Church from Shefferd City

The three of them chased the man in black until he reached a dead end.

"There's nowhere else to run," Mark said, panting heavily. "Turn around."

The man stopped and slowly turned around.

'Hmm, a pastor?' Victor thought, studying the man's peculiar attire.

The man smiled faintly and spoke. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Drop the act," Toby snapped, anger evident in his voice.

Victor placed a hand on Toby's shoulder, a silent reminder to calm down. "Easy, Toby."

The man's awkward smile deepened, clearly unsure of what was happening. "May I ask why you're chasing me?"

Before his companions could speak, Victor stepped in. "Ah, apologies. We thought you might be a… you know, Riftborn." He scratched the back of his head, forcing an awkward smile.

Toby and Mark stared at Victor, wide-eyed and confused by his sudden shift in tone.

"Eh? what?" the man muttered, his confusion evident.

"Well, your outfit isn't exactly common here in District Two," Victor explained, trying to appear casual. "We might've overreacted. We're really sorry for the trouble. "

"Ah, I see. That explains it. Thanks for clearing things up." The man smiled, though it was still a bit strained.

Victor's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied him. "Where are you from anyways? Your clothes don't look familiar to us city folk."

"Shefferd City," the man replied.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Shefferd City? District Ten?"

"Yes," the man confirmed politely. "I'm a pastor from there."

"Ah, I see. Are you just visiting?"

"That's right. I needed to pick up a few things from a shop nearby," the man explained.

Victor tilted his head. "Then why did you run when these two started chasing you?"

The man chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Who wouldn't run when they see detectives coming after them?"

Victor smirked. "Fair enough." He gave a slight bow. "Apologies for the trouble we caused."

When he straightened, he noticed Toby and Mark standing stiffly, neither of them bowing. With an exasperated sigh, he grabbed their heads and pushed them down in a forced bow.

"We're sorry," Victor said, dragging the apology out of his companions.

The man chuckled awkwardly. "It's fine. Really."

*

At the Café.

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his chair as he listened to Mark's passionate outburst.

"You're not listening!" Mark shouted, standing in front of him. "That pastor is connected to Sir Tomas' death!"

Heads turned toward their table, curious eyes lingering on them. Toby quickly grabbed Mark by the arm and pulled him back into his seat.

"Mark, calm down. You're drawing too much attention," Toby said firmly.

Victor sighed and spoke in a measured tone. "We have no evidence to support your claims. Everything you're saying is just speculation. We can't arrest someone based on theories."

Toby nodded. "Mr. Noir's right. No matter how suspicious he seems, we need solid proof before we can act."

Victor leaned back, crossing his arms. "If Tomas wasn't killed by a Riftborn but by this so-called pastor, then we're dealing with something far bigger than we thought."

Mark clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over. "I'll find the evidence. I'll prove he's responsible for Sir Tomas' death." With that, he stood and stormed out of the café.

Toby sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry about him, Mr. Noir."

Victor shook his head. "I understand. Just keep an eye on him."

*

End of the Day.

Their shift ended, and Mark was the first to leave. Victor and Toby walked together toward their usual spot to wait a taxi.

When one finally arrived, Victor motioned for Toby to get in first.

"Aren't you heading home?" Toby asked, pausing by the open door.

"I've got some work to finish at the office," Victor replied.

Toby nodded. "Alright. Take care." With that, he got into the taxi and left.

Victor stood in the dimly lit street, watching the car disappear into the distance. He exhaled slowly, the weight of the day pressing down on him. 'Something isn't adding up. That pastor… he's hiding something.' He thought.

*

Victor arrived at the SSDC headquarters, his steps steady despite the fatigue weighing on him. As he walked through the main hall, he ran into Camila.

With a surprised look, she asked, "What are you doing here, Mr. Noir? Isn't your shift over?"

"I just have something to finish in the office," he replied nonchalantly, hands in his pockets, already heading upstairs.

Camila watched him go but didn't stop him.

When Victor reached his office, he let himself fall onto the soft couch, groaning from exhaustion. Stretching out, he muttered to himself, "Shefferd City, huh?"

After a moment, he moved to the computer on his desk, curiosity sparking his energy. He began researching Shefferd City in District Ten, specifically its numerous churches. It didn't take long for him to discover that the city was filled with religious establishments.

One by one, he combed through records of each church, inspecting photos of their pastors and followers. Eventually, he stumbled upon a post showcasing all the members of every church in the city.

Every individual in the post wore black robes, identical to the man they had chased earlier.

Victor frowned and decided to dig deeper. He left his office and headed to the Information Room, a secure space holding records of SSDC members and case files. He browsed through the alphabetized archives until he found the folder labeled Tomas Grilyn.

Back in his office, he opened the file and carefully examined its contents. It detailed Tomas' life—his birthplace, upbringing, and even his past job.

"A pastor?" Victor muttered, leaning back in his chair. "So, he used to be a pastor too."

His eyes returned to the photos from Shefferd City, scanning them carefully. His pulse quickened when he spotted a familiar face.

"Got you," he murmured. "Mark and Toby were right. That pastor is connected to Tomas."

However, Victor knew this wasn't enough. It wasn't concrete evidence, just a lead. Determined, he searched the records for the church Tomas had once served. When he found it, he noted down its name along with other potentially useful information.

After organizing his notes, he stood to return the folder to the Information Room. But as he opened his office door, he was startled to see Nicholas waiting outside.

"Good evening, Victor," Nicholas greeted with a smile.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Nicholas, you're still here?"

Nicholas' gaze fell on the folder in Victor's hand. "Hmm. Are you planning to reopen Tomas' case?"

Victor let out a sigh. "My two colleagues are interested in it. As their leader, it's my job to help them. Besides, I don't intend to officially reopen the case. They just need answers about Tomas' death."

Nicholas' smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "It's admirable that you're helping them, but isn't this dangerous? The pastors and church members of Shefferd City are highly respected there. You can't just go after them without solid proof."

"We're not planning to harm anyone," Victor assured him. "We just want answers, and we'll get them without causing trouble."

Nicholas frowned. "Be careful, Victor. The people you're dealing with aren't ordinary. If you're not prepared for what you'll uncover, it might be better to let this go."

Victor tilted his head slightly. "You seem awfully hesitant about us solving this case. Why? Are you afraid of them, or perhaps of whoever controls them?"

Nicholas' eyes narrowed. "I'm warning you, Victor. If you pursue this, you'll be facing something far beyond your understanding. Whatever's behind this isn't from this world. It's a being I couldn't defeat even if I tried."

He turned and began to walk away, pausing only to say, "Good evening, Victor."

Victor watched him go, his mind racing. 'A being not from this world? Just what are we up against?'

*

It was already late when Victor arrived home. Like always, he slipped off his shoes by the door, hung his coat on the rack, and made his way to the kitchen.

Before preparing his dinner, something crossed his mind. He turned around and went to the living room, grabbing a pencil and a notebook from the small table by the couch. His day off was approaching, and he didn't want to forget anything important.

He noted down a short list. "Food should be enough to last me the week," he muttered to himself. "No need to buy unnecessary things."

With a sigh, he closed the notebook. "Still a long way till payday. Better stick to the essentials."

Returning to the kitchen, Victor started cooking his meal. As the aroma filled the room, his thoughts drifted back to what Nicholas had said earlier.

"Something not of this world... How strong could it be? And if it ever becomes our enemy, would we even stand a chance?"

The questions lingered, heavier with each moment. Victor couldn't shake the unease creeping into his chest. Whatever Nicholas was warning him about, it wasn't something to take lightly.