*HAYLEN LOEVE *
Age: 22
Sex: Masculine
***
"Kira, can you hear me?"
She gave a thumbs-up to the small camera on her chest. In my current state, taking even a few steps felt impossible. This was the best I could do.
"Then we're good to go. First, let's check how far Nes's influence stretches. We should figure out how he managed to enter the school without being detected. Find some excuse to check the cameras."
She gave another thumbs up and kept walking. I couldn't stop myself from marveling at the school's beautiful architecture.
"Mr. Lane!" Kira's voice snapped me back to attention. A tall and thin man stood before her. A pencil mustache decorated the top of his lips and his 70:30 part hair gave him an almost regal look; it didn't take a genius to know he was a security guard.
"Yes, Kira? I haven't seen you in a while." His smile was warm as candlelight, like a father looking at his daughter.
"Yeah, I've been going all over campus looking for my phone. I wanted to ask if you'd seen it?" I could see the reflection of her radiant grin in the security guard's eyes.
She was good, frighteningly so for a college student.
"I can't say I have, but you can check the cameras if you want." He sifted his hand through his pockets before pulling out a ring of keys. "I have one more round to do, so just lock up when you're done. It's 3A-7."
I assumed Kira nodded as he handed her the keys.
"You two seem close."
The camera shook as Kira shrugged.
"I'm not exactly the 'calmest' student, so I'm pretty well acquainted with most of the faculty." She headed to the second floor while fidgeting with the keys in one hand.
It was a little odd, I had never been particularly close to people but at this very moment I couldn't be closer to Kira, physically speaking. I could see her every tick, hear every strange click of her tongue and every hum.
Click!
"We're in, what am I looking for?"
"Anything that doesn't seem right. Check the cameras for any inconsistencies."
She immediately headed for the dozen screens coating the room in a dim blue light. She focused on the ones next to her night class.
"I don't see anything."
Kira didn't respond, staring at each video with the attention of a professional detective. Only after ten minutes of watching and rewinding did she speak.
"There's nothing. Too much nothing."
She pointed to the camera that showed the outside of her night class.
"This entire sequence makes sense. I was the last one to leave and even the order of who left is accurate."
"But?"
She pointed towards another screen, one showing a particular shop in the Students' Plaza.
"But this doesn't make sense."
I couldn't see what she was talking about, all I saw was an ice cream shop that had closed for the night.
"I don't see anything."
She tapped the screen enthusiastically.
"Exactly! That's how a normal person would react, someone who doesn't go to this school. MR. LANE!!!!" Her voice tore through the halls, causing me to jump in surprise.
Mr. Lane, who was just finishing his last round, came quickly.
"What's wrong?" His voice rose slightly with concern.
She pointed at the screen.
"Do you see something off in this video? It's from last night."
He didn't need to approach, his face immediately twisted in confusion.
"Why's Kenly's shop closed? He never closes."
He inspected the recording closely.
"No, that can't be right. Go back a little."
Kira did as told, rewinding until a man was closing up shop. Nothing seemed off to me, but they seemed almost horrified at what they were seeing.
"There!" Mr. Lane paused the video and pointed at the man, "You see the tattoo on Kenly's hand? Watch closely."
He played the video at the slowest setting, zooming in on the man's hand. I strained my eyes as not to miss it.
For a fraction of a second, the tattoo on his hand disappeared before reappearing.
"It's AI!" Kira exclaimed, Mr. Lane seemed to approve the statement as he nodded slowly.
"The question now is who put this h-" His lips froze and his eyes glazed over.
"Kira, give him the earbud." I sensed something was wrong, my words dripping with urgency.
"What, what's-"
"Just do it!"
She fumbled with her earbud before putting it in Mr. Lane's ear. His head snapped towards her, his eyes an amber color. He shot towards Kira with superhuman speed, his fingers inches from her face before freezing.
"Nes."
Mr. Lane's entire body trembled at my voice.
"I guess I didn't mangle you bad enough last time? You really think you can hide from me? "
Mr. Lane took half a step back before stopping, his lips curling up into a sick smile.
"I could ask you the same thing," the voice that left Mr. Lane's lips was a cold and cruel one, "I'm not the same man from back then." He wrapped a hand around Kira's neck.
[How did I do this again? Right, I think it was something like this.] I took a breath and let my consciousness fade to black. It was like passing out, but not quite. A chill formed around my heart as a thin layer of ice covered a part of my brain.
*????? LOEVE *
Age: ??
Sex: ?????
***
"Do it, snap her neck."
Who did he think I was? Why would I care if he ended this woman's life? The fool might shed a few tears over it, but if he cared that much about her, then he shouldn't have given me control.
"That won't make finding you any harder. If you prove difficult, I could always raze the entire area."
A snap resounded in Nes's ears, a snap he recognized all too well. He shivered as the room's temperature dropped to below zero. An ornate knife of ice pressed against his neck, as if held by an invisible hand.
[Had you passed the baton earlier, we would've never been in this situation.]
[-You think I trust you enough for that? You're a psycho!-]
[Don't act like I'm all bad, a few of those kills were yours.]
[-…-]
"H-Haylen?"
My attention snapped back to the girl in Nes's hand. Though I wasn't physically there, I could almost smell her fear.
It was…delicious. But I knew the fool would never give me control again if I let her die.
"Let go." The earlier defiance had drained out of Nes's body as he let the girl go.
"Bark."
Nes hesitated for a second before letting out a soft sound.
"Good, now leave this body. Filth."
The man with a funny mustache's eyes regained their usual dark color as his body grew limp. The woman caught him and returned the earbud to her ear.
"W-What did you tell him?"
I ignored her question. Who was she to ask me such things?
"King of Combat and the Deus Mortis, Loeve. Remember that."
I felt the nothingness pulling me back, I guess I had my fun.