The incredible smell of coffee from the coffee shop: Cute Coffee, wafted into Rin Yuang's nostrils. Her tired face was noticeable; the hellish days spent investigating someone who practically "didn't exist" to the system were like searching for a ghost.
But perhaps the kind voice of the coffee shop owner, Firy, completely soothed her senses. Not just her own, of course, but also those of those who frequented the place.
Her ears detected determined footsteps heading her way. When she looked up, she stared at Aurora's presence, blocking the sun in front of her. Her serious, yet understanding, gaze indicated that she would ask something demanding, but she wouldn't pressure her.
"Good morning, Rin." (He sat down across from her)
"Good morning, Miss Sinhaygter..." (He replied sleepily)
"You look quite unwell, my dear friend. But if I can ask you something, will you be able to do it?"
She asked with a slightly worried tone, touching her friend's hair and stroking it. She seemed attentive.
"Maybe... what could it be?"
"Please investigate a guy named Slady."
Rin Yuang suddenly opened her eyes, confused, but too sleepy to digest the information so quickly. But she quickly recovered and questioned her.
"I know him. He's someone very nice to me and just seems like a librarian with... a good fashion sense, if I may say so."
Aurora chuckled internally, responding calmly.
"I understand. But I feel like there's something strange about him, very strange indeed. I don't want to accuse him of anything yet, so I'd like to ask if I can investigate him and deepen your understanding of him. Please?"
Despite frowning, Rin Yuang accepted, stood up, and drank the rest of her coffee.
"Okay. But if I don't find anything strange, I'll call you 'Silly Scientist' all weekend!" (She said it in a serious tone, but with a smile almost escaping her lips.)
"Okay, okay, I accept that. Just because we're good friends..."
She approached, the little robots emerged from Aurora's lab coat, removing the police coat Rin Yung was currently wearing. Then she rested her on her shoulder.
"But not now. I'm taking you home, and I don't want you exhausting yourself, okay? That's my order." (She said it firmly, but there was a noticeable spark of affection in her voice.)
***
A few days passed, overcome by curiosity, Rin Yuang researched and investigated Slady from afar.
On top of a structure, Rin Yuang observed the suspect's daily life through binoculars made by Aurora.
The days were always the same, as someone who valued routine. In the morning, Slady would say goodbye to Ferinish and the girls, working as a librarian, opening the library or going door to door to deliver and retrieve books.
In the afternoon, Slady prepared food and cleaned the library, which, despite a few visitors, always remained clean due to his strict organizational rules.
In the evening, Slady welcomed his partner and the girls with delicious food, asking them about their days and, of course, offering valuable training tips and other topics.
Soon, the daily cycle ended with the lights turning off and everything closing down.
***
After a tiring day of Investigation and other work he had done previously, Rin Yuang returned home, accompanied by the rain that had played its part that night.
The lights that illuminated Libretãnhya created a melancholic, yet beautiful, feeling. The rain was cold, but it almost felt like an anchor to her exhaustion.
But suddenly, she was pulled into an alley with overwhelming speed, and right before her was...
Slady.
His mechanical hand was tightly wrapped around her neck, but not enough to suffocate her. His body was positioned in such a way that she couldn't escape.
Then his calm, unfeeling voice echoed in her ears.
"Sorry to bother you tonight, but why are you spying on me?"
Rin Yuang tried to answer him, but his voice was cut off by the tight grip on her neck.
Then, she was spun around quickly, her hands and legs wrapped in ropes, completely immobilizing her. Slady sat on her back, demanding:
"Rin Yuang, I'll ask you again, why are you spying on me?"
"I... didn't do it out of malice!" (She was silenced with a hand over her lips)
"Don't say it so loud, I won't hurt you." (She stated firmly)
"I... who are you, Slady?" (She asked, her voice weak from being immobilized)
"..."
Slady raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question, then decided to answer it with one of his own.
"I don't want to pry into your personal affairs, but did Aurora ask you to investigate me?"
Caught out, Rin Yuang tried to shake his head, but knew lying was useless. He just nodded...
"Yes... she thinks there's something strange about you, and she's right! It's as if you don't exist! And now with what you've done, everything becomes even stranger!" (He answered in a slightly loud voice, but it wasn't audible from a distance.)
Understanding her confusion, Slady lifted her up and began to gently release her.
"I want to satisfy all your doubts another time. Let's just..."
"No!"
With great force, Rin Yuang kicked him in the stomach and pulled out his pistol, trying to fire a non-lethal shot... but ended up hitting him through his eyepatch.
"Fuck!" (Placing his hand over the eyepatch.)
"Oh, God..." (Rin Yuang swallowed, pointing again at Slady.)
"Please, hands up!"
When the eyepatch fell off, the damaged mechanical eye was revealed. Shocked, Rin Yuang tightened her grip on her pistol.
"I never would have thought..."
"That I had a mechanical eye? It's a shame you know that."
He made a sudden movement, and Rin fired the gun. Slady defended herself with her mechanical arm and extended it, causing the woman to feel her body being pulled toward him.
Clenched into a fist, Slady struck her in the stomach, raising her index and middle fingers, dragging them upward like a sharp knife. The cut pierced her from her stomach to her chest, tearing her clothes and skin a bit.
In reflex, Rin Yuang jumped back to avoid further injury and kicked him in the face.
Stunned by the spinning kick, Slady hit his head on a nearby wall, leaving him vulnerable. Seizing the moment, Rin Yuang kicked him again in the chest, sending him flying into a store.
As she advanced toward the store, Rin Yuang felt her body electrocuted, paralyzing her. Looking at her feet, she saw a device producing electrical energy in the puddles of water.
Behind her, Slady reemerged. With his mechanical arm brimming with electrical energy, he struck her, sending her flying, smoke billowing into the air.
As he approached—holding the mechanical eye with his hand, pressing it against the eye socket—Slady cleared the smoke with a single movement, revealing Rin Yuang, who fired his pistol.
Blocking with his mechanical hand, Slady had one of his fingers ripped off, but he braced himself for the attack, his hand's core glowing with energy.
"I'm sorry, Rin Yuang."
Before he could attack, Slady was knocked away by a wind spell. Emerging from the shadows, he revealed himself...
Roger himself.
Despite her surprise, Rin Yuang felt grateful, reaching out to him.
"Roger, you saved me... let's stop him!"
"..." (He looked at her coldly)
Without hesitation, he stepped on her hand, causing her fingers to break, and quickly placed his hand on her lips, muffling her scream.
"Thank you, my friend. Now you're no longer useful in this case."
***
Hidden in an alley, Slady ripped out his mechanical eye, a groan of pain escaping his lips.
"...Fuck! This is what happens when you never try to hide your secrets, you piece of shit!" (He curses himself)
"What did you think?! That you could live a normal life with the shit you do? Never!"
Limping, Slady retreated from that spot, searching for Rin Yang in the cold rain. He wrapped his good arm around his stomach, trying to ease the pain...
But can the pain be alleviated by seeing a body floating in a fountain?
"Rin?..." (His heart stopped)
His body, motionless, still indicated life in his eyes. His broken hand tried to move toward Slady.
The man approached, stepped into the fountain, and gathered her into his arms. His trembling lips indicated that, despite the rain's disguise, sadness overflowed from his one eye.
"I didn't want to kill you... I would never do that! Why... Why are you so hurt?!"
"Slady... it was him, Roger. He wants to kill him for power, he doesn't care how many lives are sacrificed for it..."
Unable to contain herself, Slady hugged her to her chest, feeling imposing. Rin Yuang closed her eyes, as if snuggling in, murmuring her last words.
"Slady... no matter who you are, do the right thing. Don't let evil win."
"I..." (he fell silent)
Rin Yuang's heart stopped beating.
Her body became heavy and cold, lifeless.
Carrying her through the streets of Libretanhya, in silence, Slady only listened to the sound of the rain beating on the ground, a cursed reminder of the night she had witnessed.
His safe place, the library, was dark, like a place he didn't deserve to belong. In the forested area, near where he had buried his former friends, Slady positioned Rin Yuang, beginning to dig with the remains of what might have been a mechanical hand.
The bones, fragmented, were almost glowing in the darkness.
Gently, Slady removed Rin Yuang's clothes, placing her in the grave. He sat on his knees, staring at the body he was about to bury...
"I'm sorry for everything, Rin Yuang. I failed you."