1 The Funeral

The duskwood cemetery was silent except for the soft patter of rain on umbrellas, and the occasional stifled sobs. The mourners huddled together as they grieved over the death of Mr and Mrs Blackwell, a sea of sorrows as raindrops fell like tears from the somber gray sky.

Amidst the grieving assembly, Renee sought refuge on a secluded bench nestled between the branches of a willow, her neck-length, obsidian hair dampened by the rain. Her eyes, red-rimmed from tears, stared emptily at the fresh graves.

Raindrops clung to her lashes like teardrops frozen in time, whilst she stared into the distance, lost in the memories of her parents.

The soft sound of footsteps on wet grass approached, and a large umbrella casted a protective shield around Renee. It was Cyrus, her older brother, his face etched with the same pain that haunted her.

They all sat down as a family a week ago, having dinner with lots of smiling faces and cracking happy jokes. Who knew that beyond the happiness they shared was a tragedy that awaited them? Words seemed inadequate in the face of such loss, but his protective presence beside his sister spoke volumes.

"I never thought it would rain on a day like this," Renee's trembling lips parted as she broke the silence, her voice fragile like the delicate petals on a rain-soaked flower.

"It's like the heavens themselves are mourning." She sniffed, suppressing more tears.

Taking the vacant space beside his sister, Cyrus nodded, his own emotions raw as he wrapped an arm around his sister, letting her lean on him. "Mom and Dad deserved better. We'll get through this together, okay?"

His green eyes flickered to look at her, and he was visibly torn between his parents death and not being able to comfort his sister. It still felt like a bad dream, a very bad dream, but no matter how desperate he was to evade this hellish nightmare, there was no avoiding the truth.

"Cyrus." She called softly and tilted her chin to meet his gaze questioningly.

"Do you also believe them? Mom and Dad's death, it's not a coincidence, something happened that night–"

"Shhh… it's okay." Her brother made her rest her head on his shoulder, petting her occasionally. He knew exactly what she wanted to ask of him, but now was not the right time for him to answer that.

As the rain continued to fall, the mourners paid their respects and soon began to disperse, their umbrellas forming a sea of black against the gray backdrop. Being the eldest, Cyrus had stood up to show some appreciation to the family and friends that came.

It was his responsibility to handle things from now on, including taking care of his sister, and ensuring she is never left in solitude.

Whispering a few words into her ear, he turned and escorted the people out of the cemetery.

Renee's eyes, which bore semblance to a priceless ruby, remained fixed on her parent's gravestone, but her mind was far from the present. The memories of her shattered world started with the haunting recollection of a phone call.

The ringing of her phone echoed through the house that fateful night. She was still in her up and down pajamas when she received the call. Naturally, she expected it to be her parents calling to tell her that they wouldn't be able to return home tonight, since their work sometimes required an impromptu night shift, but tonight, her assumptions wasn't the case.

The unknown voice from the other end delivered a news that would forever etch itself into her memory – the BRC (Bioheritage Research Collaborative) site, where her parents toiled day and night, had erupted in flames.

Panic surged through her veins, so much so that she lost grip of her phone. Her brother, who had returned a week after months of being away from home, was also met with the devastating news as he picked up her phone from the ground to speak with the unknown caller.

The drive to the BRC site felt like an eternity, the radios buzzed with reports of the ablaze, intensifying her anxiety. She couldn't help but wonder if her parents were fine, if they were alright.

Upon arriving at the scene, Renee leapt out of her brother's car, and she was instantly faced with a surreal spectacle. The once huge, famous BRC building now stood, engulfed in a colossal flame. The glow of the flames danced in her crimson orbs as she stumbled forward, but she steadied herself, feeling the reassuring touch of her brother who held her back.

Emergency personnel and firefighters swarmed the area, battling the relentless blaze. A wave of panic gripped her soul as she took in the heart-wrenching scenery, and her heart's pounding beat blocked every other noise from penetrating into her eardrum, her hands turning cold and clammy at her side.

Pointing at the building, Renee turned to face her equally devastated brother. "Mom and Dad are fine." She said with certainty, "we'll find them, I know we will, so stop looking like that."

As the firefighter struggled to put out the flames, an official approached the both of them, his expression grave. The words that followed hung in the air like a dreadful requiem, and his eyes held a somber truth that she feared.

"I'm sorry I have to say this directly but there are no survivors from the explosion," he began, "I'm afraid the fire has taken everything."

"No, they're still in there, we need to get them out. We.. we need to save them before it becomes too late, you shouldn't… you shouldn't jump into such silly conclusions just because you're an official."

Renee was unable to strain herself from the pull of the fire. Her whole body ached to rush into the fiery abyss so she could save her parents, and that was what she did, but luckily, her brother had reached her on time and secured her in his inescapable embrace.

"Renee stop!"

"Let go of me! I said let go!" Renee struggled against her brother's grip, kicking her legs while letting her sobs escape her lips. "I need to get them out of there, let me go."

"Renee stop! PLEASE!" Her brother held on tightly, unable to suppress the streaks of tears that escaped his eyes.

"This can't be happening! MOM!! DAD!!"

Time stood still as the weight of the truth pressed upon her and her brother, and her knees gave way. Cyrus caught her before she could crumple to the ground, and he buried her face in his chest, allowing her to cry on him. The world before her brother's eyes blurred, the sound of the crackling flames, the distant sounds of siren.

Right there, in the face of the flames, they knew their lives would never return to the way it used to be.

They killed her parents.

"..."

"Here." The virile voice of a man penetrated into Renee's eardrum, snapping her out of her recollective nightmare. In front of her face was a white handkerchief held by someone, but whoever it was seemed to be offering it to her.

Her dainty fingers accepted the handkerchief, but she didn't bother to spare the good samaritan a glance from her umbrella. She had no wish to indulge with anyone at the moment, she hoped whoever it was would leave if she remained ignorant, but to her thwarted expectations, the figure standing beside her had not moved or made any attempts to leave.

"Your parents were wonderful scientists." The stranger suddenly remarked with a hint of respect in his tone, and then he clicked his tongue.

"Such a shame, the BRC company, as advanced as it is, seems like an unlikely candidate for such a catastrophic event, don't you think? No survivors, no explanations. Aren't you the least curious to know what really happened?"

Listening to his subtle words, Renee finally looked up from her umbrella and met a pair of golden eyes watching her. Asides those uncanny eyes, the rest of his face had been concealed by a stylish nose mask and a hoodie.

"You don't believe the explosion was a natural occurrence?" Her soft velvety voice questioned the mysterious man whose eyes seemed to smile at her.

"I don't know, do you?"

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A/N: please ensure to read introduction before moving on!