May 25th , 2035 - 10:11 AM
It was your typical New York City alleyway—trash and abandoned items littered the ground. Dumpsters belonging to the nearby businesses lined the walls, reeking of day-old food and other unpleasant odors. As Noho walked deeper into the alley, a particularly pungent smell hit her. It wasn't the smell of rotting food, alcohol, or narcotics. It was blood.
She followed the scent, cautiously making her way forward. Her every step was deliberate; she knew surprises could pop up at any moment. The last thing she wanted was to end up as the Order's next victim. Her mother's warning from that morning echoed in her mind: Be careful, and watch out for The Cloaked Men.
At an alleyway intersection, the metallic tang of blood became overwhelming, pulling her attention to the right. She hesitated, her heart racing at the thought of what she might find around the corner.
Okay, Noho. You got this. The body probably isn't even there. All that's left will be the remains of it, she thought, trying to steady her nerves.
Peeking around the corner, she spotted the crime scene about thirty feet away. It was cordoned off with yellow police tape, but the blood told the story. Splattered across the floor and smeared along the walls, the crimson stains painted a chilling picture. The body was gone, of course. In its place was the chalk outline of where it had fallen. Her eyes locked on the wall near the outline, where a message had been scrawled.
She needed to see it more clearly. Tightening her grip on her backpack, she took a deep breath and moved toward the scene, her fear simmering just below the surface.
Reaching the police tape, she ducked under it without hesitation and approached the message. Written in the victim's blood, the words read: Resist the increasingly boring and meaningless life. Noho frowned, staring at the wall and then back at the blood pooling below the outline.
"Something's strange about this message," she said softly to herself. "This sentence… it's incomplete."
"So, you noticed that too?" A voice said suddenly. Noho screamed and jumped back, spinning around to face the source of the voice. Her fists clenched, ready to defend herself if necessary.
Standing there, hands on her hips, was a tall woman who looked to be about twenty years old. She was brown-skinned, with box braids dyed brown at the ends. Her outfit was eclectic: a lace top under a corset, a cropped jean jacket, and worn jeans.
"Y-You scared me!" Noho exclaimed, her voice shaky.
"My bad," the woman said, raising her hands apologetically. "Didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. But aren't you a little young to be hanging out in a place like this?"
"I-I just wanted to investigate the murder a little more," Noho stammered, still shaken. "You noticed something's off about the message too, right?"
"Yeah," the woman said with a shrug. "The message gives me dystopian cult vibes, but there's definitely something else."
"Maybe I'm overthinking it," Noho said, "but the sentence feels incomplete. They tell you to give up your boring and meaningless life, but… to do what? Or join what?"
"They probably assume you already know what they mean—to join their Order," the woman replied. "It's a pretty common message left by them. After a while, people just come to the conclusion it's some kind of recruitment pitch."
"Maybe," Noho said, tilting her head, "but how did the public even figure out it was the Order of the Abyss leaving these messages?"
"Could be one of the members who just told 'em. Or maybe people just figured only a group that twisted could write something like this."
Noho crossed her arms, annoyed. "And do they really expect people to listen? They're basically telling people to abandon their lives and join a group that kills people and torments the world."
The woman smirked bitterly. "There are some sick freaks out there who think that sounds fun." Noho's eyes lit up as a realization dawned on her. "I get it now!"
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"
"The Order of the Abyss," Noho said, her voice gaining excitement. "They see a normal, peaceful life as boring and meaningless. So they tell people to give it up and take on a life filled with violence and chaos. That's their whole thing!"
The woman took a step back, her eyes widening as though a puzzle piece had finally clicked into place. "So that's what it means! I've been trying to figure it out for ages, but what you just said makes sense."
"Mhm." Noho nodded, turning her gaze back to the body outline. "That's what they're trying to tell people."
She crouched down, studying the chalk outline more closely. It didn't provide much detail about how the body had been positioned after the murder, but the sheer amount of blood spoke volumes.
"That's such a corrupted message," the woman said with disgust. "And the way they spread it—it's so cruel."
"So, what's your name?" Noho asked, still examining the outline.
"My name? It's Skye."
"Hey, Skye, did you watch the news this morning?"
"Yeah. That's why I came here to see for myself. Too bad they took the body away, though."
"Don't you think it's strange they never showed the body on TV?"
"Huh? Well, with how brutal the death was, why would they show that?" Skye replied.
"But they didn't even say who the victim was," Noho said, standing up and turning to face her. "They just said it was a thirty-year-old man. They didn't give a name."
Skye frowned, folding her arms. "Now that you mention it, that is weird. When did they ever stop revealing victims' names?"
"I've noticed they always withhold the names when it's related to the Order," Noho said.
Skye looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I hope they at least tell the families. You think maybe the family requested the name be kept private?"
"No. If that were the case, the reporters would've said so."
"Huh. Good point," Skye said, studying Noho curiously. "Hey, kid, what's your name?"
"Noho."
"And, uh, why are you dressed up so fancy to come into a city alleyway?"
"It's my eighth-grade graduation today," Noho said, brushing off her skirt. "So I dressed up extra nice."
"Then why aren't you in school graduating?"
Noho shrugged. "While everyone was signing yearbooks, I decided to step out and explore. I didn't have a yearbook to get signed anyway."
Skye smiled. "You're an interesting kid, Noho. I like how you think."
Noho giggled. "Well, I better get back to school before anyone notices I'm gone."
"Alright. See ya later, kid."
As Noho walked back toward the alleyway entrance, she suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Wait! Where can I find you tomorrow?"
"Find me? You wanna see me again?"
"You seem to know a lot about this, and I want to talk more about the Order," Noho said.
Skye shrugged. "Alright. Central Park at 2 PM."
"I'll be there! See you tomorrow!" Noho shouted as she ran off.
Skye watched her go, smiling to herself, before turning and heading the other way.