Serial Killer

The burgundy sleek angular exterior of Universal Raider, adorned with mysterious symbols, glistens as it travels through the star system.

Rows of thrusters and boosters line the underside of the ship, their edges glowing sapphire and leaving streaks of light in their wake.

The teardrop shaped front appears to be made of obsidian stone. A series of windows run along the sides, providing a view of the interior, which features a circular podium. In the front, a navigation system table is flanked by a group of seven people standing around a digital surface.

“As far as we know, Explorers of Heaven is a longevity league that has existed for decades. It was founded by Jaylynn Sagan, Flame of Spiders,” says Czar, his finger zooming in on a poster of information.

“Its current members are unknown and addressed as Fallen Ones, each given angel names that are based on ancient origins. The one Raiden captured was known as Uriel. From what Ishaan has gathered, her goal was to hold off our return to earth.”

“We understand their goal, but not their true motive,” Hazel says, her emerald eyes glancing back from her seat at the front. “I checked with the commissioner and nothing major has happened on earth that warrants concern.”

“Beside the eerily information about their league, she said something rather strange,” Ishaan began in a level tone. His cool aura trembles lightly, as if holding back aggravation. “I asked her who the Great Night was and why they would back him. All she said was sun.”

Brief silence fills the air before Akira breaks it. “Do you think she’s telling the truth?”

Ishaan raises a marvelous brow, a mirth smile spreading across his face as he chuckles. “What do you think? Would I lie?”

“We need not doubt Ishaan skills,” Manon interrupts sharply. “You would be a fool to do so.”

“I’m not doubting Ishaan,” Akira replies a bit snarkier than intended, locking eyes with his sister. “I am just being cautious of powers that can guard against him.”

“I agree.” Czar nods subtly, adjusting his monocle. “The explorers we’ve fought so far aren’t ancient, yet are on the power scale of the most olden leagues. This fact is unnerving for many reasons.”

“I admire the caution, but it is unnecessary.” Ishaan fiddles with a hair tie as he speaks, his solemn expression calm. Only Akira knew of his Jinxed Cosmos Fey eyes, while the others simply trusted in his interrogation talent.

“What are we going to do with her?” Raiden cuts in, sounding overly concerned.

Despite the faint sense of doubt, everyone collectively looks at Ishaan.

“You captured her, so you keep an eye on her,” Ishaan says briskly. “If she's found by the Explorers of Heaven it doesn't matter whether or not she spoke, they will kill her. Either way, death is in her fate.”

“Yeah, that definitely does sound like something they would do,” Czar mutters.

Akira leans slightly over to Ishaan, lowering his voice solely for the sun Heir ears. “Can she be trusted?”

‘Was that really a question?’ Ishaan answers nonchalantly, “No.”

Akira muscles tenses upon feeling a wave of menace from Ishaan, his throat bobbing and he immediately cuts off his senses to feel emotions. “Why don’t we get rid of her then?”

“Because I’m confident if she gains a personal connection, she’ll learn loyalty.”

Akira gaze lands on Raiden a few feet away, realization causing his expression to tighten.

Raiden, the logistics coordinator, stares intently down the hallway, appearing in deep thought.

****

Universal Raider engine roars as it lands upon a dark gray platform, which is located high above Lightless east building. A hissing growl resounds as the hatch door unlatches. The square metal plate opens like a double door.

Leaning on the wall beside the roof entrance was Iskra, dressed in casual attire; black trousers, striped black shirt panel, which is parted, revealing a baby blue tank top, with exquisite white slides. A rosy aura heaves around her, carrying a gentle peacefulness.

Iskra's cold green eyes were fixated on a silver device in her hand. “That child,” she sighs, the mixture of helplessness and dismay.

Ishaan and others advance the platform. Manon goes to embrace her sister, while Akira takes hold of the phone from Iskra with a cursory expression.

“Do we all need to report to the council together?” Hazel asks Ishaan, her hand loosely threading between Ezra’s pale one. The latter wears big red framed glasses, possessing a thin build, dashing unruly red hair, symmetrical features, and golden brown lifeless eyes.

Ishaan shakes his head in response.

Hazel smiles in gratitude and bids farewell to the others before heading inside, with Ezra trailing beside her, uttering not a single word.

Ishaan senses them take a left as he walks in the opposite direction. Beside him, Akira whistles, earning his attention. “What is it?”

Akira glances around. The dim lit hallway had reddish white walls and portraits of faceless angels.

It was just them two. Manon stated she would be following behind after catching up with Iskra, and Raiden was staying inside Universal Raider, watching over the prisoned elf.

“Look,” Akira whispers. “Someone bold recorded something rather interesting.”

Curiosity piqued by the amusing tone of his friend, Ishaan lifts his blindfold on one side, looking down at the alight screen.

Grunting and groans of pain comes from the square phone, which showcases a familiar magical background, along with figures fighting.

At a slow pace, Ishaan comes to a stop, narrowing an eye as his mind races.

The recorded video was of Kaltain’s encounter with the other freshmen cadets.

‘No wonder Akira was interested.’

Not only is it dishonorable in the eyes of Ophanims to fight outside duels, but also forbidden to record anything in the heavenly realm.

However, the lack of honor and disobedience was not Ishaan's main thought process.

‘The way she fought in hand to hand combat is too advanced for any freshmen I’ve ever witnessed. Even I wasn't much of a fighter back then.’

Ishaan suddenly remembers Ziven once rambling on how he would spar with his siblings and without his powers, he would lose to one of them.

Ishaan thought he meant his twin, Ataraxia, but maybe he was wrong. During this year's entrance examination, Ishaan was only there for the first part and missed the duels.

He did hear praises of how well she did; however, to see her talent is another matter.

After admiring the potential of Kaltain, Ishaan can’t help but imprint the appearance of her in his head.

It was his first time seeing her and she somehow looked, if not even more so, than what he expected—a gorgeous girl with a haunting demeanor.

Exotic shocking ice blue silt eyes socketed on a heart shaped face, plump pink lips, long ivory white hair, which curls at the end, and fair skin that appears golden under the descending sun.

She possesses a petite, athletic build and appears almost cute with the furry turquoise fox curled casually around her smooth neck.

Ishaan's attention to detail is interrupted by the aura of Manon. She was approaching them rapidly.

With a sense of disappointment, Ishaan slides his blindfold back down and continues on his way to the office.

****

On the floor high above, which is hidden behind a tinted glass wall, Vienna leans her elbows on the railing pushed back against the glass. Her lime green eyes probe down at the scene below.

Kaltain stands at the end of a long oval table within the council room, twisting with the ends of her hair lazily, her demeanor apathetic and expression carefree. 

Kaltain's head turns halfway to the side, gazing at a portrait of a woman dressed in a flowing white robe and golden ornaments.

The words—Starlight Calls Alike—were etched in elegant writing on the luxury dark frame.

In the haziness of Kaltain's mind, she heard the council members criticizing her actions, yet she cared not.

She was already scolded once—twice, if you count her mother—why bother being scolded more? Especially by people she had no respect for?

When Vienna heard of Kaltain's little brawl, she decided to check it out of pure curiosity. To her utter disappointment, it was plain drama; nothing involving her investigation of the murders.

‘If only someone died.’

The percentage of Kaltain being involved was below 5 in the beginning. However, after almost killing four cadets, Vienna realized her first impression on the girl might have been off.

Despite the percentage rising to 15, Vienna isn’t convinced enough that the famous freshman is innocent.

Vienna glossy hair sways, brushing her shoulder blades, as she turns to face the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

The curve hallway entrance flickers with purple lights, emitting a lavender scent.

From their auras, Vienna knew who they were before seeing them. A cool pulsing pressure—Ishaan—nested between an unsettling chaotic aura—Akira–-along with a tingly peach one—Manon.

All three of them are clad in their league attire, appearing as a unit with no effort.

“Back from Uranus already?” She questions in her alluring rich voice. “You guys took awfully long for an uncomplicated elimination mission.”

“Says the bitch who’s never been on a space mission,” quips Manon, her expression surly.

Vienna shrugs, a shallow smirk curving her lips. “I never drowned before, yet I still know of its danger.”

Manon frowns with crinkled disdain eyes. “What?”

“She’s messing with you,” Ishaan says, his husky voice bringing a serene wave of familiarity into Vienna's chest. 

She ignores the feeling. 

“Hello, miss heaven,” Ishaan greets warmly.

“How excessively formal.” Vienna dirty boots thump the floor as she fully faces them. “We’re not friends, but we sure as shit aren’t strangers.”

Vienna and Ishaan hung out with each other a lot when she was a sophomore and dated Rune, who was best friends with Ishaan for a good time. Now though, they all hardly converse.

Her biggest impression on the sun heir was when they first met at the auditorium during the end of her freshman year. Someone brushed past him, glazing his arm with their skin and he hurled the poor boy across the room.

This amused and puzzled her, so she listened and from rumors, Vienna heard Ishaan Iniko is thoroughly disgusted with touching others, always keeping at least 2 feet away from anything he deems ‘tainted.’

People believe this to be a weakness of his, but Vienna scoffs at that notion.

‘It can’t be a weakness since his reactions are always violent.’

Vienna's second impression was his aura. He felt like a pillar, with a supreme presence, resembling that of a calculated celestial.

“Fret not, miss heaven,” Akira chimes in, his silky voice sounding mockingly amused. “He’s formal with everyone most of the damn time.”

Turning her gaze, Vienna meets dark pink eyes and tilts her head with an intriguing look. ‘Weather Singer. That’s his title. I wonder if he can actually sing.’

Akira's expression turns strange as he stares back at Vienna.

Ishaan notices this exchange with his powerful senses, yet remains silent. He flexes his hand, carefully smoothing out his leather gloves.

“How did you know of our mission?” Ishaan asks Vienna wryly.

Manon takes a step forward without a command, attempting to tower over Vienna, but coming short by an inch. “Did you divine us, girl?” 

“Why bother?” Vienna flashes a sly smirk. “You motherfuckers aren’t that interesting. Extraordinary, yes. But entertaining? Hell no.”

“As if we give a crap about what you think, bitch,” Manon hisses.

“Relax, sister,” Akira interposed, tenderly pushing Manon away from Vienna space and looking at the Child of Heaven with caution. “She’s a blasphemy seer.”

‘Oh, someone has been doing their research.’  Vienna thought, gleefully.

“What are you doing here?” Akira asks in a frightening low tone. His chaotic aura rose a shiver of cold goosebumps down Vienna’s spine. “Business with the council?”

“It’s been almost a month and five more have died from Crystalline Rock,” Vienna says, seeping her gaze across them in an appraising manner. “All sophomores. The council is convinced it’s not the killer who murder sir Morrigan.”

This was no news to Ishaan or Akira. Only Manon's face collapses in shock.

“That can’t be. In the year 4070, when Crystalline Rock came out, hundreds of cadets were found with that drug in their system. To prevent this, the council decided to be more strict,” Manon rambles solemnly. “They upgraded the security systems and cameras. Scarcely allowing cadets to bring a few things from home, such as clothes, shoes or materials like books or notebooks.”

“Thanks for the history lesson, moon lady,” Vienna remarks sarcastically. “Anyways, the answer to your question, Akira, is that I’m here to request a personal slip to investigate. I am certain there are two killers. I want to catch them both. Make our campus safer, you know.”

A lie dipped in a pool of honesty.

After their last encounter, Vienna came to an unfortunate awareness of the little emotions she released before a Misul.

Her real intentions here was the Melpomene daughter, but she didn’t want anyone else involved in the true mystery; not even herself. She did meet with the council to report daily her opinion on matters at Lightless, something they value exceptionally.

In that report she mentioned her thoughts of the recent deaths. They took it into consideration, but did not ask her to look into it, believing their fellow council member's death was an accident.

‘Their in a great level of denial. At this rate, they’ll die before facing reality. It’s a pity I feel no sympathy.’

Vienna observed that the council was denying the ultimate reality, puppets dancing on multiple stages. She is also aware that behind them lies the genuine heads of Lightless.

Voyager Seekers.

She saw Iskra snooping around Lightless while the rest of her league was out on a mission. By stating she wants to investigate she is worming her way into their own investigation to hide her real intentions.

Vienna knew very well they were all wary of her, especially Ishaan and Akira—they would be fools not be—but she was positive they would offer her to join them in this business.

The only risk with this plan was the Misul’s.

Vienna discreetly eyes the two with a sharpness disguised as hesitance.

Akira's lean body with a sturdy build was tense. His usual reserved playful expression is replaced by an intense one.

Vienna's unfeeling gaze slides up, avoiding Akira's penetrating eyes. Neatly kept black hair fills Vienna sight, along with a striking sharp diamond face.

She looks away after four seconds, trying to maintain the right amount of eye contact to prevent any misunderstanding. ‘I’m pretty sure he can’t feel any other emotion beside my purposeful nervousness.’

From over Akira's shoulder, Manon's aura vibrates with fury. Vienna glances at her for the same amount of time, and as she wonders if they’ll play into her hands, her spine stiffens.

Vienna attention snaps over to the silent figure of Ishaan. His perfect mouth painted in a knowing relaxed smile.

Despite the blindfold, Vienna feels a smoldering gaze that seems to see through the layers of her essence.

In her deep caution of the Misul’s, she forgot him. How could she be so foolish to observe closely while being watched herself? However, even as uneasiness settles in Vienna’s belly, in the end, Ishaan suggests just what she sibyl.

A joint investigation with Iskra.