《The Dove》 Chapter 1: Goodbye ¡°A 34-year old woman found dead in her home, detectives suggest burglary. Police warn citizens to be careful as the suspect still on the loose. The suspect has a scar under his left eye. If you even saw him please immediately call the police. Another murder in Deofodil¡­.¡± ¡°Are you really not changing your mind, sweetie?¡± ¡°You know how much I waited for this mom¡± I said, resuming my breakfast. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s the only way¡­look at the news! It¡¯s always been about a damn crime! Aren¡¯t you getting tired of that?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s getting tiring but¡­¡± Vienn put down her utensils and look at me, ¡°But if it means risking your life into danger, I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing it all day, watching world burn even¡± I stop eating and return her gaze. The sadness, worriness, all contained in her tired brown eyes. I know she cried last night¡ªcan¡¯t help at the thoughts of her only son leaving. Away from her embrace with my life always in constant danger. I know she only thinks the best for me and it would be selfish for me to go. But¡­it would be more selfish of me to not go given the situations of the world. They need help. They need more of it. I look at my father who¡¯s silently eating, expecting that he would understand me unlike my mother. ¡°Your mother is right¡­¡± His words pierced my heart. ¡°You should just stay home and wait until your old enough to take over my business¡± ¡°But, I want to he¨C!¡± ¡°Help? You know you could do that even after inheriting my business.¡± He glared at me. Cold even with wrinkles appearing under his eyes. ¡°With money, you can help more people than the path you¡¯re taking now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡± ¡°Of course, I know that! I know very much more than you do, young man.¡± He raised his voice, his tone was sharp but immediately softened when he saw my surprise. ¡°I know you want to be like him, but..he¡¯s gone! Son, he¡¯s gone! You need to accept it as it is.¡± ¡°I know! But, the world is in urgent need of replacement. A new symbol of peace! And tha¨C¡± I stuttered, knowing that they would hate more what I will say. But I keep going. ¡°That will be me!¡± As I expected, my words made my father more furious. My mother was shocked that she dropped the glass. Her eyes began to water. They only know I want to be a detective, not I want to be the¡­ ¡°Symbol of peace?You want to be The Dove?¡± My father was the first to react, to get a hold of himself. ¡°Did I hear you right? Honey, tell me¡­did our son really say he wants to be the new symbol of peace?¡± I fixed my gaze on them to show that I''m serious. And to my surprise, ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± My father began to laugh. I didn''t expect it. It scares me, but not more than when I see him stand up in his seat and grab me by my collar. ¡°Are you fucking crazy!?¡± He shouted. His eyes red in fury. This is the first time I see him so angry. ¡°Do you think you''re the main character of some story of shit!? Be The Dove you say!? Is this some kind of joke to you!?¡± My mother also stood up, trying to get me away from the hold of my father¡¯s grip. She¡¯s already crying. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re much better than them!? Than Silver? than Cuff? than thousands of detectives and police out there!?¡± I feel his grip tightening. But I do not struggle. I listen. I know more than to add fuel to the fire. ¡°You think you''re worthy!?¡± He threw me on the floor, feeling the coldness of it on my back. ¡°No.¡± I admitted. ¡°But, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going. To be worthy¡± Silence filled the house. Breakfast had gone out cold. Broken glass under its place. The little sound of flickering flames on the fireplace was the only one keeping the room alive. But, was soon covered by my mother¡¯s weeping and father¡¯s ragged breathing. I could feel the atmosphere losing its cold. But, it''s getting heavy instead. I kept my head down, and only stood up when I noticed the time in the wall clock. ¡°I¡¯m going¡± I said, as I fixed the collar of my suit. I received nothing but the increasing sound of my mother¡¯s weeping. But it¡¯s enough. I grabbed my things and walked towards the door. I looked back and saw my father still standing, head down. My mother''s on the floor, her hands covering her eyes. My tears are on the verge of dropping out. But, I hold it. As I refused to release my pent up emotions here¡ªfrustration, tears. And only mustered up my courage to say¡­ ¡°Goodbye, mother, and father. Take care.¡± But before I could close the door, I heard my father¡¯s faint voice, ¡°He died by the hands of the criminals. And you will die if you keep this up too. The world is much darker than you think, Luther. Much more scarier¡± I nod my head, holding my tears, ¡°I know father, I know¡± I finally close the door and walk ahead. With the sounds of two crying people behind. *** I traversed through the streets, with only the light of lamppost guiding me through the fog covering almost all the gothic buildings lined up. It was only 6 in the morning. The sun has yet to reveal itself. Despite that, there¡¯s already many people walking around¡ª wearing suits of all fine colors, along with their canes and top hats. Sounds of clattering hooves on the stoned roads tell that this was also gonna be a busy day. I tightened the hold on my case, turn towards the alley. I want to meet someone first before I go. Consider him as my teacher and¡­friend. He always listens and understands me. Give me advice better than my parents. He needs to know that I¡¯m leaving. He at least deserves this much. ¡°Ow!¡± I was deep in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice there¡¯s someone in front of me¡ªbumped at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I hurriedly apologized and tried to walk past him. But he grabbed my arm before I could. ¡°Look kid, you bumped into someone, and you only said sorry?¡± The man turned to face me, looking me in the eye. With the help of faint lighting, I noticed a scar under his left eye. My blood turned cold, drained in my face. My hands shook and lips trembled, but I immediately composed myself before he noticed something. I know better than to panic here. Telling him that I know him and saw him on the news will only make my situation worse. I look at both ends of the alley, hoping someone will see us and get to call the police. And I will stall time by then, but to my horror no one was there. The fog was too thick for the people to notice us here! Unless, I shout but¡­he¡¯s gripping me tightly. And by the time the police come here, I know I already breathed my last. We¡¯re talking about a murderer here! ¡°Ya listening kid?¡± The man breaks my thoughts, tightening his grip more to my arm. ¡°Just give me your money, and we¡¯re done here.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Okay¡± I sighed in relief when I heard that. ¡°Just let my arm go so that I can take it¡± He smirk and released his grip when he realized I¡¯m being cooperative. I shook my hurt left arm. And put my hands inside my case. The man grinned more at the sight but turned 360¡ã when he saw that it¡¯s not money on my hand but a spray. A homemade pepper spray! I quickly sprayed it to his eyes, and kick him on his crotch much to his surprised. He grimaced and kneeled in pain. I immediately run and shouted, ¡°Murderer! The murderer is here! Help!¡± The man soon recovered himself, faster than I anticipated. But, I¡¯m already meters away from him. However, instead of running outside the alley, I turned to face him. The police are gonna be here no more than 2 minutes. And he¡¯ll be already away before that. So I need to stop him. I refused to let him go given that someone will be his victim next. ¡°You!¡± The man glared at me with fury. It sent shivers down to my spine. He took something out of his pocket, revealing a knife. Its blade shining through the light of the peeking sun. I swallowed hard. The fog was beginning to disperse. He rushed at me, knife on the right. I evaded his every slash. It was stupid of me to fight someone with a knife. But my friend was a good teacher. He taught me all he knew and that includes how to fight. I stepped to the right as he aimed to stab my left side. But, I¡¯m late enough to cut my coat and grazed my side. So close! If I dodge a second later I think It will leave a hole on my side. I punch his right arm strong enough for him to lose grip of his knife. Seizing the opportunity, I twist my foot and uppercut him, making him stumble on the floor. Soon, the police came. I explained what happened and they immediately arrested the man. They asked If I could give them my name, but I refused. I¡¯m in a hurry so I cut off the conversation before the crowd gets bigger. Of course I didn¡¯t forget to thank them for their service, before I continued on my way. *** Soon, I arrived at the front of a shabby looking bookstore. It¡¯s mostly made in wood and it¡¯s color ....well, a little bit darker than my taste. But, I already got used to it, as I frequently visited from the moment I chanced upon it 2 years ago. I fixed the broken sign before I entered, and the familiar ring of bell welcomed me. ¡°Welcome!¡± I heard a hoarse voice coming from the far end of the bookstore, along with the sounds of books being placed on the shelf. ¡°Please wait a minute, I¡¯m just arranging some new books here. You could take a look around if you may, while you wait¡± I laughed when I heard that, ¡°As much as I want for you to have a new customer, I will disappoint you, old man. It¡¯s just me, Luther, your one and only customer!¡± The shuffling sounds of books stopped, ¡°Yeah, I figured as much¡­¡± then continued. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°You clearly didn¡¯t know it was me until I talked!¡± I stomped on my way until the end of the lined up shelves, and spotted an old man¡ªwith small hat and rim glasses. He glance at me briefly, ¡°Nice try, boy, but you didn¡¯t masked your steps completely¡­¡± He paused, then pointed at my nose and flick it. ¡°And you forgot to control your breathing. You''re wasting too much.¡± I rubbed my nose, and picked one of the books inside the box, beside the old man. ¡°But, I almost got you aren¡¯t I? Admit it!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s almost, the only matter is if you did it¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Can you still say the same if it¡¯s catching criminals? A murderer?¡± the old man put the last of the book on the shelf, and turned to look at me, his tone quickly changed. I sense it''s gonna be another quick lesson. ¡°No¡­but I will not stop until I catch them¡± I met his eyes. ¡°Do you? How many will they kill before then? One? Five? Dozen?¡± The old man shrugged, amused. ¡°Be serious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look serious to me¡± ¡°I really am! More than enough to catch them at least.¡± I smirked. ¡°Oh? Getting a big head aren¡¯t you?¡± The old man approached me, ¡°You just learned how to fight, and you think you know how the world works now?¡± He stepped forward, and I instinctively stepped back. During our training, he beat me up a lot, enough for my body to remember him. And for me to fear him more than my father. ¡°Look, Luther, If you really want to be a great detective, you need to be precise!¡± He pointed his finger at my chest, so hard that I could feel the pain. ¡°There¡¯s no room for failure, as this means more lives will be taken. More things will be lost..¡± I stared at him in the eyes, seeing emotions in his black pupils, I couldn¡¯t identify. But, this is not the first time, As I saw it before, when I asked him to teach me. I felt his emotions always resonating. Like he speaks with experience. ¡°Do you understand, Luther?¡± I retracted my gaze, and nodded my head in defeat. He''s right. And it looks like my head got bigger when I caught the murderer. I must engrave in my mind that not all criminals are the same. ¡°Now do you care to tell me if you''re here to just simply read books or tell me why you have a cut in your side?¡± the old man asked, walking back to his counter. I put the book into its shelf and followed closely behind. ¡°Well, both actually, and¡­a lot more¡± I said, not surprised. I bandaged myself, and after that, I told everything of what happened in the alley¡ªmy fight and how I caught the murderer. The old man listened while reading a book, flipping its pages. He nodded then and there, but most of the time immersed into his book. I sighed as I finished recounting, ¡°Are you listening, old man?¡± There¡¯s only silence. I look at him, still reading. ¡°Ha¡­¡± This isn¡¯t new. It always happens when Old man is too immersed in his books. He couldn¡¯t be bothered, and be bothered by anything else. Nothing I could do, except to wait until he¡¯s finished. I laid back on my chair, stretched my limbs, while my eyes wandered around the library. Even, I''ve been here more than in our house for 2 years, I still can¡¯t get used to the number of books here¡ªall of them arranged in long lined up bookshelves. The second floor alone has three shelves¡ªfiction, non fiction, and poetry. It¡¯s also where the old man¡¯s room is located, though I haven¡¯t been there yet. The first floor has at least 4 bookshelves¡ªhistory, human psychology, anatomy, mysteries, politics, etc. All knowledge enough to be considered wise are all contained there. I always wonder how such an old man like him gathered all those books. Did he buy them? To where? I doubt anyone would sell such a precious knowledge. But, If there were, then they¡¯re a fool. Ironic. I stand and walk up towards the third shelf on the first floor. I still have time till I go, and I know the old man will take quite some time, so why don¡¯t I read some books since I have nothing to do anyway. I grabbed a book, went back to my seat. I glanced at the old man still absorbed in his book, then I glanced at mine. The book has a hard red cover, it smells old, surprisingly not dusty, evidence that someone just read them recently. It¡¯s the old man perhaps.. I read its title: A Century-Old Mystery. Interesting¡­ I flipped through its pages and started to read. Chapter 2: Resolve Bang! A loud sound invaded my mind, pulling me back from my dream. I opened my eyes and saw Old man picking up his thick book on the floor¡ªthe one he''s reading earlier. I massaged my forehead as I felt my mind being cracked into two. Argh¡­How much did I sleep for? I continued to press my head then shot right up when I remembered why I''m here. ¡°Shit! What time is it?¡± I felt something fall from my chair but I ignored it. I glanced left and right, finding the wall clock. The Old man looked at me, startled by my sudden action. ¡°It''s 6:45,¡± He answered. ¡°Why?¡± I sighed in relief. So, I was only asleep for a while, huh? That''s good..I still have plenty of time then. But, I need to be there early, so I better wrap this thing up. I composed myself and took an envelope from my case. The Old man watched the envelope with interest, but turned serious when I called his name, ¡°Old Jack..¡± I handed the envelope to him. He squinted his eyes, examining it closely. ¡°What is this?¡± He asked. ¡°Open it,¡± I said. He turned to look me in the eyes, as he opened it. Inside was another envelope but with a seal on it. A golden-seal with an intricate design of two mountains with the rising sun in the middle. Old Jack''s eyes widened as he recognized the seal. Who wouldn''t? As only one place was capable of making this golden-seal. A place funded by the taxes of all citizens in the world, with an aim to create and produce detectives that would bring back peace. It was the institute where the last hope of humanity lies, Pax! I saw Old Jack''s hand trembling, nearly dropping the envelope. But, composed himself immediately as if nothing had happened. He slowly tugged the seal, and unfolded the letter inside. I looked at Old Jack as he read the letter, watching his reaction, that happened to be none as he remained stoic as ever. I didn''t wait for too long as I saw him putting back the letter inside. ¡°You applied to Pax?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°And it seemed that you passed?¡± ¡°It said so¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°And you''re leaving today?¡± His voice got louder. I looked down, too afraid to meet his eyes, and nodded my head, ¡° Yes, that''s why I''m here. To inform you and say goodbye.¡± ¡°How good of you, but no, You''re not leaving¡± I looked at him in surprise. Not sure if he''s joking or not, but when I saw him walking towards his desk and hiding the envelope underneath, I realized that he''s serious, and I got angry when I saw that, ¡°Give it back!¡± I said, running towards him. He ignored me, as he began locking his desk. ¡°What are you doing!? Give it back! You have no right to stop me!¡± I glared at him, brows meeting. The lock clinked, as Old Jack tried to hide the key. I grabbed his arm before he could, feeling his muscles under my grip. ¡°Let go¡± He said with a calm voice. So calm that I nearly obeyed him out of fear. But I gritted, ¡°Not when you give back my letter.¡± I replied. Old Jack looked at my hand, then at my eyes, and suddenly tried to grab my arm, but I released my grip faster than he could, and held his arm with my other hand. I smirked, then it disappeared when I saw him loose and dropped the key in his hand. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He kicked the key, making it fly. I looked up in the air, and jumped to grab the key. But Old Jack tackled me, left me stumbling as he grabbed the key with his hand. ¡°Argh..¡± I groaned as I stood up. I clenched my fist, rushed at him, and wasted no time sending my left and right fist consecutively to his face. Old Jack easily dodged it. He moved his feet away while his body swayed. I followed his footwork as I kept sending blows. I performed a side kick, but he caught my foot before it landed. I tried to draw back but his grip was too tight. Then I jumped and used my other foot to kick him in his face much to his surprise and mine when I felt it landed. But it quickly disappeared as I saw he defended it with his other palm. Shit! I felt him gripping my two feet, as he threw me on the floor. I quickly twisted my body before I landed, falling on the floor with my two feet on the ground. I exhaled, thankful that I''m fast to keep my feet firm. Then, I turned to look in front of me, finding Old Jack gone. What¡­ I trembled, and raised my arms instinctively to my side, but too late as I felt it stuck with a strong force. I felt my body flying as I crashed to a bookshelf. Books dropped on my head as I saw Old Jack approaching me. ¡°Unfair¡­¡± I coughed, putting my hand to where he punched me, and where the murderer earlier grazed me. I felt the warm blood in my hand. ¡°You''re not ready yet,¡± Old Jack said. I met his eyes, and saw it full of pity, ¡°You will die there. Pax is more dangerous than you think, Luther. There''s no time since it was founded where no criminals breached there, and no students died." ¡°I know¡­¡± I clenched my side more tightly. ¡°No you don''t¡± He shook his head, and I began to laugh, realizing they were all the same, ¡°Hahahaha..¡± Old Jack looked at me in surprise, but I ignored as I released all my pent up emotions here. I need to say it or else it will eat from the inside. I laughed and laughed as I stumbled and tried to stand up, ¡°Why do you always think that I know nothing!? My father, and even you!?¡± I pointed my finger at him, shaking. My tears dripped from my eyes. ¡°You think it was all a play to me? You think I joined this knowing nothing about the risk?¡± I approached him, eyes blurry. I''m tired of people saying I don''t know anything. ¡°Dangerous, you say? Hahaha..Of course it''s dangerous, there''s nothing in this world that''s not dangerous! Every part of the world is in chaos now. To say that I''m not ready yet when every child out there, lost and going to lose their childhood, without them knowing, without any preparation, anytime, anywhere! There''s really no one born ready in this world! This world is full of uncertainty! Anything can happen at any time. And if all people don''t do anything because it''s dangerous, who will!? This world is already burning, Old Jack. And I''ll not let it burn any further.¡± I walk towards his desk, dragging my feet. I used a ballpen to unlock the lock, taking my envelope inside. To my suprise, Old Jack was doing nothing to stop me but instead watching me silently. I grabbed my things on the floor and put them inside my case. ¡°I will go, Old Jack. Even if hell dragged me back I will bloody go.¡± I wore my top hat and dragged myself towards the door. ¡°To see the dawn one must have the courage to face the night. Its the words left by Rodger, words that you said before you trained me. It''s the words that still rest in my mind. And the words that I will continue to live. It''s not a matter of I can''t but I must. And for this, I will forever be grateful to you Old Jack, for all this 2 years¡­I''m really thankful.¡± *** I stared at the scenery passing by. High pitched whistle resonating on the background. I''m aboard on a train¡ª on my way to Godham, the least and safest place in the world. It''s where detectives and police stand by. And where the den of most criminal organizations lay. Ironic..well everything in the world is. That place is where Pax has been built. People called it the Heart of the World. Mostly because it''s in the center of the land, where the last hope stands. Or maybe it''s because it''s the place where the darkest side of humanity can be found. I twitched, suddenly felt my side sting. I looked at my side and saw a red spot on my suit¡ªa stain of blood from my wound. It''s only small earlier as it was only grazed by that bloody murderer. But, Old Jack''s punch made it worse, made the wound open up. It''s a relief that I have some savings for an expert to bandage it up, I passed there before I board here. Sigh¡­Everyone''s against me from going¡ªmy mother, father and¡­even Old Jack. I thought he would understand me. Looks like I''m wrong. He''s the same. Why did they think so low of me? Is there something wrong with me that I don''t see? I clenched my fist. Am I untrustworthy? No. I shook my head, immediately erasing that thought, ¡° You can doubt anyone but you must never doubt yourself ¡± A quote from Rodger that I always reminded myself of. Maybe they''re just worried for my safety. Yeah, they''re worried about me. It''s a thing to be happy about. Let''s settle on that. I grabbed my pocket watch from my case, and opened it. It''s forty minutes past 8. Soon, I would arrive at Godham. And would face the other side of the world. I don''t know what''s waiting for me there. And how it will affect me. But, I''m ready. I fixed my brown coat, tapped my inner pocket to make sure my envelope was still there, and put my case on my lap so that I don''t forget it. Alright, I''m all set. I smiled in satisfaction, then stared right ahead, and met with a lady sitting cross legged, reading a book. ¡°Huh?¡± I blurted out. Realizing my mistake, I immediately looked away and stared at the passing scenery, pretending I didn''t react. How long has she been here? I remembered I sat here alone. Did she sneak upon me? Impossible¡­ Even though I was deep in my thoughts there''s no way she can do it without me noticing. Unless..she''s better than me which is far more impossible. And how can the sound of a book flipping escape my ears? Especially that thick! And in front of me nonetheless. I glanced at her intrigued, my face still facing the window. She wears a breasted brown coat like me. I can very well see with the corner of my eyes, and I can say that..uhm..she''s beautiful. Very. I focused on her eyes as she read the book. I waited for her pupils to go down, signaling that she''s done reading the page, and ready to flip it. Let''s see if you have the skill to match up your face or it''s just an oversight from my side. I watched her pupils reach the bottom of the page, then her hand flipping it slowly¡­ then stopped. She stopped in the middle. What? Surprised by this sudden action, I turned to look at her, and then met with intoxicating pale blue eyes that seemed to reflect the winter sky. I felt sucked by its storm, causing my heart to skip a beat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 3: Surprises In all the skills that Old Jack taught me, I considered my spying skill to be the best. It was the only skill that Old Jack had ever praised me for, and he was stingy with praise. He said I had great peripheral vision and that I controlled it well. I believed him because I had spied on him once. I pretended that I was studying a book when I was actually reading what he was writing. He didn''t notice it, I know, since he doesn''t like it when someone meddles with his stuff. But now, I doubt it. Maybe at that time, Old Jack just didn''t care whether I read what he was writing or not. ¡°Why are you peeking at me?¡± the woman asked, her pale blue eyes still staring at me, as if she would know if I were to lie or not. I fixed my sitting position, faced her, while rubbing my nose, pretending to be embarrassed. ¡°Uhm¡­ It''s just that¡­ It''s my first time seeing someone so beautiful,¡± I said, not lying. I''ve seen plenty of women and even had quite a few exes myself in high school, but I admit no one can compare to her in terms of looks. If you put my last ex beside her, I''d say that she would look plain. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied, clearly not interested in continuing the conversation as she resumed reading the book. It''s not like I''m interested either, not gonna lie. I don''t want to associate with any girl myself. The time of me fooling around had ended a long time ago. I now have more important things to attend to. A dream to follow. I retracted my gaze from her and started to check my things for the second time when she suddenly spoke, ¡°You act well¡­¡± Her words surprised me, but I didn''t show it. Better to play ignorant. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°For someone trying to be embarrassed, you stared at my eyes for too long,¡± she said, not even sparing me a glance, her eyes still on the book. ¡°It''s not like I have a choice. Your eyes are very charming, you know that?¡± I looked down, then looked at her eyes. ¡°To the point that I can''t help but be drawn to them.¡± She met my eyes, and I looked away. I don''t think she''s suspicious of me anymore, is she? I played with my pocket watch, flipping the cover over and over. ¡°I know¡­ Many have said it. All were smooth talkers. Sadly, you''re not any different despite how you act.¡± She shrugged. Interesting¡­ It isn''t every day that you get to see a woman like her. Tough and sharp. I raised my hands, showing that I gave in. ¡°Okay, you got me! I just thought maybe being shy would strike you differently?¡± I said playfully. ¡°Quite the opposite, in fact,¡± she replied, flipping the book off its page. I gulped as I saw her tuck her hair behind her ear, showing her fair skin devoid of any scars or pimples. Seriously, how can someone be this beautiful? ¡°May I ask what you are reading?¡± I tilted my head, trying to peek at the title on its cover. But she closed the book before I could even see it, hiding it under her arm. Her pale blue eyes glared at me coldly, her salmon lips opened and closed before she declined me flatly, ¡°No¡­ Just mind your own business.¡± ¡°I insist. The travel bores me, and I have a quarter of an hour left before I arrive at my destination. I couldn''t bear that. A companion such as yourself can help to spend some time. Maybe we have something like a common interest that we could talk about?¡± I smiled as sweetly as I could. Maybe with this, she will change her mind? I really need some company. And I can''t request better company than her. She caught my interest. But that''s just it, nothing more. ¡°Ah,¡± I said as I remembered something. I turned to my case and took a book with a hard red cover. When I checked my things earlier, I was surprised to see it in my case. I mulled for a long time over how it got there, but suddenly remembered that my things dropped on the floor when I woke up. Maybe it got included when I picked it up from the floor. I showed it to her. ¡°Look, I love reading too! Especially books on psychology and mystery. I got this from our local library before I boarded. A Century-Old Mystery is its title. Have you read it yet?¡± She paused and shook her head, but I noticed something light up in her eyes. My mouth curled up slightly. Heh, I think I got her interested. I started to tell her the introduction of the book, without wasting any time. At first, she was hesitant, but my storytelling got her hooked, and soon she was listening like a kid with her head resting on her hand. She nodded then and there, sometimes meeting my eyes. The story goes like this: There was a family who was murdered on their farm, in the town of Heliss¡ªMaria and Joseph Stark, their 4-year-old son Bren, 12-year-old daughter Jesse, and their maid Ann. Their bodies were found in the barn stacked on top of each other, with penetrating wounds coming from a pickaxe. While Ann was found on her own bed not breathing. The narrator is a young detective who''s assigned to solve this case that has remained unsolved for the past 20 years. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The murderer actually resided on the farm for three days following the crime, according to the findings made by the young detective. A Wednesday mailman found the family dog tied up to a post, calves being fed, and meals being served in the kitchen even after the family had passed away. Neighbors had reported seeing smoke rising from the chimney. The bodies were found the following day. What made this story more interesting is that the young detective discovered that Ann was actually hired three days before she was killed, replacing the previous maid who had quit 3 months earlier due to the house being ¡°haunted.¡± According to the maid, she reported to the family that there were voices and sounds of footsteps in the attic, but they decided to ignore her, telling her that she didn''t need any excuse as they would let her leave. In the end, the young detective failed to solve the case. Despite repeated arrests, no murderer has ever been found, and the files were closed. ¡°Do you think it was the ghost?¡± I asked her as I finished telling the summary of the book. She''s now laid back in her seat, hugging her thick book in her arms. She turned to look at me and shook her head, ¡°Ghosts aren''t real.¡± ¡°Yes, but they probably are in this book. This is fiction; we can''t cross out the possibility, can we?¡± I said. ¡°Humans hold more mystery than anything. If it''s indeed a ghost¡­ then it''s a bad book. There''s no use in thinking and solving the mystery if that''s the case.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I said. So she''s interested in this kind of thing. I held my gaze on her as I caressed the book''s cover. I felt the rough edge of it in my hand. ¡°If it''s not a ghost, then who do you think the murderer was?¡± ¡°The maid, Ann. She was the murderer,¡± she said. I was surprised as I heard absolute certainty in her voice. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± I asked. ¡°You said the bodies were found in the barn, but Ann''s was on her bed. Isn''t it strange?¡± She said, her lips touching the head of the pen in her hand. I don''t know when she got it. ¡°Why was her body the only one not in the barn?¡± ¡°Maybe because she''s a maid? And the murderer has a habit of classifying his/her victims?¡± I answered. Now, this is getting more interesting. ¡°No, I doubt it. There''s something off¡­ suspicious about her. And besides¡­calves being fed? And meals still being served? If it''s not a habit of a maid, what is? She opened her book, scribbling something on it. So it''s not a book but a notebook, huh? ¡°But she''s dead, isn''t she?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes¡­and no,¡± She said, still writing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Her hand paused as she turned to look at me. ¡°There''s a drug that makes you seem like you''re dead. It could send someone into a deep hypothermic state, make their vital signs nearly invisible, and lead a knowledgeable medical technician to presume someone is dead..¡± She explained. ¡°You don''t mean?¡± ¡°Yes, she took that drug¡­ at least based on what you told me,¡± She eyed me suspiciously. Looks like she thinks I left out some part of the story. ¡°You''re right¡­ they thought Ann died due to smothering as they saw her face covered by a pillow.¡± I grinned. ¡°Seems like I forgot to tell you?¡± ¡°So she faked her death by that¡­ that settles it then,¡± She toiled at me and resumed writing. She''s really good! She reached the same conclusion faster than me! I remembered sleeping after I solved it, and she figured it out without breaking a sweat! How unfair! I felt my pride beginning to crumble. But she ignored one thing, how come nobody solved it in the past twenty years? I also tried to ask Old Jack about it, but he just scoffed at me, told me I''m green. ¡°It''s no use thinking about it. It''s fiction¡­ the author can make the characters dumber however much he/she likes,¡± She said as if reading my mind. I''m surprised, but more dissatisfied with the answer. I think there''s more on the surface. Some mystery hidden underneath. I''m just short of knowledge right now. But, maybe someday I will discover it? I hope so. The sound of a whistle resounded, signaling that we arrived at our destination, Godham. Time really runs fast when busy. I put the book in my case and stood up from my seat without wasting any seconds. I controlled my breathing, calming my nervous heart. It''s my first time in a big city; I hope all goes well¡­ I patted my inner pocket, where the envelope was. I saw the woman also preparing her things. Looks like this is also her destination. ¡°I''m thankful for the company. You really made this arduous journey fun. I hope I see you again next time and discuss more mysteries..¡± But I doubt it. I doubt there will be a next time. It''s a shame. I left the train and waited for no reply. She had already served her purpose. There''s no use for dilly-dallying, but I''m sure that if I offered my hand, she would take it and shake it. But I have no intention to hold another girl''s hand. Not anymore. I managed to squeeze through the crowd and got myself out of the station. My senses tingled, and every hair on my body stood. I always read that Godham is the best and worst city. But they did it no justice. My eyes widened at the sight. My ears, nose, and touch doubted things. In front of me was a city full of Gothic buildings. The clock tower showed its magnificence in the center. Roads made of brick extended to every nook of the street, with carriages racing through them. But what caught my eyes was the architecture in the far end of the horizon, where the sun rises, surrounded by walls and men in dirty white suits. My nose caught the lingering smell of gunpowder, the smells of piss on the wall, shit in the sewer, and semen on the street. My ears caught the clattering hooves of horses, shouts of men, groaning of women, and whistles of the police. My touch was on my suit pocket, cut open on the outside, as the heaviness of coins felt dreamy. The sun was yet at its peak. But, I felt it was already night. In the midst of it was something that slipped my mind. I forgot to ask the woman''s name. Chapter 4: Three ¡°Dammit! ¡±How can I forget to ask her name? Did I talk to her without even asking what her name was? And introduce myself? Did I really skip the most important part? And worse, forget my honor? I turned to look at the station, having an urge to return and find the woman, in case she¡¯s still there. But the time is ticking. I know finding her would cost me the opening ceremony of Pax. And I don¡¯t want that. But I don¡¯t want my honor to be tainted either. But it¡¯s still uncertain whether I¡¯ll really find her. And if I didn¡¯t, then missing the ceremony would be all for naught. But how can I become the dove and set peace if I can even keep the promise and the rules I made to myself? I¡¯m now stuck in a dilemma. And I know any more thinking will waste more time. I should decide fast, or I¡¯ll lose both chances. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. This is what I always do when I can¡¯t decide. I disregarded the noise in my surroundings, the foul smell, and the coins that had been cut over my pocket. I ignored all the unnecessary things in my head. My attention is now only in my heart. I heard only the heartbeat. Then I saw and smelled nothing. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes, smiling. I felt my mind serene. I raised my hand, like a dove opening its wings. I decided to trust the wind. The carriage stopped in front of me. And I hopped in. ¡°To Pax,¡± I said. This is where the wind, I think, will take me. It¡¯s okay if I ignore my honor once, right? I laid back on my seat, staring right ahead. I look toward where my future lies. Oblivious that the wind is brushing against me. Forgetting that if you can ignore something once, you can ignore it twice, three times, until you ignore it completely. Disregarding small things can make you disregard big things too. And I will realize it too late. I will realize it when I see what honor remains. And what it will cost me. *** ¡°Here,¡± I said, handing the money over to the carriage driver. It¡¯s good that I came prepared. I didn¡¯t put all of my money in my pocket like I usually do, or else it would also be pickpocketed. Like hell, I didn¡¯t notice it. It must have been when I sneaked through the crowd. When I saw the carriage continuing on its way, I turned my attention to the tall concrete walls behind me. It extends in a circular motion, reaching at least 10 feet in height. I could see barb wires following on top of it. If not for the pictures in the newspaper, I would think the carriage dropped me in the wrong place¡ªa prison instead of a school. I approached the thick iron gate standing in the center of the wall. Men in dirty white suits were surrounding it, extending through both sides. I read they were called Hawks. A force very much like a police force, except they were under the school and not the government. Their mission is solely to protect students from any possible threats. Whether it¡¯s from a foe, friends, family, or higher authority, no one is an exception. They took a vow, and they will follow it ¡®til death. It¡¯s the last gift from the last good president. Remove them, and they will suffer the wrath of the masses. People also call them the Hope Keepers. I also heard that one Hawk is equal to five policemen in strength. I wonder if it¡¯s true, though. A hawk gestured for me to stop as I came near the gate. ¡°State your purpose,¡± he said. his face hidden under the shadow of his mask. I think all of them are. Weird. I took my envelope from my inner pocket and handed it to him. He checked and verified what was inside. Then she handed it back to me. I saw him nod at the other hawk, followed by the dragging sound of the gate. I smiled when a different smell of air blew across my face. I turned to look at the hawks, removed my top hat, put it on my chest, and bowed to them, ¡°Thank you for your service and loyalty for the peace of the land. I also thank you, as you will start protecting me from now on, from the deepest of my heart.¡± I smiled and put back my hat. ¡°May we see the dawn,¡± I said, entering through the gate with the murmur sounds of the hawks. May we see the dawn. *** The hawks closed the iron gate again after I passed through, and with this, I could no longer see the view of the outside world. I¡¯m now in this enclosed space, surrounded by walls, having no choice but to step forward. And prove myself worthy afterwards. Holding my case, I began to walk while feasting my eyes on the scenery in front of me. Luscious green gardens with colorful blooming flowers. Buzzing bees fly over its petals, and fountains drip its clear water. A grassy field with a stone pathway in its middle, leading on the way to this school''s main building. A scene depicting peace is all I would say. And they did it almost perfectly. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The main building made the wall look so small, with its height of over 160 feet. It follows the Renaissance architectural style, having a rectangular shape with a dimension of 86 meters long and 74 meters wide. This information is based on what¡¯s written in the book that I read in Old Jack¡¯s library. But seeing it in person made me doubt if they measured it correctly. As I threaded through the path, I finally saw what I¡¯m dying to see the most: the statue of a man wearing a top hat, along with a cape and suit. I could see the determined and fearless look in his eyes even when he was carved. He has a mustache and a monocle on his right eye, adding to this fearsome look. He holds his cane in front of him with both of his hands. I went near the statue, feeling his name carved on the gold plate with my hand. My heart trembled as old memories resurfaced in my head. But I quickly shook it off. ¡°Rodger King,¡± I whispered his name. He was no other than the man who made the land see the dawn. Made the criminals tremble, hide, and force them to live in harmony. The man who brought justice and mercy. He was the symbol of peace, as was The Dove. I clenched my fist, staring at his figure once more. Then start walking again, this time faster. As if I¡¯m scared that I will look back and spend my whole time looking at the statue. I entered through the main door with my hand holding the tip of my hat. Unaware of the tears dripping off my cheeks. *** ¡°Leaves fall, but new ones bloom. Another year was again passed at Pax. Another year with no peace. Maybe this is your last year here? Your second year? Or maybe you are new. Regardless, we have a mission, we have a dream, and we have people to protect: our families, friends, and loved ones. We entered here because we want them to experience peace; we want them to enjoy life without having to barrage their doors with locks at night. Live the day with news about something entertaining and relieving. Not thefts or killings. Without them having to worry if they will be the next, imagine if their death will be painful or not. A decade ago, Rodger King achieved it. It lasted for 7 years, a year full of bliss. Until they took it away. And now, three years have gone by since that dream. We are currently experiencing a nightmare. An ever-increasing crime and suicidal rate. People are starting to distrust each other, they are beginning to worry, and they are beginning to lose hope. Now, we ought to take it back. The peace that was once in our hands. The peace that Rodger King gave to us. So that our people will never lose hope. So that our land may see the dawn once again. You are now a fledgling! You left your home and your nest. You have the wings. And now you have to fly. And you¡¯ll learn it here. You have three years to learn it here. Until somehow, someone in the brood flies high enough to become the symbol of peace. And become the dove! May we see the dawn! ¡± The crowd burst into cheers as the principal ended his speech. I too shouted on top of my lungs, feeling something lit inside me. It¡¯s my first time hearing such a powerful speech, and it made my heart tremble. It made me think that I made the right choice to come and choose the ceremony. And I could see that it¡¯s the same for the people around me. We are in the courtyard now¡ªin the center of the main building. It took me a while to get here. Gladly, I¡¯m not late, and the ceremony has not yet started. I focused my attention again on the man on the podium¡ªthe Principalis. A man in his fifties with a receding hairline. I noticed that he wasn¡¯t finished talking and had something to say again. I sensed that it¡¯s important, so I behaved myself, ready to absorb whatever information he¡¯s going to give. ¡°Fledglings! ¡±He called out. The crowd went silent. When he saw the attention all focused on him, he resumed, ¡°To have peace, we need order and rules. And this place is no exception. Pax has its own rules, and as a fledgling, you ought to follow them. Defy them, and you will see yourselves back in your nest.¡± Silence continued, and I gulped as I realized again that this is different from your normal school. This is no place to play and fool around. ¡°First of all, you have 3 years, as I said earlier. In these 3 years, you need to uphold...¡± He raised his three fingers. ¡°Three rules.¡± ¡°First rule: no violence unless required. You must remember that we are not barbarians or even more criminals. We are here to become a symbol of peace. And we can never achieve peace through violence. ¡°Second rule: no stealing. As you know, theft is the greatest sin of all. Every other sin is a variation of theft. When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his mother¡¯s right to a son; you rob his future. When you tell a lie, you steal someone¡¯s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.1 ¡°Third and last rule: don¡¯t die. We can¡¯t protect our loved ones if we¡¯re dead. I¡¯ll spit in your grave when you die without contributing to peace. Without even seeing and experiencing it. Remember, heaven is nothing but an illusion created by some hopeless fools. There¡¯s no peace if you die. There¡¯s no place when you have nothing to worry about. When you die, you leave hell. And hell only awaits.¡± Chapter 5: Her Pale Blue Eyes Wow¡­I¡¯m starting to like this man. He¡¯s good with words. I could feel his emotions in his speech even though he''s speaking so calmly. I guess that¡¯s why he¡¯s the Principalis. Anyway, these rules sound great! Looks like I¡¯m going to have a peaceful year in this place. Uh.. maybe not so peaceful as we will mostly be involved in crimes? ¡°Now, we¡¯ll talk about the things that we will expect for you in those amounts of time. As I said before and I will say it again, you have 3 years. In those years, you just need to do three things¡­¡± The Principalis said, scanning the crowd. ¡°First, you need to attend classes like a normal student¨C¡± He¡¯s suddenly stopped by the grumbling sounds of the mass. I expected him to be annoyed but instead saw his lips curling up. I guess he thought that this is the normal reaction for them. Students who just went here to experience thrill? But, I¡¯m not like them. Some of us are. After a few seconds, the crowd went silent again and the Principalis resumed, ¡°I understand your complaint. It¡¯s the normal reaction. But, you need to know that the classes that you will attend are different from the normal ones. It¡¯s more advanced. And much more complicated. However, you also need to know that you¡¯re not here to enjoy your life. You are here for your loved ones, for your homes. You are here to protect them. You should keep that in your heart and mind.¡± He said as his smiles deepened. ¡°Anyway, you have three classes per day, and it¡¯s three days per week. Those classes focus more on laws, human psychology and anatomy. You also have combat class, two days per week. Your instructors will inform you more about it. And the rest you could do whatever you want. You could spend your two days sleeping, studying, socializing anything you want as long as you follow the rules.¡± He opened the pocket watch tied to his wrist, checking the time, ¡°For the last, every third month you need to help the police to solve a crime in which we called The Hunt. And for the record, nine out of twelve crimes have been solved by one student. He¡¯s quite famous and known for the name Silver.¡± *** ¡°Silver? That famous rising detective? He¡¯s that good?¡± someone asked. ¡°He solved nine crimes for three years, for blood¡¯s sake! Of course he¡¯s good! How can you be so stupid?¡± answered by someone behind me. I guess they know each other based on how casual they talk. Anyway, I didn¡¯t expect Silver to be an alumni here. Well, he really isn¡¯t the person to flaunt it. He¡¯s known for being an independent and nonchalant guy. And we have no way to know it since the authorities disclosed all his personal information. Not only him, but for most detectives. For their safety I assume? And I think it¡¯s also because of this school. Maybe some contracts are being signed before they leave? I massaged my chin as I processed all the information I received. The Hunt, huh? Interesting¡­ ¡°Now to be clear, we don¡¯t have seniority by year here. We don¡¯t respect other students by how long they are here. If they are here earlier or later than you it doesn¡¯t matter. To gain someone¡¯s respect you need to prove yourself. You need to be worthy of it. And the only way to do that is to raise your ranks.¡± The Principalis continued. ¡°Yes, we have rankings and The Hunt plays a big part in it. We released it every three months after you finished your hunt. There¡¯s also a title in which you will gain after you solve a specific number of crimes.¡± The crowd turned excited with this reveal. Murmurs filled the courtyard. I could already hear someone boasting that they will be ranked within a year. There were also some that speculating about the title¡¯s name. I heard Mystery Solver, Murderer Hunter, Shadow etc. Of course, I also think of some names, but the one I chose is Night¡¯s Knight which I found the coolest. However, the Principalis broke these speculations of ours as he resumed, ¡°If you manage to solve 3-6 crimes, you will receive the title of Young Sparrow. Solve 7-11 crimes and you will receive the title: High Sparrow. And, if you solve all 12 crimes. You will be granted the title of The Roc. Which is quite befitting since you will leave a myth that nobody can ever forget. But, I doubt anyone can accomplish it since the crimes that will be assigned to you will get harder and harder as the time goes on.¡± The grumbling sounds of the crowd started again. This time it was louder and clearer. Most of them understand the words of the Principalis at the end. It means the harder the crime the more dangerous it gets, and the more dangerous it gets the more their lives will be at risk. While some were only complaining about the title¡¯s name. Saying how uncool and lame they were and that they are not worthy of their effort. Which I found funny since I know that they chickened out when they heard the number of the crimes they will solve to gain it. So Silver must be a High Sparrow as he solved nine crimes. Seriously, nine crimes? It¡¯s only now that it sinks in my mind that I found it an amazing feat. If it¡¯s not the Principalis that said it, I doubt I will believe it since the crime index in the land can reach up to 85.6. Meaning around 43 250 crimes were reported in that time with around 50 million population. And a single soon-to-be detective solved 9 crimes alone? Like hell! Solving nine crimes might be a single drop added in the ocean, but still it¡¯s a great contribution towards peace. Moreover, he contributes more than the corrupt fully-pledge police out there. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I saw the Principalis checking his pocket watch again. I guess he has other important things to do? I could also see him glancing at someone in the side and shaking his head which I couldn¡¯t see well since I¡¯m far from the stage. Well, I do hope he quickly wraps this up. My arm and legs are getting sore from holding my case and standing. And it¡¯s not like I can put down my case since someone might take advantage of the crowd and steal it without my notice. Thankfully, luck is on my side, and the Principalis granted my silent wish, ¡°I know most of you came from far away towns or cities, and you wish to be rested as soon as possible. I will not delay you any longer and will let you go to each of your assigned flats. But before you do so, I want to introduce you to the people that you can seek advice and call help for when needed. I hope these people will be your model and serve as your motivation to strive and work harder when the classes start. ¡°Now, please welcome the High Sparrows! Let¡¯s all give them a round of applause.¡± The Principalis left the podium and gestured his hand to the side where four people started coming out¡ªthree boys and one girl. All of them wear a distinguished and remarkable feature. There¡¯s one with hair like seaweed, a one with big eyebags, a man with a scarred left eye, and a girl with pigtail hair chewing and popping bubble gum. They are all different and unique in a way that they distance themselves to each other. If there¡¯s any similarities, I think it¡¯s only their outfit. They all wear a breasted brown coat, with a pin of sparrow spreading his wings open. The crowd started to clap their hands, some of them even whistling. I couldn¡¯t see what their reactions were since my eyes were fixated on the people above the stage. I¡¯m remembering each of their faces, drilling it into my mind. They¡¯re the people I must surpass in order to achieve my dream. They¡¯re also the people that I must watch carefully because they might be the key for the land to achieve peace. They¡¯re gonna be my goal. My ladder. My stepping stone. Maybe even my wings? After I remembered their faces, I turned my back, holding the tip of my hat and ready myself to leave. I don¡¯t want to fight my way through this crowd later so I need to position myself near the exit. But before I could even walk away, the clapping sounds stopped suddenly along with whistles, creating a silent atmosphere. I turned to look back to see what¡¯s wrong and just saw a woman who wasn''t there earlier bowing to Principalis. I saw the Principalis opening his mouth, saying something but I¡¯m too far away to hear it. Then, the woman walked and stood in the center of the four as if it was only natural. My eyes widened in shock and my mouth wide opened when the face of the woman laid bare to me. I know her. Somewhat. Since we¡¯re just together earlier but still I couldn¡¯t believe it. But the evidence is there, sucking every one¡¯s soul: Her intoxicating pale blue eyes that anyone can¡¯t help but be drawn to. There''s no doubt. It¡¯s the woman who¡¯s in front of me on the train. It¡¯s the woman who made me break my honor. The woman who I do not know the name of. I stared at her, different thoughts racing through my mind, until it went blank as her eyes met mine. *** The sun¡¯s blinding ray glistened through my window, forcing myself to stand up and pulled the curtain over. I like it dark. It made my mind focus and thoughts not wander. I laid on the bed again, eyes opened and closed until it settled on the brown ceiling above. The ceremony is over, I leave after the High Sparrows introduced themselves. I¡¯m now in my flat. Took me a while to get the key due to the long queue. I¡¯m surprised how spacious it was when I got here. There¡¯s a single bed, a drawer, a work table with a small shelf, it also has its own bathroom and a plain black board on the wall, which I think is used for brainstorming and mind mapping. And I just finished arranging it to my liking. I put the bed on the far corner near the window, the drawer beside it. I moved the work table in front of the board, then put a curtain in between separating the work and the resting place. It made me tired and my muscles quite sore. But, it also made me satisfied and sad, realizing it¡¯s my new home now. My home for a long three years. I sighed as I remembered my mother and father¡­and our feud. They will write to me, right? I hope they will, afterall I¡¯m still their child. Their only child, and I know no parents can stand their child. I forced myself to stand up before my thoughts went deeper. I brushed the curtain aside and sat at my workplace. I pulled my notebook on the shelf and got a pen on the holder. I need to do what I meant to do here. I should treasure my time. I started to write down all the information I learned, from the rules up to the Hunt. I scribbled all it down, filling three pages already. I continued until I transferred all the information from my mind to my notebook. With this I shouldn¡¯t worry about forgetting things which are quite unlikely, but still a possibility. After I finished, I closed my notebook, put it back on the shelf, then took another one. This time I drew a line and made a table. With each column having different symbols. In the first column I drew a bird, and under it I listed names. I started with William Sullivan, the Principalis¡¯ name. Then, I wrote a few descriptions of him: around 50-60 years old the same age as Old Jack, black narrow eyes, has wrinkles but more dominant on his cheeks showing he smiled a lot, has a friendly and trusty atmosphere, etc. Then, I leave the other column aligned to him blank. Next, under him I wrote another name: Lyss Lawson. I wrote descriptions of her but I stopped and erased it. It¡¯s too vague. Then, I wrote another but erased it also. It¡¯s too long. I tried to think of anything else, then settled on one thing. I wrote it down. It¡¯s the only one. It¡¯s her pale blue eyes.