Death Leveling Chapter 46

[ … words ]

The perspective of Boro continues:

“Sick… she’s sick in the head.”

“It can’t be that bad, bro,” replied Zuri, in a wildly curious yet mildly sarcastic tone.

I shook my head in bafflement and then dropped her files on the desk.

Zuri then proceeded to wheel over to me using his chair, with a cigarette in his mouth.

Reading from a distance, his expression gradually changed from indifference to something else entirely.

He was compelled to put out his cigarette and then grab the files for himself—a better and clearer read, you could say.

He chuckled going over all the information. “Shit, man, you weren’t kidding.”

“I know, right?!—she’s a crazy bitch!”

“Sheesh…”

Suddenly, the interrogation room opened—a rather chunky colleague came out, graciously wearing the crown of defeat.

“No good?” I inquired, knowing exactly what he’ll say.

Mimicking me from earlier, he shook his head and answered, “she won’t admit anything—pressing her doesn’t seem to be effective.”

He sat down and opened a can of beer; I giggled witnessing that and consequently words were forced out of me, “c’mon—she can’t be bad enough to be making you drink during work like that.”

“We’re about to clock out anyway, what’s the harm?”

Zuri jumped in, “at least get something proper if ya’re gonna drink”; upon these words, he pulled his backpack over on his legs and took out a bottle of vodka.

“Shit, man—you trying to blackout tonight?” the chunky colleague asked, clearly not suppressing his flippant attitude.

“You bet’cha,” Zuri replied.

“Give me that!”

The man drinking beer snatched the vodka from Zuri’s hands, then proceeded to pour a bit of it into the can of beer.

“Now we’re talkin’,” added Zuri.

Mister chunky started gulping on his drink and then suddenly, he began choking—both Zuri and I knew what was happening.

The door opened… his MANA was suffocating, as usual.

“What’re you kids up to?” voiced Kross, with a smirk on his face and fancy earrings that portrayed him perfectly.

“Forgetting ’bout all this bullshit,” whimpered Zuri with a slightly louder voice.

“Let me see that.”

Kross seized the girl’s files and started skimming over everything. “Wouw, gross!—she’s still in there?”

“Ya…” I answered in their stead while nodding my head.

Kross proceeded to walk up to the door of the interrogation room… then simply stood.

“Bro, this guy—he really is just a showoff!!” Zuri immediately stated playfully.

The MANA of Kross disappeared—not one sign of it was present, as if it didn’t even exist to begin with.

Then he went inside.

And just 5 minutes later… he came out.

“She confessed; I executed her.”

All of our eyes widened.

Usual protocol is prison—Kross didn’t need to follow a protocol.

I ran up to the room—empty.

No blood, no nothing.

The perspective of Kross:

Entered the room—sat a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, with some tattoos scribbled on her arms and neck; it didn’t seem like she had showered in a while; she was bruised up as well, suggesting that violence was used to make her “talk.”

I sat down across from her.

“Are they treating you okay?”

“Yes…”

I tilted my head and reached my arm across the desk towards her, affectionately.

“You can be honest… it’s okay,” my voice wasn’t shy of sympathy.

“Yes— no… no, they didn’t treat me well…”

She started tearing up and put her palms over her face.

“They just want to end the case—they didn’t want to hurt you, you know that, right?”

“They— they didn’t need to hit me!!”

I made a tender and softly hurt face hearing her words.

“What do you think they were trying to do?—hurt you?”

Immediately, she yelled, “what else were they trying to do then?!”

“They only want the best for you—what are you so afraid of?”

She didn’t answer.

“Your neighbors saw you digging something—what context do you think they had?”

Then I added, “listen—I’ll help you.”

“Help me how?! They saw… they…”

She began tearing up even harder…

“Saw what?—all they witnessed was you burying your baby—they didn’t see you kill it or anything like that.”

“Kill?! What do you mean kill?!” she shouted, upset at my intimation.

“Exactly—it could’ve been an accident for all they know—they couldn’t have known anything.”

Her cries subtly retracted—just subtly, she was still weeping like a baby.

“Worst case… we’ll get you a gross-negligence charge—you won’t even need to go to prison or anything.”

She yet again didn’t answer.

“And… to tell you a secret… look at me: do I seem like a priest to you?”

She skimmed over me; let out a small chuckle.

“No…” softly… speak softly, love.

“You look more like some sort of… satanist.”

“Exactly! Shit like this happens… and…”

I leaned closer to her and raised a hand to the side of my mouth, whispering into it…

“…I hate condoms myself, you know?—shit’s so uncomfortable, so I get you.”

Yet again, she giggled.

“You didn’t mean to do that, right?—how did it happen anyway?—not that it matters, at this point.”

She looked away and rubbed her arm.

“The— the baby daddy hit me and— after he walked out I— I didn’t mean to do anything…”

Her tears had dried up, but now yet again a tear slipped down her cheek.

“…it just happened and— and I didn’t know what to do.”

“Girl, you do know we’re the orphan city, right?”

This time my tone was empty; she glanced at me.

Shadows disappeared; not one was present.

Suddenly, her throat and face began getting red—and redder.

“Auhhh!!—”

Her head began sinking into her neck…

The whole room abruptly started flashing in grey.

Her body got dyed in pale grey as well.

Then her whole body contracted towards one point around her neck, as though something inside her were pulling every inch of her flesh into a single, minuscule atom.

The final expression on her face was one of profound discomfort, her facial features contorted as though even her face were being crushed inward.

I left the room.

“She confessed; I executed her.”

Then I added…

“You can listen to the recording, if you care.”

As I was about to leave… one more question jolted up.

“As for the girl that witnessed our System Killer— Bonnie, was it?—is she still in custody?”

“No—she insisted on leaving.”

Took a quick glance at the man that voiced that, then continued with my exit.

“Just be sure to track her System at all times—if anything, her role is that of bait right now.”

“Yeah— sure… okay.”