(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Barber Shop...
Late Evening...
The bell above the door chimed one last time as Jack's final customer stepped out onto the street.
Jack watched him leave through the glass for a moment, then reached up and flipped the sign.
OPEN became CLOSED.
He locked the door and drew the curtains halfway, shutting out the afternoon light.
-Click
The shop grew quiet.
Jack moved methodically, cleaning his tools with practiced care.
Razors were wiped.
Scissors aligned.
Chairs straightened until everything sat exactly as it should.
There was comfort in routine—order in repetition.
When he finished, he removed his apron and hung it neatly on its hook.
Only then did his thoughts turn elsewhere. Preparation
He retrieved his coat and hat from the back room, laying them out with the same precision he used for his instruments.
As he dressed, his expression remained calm, almost serene.
But beneath that calm, his thoughts sharpened.
'Tonight,'
He told himself.
He already knew his next target.
A married woman. A secret meeting. A lover waiting in a lavish mansion.
Her husband, gone for work. Unaware.
Jack's lips curved faintly—not in pleasure, but in certainty.
To him, the pattern was clear. Men labored.
They poured their blood and strength into building lives, wealth, stability.
And what they treasured most—trust—was treated as disposable.
He did not see complexity.
He did not see circumstance.
He saw only judgment.
"She chose,"
Jack murmured to the empty shop as he adjusted his gloves.
In his mind, there was no hesitation. No doubt.
This wasn't impulse.
It was duty—as he understood it.
He picked up his walking stick, placed the monocle in his pocket, and stepped toward the door leading to the street.
Outside, Rivermoor continued its ordinary rhythm—markets closing, lights turning on, people preparing for evening.
And somewhere across the city, a woman believed her secret was safe.
Jack stepped into the fading light, locking the door behind him.
Guard Headquarters...
Meeting Room...
Nebra stepped slightly aside and raised her magic communicator.
The crystal flickered to life, projecting faint runes as her message carried out to the Silver Eagles.
"This is Nebra,"
She said calmly.
"Situation escalated. We've recovered a book detailing thirteen entities—beings described as worse than devils. The killings here follow ritualized patterns tied to those chapters. Proceed with caution and await further orders."
She closed the channel and returned to the table.
Around it, the guards were already at work.
Scrolls were unrolled.
Reports were stacked and restacked.
One by one, the details of each murder were laid beside copied passages from the book.
The room filled with murmured comparisons and the scratch of quills.
"It lines up,"
One guard said quietly.
"The first set of victims—every detail."
He pointed to a page. As he read.
"Chapter One, Adultery. Deceit. Desire."
Another guard nodded, eyes fixed on a different report.
-Nod
"And these—later incidents—match Chapter Two."
He swallowed as he pointed at the another chapter.
"Betrayal. False love. Cowardice."
The captain leaned in, studying the overlaps.
"So he isn't choosing randomly. He's progressing."
"Yes, He's following the book's order—or at least selecting chapters he was intreasted in."
Ben said, voice steady.
Nebra traced a finger along the margin of the page.
"Which means each killing isn't just murder. It's a qualification. A condition being met. maybe?"
The captain looked up sharply.
"For what?"
Ben met his gaze.
"For claiming souls. Or empowering whatever those 'Sirs' are meant to be."
Silence followed.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then one of the guards spoke again.
"If he's completed the first two chapters… then the next pattern should involve obsession, envy, possession. Or could he be follow the same first two chapters."
Ben nodded then sat at his seat while taking the tea which was being distributed by one of the gaurd.
"Which gives us something we didn't have before."
"A forecast,"
Nebra said catching on.
The tension inside the meeting room had begun to spread outward.
In the outer hall, two guards stood surrounded by their peers, clearly enjoying the attention.
One of them ran a hand proudly through his freshly styled hair. Then he spoke with a grin.
"See? Clean cut, Best trim I've had in years."
The other laughed.
-Haha
"Told you. That barber shop near the harbor—right across from the old street. Owner's a real gentleman."
A few guards nodded approvingly.
-Nod
"Yeah, yeah, Looks good on you."
While the another chimed in.
The first guard continued, unaware of the eyes beginning to turn their way.
"Guy was polite, professional. Even seemed worried when we mentioned the killer. Asked questions, too. Real concerned type."
The second guard chuckled.
-Chuckle
"...."
"Hard to believe someone like that runs a shop in this city."
They were still talking—When a fist slammed into the side of the first guard's head.
-BAM!!!
He went down hard.
Before anyone could react, a boot caught the second guard square in the chest, sending him skidding across the floor.
Shouts erupted.
"What the hell—?!"
The guards scrambled to their feet, fury flashing across their faces as they turned on their attacker—
And froze. Color drained from their faces.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Standing before them, breathing slow and controlled, was the Guard Captain himself.
The hall fell dead silent.
"Do you have any idea,"
The captain said quietly, voice shaking with restrained rage,
"what you've just did?"
Neither guard could speak.
"You discussed an active investigation,"
He continued, stepping closer,
"with a civilian. Gave him details. Locations. Your thoughts."
He turned sharply to the others.
"Clear the hall."
No one hesitated. As the remaining guards hurried away, the captain looked back at the two men on the floor. Then the captain spoke slowly while cracking his knuckle in his fist.
"The barber, Describe him. Now."
One of the guards swallowed hard.
-Gulp
"H-He was… polite, sir. Calm. Wore a coat sometimes. Monocle, occasionally—"
The captain's eyes narrowed.
-Frown
"...."
The captain did not raise his voice.
That, more than anything else, terrified them.
He stood over the two guards, arms crossed, eyes cold and unblinking. He spoke quietly.
"Start talking, Everything."
The two guards swallowed hard.
-Gulp -Gulp
"...."
"...."
"What did you tell him?"
The captain continued has his face was cold.
"And don't even think about lying to me."
Neither answered fast enough.
"...."
"...."
The captain's tone hardened then he said.
"If I find out you're holding back, you can say goodbye to your uniforms. And after that, you can spend a very long time explaining yourselves from inside a prison cell."
Their faces went pale.
"S-Sir, we're sorry!"
One of them blurted out, dropping to a knee.
"We didn't think—"
"Thinking is part of your job,"
The captain cut in sharply.
"Now answer."
The second guard nodded frantically as he admitted.
-Nod
"We… we talked about the case, More than once."
The captain's jaw clenched while vein bulged on his forehead as he controlled his anger as he asked.
"...."
"How many times?"
"…Several,"
The guard whispered shrinking his head avoiding the eye contact with the captain whose eyes started showing dangerous light.
"Usually during haircuts. The barber always listened. He seemed worried. Sympathetic."
The first guard added quickly,
"He was a good man, sir. Gentle. Polite. Never pushed us. We didn't think it mattered."
The captain's expression darkened further. Then he demanded.
"...."
"What details?"
"Victim patterns,"
The second guard said shakily.
"That it was married women. That we hadn't caught him. That we thought it was cold blooded killer."
Each word felt like fuel on a fire.
"And you told a civilian,"
The captain said slowly as if he is making sure of what he had heard,
"about an active investigation involving those murder."
Both guards bowed their heads.
"Yes, sir."
Silence fell.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The captain turned away, running a hand through his hair as restrained fury rolled through him while he was roaring in his mind in anger.
'While I was burning myself out trying to catch this bastard, these idiots were feeding him information.'
He turned back sharply and said in a cold tone.
"You two are suspended, Effective immediately. You will cooperate fully, or I personally make sure the prison doors close behind you."
They nodded rapidly, fear written all over their faces.
-Nod
The captain exhaled hard and looked down the corridor toward the meeting room as he muttered.
"…Damn it,"
They hadn't just been careless.
They had handed the killer an advantage.
And now, there was no doubt left in his mind—The barber was no longer just a suspect.
He was the target he was sure in his heart.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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