Chapter 31: Wheels In Motion [9]

Damon exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing as he stared at the spot where the rift had been. "So that's what it looks like when a soul's guided across," he murmured in awe.

Vincent adjusted his coat and said quietly, "Not many can do what he just did." He nodded slightly toward Kruger. "Did you notice the red skull-shaped brooch on his suit lapel? Or the inverted cross on his silver ring?"

"Yeah. What about them?"Damon frowned, recalling the details.

"They mark him as a Priest of Destined Death," Vincent explained. His tone was almost reverent. "Their order governs the transition of souls. The soul tends to strongly cling to the body, no matter what state it's in. Priests like Kruger sever that connection, guiding them to either their final rest or their next life."

'Next life?' Henry's eyes swept over the ring on Kruger's finger. His mind immediately began whirring with subconscious thoughts.

Damon's eyes widened. "Wait, if that's true, couldn't we have asked the spirits what the creature's actual form looked like or where their heads were taken?"

"Sadly, that's not possible; if the soul is too damaged, it can't properly manifest a coherent projection of the person's spirit."Glancing at Kruger for a moment, Vincent continued with a sigh, "If we forcefully tried manifesting a spirit, it would only risk further damaging the soul."

"How could you even tell? You're not related to the Destined Death's church?"

"I don't need to be. Develop a specialty, and you'll be able to as well," answered Vincent in a relaxed manner.

"What do you mean, Specters divide their skills?"Henry raised a brow in surprise.

Just as Vincent was about to answer, Lorelei's sweet voice sounded behind them."Every Specter channels their energy through a path of focus, be it spiritual, elemental, physical, or mental. Without it, you'll never shape power with precision. It lets experts like us work effortlessly."

"Sir Kruger didn't just open a path; he ensured the souls reached their end without interference. That's the mark of someone who's refined his art fo---"

Without waiting for Louralie to finish, Henry said in curiosity, "The process can be disrupted? What happens to the soul then?"

Lorelei's smile tightened, becoming brittle. "A soul torn from its guided path doesn't simply vanish. It becomes lost. Adrift in the spaces between, vulnerable to predation by things that hunger for spiritual energy or fester into a vengeful spirit. It is a rare fate considered worse than final death by our doctrines."

A solemn silence fell over the group, the clinical air of the mortuary suddenly feeling heavier.

Kruger's steady voice broke the quiet. He had finished his conversation with Mr. Junnan and now regarded the three brothers, his silver eyes lingering on each of them with contemplation. "The souls are at peace. Our duty to them is concluded. The duty to the living, however, remains." He held up a small notepad. "By reading the echoes of their past, I was able to recover names. Emmett Till, Yuehong Long, Noelle Li, Rowena Kendell, Yi Long."

He shifted his gaze to Vincent."Your inspection was quite unorthodox…what did your method reveal?"

Vincent met his gaze without flinching, though his posture straightened slightly under the Priest's direct attention. "The residual intent isn't just violent, it reeks of hunger. The creature isn't just taking the spine and skulls; it's consuming the spiritual potential within the bodies. A wild predator, even a spectral one, wouldn't leave such a signature. It would be much messier and more chaotic."

Silent for a moment, Kruger carefully considered Vincent's words. "A valid observation," he conceded, a hint of respect in his tone. "The Church's initial assessment leaned towards a feral entity. Your theory suggests something more intelligent."

"It's not a theory," Vincent said, an edge of confidence returning to his voice. "It's a pattern pointing to a purpose."

"You're correct, the 'hunger' you noted aligns with this." He gestured with the notepad. "Mr. Junnan and the officer outside confirmed it through the city registry. All five victims had failed their specter trails, but they were noted to have a fair bit of spiritual energy."

"They all appeared to be students of Quintet Musical College."

The pieces snapped together in Damon's mind. 'A music school.. A pattern so specific, it couldn't be a coincidence, right?.

"The creature isn't hunting randomly," Vincent stated, his earlier theory solidifying into certainty. "It might be targeting the school, but we need to find out why."

"Precisely," Kruger said. "The most efficient path is to investigate the college itself. We will proceed there together. A unified front may deter the entity, or at the very least, present a sufficient threat to force its hand."

Vincent shook his head with a decisive motion. "With respect, Priest, a unified front also makes one obviously large target and gives the enemy a single point to avoid. My siblings and I will operate better with flexibility. We'll start with the victim's homes. There might be a personal connection the registry won't show, maybe a shared performance."

Kruger listened to his suggestion calmly, weighing the pros and cons, "A sound tactical approach."

"Very well. We will divide the labor."

"My partner and I will secure the college and interview the staff. You will follow the personal trail. We will reconvene through Mr. Junnan with our findings."

As they moved towards the door, a practical, morbid thought struck Damon. He glanced back at the sheet-covered floor. "What will happen to them?" he asked quietly. 'Still kind of eerie to look at them, but at least I don't feel like throwing up breakfast anymore'

Lorelei, who had been listening silently, answered softly, "Their bodies have been violated as a conduit for this evil. To prevent any further desecration, the Church's doctrine mandates purification by consecrated flame. They will be cremated, and their ashes returned to their families with blessings."

Exiting the cold room, they found Mr. Junnan in the hallway, speaking with a uniformed police officer who looked pale, with shadows under his eyes. It was evident that this case seemed to be taking its toll on him.

Vincent stepped forward, his demeanor shifting to one of efficient authority.
"Officer," he said, flashing his investigator's badge. "We need the home addresses for the five victims. Immediately."

"Th-they're all here, sir."The officer swallowed hard, shaking as he quickly handed over a folded sheet of paper from his clipboard, visibly intimidated by the collective presence of the strange group. From his point of view, the fact that a Priest, a Deacon, and the three special investigators were summoned for this case meant that the danger was far greater than they had estimated..

Vincent took the paper, his eyes scanning the list. He gave a curt nod to Kruger. "We'll be in touch."

"Wait! We never got your names," Lorelei asked with intrigue.

"I'm Vincent Redhill, and these two are my brothers Damon and Henry," Vincent mumbled with a dry smile. Taking into account how their interaction began, Vincent felt awkward towards Lorelei.

"Redhill? Are you perhaps related to The Scarlet Visionary?"She asked immediately after recognizing the name.

"Yeah..She's our mother."Vincent could only answer rolling his eyes. He had anticipated this response once she heard of their identities. His mother's fame and the expectations that came with it were often nerve-wracking for Vincent and his siblings when out on missions.

"Now it makes sense…my father told me stories of Lady Morrigan's great talents, you three must have inherited them through her."Clasping her hands, Lorelei's eyes lit up after confirming her suspicion.

'She's our adoptive mother, though.'Damon added in his mind. He decided it was better not to interject to complicate things further.

Without saying much, the brothers quickly went down the corridor, afraid Lorelei would start asking personal questions if they had stayed. They left the mortuary before taking in the brilliance and warmth of the morning sun once more.

****

"So are we actually headed to the victims' houses ?"Damon asked, side-eyeing Vincent. He had this nagging feeling that his brother had other plans.

'I doubt he told them the truth'

"Nope, instead we're headed for a Specter who specializes in divination," Vincent said

"Isn't that stuff just fake palm reading, though?" Henry was instantly dumbfounded.

"Not in this line of work, the genuine articles often hide among the frauds. It's the easiest way to avoid the detection of the churches." Pausing for a moment, Vincent reached into his coat pocket. "With this, I'm sure we'll get some good results." Upon saying this, the corners of Vincent's lips curled up as he playfully waved a severed index finger.

"When did you take that??"