-~*~-
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The storm outside in the city of Kinsel is ever so thundering loud. Continuously flashing through the night. The same weather bestowed at the orphanage as well.
Kairene is sleeping peacefully when a little hand starts to tap on her blanket and wakes her up. Clearly up her sight, she saw a little girl had woken her up, face paint with discomfort.
"What's wrong Leiya?" She came in close and whispered in her ears. Kairene's face from sleepiness nearly let out a chuckle. She then stood and walked over and wore her shoes. The little girl named Leiya also did the same.
Apparently she wanted to go to the toilet. She didn't want to walk down the hallway in the middle of the night alone, especially with a storm outside. So she woke up Kairene to accompany her.
Honestly,
Valid.
They both walked to the second floor. The bathroom in their bedroom is still being fixed so they have to make do with the second floor for the girls and first floor for the boys.
Usually they would go to the toilet before bed time. But there are some cases where someone will need to go for number 1 or number 2.
Kairene twisted the doorknob and found that it was locked. "Weird. Normally it would be unlocked. Maybe a nanny might have locked it." She didn't make a big deal out of it.
She prepared a bobby pin for this situation. Especially with her skills of picking locks. She learned that from when she lives on the street. Don't blame her.
After unlocking the door, she slowly opens them. But before she could open it wide and clear, she saw something truly horrific.
The lightning that thunder further solidifies her fear.
In the middle of the room where the bathtub is located, a woman, limp as a blanket, sat.
Her limbs dislocated, tied to the feet of the tub.
Her throat became a waterfall of blood.
The supposed clear water is tinted with red.
The lady…
Is dead.
Seeing the corpse before her, Kairene immediately ran back upstairs with the girl and knocked frantically on the head nannies room. Shouting his name with terror and distress.
When the door finally opens up, Kairene explains as briefly as she can about what she saw. The nanny then went down to the second floor with Kairene. Verifying the situation himself, hoping that it is all a hoax.
It was not.
Without a delay, he made an emergency call to the police station.
Max at the time was on shift for the night and was about to prepare for a clock out. That is when he received the emergency call.
Without waiting for an official order, Max calls all of the other departments that are available to go to the crime scene. It will be a while until a high official will be able to see the scene. So he plans to preserve what they can.
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In the morning,
While Yanyi is preparing for breakfast, Irene opens the gate and sees Luyao and Kazuto standing in front. It is quite early for their departure.
"What's the matter?" She asked. Confused with the sudden appearance of not only Kazuto but Luyao.
"The station received a call at 5 am this morning. It came from the orphanage…" Kazuto explained to her. Waiting to see her reaction.
Irene — "Did one of the children went missing or something?"
Luyao — "Far worse."
Irene — "What is it?"
Kazuto — "A murder."
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"A WHAT?!"
She immediately takes Yanyi away from the stove and grabs Eker before bolting to the car. Kazuto proceeds to explain everything while on the way to the orphanage.
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Upon arriving there, Eker stayed with Irene and looked out for the children and the nannies. Asking about the situation before them.
The other three went inside and up to the second floor. The whole hallway had turned to an investigation zone. The first order of business is getting into the crime scene.
It was brutal. Everything that Kairene had seen during that brief 3 seconds is standing before them. The much more brutal part is the waterfall of blood. It didn't exist out of the blue.
Apparently the victim was found with a hole going through the blood vessel system to the other side of the neck. Causing their blood to ooze out and cascade down to the floor.
Their limbs were dislocated and tied to the feet of the tub. The effect of gravity and straining from the tie creates a bruise on their limbs.
The worst part is what the current forensic team said to them. "The victim suffered from forced sexual intercourse before death. It causes a tear in their vaginal system and that causes the water to be tinted red due to blood."
Yanyi — "So they were rape before killed?"
Luyao — "Is the death caused by the hole?"
"Yes. Although the victim seems to have suffered from being choked by the suspect. The bruise on the neck indicates that the victim is conscious at the time and struggles to free themselves."
Kazuto — "But due to the limbs, they aren't able to."
Yanyi — "The choking is probably not on their list then. They have the intention of sexual intercourse and then ending the person's life. Choking is to just make the victim unconscious."
Kazuto — "Is there anyt-!"
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HERE!" Is what they heard before Kazuto could ask further questions. That is the voice that all of them are very familiar with. The one person that had strayed away from their group of four people.
.
Just standing a few feet away from Irene and Eker is the group that had terrorized Yanyi's time just a couple of days ago. Now they are standing before them, with so much pride and boasting.
Yanyi didn't show her face and look around the group. Cinth is nowhere to be seen. However she did see one of the two people that Cinth had brought with him running towards them as we are speaking.
"Cinth is here then…" She mumbles. She can predict that this is not just another normal acquaintance but another test that Cinth wishes to make use of.
At least she knew that Cinth wouldn't cause such a grueling scene.
"What the hell are you all doing here?" Kazuto didn't like these groups of soldiers specifically. He had his fair share of corrupt soldiers during his one year deployment in the Ryuichi militants.
Those who are boastful with pride are always the most annoying to deal with. They listen to their ego instead of the law. Making it nearly impossible to force them out without direct man power.
"The General ordered for us to travel to this… lump. Could use a huge help." One of the soldiers speaks while gifting oh the ever so graceful and kind heart of his some sympathy. His eyes are filled with discomfort, especially when he laid eyes on the manor.
Cinth is walking over to them and senses the presence of his student just behind the Inspector that he had encountered the other days. He didn't move forward and waited for her to move.
If she was hiding, she knew what he wanted to do.
The soldiers keep on degrading the area while disrespecting the people before them. Although there stood the heir of Ryuichi, the daughter of the closest allies of Xue and the next heir of the missing Zheng family, they didn't take it seriously.
It comes to a point where they speak of one sentence, "All of your incompetent skills are useless. We can clear this mess in less than 3 days, period."
"Really?" The sound came from behind Luyao. Yanyi stood to the side and revealed herself. Immediately everyone in that prideful group starts to stutter.
"M-My lady… We didn't know that you were there?"
Yanyi — "Does it matter?"
"I me-I mean… We wouldn't have said such ridiculous sentences in your presence."
Yanyi — "Oh… So you act like overconfident ox that could take out a tank when I am not around? Disrespecting your General who is behind you watching."
"We-!"
Yanyi — "Disregarding the rule of integrity and virtue?!"
"Uh-!"
Yanyi — "Acting like you own the entire empire all to yourself?!"
"..."
Yanyi — "You work under the Xue house. We work for the Empire. If ANY of you can't respect the basic integrity principle of warrior… Get. The Fuck. Out. of this Country!"
The whole situation turns silent. No one, not even any of Yanyi's friends dare to interrupt or break the silence. Not even General Cinth.
There's one person though at the moment.
Yanyi felt a tug near the end of her pants and saw the chartreuse coloured eyes. "Jie…" He didn't say anything else but stared towards Yanyi's face.
The girl's shoulders heavy lower as she carefully takes in a couple of deep breaths. She then patted Eker's hair before nodding that she is fine now.
Her eyes then laid to the man behind the incompetent soldier. General Cinth closed his eyes, seemingly not minding what she had in plan. She decided to use the current situation to kill two birds with one stone.
Expose their incompetence,
Proving her friends' reliability.
"Luyao and I will step back from this case."
"What?!" Irene nearly choke her when she grabs her collar within seconds. She would not wish for any of these intruding men to settle this case. She would do it herself if that's the case.
And she is not far off.
The look in Yanyi's eyes speaks a lot of their long standing friendship. One that shows trust and determination. She said, "Believe in me."
Irene let go of her collar and let her take the centre stage again. Yanyi continued where she had left off. "Instead of us, Lady Irene and Young Marquess Ryuichi will be in charge of this case."
"They will be given full access to use the facilities that are available by the police force to solve this case. You lots will also participate in this case."
"Why, my lady?"
"This will be the race to determine the capabilities of your abilities that you spoke so highly of. If you win… I will bury all the transgressions that you have done in the past… All of it."
Smiles plastered across their faces.
"But if you fail… consequences follow."
"Alright! We have General Cinth with us. Of course we can win!"
"General Cinth will not partake in this race as well. Neither will his two right hand men." Hearing this sudden change of rule their eyes are as big as a bug. Their trump cards had been taken away.
"Why? General Cinth is our leader. He should partake in this case."
"Now you acknowledge him as your leader? Then what of the countless times you disregard his order to stay put in your place? You didn't acknowledge that order." They all stayed silent. They can't argue with facts.
"Each team will be given free access across the entire premises from sunrise to sunset only. Each team is only allowed to use the available facilities and ways for them. That means, you lots have no rights to use the available facilities that the other team has. The forensic team and the data collection team."
"How are we supposed to figure it out then?"
"I had done more cases in my youth without the help of these departments. I did it just fine with normal human capacity. Surely a soldier of Xue can if their young lady can."
And so that marks the start of a race between the two teams. A race that will not only determine the outcome of the case but the fate of the future that Yanyi holds.
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Irene had pulled her away from the crowd when everything came down to a much slower development. Before she went back to her normal work.
"What are you doing?" The brunette didn't want to dance around the bush any longer. She wants an answer. She wants reason.
Yanyi — "I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone."
Irene —"What birds?"
Yanyi — "Dealing with those soon to be fired soldiers and General Cinth mission."
Irene — "Yanyi… There are so many other times that General Cinth can observe us. Why now?"
Yanyi — "... The longer he stays here the more pain he will feel. I want him to return home… To his loved ones…"
Irene — "Yanyi…"
"And it's for our mission too." To this, Irene who had been stretching her face in frustration looks back down onto her friends. "You find it that quick?"
"Not found. More like speculation."
"What speculation?"
"The weather last night was not normal. There is no sign of a big storm. Not only that, I ask Kazuto if I can have the list of your workers. A project made by an Elite Noble needs observation from another Elite Noble."
"And?"
"The person who died… They are Rin-Sil."
"Rin-Sil?! You're joking, right? Don't tell me you felt some Umbra in that bathroom…" She giggled nervously. Like she is telling an impossible story.
Only she laughs.
"You're not kidding." Yanyi shook her head. She then turned back to the manor, specifically the bathroom area. "Whatever happens here… It is not some normal murder. When Umbra is involved the Rin of the entire Empire will be shaken. You need to find out quickly. It's one of our biggest clues right now."
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"Fine."
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-~*~-