—Give me all the files from these four cases. From now on, I'm taking over.
Melissa suddenly walks into the precinct, and the detective jumps in surprise.
—I'm the one assigned to this mission. I don't need any help!
Melissa slams her hand on the desk and stares deep into his eyes.
—If you were really trying to solve this, I wouldn't have needed to come here.
She flashes a badge.
—This is!
—A hero's authorization. My name is Melissa, the 3rd disciple of the "Sage of Hargumel." I'll only say this once more: from now on, I'm taking over!
The man throws his hat on the ground and storms out of the precinct in a huff. Suddenly, a woman arrives with the case files.
"Letícia Volbel, Anna Lacker, Poleria, Hirars—all women. Does the killer only take pleasure in killing women? Wait… July 17th. They all share the same birthday, even though they're different ages."
—Luke, gather all cases that occurred on July 17th within a five-year span.
—Huh? Alright, just give me a few minutes.
"All women, same birthday… This isn't a coincidence. It's deliberate."
After 20 minutes, Luke returns with all the documents.
—Miss, there are 89 cases, all on July 17th.
Melissa begins analyzing them.
The papers contain solved murders, disappearances, deaths, terrorist attacks—all sorts of crimes. One by one, she sorts through them, removing the solved cases and murders from her desk. After two hours of investigation, she finally finds a lead: 11 unsolved disappearances, all with no clues. They just vanished, and the cases were closed. All happened within two years—six cases in the first year and five last year. And one detail unsettles her even more: all the missing victims have names starting with 'L.'
In order, the victims are: Lcar, Larissa, Lvern, Lerkol, Lrerl, Lnarlo, Lauren, Lloid, Lour, Lun, Lrout, Lnar.
Larissa… an 8-year-old girl who disappeared.
Melissa examines the cases until she notices something. She grabs a piece of paper and starts writing.
"This is a clue! The second letters spell out a word: C, A, V, E, R, N, A, L, O, U, R, N… 'Caverna Lourn.'"
—Luke!
Luke jumps at the sudden shout.
—Caverna Lourn—do you know it?
—Of course. It's a well-known bar.
—Who owns it?
—The Smil family.
"Smil?"
Melissa remembers the missing 8-year-old girl—her full name was Larissa Smil… She grabs her coat and shouts to Luke that she's found a lead. Luke, Melissa, and two others head straight for the bar.
—(whispering) Hey, Mr. Luke… Is she always this impulsive?
—(whispering) Yes, she is. But in all her years of service, her hunches have always been right.
They arrive at the bar and are greeted by a dark-haired boy.
—Welcome! What can I get you?
—Hello, little one! —Melissa crouches down. —Can you tell me what you know about Larissa Smil's disappearance?
The boy's smile fades, his cheerful expression vanishing. His face turns serious.
—So… the day has finally come. My sister isn't missing… she's dead.
Melissa's eyes widen. She's confused, startled by the boy's calm tone. He begins to tremble.
—I saw everything. That bastard stabbed her in the neck and then tore her head off right in front of me. No matter how hard I tried to see his face, I couldn't. It was like… like he didn't have one. He left me alive for one reason: 'You won't be able to speak of this. If you do, everyone you love will die. But in two years, if someone asks, tell them exactly these words: "The one who crafts time in the darkest light."' Thank you… this weight is finally off my shoulders.
The boy smiles innocently. Melissa and the others freeze, paralyzed by what they've just heard. Then suddenly… the boy's head explodes. Screams erupt. His parents rush in, sobbing. Melissa can't process what just happened.
"A child… died right in front of me? Why? Why did I ask him? If I hadn't, he'd still be alive."
Melissa is terrified, confused, her breathing heavy. To her, time feels like it's slowed down. Then, suddenly, she's slapped across the face.
—Miss! Snap out of it! We need to get help!
Melissa regains her senses and rushes to call for help, but she already knows it's too late. His head was blown apart. Fear turns to rage. All she wants now is to make the killer pay.
Later that day, they bury the boy's body. A woman is held back as she sobs, trying to reach the coffin being lowered into the ground.
—That's my son! He's my son! Let me go! He's all I have left! Please, God, don't take him from me!
The woman collapses in tears. Melissa is still grieving over what happened. She blames herself—once again, her impulsive actions led to an innocent's death. The boy's smile showed he was happy, free… finally at peace. She becomes more certain than ever: she will make this killer suffer something worse than death.
End of Chapter 3. Thank you for reading.