Fein was in a state of shock as he held the suicide note in his hand. He couldn't believe that his mother, who he had just saved from hanging herself, had written such words. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him, thinking that he could have prevented this from happening if he had been more attentive.
Voli saw the distress on Fein's face and approached him cautiously. "What happened, Fein? Is everything alright?"
Fein took a deep breath and handed the letter to Voli. "My mother wrote this. She was going to commit suicide, but I arrived just in time."
Voli's eyes widened in shock as she read the letter. "Fein, this is serious. We need to keep an eye on your family. Do you think the same person who caused the other suicides is behind this?"
Fein nodded slowly. "I don't know who else it could be. I need to find out who's doing this and stop them before they hurt anyone else."
Voli placed a reassuring hand on Fein's shoulder. "Don't worry, Fein. I'll stay here and make sure your family is safe. You focus on finding the culprit."
Fein looked at Voli with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Voli. I appreciate it."
Fein knew he had to act fast. He couldn't let his family be in danger any longer. He decided to visit the families of the previous suicide victims to see if they had any information that could help him. He set out immediately, determined to get to the bottom of this.
Fein arrived at the first victim's house and knocked on the door. The victim's family looked at him suspiciously at first, but Fein explained that he was investigating the recent suicides and was hoping to get some information.
The family opened up to Fein and told him about their son's behavior before he took his own life. They mentioned that he had been acting strangely as if he was being controlled by someone else. Fein's mind immediately went to the culprit and he thanked the family for their help before heading out.
Fein visited the other families and heard similar stories. Each victim had exhibited strange behavior before their death, leading Fein to believe that they were being controlled by someone else.
Fein returned home late that night, exhausted but determined to find the culprit. Voli was waiting for him at the door, and he could see the concern in her eyes.
"Did you find anything?" she asked.
Fein shook his head. "Not yet. But I did learn that each victim had been acting strangely before their suicide. It's like someone was controlling them."
Voli's eyes widened in shock. "That's disturbing. Fein, you need to be careful. This person could be dangerous."
Fein nodded solemnly. "I know. But I have to do this. This guy dared to hurt my mom, he should be ready to pay the price. He's smart alright, If he wants to play, I'll play with him. In this continent, my strength is already at the top. No matter if he's a degu user or an ordinary person, I'll make him pay the price. The only one who could beat me is me."
"There's a possibility that he's an ordinary person?" Voli's eyebrows twitched
"Yes, it's possible that he's only an ordinary person with a high IQ and a deep understanding of human psychology."
The two of them stayed up late into the night, brainstorming and trying to come up with a plan to catch the culprit. Fein knew that time was running out, and he had to act fast if he wanted to save his family and put an end to the suicides.
As the night went on, Fein couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that had been nagging at him all day.
...
The next day, Fein was taking a walk around the gardens of a park in their city, lost in thought as he pondered over the recent events. He was trying to come up with a plan to catch the culprit who was targeting his family, but his mind was blank. As he walked, he came across a man sitting under a tree with a chessboard set up in front of him.
The man had black hair and a soft-spoken voice. He looked up as Fein approached and greeted him with a smile. "Hello there, would you like to play a game of chess?"
Fein was surprised by the offer. He hadn't played chess in a while, but he knew the game well so he became the world champion. "Sure, I could use a distraction," he replied, taking a seat opposite the man.
They started playing, and Fein was impressed by the man's skill. He had a unique style of play that seemed to be based on psychology. As they played, the man explained his strategy to Fein.
"I like to use psychology in my game. I try to predict my opponent's moves and use that to my advantage," he said with a gentle tone, moving his bishop.
Fein was fascinated by the concept. He had never heard of using psychology in chess before. They played for a while, and the game ended in a draw, much to Fein's surprise.
"I can't believe we ended in a draw," he said, impressed by the man's skill.
The man chuckled. "It's all in the mind. Sometimes, a psychological approach can be more effective than the classic openings."
Fein agreed with the man's philosophy. He found himself enjoying their conversation as much as the game itself. The man seemed to be well-versed in many areas of knowledge, and he had interesting insights into science and philosophy.
As they played, Fein couldn't help but wonder who this man was. He had a feeling that he had met him before, but he couldn't place where or when.
After the game, Fein thanked the man and asked for his name.
"My name is Lucian," he said, standing up and stretching. "It was a pleasure playing with you, Fein."
Fein felt a strange familiarity with the name. He racked his brain, trying to remember where he had heard it before.
As Lucian walked away, Fein felt a twinge of regret. He wished he had asked Lucian more about himself and where he came from. But he also had a feeling that he would see him again.
Fein left the gardens, lost in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that Alexander was more than just a stranger he had met in passing. He wondered if he was somehow connected to the recent events and the culprit who was targeting his family.
Despite his curiosity, Fein decided to focus on the investigation at hand. He had to catch the culprit before they could harm anyone else. But he also couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious Lucian and his psychological approach to chess.
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