"What's going on?"
"What the—"
After Max and Lena's arrest, the whole class went into panic mode, students chattering frantically and trying to piece together what was happening to their classmates.
"SHUT UP, YOU ANNOYING IDIOTS!"
Miss Vanessa shouted as she slammed her fist on the desk, immediately causing silence among the students. The impact was so forceful that it created a small dent in the wooden surface.
"May I remind you that they are only suspects?" she said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "And although the culprit is yet to be found, I doubt those idiots have anything to do with the missing girls." She raised her fist from the table, revealing the small dent she had made.
"Now, if you knuckleheads don't keep quiet, you might lose a tooth," she said while cracking her knuckles, causing the students to sit upright in their seats like soldiers at attention.
"You know, sometimes I think she uses mana in her attacks," Chronos voiced out, hoping to get a response from his master. But Kealin didn't say anything. Instead, his eyes were fixed on one person—April.
"April, I won't let you get away with this," he thought, his hands clenching into fists beneath his desk.
[New Quest: Innocence Lost]
[Your friends have been accused and arrested. You must...]
[Gather information and prove their innocence]
[Reward: ?????]
April could feel the heat of Kealin's gaze and she turned to him, revealing a sinister smile that sent chills down his spine. Right now, all Kealin wanted to do was give this person a proper beating—not caring if they were male or female.
Chronos, after reading his master's thoughts, decided to intervene.
"Master, she's taunting you. You must control yourself. Besides, even if you give her a proper beating, it will not prove Max and Lena's innocence. Right now, you need to think with your head and not your fists. If not, you will only become a victim."
"You are probably right," Kealin admitted reluctantly, forcing himself to calm down.
******
In the station, Max and Lena were currently sitting in the interrogation room. In front of them were two officers—one was a middle-aged man with brown hair and a tall, muscular structure, while the other was a blonde who looked to be in his early twenties.
"My name is Officer Tom Bradley. This is my partner, Officer James Reed. Max Lucas, Lena Rose, I believe you know why you are here," the middle-aged man said, his tone professional but not unkind.
"Officer, I demand an explanation for this," Lena said in a serious tone, her composure remaining perfectly calm despite the situation.
"I could ask you the same thing, Miss Rose," Tom replied evenly.
Lena was the young mistress of the Rose family. Her father was running for vice mayor, and although many did not know about her family background, they all knew she came from a wealthy family. She had done everything to make sure she never brought shame to her family name.
"Does my father know about this?" Lena asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern.
To which Tom shook his head. "Not yet, Miss Rose. We're still in the preliminary stages of investigation."
James then pulled out his phone and placed it on the interrogation table, revealing an image of Max and Lena walking together with Lucy in a dark school hallway.
"This is CCTV footage that was taken at 9:30 PM two days ago," he said, sliding the phone closer to them.
"But....." Lena started to protest.
"Miss Rose, the reason why you and your friend haven't been sent to the rehabilitation center is because we haven't found the girls. But this is proof that you were involved in this case," James explained.
Tom then turned and looked to Max, who was currently picking his nose with complete nonchalance.
"It seems like you don't understand the weight of this case, young man," Tom said, hoping that Max would act more mature.
But the teenager just yawned and replied, "What's there to understand, officer? Wait, that's not right. Tom, was it? Listen here, Tom—we won't be going to the rehabilitation center because we are not guilty, and you know it. So, until you get a new lead..."
Max then placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair with a smirk.
"I'll just get comfortable."
******
After leaving the interrogation room, both Tom and James headed for the Captain's office. It was a small office, moderately sized with a desk in the middle and a chair behind it. On the desk were numerous file folders, and beside the main desk was a smaller table with additional folders—though these looked slightly different. Seated in the chair was a black-haired lady who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She wore a tight, body-fitting gown that hugged her figure perfectly. Her bright red eyes could leave a guy mesmerized for the rest of his life, and her beautiful lips, touched with pink lipstick, would definitely knock a guy out. This beauty was Sarah Jenkins, NYPD captain.
"Captain, you called?" Tom casually walked into the room with James behind him.
"Oh, Tom, James, come in," Sarah said, not looking up from her paperwork.
"So, any leads?" she asked as she continued reading through Max and Lena's file.
"No, either they're just pretty good actors or really stupid liars," James said bluntly.
"James, please choose your words carefully. I don't think the upcoming vice mayor would be pleased if he heard them," Sarah warned sternly.
To which James quickly apologized, realizing his mistake.
"It's not them," Tom voiced out confidently.
"What...?"
"...Or I want to believe it's not them, Captain. I'm a man who trusts his gut—that's what has gotten me this far. And my gut is telling me those two aren't criminals."
Sarah smiled. She and Tom had joined the NYPD together, and she trusted him more than any other person on her team.
"Then I trust your gut as well. I'll do everything I can to prolong the investigation. In the meantime, I need you two to get me some leads. Got that?"
"Yes, ma'am," they both replied in unison.
******
Meanwhile, the final bell rang, signaling the end of school. Students began filing out of classrooms, but Kealin remained seated, his mind focused on the task ahead.
"Chronos, you ready?" Kealin asked, standing up and gathering his things.
"Always ready to serve you, master," Chronos answered promptly.
"Good, because I'm gonna need all the help I can get—and a lot of luck," Kealin said as he headed out of the classroom, determination burning in his eyes.