Chapter 2

35 years later

Skyleene was resting in the living room. Mushu, now the black cat, was sleeping peacefully on the armchair close to the couch. The TV was rolling some uninteresting news about the mayor of Lights City.

Skyleene sighed before turning off the TV. She took her coat on, covering her body completely. At 10 PM, she had to go out and look for that flower. It was her only chance to make a difference in how people viewed her. She was the soul who lived in Condemned City for 35 years - the longest someone stood there. She did not know how, but people heard about her judgement and started calling her names like "devil" or "witch". She did not mind that much. Believing that one day she would leave for Lights City to live a happy "after death" life was enough.

"I'm going to look for the purple flower, Mushu. You don't need to wait."

"You are not going alone in the forest at this hour again. I'm coming with you," the cat replied telepathically.

Ever since he became a cat, the only person who could hear him was Skyleene. The other people who passed her doorstep never heard him speak, even though she would talk with him every time.

"Alright, I hope we will have more luck this time."

The girl left the house with the cat on her shoulder.

*next morning*

"Skyleene Cathle! Open the door," a man shouted and knocked from outside.

After the little journey from last night, coming back empty-handed again, Skyleene was asleep on her bed. She reached the door, moving slowly, bumping into a wall and swearing at thin air.

In front of her stood none other than Aper Koden and a boy.

"Oh, the idiot from the detective's station. What can I help you with?" she said, leaning on the door frame and yawning.

"I beg your pardon, miss-"

"No need for that J., it's visible that she is not interested in moral etiquette."

"But sir-"

"What are you guys here for?" she asked, sighing.

"We are here to arrest you," Aper smirked.

"Arrest me? Again?" she said, raising her right eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"You, Skyleene Cathle, are charged with murder, and I have the right to arrest you and bring you to the police station," Aper smirked, feeling confident.

"Oh, don't say now. And who exactly did I kill?"

"Charlie Nim. We found his body at the gates of Condemned City," J. explained.

"Charlie Nim? I never heard of him. In all honesty, I know almost everyone here and his name doesn't say anything to me. Where did you find him again?"

"Exactly, you know everyone, which means you also knew him," Aper said coldly.

"I said almost everyone." She sighed, massaging her temple - "Look, I only help the souls that reach this place and need medication. I would know if Charlie Nim came to my house, but he didn't. I can't even identify him if you showed me a picture."

Mushu came behind her feet, looking at the people ahead of him. He jumped on the girl's shoulder, making her look in his direction. The cat touched her nose with his, making the girl smile. The men watched, with stoic expressions, as the girl talked with her guide.

"You should go with them," Mushu said in her head.

"Why would I?"

"Because you don't know this guy. You would prove you're innocent; this case sounds serious. They accused you of other things but never murder."

"You have a point" - she took a moment to consider - "gentlemen, I will come with you. Wait 'till I get my phone-"

"No phone," Aper said coldly and grabbed her arm.

He pushed her into the black car in the back seat, taking his place as driver. J. sat in the passenger seat, looking through the rearview mirror at the girl in the back, who was massaging her red arm. Aper behaved weirdly due to a couple of unfortunate encounters with "witches"; he stopped trusting anyone. He would never touch such a "creature".

"You made a bruise, Aper," J. turned to him.

"She deserves it. I don't care."

With that, the car ride was silent.

----------))((

Reaching the station, all three left the car. They entered the main room to see all the people who were waiting, talking or working. Everyone seemed to be doing something.

Aper made J. a sign; the boy took Skyleene's arm gently, leading her to the elevator. After a walk in the corridor, they entered a brown room with a big bureau in the front. It was furnished black, with a big window that made it look very calming. There was a big plant in a corner, which made Skyleene smile. At least, the one who owned that office loved nature as well.

Aper sat on the chair behind the bureau and tilted his head to J. The boy led Skyleene to a seat. She sat down and scrunched her nose when she saw Aper on the chair. Her mind could not accept the fact that that scum had good taste. J. left the room, leaving the two of them in silence.

Aper took a file and started examining it while Skyleene looked out the window. The view was of the city, with its beautiful forest surrounding it. The hills made the city look alive, full of green, but the black town looked like a nightmare.

The door opened, revealing J. with a man in a suit. The man was tall, with a thin beard on the tip of his chin. He looked calm, but he had a strong aura. Mushu examined the man from head to toe, reassuring the girl that it was OK, touching the back of her neck with his tail.

The man looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow.

"The local witch? Here?" The man asked, shocked.

"I'm not a witch, I -"

"Yes, she is," Aper interrupted her. "Take a seat, sir."

The man sat on the chair next to Skyleene, checking her out from head to toe.

"I don't bite," she scoffed, turning away from him. "Why am I here? I didn't kill anyone! Plus, I don't even know who this guy is! What makes you so sure I am the murderer?" she said, crossing her arms.

"We found this" - threw a bag with purple dust on the table - "on the body. The only one who knows what this is, how to use it and who owns it is YOU," Aper said, pointing at her.

The girl furrows her eyebrows at him. Keeping her eyes on him, she took the little transparent bag and examined the specks of dust. Her eyes widened as she saw the purple.

"This is purple dust."

"Yes. We don't know what kind of dust it is, but we believe that you know. And since you are the only one who may have some knowledge about this type of thing, Aper here" - looks at him - "thinks that you are the killer," the man said.

"I don't own the flower."

"What flower?" Aper asked.

"The purple flower, Awo aro*."

*VIOLET IN YORUBA