First Criminal Incident

Neither Gaea nor Eryk wants to start a conversation, their eyes are just focused in front of them.

Gaea herself feels this silence is somewhat strange between them, maybe because they often fight, so something is missing, even though before this incident, she admired Eryk's 'silent' trait.

Maybe Gaea can start a conversation?

"Um ... about the airport—"

"No," Eryk immediately cuts the conversation off, "we'll talk about that later."

"Oh," Later? No idea whether it can be later or not, "yes."

The situation becomes quiet again in the room until the sound of the opening elevator's door breaks their silence.

Gaea walks out while taking a glance at each apartment door, counting the number on the door.

Eryk, who sees it, grins a little, "How can there be someone who doesn't remember her own apartment number?"

Gaea rolls her eyes. This is because Eryk is telling her to be quiet, so she does it to avoid getting bored. Never mind it, she checking the number on the door once again until reaching the number 70 and stopping her footsteps. She takes a look at Eryk over her shoulder, "Can you keep a distance?"

Eryk didn't answer but is obeying, respecting Gaea's privacy.

Gaea smiles a bit seeing that, then opens the protective cover, puts her thumb on the sensor and after 'pass', the second security step which is the security pass code, pressing the button again until it makes a sound again 'pass'.

Eryk, who is watching silently, feels satisfied seeing Gaea opens the door with some security steps. Looks like someone is getting treated for obeying his will.

Lola is the best.

Gaea looks for the key in the pocket of her jacket and breathes out a sign of relief knowing the key is still there, not being put together with other things when she checks-in at the airport. Then opening the door and ... freezes in the place where she is standing at once upon seeing something unusual.

Eryk sees that something is amiss from Gaea, walks closer, "What—" his eyes widen upon seeing the inside of the apartment's room—someone is pointing a gun right in front of Gaea, swiftly jumps protecting Gaea, embracing her body so that they fall to the floor.

The sound of a muffled gunshot is heard once as Gaea and Eryk fall onto the floor, after which, the mysterious person dashes out of the room quickly.

Eryk, who sees that person, tries to catch that person's legs but fails because it is too far, doesn't want to let that person escape, he tries to get up, "Hey!" he shouted, his eyes glance at Gaea who is trembling with fear beneath him, feeling sorry for her and want to comfort her, but his main priority is now to catch that mysterious person.

Eryk tries to catch that person, unfortunately, he fails because the elevator's door has closed, "Damn it," he cursed while hitting the door out of frustration.

He failed, but one thing is for certain, that mysterious figure is a man after seeing the structure of his body as well as his black loafer that the figure was wearing.

Eryk takes the cellphone from the pocket of his jacket, pressing the 'call' button, then places it against his ear.

[Hello?]

"Rainer! I want you to catch whoever comes out of the elevator door," ordered Eryk while glancing at the small black screen monitor above the elevator that displays the number and also a downward arrow, "Damn! He went down to the downstairs parking lot."

[What do you mean, Eryk?] asked Rainer in confusion across the phone.

"Gaea's room was broken into, and that person tried to shoot Gaea but missed. Now he runs away cowardly," explained Eryk irritably.

[Do you think it's Kervyn?] asked Rainer.

"I cannot assume that little," said Eryk; this assault is too random, haven't checked the surrounding either, "never mind it, hurry up, bring cover and catch him!"

[I am doing it.]

Eryk immediately turns off the call after hearing Rainer's answer. His eyes glance at Gaea who is sitting on the floor, still shocked about what happened. He sighs, crouching in front of Gaea, "Everything will be alright, Rainer and Alex are working on it," he said as gentle as possible trying to calm her.

Gaea raises her head, stares deeply at Eryk as if to say: really?

Eryk understands and nods.

Gaea breathes a sigh of relief.

Why did someone break into her room? She doesn't have valuable things.

Except ...

Gaea's thought was interrupted when Eryk wraps his hand around her body and lifts her up as if she were as light as a feather, quickly blush appears on her cheek, "I don't need this," she protested weakly.

Eryk ignores Gaea's protest and instead, tightening his grip on that woman's body so she won't fall, then after enters the apartment and put Gaea on the sofa, "Everything is safe," he said while staring deeply at Gaea's beautiful eyes, "I'll check first, okay?" he asked softly.

Gaea hesitates for a moment, "Here, right?" asked her doubtfully, not willing to be left behind, especially in the apartment that had just been broken into.

Eryk nodded once.

"Okay," muttered Gaea softly, she cannot possibly refuse Eryk's gentle request.

This is for her safety too.

Eryk makes a faint smile and even gives Gaea a soft pat on her head, reassuring once more, before straightening himself again.

Eryk's face turns serious at once observing the content of her apartment.

'Now we start the investigation.'

Eryk begins checking from the outside part of the apartment, checking the safety of the door, surprisingly, there is no sign of damage.

Gaea was also checking the security of the room earlier, nothing was wrong with it then.

Eryk checked the hole of the door key, and again, no trace is found that the door has been broken into. His eyes are looking forward.

This assault is too neat to be done by an amateur.

Eryk comes back inside, "I know this is not the right time because you are still in shock," he said gently, "but can you check if anything has changed or is missing?"

Gaea hesitates for a moment before finally getting up to stand, her legs are still shaking but not as bad as they were, and perhaps by moving it will disappear, "Yes."

"I know you are a strong woman," said Eryk softly, then goes back outside to check the direction of the shot, measuring it by his height, "Strange." The direction of the shot is far above his head.

Eryk is sure that the gun was pointing at Gaea's chest, so he jumped to protect her because under his shirt there is a bullet proof shirt, but after seeing that the bullet missed quite far, it makes him wonder.

Was it planned or was it due to panic not expecting him to be there, so the shot missed?

Eryk also saw that the tip of the gun had a silencer, so that it was not making a loud sound when it was fired.

Talking about sound.

Eryk looks right and left, wondering again.

Quiet.

Where were the residents of the apartment next to Gaea's?

.

This break-in is too strange and suspicious.

Eryk's eyes widens, was the intruder aiming at his ring? But why? Nobody knows if the ring is in Gaea's hand except Rainer and Alex, or ....

"Eryk," called Gaea.

"Huh ...?" Eryk wakes up from his daydreaming, "what's wrong?"

Gaea hesitates for a moment, "Everything is alright~!" she said excitedly.

"What?"

"No valuables were lost!" Gaea said, "including your ring," she continued while showing off a pink diamond ring on her hand.

Eryk's eyes narrows, it is getting even more suspicious. Without saying anything taking his ring, frowning his forehead knowing that the ring is wrapped in a handkerchief. It's actually a good move so it won't leave scratches, but Gaea can just put it in the box or anything else.

"But there is one thing that is strange," said Gaea.

Eryk stops putting the ring into the red box in his hand.

"My student identity card is missing," said Gaea, "Or I forget where I put it," she added shyly, "hahaha ..."

After all, that student identity card is from high school time, it's been so long, so maybe it's lost because of her own negligence and isn't stolen, what's the use of stealing something useless like that? Ridiculous.

On other hand, Eryk is really worried, but Gaea is playing with his feeling instead. This is the reason why he doesn't like hanging out with women, they are so confusing, "I am serious with you."

"Just think about it,"said Gaea, "with that tight security it's unlikely that they just stole my identity card."

Eryk is silent, thinking again. Of course, Gaea's explanation makes sense. Who is willing to break a security system for a cheap school identity card? But cannot underestimate the slightest clue. Maybe he is too paranoid?

A ringing sound breaks their silence.

Eryk steps away a little to receive Rainer's call, "Hello?"

[Are you all alright?]

"Yes," replied Eryk, "how about that culprit?"

[He got away.] said Rainer. The information from Eryk is too little, only telling him to stop people getting out of the elevator. He met after reaching down stair parking space, a car almost hit him and Alex, so they assume that it's the culprit. Before Eryk can reply, he immediately adding, [I have tracked the license plate number also, that was a rental car, I know the place, want to go there?]

Eryk takes a deep breath, "No," he answered shortly, "meet me at that place, and don't take your eyes off your supervision."

Checking car rentals take time, so Eryk prefers to send someone else to go there.

[Of course.]

Eryk puts his cellphone back down, his eyes are back at Gaea, "I hate to say this, but you have to come with me."

"What?" Gaea cannot believe what she has just heard, "why?"