Edited by: Waning_Crescents and Mouri

“A body!” a civilian exclaimed with a contorted look of shock and nausea. “A body! Call the police!”

Onlookers scoffed and grimaced while maneuvering themselves through the scene. Finding a body had become commonplace in the city of Colst. Crime had more than tripled in the last couple of years. People were abducted in broad daylight; the streets were littered with a mix of cheap booze and urine. On every other corner, sat an addict riding their high or trying to scrounge up enough for their next fix.

The city had no money to fix the issues of the common folk, and the government couldn’t stop the flow of numbing drugs. As the crime rate went up, so did the drug market's income, and it invested right back into itself. New drugs popped up faster than anyone could handle the last one. Drowning in crime and narcotics, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, also called CIB, found itself mired down in a bottomless swamp of cases.

Therefore, a new organization had been established: the Conciliators. An agency operating outside of the law with their primary focus on eradicating criminals at all costs. When the bureau couldn’t act against a criminal through legal means, the Conciliators cleaned up the mess in their own way.

The new Rookie of Section 2, Cal Vaughn, a young man in his early twenties, walked up to the huge crowd which assembled in front of the crime scene. With his white hooded jacket and black pants donned with one strap at the waist on each side, he appeared like another onlooker, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of what happened in front of them.

“Excuse me,” Cal said as he shoved through the people. Some gazed at him in confusion and moved; others, however, didn’t budge at all, blocking the way ahead. Behind him followed a slightly older woman carrying a mid-sized bag, her temper not as civil in such situations.

“Make way!” she called out in annoyance. The onlookers instantly formed a path when they recognized her by her violet-blond hair, tied into a bun at the nape of her neck. Not to forget her unusual attire, which consisted of mainly leisurely clothes—nothing considered ladylike. Only one woman had this get-up, and that was Section 3’s crime scene investigator, Claire Lamont.

Like the CIB, the Conciliators had their own departments, divided into three different divisions: Section 1 dealt with the collection of data and background information; Section 2 was in charge of hunting and exterminating criminals; and Section 3 specifically inspected the crime scene and collected evidence.

When Cal and Claire finally made it through, they stopped at the crime scene and Claire sat her bag down to get her equipment out. Cal tied his shoulder-length white hair into a ponytail before he crouched down beside the victim. He leaned forward to take a closer look, strands of his bangs falling forward to cover his right eye.

The victim was a man in his mid-twenties, maybe early thirties. His contorted face and terrifying, wide-eyed stare indicated what kind of horror this man must have experienced before he met his demise.

“How gruesome,” Cal let out as his gaze fell upon the corpse’s injuries.

The man’s chest lay bare, splotches of blood marking his whole body. Along his abdomen ran a long, deep injury which looked as if someone slit the man open and shut the wound afterward.

“Yeah, and it’s not the first victim,” Claire said as she took glasses out of her pocket and put them on before she slipped a pair of latex gloves over her hands, crouching down as well. “According to the CIB, four victims were found prior to this one. That’s why they sought our help.”

Cal’s eyelids dropped. I wonder who would do such a thing and why!?

Claire took some samples of the victim when she caught a glimpse of Cal’s expression. “Are you alright?” she asked as she tilted her head slightly.

“Huh?” He raised his head in confusion. “Yeah, why?”

“This is your first real crime scene, isn’t it?”

Cal nodded. “Yeah, but don’t worry. I won’t get sick so easily. I am rather interested in the why and who.”

“Oooh, glad to hear that. This work can be really nasty and saddening, but it’s also interesting. It gives insight into people's mental states, but also enables us to help in tracking the criminals. Thus, helping the city to prevent more suffering.” She stored the little tubes with the samples into her bag before she started inspecting the corpse closer.

Cal listened in awe. Although he had just recently transferred from Section 1 to Section 2, his interest still lingered with every division. If he could help, he would. “So far the police haven’t found any clues about the culprit's appearance or whereabouts, right?”

Claire shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. The CIB is at a loss and put their hopes in us and our network. Section 1 is working on it as we speak.”

“What the hell are you doing, Newbie?” A shout echoed from the distance, making Cal whip his head around.

People shrank back as an imposing man with raven black hair wearing a black coat walked through the crowd. With his eyebrows drawn together and an unwelcoming gaze that scared people away, he stopped behind Cal. “I asked, what are you doing?”

Cal stood, frowning at his impertinent approach. This wasn’t the first time his assigned partner, Sigal Crawford, talked to him in this unpleasant way, let alone the irritating nickname he had to put up with. “Inspecting the crime scene.”

“That’s not your job! Go ask around, see if someone saw something, and take notes,” Sigal instructed with a stern expression.

“Sigal, we just arrived as well. There is nothing wrong with him taking a look at the corpse,” Claire cut in.

“Don’t bother,” Cal said, slightly shaking his head. “It’s fine.” He shot a serious glance at his partner before he walked away and back to the crowd.

“Really? Can’t you be a little bit nicer to him?” Claire sighed.

“For what? He won’t be my partner for long anyway.” Sigal shrugged. “Please pass me a pair of gloves as well.”

Claire bent down, rummaging through her bag. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I have a feeling he might be different.” She fished a pair of latex gloves out and threw them to him.

Sigal caught the gloves, put them on, and squatted down. “Nonsense. He’ll be gone as fast as the rest, I assure you.”

Claire sighed. How about you just try to get along for a change and not drive everyone away? As much as she wanted to say these words, they only stayed in her mind.

The light afternoon breeze wafted through Sigal’s raven black hair as his fiery red eyes swept over the blood-stained body. He narrowed his eyes as he grabbed one arm of the corpse and scrutinized the inside of the elbow, where he discerned puncture marks caused by a needle. Use of narcotics as well.

“Looks like the same method as the other victims.” Sigal straightened up, taking off the latex gloves. “Drugs and, by the looks of the stitch marks, they also removed his internal organs.”

“Yeah, no doubt.” Claire knitted her brows. “I understand why the police wanted us to help. Whoever is behind this, needs to be stopped quickly.”

Sigal nodded. “Leave it to me.”

While Cal questioned the bystanders about the victim, who besieged him with questions instead of answering his, the CIB arrived at the scene along with their crime scene investigators. The head of the department, Serra Kaden, stepped out of the car, followed by two colleagues.

Officers held the gawking mass in check while the investigators moved up to the crime scene where Serra greeted the Conciliators before she took a look at the victim herself. She had inspected the other four victims prior to this one, so she could tell at first glance that the same method had been used to kill this man as well. “Another poor soul.”

Afterward, she shifted her gaze to Claire. “Is it just you and“ —she pointed with her chin at Sigal—“him today?”

“Actually, there is another. Let me introduce you to our new colleague.” Claire looked over to Cal, waving him over. “Cal, come here for a second, please.”

“Oooh, who is that?” Serra’s eyes widened as the young man walked towards them. “I don’t think I have seen this handsome young man, have I?”

Claire introduced them quickly and continued, “Our Section 3 works with theirs closely.”

While the CIB and the Conciliators acted separately for the most part, Section 3 was an exception. They decided it was in everyone’s best interest if the Conciliators’ Section 3, the CIB’s crime scene investigators, and the forensic department collaborated to gain the best results.

Cal glanced at the woman, who sized him up, before he stretched out a hand in greeting. “Cal Vaughn, nice to meet you.”

Serra returned the gesture, smiling at Cal, but then she shifted closer to Claire and said in a low tone, “So, he is the poor fella who has to work with that unpleasant, vulgar man?”

Claire nodded and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Unfortunately…”

In the next second, Serra yanked Cal into a hug. “I feel so sorry for you! Hang in there, don’t let him bully you!”

Stunned by the sudden assault, Cal stuttered, “I-I won’t…Everything is fine…”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Sigal raised an eyebrow.

Serra let go of Cal and pointed her index finger at the older investigator. “I do, and I hope you take this to heart how people perceive you! Better yourself already, you gloomy old man!”

“That’s grand coming from a woman who already hit her thirties. Who is the old one here?” Sigal’s lips curved into a devilish grin.

“You…” she gritted her teeth. “That doesn’t matter, it matters how you act, and you act like a grumpy old man!”

“Alright, alright. That’s enough, you two!” Claire stepped in between them and led Serra away from Sigal to calm her down.

“Your reputation is pretty bad…” Cal remarked as he watched the women walk away.

“Shut up, Newbie!”

Cal only shook his head. No wonder, with that attitude of his…she’s not wrong. For a twenty-six-year-old, he really acts way too grumpy all the time.

About an hour later, both parties finished up their work at the crime scene. While the police took away the corpse, Cal and Sigal finished questioning the rest of the bystanders. Unfortunately, no new information came of their efforts.

Of course, no one saw anything. Sigal sighed, glancing over to Cal, who talked to one of the last people still around. Still working without complaints. He narrowed his eyes. What’s wrong with this guy?

When Claire finished packing up her equipment, she walked over. “And?”

Sigal shook his head, indicating bad results.

“If it had been so easy, the CIB would have solved it already, I guess,” she said with a disappointed tone in her voice.

Right as Sigal wanted to order Cal to go back, his phone rang. He answered, exchanged a few words, and hung up. “We have a location.”

“For real? How?”

“A witness.”

“This was rather quick. Guess we lucked out,” Claire said. “Be careful you two.”

Sigal put his phone back into his pocket and called over to Cal, “Hey Newbie! Get a move on or I’m leaving you behind.”