The investigation room didn't feel tense. It just felt tired. files were kept open. Coffee cups were half finished.
The board at the center of the room hadn't changed much—but the people looking at it had.
Mirelle stood in front of the board, arms loosely crossed. She had been standing there for a while now. Not because she expected something new to appear
But because walking away felt worse. Especially after what happened...
"It doesn't make sense…" she said it quietly, almost to herself.
Rethan looking up said:
"We've already gone through everything."
"I know," she replied.
"…that's the problem."
She stepped closer to the map. Three marked locations. Three different parts of the city. No connection anyone could explain.
"If it was random, we'd have chaos," she said, continuing: "But this doesn't feel random."
"No," Rethan agreed. "It doesn't." They both continued talking when the door opened, someone noticed but didn't react much. A man stepped in. Unique and smart by just looking at him. Perfect because nobody knows his pain behind his calm demeanor.
"Excuse me," he said, calm and polite.
"Is this the active unit for the current case?"
Rethan nodded slightly: "Yes. And you are?"
"Anirudh Diksith." He stepped forward.
"i got Transferred this morning, in replacement for Aren Valric" No one reacted much to that. Rethan nodded as he expected.
But Mirelle looked at him a second longer than necessary. She felt the gentlemen presence even when what he did was a gentle handshake.
"Then you picked a bad day to join," one officer muttered. Anirudh gave a small, almost polite nod and said: "I figured."
He walked toward the board and Stopped a short distance away. And focused on the board entirely. Mirelle looking at him with zero expression. She could feel the intensity in that stare. He was trying to find something which others missed.
"What do you think?" she asked. He didn't answer immediately.
"Honestly?" he said after a moment. Rethan stepped in: "Go ahead."
Anirudh shifted his gaze between the three locations.
"It doesn't feel random," he said.
Mirelle let out a quiet breath. "Yeah. We've established that much." He nodded slightly.
"But I don't think it's about the victims either."
"What do you mean?" Mirelle asked with a little astonishment. He stepped a little closer. Still not touching anything.
"If it was about them… we'd see a pattern in who they were."
"But we don't."
Rethan leaned back slightly and asked: "So what, then?"
Anirudh hesitated for a second. Not unsure.... just thinking how to say it.
"…It might be about where they were." the room went quiet suddenly. Mirelle looked back at the board.
Then at him and asked: "Locations?" she asked. He nodded. "Maybe not individually," he added.
"…but together."
She stepped beside him now. But Not too close. But close enough to look at the map from the same angle.
"Together how?"
Anirudh looked at her for a minute and said
"If you connect them…"
"…they form a shape."
Mirelle followed his line of thought.
Her eyes moved across the points.
"…a triangle."
He nodded. Rethan frowned slightly and asked: "And that tells us what?"
Anirudh didn't answer right away.
"That something's missing," Mirelle said quietly.
"Yes."
That small moment felt strange, like somebody intelligent, and not dramatic or intense. Just...right.
"So what's missing?" Rethan asked.
Anirudh exhaled softly, looking back and tilting his head and said:
"I'm not completely sure yet."
That answer surprised her...Because it was honest. "But…" he added, looking back at the board,
"If it is a pattern… then it's probably not finished." Mirelle nodded slowly and whispered:
"That's what I felt too."
Rethan sighed said:
"Then where do we look?"
"Places that connect these areas indirectly."
"That's too broad," one officer said.
"Yeah," Anirudh agreed.
"It is."
Mirelle looked at him for moment and said
"You still have something in mind."
He hesitated at first...then nodded: "industrial zones...maybe." Mirelle asked why. These areas are located between these and people don't pay much attention to these.
It wasn't a confident declaration. It was just a possibility. And somehow—That made it easier to trust.
Rethan straightened and firmly said: "Alright. We check it."
The drive was quiet. Mirelle sat beside Anirudh. They both were not talking, not because Mirelle didn't had anything to say..but because she was thinking what to say.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she asked finally. He gave a small, almost amused exhale ans said politely:
"Not unless I have something useful to say."
She turned front and smiled faintly.
"That's rare here."
That almost made him smile. But Almost.
When they reached the site— it was quieter than expected. Quiet eerie
They found the survivor inside. Barely conscious. Mirelle knelt beside him immediately. And said: "Hey—stay with me, okay?"
Her voice softened instantly. And that shift? Anirudh stood back, watching but mind still on the case. After a moment, he looked around the space. Carefully.
"…This wasn't meant to be hidden," he said quietly. Mirelle looked up: "What?"
He glanced toward the entrance, then back at the surroundings.
"If it was, we wouldn't have found it this easily."
"Then what is it?" she asked.
"...A step." She frowned slightly.
"Toward what?"
He shook his head and said:
"I don't know yet." and he was honest again. Not trying to impress but honest. And Mirelle was looking at him as he was contemplating.
At the station, the room felt quiet. Mirelle stood near the board again. But this time—
She wasn't stuck.
"You did well today," she said, walking up beside him. Anirudh looked at her,slightly surprised.
"We all did," he replied. She shook her head.
"No… you saw something we didn't."
"I just looked at it differently. And maybe if you all had looked more clearly then maybe..."
Mirelle studied him for a moment.
"You always like this?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"Calm. Certain."
He thought about that. "…I don't think I'm as certain as you think." Mirelle was still, reflecting on the answer.
As the room slowly emptied— Mirelle glanced at him one last time.
Not intensely.
Not obviously.
Just… quietly.
Something about him was different. Not in a way she could explain yet. But enough to notice.
Across the room— Anirudh closed the file in his hands. He didn't look back... Because while Mirelle had started to notice him— he had already decided, to keep things the way they are...Professional. Anirudh is a very perceptive man. Maybe a good match if Aren was there.