Time slipped away minute by minute as evening shadows stretched across New Eridu's streets.
When Victor and Belle finally emerged from the cinema, the digital clock on a nearby tower read eight o'clock, still early by the city's standards. Their date couldn't possibly end here, not when the night was just beginning.
They wandered into a cozy coffee shop next, savoring specially crafted evening blends while chatting about the movie. The rich aroma of freshly ground beans filled the air as they discussed their favorite scenes, Belle's eyes sparkling with excitement as she gestured animatedly.
Afterward, they strolled through the commercial district, window shopping and people-watching. Belle dragged Victor into a few stores, trying on accessories and teasing him about his lack of fashion sense. He didn't mind, watching her enjoy herself was entertainment enough.
It wasn't until half past eleven, when the shops began closing one by one and the street lamps cast long shadows on the emptying sidewalks, that they finally decided to call it a night.
The smile never left Belle's face during the entire journey back.
"Why don't we just fly home?" Belle suddenly stopped at the entrance to the subway station, tilting her head thoughtfully. "The next train won't arrive for at least ten minutes, and I really don't feel like waiting."
Since it was late at night and the crowds had thinned considerably, the subway service had switched to a more relaxed schedule, one train every fifteen minutes instead of the usual five-minute intervals during peak hours. Belle, who commuted frequently via subway, knew the timetable by heart.
"Well, it's late enough that no one's going to be looking up at the sky anyway," Victor said with a knowing grin, emphasizing the word "rest" just a bit too suggestively. "And I'm pretty eager to get home and... rest too."
Belle's cheeks flushed crimson, but she didn't protest. Deep down, a small part of her was looking forward to it as well.
After glancing around to confirm the street was deserted, Victor wrapped his arms around Belle and lifted off, soaring toward Sixth Street. The cool night air rushed past them as the city lights blurred below.
"I can fly by myself, you know!" Belle protested halfheartedly, though she made no move to break free from his embrace.
"I know you can," Victor replied smoothly. "But I want to fly with you in my arms."
That simple statement made Belle stop struggling entirely. She looked down at the city below instead, unable to meet his eyes, a shy smile playing at her lips.
It was during that casual glance downward that she spotted two familiar figures.
"Huh? Look down there, isn't that Zhu Yuan and Qingyi?"
Victor followed her gaze and confirmed it. "You're right."
On the street below, the two Public Security officers were surrounded by a large group of uniformed police. Several patrol cars sat parked nearby, their emergency lights painting the scene in alternating flashes of red and blue.
"Let's go see what's happening!" Belle's natural curiosity kicked in immediately, a trait befitting the protagonist of a game. She always had a knack for stumbling into interesting situations.
Though if they were ranking which protagonist loved joining in the fun most, Lumine would definitely take first place. That girl had an almost supernatural ability to trigger quests simply by being in the wrong place at the right time.
At that very moment, Lumine, who was currently hiding away and chatting in the group, suddenly sneezed.
"Who's thinking about me?" she muttered, rubbing her nose. "It's gotta be Victor!"
Back in New Eridu, Victor wasn't particularly interested in getting involved. He'd been looking forward to taking Belle home and enjoying their evening. But since Belle wanted to check it out, he couldn't refuse.
They found an empty alley to land in, then walked over as if they'd happened to be passing by.
"It's pretty late, why haven't you two gone home yet?" Belle called out cheerfully.
Zhu Yuan and Qingyi looked up, showing no sign of suspicion at their sudden appearance.
"We were just about to head home when this happened," Zhu Yuan replied, gesturing to the scene behind her. "What are you two doing out so late?"
Belle stood on her tiptoes, trying to see past the officers. A black body bag came into view, and she quickly averted her eyes, her face paling slightly.
She suddenly regretted coming over. If she'd known there was a murder scene here, she would've kept flying straight home.
"As you can see, there's been a murder," Qingyi explained, her youthful face betraying no emotion despite the grim subject. "Zhu Yuan and I are investigating. What's particularly interesting is that the victim was reported missing several days ago. This case appears to be connected to the recent string of disappearances."
"Senior..." Zhu Yuan shot Qingyi a warning look.
The artificial officer caught herself and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, sorry. You're civilians, after all. I shouldn't be discussing case details. Got a bit carried away there."
Victor glanced at Qingyi with quiet interest. Was that really just carelessness? He doubted it.
Don't be fooled by the sheriff's petite appearance or her seemingly young demeanor. Qingyi was actually an artificial human, a jade doll from an ancient civilization who'd lived for countless years. She was observant, analytical, and rarely did anything without reason.
Victor suspected she'd figured out that he and Belle weren't ordinary people. By revealing case details, she was probably testing their reactions, hoping they might notice something her team had missed.
The facts aligned with Victor's suspicions perfectly.
Qingyi had long since deduced that these two were far from normal civilians. Deliberately mentioning the case was her way of seeing if they could provide any unexpected insights.
It wasn't that she suspected them of involvement, their presence here was too coincidental to ignore, and she couldn't shake the feeling they might spot something her officers had overlooked.
Belle didn't think as deeply as Victor did. After hearing Qingyi's words, something clicked in her mind, the protagonist's habit of stumbling into plot-relevant situations activating like a passive ability.
Curious, she extended her spiritual sense toward the body bag.
Inside lay a middle-aged woman covered in bruises and lacerations. Multiple wounds marked her skin, suggesting prolonged abuse before death. The fatal injury was a deep gash across her throat.
Belle's scan continued outward, searching the surrounding area. Soon, she noticed something in a nearby corner.
She turned her head casually in that direction, feigning interest in the architecture. "Is that blood over there?"
Qingyi's eyes lit up. Exactly as expected, they'd found something!
Zhu Yuan immediately led several officers to the spot Belle had indicated. Sure enough, they discovered several drops of blood nearly invisible against the stained pavement. If Belle hadn't pointed it out, they would've easily missed this crucial evidence.
"Thank you for the tip!" Zhu Yuan said gratefully, genuine appreciation in her voice.
"Any other discoveries in the area?" Qingyi asked Belle directly, no longer bothering to hide her intentions.
Belle expanded her spiritual sense once more, sweeping the entire crime scene thoroughly. Qingyi's action finally registered in her mind, she'd become free labor without even realizing it.
Victor simply watched without comment. Qingyi meant no harm, and she'd been careful not to reveal their secret. Besides, her guess about their unusual nature was just that, a guess. That was acceptable.
"Nothing else," Belle finally said, shaking her head.
Qingyi nodded, asking no further questions. She'd gotten more than she'd hoped for already.
"It's getting late. You two should head home," Zhu Yuan advised, her tone carrying genuine concern. "Try not to stay out too late these next few days, especially at night. If you do have to go out, make sure you're back before it gets too dark."
Ever the responsible officer, Zhu Yuan cared deeply about every citizen's safety.
"Then we'll head out!" Belle grabbed Victor's hand and started walking toward home.
Zhu Yuan watched their retreating figures until they disappeared around a corner, only then turning her attention back to the officers carefully collecting blood samples from the ground.
She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Belle has incredibly sharp eyes. She spotted evidence hidden so well that we searched for an hour without finding it. She just glanced over and saw it immediately."
Their team had combed this area thoroughly for sixty minutes without noticing those bloodstains. Belle had identified them with two casual looks.
That kind of visual acuity was even more impressive than Senior Qingyi's enhanced sensors.
Hearing this, Qingyi smiled knowingly but said nothing. She had her own theories about their mysterious helpers, but some secrets were better left unspoken.
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