POV: NOAH WILLIAMS.
I drove alone down the dirt road, gripping the steering wheel tightly and keeping my eyes focused on the path ahead.
The air felt heavy, as though the forest itself was watching me.
It wasn't the first time I had traveled a forgotten stretch like that, but something about this road unsettled me.
Aside from the clear lack of any sign of humanity in the area, except for the occasional abandoned building, there was something else.
Maybe it was the silence, or maybe it was the reports of disappearances I'd read about over the past few days.
Several cases had been reported in previous years of young people vanishing in that region.
All without leaving a trace. One report mentioned a witness hearing voices in the middle of the night, muffled sounds no one wanted to talk about publicly.
Afterwards, two teenagers were never seen again.
According to the information I received, that side road connected to the neighboring city through one of the valley's exits. It was a discreet route, ideal for anyone who didn't want to be seen.
Still, the seizure numbers on the other side were too high to be mere coincidence.
Everything indicated it was one of the preferred routes for drug trafficking in the area.
Nothing that surprised me.
What intrigued me was the deliberate omission by local authorities.
Miguel had made it clear: there was ample reason to believe the police were taking bribes.
'They closed their eyes to the cars passing through here, there was no patrol…'
Corruption was as treacherous an enemy as any armed criminal, and because of that, I couldn't expect help from there.
I was on my own. Definitely not comforting.
The car jostled as I hit another pothole. The abandoned factories rose up like skeletons of concrete, most likely they served as escape valves for money laundering by locals.
Shortly after, a few old houses appeared, falling apart, swallowed by weeds. That road ran deep into the woods.
I must have driven several kilometers of dirt before reaching the target of today's investigation.
I continued until I spotted the bridge mentioned in the report. That was the landmark I was looking for.
A thin stream of muddy water ran under its rusty iron structure, which creaked with every breeze.
Taking a deep breath, I slowed down and crossed. Right after the bridge, to the right, there was an open field, pressed against the mountainside that had been partially leveled.
I parked the car on the dirt shoulder, hidden in the trees so anyone passing wouldn't see it from the road.
After checking that I had everything needed, I looked over my clothes, shades of green to blend in better. I got out and headed toward the small square next to the lot.
The scent of dampness mixed with burnt tobacco came immediately.
On the ground, scattered all over, were shards of beer bottles, crushed cigarette packs, and still-fresh butts. It wasn't just a place to pass through, apparently young people gathered there.
They made impromptu parties and did dumb challenges.
I ignored my judgment and walked around, paying attention to every detail. I observed the small mountain ahead: one side leveled, the other still under construction.
Less than seventy-two hours ago, a magical energy spike was registered.
"Semantic Rupture, be my eyes in this expansion." I proclaimed as I closed my eyes.
That's when I felt a familiar chill run through my body, a pulse of light energy, almost imperceptible but there.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my senses adjust.
The trail led me to the edge of the open field, where the forest started engulfing the clearing.
I followed the invisible track to a hidden ditch among the tall bushes. Well off to the side, almost deliberately hidden.
What I found made my stomach clench
There were women's clothes scattered around, some torn, others soaked in alcohol as if they'd been used in humiliation rituals.
Broken bottles surrounded the scene, forming a twisted mosaic on the ground. Among them, used condoms and crumpled drug packets.
I looked around…
"What the hell happened here…"
I reached into my equipment bag, grabbed a mask and gloves—had to analyze the mess.
That ditch didn't seem like a youth hangout. It felt like a stage set for something much worse…
I kneeled slowly, moving bits of glass as I analyzed each detail. Besides the clothes, there were more cigarette packs, dozens of broken bottles. And…
Nylon ties, popularly called "zip ties."
A type of restraint often used by kidnappers or criminals to tie up people.
I tried to ignore the bad thoughts, mainly shutting off my imagination.
I knew that if I wanted to understand what that place meant, I had to focus on the goal.
'Follow the trail, focus on that alone'
That's when my gaze locked onto something odd.
Among the glass shards sat a beer can that stood out. Though it was crushed, it still had a purplish foam, showing it was still under pressure, but what didn't make any sense.
Inside it, a shiny purple liquid pulsed under the weak afternoon light.
Focusing my energy, I tried to sense if it left any magical trace. And not only did it.
It was a vibrant, loaded source, unlike any ordinary substance. It felt like a battery.
I carefully picked up the can, using gloves, and put it into an evidence bag. That couldn't be left there.
It needed to be sent immediately for analysis at SFR.
As I packed it away, an uncomfortable feeling crept into my mind.
Whatever that liquid was, it wasn't just a drink. It emitted a presence, almost alive, that set me on questions.
I stood up and kept examining the perimeter. There were recent tire marks in the dirt, tracks running from the road to the clearing and back toward the bridge.
The traffic seemed constant. Someone frequently used that field.
The puzzle started taking shape as I mentally recorded the details.
Women's clothes, drugs, signs of violence, unknown energy. None were easy to fit together, but I knew no clue was irrelevant.
Leaning forward for a moment against the nearest tree, letting the silence of the forest enfold me.
Amid the distant chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves.
'The clues are appearing little by little..'
Something is happening in this city… And I will figure out what it is.
"No more casualties"