The deep, commanding voice of the examiner cut through the stillness of the room. "Everyone, listen up. You will now split into groups. Each group will consist of 5 people. We will give you a mission, and once you complete the mission you will be given the opportunity to join the Guardians. You have 30 minutes to form your groups. Begin now."
The command echoed in Zeke's mind as the crowd around him began to stir. He didn't waste a single moment. His heart beat with purpose, a sense of calm focus descending upon him as he scanned the room. His colleagues and former schoolmates, faces both familiar and distant, were moving swiftly to form teams.
Zeke had always been reserved, keeping a low profile and avoiding unnecessary attention, but now—today—he wasn't the quiet boy anymore. He was a man on a mission. Without hesitation, he made his way toward a group of familiar faces.
Eric, a tall and broad-shouldered boy who had been one of Zeke's classmates, caught his eye first. Eric was known for his impressive combat skills and had always been the type to charge into battle headfirst. There were also Celeste, a sharp-eyed girl with a keen tactical mind, and Arlen, a fast and agile swordsman who was well-versed in stealth operations and lastly Alistair who has the backing of a huge noble family and zeke's senior.They all had a history with him, though they never spoke much during school.
The moment Zeke approached them, they exchanged nods. They all knew what was at stake.
"I'm with you," Zeke said, his voice calm but firm.
Eric, grinning, cracked his knuckles. "Good. We'll work well together. My ability should come in handy for what we're about to do."
Eric was like Zeke in one way—they both had special abilities that set them apart from others. While Zeke had grown stronger in his soul awakening, Eric's power was something different: he had incredibly sensitive senses for soul energy. He could sense the presence of others' soul power, read their emotional states, and even track them if needed. It made him an excellent tracker and a formidable ally in the field.
The team gathered together, exchanging a few quick words. After a short discussion, they decided to stick together, knowing they could trust each other's abilities. The clock was ticking.
Exactly 30 minutes later, the examiner's voice rang out again. "Your mission is simple: You must either capture 30 members of any gang operating within the city, or you must apprehend one of the wanted criminals. The criminals you are tasked with capturing are known to have soul power themselves. Be aware—they are highly dangerous and capable of escaping. You have three days to complete the mission. Good luck."
The room was suddenly filled with murmurs as groups quickly started strategizing.
Zeke's group gathered and began to discuss their plan of action. Zeke stood slightly apart from the others, his arms crossed, listening quietly. His mind was already working, calculating their best option.
"There's no point in chasing after random gang members," Zeke said, his voice low but steady. "The criminals are more important. They have soul power, which means that by catching them we are guaranteed to join immediately and be officers in training and not underlings to someone else."
Eric, who had been looking around the room, nodded. "Yeah, and I can sense their energy. That'll make it easier to track them. We just need to find one of them."
"But it won't be easy," Celeste interjected. "These criminals are serial killers. They don't leave a trail for no reason, and they can't be found just by randomly searching the city."
Zeke nodded in agreement. "They'll probably be hiding close to where the crimes occurred. Likely near the area where their last victim was."
"And they could be tied to the victims directly," Arlen added. "If we can figure out who the last victim was, we might be able to find out where the killer has been. If they were close to the victim, it's more likely they've been living nearby."
Eric raised an eyebrow. "You're thinking the killer is hiding in plain sight? That could be the case, but we need to narrow it down. This city's huge, and there are too many people."
Zeke's eyes flickered to the table where the examiner had laid out a stack of papers. They were mission details—records of criminal activities, a list of wanted criminals, and information on the gangs operating within Zeblax. The department had clearly provided a wealth of information, but it wasn't going to be enough to solve the puzzle in such a short time.
Zeke's eyes narrowed. He looked at Eric. "Let's start by focusing on the most recent crime. The killer won't go far from their most recent victim. The trail will be fresher, and if we follow it, we might have a better chance at catching them."
Eric nodded. "That makes sense. The fresher the crime, the more easily I can track the killer."
The group quickly began to search through the papers that had been handed out. The criminal records were detailed, with photographs and descriptions of known criminals. There was a clear trend: the serial killers in the city all had one thing in common—each of their murders was brutal and methodical. The thought of such crimes chilled Zeke's bones, but he pushed that feeling aside. This was business.
Celeste flipped through the papers with swift precision, scanning for anything that stood out. "Here," she said, pointing to one of the reports. "There was a murder just last week—a brutal stabbing in the heart of the city. The killer is consistent with others on the list. This might be our best lead."
Eric leaned over to examine the report. "I can track that." He looked at the others. "I'll focus on the soul energy trail around the area. You guys handle the rest—gather any additional information you can."
Zeke nodded. "We'll need to find out more about the victim—who they were close to, any possible connections to the criminal. We can't just rely on the crime scene. If we're lucky, the killer will have left some clue behind."
The group agreed, and within moments, they were on their way. Zeke felt the familiar rush of adrenaline in his veins. He had trained for this moment, and now, everything he had worked for was finally coming to fruition.
The mission was set. They had three days to catch a killer
The decision to split into 2 teams had been unanimous. They needed every advantage if they hoped to catch the killer. Each group had a clear objective: one to investigate the killer's past crimes and interview locals, to analyse criminal records and patterns, and the other team—Zeke, Eric, and Celeste—would focus on the most recent crime scene.
They decided to send three to the crime scene because they don't know the exact power of the killer. The three of them were heading to the last crime scene of the killer , surprisingly it wasn't that far from the headquarters of the guardians.
The house loomed ahead, shrouded in the fading light of dusk. It was an unassuming building, its modest exterior betraying nothing of the horrors it concealed. As they approached, the heavy air seemed to press down on them, the weight of death lingering in the atmosphere.
Zeke pushed the door open, his steps careful but steady as he led the way inside. The faint metallic tang of blood hit them immediately. The house was silent, unnaturally so, as if the tragedy had drained it of life.
"She was only 18," Celeste murmured, breaking the silence as they entered the bathroom. The reports said that the victims body was drained from blood and her blood filled the bathtub, her internal organs were splattered everywhere. "Her parents said they were gone for just two hours. Whoever did this works quickly. Too quickly."
"This has to be a case involving soul power," Zeke said grimly. "No normal human could do something like this so efficiently."
Eric stepped forward, activating his ability. His eyes began to glow faintly, scanning the room for residual energy. His movements were slow and deliberate, his expression growing more puzzled with each passing moment.
"This doesn't make sense," he muttered. "When someone dies recently, their soul leaves clear traces—imprints that linger in the air. But here…" He paused, frowning. "It's like it's been erased. There's barely anything left but I can faintly sense the killer's soul power"
Celeste crossed her arms, her mind already piecing together the puzzle. "Erased? Or maybe the killer has some kind of special ability?"
Zeke shook his head, his expression dark. "There's another possibility. He might have absorbed her soul."
Both Eric and Celeste turned to him, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Absorbed?" Celeste repeated, her voice sharp. "You're saying he's evolving his own soul power by consuming others? That's forbidden—and it would explain why he's targeting victims between levels 5 and 12 of soul awakening."
Eric's glowing eyes dimmed slightly as he leaned against the doorframe, processing the grim revelation. "If that's true, finding him will be much harder. Absorbing someone's soul doesn't just make you stronger—it drives you mad. Makes you paranoid and unstable."
Zeke nodded. "Exactly. Someone like that wouldn't stay in the open for long. They'll hide in the shadows, away from people. But their insanity will eventually make them slip."
Celeste's gaze lingered on Zeke for a moment, her sharp eyes scrutinizing him. "If he's as unhinged as we think, how do we track him without drawing attention? He's already shown he's willing to attack anyone in his way."
Turning to Eric, Zeke asked, "You said you can sense traces of his aura here. If we cross paths with him, could you recognize him? "
Eric hesitated, his eyes narrowing in thought. "very likely"
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