Poison City

 

“This sounds like - like a cover up attempt.” Marcus sighed.

 

“One thing that caught our - I mean Keryn’s eyes, is that the description of the body. It was charred, like you would expect. Interestingly according to the forensics report, it showed signs of halted or slowed decay, which could not be explained by soil or weather conditions.” Kevin added from the side: “And - there is no mention of Blood Rainbow occurrence during the time.”

 

“Yes. But it’s still minor. ” Keryn gave Kevin an appreciative look but sighed: “Or - it could be an issue with the timing? It might have happened a few months before the cruise ship incident. Mick made the connection that the oldest electric-power-company-ran personnel dormitory dated back at most 20 something years. So it would make sense that it was a prelude to the cruise ship incident. They like to ramp things up before the big ritual, right?”

 

“That’s - that’s a good reason.” Marcus nodded.

 

Just this moment, the water boiler clicked, signaling the water was heated to maximum. Elvin rushed into the kitchen and poured the hot water into an open noodle cup. The smell of instant mushroom and chicken soup filled the air.

 

“Come to think of it, this might be the first ever case on record that indicated the connection between electricity and paranormality. ” Keryn signed: “Hey, at least we have confirmation now.”

 

“And then there’s 1148, the one requested by Ms. Gloria Lee.” Kevin stretched while fixing his eyes on Marcus, just in time to see him tense slightly.

 

“What of it? It’s just before the one we need, about the Pearson family right?” Marcus soothed his breath before asking.

 

“Yes. It’s about a grimoire. The very grimoire Luo Zhuge just mentioned.” Kevin coughed to clear his throat and continued: “It was a bounty of the city from the conflict between the city and the South-Eastern District, kept in a ‘secure’ vault managed by the city. Which - well, you know, turned out far from well managed and secured.”

 

“And - what justified its status?” Marcus sighed.

 

“Cover up? ” Kevin sounded uncertain.

 

“Oh, please, it’s a fucking cover-up” Keryn almost laughed out loud: “We kinda knew already. And what Luo Zhuge said pretty much proved it. So yeah, Marcus, I’m afraid your lady friend is gonna be disappointed.”

 

“Lady friend?” Marcus tensed again: “She’s not - ”

 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s okay.” Keryn waved her hand. “We know - ”

 

“- to get back to the case.” Kevin coughed again, trying his hardest to suppress his smile: “I guess Luo Zhuge had already said a lot. Half of the case notes are basically pages of excuses and official jargon. The city’s position was that, they had done the best and paid due respect for the importance of the grimoire and maintained the proper containment protocol suggested by the community collective. After they discovered that the grimoire was replaced, they checked the security tapes and found no obscurity - ”

 

“Which means, what Luo Zhuge said was true.” Mick sighed: “The grimoire probably was never in the vault. They replaced it very early on, and cut the book into many different smaller bits. So they have some kind of communion - ”

 

“Oh wait. ” Marcus almost sat straight up, before he laid back down from the sore in his muscles: “Who handled the case? I mean - who put the case under Blue Envelopes?”

 

“It doesn’t really say. I guess we need to get into the city archive or records library to see it.” Keryn shrugged.

 

“What are you thinking, Marcus?” Mick asked.

 

“I am thinking - whoever handled the whole process must be in cahoots, right? Or at least, under their employment.” Marcus rubbed his temples: “Damn, I should’ve thought of this earlier. Ask him about the names!”

 

“I don’t think he can tell us even if he knew.” Kevin pulled out another folder: “This is something we found here - or should I say. Something the captain wanted us to find.”

 

“What is it?” Marcus turned and looked at the folder. It was made of old parchments with a lot of folding lines and stains: “Another Blue Envelope?”

 

“Yes. And one that is very - very early on.” Kevin chuckled: “And maybe because it’s early on, or maybe it’s because it’s so secretive, it’s very heavily redacted. It’s 097.”

 

“Woah. What year was it?” Marcus asked.

 

“We don’t know, but - I suspect it’s at least two cycles ago.” Kevin shrugged.

 

“I thought it’s around 30 years ago.” Mick sighed: “So - that’s two cycles ago - I guess.”

 

“What is it about?”

 

“A spell, a dark ritual.” Kevin shivered even just mentioning it: “Something called ‘Borrowed Fate of Three Spirits’. It’s uh - it’s a spell that uses your blood, a piece of your finger, and some other body parts along with some materials used only in dark rituals. It basically sacrifices your own future, and your offspring’s future, in order to gain riches for now.”

 

“What the fuck?” This time Marcus actually sat up straight on the sofa: “That’s - that’s basically - ”

 

“Yeah. That’s basically what is happening now.” Kevin sighed: “Just - just slightly different and much - much bigger.”

 

“Are you - are you sure?” Elvin asked, his voice was trembling.

 

“Yeah, I’m afraid. Pretty sure.” Keryn sighed and took a look at Marcus. Marcus nodded at Keryn, and then his father. What he heard from the Lady in White pretty much said the exact same thing already.

 

“So - what - what can we even do? That kind of ritual must take a lot of sacrifice, and it takes a lot of - a lot of preparations to do.” Elvin scratched his head: “And - can we even stop it? Or escape it?”

 

“We also need preparations, of course.” Marcus grunted: “I’m afraid we will have to take too much time. Alright - alright - ”