Ace's POV
A week pass by, I or Phoenix couldn't meet the other two because they had a family business to take care. Me and Phoenix only were stuck on the clue that we got from that newspaper. We walked out of home and took my bike. We decided to check the mansion again. Maybe I can try talking to the spirits. So, that's what we did, me and Phoenix reached there. and enter the mansion. We took the first turn and tried to call out the spirit of the girl or that little boy.
Guess father did some awful things before killing his own self. So, what's next? I questioned myself. Because there is no way he died after killing everyone it doesn't make sense either he killed everyone and then someone else killed or someone killed everyone and made it seemed like he did? But who. I looked at Phoenix to know what he thinks.
Phoenix was still processing everything, his brows knitted together as he bit the end of his pen, lost in thought. I cleared my throat to get his attention, and he looked up at me, his eyes still a bit dazed.
"What do you think?" I asked, trying to piece it together myself. "The father killing everyone and then himself… it just doesn't add up. Either he actually did it, and someone killed him afterward to frame him, or… someone else killed everyone and made it look like his doing."
Phoenix frowned, tapping his pen against the notebook. "But why? What would anyone gain from setting him up like that? Unless…" He hesitated, like he wasn't sure if he should continue.
"Unless what?" I pressed, genuinely curious.
He looked down at his notes. "Unless the father wasn't the real target. Maybe… whoever killed them wanted to eliminate the whole family for some reason. If that's the case, we need to know more about their background. Was there some kind of family feud? Business rivalry? Something that would make sense as a motive?"
I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "Makes sense. But we don't have much to go on. That newspaper article didn't mention any rivals or disputes. Just that the father was the prime suspect."
Phoenix let out a sigh. "Maybe we're missing something. If it really was a setup, there has to be some kind of clue left behind. People always slip up when they try too hard to cover their tracks."
I hummed thoughtfully. "You're right. There's gotta be more to this than what meets the eye. Maybe we can check the archives again or see if we can get our hands on the official police reports. They must have gathered evidence back then."
Phoenix looked at me, determination sparking in his eyes. "Let's do that. And maybe… we should try reaching out to Detective Lee again. He might have something useful, even if it's unofficial."
"Good idea. We'll text him once we get out of here," I agreed.
Phoenix gave me a small smile. "We're gonna crack this. I just know it."
I couldn't help but grin back. "Damn right we are. No way I'm letting some twisted spirit keep tormenting those poor souls. We'll get to the bottom of it."
We stood there for a moment, just taking in the eerie quiet of the mansion. Despite the darkness surrounding the place, having Phoenix by my side made it feel a bit more bearable. I reached out and ruffled his hair, earning a pout and a playful glare from him.
"Hey, cut that out," he mumbled, trying to fix his hair.
I just chuckled. "Let's head back for now. We'll regroup and figure out our next move."
Phoenix nodded, and we made our way out of the mansion, the oppressive atmosphere slowly lifting as we stepped into the daylight. Something told me this mystery was only going to get more complicated, but I wasn't about to back down. Not when there were lives still trapped in that nightmare.
The sudden sound of shattering glass snapped me out of my thoughts. My instincts kicked in, and I reached out to pull Phoenix closer, shielding him from the falling shards. A few managed to cut through my arms and shoulders, the sting sharp and immediate, but I didn't care about that.