NOVEL WEB 0017 – Unearthing Shadows
Just as Zoe Carter had anticipated, the inquiry proceeded with remarkable swiftness; the police officers involved neither found it necessary nor desirable to make things difficult for her.
She had not displayed any extraordinary abilities, after all. Subduing an assailant with a well-timed sweep kick might have appeared impressive, yet it was hardly shocking or noteworthy. Beyond that, her association with the attacker was non-existent, and an array of witnesses could attest that her actions had merely been a response to the threat posed by a knife-wielding man who had approached her without warning.
Consequently, the inquiry unfolded efficiently, as reiterated by the police captain. The assailant in question bore no prior criminal record, and there was seemingly no link between him and the woman he had stabbed. However, his employer was infamous for its demanding workload, leading the authorities to speculate that such pressure may have induced mental strain due to sheer exhaustion.
Of course, these were mere conjectures; the specifics would have to await further investigation once the relevant parties were taken into police custody—details that remained beyond Zoe's reach.
In any event, there was little left for this courageous bystander to do. Even if there had been, the police captain had reassured her that a commendation for her bravery could be forthcoming in the days to come.
After engaging in casual conversation and providing some pertinent details, the captain had informed Zoe that her actions could indeed be deemed heroic, especially given her status as a woman. The police could offer her a bravery award of two thousand euros.
Yet Zoe found herself declining the offer.
On the surface, she voiced her refusal with an air of righteous indignation—asserting that acting bravely in such a circumstance was merely common sense and that her reaction was rooted solely in self-defence.
In truth, however, she had gleaned from the captain's explanation that accepting the bravery award would involve her participation in publicity work with the police. Without hesitation, she opted to refuse. The thought of appearing in promotional videos, even with her features masked or pixelated, made her uncomfortable. While the coinciding monetary compensation could be tempting, Zoe was determined to avoid drawing attention to herself.
Of course, if the compensation were to increase significantly, she might consider accommodating the idea of appearing in such footage... With her mind wandering down this path, she added the police officer as a friend on FishHook and then departed the internet-famous establishment.
As she surveyed her surroundings, her gaze caught sight of Benny, who was peeking out from behind a load-bearing pillar a short distance away, observing her with curiosity. With a sigh of resignation, she approached him.
"Why are you hiding?" Zoe couldn't resist inquiring, her tone a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
His furtive manner, coupled with his somewhat rotund figure and the British-style cap sitting askew atop his Mediterranean curls, lent him an unexpectedly shabby air.
"Ah, forgive me, I'm allergic to police officers," Benny replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "A gentleman ought not to dawdle under perilous walls. It's wiser to keep my distance when I spot them."
His gaze flicked toward the officers managing the situation in the popular shop not far away. Initially, he had been taken aback by Zoe's effortless subjugation of the armed man, but the arrival of the police had prompted him to instinctively back off.
Given the bustling nature of the establishment, slipping away unnoticed was hardly challenging.
Zoe fell silent for a moment, internally chastising Benny for his rather peculiar proclivities. Had she not known him to be a fundamentally decent person—having benefited from a solid education under the auspices of the New Revolution—she might very well have considered turning him over to the authorities. After all, one could easily misinterpret his demeanor as dubious at best.
However, such judgmental musings remained unvoiced, masked by a veil of silent camaraderie. Just as Benny would refrain from questioning the origins of her fighting prowess, so too would Zoe abstain from prying into his past.
After a moment's silence, it was Benny who broke the spell. "Let's go," he said, his eyes glinting with enthusiasm. "Food is paramount for survival! My stomach is still howling."
With that, he took the lead, striding forward.
January 23rd, 5:00 PM.
As the evening descended, the streets of Hamsterpragg City began to teem with life. People rushed past, some burdened with backpacks hurrying off to their next class, while others carried shopping bags, weaving briskly along the sidewalk. A few were engrossed in their phones, ensnared in their own digital worlds…
The shops lining the thoroughfare flickered to life, aromas from snack stalls, restaurants, and cafes wafting through the air, promising a banquet of culinary delights.
The evening sun cast its warm glow upon the glass curtain walls of towering buildings, bathing the scene in a golden hue.
Having enjoyed dinner and a round of singing with Benny, Zoe returned home alone. Benny had mentioned an upcoming second-round interview at an educational institution, thereby declining to accompany her back.
Upon her arrival, Zoe sank into the plush embrace of the sofa, enveloped by a tranquil silence. The fading brilliance of the sunset filtered through the curtains, draping her in a warm golden shroud, reminiscent of melted cheese.
As she sat there, basking in the glow, she felt the soft fabric of the sofa soothe her weary skin, prompting her to narrow her eyes in blissful contentment.
Yet, memories of the day began to ebb back into her consciousness, stirring tumultuous thoughts.
The evening had illuminated another profound change within her: the once-dormant yearning for combat now ignited anew. When faced with the armed man earlier, fear had eluded her grasp entirely. Instead, she had calmly surveyed the approaching threat, her heart calm and her mind poised, even tinged with a hint of eager anticipation. This was, by all accounts, an unsettling transformation; the erstwhile Zoe would have succumbed to panic amid such chaos, as would any ordinary individual.
But she had not merely remained unperturbed; she had almost relished the confrontation, her mind racing with macabre fantasies of rending the assailant's throat with her bare hands.
Fortunately, her formidable willpower had reigned in those savage thoughts. Nonetheless, in the aftermath of the scuffle, she had executed her moves with a speed, precision, and mercilessness that could only be described as instinctual. She had deftly evaded the man's knife thrusts, seizing his wrist in the blink of an eye before delivering a sweeping kick that sent him crashing to the ground.
Such swift and merciless tactics felt almost second nature to her. This surge of combat desire and inherent proficiency only amplified Zoe's awareness of the strange evolution her body had undergone.
She opened her palm, puzzlement etched across her features. Sunlight trickled through the window, pooling delicately in her outstretched hand, radiating warmth. A nagging question took root in her thoughts: "What am I... transforming into?" she murmured into the empty expanse of her living room.