Chapter 618 Findings
Erik and Rebecca moved through Lysa's storage building, their steps echoing in the space. Monumental structures lined the walls, filled with wooden crates that held an assortment of goods.
The air was chilly, filled with the distinct smell of preserving chemicals, especially near the cellars where Thaids' bodies were kept for later processing.
The two of them worked methodically, examining each area with a discerning eye.
They began in the main storage area, looking through crates and inspecting the contents. Erik's experienced fingers sifted through the packaging while Rebecca scrutinized the labels and documentation.
"No sign of forced entry on any of these crates," Erik noted, delight clear in his voice.
Rebecca shook her head, perplexed. "Nothing seems to miss either from here. Everything's accounted for."
They moved on to the cellars, where the temperature dropped considerably. Thaids' bodies were the only items stolen by burglars from the now-empty cellars. Erik's breath fogged as he looked around, his mind racing.
"Your guild hunted most of the Thaids that were stored here, right?" Rebecca commented, her eyes narrowed.
"You're right," Erik agreed, his voice tinged with concern. "You know, the theft of Thaids' bodies seems to have happened often in this city lately," he said, looking at Rebecca.
Rebecca, who had been examining a shipping label, looked up and nodded. "I've heard that too. It's strange, isn't it? Thaids are valuable, but this operation doesn't look like a typical black market job. Everything's too neat, too controlled."
valuable, but this operation doesn't look like a typical black market job. Everything's too neat, too controlled."
"Well, let's keep digging. Sooner or later, the pieces will fit, and we'll see the entire picture."
With a determined nod from Rebecca, they continued their investigation.
They continued their search, moving from one area to another, probing every corner, every shadow.
They climbed ladders to check upper shelves, crawled into narrow spaces, and examined the security system. Yet every path they pursued seemed to lead to a dead end.
Hours passed, and the sun reached the apex, casting long shadows across the building. "These motherfuckers," Erik said, leaning against a shelf, weariness etched on his face. "They left no damn clue!"
Rebecca sighed, rubbing her temples. "I can't believe they really left nothing."
The storage building was filled with the smell of wood and the pungent odor of Thaids' bodies still lingering in the air. As Erik and Rebecca sifted through the remnants of the ransacked area, their eyes scanning for any clues, something caught Erik's eye.
Nestled between wooden crates and hidden amongst debris in a small, shadowed corner, there lay something out of place.
A glint of metal, almost imperceptible, had caught the light filtering through the artificial lights hung on the ceiling. It was enough to draw Erik's attention, and he found himself inexplicably drawn toward it, as there was something familiar in it.
He strolled, navigating the cluttered floor, his eyes never leaving the hidden object. A sense of curiosity mingled with apprehension settled over him. What was this thing that seemed to call out to him, almost hidden from view but not quite invisible?
Reaching the corner, he leaned down, his hands entering the narrow space between crates and rubble. His fingers brushed against something cold and metallic, and he pulled it out, holding it up for examination.
He stared at the item in his hand, time standing still. Recognition dawned, followed by disbelief, then anger. He focused solely on the emblem, and on the Crystal Cross Gang sign on the pin. Everything else disappeared.
The surrounding room seemed to grow still, the very air charged with the weight of his discovery. His hand clenched around the pin, and he knew that what he had found was more than a mere clue.
Erik's hand trembled as he held the pin, his mind racing, the Crystal Cross Gang emblem staring back at him. The criminal gang should have had no business here in Etrium. A chill ran down his spine as Erik recalled the link between Etrium and Frant—Uncle Benjamin.
Erik's mind was in chaos as he tried to sort through his jumbled emotions. If Uncle Benjamin was here in Etrium, and as Erik believed, he worked with the Blackguards, that meant that the latter was working with the Crystal Cross Gang too, on behalf of the Blackguards.
Then, it was no surprise that the gang had never been uprooted or destroyed in Frant, given the circumstances. The reason General Becker failed to clean up the city of criminals was just explained by this tiny link represented by Uncle Benjamin.
Confusion gave way to a growing sense of rage as the young man recalled what the gang did to him. Erik's heart pounded in his chest as he thought about Uncle Benjamin's role in this.
What was his connection? Was he in charge, or was he a pawn in a larger scheme? The questions spiraled in Erik's mind, each one building upon the other, creating a maze with no apparent exit.
Anger bubbled up, mixing with apprehension. The picture created by betrayal, lies, and hidden agendas was impossible for Erik to ignore. He felt a burning desire to expose the truth that lay beneath the layers of deception.
His hands clenched around the pin, the metal digging into his flesh, grounding him in the situation's reality.
Rebecca's voice pulled him from his thoughts, her concern clear. "Erik? What's wrong? What did you find?"
He looked up at her, his eyes dark with uneasiness and realization.
With a deep breath, Erik steadied himself, the weight of the discovery settling on his shoulders.
He handed the pin to Rebecca, his voice barely above a whisper. "We've just stumbled upon something much more problematic than we thought."
In his heart, he knew they were only scratching the surface of a conspiracy that ran deep and wide.
The Crystal Cross Gang's pin was just the beginning, a small piece in a puzzle that was about to become a lot more complicated. And Erik was determined to see it through, no matter where it led.
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