Canary Island Case Open

Uncle escorts both Nero and Mika back home, his shirt stained with blood and scratch marks visible on his arms. Nero, still shaken by the incident, glances at Mika. Her face is as pale as a ghost, and she looks like she's on the verge of passing out. He decides not to question the uncle about the stains and marks, choosing silence over potentially disturbing questions.

Lisa steps in to help Mika, guiding her gently to their room. Uncle's voice, filled with concern, echoes through the house. "Please stay in the room. I will explain everything in the morning," he says. His words reverberate in Nero's mind, a haunting reminder of the horror they've just witnessed.

This wasn't the first time Nero had seen a dead body, but the condition of this one was different. The skinless body, the pale flesh hanging off the side - the sight was etched into his mind, refusing to fade away.

Nero trudges up the stairs, his body heavy with shock and fear. He collapses onto the bed, the ceiling above him a blank canvas for his racing thoughts. He pulls out his phone, intending to call Albert, but to his surprise, there's no network. He puts down his phone, his gaze returning to the ceiling as he grapples with the night's horrifying events.

The following day, Nero, Mika and her uncle gather in the living room. Nero and Mika sit on the couch, their faces pale, while Lisa and their uncle stand before them. Lisa's gaze is steady, focused on Nero and Mika, while Mika's uncle avoids eye contact. The silence is thick and heavy until Mika breaks it.

"What was that? How can someone do such a thing? Please answer us, Uncle," she pleads. Nero adds, "Please tell us what is going on."

Their uncle, unable to hide the truth any longer, begins to explain. "It started last year. People started to go missing during the night. The only remains found were skinless bodies near people's homes. We still don't know who is doing this. These incidents used to happen once every six months or so, but since last month, the frequency has increased. That's why there is a mandatory curfew after 9 PM. But last night, the man we found... he was seen walking around drunk, cursing and breaking public property. That was the last time someone saw him alive. The next thing we knew, his body was at our neighbor's door, skinned. But this time, both the skin and the body were there."

Nero follows up with a question, "Do they suspect someone?" Their uncle, his voice heavy with fear, replies, "The police have caught some people under suspicion, but nothing has been proven."

Mika, her voice trembling, asks, "Could it be some type of monster?" Their uncle quickly dismisses the idea. "There's no such thing as a monster, dear. Don't worry, the police will catch the culprit soon."

Nero is suspicious. The way their uncle immediately dismissed the possibility of a monster doesn't sit right with him. As he contemplates this, their uncle advises Nero, "When you go outside, wear a hat or cover your hair. We know your hair color is naturally white, but people often associate it with gang members. It wouldn't have been a problem before. Some families on the island have different colored hair, but you being an outsider makes it difficult."

Surprised by his comment, Nero thinks, 'Wait, there are people with weird hair color like me. Could they be ability users like me? I remember Albert telling me about ability users on this island. And how can I forget about that purse snatcher with orange hair? Could these ability users be behind these killings? Or is this another yokai we fought before? After all, I'm an ability user. I can't just sit idle and do nothing. This is my turn. I have to find the killer.'

As he clenches his fist, Mika notices the determination on Nero's face. But this time, she is really worried about him. Chasing after thieves is one thing, but this might be too much. She didn't know about Nero being an ability user and his past encounter with the yokai. Like other normal humans, she had no idea about this.

"Normally, I would have told you kids to leave this town," their uncle says, "but after yesterday's incident, the new detective has taken over the case and has warned everyone, including tourists, not to leave the island." Mika is in shock, but she is more worried about Nero. Although he didn't say it out loud, his expression and knowing his personality, she knew Nero is going to jump into this mess.

A knock echoes through the room, pulling everyone's attention towards the door. "Open the door, Lisa. Who could it be?" Uncle asks, his voice filled with curiosity. Lisa opens the door to reveal a tall man dressed in a black jacket, jeans, and a white t-shirt.

"Oh, it's you," Lisa says, her tone flat. The man responds, "May I come in?" Without waiting for a response, he strides into the room. Lisa clenches her teeth in annoyance but remains silent.

Nero watches the man, a sense of recognition washing over him. 'I know him. He's that black racer from yesterday's race. His name was something like Lysander,' he thinks to himself.

The man introduces himself to Uncle, "Mr. Lawrence, my name is Roy Lysander. I'm the new detective working on the skinned bodies case." His voice is charismatic, drawing everyone's attention. Uncle listens carefully before asking, "Nice to meet you. Is there any way we can help you?"

Roy smirks, his eyes glinting with a hint of malice. "Well, you can help me by letting me take Nero with me without asking any questions." His words hang in the air, sending shockwaves through the room. Nero's and Mika's eyes widen in surprise. Mika's face is a mix of anger and shock, her mind racing to process the unexpected request.