Tome of Paladins : The DawnLight

13. The Start

...

April 13, 3006

This may all be just a coincidence.

That's the conclusion that crossed my mind at first.

But the fact is that at midnight last night, at 11:56 to be exact, the five of us somehow ended up at the cemetery, because of this darned Rick of ours.

The night before we were at the graveyard, Rick invited the four of us to a restaurant.

I was really surprised at how terrible, gloomy and wretched he looked. Three days absent out of school, he looks like he's been sucked by something.

Rick told us about his nightmare, then kept begging us to keep him company.

In short, he was haunted by a creature that looked like him, but with pale white skin and a smile so wide it ripped his cheeks to bleed.

The ghost kept talking to Rick face to face, with its loud creepy whisper. Trying to say something secret, but insisted to voiced it out louder.

It told him about various vicious and gruesome things like, they ran when I only killed few among them, she cried, beg, screamed agonizingly when all I wanted is just to bite and rip her to pieces, and lot other things that also made Rick whimper in his dreams.

And at the end of the dream, with sudden bulging eyeballs that almost popped out of his eye sockets along with blood coming out of his eyes, the ghost said to Rick, 'Go to Central Malaya Cemetery, at midnight, or you will die, die, die.'

Or so he said.

It's not my fault! Rick did say that part three times.

"It's been three days. Every time I slept, it started. I stood on my bed, but can't even move. My eyes petrified, and left to just stare straight ahead at that thing resemble me. Blur is all what I've seen at first but suddenly the next moment, It clearer. I swear I could even smell that nasty rotting flesh." Rick said while holding his forehead with the palm of his right hand. His bloodshot, tired eyes were enough to give us a glimpse of how horrifying it was.

Hmm, me?

The topic that I focus more on is the part, where I don't even realize that this man is good at telling stories.

Damn, that managed to give me goosebumps.

Never would I have expected this big muscular man with curly blonde hair, light olive skin and blue eyes. My impression of Rick is, he's a guy who tends to only using his muscles and ends up always looking for fights.

But still, meh, I'm pretty sure the story is due to watching too many thrillers, horrors including other things and so on whatever the name, making him lose track between the real world and mere fiction.

Yep.

There are no ghosts in this world. Something like that wasn't on my TTSCE list, *Things That Science Can't Explain*.

Even so, Josh and Glen curiousity were goin' up crazily a notch while Peter agreed stiffly.

Because his hunch warned, that something bad might happen. 'this is not simple', or so he said.

That's a joke. heh, I really want to refuse,

But the fact that I can't deny is,

Deep in my heart, I'm also really, really curious.

I've never been to a Cemetery before.

On top of that, my sense of vigilance also started to surging up.

Because it had been quite a while since Peter had last told me, 'something bad might happen.'

However, I'm pretty sure we'll be safe. Even if something might happen, come on, we are five boys.

What kind of accident could possibly happen to five highly capable brats who could fight. Me and dude Rick, of course, will be carrying a gun and a light vest.

It can't be helped for both of us who are members of the Nobility, there are always people who are ready to reap our lives away.

... ...

Then it all happened the next day. Josh and Glenn lay dead on the 3rd floor of LarinStone Mall, to be precise at the ticket booth of a cinema. I secretly hacked, i mean check things up.

Uhhmm, it's fine if no one knows.

There was a large stab wound or rather was a large hole in the back of their head. Like a very huge spike but irregular and somewhat uneven.

And Rick is missing too.

What happened after we returned home from the cemetery?

What is also strange and odd is how did Josh and Glenn's bodies get in there? I've checked several CCTV around the Mall, as well as the ones inside because Peter was urging me to do so.

But the only thing that I got is that their corpses suddenly come up there, in the blind spot of the CCTV.

Then they were dragged like garbage bags by something invisible. I tried hard to convince myself that it was all a cheap thread trick by the Killer.

While Peter.

I've never seen him so nervous. Several times he said he could feel and see ghosts, and had an inkling of any accident that would happen, as long as it was within range.

Even though at the end he was always able to handle it. In fact, I can't deny that I have little faith in his words.

A little.

Especially the hunch part.

That's all because every word he says, regarding an incident or some kind of accident that will happen, in the end it's true that it will always happen.

Luckily it's not all that often.

The most serious case was also the first time Peter showed me his strange talent.

So let's go back in time, when we were preparing for the graduation exams in high school.

In the morning, we were on our way to school on foot.

At that moment of time, he was quite restless after crossing the street, then hurriedly turned around.

There, I saw him walking up to a beautiful and fashionable young mother, wearing a pink oversized cardigan with a white T-shirt and jeans, while holding the hand of a little girl wearing elementary school clothes.

He seemed in a hurry. And anxiously said things I couldn't hear, from where I was standing.

You're wondering how I know the woman is a young mother?

I met them several times, 'cause elementary and middle school had the same path. I overheard their conversation when the little girl called her mother.

And now it could be seen that there were only the two of them in the crossing. The road is wide enough to make people who want to cross it, takes time to get to the other side.

At first I thought, 'Indeed. Peter is a guy who has different preferences than the average high school kid. Or maybe I'm wrong. That they are all common things',

However, the scene that I got afterwards was when I saw Peter trying to pull the mother and the little girl, but was prevented by the mother. This leaves them stuck on the road with the watchful gaze of the mother, who hides her daughter behind her back.

'Is he a bit of a pervert?' I've known him for quite a long time, and I can speculate, someone's can't change that dramatically fast.

Then I saw her forcefully take the little girl from her mother's arms and run towards us. He shouted 'get out of the way, get out of the way', masking the mother's angry voice and the little girl's screams.

While the mother chased after Peter, there were already several people on the street trying to reach out their hands to stop and catch Peter.

It didn't last long from what had previously received much attention from those who had crossed, or who just happened to pass by the place.

Me and several people who watched the incident, found something out of the corner of our left eye.

We saw a truck speeding past several other cars. An orange garbage truck that I never knew and realized until that day, could go that fast.

The truck was speeding.

Approaching fast coming towards us, especially towards Peter. I widened my eyes and shouted as loud as I could, "There's a truck, the truck's out of control, run."

By God, I swear, as long as I don't misrepresent my life history, the loudest voice that ever came out of my mouth never went past 65 decibels. I'm sure it was laughter when I was in my childhood.

Luckily Peter was fast enough, while the little girl's mother whom quite fit, also ran fast when she saw people screams, the truck and the crowd who were also running.

Another thing that struck me was how the speeding truck seemed to be following Peter's direction.

There is a building at the crossroads, close to the road. This provided protection to the crowd gasping for air from a gallop.

Keeping us all safe and well from the truck that would probably have claimed many lives.

Not long after, there was a booming hitting sound,

*Bang*

*Crash*

*Tsssshhh*

It bellow that put those around jolted at such vibrations, especially if someone is close to it. I don't think the truck driver will survive.

The truck hit the side of the building hard, then picked up and crashed hard on the right side.

Dragged and rolled several times along the way. Ended up crashing into some other unfortunate car. No luck being there.

Screeching tires followed by deafening sounds of car horns on the street is following after.

It seems the accident victim was not on the low side. Long story short, several people who witnessed the incident quick took action by calling the police, explaining things through their cellphones about the accident that occurred.

Then Peter, who wanted to help the accident victim, was busy receiving lot of thanks from the young mother.

We're late.

I forcefully pulled him away from the mother and daughter, which might have given us more trouble.

There are many witnesses.

I don't think if we were there it would make a difference. Besides, we had to hurry go to school.

Exam.

Exam.

There are many people ready to help.

I also don't want to meet any police officers.

It keeps making me awkward.

The whole time at school, resting time to be exact.

I kept my eyes on Peter who was joking around with his usual group, as if nothing had happened.

I took a look on my watch and waited carefully.

There was no phone call, or short notice of the crash.

Uh, no awards? Because Peter seems to have saved more than 2 lives.

This city really sucks. How can something like that didn't get any recognition or appreciation whatsoever.

Back home, I'm trying to hack, uhhmm... I mean a quick search on the events of that day.

Go to Local Police Database. But, nothing. Another Database Center.

There isn't anything.

Nothing at all no matter how many tricks I use.

Weird.

I quickly stopped my empty search, then went to the Social Forums. But still nothing. No one mentioned, or news reports that alluded to the accident.

This is no coincidence. So my conclusion is, all of that must have been covered and kept secret.

Something stopped the news from spreading.

Maybe the Nobles.

But in their circle, few of the Nobles actually had any real abilities.

They also mostly just busy themselves to climb or strengthen their position in the context of politics and business.

I realize today's accident is more than what i thought at first, and it must have been rather complicated.

It is not even included in the Classified Files.

That's a little bit too much. There might be hidden currents, scheme, or other things.

Uh, looks like I got carried away with my random conjecture.

For some reason, I had a feeling that all the trouble was with the young mother, or her daughter, or both.

Who knows if they are actually related by blood or not.

Anyway, forget it. I couldn't careless.

Even if all my guesses are correct, that we ruined someone's plans.

So what?

There's no way they can do anything to me.

… …

Going back to Peter's strange abilities and talents, it all happened more than three times. Thankfully, the other events were rather safe.

I accept things as they are.

Regardless of all the things I believe or not, the potential of humans especially their brains is a huge treasure, so I feel somewhat able to proclaim and accepting such strange and magical things.

However, the night after we returned home, I thought Peter was finally wrong.

Everything made a lot more sense, especially if it was an odd ability like what he had.

But in the morning, I was jolted awake, alerted by Peter's shrill scream right in front of my sleeping face.

The first sight I saw when I opened my eyes was Peter screaming, shaking my shoulders, pointing with his finger to the direction i recognized as my computer.

He looks tired, i wonder if he even had a sleep or at least get a wink. Or maybe even worse, Rick's previous nightmare, like a virus can infecting someone's too.

I reluctantly got up, away from my soft, comfortable, comfy pillow.

However, my complaint did not last long. Because my attention was immediately caught, distracted by what was displayed on my computer screen.

There lay the two bodies in the clothes I clearly remember Josh and Glenn wearing that night. Dark green hoodie and faded blue jean jacket.

Peter tried to call the police, and in hurry I quickly stopped him. Da*n, doesn't he know hacking is one of the things that's forbidden in this country.

They might ask, 'how do you know something that even the police don't know yet', Then I'll be da*n.

Because three years ago, there was a big case involving many hackers.

Of course, what is the most important was how they slapped the Nobles in the face by revealing some of their treacherous and heinous deeds.

Even though it was successfully stopped and disbanded as fake content full of lies, aka, mere hoaxes.

But millions of people have seen it. It even reached the entire Dawnlight Empire, both The Central and its four vassals.

And the most important thing is,

This accident hit me really hard.

Do you think, I don't really care about the two dead and one missing guy.

Sorry, don't get me wrong, I am indeed full of indifference towards death.

Besides, I'm not that close to them, except with Peter.

I mean.

I actually felt something.

And that makes me quite uncomfortable.

Especially if all the dots and clues are connected. The initial targets were most likely just Ben and me.

… …

But still.

Despite everything that happened.

I don't care who the killer is.

Professional.

Maybe.

However, I conclude in the approach of mathematical standard on the basis of things that have been determined in terms, points of view, and the psychological process of a murder case.

Of course.

I'm not a target that can even come close, to words written as easy.