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HEAVY RAIN POURS Down on the streets and can be heard through the loud traffic and the many people walking through the streets of the big city. It's early in the morning, however, New York never sleeps.
Her clothes are soaked wet, as she forgot to bring an umbrella with her. Strands of her dark brown hair sticks onto the skin of her neck and face. She sighs as she approaches the crime scene of the recent murder, seeing many police officers who try to keep the curious civilians away.
Grabbing her ID card from the inside pocket of her leather jacket, she walks towards one of the police officers. The female in the uniform nods approvingly before letting the detective enter the crime scene. She puts the card back into her leather jacket before sliding her hands into the pockets of her black pants. Her eyes fixate on the dead body in the middle of the separated place, scanning every inch.
"Jocelyn."
A familiar voice pulls her out of her thoughts and she looks up from the deceased person, seeing her colleague Caleb approaching her with a black umbrella in his hand. His brows are raised and his blue eyes look right into her tired hazel ones. A hint of worry washes over his face as he notices that she doesn't seem like she got enough sleep.
"Are you okay?" he asks worriedly as he stops in front of her, almost hovering over her with his height. The umbrella protects them from the rain, which slowly decreases by each passing second. "You look tired."
Jocelyn sighs in response and rolls her eyes at his worry, waving his question off. "I'm fine." she utters softly below the rain, "The case is more important now."
After her short response she turns to the dead body again, crouching in front of it. The man wears a suit, which is torn and covered in splatters of blood. A hole is in the chest of the man, leaving an empty space in the place where his heart should be. His eyes are wide open and his bloody lips are slightly parted. Choke marks are visible on his neck. The skin looks pale and dry, indicating that the man has been dead for several days.
Stroking her chin, the brown haired detective looks at every tiny detail. Caleb muses her while standing beside her, still holding the black umbrella in his wet hand. "What do you think?" he questions calmly, narrowing his brows slightly.
The female doesn't answer. Instead, she tugs on the jacket of the man and reveals a tiny symbol on his white shirt. Below the symbol is something written on it.
"The Malevolent Shrine"
In confusion she narrows her brows, leaning closer. The smell of the dead body doesn't even bother her anymore, as she has so much experience that her nose is used to this smell. However, she still wrinkles her nose a bit as the smell rises into her nostrils.
"The man was a worker at the Malevolent Shrine." Jocelyn utters calmly as she stands up again, still looking down at the deceased man.
"And the way he was killed.. it has something to do with Sukuna Ryomen." Caleb states thoughtfully as he glances down at the bloody chest of the man. "But why would he kill one of his employees?"
The female detective shrugs, looking up into the blue eyes of her colleague. "We'll have to find out."
⭄
Three years ago.
Her hands shake, her body feeling numb. A wave of nervousness and fear washes through her veins. She has the feeling that her stomach turns over, causing her to feel nauseous. With one of her hands she covers her mouth, trying to hold back her sickness. Her legs shake and feel weak, thus she falls onto her knees. A tear rolls down her cheek and her breath hitches.
Darkness fills the small apartment, which is only dim lighted by one tiny lamp in the corner. A cold wind blows through an half open window, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Jocelyn?"
A knock on the apartment door makes her flinch and she raises her brows as she hears the voice of Caleb. She clears her throat but doesn't manage to speak.
"Jocelyn, are you okay?" he asks on the other side of the door, frowning in worry as he tries to get into her apartment.
As he doesn't get an answer he decides to kick the door open before walking into her apartment. He sees her kneeling on the floor and immediately approaches her, kneeling down beside her and pulling her into a tight hug. She sobs and cries softly into his chest while he pats her back, propping his chin on her head.
"It was so terrible." she murmurs softly, gripping onto his shirt gently. "So, so, terrible."
Caleb sighs, stroking her back gently. "It's okay, Jocelyn. It's over." he utters softly, comforting her with his hug and warmth. His heart feels heavy as he sees her like this, so vulnerable and traumatized. Her body trembles in his arms and he can't help but feel bad for her. Even though he doesn't understand her, he tries his best to do so.
"No, it's not over." she says with a shaky voice, looking up into his blue eyes. Her hazel eyes are glossy, full of tears. "It's never over." She gulps, taking a deep breath.
