The 100 Year Old Debt #Wattys2023

Chapter XVIII: Unanswered Calling

3rd Moon

27th Phase

2018

5:44 pm

What dark room was when I first came here was met with a brilliant light, as the sun set on the horizon, orange and yellow tints covering the wallpaper. Shadows cloaked his face, giving an ominous impression on his display. With his fingers crossed, the Director stared at us.

//Spooky!//

With a minute passed, the Director shifted his gaze towards my companion and finally shared his words:

"I assume that you were working on the Victor Primo case. Case closed?"

"Naturally."

"Any complications?"

"What were, have already been solved."

"Brilliant."

"Oh, there was one problem. Gushiken was involved."

He chuckled.

"Lucio."

"What?"

"When are you going to leave her alone?"

"As soon as she stops being stubborn. It's only a matter of time until she opens her eyes."

With a deep sigh, he shook his head in resignation.

"Honestly, you can behave like a child sometimes."

Realizing who I was, he returned to me.

"You must be Jennifer Hawkins, yes? I'm sorry for not attending to you anytime sooner. An emergency was brought upon me, so I had to leave everything in Lucio's care."

"Oh, it is no problem, sir. I am just happy to meet you, Director."

He smiled.

"Pleasures all mine. Allow me to officially welcome you. My name is Juri Aether and welcome to the Collective Detective Agency."

"A little late to give such a grandiose welcoming, isn't it?"

"Ah."

Growing sheepish at his remark, he cleared his throat in embarrassment. On the other hand, I was enjoying the small introduction.

"In any case," he interjected, "It's so good to finally meet you, Ms. Hawkins. I knew that your father had a child, but I never imagined you would be the spitting image of him."

"You knew Father?"

"But of course. We used to be partners back in the day."

"Really now!" I cried. "Father never mentioned you."

"I don't blame him. When it came to work, your father was reserved when it came to sharing details. If he ever told you some of his adventures, then I'm sure he told them as simple as possible. You were but a small child, after all."

"I guess so."

In pain, he squinted his eyes. Melancholy and bitterness haunted him.

"He was a damn good detective, possibly the best of us all. And more than that, he was my greatest friend. My sympathies."

As the cold silence swam between us, my heart ached for what I had lost. It feels like today was the yesterday that I once knew, but the yesterday that I once knew had been lost.

"He talked a lot about you. How you were a curious child and how you were always interested in our investigations. In fact, he knew that this day would come, and made me promise him to take you in as soon as you were ready to start working."