Everything was black, dark, hurting…..until a door flung open, light flooded inside the cold empty room revealing a curled up figure, seemingly thrown on the floor tied with chains. He had bandages around some of his wounds but most of them were exposed. He still had some ash on him.
A person walked in calmly, not at all minding the poor condition of his. He wore white uniform with golden borders, it was a uniform of highly ranked officers. Some people with similar dress code but blue ones followed him close behind.
"Beware of the criminal" one of them warned
A few more with white coats entered as well. Some of the officers and doctors picked up the criminal and put him on a chair. They then looked at the seemingly superior officer as if asking for permission. He nodded.
The criminal did not react to any of it, not even a whimper when his wounds were roughly treated. His head hung low, curly hairs over his eyes covering half of his face.
For an hour or so, only the light whispers of the doctors and the occasional tiktik of their instrument were heard. Soon there was the sound of scratch of pen and paper too.
After a long time, the wounded one spoke and the guard who was supporting him flinched.
"Do I know you? Or should I say….killed someone you knew?" The criminal chuckled weakly
The official didn't say anything for a few minutes but the criminal waited patiently.
"Tell me" he finally spoke, his voice dull and cold
"...What?"
"About you.." he stepped forward and leaned closer towards him "You, the criminal of the decade, Lemane of Spectre"
"You're a funny guy~" Lemane chuckled and lifted up his head to look right in his eyes "Honestly, I don't know. But since I am dying already, I might as well try…"
The official stood up straight, staring down at the one grinning.
"Sorry is a petty word…" Lemane whispered, just enough for everyone in the room to hear
"They kept repeating it when I killed them"
His words caused goosebumps to the people in the room as they stared at the criminal in horror. Yet one remained unfazed.
"That doesn't help" The official said, his gaze unwavering
The officer supporting the criminal frowned at the senior official, probably thinking if he even heard him right.
"Official doesn't seem interested in what I have to say" Lemane tilted his head, looking a bit away from where the official was
Out of habit, a young doctor pushed his head back straight while treating the wound on his lips. Lemane glared at him, sending shivers down his spines. He flinched immediately remembering his that the patient was no normal human.
"s-sorry" he whispered
Lemane tilted his head back as if he was mocking the other, showing that the criminal was free to do whatever he wished for.
Suddenly, a hand snapped his head back straight. Everyone looked at the official, shocked by his bravery. Even the criminal was shocked to the point that he forgot to glare. After all, it had been a long time since someone even dared to look at him fearlessly.
"You are from our department, don't apologize. You make us lose face" he said
The doctor nodded nervously.
"Did….I miss something?" Lemane raised his brows
The official turned his attention back to the criminal.
" hm?"
"You know, the last time I checked…there weren't really any officials who held urge against me, or… who had the guts to offend me this way" His voice was now a bit louder
"Maybe I was just hidden" he shrugged it off "Where were we again?"
The younger one trembled a bit but returned to doing what he had left.
"Who are you?" but Lemane didn't seemed to be willing to let it go just yet
Something shifted, it was in the eyes of the official, he inhaled noticeably. But the question was still on pending.
The officer holding the criminal leaned near the superior one, covering his mouth from the criminal, he whispered "Senior Xexui, Why are you engaging a conversation? We were strictly forbidden from doing so and don't definitely tell him your name-"
"Official, don't mind me but- are you a bit slow in there? Why not speaking yet?" Lemane pouted, not cutely though rather the annoyed kind of
Both looked at him, one taken aback while the other still the same. No matter who was saying it, it was still about one of the most respected officer he knew. Wasn't that a direct insult to the department? How could he just let that go?
Just as he opened his mouth to speak with much courage, he heard an even nervous voice.
"You maybe a-a powerful criminal but-but you can't just say that to Official Xexui!"
And there it went, what a waste!
The officer glared at the one who spoke.
"Why would you reveal his name?!" he mouthed
As if suddenly realizing his mistake he panicked even more.
"Xexui? What a lame name, I expected something better, Official" said the criminal
"Xexui Wanning" The senior official said
Now that his name was already revealed, what was the problem in tell the full name, right?
"That's even worse. Never heard about you. What? You aren't from here?" the criminal scoffed
"Yes but we aren't here to talk about me, its about you." it didn't seemed like the official minded himself being belittled at all
However, the one beside him did.
"You are not in your lair, watch your words"
Xexui immediately signed him to get back, he didn't wanted to but at the end he still wanted both his job and life.
"wow, your student? He learns quiet well from you"
Official frowned upon noticing that the criminal was staring at the completely empty space beside him.
"No, and it doesn't concern you" he said "Just answer what you've been asked for."
Lemane glared at the official upon being asked into submission. Lemane was the master of his own wishes, doing whatever he wanted, of course he doesn't like the way the official was talking. Little did he knew, his glare was only scaring the wall behind the officer.
The official sighed "Fine, I'll not interfere anymore. You can say whatever you wish to"
Lemane raised his brows as a smile spread across his lips "Even my murders?"
".….yes"
The others looked at Xexui, absolutely shocked. Why was he even asking such question in the first place, after all, they were strictly forbidden from even talking to the criminal. But it was the senior, who would dare to say anything to him.
"That's more like it Official!" The criminal beamed
"But even it that way…which one should I tell…" his lips twitched, like he was deep in thought
"What ever you remember" said the senior
"umm, in that case…you know about the feast organized for big city figures?" Lemane said, his voice back to his weak self
"Mn" Xexui hummed remembering the feast that is held once a year at the most luxurious hotel
"I remember myself, sneaking inside one of those umm a few years ago? Maybe wanted to kill someone in there…"
The officers gasped, some of the doctors could be seen stiff before they continued their work. But really what would they have thought? That the criminal would be invited to eat or some? He isn't the most wanted criminal for no reason.
"In one of the rooms, few people were seated. I think I had seen them before in some news…rich people probably" he chuckled
"And who… happened to be those unfortunate souls?" Xexui asked
"So you even have a bad hearing, official? I clearly said I don't know them" he coughed, blood sipped through the greenish medicine that was just applied "O-or, do I?"
The side of his lips stretched slightly, forming a poisonous smile. Xexui narrowed his eyes as he stared at the pitiful figure of the infamous criminal. Sure, Lemane was tied down with chains and drugged heavily in order to make sure he wasn't lying yet there he was, as if it all was going just as he wanted. Almost, actually enjoying everything that's happening.
Xexui bent down slightly till he was face to face with the maniac.
His dark pair of orbs met the brown ones.
"Do you?" He whispered
"ah! I just might." he leaned onto the back of chair, closing his eyes "I think somethings coming, I am remembering something-"
"And what might it be?" Xexui got back to his original position, straightening his sleeves "We are all ears"
Everyone else in the room agreed it should have been 'I' instead of 'we' but they continued on staying silent.
"As I said, four or so people in a room, huge room. There was this ....bitter chocolate. He had a long beard and some were even white! Pretty old huh? Wearing those stupid sunglasses...but what I remember is pulling those beards out of his face, all at once..." A huge grin appeared on his lips, a drop of blood tickling down his wounded lips
"You know what is more exciting? His whole old damn cheek and lips came off with those hairs! My ...how disgusting it looked..." His face didn't change a bit
Xexui had that unusual frown on his face, not disgust, not hate. But perhaps even the seemingly fearless official was starting to feel uncomfortable.
"Why?..." He asked softly barely audible
"Why? Of course the skin would come off if you pulled the hair too hard with force officer! You turned out to be pretty dumb-!" Now the criminal was coughing uncontrollably or rather laughed so hard that he choked on air
"I meant why kill him..." Xexui said unbothered by the person laughing himself to death
And well .....he suddenly froze, stopped laughing and stared at the official, not exactly staring at him but in his general direction.
"Do I need to have a reason to kill? It felt so good to kill..... The smell of the blood..... It all felt just......so freaking good! Satisfying! I can just feel it! Even now!"
"You're sick...." Xexui sighed
"I wasn't, but now I am.....and you did it, right? Because of you....all these drugs? To tell the truth, I personally think that you are even worse than me" Lemane giggled, made all this mess seem like one lame joke
"You wouldn't even be able to talk if not for these medicines that you like to call 'drugs'." Xexui remained seldom
"Eh? I guess I can't do anything more than just to believe the 'police' " his shoulder raised a bit before falling to the place immediately causing him to hiss in pain as the sound of chains followed
"Aaanyway, when I was stalking someone in the party, bumped into someone." He continued, lazily leaning on the 'chair'.
"And?" Said the official
"And? I think later someday I saw him, drenched in red....blood? Unconscious...." He was dazed, seemed like trying to dig deeper into his own memory
"You killed him?" Xexui said normally as if it was asking if he wanted some tea
"I... don't know. I may have, I may have not..… But you know what? I don't feel like I did" he scrunched his nose
Just as Xexui was about to speak, the head doctor stood up.
"Official, we've treated the wounds on the surface. But since he is tied, we cant do much. On the top of that, he has many internal injuries. Its so bad that he may not even feel the pain by now" he said
The head doctor looked at him for permission to take the other one away. Though he was the most evil person one might have heard of, they were still paid to treat Lemane.
Even the criminal stared but not quiet at the senior, in anticipation, as if he was the one to treat him, he grinned cheekily.
"Okay, till when will we be able to interrogate him?" Xexui said
"It will take three days at most" said the doctor as the sounds of packing of stuffs began
They seemed more than happy to be able to leave.
Xexui nodded
"Interrogation?" Lemane glanced at the white coat of the head doctor and at the wall behind Xexui
No one answered but started to leave the room. At last, only the officer holding him, head doctor and Xexui were left.
"Hold him down" Xexui said suddenly
Before Lemane could even express his confusion, he was slammed against the chair, his head tilted by a trembling but strong hand.
"WHAT-?!" he yelped when a needle was pressed in his neck
He felt dizzy all of a sudden, but not like he already wasn't. Though this time, he was dizzy to the point that he blacked out, again.
I faint a bit too much these days….