Chapter 8.

280 Years.

With Jared's theory echoing in his mind, he and Iraide set about researching the history of the founder of the city of Renové. However, they soon discovered that information about the mysterious Ratner Renové was surprisingly scarce.

They spent days scouring old archives, libraries, and historical records, but all they found were fragments of stories and legends. Apparently, Ratner Renové had arrived in the city by sea, from far away lands. However, no one knew exactly where he was born or what his true origins were.

It's like he appeared out of nowhere, Iraide commented, flipping through an old local history book. There are no records of his birth, and no one knows if he ever got married or had children.

That's the strangest thing, Jared replied. A man who founded such an important city and there is no concrete information about his personal life. It is as if he had wanted to cover his tracks.

In addition, they discovered that until 280 years ago, Ratner Renové's grave had been intact, but it was mysteriously looted and his body was never found. As the years passed, people died and the founder's story faded into oblivion.

¿Do you know what this means? Jared said, frustrated. We may never find clear answers about the founder. The city itself is full of secrets that no one bothered to unearth.

We can't give up yet, Iraide insisted. There is something in this story that is slipping away from us. Maybe, there are lost or hidden records that can give us more clues.

They decided to investigate further, looking for any clue that could shed light on the enigmatic founder and his possible connections to current crimes. While looking through old documents, they noticed a series of letters written by one of Renové's first settlers, mentioning Ratner Renové in a cryptic manner.

Listen to this, Iraide said, reading one of the letters aloud. Ratner Renové was a man of many secrets. His arrival in these lands was shrouded in mystery, and though he has given us a thriving city, we have never known his true history. The night his tomb was looted, many believed that ghosts from the past had returned to claim him.

Ghosts from the past, Jared murmured. It's as if everything is connected in a way we can't clearly see. ¿What if the answer to these crimes lies in Renové's very origins?

That is what we must find out, Iraide replied determinedly. We must continue to investigate and find those dark secrets Mr. Black mentioned. They may be the key to solving this mystery.

In the midst of the excitement of uncovering the origins of Renové's founder, they were interrupted by terrifying news. Two bodies, a man and a woman, had been found in Renové's museum, where they worked as a security guard and janitor.

The couple was married and had a 5 year old daughter. Like the other victims, they were found missing their feet, which had been precisely severed, and a huge pool of blood beneath them.

Most disturbingly, the couple had previously reported that their 5  year-old daughter claimed that a man watched her through the window on rainy days. The little girl had disappeared five days before her parents were found, suggesting that her kidnapper had something to do with her parents' murder.

Iraide and Jared knew they had to act quickly. Perhaps this case was not only related to fat extraction, but also had darker implications. It was possible that the 5 year-old was still alive and in danger.