The Seeker Of The Flames

"Why did you move the suspect out of the white section? Where are his handcuffs?" asked Divya, leaning her back on the wall.

"Ah, it's you, Divya!" Oscar responded, forming his usual grinning face. "There's no problem, I assure you! Arian is not a criminal after all."

Oscar had decided to get Arian out of the white room, in which the interrogation would have taken place.

"A criminal or not, until it's been proved that he has nothing to do with the pertinent accusations, it's forbidden to change his location. He should be in the investigation department now."

Keeping a smile broadly spread over his expression, Oscar replied: "It's your turn next. You can move him to anywhere you want. But please act with patience and be kind to him! You'll soon understand that he's got nothing to do with those accusations."

"I will do what's necessary!" Divya answered, walking to the couch where Arian was sitting. "You're coming with me."

After handcuffing him, she grabbed his left arm and started moving him out of Oscar's room.

─ ─ ─

Back in the room with the white setting, she prepared herself to start the interrogation, strolling around the table Arian was sitting at.

Her style of walking wasn't womanly and seductive. The way she moved one step after another and how a formal woman would tread weren't alike. Her treads corresponded with those of warriors'. One could recognize the fighting spirit just by hearing her footfalls and watching the manner of her footsteps.

Divya's eyes looked impenetrable and inscrutable, making it impossible to read through her mind. Just a simple look by those cruel red eyes would be enough to freeze the warmth and heat of life.

It would be impossible to lie in front of those cold stares, which kept striking her targets through lethal red sparkles.

As Divya stopped strolling around in the room, she put her hands on the table, standing in front of Arian on the other side and looking at him.

They exchanged lifeless stares for a short time before she began asking the first question.

"Have you already become tired? You look bored."

"Yes," Arian answered, "it's been hours now that I'm answering questions. When can I get out of here?"

"I see... but you have to wait a little bit more. Now please cooperate with me. About getting out of here, you first have to compensate your complainants for the damage to their properties."

"But it wasn't me! I thought I made it clear!"

"As the leader of your group, you have to take responsibility for what your members have done. But either way, I really don't care about it. I'm not here for that."

"What?" Arian raised his eyebrows, taking a confused gesture.

"Just," Divya brought her serious face closer, "what the hell have you been doing in Novelion Vermilion Town?"

"... What do you mean?"

"Don't act as if you don't know what I'm talking about. You should exactly be aware of it. We've identified your magical trace in that town about the same time that the massacre has happened."

"The massacre? What are you talking about?"

"I see... if you still insist on acting ignorant, then..." Divya sighed, closing her eyes and then opening them, "I have no choice but to use the lie detector. If you want to authenticate your words, then just pass the test."

Immediately after she pointed to the mirror, a knight guardian, clad in chainmail, field plate, and a coating of red golden fabric, entered the room. He was wearing the official uniform of the West Kingdom's investigation section.

The knight carried a large purple orb on a round grayish base. He put it right before Arian, quitting after performing his job.

"If you tell the truth, the color of this orb won't change. However, if you lie, its color will turn red. Did you understand?"

"Yes..."

"Now... answer me with yes or no while looking at this lie detector. Do you know what happened at Novelion Vermilion Town?"

"No."

Divya gave attention to see whether the color of the orb turns red, but it didn't change, remaining pure purple.

"Have you ever been to Novelion Vermilion?"

"No."

There still didn't happen any change in color inside the lie detector.

"Are you the one who killed that town's citizens?"

"No."

"Are you a spy of East Kingdom?"

"No."

No matter how much she tried, no change happened. The lie detector couldn't notice any falsehood coming from him. Without a doubt, the man before her was stating the truth.

Divya couldn't believe it. She was absolutely certain that this man has to do something with these events, but why did the orb keep maintaining its natural color? How could his words be true?

While being bewildered in such thoughts, a faint whisper echoed through her mind:

"Who am I?"

Looking ahead, she saw two red eyes striking her soul. At the same time, she felt a great sense of fear with a strong headache. It was as if a force kept pressing against her heart, squeezing and trying to crush it into pieces.

She tried to scream, but the only words she could utter were: "What's your name? And who are you?"

And the response followed instantly.

"Arian, just a normal archer!"

Divya's eyes no longer had strength and seriousness. Those were completely paralyzed by Arian's words. The air around her no longer presented a martial vibe. Her worried gesture made Divya seem so defenseless and weak. The strong look in her eyes was gone now, leaving her vulnerable.