Chapter 16: A Silent Truth
Section 16: A Silent Truth
The atmosphere is heavy.
I weave through the crowd gathered in front of the Pewter City police station.
Voices blend into a constant murmur, where whispers of shock mix with horrified comments.
The sun is slowly setting, painting the sky with a blood-red hue that casts a macabre veil over the walls and faces.
The ambulance sirens still echo, sometimes drowning out the cries of certain witnesses.
And there, at the center of the commotion, a white sheet.
The thieves are dead.
Suicide.
That's the official version.
But something feels off.
I stay back, carefully observing the scene.
The police try to push the crowd away, but it's already too late.
Everyone has seen it.
Even children.
There are nine of them, gathered just a few meters from the tragedy.
Five of them sob uncontrollably, their bodies shaking with violent cries.
The other four try to console them awkwardly, though fear and anxiety are etched on their own faces.
They force themselves to be strong.
But they're trembling.
I watch them without moving.
A detail catches my attention.
Why are they alone?
Where are their parents?
I furrow my brows slightly.
Then, a strong voice rises above the chaos.
— Come over here!
An older teenager stands a bit apart from the crowd.
He looks worried, reaching out to them urgently.
— Forrest, Salvator, Yolanda, Tommy, Cindy, Suzy, Timmy, Tilly, and Billy, come here right now!
Immediately, the children react.
They run to him as if they've finally found refuge.
And then, something strange happens before my eyes.
The four who had held firm until now break down as well.
Their facade of strength shatters in an instant.
Up until now, they had held back their tears.
But now that their big brother is here…
They don't need to hide anymore.
They cry too.
— Brock…
One of the youngest whispers this name in a trembling voice.
I lift my gaze slightly.
Brock?
My eyes settle on the boy who called them.
Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader.
I remain silent, scrutinizing the scene before me.
The children cling to him like a lifeline.
It's not just sibling attachment.
It's… something deeper.
I can't help but notice a troubling detail.
They look at him the way one would look at a parent.
Not just a brother.
Why?
That question grips my mind.
I sense an invisible fracture beneath this appearance of normalcy.
Their smiles upon seeing him are genuine.
But they hide something.
A void.
Something invisible to others.
Something I can sense but cannot yet put into words.
Their relationship seems to carry an immense burden.
That of absence.
But that's not what I need to focus on right now.
Brock holds the children close.
He whispers something to them, and little by little, they calm down.
Then, they leave.
I avert my gaze.
The police finally restore order.
The bodies are taken away in ambulances.
The commotion slowly fades.
The witnesses disperse, some still in shock.
But I remain still.
I stare at the police station, still haunted by one question.
Why?
Why did these men die while under surveillance?
Why commit suicide under such conditions?
Why… now?
The truth might be more terrifying than the scene itself.
And this feeling won't leave me.
I'll have to stay on my guard.