A soft knock sounded at the front door. Sanemi's mother, always kind and welcoming, went to open it. On the porch stood the new neighbor, Mia, a warm smile on her face.
"Hello, I hope I'm not disturbing you," Mia said, her voice gentle and melodic.
"Not at all, dear. Please, come in." Sanemi's mother welcomed her inside.
They sat and talked for a while, a comfortable silence settling between them. Mia introduced herself again, and they shared stories of their neighborhood and their lives. Sanemi's mother, who had been so burdened with worry for so long, found a moment of simple comfort in the new friendship.
As Mia stood to leave, Sanemi's mother asked, "It was Mia, right? Your name?"
"Yes, that's me," Mia replied with a warm smile.
"It was really nice to meet you. And you are so very welcome here." The words came from a place of genuine sincerity.
Meanwhile, in the dimly lit lecture hall, the professor spoke about relationships. "I believe most of you have partners right now. It's the perfect age to learn new things, but you must be cautious to avoid falling into dangerous traps."
"Lucky for you, you didn't miss class today," Vito said, nudging Sanemi. "He's teaching the things I really like to hear."
Sanemi just smiled, his mind still somewhere else, but glad for the distraction. He hadn't realized how tense he'd been until he started to relax in his friend's presence.
"You know what? You've been acting strange lately," Vito continued, his tone shifting to one of genuine concern. "It's not the same Sanemi I know."
"What do you mean?" Sanemi asked, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. He worried that Vito was getting too close to the truth.
"The last time I called you out for a drink, I didn't expect you to turn me down. You're becoming soft, my boy." Sanemi laughed, a genuine, full-bellied laugh that felt foreign to him. The way Vito described it was so funny that for a moment, he forgot all his problems.
"But I don't understand one thing," Vito said, his tone turning serious again. "You told me not to give that girl your number, but she asks me about you every time you don't come to college."
"Rina?" Sanemi asked, surprised.
"Yeah, man, who else? She's cute, and I can see it in her eyes—even the way she talks, she really likes you. But I don't know what's wrong with your head. Are you gay?"
"Hahaha, damn, man," Sanemi roared with laughter. It was a rare sound, but today he really laughed hard.
"You know you're handsome—a dream of every girl. It's surprising to hear that you don't have a girlfriend."
"Listen, Vito, forget about that. There's something bothering me."
"What is it? Is it about the girl?"
"No, it's my PC. It's…" Sanemi paused, the words "VAbyss" and "killed a man" catching in his throat. He couldn't tell him. Not yet. "I know you're an expert in this. Maybe you could come home later to check what's wrong with it."
"There's no need to ask, of course I'll come. Anytime you want me to," Vito assured his friend.
"The class is over," the lecturer said, snapping his book shut. The two boys had been so lost in conversation they hadn't realized the class was finished. It was truly good to see Sanemi in this mood. His mind had been through a hell of a night, but with a friend like Vito, he could forget his problems and be normal again.
"Check her out, don't forget," Vito reminded him one last time, nodding toward the class exit as they headed into the corridor on the second floor.
Sanemi walked with his hands in his hoodie pockets, as always, but suddenly, someone hugged him from behind.
"Aah!" He couldn't help but let out a gasp of pain. He could feel the stinging of the wounds from the previous night's fight, but he had to act cool.
"You again? Why do you always sneak up from behind? What if I decide to attack you?" Sanemi teased, a faint smile on his face.
"I know you can't do such a thing," Rina replied, smiling back at him. She was such a beautiful girl you couldn't deny it. They started walking as Rina held his hand.
"You know, I missed you so much. Every day here without seeing your face is like a nightmare," Rina said.
"Are you free today?" Sanemi said from nowhere, and she was surprised, her eyes wide with shock. It was something she always dreamed of hearing him say.
"Maybe we can go out," Sanemi said again.
"Yes!" she replied, her voice filled with pure joy and excitement.
She replied really fast because she always had time for him. She was so happy, holding his hand tight, not knowing that she was hurting him. But he had to act cool, his pain a small price to pay for this moment of peace and a chance to feel normal again.
***
Chief Officer McKay sat at the head of the conference table, his face a mask of weary focus. The room was tense, filled with the rustle of papers and the low murmur of his team.
"Let's review the last case," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "The vagrant who was found dead. Any new leads?" An investigator, a woman with tired eyes, spoke up.
"We found a new witness. They reported hearing a loud noise, like something heavy being dragged on the night this happened. But still no solid evidence, no CCTV footage."
Another detective, a younger man with a nervous energy, spoke up, "Chief, with all due respect, I've got a feeling this isn't a normal crime. The injuries, the lack of a clear motive... it feels like something else. Something we're not equipped for." McKay's jaw tightened. "We'll follow every lead we have. Nothing is off the table."
Just then, a junior officer entered the room, holding a tablet. "Chief, we just got a report. A young man, twenty years old, was reported missing this morning. No one has seen him since yesterday afternoon." A photo of a smiling boy appeared on the screen. McKay remembered the phone call he'd received hours ago, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Do we have any reason to believe this is related?" he asked, his voice low. "No, sir," the officer replied. "Just a hunch. But the timing... it's strange." McKay nodded slowly, a new weight settling onto his shoulders. "Keep looking for him. And keep an eye on this case. We'll solve this. I promise you that."