Tarot

Chapter 06

A Little Peek

"Can you tell me more about Emerald?" Elijah's voice was gentle, soothing even, like a familiar melody in the midst of chaos. Leaning forward, his eyes conveyed a depth of understanding as he looked upon Eric. The young man sat before him, his posture sagging, hands clenched in a silent struggle against the waves of emotion crashing over him.

Despite the heaviness in his heart, there was a quiet resolve in Eric's heart, a determination to weather the storm of grief that threatened to consume him. It was a testament to his inner strength.

As Eric raised his gaze, his eyes weary and rimmed with red, the pain carved deep lines on his face, like cracks on delicate porcelain. In his expression, you could read a turmoil of emotions, far beyond what someone his age should bear.

Taking a deep breath, Eric began to speak, his voice quivering with emotion. Each word he uttered seemed to carry the weight of a lifetime of memories, each syllable filled with the profound depth of his love for his sister. "Emerald meant everything to me," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

As he spoke, Eric's mind became a whirlwind of memories, each one a snapshot of moments shared with his sister, now precious treasures lost to him forever. He recounted the times when Emerald had been his rock, offering unwavering support and guidance whenever he needed it most. Her laughter echoed in his mind like a bittersweet melody, serving as a poignant reminder of the joy that had once filled their lives together.

Elijah listened intently, his expression a mix of understanding and compassion. He knew that there were no words that could ease Eric's pain, but he hoped that by giving him a chance to share his memories, it might provide some small measure of comfort in his time of need.

"Do you need some water?" Elijah's voice cut through the heavy silence, a gentle offering of support in the midst of sorrow. He gestured towards a nearby table where a pitcher of water and a stack of cups sat waiting, a simple gesture of kindness in a moment of darkness.

Eric nodded gratefully, his throat tight with unshed tears. As Elijah poured him a glass of water and handed it over, their eyes met in a silent understanding. In that moment, they shared a bond forged in grief and loss, a connection that would carry them through the darkest of days.

Eric's voice held a distant tone as he continued, his gaze fixed on some invisible point in the distance. "She was... completely different from me," he began, his words flowing freely now, as if pulled from a reservoir of memories. "I was more guarded, more reserved. But she... she was the opposite. Outgoing, friendly, always ready with a smile for anyone she met. That was just who she was—always so kind, so full of life."

Eric's voice wavered as he spoke, a sob catching in his throat and cutting his sentence short. Elijah approached him with a gentle stride, offering a comforting touch to his shoulder as if to convey solace in the midst of such profound grief. I remained seated, observing Eric as he struggled to find the right words amidst the overwhelming emotions that threatened to consume him.

"I... I can't imagine," Eric continued, his voice trembling with emotion. "Living the rest of my life knowing my sister won't be there to live hers."

"What was Emerald's day like?" I inquired, turning my attention to Eric, who met my gaze with a mixture of sorrow and reminiscence. "She would go for a run in the morning," he began, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "Then, she'd attend her classes, and after that, she had a part-time gig at a nearby cyber cafe."

"Cyber Cafe?" I queried, feeling a bit puzzled by the term. Maybe it was because I hadn't had enough rest, but the first thing that popped into my mind was a shady figure in a black hood hunched over a computer screen with cryptic code scrolling by. "Huh?"

"Uh..." Eric's brow furrowed as he muttered to himself, pondering for a moment. "Isn't it called an Internet Cafe? I'm not entirely sure, but she always referred to it as a Cyber Cafe. It's something she picked up from a friend. You know, that place where you pay to use the computer and the internet. Yeah, she worked there to assist people who were in need."

"Ah, gotcha," I replied, feeling a tad sheepish. I made a mental note of the information while Elijah took the lead in questioning. "So, Eric, did Emerald ever mention anything strange or unusual to you?"

"She used to enjoy sharing events from her day with me, but nothing unusual" He replied, As I was busy scribbling down Eric's words in my notepad. He seemed lost in thought, reminiscing about his sister's anecdotes as if searching for a needle in a haystack. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes lit up, like he'd stumbled upon buried treasure.

"Yeah, there was this one thing," Eric began, and not only was I leaning in, but so was Elijah. His eyes were fixed on Eric with a focused intensity, like a detective zeroing in on a crucial clue. ""She.. mentioned about her friend acting weird"

"Could you give us more details?" I inquired, leaning in slightly as Eric leaned forward on the table, his voice tinged with curiosity, almost as if he was puzzled by his own words. He had this puzzled look in his eyes, as if he wasn't quite sure how to present the story.

At the time, it didn't strike him as odd, but now, in retrospect, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something significant about it. As time went on, it became increasingly clear to him that this detail might hold more importance than he realized.

"Yeah, so she got close to this guy," Eric began, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he recounted the memory. He paused, as if trying to recalibrate his words, before correcting himself, "I mean, she got to know him, and he's the one who helped her land the job at the Cyber cafe."

"Yeah, so she mentioned how he was acting kinda strange for a few weeks," Eric continued, his brows furrowing in thought. Elijah sighed, prompting him to elaborate, "What exactly did she mean by strange?"

"Uh... she kept mentioning how he would show up to meet her fully covered head to toe in black," Eric explained, his expression troubled. He then added, emphasizing his concern, "Not like... normal black clothing, but like covering his face, covering his eyes with glasses, covering his hands with gloves and all."

"But when she asked, he mentioned how he was sick and developing rashes all over his body because of allergies, so she didn't find it suspicious but she found it weird," he said, finishing his story. But there was one question echoing in the back of my mind.

"I have a question for you," I started, deciding to voice my question before it swallowed me whole. "Do you know what the glasses he wore looked like? The ones he used to cover his eyes with?"

"I never saw him in person," Eric started, looking frustrated with himself for never really accompanying her anywhere. Then he added, "I only knew she said it looked horrible."

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Elijah leveled a skeptical gaze at me, his eyes searching mine for any sign of coherence. "Nova, you're not making any sense," he stated firmly, his voice tinged with frustration. I pressed on, adamant that whoever was orchestrating these events had an uncanny awareness of our movements.