The air in the basement was filled with the smell of smoke… and something else. Something elusive, yet unsettling.
The guards began their inspection. Two of them approached the bodies, while the engineers focused on the boilers, comparing them with their records.
The head guard, a middle-aged man with sharp features, scanned the room with his gaze.
— My name is Gord Lebet. I am a gold-ranked guard of the Green District, — he introduced himself, pointing to his golden epaulet.
— We were called here by three nurses. They said there might be an explosion… so we arrived as quickly as we could. But looking at these bodies…
Gord glanced at the three burned corpses and slowly said:
— Something interesting clearly happened here.
Crossing his arms, he added:
— So, I would appreciate it if all of you could tell me exactly what happened. The sooner we resolve this, the better.
— The boilers were overloading and could have exploded at any moment, — said Lon, nodding toward himself and the others.
Gord nodded and wrote something in his notebook.
— Tell me everything in detail, from start to finish.
Lon tensed slightly. This was a critical moment.
He looked at Sali and the others, then gave them a small nod.
— It all started when I saw steam through the second-floor window. A huge amount of steam… so much that I couldn't even see the sky, — Lon began.
— At first, I didn't think much of it, but when I told Miss Sali about it, her face tensed. — He pointed at Sali.
Gord quickly wrote something down and motioned for him to continue.
— Unfortunately, because of my injury, I wasn't able to catch up to Miss Sali… — Lon's face turned slightly awkward.
— So, I started looking for other doctors to help. Luckily, I managed to find Mr. John and Mr. Vosen. — He gestured toward the two doctors.
Gord examined them carefully, making them shift uncomfortably.
— And then?
— After I explained the situation, we all went down to the basement. That's when they told me there was a risk of an explosion. Fortunately, I'm an engineer, so I was able to stabilize the system quickly.
Gord nodded, then pointed at the bodies.
— And them? Where did they come from?
— When we got here, they were already dead… — Vosen answered awkwardly.
— Yes, and it seems they have been for a while, — John added. — Judging by the burns and the state of their bodies, they died at the peak of the overheating.
— But here's the strange part… — Sali interjected. — Based on the marks on the ground, they fought… right up until the moment they died.
The guards exchanged glances. One of them, younger than the rest, carefully ran his finger along the marks on one of the corpses' necks.
— They definitely struggled. Look at these punctures… It's like something pierced straight into the skin.
— Claws, maybe? — another guard suggested.
— Too precise, too deep. Claws leave jagged wounds, but these…
Gord frowned and turned to the engineers.
— Did these people work here?
— Yes, — one of the engineers nodded. — They were our technicians.
— Their names?
— Edward, Nathan, and Griff.
— Did they have families?
— Edward had a wife and daughter, Nathan had no one, and Griff… — the engineer hesitated. — He had a brother, but they hadn't spoken in years.
Gord sighed.
— We'll notify their families. Now then…
— Wait a moment, — one of the engineers suddenly said.
— Is something wrong?
— Someone is missing… — The engineer pointed at the bodies. — Edward's group usually had four people… but there are only three here.
Gord's eyes glinted slightly as if he had just found something interesting.
— What was the fourth person's name?
— I think it was Balen…
Gord smirked and quickly jotted something in his notebook.
Then, he turned to Lon and the others.
— You are not allowed to leave the building just yet. We need to investigate this thoroughly. But for now, you may go.
Lon nodded, but inside, he felt a tight knot forming in his stomach.