Search : Faceless Killer

Still recovering from the conversation, Shade stares at the sight of the wide open door of his room.

Turning his head, he looks at the things he received from Camille.

Leaving it in the open, he had to dash out previously so he decides to at least shift them into a proper place but the sound of the doorbell stops him.

"Welcome home."

Standing out of the house's front door were his parents.

Seeing him, his father nods his head.

"Yes. Shade I heard about everything from your mom, can you wait for a bit. I want to have a chat with your friend."

"Ok..." 

It was becoming more and more complicated for him.

"I'll tell you everything after I'm done."

"Got it, she must be in the living room."

Waving his hand at his parents, he heads to the kitchen.

Despite his calmness on the situation outwardly, he held back his true expression.

Alongside Irina, his parents leave the house after some time.

Trying to avoid any further confrontations with his family, he eats his dinner alone before their return and shuts himself in his room.

Since it wasn't an irregular behaviour by him, his family doesn't bother him.

Following that he was left unbothered for a few hours.

Except for a fancy looking lamp, his room had no lights turned on to repel any other visitors. Irina however never hesitates as she walks inside the unlocked room. 

"Good evening, did I make you wait?"

"No." He answered sitting on the bed.

Left alone in the house, Shade had sneaked a card in the room for Irina to see.

With just time written on a paper card, it wouldn't look anything suspicious from the perspective of one of his family members.

"It seems you still have some questions for me." 

She takes a seat on the chair that Shade had prepared beforehand.

"Yes."

"Then let's do it this way, one question and one answer a day. I will answer your one question if you answer one for me but we won't ask more than one question per day."

Ugh…

Her reason for staying in his home, her connection with Chandler, the involvement of Chandler, there were many things to ask but he answers contrary to it.

"Is it fine? I don't think you have that many things you can get out of me, especially after I answered multiple questions when you first came to my house."

"Then let me ask first."

"…"

"You're still tolerating whatever I do, or whatever mess you fall into, it's all because you want to unravel the mystery of Chandler's untimely death."

"What about it?"

"What are you going to do after you figure out everything? If there is somebody who actually did kill Chandler what would you do to him?"

"I'll make sure he pays for it."

"How? You're going to hand him to the police or some kind of authority? Without any evidence?"

"I'm not sure if there is anything like that for now. Isn't that the reason why he made us meet at the library?"

"…"

And if there was something like evidence, then Chandler would have left it for his family members like Camille.

"I see, then it's your turn now." Saying that Irina looks ahead at Shade almost smugly.

He didn't have to think before what he was going to ask.

The entire day felt like a fiction to Shade, from the moment he woke up everything was weird and unwelcome twists kept appearing in front of him.

Despite all of this uncertainty, he was sure about one thing. Irina knew more about Chandler than him.

So he was ready to do anything to get her to his side.

And other than that, another unbelievable thing he had speculated based on today's event -

"Is there something like a supernatural phenomenon involved in Chandler's death?"

"What?!"

Irina's sharp eyes that had stayed calm the entire time widened in disbelief.

From sitting beside her in the empty library without confirming her connection and pushing her down in the dark room, Shade had already accumulated enough things to be embarrassed around her.

But he was sure that the question that would make other's weirded out would only turn Irina serious.

"Wait. H-How did you get to that?!" The usual calm and composed demeanour of Irina was completely absent. 

His question that seemed stupid from the outside had managed to actually shock Irina to the point she cannot act to it like she did throughout the day. 

It's quite simple if I think about it now.

Chandler knew he was going to die that day, the time and the reason was also hinted.

Would he not try to prevent his death even after that? 

Then was it a suicide? But then would he have sent Shade to Irina instead of directly handing him an encoded suicide note.

'Fate and Supernatural phenomenons'.

It was all directly hinted in the title of the online article he had mentioned before.

The answer to all was in a question Chandler used to ask around.

"Do you believe in supernatural phenomenons?"

Coming from Chandler who was usually pragmatic in his answers, it always seemed like a regular joke he used.

But Shade couldn't think of anything else except that question since he started realising how weird his day was going.

With a perplexed expression on her face, Irina still waited for Shade's answer.

Curving the corners of his lips into a grin he answered.

"Aren't we on a one question and one answer rule."

"That-"

Stopping in the midst of her sentence, she started laughing.

Irina wasn't expecting such a word play from Shade.

She tries to cover her mouth with her hand but the amusement makes it hard for her to do so.

Shade was also quite satisfied with his deduction and comeback but he was also curious about many things.

Chandler already knew the reason and time of his death beforehand yet he still succumbed to his demise.

Irina stated Chandler called her today but that wasn't normally possible either, considering the one day delay by Noelle.

But then he also knew that I would somehow be able to find Irina before 4 today.

The most was how Chandler knew Noelle would hold the letter for a day.

Finishing her laughter, Irina gets up from her chair.

"It's not a question, I'm just confirming - Do you remember the question I asked about Relic that Chandler had."

Shade tilts his head at her sudden words.

"This is a Relic."

Saying that she raises her hand and reveals a rosary held inside her fingers.

The lustrous rosary looked to be forged of pure gold.

This was the first time he was seeing it but he could feel ominous shivers running down his body.

A mixed emotions of fascination, fear and a hint of familiarity confused Shade.

"Wh-what is that?"

"Now as you said our one question and one answer are over, we shall end our meeting for now."

"Wait!"

Still in confusion, Shade try to stop her in panic.

He grabs her hand holding the rosary and she turns around calmly.

"Thank you."

In response to his words, Irina simply strokes the cheek of Shade with her left hand.

"That was a really satisfying discussion."

Huh?

The vision in front of his eyes starts to blur.

His head that was facing ahead now drops on the bed instantly, his whole body felt tenfold heavier than normal.

"Goodnight." The words left by Irina resound in his mind.

As the last thing he could comprehend was the sight of Irina's retracting back.

Slowly his consciousness fades in the silence of the night.