Elians POV:
I stood above the desk, watching, as his fleeting figure disappeared into the darkness. 'How could someone be so oblivious and at the same time so sharp? I mean he can't tell the difference between a soda and alcohol, but he instantly identifies the most important object in the room.'
Once his figure was out of sight, I lowered my gaze. The desk was neatly cleaned, with a few scrapes here and there. It was nearly cleared, except for the stack of papers filling most of the space. Some were laid unevenly, so they'd be easier to find. On top laid a folder with red marking covering the entire front.
I opened the folder carefully, not wanting anything to fall out. In it was the same things that I had looked over time and time again. Filled to the brim with information that no ordinary person could have gathered. There were pictures from multiple people. Young, old, short and tall, kids, adults alike. Details of their locations, ages and names.
Sighing I put the folder back down. I walked to the door without hesitation. I had already gone over the material many times before, so I had little use for it now.
The door didn't make a sound as I closed it behind me. Only a small light came into the locked room, through the keyhole. But it was just enough to see the red markings written on the folder. Deceased.
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Kieran's POV:
I could feel the cold air tickling the back of my neck. But I didn't hate it. It felt welcome after being stuffed in an apartment for several hours. The sun had long since set, and the streets lay dead. Even the birds seemed to have fallen asleep. I liked the silence. After all I didn't get much of it, nowadays.
Just thinking about Elian made me want to sigh. 'Who the hell does he think he is?' He hangs around me all day, irritates me, and now we were forced to do a project together. 'And what was up with that stupid nickname?' Sure, I don't mind being called by nicknames if I know the person well enough. But it just didn't feel right coming from him. I mean how long have I known the guy? A week at max.
Even if we were together most of the time at school, didn't make us close. Even if we'd known each other for years, I doubt I would know anything about him. He never talks about himself. Not even his family. And he always seems to be hiding something. But what can I do, it's not like I can beat an answer out of him. I have no fighting experience and something about him makes me feel like he could take on ten guys and still come out on top.
I wanted to continue being mad at him, but something stopped me. I could faintly smell something quite… disturbing. At first, I thought I had only imagined it, but as I kept walking it became stronger and stronger. As I was about to turn a corner it became so strong that it was nearly insufferable.
The worst part I was pretty sure I knew what it was before even witnessing it. I had come across it just once before, while being out patrolling with my parents. Sure, I was just a kid back then, but something like this doesn't just disappear from memory. No, it becomes engraved in it.
As I turned the corner, I was met with exactly what I imagined just 10 times worse. The weak glow of the lamppost was enough to reveal the gruesome scene. Blood was splattered everywhere. And in the middle a pile of corpses lay. Each had cuts so deep you could see the bones. Some had limbs twisted in wrong directions. But something they all had in common was their fearful expressions. Even though the tears had long since disappeared and their eyes turned to glass, it didn't erase the emotions. I could feel my stomach twist. Not out of pity, but out of pure disgust.