Kelson sat on his bed, holding his phone in one hand as he dialed his parents back home. The screen lit up with his father's contact, and after a few rings, his father picked up, the familiar voice full of warmth.
"Kelson, how's it going? Made it there without issue, I hope. How's Aunt Eva treating you?"
Kelson smiled, leaning back against the bed's headboard. "Yeah, I'm good. The flight was great, no issues at all. Aunt Eva... well, she has her own loving way of treating people."
His gaze shifted to the corner of the room, where the white box sat. He had carefully deactivated the android and then folded her after she had deflated, placing it back in its box after figuring out how to turn her off.
His father, sensing the undertone in his voice, responded with a knowing chuckle. "Ah, Eva's always been open about how she expresses herself. That's why we all love her."
Kelson snorted, a bit of a smirk playing on his lips. "She's something, alright..."
"Good to hear," his father continued. "So, what's Skyrail City like?"
Kelson leaned forward, sitting on the edge of the bed now. "It's incredible. It's so different from home, but in a good way. Everything here feels... next level. I haven't had the chance to really explore yet, but Aunt Eva's showing me around later. I'm planning to take tons of pictures and bring back a bunch of souvenirs." He paused, a thought crossing his mind. "Might not be the only present I bring back for you guys, though."
There was a brief silence, and then his father's voice came through with a teasing edge. "Quick to make an impression, huh? Who's the lucky girl?"
Kelson's cheeks flushed slightly, but he chuckled. "Her name's Eilla Matrisse. She works as a banker here. She's kind of like a librarian-type—hot and nerdy. I think we're really going to get somewhere."
His father let out a pleasant sound. "Nice, sounds like a good match. I'll tell your mother when she gets back from her errands."
Kelson nodded. "Thanks, Dad." He thought for a moment, then asked, "How's everyone else doing? How's Toge? And Verence?"
His father's tone softened slightly. "Everyone's good, though they miss you already. Verence isn't handling it as well as usual, though... he's locked himself in his drawer again. Toge's being, well, Toge. You know how it is."
Kelson's expression softened, a pang of guilt hitting him. He had always known how much Verence depended on his presence, especially with their inability to communicate through magic. "Poor Verence... tell him I miss him, too. I'll be back soon. Can you talk to him for me?"
His father's voice was warm and understanding. "I'll make sure to talk to him. Don't worry, we'll keep him company until you get back."
Kelson gave a small sigh of relief. "Thanks, Dad."
After a moment of silence, the call ended, and Kelson placed his phone back on the bed. He glanced out the window, the sun beginning to dip below the skyline of Skyrail City. His thoughts drifted as he let out a heavy sigh, the weight of already missing home and the responsibilities he had there pressing on him. But for now, he was here—and he would make the most of it.
---
Kelson walked down the stairs and into the main hall, where he met Aunt Eva, who was waiting by the door with a smile.
"Ready to go?" she asked, her tone light and welcoming.
Kelson grinned and nodded. "Yeah, sure! Where are we headed?"
Eva's eyes sparkled as she responded, "I was thinking we'd start with a tour of the national park."
Kelson perked up at the mention of the park. "National park? I didn't really get a good look at it from the plane, so this sounds great."
She chuckled. "Good, I'm sure you'll like it. Let's go."
They walked out of the villa, stepping into the sunshine. Kelson followed her to her car, a classic Mustang—its deep blue color gleamed in the light. It was the same car Eva had always driven, a piece of family history passed down from her grandfather. Kelson remembered the times when he and his dad had worked on the car together, doing some repairs and tuning it up. It had a sentimental value to Eva, and he admired the care she took with it.
As they set off down the road, Kelson's eyes roamed over the scenery. The city outskirts quickly gave way to stretches of greenery, with rolling hills and dense patches of forest lining both sides of the road. He thought back to the view he had from the plane, which had shown him a sprawling, futuristic city surrounded by pristine nature. The contrast between the urban landscape and the untouched wilderness was striking, and the drive only deepened his impression of the place.
As they moved further from the city, the road began to wind and twist, the occasional mountain peak poking through the clouds in the distance. Kelson felt a sense of awe as he looked out at the vastness of it all—this place felt like a balance of both modern life and nature in perfect harmony.
But then, as they were cruising down the road, Kelson noticed something in his peripheral vision. A patrol vehicle had entered the lane to their right, its sirens blaring as it sped past them, a flash of red and blue cutting through the air. Kelson's attention was immediately drawn to it.
Inside that vehicle, the operators radio alerted: "Dispatch to united Al9, Dispatch to unit Al9, this is HQ. We've received a report of an incident at 14 Paul's Avenue, V04 4AT, parallel to Charlie Street. Am sending the coordinates over!"
The coordinates of the location immediately popup at the corner of the wind shield of no wasted seconds.
"Coordinate confirmed!" It was the voice of a woman.
"Please investigate immediately." the communicator issued.
"Acknowledged. En route now." She replied calmly
A second later, the sirens blared to full volume, and the vehicle sped up, cutting through the traffic with a sense of urgency. Kelson's eyes widened. Despite the urgency of the situation, there was something about this character that struck him—something oddly familiar.
He couldn't help himself; his gaze followed the patrol car as it pulled ahead. Through the blurred window, he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a feminine figure with striking pointed ears atop her head, like those of a canine. She was accompanied by a smaller figure, possibly another woman, with pigtails. Kelson's heart raced, and his mouth went dry. The familiarity hit him like a wave.
His voice barely escaped his lips. "Fenra...?"
Before he could process any further, the patrol vehicle was already vanishing from his view, blending with the other cars on the road. His mind raced, but the image of that woman—the canine ears, the sense of recognition—lingered in his thoughts.
---
They arrived at East Clinton Park, and as they pulled into the parking lot, Eva couldn't help but notice that Kelson seemed a bit distracted. He was staring out of the window, his gaze distant as if he were lost in thought, not really taking in the vibrant greenery around them.
"Kelson?" Eva's voice cut through his thoughts. "What's on your mind? You've been awfully quiet."
He blinked a few times, his focus returning to the present as he turned to face her. "It's nothing really," he said with a small shrug. "Just… someone I haven't seen in a while."
Eva raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. It was clear to her that Kelson wasn't talking about Eilla—he'd only just met her, after all. So this must be someone else, someone who'd left a more lasting impact. She paused for a moment, the wheels turning in her mind. Could it be a certain girl? She hoped it was, though she wasn't sure if his parents had already spilled the beans to her about it.
"You know," Eva began, a mischievous glint in her eye, "whoever this person is, she must have made quite an impression on you if you're still thinking about her this much." She smirked, her tone light but teasing.
Kelson's face flushed a little at her words. He tried to keep his composure, but his body language betrayed him. His cheeks had definitely warmed up, and as Eva's gaze flickered down, she noticed the subtle movement in his pants—a sign that her teasing had hit a little too close to home.
She tapped him playfully on the arm, her grin widening. "Well, well, looks like you're not such an innocent dog after all," she teased, clearly proud of him for how deeply he was thinking about this girl.
Kelson chuckled awkwardly, trying to brush it off, but Eva wasn't done. "But," she said with a wink, "you've got a girl right in front of you now, so why don't you take your mind off her for a bit? Let's enjoy the park together, yeah?"
Kelson gave a nervous nod, trying to regain his usual composure. He couldn't deny that Aunt Eva had a way of making him feel a little exposed, but she was right. He was here now, in the moment, and there was no need to let his mind wander too far.
"Right," he said with a sigh, shaking off the awkwardness. "Let's enjoy the park."
Eva smiled warmly at him, clearly satisfied with his response. She stepped out of the car and motioned for him to follow. As they walked towards the park entrance, Kelson found himself grateful for the distraction—and for Eva's ability to steer him back to the present, even if it did come with a little teasing along the way.
---
The scene at 14 Paul's Avenue, Charlie Street, V04 4AT, was a grim one. Yellow tape surrounded the perimeter, marking the boundaries where the S.N.D.P had cordoned off the area. Officers and forensic teams moved about, speaking in hushed tones as they documented the distributing scene in front of them
At the center of the investigation lay a body through calling it a "body" seemed almost wrong. The figure was wrapped in a white cloth, but that was the only thing that could be easily recognized. The skin, or what remained of it, had taken on an unnatural, charred appearance, almost like it had been scorched to the very bone. The body was dry, desiccated, and hard to tell if it had iced belonged to a man or a woman
The most disturbing detail was the face or what was left of it. Both eye sockets were hollow, vacant, and there were dark, smudged markings smeared across the features, even over the missing eyes. The mouth, too, bore black streaks, a grim addition to the already horrifying visage. Forensics officers moved carefully around the body, snapping photos, cataloging every detail.it was clear from their faces that they weren't sure what they were dealing with, but they knew it wasn't ordinary.
Among the investigators, a woman in an S.N.D.P. uniformed stood, surveying the scene. The words "S.N.D.P." were emblazoned on the back of her suit, a clear sign of her authority. She was slim by the waist that tapered down to a well-defined curvature where her tight-fitting trousers hugged her legs. Her hands, exposed beneath the sleeves of her uniform, were a rich golden tone, betraying her exotic heritage. Her long, dark grey hair cascaded past her shoulders, with subtle blue highlights running through it, giving her an almost ethereal appearance.
She watched the forensic team, her expression unseen to be read. Whatever this case was, whatever she had just witnessed, it was clear that it was something far from ordinary and it didn't look like it would be easy to solve. The air was thick with unease as the team continued their investigation, each step taken with the knowledge that the truth behind this death was going to be far more complicated than they could ever imagined.