Chapter 1 : Desperation Reveals the Path

Between the contrast of horrified faces and ones of sadness, sat whom who is now responsible of overseeing the future of these people, their families, their lives. A gloom look is burned onto her stern expression, holding no compassion to the loud wails of devotees. Sharp eyes shifting from one person to another, each getting more and more tragic to look at. Hands gently lay across her lap, intertwined together, going from caressing both of her thumbs - to folding them on one another. Sitting properly as per etiquette, legs gently pressed together. This was all necessary considering the occasion.

Loud whispers and sobs could be heard all around her, trapping her in, with possibly no way to escape.

"Oh Dear Lord, why did this have to happen..."

"We are doomed...This is it..."

"Does that mean...Mommy, will she lead us now?"

"Keep your voice down!"

"Angel, it's not 'her'. It is..."

One could only imagine what could be going on in her mind, wild thoughts running across, bumping into the sides of her head. The impacts flood her brain with crimson blood, they won't stop running. They can't stop running. It's seeping out, leaking all over the hardwood floor, staining it with this thick red liquid. There's too much. How do you stop it? Can it be stopped? It just keeps spreading more. The ruckus inside is louder and louder. It's all that exists.

Around the screams a mutter could be heard.

"Please wake me up from this nightmare..."

...

"This is breaking news! The President has sent out a special congratulations for this years top detective agency on their service to all citizens, let's all welcome them on stag-"

The radio was abruptly turned off with no warning and a head quickly turned to the perpetrators direction.

"Hey, Vik! I was listening to that you know?" a girl sighed.

Hearing no reply from the man, she jumped up from her cuddled up position in her seat and continued on with her rant.

"Just because you're depressed about not being up on stage like that bigshot agency, *doesn't* mean we're shit! You're letting it get to your head!" shifting her eyes upwards, she saw an even gloomier expression on his face than it already is everyday.

Cringing, she franticly swept her gaze across the room and tried dragging other people into the hole she dug herself into.

"Uh...Oh yeah! Hernes, you agree with me, right?" she spat out and returned her gaze to Vik. "There's always next year, so don't get so worked up over this!"

A deathly silence filled the space, a few keyboard clicks heard here and there. But no one has bothered to acknowledge her existence.

Even Vik returned to his seat, his eyebrows frowned.

Knowing when to give up, she dropped down into her chair to rot and fuse herself to it.

*I'll be like a fossil, and after 5000 years I will be discovered and molded with another person! Dun dun dunn!*

Melting into the chair, work proceeded as usual.

'The work this year has been practically nonexistent, which led us to this conundrum of forming a rival detective agency that we were once so closely connected to. The both of us helped each other with various cases one has trouble with, or ever requesting extra backup. These two agencies falling apart could've been more unpredictable than a super villain's plan actually working out at the end of the story!

The main reason for it was the fierce burning fire of envy and jealousy. It started once our agency received an urgent case involving the murder of the President's daughter. The authorities had noticed our close relationship with the other agency and granted us special permission of extra backup for this case. So as per usual, we consulted them. All of us worked from dawn to midnight everyday only for our believed 'friends' to present our agencies documents we poured our tears and sweat into to the government. And, of course, they took full credit. As if we didn't even receive the case *first*?'

"Noa, what is...this?"

A voice was heard just behind the girl. Startled, she almost fell off her chair but managed to mangle her way back into place.

Finally meeting eyes with the person she suspected had been observing her and a mischievous grin fell upon her face.

"I'm just working on my short story, that may or may not be based on a true story" she proudly states while the other person's expression grows more and more perplexed.

They look over at the computer screen once more, seeing several prior entries of these short 'stories'. Even dating back from their first day in this field!

"Noa...Aren't you supposed to be working? Everyone else is". They stated calmly.

While spinning in circles, Noa made up an excuse with her easy going attitude.

"This is my work. How else will we keep these important incidents in our records?". She stops spinning and focuses her gaze onto the person.

"Mika, you don't need to look over my shoulder anymore". Swinging her arms around to emphasize her point.

Mika sweeps her gaze to look around Noa's desk. Calling it a mess would be an understatement. A hoarder's home would be more accurate.

*How does she work like this?*

A small part of the desk is taken up by the computer and other electronic devices. But apart from that, it's filled with old, filthy plates pilled up high, forming several of these towers, on the brink of collapsing. Stains seeped deep into the desks surface. Small trinkets thrown about, used as stress relievers, to keep her hands occupied at all times. But to outsiders it seems it would do the complete opposite. *Are those...Christmas decorations? It's July...Oh Noa.*

*Did the rival agency incident get this much under her skin? It was nowhere near this bad a few months ago.*

"Noa, you haven't even tried to raise your rank up after I demoted you to a trainee. Are you not worried about your pay being this little?" Mika looked back at her and continued. "What happened? All of us are trying our best to get back up from this slip. Well, more like fall, but that's not the point. You can try to take up at least some simple cases, nothing big". Mika put her arm around Noa's shoulders, her gaze locked onto the floor. "When's the last time you even took a case?"

There was no reply from the now silent girl, Mika's heart ached just as much as Noa's to have to push her like this. But if nothing changes...They will just have to keep paying an eyesore to sit at their office and disturb the others.

*I know she doesn't let us see her true thoughts about this downfall, but this silence is progressing into a real problem for her and our co-workers.*

"Isn't there anything you want to investigate again, Noa?"

Noa kept her thoughts to herself. Mika tried persuading her a couple times more before she left to finish her work and file some documents.

Finally after this confrontation, Noa lifted up her head to look at her co-workers. All of them were doing something meaningful, even if it's not solving our nations biggest problems. It was just mostly filing documents from one place to another, putting up posters about this agency's existence. That this office was still in business. *How can they bear doing this boring work? The only thing this achieves is extending our agency's inevitable end. Trying this hard is just torturous. What's the point if nothing is changing? How are they okay with this corrupt shitty system we got trapped in.*

*If no other person is willing to take the risk, I'll do it.*

All the troubles this nation faces could be linked back to one organization, which could be considered non-existent. Because so little is known about it, and the things that are known, are just baseless rumors.

Mika is diligently sitting at her desk, about to print some more documents, until her office door slams open, almost making her drop the papers.

The one who enters in, holds a burning passion in their eyes, that could not be found just an hour before.

And the sentence she announced nearly sent Mika into a coma from joy. Or worry.

"I will be investigating the 'Serki' organization"