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I turn for the door, but I stop as soon as my hand touches the doorknob. Ripping it away, I mutter to myself in frustration. “That’d only be admitting defeat.”
I pride myself on being a man who stands his ground in conflict of any sort. I’ve never fallen and surrendered easily, viewing it as a weakness, a trait that’s never been part of my character.
I retreat back into my place, actively ignoring pleas from the rational voice in my head that’s telling me to shut the fuck up and just go see Elia.
After wrapping up my daily exercises, I wash up. I splash my face with cold water, and as I look up at the mirror, I swear I see the reflection of Elia lingering behind me. I blink, and she’s gone.
“I’ve got to get her out of my mind. She doesn’t give a single shit about me. She made that very clear.”
I move on with my day, intent on not giving Elia another second of my time. Besides, I have more important things to be attending to, like preventing all out war from breaking out between us demons and the damned xaphan.
Truth be told, I couldn’t give a shit about what happens to them, but I don’t need my people suffering just because they’re losing their minds over some serial killer who might not even be in Sarziroch.
A while later, I’m on my way to the demon embassy, keen on investing all my energy into work. My path takes me past the bakery. As much as it hurts my heart, I force myself to keep walking, not even turning to look inside the window.
Soon, I arrive at the embassy. Strolling in confidently, I follow the signs on the wall directing me to the intel room. I’m led to a very discreet, barebones hallway, at the end of which is a double door.
Standing at those doors are two burly soz’garoth, only slightly larger than myself. They throw up their palms as I make my approach.
“You need maximum security clearance beyond this point, do you have a pass?”
Before I can answer, the doors open, revealing General Gel’ged Senel standing there in all his commanding glory.
“He’s with me. Come on through, Azron.”
The guards step aside, giving me the evil eye as I breeze by them.
“Didn’t think of telling me I needed a pass?” I grunt at the general. “It’s not like I’m the main man assigned to this case or anything.”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
Grunting, I shrug him off, returning to the matter at hand.
“So, what do you have for me?”
Gel’ged motions for me to follow him. He takes me deeper into the intelligence room. The space is vast, each wall lined with men hunched over as they scan and analyze documents. In the middle is a table, where a cold cup of kaffo sits alongside an unopened folder.
The general gives the cup to a passing worker and brings my attention to the folder.
“A gift from the xaphan embassy to you,” he says, tossing it across to me. “It’s an expansion on the files from the previous day, courtesy of their archives.”
I pull it closer and open it. Inside the folder is exactly what General Gel’ged said, only this time it includes far more grisly pictures and follow-up autopsy reports on the bodies.
“Anywhere where I can take a look through this alone?” I ask.
“Your home perhaps? No need to stay here.”
“No,” I tell him, keen on remaining in the building. I need to be someplace without distractions, somewhere with no reminders of Elia. “I’ll take a look here.”
“If you insist. I’ll have one of the men lead you to an equipped office.”
“Very well. Bring me a kaffo, too.”
The general raises an unamused eyebrow at me. I follow a worker as he leads me to an empty office space.
There, I throw myself into the reports, looking at the new information and re-reading a copy of the original file. I have also been supplied with a possible description of the killer, but it’s not much good, only going so far as to confirm it’s not a xaphan. For all I know, it’s just a cover-up to unfairly pin the blame on one of my kind.
Once I have everything laid out and spaced evenly, I take a few steps back, eyeing the confidential information as if it’s a piece in a museum. It’s a lot to take in, and I’m not sure where to start.
