The paramedic? Whatever it is, why is it so slow? Hurry up, someone dying here! Maybe we can still save him!"
Having had enough, he tapped the chief on the shoulder. He squeezed it so hard that the chief stopped his futile actions.
He whispered in a sad voice, "Sir... It's too late. He was not breathing. No pulse. He's gone, Chief."
The chief was silent. He closed his eyes tightly and gripped the table tightly. He lowered his face until his expression was invisible to his assistant. The chief raised his hand to signal his subordinates to leave.
His assistant understood his cue and stepped away to give the chief some personal time. He was heard giving orders to a few other policemen as the sound of an ambulance could be heard in the distance.
The chief whispered in a trembling voice, "Sorry I'm late. You're still so young. You don't deserve this. I'm sorry. You're a good boy. I swear you're a good boy."
The chief raised his head. He stared at the corpse in front of him, not realizing that a drop of his tears was dripping from his cheek, mixed with the puddles of rain.
This child dares to ask for help, even indirectly. He should have realized that something was wrong. Especially after this child asked for these items.
But he couldn't wallow in sadness any longer. There were other things he had to accomplish, especially after Rion's sacrifice. The boy could get angry if he wasted it.
As he heard the sounds of ambulances and paramedics outside, he smiled softly as he gently patted Rion's head. He looked at Rion's peaceful expression one last time.
"Rest in peace, Rion."
Several medics approached him and he stepped back. He watched as they transferred Rion's body to a stretcher. They examined him for a moment before covering Rion's entire body with a white cloth.
What he didn't realize was that his actions were being watched from the beginning. More precisely, a transparent white shadow that was standing next to the table the whole time.
"I didn't expect him to come. He really believes in me." He said, unbelieving but relieved. He was the remnant of Rion's soul that would soon disappear.
Rion remembered that he had asked the chief for something at the police station. He remembered that it had been his first step towards freedom.
"Can I ask you something?" Rion asked after a long silence. There was a hesitant tone in his voice, as if he wasn't sure he had done the right thing.
The chief gave him a puzzled look before nodding in agreement, "What is it?"
"Does the police have tools to track and record conversations?" His question was met with silence from the chief and his assistant. They looked at each other before looking at Rion seriously.
"What do you need it for?" The chief asked seriously. He had not expected such a request.
But Rion thought he was under suspicion and began to explain frantically, "I know I shouldn't have asked for this. It could be useful. Not that I'm afraid of getting lost or anything. But--"
"Rion." The grip on his shoulder made him stop and look at the chief who looked at him both seriously and worried, "I'll ask you again, are you in danger?"
Silent for a moment, "No."
The chief did not accept his answer and tried to urge him, "Kid, if you are in danger, you can tell me."
"You have an important task tonight, right?" Rion said, trying to change the subject. Judging by the look on the chief's face, it looks like he failed.
The chief frowned, "I can help you. It's my duty as a police officer--"
"I'm not in danger." He said stubbornly.
"--and as a father." Rion fell silent again. Nobody had cared about him until now, not even his parents. To have a father figure who cared about him was a strange feeling for him.
"I have a daughter, Rion. It may be different, but I still worry about you."
Rion remained silent. He wanted to accept the helping hand of the person in front of him. But he didn't want to hesitate. After all, he had made up his mind and didn't want to drag the chief down any further.
Sighing, Rion said confidently, "I'm fine. I promise."
The chief looked at him for a moment. He signaled to his assistant, who nodded in understanding and left the room immediately.
With a resigned sigh, the chief led Rion out of the room. He remained silent until they had left the police station.
The chief looked at him seriously, "Promise me that you'll call me if you feel in danger. And I don't care how small the problem is, just call me."
When his assistant came and handed over some tools, the chief immediately put them into Rion's hands, "If you can't contact me, just activate this. It's a tracking device. If it activates, I'll know that something has happened and I'll come right away, okay?"
Rion stared at the item in his hand for a moment before he put the device into his pocket, "You worry too much. Other than being tricked into dealing drugs, I'm fine. I'm not in trouble."
He looked at the chief confidently, "Besides, I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."
Rion saluted and ran away before the chief could say anything more. The chief just watched him go before turning back into the building.
"Stay safe."
Honestly, Rion hadn't expected much when he activated his tracking device. But now he was relieved to see the chief enter and his parents arrested along with the psychopathic doctor.
"You're a good person, huh? Although your face is a bit scary."
He watched as the chief pumped his chest to get his heart beating again, "If only everyone was like you, maybe the world would be better."
As the Chief's tears fell, Rion felt uncomfortable, "No need to cry for me. I'm finally free, you know. I'm happy."
Rion kept his eyes on the chief as the medic checked his body, "Keep being a cool cop. If you can, save more kids. Especially ones like me. They need it, even if they say it's okay."
When they left with his body, Rion tried to follow. But he couldn't get any further than the doorway. It was as if there was a wall preventing him from getting out. Finally, he resigned himself to standing there, waiting for his time to run out.
The chief felt a gust of wind pass over his body and took one last look at the house behind him before turning to leave with shoulders squared. As if he had never been close to losing his self-control, he ordered his subordinates to work faster.
'Goodbye, Rion. I hope we meet again. In another and better life.'
Rion looked at the chief who had regained his composure with a twitch of his lips, almost like a smile.
"I wish I could say it in person, but I guess this is enough."
His body disappeared, leaving only his mouth to say something before disappearing completely.
"Thank you.. Goodbye.."