7:40 AM. I’m sitting in a park.
I didn’t feel like working on the case today, and I’m waiting for Angelique’s work to be done anyways.
I lean against the bench, lighting up another cigarette.
What the hell was that dream? It didn’t make any sense.
Well, actually, one thing Elaine got right...I’m chasing this case not only for Elima’s sake, but because my life is nothing without this job. Deep down, I’m enjoying all of this.
I’m fucking sick.
A woman sits beside me, pushing her daughter amongst other kids happily. She relaxed onto the bench, giving me a good, shameless look.
“Bad day?”
I look at her, surprised by how easily she initiated, “bad week. No, month,” I chuckle.
Her pony tail rests along he shoulder as she leans slightly towards me, “oh, don’t even make me start. Nowadays, good times are always so rare. Makes me envy them,” she says, looking at the bunch of kids playing together, “how can they be so cheerful in such a dark world?”
“The last generation of humans that knew about sunlight is dead now. Neither you nor I know about the sun, we only see pictures of it.”
“Yes,” she nods, “but...as a human who was born in the darkness, I still feel this instinct that asks for sunlight.”
“I get it, it’s normal,” I reply, taking another hit from the cigarette, “our souls still seek the light.”
She smiles at my relatively wise comment, giving me her hand, “I’m Marielle, by the way.”
“Edward,” I nod, shaking her hand briefly.
A long pause follows, we both watch the kids play.
“You’re here for one of them? Or are you alone?”
“I don’t have kids, no,” I shake my head, “I’m too busy to have one.”
“Oh? What do you do?”
“Private investigator.”
“Oh my, that must be very stressful. Do you catch criminals often?”
“I try to.”
Is she just being nice? Or is she attracted to me?
I look at her again. Her body is displayed and projected towards me, her eyes are slightly dilated, her legs are crossed. She keeps leaning towards me.
“What about you? Only got her?” I point at her cute daughter.
“Yes, she’s my sunshine. She likes to go to the park before school. Her father is not here for us, so I have to do my best to be twice the parent.”
She mentions deliberately that she’s single. Yes, she’s trying to attract me.
Would Elima be jealous?
I smirk slightly, watching Linda as she pulls her jacket tighter around her. Her perfume is faint but sweet, blending into the air with the distant laughter of children.
“You seem to be doing a good job.”
She chuckles sweetly, “thank you, Edward.”
Silence. I close my eyes, take a deep breath.
I grip my cigarette lightly and sigh, defeated.
“You got something to do after your daughter’s at school?”
I knew what she wanted. And I knew I didn’t care. I needed to feel anything, even if it was someone else’s skin against mine.
Marielle puts her bra back on and lies on her bed comfortably, playing with my chest, making shapes with her finger.
“I knew I had to fuck you the moment you looked at me,” she giggles.
“Yeah?” I chuckle bitterly, “how so?”
Her soft eyes, still dilated, gaze into mine as she gently caresses my beard.
“You looked like you needed this.”
“Hm...you’re a better investigator than I am, it seems.”
We both laugh. Her touch is delicate and soft.
I miss Elima.
“I need to get to work, sadly,” she raises, showing me her divine body again as she ties her hair.
“Really? It’s almost nine.”
“Yes, I asked my boss to change my shift so that I have time to bring my girl to school and get her back home during lunch break.”
“Oh, and she stays here all alone in the afternoon? She behaves?”
“Oh yes, she’s a good girl,” she smiles at her own words, standing up.
I get up too and start dressing up.
“So uh…will I see you tonight?” She asks.
She wants to see if she’s just a fling. I didn’t even think about what came next until I finished. I’m an idiot.
I look at her and lie, “yeah, sure.”
Evening. I’m at my office. Meeting Marielle made me feel like getting back to work again.
Even if I’m waiting for Angelique’s magic, I’m trying to read the book again by myself, I don’t have much else to do.
The more I read this book, the less I seem to understand its true meaning. The plot is simple, at first glance. A man finds himself in a lost world, with weird characters, a thick fog, and a relentless rain.
At the end of the novel, he changes his objective. He goes from wanting to escape the world to embracing it thanks to the White Maiden, whom he falls in love with.
That’s it. But there must be something more, something hidden between the lines. The man, before meeting the White Maiden, speaks to several characters who talk in riddles. There are definitely hidden meanings behind their words, and I’m trying to-
The phone rings. Is it Angelique?
“Detective D’arbie.”
“
“Marielle. You took one of my business cards.”
“
This woman has known me for less than 24 hours and treats me like her property. Wow.
I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. The phone’s cold against my cheek, her voice hotter than it should be.
"I’m sorry,” my tone is dry, but truly mortified, “I didn’t mean to make you feel like this.”
“
“No. No it wasn’t,” I lean forward, “you’re a sweet woman, I like you. But my life’s a mess right now. I’m in the middle of a case and I wouldn’t be able to give you what you need right now.”
“
I close my eyes, self-hate burning my chest, “yeah you’re right. I’m so fucking sorry.”
Another pause. Then, “”
Click.
The line dies.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
I toss the receiver at the desk, staring at it, wishing it’d burst into flames. The second after, I start smashing it against the desk, denting the wood and breaking the thing itself.
“ELAINE!!!!” I scream, angry.
She ruined my life. She took away Elima from me, I can’t think or feel anything outside of this fucking case.
I hate her so fucking much.
The moment I get my hands on her, she’s going to FEEL every single thing I FELT.
“FUCK! FUCK! FUUUCK!”
I drop onto my chair, the snapped-in-half receiver hanging from its cable. No more beeping coming from it.
- December 18th -
Evening. I just picked up Kaeron from the Saubureau Royal Railway. It’s the only legal means of rapid transit between Solemnia and the underground city of Nochtarn.
It was built hundreds of years ago along with the walls of Saubureau, and it has evolved since. Right now, it’s a huge, very steep railway that can be taken every 44 minutes, which is the time it takes for going and coming back. Cars are lifted with mechanical and magnetic engineering...stuff I don’t really understand. I’m a detective, not an engineer.
I’ve never been in one of those cars before, nor have I ever seen Solemnia in my whole life. Only certified personnel, high-status citizens, or individuals with temporary permits can use it. Oh, and obviously Other Ones...who get a free pass in any circumstance.
The whole station is constantly patrolled by armed guards, ready to shoot at any attempt at unauthorized boarding.
Last time, she managed to bring her car through a cargo. This time, she phoned me that something was wrong with it and she was coming without instead of waiting for another whole week of repairs.
I’m gonna be her taxi, I suppose.
As we drive towards my apartment, she quietly looks out of the window.
She rummages through her suitcase, pulling out a small bottle of pills. Her supplements.
Just like we’d die of skin cancer in Solemnia, due to the deadly sun...Other Ones desperately need it, and would die if staying in the shade for too much time.
All Other Ones who are underground need a special type of supplement that regulates their health, giving them what the sun provides. It’s the first time I see one taking the pill.
“How often do you take those?” I ask her casually.
“One a day.”
“I never asked Lowe or other people at the station how long you can last down here with those. Are they really as good as the sun?”
“It’s as good as they get. We can go on with these for half a year or so before having to go back to the surface for rehabilitation.”
“I see, so...where am I bringing you exactly?” I ask as I reach the first crossroads.
She clears her throat and looks at me. A hint of embarrassment and shame, “D’arbie, I need a favor.”
I nod, keeping my eyes on the road, “sure, what’s up?”
“The last time I came here, I had to sleep in my car. I can’t find a hotel that accepts Other Ones. Do you have some places I could sleep at?”
“My place,” I shrug.
She widens her eyes, “I think it’s not professional.”
“Nothing is professional down here,” I chuckle, “you’re not going to find anyone who lets you sleep in their building, unless they plan to kill you in it. Either you sleep on the road or come to my place.”
“Hm...I guess that’s fine. But we’ll have separate rooms, yes?”
I sigh and smile, “yeah, of course.”
I gave Kaeron the bedroom for courtesy, I took the couch.
It’s 2:00 AM, lights off.
Suddenly, she walks out of the bedroom, turning on the faint light of the kitchen’s hood.
I look at her. Beneath her elegant coat lies a slim, bright body. Not a single inch of her skin is warm. Pure, pale skin.
She takes a glass and fills it up with tap water, sighing. She drinks it slowly, leaning against the counter with one hand.
Under the cheap light, she still looks beautiful.
“Wanna say something? Or are you going to stare until I go back to bed?”
I clear my throat and sit up slightly on the couch, feeling like a kid caught peeking through a crack in the door.
“I just thought...it’s the first time I see an Other One without fancy clothes and a straight back.”
“That’s because I’m normal,” she says, her voice low and calm, “when I’m not hearing the Empress’ bratty, high-pitched voice...I’m just a tired woman who doesn’t sleep well.”
I rub my face, feeling the roughness of my growing beard, “yeah, I get that.”
Silence settles between us, but it’s not hostile.
She suddenly straightens up, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, “go to sleep, Detective. We have to get to the office early tomorrow. We have some work to do.”
“Work? We’re at a dead end,” I say, half-jokingly.
“We can think together, much like you’ve been doing during my absence. Plus, your writer could call you.”
“Hm…”
Silence, she puts the glass away after quickly washing it, going towards the bedroom once more.
“Agent,” I mutter.
“Yes?”
“The thing you said a couple of days ago. Me doing this despite the fact that I hate you. What did you mean?”
“Exactly that. You hate Other Ones. Am I perhaps wrong?”
“I…” I shrug, unsure of what to say.
She stands there, sensing I have something else to say.
“I’ve just...I’ve hated Other Ones for a long while now. But you’re the first one that I interact with who’s professional and hears me out. Even Lowe, my supervisor, has never treated me like this. It’s just a deep-rooted mindset of most humans…but you’re not following its rules.”
“Which mindset?” She asks curiously, walking closer to me.
“That you don’t care. You don’t care about us. So when I see you so invested in this case, I wonder how and why.”
She looks down, nodding.
“Yes. It’s true. My people don’t care,” she mutters, “I do. Though.”
She says it so quietly, like she’s ashamed of it.
“You care?” I ask, careful not to sound sarcastic.
“I wouldn’t have come down here if I didn’t see something worth saving.”
And with that, she turns off the light and looks back at me in the darkness for one last time.
“Goodnight, D’Arbie. Sleep well.”
- December 19th -
Kaeron walks into the office as I pull up the curtains. Another morning of work awaits us.
When I’m done setting up the entrance, I reach Kaeron, who’s staring intently at the smashed phone.
“What happened here?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
She turns around, crosses her arms, and gives me a glare.
“D’Arbie.”
“Yes?”
“Which number did you give to that writer?”
“I…”
I freeze.
“Oh shit. I gave her...this one,” I say, picking up the broken receiver, “she might have called...”
She sighs, exasperated, “now we have to go back to Noctharn central and give her another means of contact.”
“Yeah, looks like it. Should we go now?”
“The sooner we fix this, the better. Let’s go.”
We reach Angelique’s address. I ring her doorbell and wait. Kaeron’s behind me, her head and eyes exploring the environment with curiosity.
“These houses are what is most similar to Solemnia.”
“It means you’re all filthy rich. These houses are expensive here,” I chuckle, stuffing my hands in my pockets.
After a few more tries at the doorbell, there’s no answer.
“She might be sleeping, we should wait here.”
When I turn back, I see something eerie.
Kaeron’s pupils are tight, extremely focused. She looks at me, surprised.
“D’Arbie, I smell blood coming from that window,” she points at the open window above the entrance.
“You smell blood…?”
“Yes. I can,” she hastily replies, shoving me aside and kicking down the door.
She pulls out her gun with no hesitation, rushing inside. Still half-confused, I follow along, ready for action.
When we get to her study, she’s there, on her chair.
Her eyes clawed out, her mouth wide open, her throat marked by countless scratches.
As I look at the scene, shocked, Kaeron holsters her gun and rushes to the dead body.
I walk to the desk and flip the copy of the cursed book towards me. It’s closed shut, with countless paperwork surrounding it.
Forensics and police officers arrived at the scene.
It was a suicide. Angelique clawed her own throat until she bled.
“She did this to herself. She clawed her own throat out,” Kaeron says, her breath unsteady as we both stare at her body being carried away.
“What the fuck…?” I shake my head and lean to the desk, wiping my forehead, “why? Was she mentally ill too?”
“I don’t know...either that, or she saw something in the book she didn’t like.”
Her terrified face, her gaping mouth.
It’s as if she were in a frenzy.
“I technically killed her,” I chuckle bitterly, “fuck…”
“No, you didn’t kill her,” Kaeron walks to me, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“You told me it was risky to give this book to strangers, and I still did it,” I get off the desk, straightening my back, “and now a talented writer is dead.”
“D’Arbie.”
I start pacing around the room.
"She trusted me," I mutter under my breath, staring out the window, my thoughts racing, "I trusted the book...and look where that’s gotten us."
“You were rational. So far, we were convinced the book made crazy people crazier. Look at Lila Berniech, she wasn’t affected because she was normal.”
“Yes, but still...god,” I shake my head, “I involved an innocent woman.”
“She consented despite knowing the risks, didn’t she?”
I look at her and nod silently.
It’s time for me to get a grip. I can’t slow Kaeron down with more self-loathing.
She gestures at the desk, “besides, we can still honor her hard work."
There’s a lot of paperwork, considerations, transposed passages, notes of info to tell me directly.
“We can work with this,” I mutter, “she helped us, in the end.”
“Exactly,” Kaeron nods, “we can use this to get closer to that bastard.”
“You’re right…”
I keep leafing through the notes, and then I find something interesting.
Nochtarn’s map, coordinates are scribbled on a paper attached with tape to it. On the map, a specific area is circled.
Right below the circled place, a big text written with a red marker stands out.
"DARK SUNRISE?"
In front of the fireplace, the prophet reads her beloved book.
"The man wandered alone in the dark world, his only companion the White Maiden.
He fell in love with her and followed her into the void.
There, he discovered a new truth."
She voiced, smiling to herself.
Her slender hand reached for something on a nearby table, a picture.
An adult man, black beard, black and long trench coat. He’s walking somewhere, busy and distracted.
She walks close to the fire, intently staring into the man’s eyes.
“If only you could understand my world like I understand yours, Detective.”
The flames catch the edge of the photo. Slowly, hungrily, they consume the image. Plastic curls, blackens, and drips into the coals like blood.
She doesn’t look away.