Lucas and Marcus stepped out of the restaurant after finishing a heavy, satisfying lunch. Just then, Marcus stretched lazily and said,
"The sea's right there. Let's take a walk along the shore. We ate like kings—might as well walk it off a bit."
Without waiting for a reply, Marcus started walking ahead.
But suddenly, Lucas's steps slowed.
A strange smell hit his nose—sharp, unsettling. Suspicious.
His eyes searched instinctively, trying to trace where it was coming from. As he walked, he stopped near a crowded spot, scanning the faces, the movement, the noise.
When Marcus turned back, Lucas was no longer beside him.
Marcus frowned, unease creeping in.
"Unknown place, vacation mood—and now my friend vanishes?" he muttered. "Great. Let me guess… Mr. Detective sniffed out another mystery."
Talking to himself, Marcus retraced his steps.
He soon spotted Lucas standing still, utterly motionless, staring intensely at something far ahead. There was no life in his expression—only focus.
Marcus shoved him lightly from behind.
Lucas blinked, coming back to himself.
Marcus burst out laughing.
"I thought the kid wandered off chasing toys or something."
But Lucas didn't smile. Not even a twitch.
That wiped the laughter off Marcus's face.
He followed Lucas's line of sight. There was a crowd gathered in the distance. People whispering. Moving restlessly.
Marcus was about to say something when Lucas spoke, his voice flat and certain.
"There's been a murder over there."
Marcus groaned in frustration.
"Please. Not here. Not now."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"We're on a trip, Lucas. A vacation. Please, spare me this. I fought tooth and nail for these days off. Don't start again. Just—please—let's go. Let's hit the sea, clear our heads."
Lucas looked at him blankly.
"Now? Have you even checked the time?"
Marcus glanced at his watch.
"Yeah. Why? It's only 4:45."
Lucas wrinkled his nose.
"No, man. Not now. Let's go to the market instead. Walk around a bit."
Marcus let out a long breath, half relief, half surrender.
"Alright, fine. At least I managed to pull you away."
Then, more seriously, he added,
"Look—we're on a trip. And whatever that is, it's not our jurisdiction."
Lucas placed a hand on Marcus's shoulder, his tone softer.
"Yeah. I get it. Let's go to the market."
Marcus nodded.
"Wait. First, let's go back to the room, freshen up, change clothes. Then we head out."
Lucas smiled faintly, the tension easing just a little.
"Okay."
The two friends hurried back to the hotel, freshened up quickly, and then rolled out again on the sky-blue scooter, heading toward the market. On the way, they passed a quiet old Buddha temple. Lucas suddenly told Marcus to stop.
Marcus frowned, slightly annoyed. "What now?"
Lucas grinned. "We came here to travel, didn't we? What's the point if we don't explore a little? Look—there's a beautiful Buddha temple right there. Come on, let's take a look."
With a reluctant sigh, Marcus pulled the scooter over to the side of the road. The two of them walked into the temple together. The place was calm, wrapped in a kind of silence that felt heavy yet soothing. Lucas sat down in front of the Buddha statue, offered flowers with care, then lit incense sticks. Closing his eyes, he made a quiet prayer—something unspoken, something only his heart understood.
After that, they stepped back out, once again heading toward the market.
Lucas sat behind Marcus on the scooter and spoke over the wind, "You know the way, right? Or are we about to get lost?"
Marcus laughed, the sound easy and carefree. "Even if we do, it's fine. We've got the map."
Lucas chuckled softly. "Good. Then let's go."
The scooter moved forward again, disappearing into the lively streets—unaware that calm moments like these rarely lasted long for them.
To be Continued....