The rays of dawn seeped into my eyes as I stood before a man dressed in the official uniform for The Official Symons Empire Police, the OSEP. The man donned a thick, black mustache and a buzzcut.
His body was rather round, but the uniform made him seem somewhat jacked.
With an emotionless expression, he wrote in his little notepad while asking me questions about the incident.
"So you didn't know him personally, but through a friend?" The officer asked, scratching his chin while staring me down as if I were an animal. I nodded, taking a glance at Rutley who stood beside me, frozen.
He hadn't slept the entire night, and had insisted to stay in my room, a proposal I firmly rejected. He spent the entire night pacing around a guest room, apparently whispering inaudible words under his breath according to the servants.
The teen who'd been killed was a good friend of his.
I felt slight pity for Rutley. Not only had I endangered him, but I'd also inadvertently caused the death of one of his friends.
It was a miscalculation on my part.
I hadn't considered the possibility of Samuel actually killing a student of Stallard Hope. Perhaps the secret he and the previous Ryan Hawk hid was larger than I'd initially expected… but to kill someone for it?
And, had the murder been due to indignation that I hadn't personally shown up?
Or had the kid, Felix, seen something he shouldn't have when he arrived?
I'd have to delve into this with a clear mind.
"Okay, that'll be all for now," said the officer, closing his notebook before shoving it deep into his pockets.
I couldn't help but curse at myself.
The person who had been killed for my sake wasn't a teen with bad intentions, but a common teenager trying to make it in life. He was a kid who had dreams, friends, and a loving family. A simple life.
But I'd been the cause of his death.
I stared at the sky. The sun had began rising towards the center as light rapidly encompassed almost everything in Melisande. Everyone had begun waking up and going to work or attending school…
All except one.
I released a sigh before turning around, and patting Rutley's shoulder. As I headed towards my mansion, I suddenly saw something.
A man, a woman, and a young boy.
Their eyes were glued to the bag in which Felix's corpse was kept. I suddenly felt my heart pound and my pupils dilate. I felt my heart sink to my gut, and my feet wobbled uncontrollably. They felt like jelly.
I stared at them, unsure of what to do.
The man wore a brown shirt with rolled up sleeves, a light stubble attached to his jaw, and emerald eyes that were locked to the scene. A heartbreaking scene, I was sure.
Beside him was a woman with platinum hair who grabbed onto the man, seeking solace in his arms. Her body moved up and down, and the sounds of occasional sobbing was like a knife to my ears.
The little boy beside the two of them stood indifferently, but if one looked closely, one would see a single teardrop staining his cheek.
I was suddenly reminded of my brother.
A similar scene, it had been.
I couldn't explain how I'd felt at that moment, the thoughts rushing across my head as I desperately tried to find something… anything, that could bring me peace. In the end, I found the pursuit of power.
To the boy, it probably felt as if the world was ending.
As if there was nothing left.
Except the fragments of pain that assaulted his mind.
And the perpetrator?
Me.
At that moment, I made a vow. I vowed to bring justice to a boy whose name I didn't know until a few hours ago. I vowed to conduct vengeance for a family I'd never met or had any connection with.
My eyes narrowed to slits as I clenched my fists.
This was the reason I loathed the feeling of inadequacy. This was the reason I hated being insufficient… to not have power in such a world was the greatest curse. I hated that I couldn't change fate…
But I guess that was everybody's dream.
Letting out a sigh, I walked away, displeased with myself.
Quickly dressing into appropriate attire, I ran to school alongside a rather shaken Rutley, who insisted on following me. Despite it being my fault that his friend had died, Rutley didn't seem to blame me.
I wasn't certain why.
He just seemed out of it, as if even thinking was a strenuous task. With a pale face and strides that seemed almost robotic, he entered Mr. Unger's class before me, quietly finding a seat at the back.
I sat at my regular seat.
"Good Morning," I greeted Hailey, the girl next to me.
"Good Morning. Did you hear about the murder last night?"
Silence.
I nodded uncomfortably, shifting in my seat. Hailey looked at me suspiciously before turning her gaze away.
"Apparently, he was killed by some guy in Yorklink Cafe. Do you know anything about that?"
"No, not really. Why do you ask?"
"No reason. It's just interesting… that's all… especially considering the prime suspect was one of your friends."
"Oh, really? Who was it?"
Hailey stared at me for a second before releasing a sigh. "Dude, I literally saw you exit the crime scene with Rutley a few minutes ago."
Silence.
"Oh."
"If you don't want to discuss it, that's fine, too. Although, you might get your family under direct scrutiny from the OSEP. That's basically a death sentence for noble families."
Now that was a complete lie. OSEP investigations was not a "death sentence" for noble families, but similar to an infestation of little insects in their business. But I wanted to see where this would go.
"Right… What do you suggest I do?"
"Nothing, for now. Just sit tight and wait for me to tell you how to get out of this mess."
Interesting.