The detective office was quiet when Anna Jadesmith stepped inside.
Her hands trembled, eyes filled with worry. "My husband… he's missing."
Alexander leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping the wooden desk rhythmically. "Aiden Jadesmith."
She nodded quickly. "Yes. Please, you have to find him."
"Consider it done."
A Week Later…
Alexander sat across from Anna, his fingers interlocked.
He hadn't found him.
That was rare.
But something felt off.
So, he decided to change tactics.
Instead of searching for where Aiden was…
He would search for who Aiden was.
He took a sip of his tea before speaking. "Tell me about your husband."
Anna hesitated. "He was a good man… quiet, reserved. He had his own way of thinking."
"And what was that way?"
She looked down. "He believed that the world is cruel and that strength decides everything."
A slow smirk spread across Alexander's lips.
There it is.
"Where did you first meet him?"
Anna blinked, confused. "A park. A secluded one, outside the city."
Alexander stood up, grabbing his coat. "Interesting."
He turned to the others. "Darmian, Madison, Roselia. We're going there."
THE REVELATION
The air was cold in the secluded park.
Leaves rustled in the wind as Alexander and his team walked through the overgrown path.
And then—
They saw him.
Aiden Jadesmith.
Standing with Grim Reaper.
The sight made Anna freeze, her breath hitching in her throat. "Aiden…?"
The man turned. "Anna?"
Grim chuckled beside him. "Ah, what a lovely family reunion."
Alexander watched.
Listened.
Observed.
And then he spoke. "You've joined him."
Aiden's gaze darkened. "I've realized the truth. The world is filled with weaklings who deserve to be culled."
Anna's voice shook. "This isn't you, Aiden."
Aiden smiled—a twisted smile. "Oh, but it is. I even tested myself once."
Alexander's eyes sharpened. "Tested?"
Aiden chuckled. "A few days after leaving home… I killed a beggar. Just to see if I could."
Anna staggered backward. "No…"
Darmian and Madison stood frozen, unable to speak.
Roselia's face paled.
But Alexander?
He smirked.
And then—he spoke.
His voice silken, precise, deadly.
Every word seeped into Anna's mind like poison.
"Anna, tell me, what do you do when a limb of your body rots?"
She looked up, tears pooling in her eyes. "W-What?"
He took a step closer, voice dripping with quiet authority. "Do you keep it? Do you let the infection spread? Do you let it consume you?"
She shook her head, body trembling. "N-No…"
Alexander's sapphire eyes glowed coldly. "No. You cut it off."
Aiden's face twisted in amusement. "Anna, don't listen to him—"
Alexander's voice overpowered his. "You married a man, believing he was good. But the truth? That man never existed. The one before you—he's rotten. He's dead inside."
Anna clutched her arms, breathing heavily.
"You love him, don't you?" Alexander whispered.
She bit her lip, nodding. "I do… I did… I—"
"Then do what love demands."
He leaned in close. "End it."
Anna stared at him, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
And then—
Alexander placed the gun in her hands.
The weight was heavier than she expected.
Her fingers trembled.
Her vision blurred.
And then—
She pulled the trigger.
Aiden staggered.
He fell.
A single bullet through his chest.
And Anna collapsed to her knees, the gun slipping from her grasp.
Tears streamed down her face. "What… have I done?"
Alexander crouched beside her.
His voice calm.
"You don't need to feel guilt."
She shuddered.
"You did an act of justice."
Her breathing was ragged. "But… they'll know…"
Alexander's smile was serene. "No, they won't."
She looked at him with wide, teary eyes.
He whispered, "Because I'll take the blame. This will be our little secret."
Anna sobbed into her hands.
Grim simply clapped. "Oh, Bluestone. You truly are something else."
And then, he disappeared into the darkness.
THE DEVIL'S FANGS
Roselia stood paralyzed.
Darmian and Madison were just as stunned.
Alexander turned to them.
And smirked.
Then, he looked at the sky.
His voice was quiet, but sharp as a blade.
"The devil has grown fangs, eh?"
A breeze rustled through the trees.
His sapphire-blue eyes gleamed under the moonlight.
"I'm hunting you down soon, Grim."