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Seeing Yanyi being drag away by the back of her coat by Irene is enough to fill Kazuto with pure ecstasy, that is before someone who he had grown up with and he even recognise as his own brother pull his ear until it turns red from the tension. All he could do is the grab his arms and try to yank off the force. Though let's be honest, even with the same training Luyao's hand grip is far superior than his own whining and crying.
After him letting go the male rubs his tomato flustered ear that he feel like about to fall off without a proper coaxing. He tried to give out an annoyed glare at the man of the crime but is instantly shut down when the same expressionless crimson pupils stare back at him like a scolding mother saying stuff like -'You have no rights to scold me boy'- which Kazuto agreed.
Diverging from their original purpose, Kazuto tries to ask Luyao about the crack on the pavement bricks that they had discovered. After thinking hard with the iconic hands underneath his chin, Luyao flick his head up slightly with a still pair of confused eyes. "I've encounter a few of the same problems in minor cases and even after reading cases, but those methods takes more than 5 days. And most of them is occurs because of time itself."
Kazuto let out a heavy sigh but it came to a sudden stop when the Midnight locks again spill a few more sentences. "Although, I've read somewhere that a sudden extreme change of temperature can theoretically leave or make a crack of something." Red locks moves closer to him and stare directly into his eyes saying, "Is there an evidence of this myths?"
Luyao — "Not as far as I've read that includes a brick pavement, but others are still there as evidence. It's just less stronger than a brick which fills me with doubt."
Kazuto — "Well, there's no going back now. We can test it if you want or..."
Luyao — "Or what?"
Kazuto — "We can go and look for the weapon records to prepare for the worse. Besides, dealing with nobles who don't know their place is the least of my favourite things to do."
Luyao — "Fine, lead the way."
After instructing for the officers at work to take charge and guard the area for at least 48 hours, Luyao and Kazuto went to the Ryuichi HQ to hopefully be granted access to the weapons files. There's a chance that the weapons are stored inside with all trading happening and people bringing weapons alongside them since wild animals are still a heavy problems in Yucoria.
Dude, there are even monster outs animals running around the woods searching for prey. That is why hunting is highly prohibited for the common class as it would be dangerous for their lives. However, there's still those whose granted access as long as they pass the self-defence test held every 4 years. Irrelevant info, moving on!
They entered the never ending files room that looks like a long hallway from those typical movie with secret spies and all. "Wow..." wow indeed. Even Kazuto had no idea how big the files stored inside the HQ is. He had been to the local archives before and it wasn't as big as this one so he thought that it would be smaller. Boy he is so so wrong.
"Well, better start searching or we'll be here for more than 3 days." Luyao throws a few of the weaponries documents that he found along the way to Kazuto for review. They would separate the categories by the possible results, in other words, Azure's weaponry. But with the amount of citizen that holds onto a signia, the least amount of Tim they could do is probably around 4 hours.
And I don't have enough time to waste on them...
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Moving on!
Yanyi and Irene is currently inside the security footage recording room where a few of the operator is acting according to her commands. They are currently playing all the recording from yesterday surrounding the crime area. So far nothing is out of the ordinary as they saw people swarming around the area acting normal in the day.
They didn't find anyone suspicious and that means nothing is making lead since LCTV are powered by artificial light magic which gives them a proper view almost like a hawk eyes to say the least. When nights falls Yanyi ask for the footage to be slowed down and proceed according to their hands. From the corner of one of the LCTV Yanyi saw a group of young ladies walking into their direction.
"It seems like they really are coming back from the concert." Irene commented while taking pictures of the recording. Yanyi ask to follow their path and when they come through the third LCTV something strange happened. A cloudy smoke covered the area and not only did it affects the real life events but even the footage itself. The lens become blurry and they can barely see the girls.
"Turn the settings to high-performance. We need to catch this." The operator listen and turn the settings to the highest-performance possible. "Should I turn the volume up as well, Lady Yanyi?" She nodded and Irene listen attentively to the voices. When Yanyi ask for the volume to be turn up it means for her to play the role.
Not much can be heard through the amount of smoke on the screen as well as the night wildlife. But, hopefully it is good enough for Irene to find something. They have to review it after returning back though. After around 45 minutes, the fog starts to clear up and what is left is the body of their Professor leaning against the brick wall just like what they saw themselves.
Yanyi — "Is there anything you find among those 45 minutes?"
Irene — "Not much, but something is bound to be useful."
They continue to watch the footage but nothing out of the ordinary happen. Well, aside from a few black figures that is swiftly moving across the screen seemingly picking up a rather heavy block or something. "Miss, are they..."
"Our suspects. But their dark clothing make it impossible to detect. We can't do much about that." One of the worker starts to zoom in into the black figure and focus more on what they are carrying. Yanyi can't really tell what it is but she can figure that it was something super cold that figure they have to use a double layer protection for.
Yanyi — "Double layer protection? Cold?... Dry ice!"
Irene — "But why would they need dry ice for?"
Yanyi — "Artificial smoke. By pouring hot substances onto the dry ice, the amount of smoke it will create is varied to either small or big."
Irene — "Want to discuss this further with the boys?"
Yanyi thank the operator for helping them and went on their way. The operator then went along their daily routine. Of course, gossips are bound to happen. One of the operator is bound to be left behind to watch over the monitor. Out of nowhere, this operator smile to themselves.
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Once they enter the station's main office they saw how the males have yet to return from whatever they are doing. "Is it worth our time to wait for them?" Yanyi mumble quietly, but she can feel how Irene has already shake her head in disbelief to her words. She's not the type to easily waste her time away so she would make weird and uncooperative comments like this all the times. Even when they are at Ashrin she would say something like this.
Irene — "Instead of you going on and complaining how about we do something else more productive?"
Yanyi — "Like what?"
Irene — "... Have you forgotten the victim?..."
Yanyi — "!"
Irene — "Let's pay a visit to our professor before the boys get here,... Okay?"
Yanyi — "..."
Reluctantly with Irene holding onto her forearms, Yanyi make her way towards the private forensic room that specifically build for Daniel. For what reason? I don't know, ask the person who build it, the person who lives in it and the person who approve of it.
Regardless, they move to see whether Daniel had discovered anything useful for them or more information. That is for the cover up, the real issue lies on Yanyi wanting to see her Professor before he is ultimately be put underground or be cremate. That all depends on what their family wishes. But with Professor Owil not having any relative and has been taking under-privilege children that has potential as his own... they will decide.
Entering the room, Daniel is seen taking off his gloves and coat. "Oh, Lady Yanyi, Lady Irene. Are you both here for the further report?" Before he could hand over the report, Yanyi had already walked past him into the curtains. Baffled by her friend's behavior, Irene apologize profusely to Daniel and said that they are going to take a closer look first.
Daniel is still young and Luyao had taken him in to work once he sees the gifted skill. He is still studying and naturally has his own group of friends outside of work. He didn't really understand why the sudden request but he stayed away from asking question.
Irene enter the curtain ad see Yanyi holding onto the cold corpse's hand delicately. Her eyes are hidden behind her bangs but if you are given the chance to see, it is completely away from being happy. The shine that would be present in nearly everyone's iris are no where to be found in hers. "Yanyi?... Are you sure you're okay to be here?" Irene question.
Instead of answering her friend, Yanyi commented on rather weird things regarding Professor Owil's body. "it's as hard as a rock now. Cold as ice if I can say that..." She moves away a few strands of hair that stay over Owil's face and examine the facial expression he have at the moment.
Yanyi — "Heh... He look rather calm after being dead... What could you possibly think about so peacefully before your death, sir?"
Irene — "Yanyi... Professor wouldn't think about anything aside from his goals. He came here to see you."
Yanyi — "Yeah... Probably thinking what problem this little girl can cause without his supervision..."
Irene hold out a pin in her hand and put it over Yanyi's shoulder for her to see. Just seeing the little glimpse of that pin almost bring her back a step and stumble onto the dissecting table. It a little enamel pin of blue canary bird spreading its wings as far as the world can see. "T-This... pin..." It's the pin that Yanyi had given him on her graduation ceremony.
She had deliberately had this custom crafted to be given to him as a momento for her future adventure. It is also a pin specifically made to be able to punch through the hard teachers' bag. Canary can be seen as a bird often being cage and will give the symbolization of being trap. But when it spread its wings, it can be considered free of anything that bound to control them.
They had made an exchange on that day and he had given her his pen tassel that he had used for almost his entire teaching career. Yanyi had put it on her personal signia ever since. Taking the pin in her hands, she grasped it tightly with her free hand, still holding onto Owil's ice-cold hand.
Irene went out of the area after giving the dead Professor a final bow and gratitude from her heart. It doesn't mean that she didn't feel any ounce of sorrow but she would rather not interrupt Yanyi's emotional moments. "Professor, she's not bottling up her emotions no longer. Thanks to you of course."
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After about 15 minutes, the males enter the forensic room just in time for Yanyi to came out of the curtains and Irene to finish reading the report. Daniel is still there because he would rather explain things to people who can understand the terms properly. Not that he doubt Irene's capability, it's just that he has never really seen her in true action. Yanyi, at least he saw her work most of the time here.
"You okay?" Luyao question Yanyi's action of rubbing her eyes quickly. The girl shrug it off and give out the excuse of "A few dust particle get inside my sclera when seeing the body." Luyao doubt that is the actual reason but he didn't want to prone to much into others' business and take the excuse as it is.
Daniel — "*Ehem* Sire, this is the detailed report of the corp-! I mean body."
Luyao — "Are you going somewhere after this?"
Daniel — "Oh, a friend of mine from when I was a child came for a visit and ask me to grab some lunch. Sire... do I have your permission to get and see him?"
Luyao — "Did he treat you well when you were a child?"
Daniel — "Yes! Well that is until his parents has to move to the capital in order to expand their business but which child of such age can go against their parents?"
Luyao — "Very well then, explain it briefly and you may go."
Daniel then proceed to explain how the body has multiple slash wound on his chest as if he was avoiding an oncoming attack that he somehow knew coming. But it all pose as mere nothing as there's an indications of multiple holes that plunge through the body not never coming out from the other side. There are three holes in total and each of them is aiming upon different part of the body which are his left lung, his right lung and his heart.
Irene give the files to Luyao where he opens and review the different photos taken as proof of the victim still in the crime scene. He look over from the corner of his eye to Yanyi who is leaning against the wall with her eyes falling under her eyelashes. He thought of giving the files to Yanyi but seeing her not feeling well, he pass it over to Kazuto who take the sign and read it without passing it to anyone else.
Daniel — "Also, when I dissect the body I found that both lungs are filled with water. Not inside the alveoli but inside the outer sack of the lung."
Luyao — "Filled to the brim?"
Daniel — "Yeah. Also, I find that the left ventricle of the body is also filled to the brim. I don't really know what the killer intends to do but by filling out the outer sack of the lung, they are deliberately making the victim have a harder time to breath."
Irene — "The heart is basically the main lobby of where oxygen circulation came in and out of the body. Doesn't filling it with water prevents the air circulation from continuing?"
Kazu — "Now that you mention it... Daniel, when you first came to the scene, does the victim see more blue or lack of oxygen?"
Daniel — "Hmmm, I think so. Although, the incident can happen anytime in between midnight and dawn, so I'm not sure if what I see is the clear sign of lack of oxygen or just my imagination from waking up so early."
"Let's not continue our talk about this." Luyao cut everyone off, sliding his pupils across his sclera towards Yanyi who is holding and digging her nails into her forearms. After a moment of silence, Daniel continues by explaining how he had also found that a few of the slash has a slanted and slightly deeper on a few area. He describe it as an action coming from when you are whipping someone with a rope that can change into various thickness.
Just as they thought that they might get another lead, Daniel breaks their excitement with a rather contrast statement. "However, the stab mark are straight as a line with no weird slant like wounds coming from stabbing directly with a sword." Damn. That really threw them off the guards but not for long.
Yanyi can't always keep her heads low and see how Luyao and Kazuto is glaring at each other. Well not glaring but rather communicating, "They must've find something to use." She thought to herself and this statement somehow calms her nerves a bit. When you are in the end of the road, your eyes would lit up with the slightest hint of clue of hope. That is her right now.
"Also, all of these wounds has traces of hot metal on the edge." And that just makes the sky blue locks looks back down in despair. She can't help but imagine how these descriptions of her Professor's death are all because of her. She hear a faint "Ow!" but ignore them as she is currently stuck in her own world.
Without realizing it, a pair of shining black leather shoes steps near her into her views. Who ever it is, they are standing quite the close distance to her. Slowly bringing her head up, her silver eyes meet with those of the crimson ones. Those blood color eyes are so deep that it can makes people fall onto their knees immediately. Not Yanyi though.
When people fear those piercing gaze, Yanyi weirdly finds them comforting, like someone who has been or worse situation than her. "What's wrong with you?" Her body that was lost in a trance came back to reality and starts to look around her when she notice how close her boss is to her. Turns out everyone had left the office, everyone aside from Luyao.
Luyao — "You okay? You keeps on staring at the floor all this time we are discussing."
Yanyi — " Mhm... I'm fine... I just... need a moment alone."
Luyao — "A moment alone won't bring you back to reality you know. It'll just drive you deeper into your own abyss."
Yanyi — "Other people who faces problem need their time alone, Inspector Chen!"
Listening to Yanyi suddenly raising her voice, the inspector know that he had somehow touch or relatively touch a rather sensitive line. Kneeling down to look at her better, he slowly allows his hands to just rest underneath her fidgety fingers. Yanyi knew what he is inviting her for. He is inviting her to rest her hands on his to somehow elevate some of her problems.
She reluctantly place her hands there but refuse to see him eye to eye. "It's good enough for me." Luyao thought to himself. He can feel a hard object in between their palms and trace the item rather carefully to see as if he is only trying to comfort her. It a trace of a bird, canary bird. Why would she have the pin that usually found on a teacher's bag?
It then clicks to him, when he read the files the victims profession is that of a lecturer, more specifically a famous one from the most prestigious academy in Volenix. Soter Academy where most noble children went for education on the government system. He piece everything together and figure out why she feels so down currently.
Luyao — "Yanyi, it's not your fault. You can't stop fate from happening. If it time for him to leave then let him leave in peace not with worry of your guilt. I haven't really been in a place where you are right now, but with being an orphan and knowing that my parents can and could possible be dead, I never blame myself for it. For I knew, that if fate is to take them away for me it is for the greater good."
Yanyi — "... *sniff*... *sniff*..."
Luyao — "He will be proud to know that you are now here, helping everybody in realizing the truth. He will be even more proud knowing that you are trying your best to complete his mystery."
Yanyi — "*sniff*... *sniff*..."
Luyao — "Everyone out here are ready for you when you are. Crying is not a sign of weakness, its a sign of strength. You are forcing everything inside you that have kept you from moving forward out so you can keep on moving."
Yanyi — "*sniff*... *sniff*..."
"I'll be out in my office if you need me, okay." He let go of her palms and went outside to hear a faint whimper inside the autopsy room. As he promise, he will let her be alone and be in his office for further consultation. No one should bully you just because you cry, everyone will cry at one point of their life.
Kazuto who had just came back from seeing Irene off inquires about the situation inside the autopsy room and whether they should take her back home. The man, Inspector Chen shakes his head in denial saying something along the line of. "Let her take everything off of her chest, she'll be back in no time."
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