Search : Faceless Killer

Soon after leaving his house Shade was standing in front of a shop. 

The name of the business sounded like a perfume shop, thankfully that was not the case. 

"Huff"

It was a new shop for glasses from the looks of it. 

As for the inside, the shop was mostly empty with the exception of three staff present.

There were also a two customers a few minutes ago but he patiently waited for them to leave.

He had already peeked inside the shop multiple times from the outside before he finally entered.

"Hello, how can I help you today?" The clerk brought out the business smile.

To which he instinctively smiled back at.

"I wanted to ask about something. Are you familiar with this card."

"This card... It looks like the card of our store but it is slightly different."

As he expected, the card had a slightly different logo from the shop and the card looked way older to belong to a store that opened recently.

"Emily, do you know something about this card?" The clerk showed the card to another female staff member who looked only slightly older than Shade's age. 

"This is the previous card we stopped using a few years ago in a different branch, do you have a reason that you want to know about it?"

"I was asked by a friend to come near this store who hasn't been to this city for years."

"Then he must have been talking about our second branch, unfortunately it was closed two years ago."

"Can you please give me the directions for it?" 

"Of course, please wait for a bit." Saying that she went inside through a door.

The other two people started chatting and giggling at a low voice while Shade messed around with his phone. 

'A certain tone in a conversation gives familiarity and comfort to others which leads to making others subconsciously happy while helping you without feeling uncomfortable'.

After a few minutes the young staff member returned with a slightly old book. It had a map of the city. 

"The place with the cross, that's where the previous branch was."

"There is another cross, did you have a branch even before that one?"

"Yes, though it's a little far away and it has been closed for more than five years now."

"I see, just in case I'll note that location as well. Thanks, this will help a lot." 

He snapped the photo of the map on his phone.

As he completed everything his phone started ringing. He quickly took out the earphones from his pocket and answered -

"Hello Chandler, you're already there? I just left my house so it'll take me a while."

Turning around he takes out one of his earphones from his ear and then says - "Thank you." with a gentle smile to the young staff member and walked away. 

'Complete your story for them or they'll do it for you but don't act forcefully in the process.'

Letting out a sigh of relief he took out the earphones from his ear.

It was so unnecessary…

Shade was foreign to the concept of requests.

From his experience he had always dealt with people rudely or by staying silent.

So when he saw the employees before entering he used the steps Chandler had taught him while reciting inside his head like a mantra. 

Already awkward because of his mysterious quest he tried to play it off at the end by playing music and appearing to be busy instead of dragging out the conversation or suddenly leaving in silence.

Moving on from his unnecessary stunt.

He looks at both locations. 

The first location of the previous store was only a few minutes from here but when his eyes caught sight of the second location he became sure it was the older branch. 

The older branch was located at the 21st Street and near the 7th District, the two digits of the number which he first mistook as a date. 

The area was not much populated either and was mostly isolated. 

"I probably shouldn't take a taxi to such places right? Just how far can it be..." 

After thinking about it, he goes back home, packs a bag and changes his clothes into something more comfortable for exercise. 

And thus his day's biggest regret happened. 

~•~

Almost 2 hours after leaving the store, he was still walking to his destination.

While he had thought about the journey, he underestimated the grudge Sun would have against a person who avoids it.

Thus currently, he was in the middle of the afternoon of April and he was wandering in the middle of nowhere. 

Even if the direction he was following was correct, it had been more than half an hour since he had seen any buildings or signs of intelligent life. 

Having never in his life travelled out of the town area by foot, especially alone, it was harsh.

Shade thought about many things and prepared for how he could prevent it, things such as heat stroke or getting lost but getting tired was not a part of that. 

Struggling on his way through feet, the shop was finally in view. 

A closed small shop in the corner of a field. 

There were few houses in the distance so at least the place wasn't completely in a ghost town. 

After walking closer to the building he notices that the shop was completely locked from all places.

The only places he could think of as a probable opening were the two glass windows. One of which had its cover removed and a metal crowbar lying in front of it.

An invitation without a card can't get more obvious than that.

He wore a thin mask covering his nose and mouth and a cap to not be recognised.

I look like a robber even more with this getup. Can I really enter this place without any repercussions? 

The thoughts run in his mind before he makes his decision.

*Crack*

He hit the glass with the crowbar with a little force.

As cracks start to form more, he hits it a few more times before the trace of the glass completely vanishes from the window.

Still cautious, Shade carefully passes through the window hoping not to be pierced by the broken shards of glass.

The height wasn't too high for him and the glass pieces were safer than his imagination.

Making it inside, he takes out his phone and turns on the torch while recording the whole thing.

Inside of the store, the wooden interior was covered in dirt, so much that the disturbing place could be mistaken for a haunted house. Accompanied by an awful smell that enveloped the entire place.

Fuu Fuu

Trying to confirm the smell, he sniffs lightly only to enhance the pungent smell.

The pungent sour smell reminded him of a rotten substance he once discovered in his relatives house, he couldn't question about.

Ignoring the smell he walks on the creaking floor.

Other than his torch there were no other signs of light but Shade was actually thankful for that as because of its absence, he didn't have to worry about seeing a family of vermin.

She said this place was closed for 5 years but it feels abandoned for decades.

The store was completely empty, just a photo frame which didn't look too suspicious. He cleaned it a bit and got a picture of it while ending his recording only to restart it after taking the picture. 

Aside from the photo frame, there was only a cash register in the entire store. The place was too small already with only three small rooms, all of which were completely empty. 

He tried to interact with the cash register but had no idea on how to operate one. 

*Crash* 

"?!"

Trying to operate it, he accidentally pushed the cash register and dropped it. 

The sharp sound was deafening, consisting of multiple coins along with the register falling on the floor. 

That's it, I'm totally a criminal now. 

However as he looked down, there was something odd. 

Despite the multiple sounds there were only 5 coins and 3 keys in there, one of which was for a vehicle. There was a sheet of paper which looked suspiciously fresh. 

Hitting his limits of courage, he quickly escaped the store.

The unethical loot he gained from the store was a local map with a lot of scribbles and a marking on it. There were also 3 keys and coins but those didn't seem to be helpful.

Finally he removed his mask and cap, satisfyingly returning it in his bag.

========================

CB, OR and LL, you three were right, it was a new member of Freedom. We should have kept our members in check, there are multiple infiltrators from the Revolution in different factions, they are trying to support - - - they're using their Relics as - - - and aiming - - - and for - - - they are against the - - - Dusk.

========================

There were a few words that were not properly visible and he couldn't help but think it wasn't a coincidence.

Relics… it was no longer another one of Chandler's mysteries.

A meaning and an intent of someone was hiding behind Chandler's death.

But these writings weren't the only hint implanted on that map.

[23 / 7 / 21]

An 'X' marking on the map, in the middle of two streets 21 and 23 in the 7th district.

He wiped the sweat off his face and started walking again.

Nearly an hour later, he was close to the destined mark on the map.

The closer he got to the spot the more desolated the area became.

His surroundings quickly changed into tall green trees that appeared brown in colour because of the sun's reddish light.

And a car parked exactly at that spot marked on the map.

"I'm finally here."

Despite having dust all over it, the car looked new. Shade was not at all knowledgeable about cars but he was sure that it was a new model which wasn't more than 2 years old.

As he stood in front of it he could feel it. 

All of this journey brought him here, he could feel the end to his search. 

This may be the final clue which will form a connection between Chandler, his killer, Irina and finally himself.

He opened the locked car using the car key that he picked. 

In the car, what stood out immediately was a 10 centimetres long box placed at the front seat beside the driver's seat.

He picked it, and opened its cover.

"It's... it's empty?" The box had a space for keeping a key inside but it was empty. Judging by its size, it most likely contained the key to the box Chandler gave him as a present. 

But it's not here?

He jumbled his thoughts inside his brain about what could have happened.

Could Chandler not prepare it?

No, Irina gave it to me and the meeting with Irina happened perfectly.

Then perhaps somebody interfered?

Ah, three! There were two other people that the owner gave a message to. He must have given them the location as well then.

It fell perfectly to the scenario he formed in his head.

He came to a most likely conclusion, that he was too late.

The reason Chandler still sent him here was because it was still there before his death.

So the key was with someone else.

The key 'he' came for was with someone else, 'someone else', whom he didn't know.

…

"GODDAMMIT!" Shade thought he screamed inside his head until the echoes of his voice snapped him back into reality. 

He closed the car's door and took a few pictures of the car. 

I have nothing here, I don't even want to go back now.

After all, he was hours away from his home in a desolate place with a car beside him which he didn't even know how to drive. 

He was at an unsatisfactory end of his journey.

Taking a long breath as he realised that the sunset didn't had a lot of time left. He would get reported missing by his family if he did not hurry back home.

His phone was also battling with impending death, exhausting its life just by staying awake. He had carried no cash on him and if he could not use his phone he wouldn't be able to make any payments.

Realising his grim situation, he slid his earphones on his ears and listened to the slow melodious music while walking towards the nearest place he could get a proper network.