SERIAL KILLER SYSTEM

It took only moments for Arthur to head back inside, change, and collect his things.

The entire time, his head raced with thoughts, and his heart beat rapidly.

Did she really do what I think she did?

...

Did she murder the entire orphanage?

He wanted to check.

To head outside and confirm his suspicions.

And so, he crept out into the hallways with his backpack over his back.

A strange feeling hung in the darkness.

He tried to look around, and even listen for any signs of Lucy, but she was nowhere to be found.

All the doors to the other bedrooms were shut.

With silent steps, he crept his way over to one of the doors, hands hovering over the handle in preparation to open it.

As he took in a deep breath to prepare himself, he was interrupted by a familiar soft voice.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

He didn't even need to turn to see who it was. The soft voice could only belong to Mother Lucy.

He looked over his shoulder to find the woman dressed in attire he had never seen her wearing before.

She had on a long black coat with a belt tied tight around her thin waist. She also wore high-heeled boots and black tights covering her long legs,

What was most surprising about her new appearance, was her hair. Rather than blonde, like Arthur's hair, it was now a vibrant white like snow.

She stood there holding a bag in one hand, staring at Arthur with a smile on her face.

"You can go in there if you would like." She said calmly. "I'm sure you know what is inside."

Arthur gulped.

She was right. He had a strong feeling that he knew.

Not just because of the circumstances, but also because of the strong smell of blood that lingered in the air.

He found it hard to gather his thoughts on the matter.

"S-so will we just leave them there?" He asked with a stutter.

Mother Lucy nodded her head. "Don't worry. I've scrubbed your identity from the orphanage records and left a decoy of my own body in my bed. They will assume that we all fell victim to a murderer."

She slowly began to step towards Arthur, hips swaying side to side as she did.

The woman wore a full body of clothes now, but Arthur found himself wishing that she was naked, like he had seen her so often recently.

"These scenes will haunt Hendonshire for eternity. It will not be credited to Death's Lullaby." She said, referring to herself in the third person. "But it will be her who gains all the benefits."

Arthur suddenly realised what she was talking about.

With the number of children in the orphanage, Mother Lucy must have gained an incredible amount of money, buffs, and abilities from the system!

In short, she must be much stronger now.

Arthur quickly opened his system and checked the serial killer rankings.

Death's Lullaby was ranked number 810 before.

Now, she was 640.

Slowly climbing through the ranks.

"Alright, my Arthur. It's time for us to go."

"Go where?"

Mother Lucy lifted a finger to his face and brushed it across his cheek, as though she was comforting her child. "To Londonis. We are heading to the capital city of Ingland.

———

For the first half of the car journey, Arthur remained silent in the passenger seat.

He couldn't help but feel tense beside Mother Lucy the entire time, and he knew exactly why.

For six years, he had watched the woman raise those children in the orphanage like her own.

He knew that she was a murderer, but to be able to take the lives of those close to her so easily... it made him question her psyche.

Could she do the same to me?

He looked at the woman through the corner of his eyes, as she focused on the dark road ahead.

Her white hair had changed her appearance, but she still carried a soft, comforting air with her. Not to mention, she looked even more beautiful than before.

Mother Lucy glanced to the side for a moment and caught him staring at her.

Her smile grew wider. "Is something on your mind, Arthur?" She asked, but he looked away quickly.

"No. Nothing important."

"..."

"Is it what I did in the orphanage?"

Arthur was left stunned.

Am I that easy to read? Or is she just smart?

He let out a nervous sigh, but tried his best to control himself.

Lucy's my only comrade. I should be able to trust her. With everything.

After a moment of hesitation, he answered.

"If I'm being honest, yes." He said in as calm a tone as he could manage. "I just wondered how you were able to do such a thing. I don't care that they were killed, but I can't help but wonder, do our lives not mean anything to you?"

Lucy turned to look at Arthur as they continued down the motorway. She removed her glasses to get a better look with her blue eyes. An eyebrow was raised in confusion, and her face lost its smile.

"'Our lives'?" She repeated confusedly. "Why do you put yourself in the same category as them, when my relationship with you is much different?"

It was Arthur's turn to be stunned now.

A different relationship... is this because we're both killers?

But his question was answered for him, as suddenly, he felt something land on his thigh.

He looked down to see Mother Lucy's soft hand gently placed atop it. She caressed backwards and forwards with her fingers.

Instantly, Arthur felt chills run through him.

He looked up at Mother Lucy, whose smile had returned to her face. Her hand was slowly edging towards the forbidden region.

"You are My Arthur." She said in a comforting tone. "You have always meant more to me than the others."

She then reached for his belt line, and suddenly placed her hand down his pants, making Arthur freeze completely.

The entire time, she kept her other hand on the wheel and drove them towards their destination.

"Don't worry, I'll show you just how special you are to me."