Poison City

Marcus let out a sigh of relief, but also of concern. He took a look at Keryn, who shook her head and shrugged at him, he looked Luo Zhuge in his eyes and added to his earlier answer: “We don’t know for sure yet. But MY current theory, or speculation is - that some kind of technology was invented with ritualistic power in mind that could serve as a general area of effect suppressor of paranormal energy. But this effect, this power is diluting, waning and losing its effect.”

“Yeah, yeah, if it ever worked. No shit.” Luo Zhuge shook his head. He scratched his: “But - I think it makes sense now - all of this - ” He scoffed, at himself this time: “I guess I was just too - too buried in everything to actually see it.”

“What do you mean?” Marcus asked.

“It - it doesn’t matter now.” Luo Zhuge shook his head.

“Well it kinda does.” Keryn insisted: “You mentioned murmurs and cries, is that what you hear when you’re working at the power corporation? What else do you see when you work there?”

“Shadows, spirits, voices that are both distant and terrifying. At first I thought it was just me, because I came into the power company with the intention of looking into it. At first I could not find anything, and then people started seeing things. People became haunted, work stations became haunted. My investigation also hit a dead end. So even though I got something, I was still stuck on others. Then the company told us to take a night shift. ” Luo Zhuge sighed before he proceeded to explain: “I tried to talk them out of it. But - you know what happened.”

“You’ve been in the company for a while, right? You ever find anything - suspicious?” Keryn took a look at Marcus before asking.

“Not as long as I’d like. But also, too long for me to take anyway.” Luo Zhuge sighed: “I’ve spent a lot of my time navigating the place. I don’t know about other companies, but S&S Corp is really a stickler for the rules and processes. They did not even let me touch a circuit box on-prem. And I’ve finally worked my way up to - a senior engineer. And even in that position, I have limited vision of what is going on.”

“But - you surely have seen something? Otherwise you wouldn’t have tried to warn your colleagues. Besides basic instinct and hunches, and those things you’ve seen, what else do you know? What made you leave? Why did you choose to hide?” Marcus asked. “For example, we figured out that the power companies are a part of the whole ritual in keeping the appearance of the unclean entities in check in the two districts. You seem to know things before we told you that - ”

“You caught that, huh?” Luo Zhuge shook his head with a wry smile: “I guess - might as well - do you know that there was a grimoire stored in an underground facility in the city? It was sort of a bounty of the city forces when they invaded the South-Eastern District during that conflict.”

“Yes.” Keryn nodded and looked: “What about it?”

“Judging by the fact that you’re not surprised or confused at all, I’d assume you both know that it is missing, no?” Luo Zhuge gave Marcus a side eye, then chuckled at Keryn.

Neither Keryn nor Marcus wanted to respond right away. Luo Zhuge just sat there, relaxed and laid back in his seat, still chuckling.

“Alright, this is no fun if you’re not gonna participate. But I’m right, aren’t I?” Luo Zhuge finally budged and waved his hands: “Now - what is it that you guys called it? Secret Folder? No - its name’s got a color in it - purple folder?”

“Blue Envelope.” Keryn and Marcus answered at the same time, through their teeth.

“Yeah - yeah, Blue Envelope.” Luo Zhuge clapped his hand and sat straight: “And - the dirty secret to the Blue Envelope cases is - they can be just cover ups for certain powerful and well connected people who want to dabble in dark rituals. And the fact that the grimoire was missing, and that the city had no updates on its case, is because there is a group of people - powerful people, possibly connected to the ones who have been doing all of this shit around the city, have had the actual copy of it all along.”

“What?!” Kevin and Mick let out an audible gasp from the other room.

Luo Zhuge chuckled and squeezed his nose bridge: “It’s okay, officers. I know there are more people here, because the spell I put on that doll, I can see one trace leading up to the inner room. Please feel no obligation to come out.”

“What do you mean? A group of people have had it?” Kevin did not even hesitate before coming out: “How long have they had it?”

“I’d say - at least two decades.” Luo Zhuge shrugged: “And it was only reported because a scholar from the South-Eastern District made a request to take a look at the grimoire. Honest folks, they were only trying to do research.”

“How did you know this? ” Kevin narrowed his eyes.

“Well. Long story short.” Luo Zhuge adjusted his posture, ready to drop a major bombshell. His eyebrows twitched, his voice was shaking and his shoulders were trembling: “Because my family is among these people. Our parents performed the rituals with them.”

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