"A nine year old case. A case that is about this kindergarten school shooting incident that occurred exactly nine years ago, and the fact EVERY single person who were here is dead, including the suspects, has already been confirmed to be the case."
"The suspects… notorious criminals from Mexico who came all the way from the United States, then to the Andaman Sea, to here in Malaysia."
"And it has also already been confirmed that they have been informed and 'paid' to perform this tragedy mercilessly. But due to lack of evidence, the last investigation a few years ago was stopped due to that very reason. So let me ask you again…"
"Just what are you doing commanding a group of detectives to continue the investigation in this case… a Nine Year Old case."
All those words, and yet, Commander George stood unfazed by the seemingly-threatening question. He could tell that General Koby was glaring at him for making an unnecessary comeback for this case.
"You're underestimating this case, young Koby, even though you're known to overestimate everything you do."
As Commander George responded to General Koby's intimidating question, he reached out to the inside-pocket of his military uniform and took out a zip lock plastic containing something extremely suspicious.
"A group of kids who were brave enough to take a secret tour inside this restricted area, found this."
He held the plastic container out to show it to General Koby, as the general himself narrowed his eyes slightly for a closer look. And to his surprise, it was…
"...a rock. So you're telling me… a bunch of children found a rock and you believed that it could be used as evi…"
At the right moment, Commander George tilted the rock, showing a mysteriously glowing part of the rock that glows purple between the cracks of it by the middle. It surprised General Koby enough to make his eyes widened in shock.
"...dence…?"
"Exactly. A rock, this rock, it can be used for evidence."
Full of pride, Commander George giggled a bit as he walked closer to General Koby to give him a much closer look of the mysterious rock.
"It's surprising that previous investigators failed to find this rock at their disposal, until a group of brats found it themselves instead. See how incredibly ironic that is? The new generation is reaching its glory days, Koby."
General Koby grabbed the plastic, observing the details of the rock while Commander George continued to speak.
"And apparently, we confirmed that this rock consists of 'potassium chloride' in it — a metal halide salt, for your information."
"Potassium chloride… impossible." He lifted the rock as he turned back to Commander George. "The Potassium Chloride is a mineral found in 'Sylvite' rocks. And from what I can remember, Sylvite rocks aren't dark in colour."
"Yes, strange isn't it? And yet, potassium chloride is known to glow purple as the cause of ignition while also releasing toxic gases like chlorine and potassium oxides… but only a part of this rock is glowing—and that is in its cracks."
"Then that means that the Sylvite rock is inside, covered by the darker layers." General Koby said.
"That's what we thought, too… but, that wasn't the case—it was purely dark in colour."
Commander George took the plastic-covered rock from General Koby's hands and turned around, walking to the opposite direction as the general followed suit.
"We even used a type of x-ray made solely to recognize minerals. But the machine, for some reason, did not recognize this rock as a mineral DESPITE it already containing a mineral. Now THAT is strange."
Alas, he turned around and hurled the plastic-covered rock back to General Koby, who catched it effortlessly.
"It is strange, but, just how is a strange rock makes it an evidence and a progress for the case?"
Hearing that question, Commander George grinned in excitement. He had been waiting for General Koby to ask that question.
"Young Koby, tell me, have you heard of the… 'Demon of Nine Years Ago' rumor? A rumor that was made by the locals of this area long ago."
"And you believed them?" General Koby asks.
"Of course I didn't, but evidence is key—look at the rock you call 'strange' once more."
Narrowing his eyes, General Koby looked at Commander George in a thoughtful look. He was trying to read his expression to convey a type of trickery, yet all he saw was excitement.
So he decided to observe the rock, the strange rock, the mysterious rock, the same rock that Commander George himself believed is part of this school shooting case.
And so, there it was. He noticed it. He found it. The rock in his hands… It looked like a broken piece from a sort 'Armor'.
But not any type of armor as most armors aren't rock like. If anything, Fantasy demons sometimes wore those kinds of armors.
"The school shooting incident, it ended in a tragic but 'strange' conclusion—everyone in it died, including the shooters themselves. But…"
Reaching to his uniform inside-pockets again, Commander George took out a large book containing documents of the information of every single individual that was present during the school shooting incident.
And all of it, all of their profile pictures, were all marked in an 'red X' signifying their statuses as dead.
…except for one document of information, belonging from… Narasao Tarosono. A seven year old child.
"...Only ONE survived, but he was never found ever again since that day. But within that day, came multiple other cases that we believed connected to this very incident; a brutal death of a church sister, a trail of blood in the streets, and a massive explosion of a house of the Tarosono residence that killed an entire group of people, all of it were caused by one being—a Demon."
General Koby couldn't believe what he is hearing, and he wants to distrust this issue Commander George is spouting, but his tone and expression seemed too serious for it to be false.
"People living in those areas back then, multiple people, they all saw a demon trailing blood dropped by its demonic arm. And from what they can see, it was a child who was doing all of it."
He cleared his throat as he added more.
"So let me ask you, Young Koby… What if this world isn't as you believe it is? What if we live in a fantasy? What if we all live in a novel? And if this world were a novel, it would be labeled as romance. And yet, there lived signs of Fantasy. That means… this story is not exactly romance to begin with."
Suddenly, Commander George snorted.
"Heh, get it?"
And so, General Koby stood there staring at Commander George in pure annoyance.
"Are you kidding me right now? Joking at a serious moment?"
"It's a line from a book I was reading not too long ago—it has a unique storyline about a romance story actually being fantasy because of an interruption or something like that. But everything else I said is seriously true."
General Koby sighed in frustration, but he let it slide anyways—considering that Commander George is an old man who jokes around at the most serious moments when the tension becomes too palpable.
"Alright, old geezer. Let's go get you something to drink so I can punch you hard in the face if you get drunk and groom under-aged girls."
"Oh come on, I'm in the middle of an investigation of this nine year old case. I wouldn't be happy if there were distractions."
"You sure?"
"Well… I mean, a little drink wouldn't hurt."
"Atta-boy."
"Hey, don't call me that! I'm older than you!"