Suspect

There was an intense pause between the two as a whistling wind blew across the street.

"You have to come with me. It's not safe here for you now, and others close to you. Apparently you don't know enough of magic or the magical world apart from your mirage powers…and now. Come with me, and learn more about what's out there, and why the fennel was after you."

"And why were you after me?" Yvonne asked. Her hands were now folded.

"Well…you're kinda highly sought after by a lot of people who know of your existence. But our master wanted you to join our party of your own free will. But it seems we don't have time for all that."

"Why exactly am I so sought after?"

"Why…I'm sure you expected stuffs like this. You just didn't know if those that'd know took notice. Your mirage powers…your time bending powers are kinda the ultimate powers any party or group of people or person can have. That'd literally grant them control over their opponents, and blackmail."

Another intense pause ensued, broken by Yvonne's chuckles.

"It's really not funny you know! Your life might not really be in danger but that doesn't mean you can't be tortured. And you've got precious people around you, your family…"

"I'll destroy any one who gets near mine!" Yvonne shouted and pointed at Moirai, with the veins of her head visible under the streetlights.

"Oh now, just how many times will you be able to jump time? And if I'm correct, you can't loop this event, one cus it's been some time already since the fennel ran of and you can only loop immediately after an event and two cus, well, that dagger was used on you."

Yvonne looked at the dagger in her hand.

"Why…how do you know so much about all these? And this dagger…why did my scar heal up once it was pulled out?"

"I'll answer all your questions if you just come along with me now. There's really no time, if one came for you then there's all guarantee more will. Please!"

Yvonne's face had fallen into a pitiful look while she stared at the dagger. She wondered why Mercedes didn't tell her much of the magical world, whether to trust the guy infront of her. Atleast she felt it made sense for her to be attacked. Her powers were clearly known to the world, and as much as she had kept a low profile from Mercedes' warnings, it apparently wasn't enough. Just what was to become of the hostel guards? There would be a commotion in the morning in the hostel when their bodies would be found, bodies she didn't even know where they were, the police would come investigating the chaos, and she'd be missing…

"Wait! The police will be here in the morning, and I won't be present when investigations are going to be carried out. My roomies definitely saw me in the room before they slept, but I was the last to sleep in the room…I didn't even sleep. I'd become a suspect, or be declared missing. How do you work that out?"

"We have friends there who help to tidy messes created by some idiotic magicals. That will be taken care of for you."

"How?"

"Just leave that to them."

"So what about the dead men? No justice? They have families you know!"

Moirai sighed. He then walked over to Yvonne.

"You been hearing the news lately?"

"Hmnm," Yvonne hummed affirmatively.

"The homicides of those rich women were done by that same fennel. That was his usual pattern, so pretty sure the investigators won't be able to tie the murders of these men to the women. Your abduction by him would have been an entirely different case. How would you explain that, or solve the murder mysteries to the detectives? This is why we have our inside man."

Yvonne couldn't respond. She had seemingly heard enough for one night. Moirai stretched out his right hand to Yvonne's left.

"Can we go now? Everything will be explained. I promise."

Slowly, Yvonne took Moirai's hand. Moirai smiled at her.

"Now hold it tight and don't let go."

Moirai raised his left hand and straightened his index and middle finger, folding the rest. He closed his eyes subtlety as if trying to concentrate hard. Suddenly, two magic circles formed around him and Yvonne. The red light reflected off their faces, and it left Yvonne stunned at its brilliance.

"This is magic," Moirai whispered to her.

Yvonne looked at Moirai intently. Suddenly, her environment started to fade slowly, then faster and she felt herself spinning until all she could see was blur…and then everywhere was stable again.

"Where am I?"

***

Back in the police station, reports had already flooded in about the murder of the woman in the Palms hotel. The police had only just released a statement about the murder of the singer that same evening, now this. The press were already at their voracious best, giving reports about the murder mysteries, how unsafe the city was becoming for women and police incompetency.

Pius and Neko were standing infront of a chart board, filled with pinned pictures of previous murder victims that were killed in similar fashion to the singer and now the woman in Palms hotel, pages of newspaper carrying news on the investigation and related materials.

"This really is a nuts job. We better head over there to check things out before the body gets moved," Pius said.

"Hmnm," Neko hummed. She hated being kept way past her bed time, and now had a tiring investigation to solve.

She kept clicking her pen ominously while staring at the chart board with a very intense look on her face.