The new morning routine in Trinketshore is enjoying the sunshine, then sipping a cup of hot tea, and watching the latest homicide news on telemedia.

Hugo McLaren should have appealed to the prosecutors to just put him in jail. House arrest became a nightmare when its prisoner was exposed to social pressure from the Trinkeshore citizens. That day, he had received about three packs of egg, ten glass bottles, and several bodyguards with bruised face after fighting with a group of vandals who decorated his property. When the murder of a Bain happened, who would have thought they needed to call the fire brigades as well, for a bunch of strangers threw a good amount of Molotov cocktails to Mclaren’s sweet fortress?

The sun was just starting to rise. Near the Trinketshore city border crossing, Hugo McLaren was present, ‘thrown outside’ from the windshield of a chromium-plated car as his new signature pose. His body was fused with the car’s chromium material. Not just him, his personal driver, the innocent, also shared the same fate. It looked like a man with superhuman brute strength stopped the carriage only with one hand, making the victim’s automotive tilt forward forty-five degrees. It was visible from the dent on its front hood. All elements of the car and its occupants were sculpted chromium, creating a memorial to Hugo McLaren’s crash at the city limits.

The carriage’s front hood was painted white. This just proved the killer remained true to his ultimatum. Leaving the town? Go ahead, but don’t forget to take the death with you!

If two people died this morning was solicitous enough, adding one more victim would not hurt, would it?The judge in charge of Esmer Philo’s trial, named Wendy Mayors, became a proud human-shaped bush in her yard. Her neighbours were skeptical. How did they know it was the judge herself? Wasn’t trimming the bush a common hobby among the aristocrats, let alone shaping it according to their stature? That could be the case if the little dog didn’t howl all night long in front of that bush, and bite whoever tried to take it away from its master. The wizards had checked the location and found the black magic residue there.

All those victim were brought to Trinkeshore’s local magic headquarters.

“Another new shipment?” said the first forensic doctor.

“Yup, fresh shipment this morning,” replied the second forensic doctor. “Wendy Mayors, Trinketshore’s local judge. And there are Hugo McLaren, one of the trio crooks from the latest booming case, and Mikey, his driver. Sadly, the last two couldn’t be brought here. They are literally attached to their own machine carriage. You have to inspect it outside.

“Are you sure they actually send her corpse and not just a nicely trimmed bonsai for the sake of decoration?”

“Ha. Good one, mate.”

They inspected what remained of those soulless artworks, and like the two earlier victims, all three of them had the residue of black magic.

“They’re all the same,” uttered the first doctor. “All of him is intact chromium. His insides are no longer there. He’s become a part of the complete monument.”

“You think this is the work of Reality Bending from the western-rite sorcery?” continued the second doctor. “That damn spell!”

“Well, for a black magic user, he’s surely a concerned citizen of human rights. But a sorcerer in Trinketshore? That was unexpected. Shouldn’t they be disconnected from the civilisation?”

“Except you don’t have to be a sorcerer to do such a thing. The ability of Reality Bending itself exists by the intervention of Khaos. It’s not impossible for the Protos particle to bestow the similar ability to someone, even if that someone doesn’t draw magic.…”

***

The four friends, as well as Leith and his peers, planned to spend the day playing at the beach. Trinketshore was by the sea, so it was not a problem for them to go back and forth to the coast. But of course, summer was always the best time to visit it.

Alicia, Gilmore, and Leith met Nadine at the town square, who happened to be part of the protest. They also ran into John Philo, who had just been released, surrounded by the activists to grant him their support and pray together. The man’s face had never been this fresher. After he left the protesters, Alicia greeted her art teacher, saying, “Good afternoon, Mister Philo! It’s good to see you free.”

John replied to her greetings in cordial as well. “Oh, if it isn’t Alicia and friends. Thank you for the kind remarks.”

“So, about the case,” said Nadine, “We are sorry about the verdict. Your daughter should have got the justice she deserves!”

John was silent for a moment. “My daughter does deserve more than what she has now. But you know what I learned while I was contemplating in prison? In the end, the dead always manage to demand justice from them. And it seems the higher authorities are getting busier and busier with the statue problems next door.”

Leith saw Alicia’s backpack glowed blue. Orb flared up in a sudden. His eyes bulged at his sister. Alicia felt Orb’s turmoil too, becoming uncomfortable when she saw John Philo. It felt like he was hiding something from the world. John Philo stared at her. Alicia faked a smile to hide her nervousness. But akin to a fine art connoisseur, her art teacher was excellent at reading emotions from her eyes, exactly like interpreting a work of art.

“I can see from your clothes that you’re going to the beach, right? Then don’t let this old lad get in your way. Go ahead, wee bairns, have a pleasant summer... while you can.” John Philo then passed them.

Alicia tried to turn to John Philo. John also turned his head, his smiling face changed drastically to a gloomy grimace. Alicia’s feelings were mixed. She lost the mood for the vacation.

Living in a secluded town near the coast was a dream came true for those who sought for tranquillity. Trinketshore Beach was full of white sand with crystal blue seas; it never felt crowded, and there were no protesters to make things worse, just those who wanted to unwind. Alicia, in a one-piece swimsuit, sat on the sand under a shady beach umbrella after doing some activities with her friends. Her mind couldn’t erase the last of her teacher’s look and face.

Leith had just finished a couple of volleyball sets with his peers, came over to his dreamy sister while licking her vanilla ice cream. Nadine came up to her too after completing her surfing. Meanwhile, Gilmore just lay face down on his surfboard, floating in the sea. Hopefully, he was just enjoying the sun and not sleeping, otherwise he would wake up in the middle of the Devil’s Triangle.

“Okay, if you’re ruining your bonnie face like that, something’s wrong. What is it this time, hen?” uttered Nadine.

“It’s sure about the ever-dreich Unkel Philo,” Leith went over to his gloomy sister. “I saw the glowing Orb behind your bag.”

“Orb and I sensed the Protos particle flowing through Mister Philo’s vein,” answered Alicia.

Nadine seemed lost. “Protos what? What is that?”

“What my sister was saying is Mister Philo has black magic in him,” explained Leith.

Nadine showed a face of disbelief. “Mister Philo? Black Magic? Are you sure?”

Leith added back. “It seems Alicia suspects that he is the mastermind behind the recent serial murders.”

“That’s an absurd accusation! I mean, maybe he had an arr against yon culprits, but killed someone related to the perpetrators instead of the perpetrators themselves? Naw. And Mister Philo never escaped from prison until the day of his release.”

“Oh, Nadine,” replied Leith. “You’ve fought a Protos particle user before. You should know their ability is unexpected. Getting out of prison is pure pimps, especially to kill people. With that power, sometimes all it takes is one word and it will send many souls into Hades’ lap.”

Leith sat down next to his sister, and added again, “Whatever you do, mind yer business, don’t take any risk of getting caught with yer magic baw. Let the elite wizards from the capital take care of it. That’s what they’re here for.”

Alicia pouted a bit. “Well, losing three people in one night was nae belter job, was it? “

“Hugo and his driver escaped in secret yesterday. You heard the news. It was their own fault for not trusting the elite officers guarding them. That could apply to you too if you don’t trust them, and stick yer nose where it doesnae belong. As for the judge... well, they didn’t think about guarding her at the time. Yeah, they can be stupid sometimes. But precautions have been taken. I heard they’ll gather everyone who was involved in the trial to the magic facility office of Trinketshore. Wizards can look after them better there.”

“How did you know that?” asked Alicia.

“Rumours I’ve received. The privilege of being a Crimsonmane, I guess.”

Leith spoke like he had informants and connections to the underworld. This time, Alicia would try to calm down and listen to her brother’s advice. After all, it was summer holiday. After a few hard days, there was nothing wrong with enjoying the scorching sun and the refreshing sea waves.

The night got rid of the day. After spending the whole day at Trinketshore coast, they all returned home exhausted. Leith immediately curled up on his bed and snored.

Unlike Alicia, who did little on the beach, she couldn’t sleep at all even if she tried. She scowled and got out of bed, enjoying the view of the moon from the window.

Orb accompanied Alicia, who was upset, and sat on the edge of the window. Alica asked her magic ball, “Do you think they’ll be fine during the escort by those elite magi?”

Her magical companion cast a tone, meaning, ‘If your brother’s words are to be believed, you shouldn’t put so much weight upon your shoulders. Even if you do insist on defeating the culprit, and making sure he doesn’t become a threat again, I won’t force you this time.’ It was nice to have a friend in the form of the strongest magic essence that did not demand much.

The time was nine of the clock. It was still early, at least compared to the events of the past few days. Alicia found an idea as a stalking horse to cover her doubts: a night walk past the magic office.

“Half an hour,” Alicia pleaded to herself. “If all goes well, I’ll go home and act unconcerned.”

Alicia checked Leith’s room. Her brother was a snoring boar. Splendid! The young girl forthwith took Orb and began her reckless journey again. This time, it was just the two of them.

Trinketshore town square was noisy. Alicia didn’t remember there was a summer festival at this hour. The residents embraced, singing the victory song of war. Were the legal authorities reconsidering the verdict? Or maybe a coup d’état; officials and perpetrators will be massacred, then paraded there as various models of statues! Alicia didn’t watch telemedia that day, so she threw away her crazy thoughts, and continued to the quiet east area where the magic facility office was located.

‘Please be safe, please be safe! Please, no Mister Philo standing in front of the building or anything!’

Of course not. John Philo knocked on the window of the small restaurant as Alicia was about to pass the place and walk towards the office. The office was just three hundred meters away, at the fork on the right.

Alicia’s face went pale, while John Philo’s face was too bright for someone in a night melancholic storm. John Philo waved his hand behind his back, inviting her to come in. Alicia stepped into the restaurant. There were a dozen people present in the restaurant. At least Alicia didn’t have to talk to him one-on-one in the eerie loneliness.

Bashful, Alicia addressed John. “Mister Philo! H-hi! Good evening. Nice to meet you at the restaurant at this hour.”

“Alicia Crimsonmane! Hey, come on in, sit down with me for a while.”

“Thanks for the kind o-offer, but uh... I’m on my way home, s-so I can’t stay long.”

“Come on, just a minute! Sit here,” John Philo offered the chair across from him. “I insist.”

Alicia gulped. She was forced to take a chair. “Have you eaten yet? Want to order food?” asked John Philo.

“I-I’m not hungry, sir. Thank you.” The girl tried to open the conversation so it wouldn’t be awkward, for just watching John Philo’s enthusiastic mien scared her to death. “So, w-what are you doing here, if... I may ask?”

John Philo made a confused face. “What am I doing here? Eating, of course!” The man burst into laughter, Alicia forced her lips into a smirk. Asking was no better than silence.

“I am actually waiting for something. You know, this restaurant was our family’s favorite. In the past, my late wife and I used to go on dates at this restaurant. Their pizza was the only one and one of a kind at that time. Of course, the title is still undisputed to this day. I also often invited my daughter to have dinner here, because I was too tired to cook after coming home from work. Right here, at this table, by the window, my daughter and I often mocked every mage who pass by this street, laughing at them for their absurd outfits. Their clothes were so strange to blend in with society, even when they were wearing normal ones, for some reason, they never fitted at all. Ever since Esmer… was gone,” his voice darkened right away. “This restaurant is one of the few memories I have of both my daughter and wife.”

The documentary broadcast on a restaurant’s small hanging telemedia was interrupted by a sharp and piercing musical instrument to all the ears. Here came the latest news from a local Caledonian broadcast.

[Words for Trinketshore and all Caledonia! Words for Trinketshore and all Caledonia! Bain Industries president, Stephan Bain, has admitted that he and the other houses of the perpetrators had bribed several law enforcement officers at the trial for the murder of Esmer Philo. This statement was issued in the hope of ending the conflict with the masses, which led to the killing of the perpetrators’ family members and other parties. Authorities have detained all those involved and will be closely monitored in the meantime to prevent another assassination attempt. It is planned that the verdict will be reviewed, and a follow-up hearing will be held at the Eidyn District Court. This marks the end of words for Trinkeshore and all Caledonia! They have been thoroughly reviewed and brought up by Lily Casanova, myself. Good evening, all Caledonia, and may the Silent Divine grant us Eternal Peace!]

The broadcast returned to the Great War documentary. All the diners and servants congratulated John Philo, who only replied with a polite smile of formality, nothing more. The girl, at last, understood what the noise in the streets meant.

“I told you, eh?” he said. “Sooner or later, the dead will get their justice. And that process will soon be over,” John Philo glanced at the magic office across the window.

“What do you mean, Mister Philo?”

“They will not be sent to the civil guards office. They’ll be gathered in that building.” John Philo pointed to the magic office. “Of course, it’s their domain. The wizards can monitor the perpetrators and protect them with all the might of their resources there. Some of those men are already there, the rest will be here shortly.”

The Crimsonmane girl saw that John Philo’s face turned to hate and anger when he said that. His intonation was rough. No more good Mister John Philo. He turned to look at her and said, “A word from Caledonian saying; Ah ken ye ken.”

Alicia knew it was time to get rid of the ignorant attitude. She tried to return a serious look back to her teacher, answered, “But... you were in prison.”

John touched the plastic to his hand, turning it into a hand-shaped plastic board. Alicia was dumbfounded. “I can change the material of my being according to the material I choose by touch. In the same manner, I turned those people into statues based on the material I came to contact with. How did I escape prison? Simple. I touched the water. You can imagine the rest.”

“They’ve admitted their guilt and the legal authorities won’t miss it. Hasn’t Esmer got the justice she deservesd?”

“Bah! I’d be stupid if I believed they will conclude the case just like that. Descendants of aristocrats like you are cunning creatures. Their legal certainty is based on the number of their gold coins. Justice is seen from the amount of their wealth. They always have a way of escaping proper punishment. Even though they are imprisoned, their life is still way better than a lowly person like me!”

“You can’t do this! Did Esmer want this? His father became a serial killer?”

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY DAUGHTER?” the shouting John invited a number of eyes to turn to them. He sighed, asking the others to ignore them. He then returned to Alicia. “Do you know how long it takes to sculpt a human statue? Four to eight weeks! But with this ability, a three-dimensional art painting can be done in an instant.”

John stood up from his chair.

“I will end this. I will present to Hades my masterpiece, in exchange for me being able to be reunited with my daughter in Eternal Peace. This is the only way Esmer can rest in peace. I don’t know how you found out, Alicia. I was planning to kill you when you suspected me.”

A shock of fear fell upon Alicia as she imagined her insane art teacher—now out of his mind—wanting to transform her into a stone carving.

“But since they’ve already admitted it, as I surmise, there’s no point in continuing this action, let alone kill you. Go home. Report the civil guards, find the wizards of the Magisterium, do what you want. But if you get in my way, I’ll offer you to Hades’ altar as well!”

After that fierce whisper, John Philo left the restaurant. An odd convoy of machine carriages approached the Trinketshore magic office.

Everyone had gathered in the cage. Now was the time to make sacrifices for the soul of Esmer Philo. []