Chapter 3

‎"Did you say you were going to Devin College?"

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‎I blinked, thoughts bundling up in my head before I was pulled out of my reverie and my vision settled on Sarah more clearly.

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‎"Yes." I glanced at the wall clock. 13:00. I needed to be at the college before half past one.

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‎Sarah would be my last patient for today. If only, she'll just....

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‎"You feel it's strange too, right Miss Lee?"

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‎I tapped a pen unto a book in my hand in rhythm. "What is, Sarah?"

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‎"The news I've been hearing from that school." She looked sideways as if another person was there in the office with us, before leaning in slightly. "It's unsettling."

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‎I knew that already, but I wanted to indulge her, considering she might know something that I didn't. Sarah always does. "And what's that?"

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‎She suddenly placed a hand on her chest and shook her head slowly. "Oh, I cannot say. It's been ruled out as an Omerta, as I've heard. And you know, the walls have ears. I do NOT want to get in trouble, my life's perfect and simple as it is. I'm too old for a 'new' kind of adventure." She added sarcastically.

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‎Omerta: a codename for 'silence' or not to tattletale an organization's secretive works.

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‎Now, what did Devin College have anything to do with it?

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‎"You know Anthony Devin? The Vice Chancellor?" Sarah glanced at me before staring off into space. "I knew him personally. Grumpy looking, lanky fellow, but very intelligent. From a rich family too. They founded the college." She let out an amused chuckle. "He was the only boy among six girls." Then she paused, "we were close. He grew distant, wouldn't want anything to do with me and eventually, he cut me off.

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‎He acted like he didn't know me, and so perfectly well too! He wouldn't even tell me what I did. And for years, I was continuously plagued with the thought that it was all my fault, without knowing just what I did wrong!"

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‎"That must've hurt you deeply, especially receiving such an act from someone you hold dear. However, he may have had a reason for doing that. Perhaps there was something going on in his life which he didn't want you getting involved with, because he knew you, and vice versa. People who do this either act out of a sheer sense of protection or... dislike. Still, he would've communicated with you."

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‎"That's what I'm saying!" She let out in an excited aggravation, to which I nodded with a smile.

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‎"Thank you, Miss Lee, you always get me without me having to say much." She exhaled deeply before standing to her feet.

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‎Seeing this, I followed suit and reached for my coat.

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‎"I'm off." She turned to give me another sweet smile. "You should take care of yourself, Miss Lee. Also, you don't need to escort me out."

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‎I wasn't.

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‎A cruel iciness rammed into my bones when I opened the door. I poked my head out and swept my gaze over the quiet neighborhood, momentarily shivering as another burst of wind charged at me. Winter was fast approaching.

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‎ "Sarah, it's quite cold out." I noticed she didn't bring a coat, so I wrapped mine around her shoulders, just in case. If left in this cold, her bones won't be able to keep up. Like she didn't already have a short lifespan.

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‎As she started to say something, I shook my head, turned to lock my door and thereafter, guided her towards the bus station by the shoulders so she could take a cab.

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‎"Miss Lee, you amazing soul!" She bubbled, eyes beaming at mine.

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‎She always made a big deal out of nothing. "It's only a gesture, Sarah, don't take it to heart. Have a safe trip home." I turned to walk away before she could say more and began shifting my cane to the other hand, glancing at my wristwatch every now and then.

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‎I got to Devin's College at exactly 13:35. So, much for coming here early, Alyssa.

‎ I took a clean sweep of the surrounding and noticed how little of the students occupied the area. Most of them were likely in class. As I got nearer to the front door of the large building in the center, I was met with another of that from yesterday.

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‎"Brawns!"

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‎I stared at her blankly, meditating on just how poor my luck was.

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‎She quickly approached me, hooked an arm around mine and started dragging me away.

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‎"What are you doing here, again?! It's like deja Vu!"

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‎"Will you borrow niceness this time around and stop dragging me?" I spat out, "I'm not going in that direction, I...."

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‎"Oh, I know where you're going but the Vice Chancellor is having quite the company at the moment, plus that building is a lecture hall, you can't be in there. Anyways, VC requests that you wait an hour or two, and I was chosen to host you." She snickered at the end of that sentence. "Like I don't have any 'other' thing to do, tch."

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‎Meaning those girls were able to tell him. Quite a connection they have to be able to speak directly to him.

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‎Loralye kept rambling. "However, I am the personal secretary as well as the head lecturer so I guess I have to adhere to instructions. Tsk, today wasn't going well already, then his brothers had to come. Triple the trouble and 'I' have to do all the work." I could see a vein popping up on the side of her face.

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‎Wait.

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‎ I frowned when two words stood out to me. "His brothers?" I turn to give Loralye my full attention. "Isn't Mr Devin the only son in a family of six girls?"

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‎Her eyes raced distractedly before she chuckled nervously, and placed a glitchy hand over her lips. "Oops, I said more than I'm supposed to."

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‎"What?"

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‎"Hm?" She smiled. "Oh, don't dwell too much on what has been. The VC has adopted brothers. No one knows about this of course."

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‎Now, that was the most obvious, simplest, comedic lie I've ever heard. I've known Loralye since my sophomore year in Winston University and I didn't know that 'she' didn't know how to lie.

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‎At that time, Winston was adjoined with Devin, though they were a state apart. Then an unreasonable, secret feud broke out between them and they split.

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‎"Who is the new VC, Loralye and why hasn't it been on the news?"

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‎"I'd rather keep my tongue than have my head for it." We stopped infront of the door to her office, her hand pausing on the knob before she turned to give me a strange look. "It's a good thing you're going to find out today, right?"

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‎The door opened and I was immediately pushed inside the office. My gaze skidded over coquette styled book shelves, pink fluffy rug beneath classic chairs arranged at the side and a well decorated office table at the center of it all.

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‎As my gaze landed on her, I shifted my cane to the other hand. This time, I was uncomfortable. "If you all react like that to my question, I'll be forced to believe that this is a cult."

‎‎She glanced through the pages of a book she picked from one of the shelves. "Won't that be a lot better?"

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‎What?

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‎What did she just say?

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‎She looked up at me then, "what are you doing? Seat. Or do you want people coming in here to think that I do not have a strand of empathy for the less privileged? Look at the way you're standing seeming lost like a deranged foreigner."

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‎"Did you modify your tongue? It's sharpened with more nonsensities than ever."

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‎"Hey, hey." Loralye snapped the book in her hand shut before she approached me. Then, she smirked in my face, placed a hand on my shoulder to push me down to the couch below and placed her book on my lap. "That's no way for a therapist to talk."

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‎I returned her smile. "Just checking if there's really anything up there. You know, like squirrels check their nuts to hear if they're hollow or mostly just empty."

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‎She blinked down at me, fluttering her fixed eyelashes dramatically before she tipped her chin and turned away. "Your mouth is disgustingly horrendous."

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‎"Like your makeup?"

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‎I watched as her lips part open, however, instead of saying something, she walked out of her office and slammed the door in the process.

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‎Dramatic much?

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‎I twisted my neck a little to the side, straining to look out of the window behind me. There were more trees than students in this desecrated area. At a corner, I saw a group of boys smoking under one of the green shades.

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‎Smoking kills you slowly, boys, if you intend to off yourselves quicker, why don't you try quinone? I mumbled to myself and watched as a tell, hefty man on suit and glasses approached them.

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‎I propped my body atop the couch, against the window, resting my leg on the soft cushion, so that I could witness the scene clearly.

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‎The man on suits reached into his inner pockets, brought out something and showed it to the boys, to which they gave a disturbing reaction.

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‎They started yelling and throwing tantrums but I couldn't hear a thing. It made me realize that Loralye's office window was sound proof.

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‎What did she do in here that required such measures?

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‎Again, I watched as Suits proceeded to bring out something else from his inner pockets. As the sunlight projected off the body of a dark medium length weapon, my eyes widened.

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‎THAT WAS A GUN!

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‎My breath hitched in my throat when Suits aimed the gun at the boys. They shut their lips immediately and looked utterly terrified. All the colour on their face was drained out.

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‎As Suits began to turn his head in my direction, I immediately plopped unto the couch, held my knees to my chest, hugged it and went still.

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‎My heart was pounding, my fingers were icy at their tips, and yet, I was more excited than I was frightened. And I couldn't tell if it was a positive excitement or the opposite.

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‎I became fueled with worry about the boy's well-being and my gaze immediately landed on the door. Before I knew it, I was approaching it.

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‎That was a real gun! I push down the knob and stepped outside. Why would such a thing be allowed in school!?!

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‎My hand tightened over my cellphone as I pulled to a stop at the terrace. I couldn't decide if I should call the police or inform the VC. I was skeptical about those men in blue, they were incapable of doing anything.

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‎Just around the corner were Suits and the boys. He wouldn't shoot, I was sure of it. Gunshots were loud, if it went out, it would throw everywhere into an uproar.

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‎Meaning, he wasn't here to attract attention. He must've snuck in. I hid behind them, just at a corner so that I could make words out of the jargons they seemed to be saying.

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‎Suits was probably here to deal with someone and wanted it to be done secretly.

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‎Two flashes of light suddenly moved in my direct vision and for all of eternity, I held my breath and froze. I thought I had been caught, but it was only the boys running away. Fortunately, they hadn't seen me.

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‎I peeked out from the corner slightly and caught Suits walking the other way, to which, I immediately imitated.

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‎Curiosity.... kills a man faster than fear, and yet it's as addictive as wine.

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‎It was noticeable that he was in a hurry, considering the huge strides he took. We stopped before a creamy brown, two-storey building with shades and flowering pots decorating the surrounding. And by that, I mean, I hid behind the building and watched Suits go in before I straightened my clothes and followed after him.

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‎This particular building seemed detached from the rest as though it didn't relate to them in any way. I switched my cane to the other hand and took tentative steps in the corridor, making sure I didn't leave any detail uncovered.

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‎It was already strange that there was no one around, not even a single worker. But, I had to admit, the architecture and interior designs were phenomenal. They reminded me of reconnaissance art and of the French.

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‎I got to the foot of a long winding staircase and threw my head upwards. Not one sound still.

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‎I suddenly had the thought to leave but realized I'd come too far to do that. I steadied my cane and resumed walking, pausing everytime I thought I heard a pin drop.

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‎When I got to the top floor, a shrill sound pierced through my eardrums and played on the strings of my soul. Frightened, I immediately hid behind a white polished podium and held my breath.

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‎A minute passed and only a windy melody in the disturbing silence answered me, reminding me to breathe.

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‎I placed a hand on my chest as I exhaled deeply. I should get away from here. I'd gotten what I needed, hadn't I? I can just convince Adelle not to accept the admission and speak to the head of commissioner police, in hopes that they would carry out investigation on the school.

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‎Suits was with a gun, what was I with?

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‎Finalizing the thought that I'd been careless to come here in the first place, I turned around to leave.

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‎"Did you see it?"

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‎I froze, my fingers turning cold at their tips.

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‎"No, tch. It's useless."

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‎It was as if my heart had grown wings and had flown out from beneath my ribcage, taking my spirit with it. I could already see them, my spirit looked so happy waving down to me.

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‎I snapped back to reality immediately I heard shuffles. Two men were just behind the podium, one little pace and they would see me. One had a soft, gentle voice while the other had a deep, playful tone in his.

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‎These three were certain.

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‎I. Was. Doomed.

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‎I needed to think of way to get out of there. Oh God, Buddha, Gloomy statues, help me!

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‎"Do you think Mr Devin planned it? The papers are nowhere to be found." Soft-spoken said.

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‎"Eh, that old man was just unfortunate to have gotten caught up with the matters of the organization."

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‎"You're certain he's innocent then."

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‎There was a brief pause. During that, I held my breath. Then, I heard shuffling of feet. "Listen Kenny..."

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‎"Kendrick."

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‎"Who cares? Even Kiean calls you Ken..."

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‎"Kael, It's. Kendrick."

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‎"Remind me again, who's older? You won't tell me how to address my brother, man."

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‎Soft-spoken let out a sigh. "It just doesn't sound...."

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‎"What?" There came a teasing tone, "you don't like it when I call your name?"

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‎"It's the way you say it. It sounds disturbing."

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‎The teasing was suddenly replaced with a distinct sass and gay-ish vibe. "How, Kenny? I'm doing you a favor here. Oh, you think you can find a girl with THAT attitude?"

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‎"Get lost or I kill you myself."

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‎The one, Kael, laughed. "Ooh, I'm so scared."

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‎They didn't sound as dangerous as I thought they would. Maybe I could appeal to their empathy and they won't kill me.

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‎"Where do you think Kiean went? He's not the kind to waste time."

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‎"Dunno, probably still disposing of the Vice Chancellor's corpse."

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‎Or, maybe not.

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‎My hands tightened over my cane till they paled, silently echoing the frightening screams of the bleeding organ I owned. I swallowed. I was trapped with no where to go. Either I survive in the next five minutes or I die.

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‎In spite of that, I stayed calm. I needed to rationalize my thoughts and my next course of action if I ever got caught, and I couldn't do that if I was jittery.

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‎"Don't you think it's funny?" Kael let on. "The old man has been out of seat for a week and no one has raised concerns. The school board of directors are a bunch of cowards, heh."

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‎"What's the joke in it? Kiean has control over the college and these ordinary people are sensible enough to know just how screwed up he and the Veil are."

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‎"Speak for yourself. A while ago, you wanted to behead a dude on the street."

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‎"He was harassing a young child." He replied lowly, but sounded annoyed. "Also, I wouldn't have caused a scene right there, I would've taken him away."

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‎Kael scoffed. "Anyone who sees you would think that you're the nicest person on earth, helping these women."

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‎"You ought to respect them, Kael, every single...."

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‎"... including the one who murdered our parents and little sister?" Kael's tone must've dropped because his next words came out cold. "She was three months old, Ken, and they dismembered her, limb by limb."

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‎My face contorted as bile rushed to my throat. I clasped my hand over my mouth as if to keep the nausea away.

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‎Kael wasn't done. "You say you abide by personal rules, you say you can't harm minors, nor unhand women, but ironically the last rule defines you finding the one responsible for that night and dismembering her with your own hands." He added with a dry laugh. "You're filled with contradictions, Ken."

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‎"Are you done?"

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‎ Kendrick sounded unaffected and unamused. It made me wonder just how much trauma these two faced as kids that let them to this point. And here I was grabbing my stomach, trying to calm myself from the sickening feeling.

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‎To my surprise, Kael let out a wholehearted laugh. "I lost again. Really, why can't you ever pretend to be triggered, I feel like a fool every time."

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‎"Maybe because you are? Just saying."

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‎So, getting a few facts straight, these two with the other one had something to do with the death of the VC. I didn't believe it at first but I'd heard from Sarah that there were three major organizations in the state who orchestrated devices in darkness but didn't conceal it entirely.

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‎Oracle, Veil and Pili. The big three.

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‎Rumor had it that they'd fallen out early and a deadly feud started between the three. Oracle was perceived to be the strongest and the most influential, and also the most evil. Pili was supposedly the weakest and was destroyed years after their falling out, while Veil was renowned to have societally approved political relationships, they were a mafia organization who specialized in concrete and universal assassinations.

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‎They were the smartest of the three and took advantage of crucial strategies in publishing good and fearsome reputations outside their work. However they were utterly cruel. If Oracle was evil, Veil was scary and wicked.

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‎So, these brothers belonged to....

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‎"Keys," I heard Kael cry out, "there you are! What took you so long and why are you standing there? We have places to be and orders to..."

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‎"Be quiet."

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‎There came the lowest, steadiest, iciest, and deep silky voice I've ever heard in my life. Eerily, it came from right beside me. "You two should be more cautious of where you ramble those mouths of yours."

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‎At that moment, as I trained my gaze on the shadow silhouette belonging to the man looming over me, on the floor and speaking down on the top of my head, I thought I might actually be dead.

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‎"You don't know just what kind of bird might be listening in."

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‎I drowned down a painful ball of saliva as my heart boomed in my ears mercilessly.

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‎"Oh? This bird has a torn wing already.”

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