Two days passed with absolutely no progress. They moved sluggishly, causing the village head to lower his guard. Everything they did was reported to a mysterious figure by the village head. Those two days felt like hell for the four of them; they were unhappy to be there and could sense that someone was watching them. After all, they were trained and capable in every way.
Meanwhile, the village head had forgotten about the boy who had left the village. He returned after two days.
The four of them were gathered at Braylon's place when someone suddenly entered the room, startling them.
"Senior... I got what you asked for," Franklyn said, panting as he tried to catch his breath.
"You brat... You nearly gave us a heart attack," Revilla said, shooting a glare at Franklyn. He laughed nervously while scratching the back of his neck, creating an awkward atmosphere.
"Tell me what you found out... I hope your answer satisfies me," Eryx said, unleashing his dark aura. The intensity of it made everyone shiver, except for Alex, who crossed his arms over his chest.
"Just stop it, Eryx... You're already scaring him," Alex said, snapping Eryx back to reality. He rolled his eyes before taking a seat on the couch. Franklyn settled down on the sofa as well.
"I discovered who performed the surgery on that boy, senior... Since only a few doctors were doing this type of surgery, it was easy for me to track it down. The doctor revealed that the boy was an orphan and, out of pity, he had helped him with the surgery. However, afterward, they developed an unspoken relationship behind the doctor's wife's back. They often spent time at that motel since the boy worked there as a receptionist." Franklyn paused, gathering his thoughts.
"So you're suggesting that the boy's murder might be connected to the doctor's wife?" Alex proposed, sharing a thought that crossed everyone's mind. After all, they were from the criminology department and knew better than to look at things from just one angle; they needed to consider all possibilities.
"Not exactly... But it's possible," Franklyn replied. "When I spoke to the doctor, he mentioned that his wife was aware of all the surgeries he performed and knew about the patients. However, when I asked her, she claimed she didn't know that boy or girl at all. She seemed suspicious the entire time."
The others nodded, acknowledging his points.
"I secretly collected the lady's fingerprints and DNA samples with the help of the forensic department. If we want to confirm whether she is the murderer, we'll need to gather a sample from that motel," Franklyn said, shrugging his shoulders.
"There's no need. We've already done it," Eryx said, shocking Revilla and Braylon. They were left wondering how that was possible. Hadn't they been with them the whole time? When did they collect it? Why hadn't they informed them?
"We anticipated there would be a situation like this... So we already notified the forensic department to collect the samples while we were here. This way, no one would suspect we were conducting our investigation," Alex explained.
"So you guys decided to keep quiet until the case is resolved," Revilla exclaimed, her frustration evident.
"It's not like that... If we had told you, they would have caught on before we could act. That's why..." Eryx replied, and Alex nodded in agreement.
He had a point. The culprit felt safe because they were acting carelessly and didn't care about the investigation. It was the perfect opportunity for the team to operate covertly. Braylon remained silent, but Revilla couldn't accept their approach. After all, they were all supposed to be in this together. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.
A confused kid sat quietly, observing them. He couldn't grasp what was happening. When had Alex become so serious? It had only been two days since he left them alone, yet it felt like everything had changed.
"What should we do now?" Franklyn asked, drawing the elders' attention.
"Just wait for the report. We need to confirm details about that boy. After that, we can take action. Since these cases are interconnected, we can glean clues from one another. That will be helpful for us," Braylon said, standing up from the couch.
"Where are you going, Braylon?" Alex asked.
"I just wanted to get some fresh air…" Braylon replied before heading outside. Revilla and Alex shot Eryx a glare, clearly frustrated with him.
"Why are you two glaring at me like that? What did I do to deserve your glares?" Eryx asked, feeling defensive as Alex growled in response.
"Go and comfort him. You hurt him, right? So you have to make it up to him..." Alex said sarcastically, and Eryx rolled his eyes. His pride was getting in the way of comforting the one he loved.
"Go, or you'll find out the consequences..." Revilla warned, causing Eryx to click his tongue in frustration before leaving.
"What happened between them?" Franklyn asked, oblivious to their complicated relationship.
"You'll understand once you grow up, kid..." Alex replied, ruffling Franklyn's hair playfully.
"I'm not a kid! I'm already grown up enough to learn everything," he pouted, and they all chuckled at his cuteness.
"How cute you are, Franklyn..." Revilla said with a smile, making Franklyn blush hard. Life seemed so simple in moments like these, but they had chosen careers far from simple.
Meanwhile, Braylon was walking along a narrow path when he was suddenly pulled into the shadows of a house hidden by blind spots. He didn't resist, knowing exactly who it was. Without even looking, he spoke.
"What do you want?" His tone was harsh, and he meant it.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Eryx asked, his face partially hidden in the shadows.
"Don't you know why, Eryx? Or are you pretending to be clueless? Just let me go... There's nothing left to say." Braylon struggled under Eryx's grip, trying to free himself.
"Why are you so stubborn, Braylon? After knowing my feelings, you're the one acting dumb. Didn't I already confess to you? So why the hell are you avoiding me? I asked you to divorce that woman… is that why you're pushing me away?" Eryx shouted, his frustration boiling over.
Braylon remained silent. There was no woman. How could he explain his actions? How could he justify what he was doing without revealing the truth he was so afraid to share?
"And don't you have a fiancée? Why are you chasing after a married man when you already have someone? Just leave me alone and go deal with your fiancée... I'm out of your league," Braylon snapped, pushing Eryx aside and walking away.
Eryx tugged at his hair in frustration, growling in anger as he watched Braylon leave.