Chapter 146 - Flying Colours

Noga Police Headquarters, in the dead of the night.

The thick round pillars that formed a row down the main atrium rose up to an flame-lit vaulted ceiling. Rows of gas-lit lanterns mounted high up on the walls and pillars lit the space brightly, but the light only accentuated the emptiness of the room.

The rows of tall windows that lined the front atrium wall were dark, the reflection of the interior obscuring the view of the night beyond them. On the back wall the four windowed storeys were mostly dark and quiet, but for a few offices which still showed signs of light and movement.

Below the windows next to a set of doors Edwin sat alone on a wrought iron bench. He stared across the polished floor, listening to the echoes of silence that reverberated through the huge vaulted space. It was so quiet he could hear his heart beat. Quiet enough that the rustle of his clothes as he shifted on the bench was painfully loud.

He stared straight ahead, his eyes unfocused and dazed. His clothes were crusty and stained from blood long dried. The skin on his hands and arm were splotched with red, the creases and wrinkles in his joints thick and dark from the coagulated blood.

So much blood.

Edwin kept his eyes averted from himself as he stared off into space.

The officers had left him here in the atrium and whisked his master off somewhere else. In fact, after discovering that he was the disciple of Ming Ru they wanted to detain him, but Finn argued on his behalf, letting him stay in the atrium while they handled his master somewhere else.

Finn had made it clear that Edwin needed to stay put and not leave, impressing the point multiple times, as if thinking Edwin might take it upon himself to leave. But it wasn’t necessary. Edwin had nowhere to go.

It had already been several hours since they’d returned. As Edwin sat on the bench in the cold, empty hall, he wondered if he should have insisted on being arrested. At least then maybe he would be with his master. At least he’d know if his master was going to make it. Surely they’d be treating him, right? If not, it was clear that the wound on his neck was...

Edwin stopped himself mid-thought, taking a deep breath through his nose as he tried to clear his mind.

Meditation was so much easier when the fate of his master wasn’t at stake.

“How are you holding up?”

Finn was suddenly standing beside him, having appeared out of thin air.

“Ahhh!” Edwin nearly jumped out of his seat in fright as his cry echoed through the hall. He scrambled to the other side of the bench, leaning away from Finn.

“Y-yes Finn. I mean I’m fine, s-sir officer. I mean, sir Finn-“ Edwin felt paralyzed by fear as he babbled gibberish for a few seconds.

The gray haired officer frowned, one hand casually resting in his pant pocket, “You done?”

The image of Finn’s terrifying form in the cave was still fresh in Edwin’s mind. How the writhing mass of insect-like shadows spilled out of from body and filled the room. They crawled up onto his legs and up his body, and there was nothing he could do to fight or brush them off.

His master who he revered and admired, who was an Adept capable of almost god-like feats, had been completely and effortlessly suppressed in a moment by Finn.

Edwin’s eyes were wide as he looked up and down Finn for signs of the shadow insects, but he was just normal. The normal looking officer that he had so casually interacted with for the past few days. Edwin never realized what a monster Finn actually was.

Finn met Edwin’s fearful gaze with a calm expression. He seemed to know exactly what Edwin was thinking. He broke eye contact to casually adjust the button on his shirt sleeve.

“What you saw at the cave...” Finn began softly.

“Y-yes sir?“

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“Y-yes sir!”

Finn nodded, gesturing to the bench, “You can calm down. I’m here to bring news about your master.”

“My master?” Edwin’s emotions did a full turn as he stood up anxiously. “How is he?”

“Alive.” Finn replied. “You don’t have to worry.”

Edwin made contact with Finn, who stared back seriously and nodded. Edwin let out a relieved sigh as his worst fears were averted.

“What will happen to him?” Edwin asked, “Did you talk to him? What did he say?”

“He was not conscious.” Finn replied, “When he comes to he will be interviewed, to find out what he knows about the situation in the forest and his involvement in recent events. To put it succinctly - it’s not good.”

Edwin’s heart sank, “S-surely there’s a misunderstanding. My master... He’s never done anything without a good reason. Even though he...”

Edwin couldn’t bring himself to say out loud that his master had murdered a number of police officers. However the long wait alone in the hall had given him ample time to sort through his thoughts. The details and clues that Finn had given him over the past few days had already planted the seed of doubt in his mind. After seeing the officers come to life when Ming Ru returned their souls to their bodies, Edwin couldn’t deny that something was clearly wrong.

Finn nodded, “Ming Ru has a long history with the police force. We will do our best to find the answers and get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, I’ve managed to convince the higher ups that despite your relation to Ming Ru, you were not aware of his plans, or assisting him in them. As such, you are currently not under suspicion by the police. As long as you stay within the city, you are allowed to act freely.”

“I see. Thank you.” Edwin nodded with a dissatisfied expression.

“For now, why don’t I escort you back to the Zhao manor?” Finn suggested.

“I- I would like to stay here- just in case there’s news of my master.” Edwin stuttered.

“It’s pointless. He’s not even in the station.” Finn shrugged, “Of course, I can’t tell you where he is, but trust me when I say that you aren’t any more likely to hear news about him by staying here. At least in the manor you will be comfortable.”

Edwin’s heart sank as he wondered when the next time he would see his master would be. “Okay.”

With his hand back in his pockets Finn began walking away. His footsteps echoed sharply across the long empty hall as he led the way without looking back.

~

Finn kept a vigilant eye out as he drove a police carriage down the city streets. He kept to the main roads, where there were plenty of lit lanterns. The cool night air was refreshing, and the sounds of the horses’ hoofs and wheels rumbling on the cobblestone roads provided a peaceful backdrop to the otherwise silent street.

The twisting shapes in the shadows had disappeared.

He no longer saw flickers of movement at his periphery, nor did he hear any strange whispers. Ever since the end of the battle with Ming Ru, all of the paranormal activity in his surroundings had ceased.

Furthermore, none of the officers had noticed that there was anything wrong with him. His feat of taking down Ming Ru with only a single bullet was viewed as both heroic and incredibly lucky.

For Finn to pull off what four Exalted officers couldn’t, that was practically unbelievable. Yet those were the facts. Finn had neutralized Ming Ru and saved four officers from a hellish imprisonment.

Finn noticed that Minnie Kim, who had been his original contact with the four officers, was treating him differently. They had previously been teammates, and furthermore Finn was a new recruit who was certainly not yet an Exalted. But a non-Exalted officer taking down an Adept? That was completely unheard of.

He could tell that the officers around him carried a newfound respect for him. They didn’t know what his path or rank was, but they knew he must be strong. With his higher status as a Special Investigator, they didn’t dare ask him or try to pry into his secrets.

All the better, since Finn really did not know how he managed to survive.

The simple and straightforward answer was, somehow Locke had taken over his body and saved him. All the sensations he had been experiencing over the past few days had been a symptom of some power that Locke unsuspectingly used on him.

This answered a few burning questions, and at the same time left more to be asked. The symptoms were similar to a similar affliction years ago that had left numerous politicians and important figures dead. Did this mean Locke had killed those people? This was the angle that his partner Zwei was investigating. The last Finn saw of him, he was headed into Chief Bear’s office to look into a related case.

Zwei, too, suffered from the same visions, which meant that Locke had affected both of them with his power. But why do things in such a suspicious, backhanded manner? Wouldn’t it be more useful to inform Finn and Zwei at the start?

To Finn, hiding the plan from him showed a lack of trust. As if Finn weren’t reliable or competent enough to succeed. But mulling over it carefully, Finn couldn’t be mad at his supervisor. In the end, it was Locke’s power that saved Finn from Ming Ru.

Tomorrow, he’d report back to 717 Eckert Way. His assignment had been to find out the truth behind Chief Yang Yun’s death. Finn had gone above and beyond that order and apprehended the Chief’s killer himself.

Moreover, after interrogating Ming Ru the entire truth behind the Marked Devout and the Cloud Monastery’s involvement would be revealed. Then Chief Yun’s death could really be avenged.

Finn’s eyes darkened as a frown tugged at the corner of his lip.

Chief... You’d be proud of me, wouldn’t you, Chief?