The Preying City

Vincent walked out of the hospital and headed for Elias's new office. He had gotten a message from the new investigator to get to the office as soon as he could. No other details were written on the little slip of paper he received and he had no idea what to expect.

The only task he had entrusted Elias with was to find clues regarding the 'devil'. Given how little time had passed and how the investigator was busy setting up his new office, Vincent was highly skeptical that any clue would have been dug up. This confused him even more. He couldn't understand what required his attention so urgently.

Honestly speaking, he didn't like the situation. It would be best for him if he kept contact with Elias to the minimum. After all, the officer named Mayven was also enlisting the man's services. He could tell that Elias was deeply grateful towards him, but he had seen enough instances where people turned on their benefactors.

Vincent increased his walking pace and entered an alleyway. It wasn't the best place to have an office but he could understand why Mayven wanted it here. It would be inconvenient for him if Elias was neck deep in other work.

Standing by the door, he knocked twice lightly. In a couple breath's time, the door opened and Elias ushered him in.

Vincent walked past the man and sat down on the chair behind the desk. He looked around and found all the necessities to be present in the office. "Looks like officer Mayven didn't spare any expenses. It's a pretty good office that you have here."

"Thank you. I will try to be worthy of such an office." Elias answered a little nervous.

"So, what is this urgent matter that required me."

"A woman came by to entrust me with the task to find a person." Vincent nodded to signal the man to continue. "I asked for more details and she said that the man went by the name of Dr. Burns. Black hair and eyes. A little taller than average."

Vincent was surprised but didn't show it on his face. He quickly thought about everyone that could possibly know this much about him and still not directly be acquainted with him.

No one came to mind.

Specially someone who would actually get a private investigator to find him.

"And how did you handle the matter?" Vincent forced himself to think calmly and decided to ask for what happened next.

"I accepted her request. She was heading for the door and I knocked her out."

Vincent certainly hadn't expected the man to go to such an extent. But it worked to his favor. He could talk with this client himself and figure out her motives. "Where is she?"

Elias moved to the safe placed in a corner of the room. It was big. Probably two meters in length and a meter in breadth. Vincent had no idea why such a big safe was placed in an office. It didn't fit well in the place at all but he could guess what was inside the safe.

Without any surprise, the content was indeed a human body. He moved to the safe and checked her pulse. She was just unconscious. Pulling the shawl down, he could recognize the face. It was a young woman who had just become a supernatural recently.

'The only way she could find out about me if I think about it rationally would be if she asked the policemen. They would readily answer her thinking that she just wanted to thank me. I had taken that into consideration when I stood out last night. What doesn't make sense is her coming to Elias, a private investigator to find me.'

Vincent couldn't understand how the situation had come to be. He couldn't recall any loose ends he had left no matter how many times he looked back.

'Was she sent here by Mr. Collector? He should be the one most likely to identify me. He also has contact with her. But this still doesn't make sense. Why would he tell her about me and why would she come to a private investigator to find me.'

"Leave us alone for a while." Elias nodded and swiftly left the room.

Vincent carried her out and placed her on the chair. Raising the glass with water on the table, he sprinkled some on the unconscious woman.

Her forehead creased to the stimulation and she woke up soon after. She looked around and found herself in a familiar room. What had happened slowly came back to her and she grew alert immediately.

"I heard you were looking for me. Now that you have found me, can I know why?"

No answer.

The girl seemed dazed. It took a while for her to come to.

Receiving no answer, he looked her straight in the eyes and asked once again. "Why were you trying to find me?"

The girl had collected herself but she still didn't answer.

"Let me rephrase my question. What do you know about me?"

"You are Mr. Secret."

"How do you know that?"

"I saw the troll's blood and the syringe you had bought from Mr. Collector."

"When and where?"

"Last night. When you were packing up."

"That shouldn't be possible. You were unconscious back then. And I was in a completely different room." Vincent lost his calm for a while. The girl made no sense. But her body didn't show any signs of lying. He knew just how bad she was at lying and it confused him even more.

He was going to ask her once again using a different method but then recalled that she had consumed a potion recently. The girl could indeed be telling the truth. But if that was the case, then she had to have some really rare ability. He could tell that she wasn't a ghost because she wasn't pale and her body was still under the care of a police. Besides a ghost who could turn their body invisible and weightless for a little while, he didn't know any other kind of supernatural who could spy on him without him realizing it.

"It's true. Trust me. I can go out of my body and roam around freely." Miss Mystique spoke as she moved her hands exaggeratedly.

"Alright. Let's assume for a while that what you are saying is true. You still haven't answered my first question."

"I was just curious. I didn't mean any harm."

'She is only telling half the truth. She is hiding something from me.'

"Can you prove that? Or at least show a little bit of sincerity?"

She was rendered speechless. She couldn't prove it and froze with nervousness.

After a little thinking, her expression brightened up. She looked straight at him and said, "I have a clue regarding the supernatural you were searching for."

Vincent was intrigued, "Go on."

"Have you heard of the echoing gorge?"