"For that, I want to meet someone very close to the victim."

"How?"

Ansela turned to Lena. "Do you have any details about her? If you do, can I have access to your notes?"

"Sure, here you are."

Ansela sent her eyes through the turned page of Lena's notebook. "Erissa Fermian, twenty-eight, a doctor of Nistehill basic hospital, unmarried, cause of death - Excessive bleeding."

"There were cuts on her both wrists and there is a puncture wound on her chest."

"Chest?"

"Yes." Aiden pointed at a dark stain on the body's chest. Because of the black t-shirt the dead girl wore, the bloodstains were not clear.

"Both are the same in some ways." As Ansela whispered, the other three looked at her.

A silence spread among them. Ansela and Aiden shared a look. Jasper inhaled, closing his eyes. Lena stared at the floor.

Ansela broke the silence finally. "Same weapons have used to stab them both and the places of stab... there is something special about it... sorcerers who have developed their power cores to fifth or upper levels have healing power. So, if someone wants to kill such a person, he or she has to pierce that person's heart with a Mayaghat. It directly attacks the healing power and kills that person."

"So, is this woman also a sorcerer?"

"Not an ordinary one, she must belong to the fifth or upper level. And only a very few clans are using these powered papers, and when considering her surname, she should belong to the Fermianix clan."

"Erissa Fermian, it's her surname."

"Yes, but when they live with ordinary people, they use different surnames to hide the weird clan names."

"Miss Maxwell." Lena pulled her mobile out.

"Yes?"

"I just got Erissa's family details." Lena put the mobile back into the pocket and took the notebook. She wrote down something and handed it again to Ansela.

"Mirose Fermian? Is she the one I am thinking of... Detective Walker, I guess we got a thread. Will we be able to meet this Mirose Fermian?"

"I'll try."

Ansela nodded, and Lena walked out of the cottage.

"Aiden, show your hand." Ansela pulled his hand toward her and removed the glove again. "Keep eyes on this. It hasn't started spreading yet. But if it spreads, immediately inform me, got it?"

"Yes." Aiden shot a look. "Is. It dreadful?"

Ansela blinked. "No, but... it might be dangerous... in a few ways."

"Wait, there is something that we forgot to do before. There should be some fingerprints on the dagger."

"But we can't even touch it." Jasper looked at Ansela. "Ansela, can you do something?"

"I'll try to stop the curse contacting with people." Ansela pulled the wand away from her pocket.

As she pointed the wand to the dagger, it emitted a blue light and slightly made a move.

"Now, the curse will be suppressed for a few days," Ansela said, stepping back. A sudden tremor moved like an electric shock all over her body, and a warmth spread inside her head. She touched her head, and a groan escaped from her mouth.

"Ansela, are you okay?" Jasper held by her shoulder.

She nodded. "I'm fine, I just want some fresh air."

She stepped out of the cottage, letting the warm sunlight bathe her. Inhaling deep, she leaned against the wall of the cottage. Though the air was warm and filled with dust, it helped her to stop the spinning of her head.

But she could not stay that way for long.

Her sensors caught a sharp, ear-piercing, slipping sound and a metal bang. And the ground shook, with a crashing sound.

Ansela closed her ears, and the shock ran through her body.

"What is that sound?"

"It sounded like a crash." Two officers walked past her.

For some reason that she did not understand, her feet moved her towards the sound. She ran towards it before everyone else and as she came to the lane, she pulled the wand out and cast a lock spell.

She ran along the lane, sweat cascading through her face. Panting, she arrived at the end of the lane.

Ansela turned her eyes to the main road, the warm wind moved past her. As her eyes moved, a sharp white light blinded her. Placing a hand on her forehead, she stopped the light falling on her eyes and put a few feet forward.

A motorcycle was under a tree, and its position seemed unusual for Ansela, she stepped towards it.

It was lying on the road, probably slipped out of the road. Slightly connected to it, the broken handlebar was hanging. Nearby, a few crimson blots were glistening.

Blood?

Ansela looked around, looking for the injured motorcycle rider, but no one caught her sight. She turned back.

Suddenly, something bumped into her so hard that she barely stopped falling. As two hands wrapped around her, she realized that was a human. That person immediately rested head on Ansela's shoulder.

"Erissa, I knew nothing will happen to you. I knew that was just a dream." It was a familiar female voice.

"Shh... calm down." Ansela touched her head. "Take a deep breath, and calm down."

As Ansela touched this young woman's head, her speed of breathing reduced to the normal speed. But her grip around Ansela stayed tight.

Ansela softly pulled the young woman away and leaned to her face. "Take a deep breath and tell wh- Shenmi?"

"Ansela?" The young woman jumped back. "Where is Erissa?"

"Ah... um... Erissa... she..." Ansela closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

But before she even think about an answer, a police vehicle stopped before them. Shenmi got closer to Ansela.

"What is happening here?" Ansela pulled Shenmi towards her.

"Excuse me, miss." The tall and bald officer stepped forward. "This young woman ignored our order to stop the motorcycle and continued to drive."

"Was she the motorcycle rider?" Ansela asked with surprise.

"Yes."

Ansela shot a look at the blood near the motorcycle. "Shenmi, where is the injury?"

She turned to Shenmi, 'scanning' her from head to feet. "Oh."

The dust on the ground where Shenmi was standing was coloured crimson and stuck to the ground.

Ansela's eyes returned to the top of Shenmi's leg and stopped at a dark stain on Shenmi's trousers from the thighs to the ankles. Part of the leg protruded from the middle of the thigh to the knee. The whole area was covered with a thick liquid of crimson colour.

Ignoring the gasps of the two police officers, she leaned toward Shenmi's injured leg. As she got closer, she saw Shenmi's leg shake.

"Shenmi." She whispered, lifting her head. Shenmi's lower lip had caught between her teeth. A drop of blood flowed from it and fell onto Ansela's cheek. A colourless drop on her pale cheek made a glistening.

"Shenmi." Ansela leaned Shenmi against her and turned to the lane,

"Miss, what-" The officers followed her.

"Tell me what happened." Ansela hurried along the lane.

"We were at our checkpoint. When we signalled this young woman to stop, she continued to drive, ignoring our order. So, I and Mark had to chase her. And when we took the turn, we heard a crashing sound, and I guess her motorcycle slipped out of the road."

"Did you shoot her?"

"No."

"It was me." The younger officer woke his voice up. "I threw this to the tyre, I only wanted to stop her."

Ansela shot a look at the weapon in his hand. It was a typical throwable blade.

"Mark!" The bald officer's voice was filled with anger. "What have you done? Don't you know the law, man?"

"I'm sorry," Mark said and the other officer smacked his head hard.

As they got closer to the gate, Ansela remembered the locking spell she put on the gate. She pulled the wand out invisible to others and removed it.

"Miss, isn't this where a girl had committed suicide?" Mark asked. Shenmi lifted her head, startled like struck by a lightning.

Ansela shot a burning glare at Mark. Oh, damn, if I could kill you, man!

"Ansela, what are they talking about? Committed suicide? Erissa is okay... isn't she?" Shenmi's voice trembled.

Even before Ansela think an answer, Shenmi pushed her and ran along the lane. The blood that flowed from her feet coloured the concrete floor of the lane crimson, but Shenmi ignored it and ran, limping.

The two officers were about to follow her, but Ansela blocked their way. "You two better leave. I'm sure she had done nothing illegal."

"But how can we trust you?"

Ansela lifted an eyebrow. "You want to drag this case anymore?" She pointed her eyes at the blade in Mark's hand. "Okay then-"

"No, no, don't need to drag it anymore."

Ansela stormed through the lane. As she entered from the gate, her eyes stopped at the door of the cottage.

"Let me go!" Shenmi screamed, struggling to escape from the officer holding her. But what could an injured young woman do against a strong police officer?

"Shenmi, calm down." Ansela walked to her.

"Calm down? How can I calm down? She is my everything! How can I calm down? TELL ME!" Shenmi shouted from the bottom of her lungs.

"Shenmi, please calm down first. We can do nothing like this." Ansela placed a hand on her shoulders.

"Let me go!" Shenmi hit the officer's stomach with her elbow. Wincing, he stepped back, but changed his face soon and was about to hold her again. Ansela signalled him to stay still.

"Sorry, Shenmi, but I have no choice." She sighed, lifting her hand.

'Chatas!'

Shenmi looked at Ansela with an unreadable expression and shook her head. Ansela's palm had drawn on her cheek in scarlet.

A few drops of blood flowed from her lower lip and 'kissed' the ground, painting the dust red.

"Shenmi." Ansela got closer. "I'm sorry, but I had no choice. We can't do anything only by getting aggressive."

"Ansela." Shenmi blinked. Her voice shook. "Just tell me, it is a lie, isn't it? Erissa is alright, isn't it?"

Ansela stared at the blood on the ground. Shenmi's legs were shaking terribly.

"Ansela, just tell me, how is she? She is okay, isn't she?"

Ansela gulped. "No."

"Then how is she?"

Shenmi waited for an answer, her eyes wide open. Ansela's lower lip caught between her teeth and winced, hesitation grew inside her.

Tell her... or not?

"Ansela, please tell me, how is she? Your silence doesn't give me a good thought."

"I... I'm sorry Shenmi." Ansela whispered, gazing at the ground.

A shiver ran through Shenmi, and her knees turned to jelly. Before she fall, the officer held her.

"But, isn't she... isn't she..." Shenmi let the silence fill up the sentence, and Ansela turned her head down, closing her eyes.

Shenmi's face seemed like she had just been struck with thousand lightning bolts. The blood clotted from her lower lip to her chin, and the paleness of her face gave her a look of a vampire.

Ansela signalled the officer to leave, and he nodded silently, releasing his grip.

Shenmi fell to her knees. "I should have told her before. I was able to say everything to her, but... but I waited... waited for the right time... but I should have told her."

"Shenmi." Ansela placed her hands on Shenmi's shoulders.

"All was my fault. If I stopped her that day, she wouldn't have died. I could have stopped her, but I didn't. I let her go. I should have made her stay, but let her go, And she left, forever."

Stop her? From Leaving? Make her stay? Ansela blinked. Did Erissa really commit suicide?

"A- Ansela." Shenmi lifted her head. Her cheek had turned red from the slap and looked slightly swollen. The blood that flowed from the lower lip clotted as a single line running down to the chin. Tears and sweat shone on her face.

"Yes?" Ansela tucked Shenmi's stubborn curl that was glued to her face with sweat behind her ear, softly touching her head.

"Wh- where is she?"

Ansela pointed at the cottage, and Shenmi stood, sucking air around her. Stopping her, Ansela held her tight, sending hands around her from the backside.

"Let me go, Ansela... I want to see her!" She struggled, the tear stains on her face renewed.

"I can't let you go..." Ansela thought again about what she just said and added, "Into the cottage."

"Ansela, please-"

"I can't. The investigation is going on inside."

"I don't care... just let me go!" Shenmi tried to push her back, but Ansela kept her grip tight.

And suddenly, Shenmi's elbow hit the right side of her stomach.

Ansela winced, and her hand moved there. She squeezed her eyes, her nails pierced into the her stomach.

Because of the warm, wet touch felt on her hand, she turned her eyes to her hand.

And she gasped loudly.

* * *