Moon Lovers ✓

🌙10|Decisions

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As the smoke dived into the sky, I looked up stumbling back on my feet. In front of us, the cottage I saw before was nothing like the one in front of me now. Crumbling down totally, the burnt wood fell down and crushed on the floor. Heat emanated from the burning leftovers.

When I took a deep breath, I started walking towards the burning cottage. "Stop. It might be a trap," Max warned but I had to move over. When I almost got to the edge, my eyes traced a white paper hanging behind the burning wood.

After looking around, I realized that that was the only thing that survived the fire. With a gasp, I lowered my body over the burning wood and plucked the paper from it. Raising it to my eye level, my eyes felt pricked from the words on it. As I turned to Max, I forced myself to hold back my trembling hands.

He quickly marched to me and took the paper from me to read the entails. The atmosphere entertained cold breeze from the river which gradually fed off the heat from the burning cottage.

I folded my arms to keep warm but I was still shaking, not from the heat but with the threat I just read. Dropping my other hand beside me, Max crumpled the paper and dumped it on the floor. When he saw me trembling, he took off his jacket and covered me with it.

"Thanks." He checked the state of the cottage again and rubbed the ashes of the burnt wood over his fingertips. Standing up, he let out a sigh. "It's petrol. There's a lighter over there. Also, there are footsteps from mud leading to the back."

Although he was deducing information from the house, I couldn't help but to look elsewhere. Fear had totally gripped me as I thought about his demand from me

"Clara?" I looked up in surprise while glaring at him in confusion. Heaving a sigh, he moved closer to me after studying the footsteps. "It looks like it belongs to a five feet man. I'm sure it was the man that attacked you days ago. It was probably done this morning. I was here yesterday and it was perfectly fine," he answered.

I responded with a sharp nod while looking around us. I couldn't talk much because I was still processing the intensity of the situation at hand. Releasing my arms, I turned to him silently.

"Do you know what items the person was referring to?" I shook my head and stared down rubbing my shoes over the floor playfully. This was my way of calming my nerves whenever I got scared. Pursing his lips, he sighed heavily.

"As I said before, he can't do anything to you until he gets those items. Where you able to inquire about the City Mall?"

As I dropped my hands, I shook my head again and stared into his eyes. "I met only the caretaker yesterday. He denied knowing any detective. But he was acting weirdly. I'll get more information once I start working there today."

His eyes widened when I finished talking. "Working? Aren't you in school?" I bit my lips and crossed my arms with a sigh. "My mom's investment is almost through. I need to work anyway."

Nodding, he stepped back while I stood by the burning cottage with a sigh. "What attacked me in the woods? How are you connected to him?" He remained silent although he heard my question quite clearly. As he looked away, I walked up to him and grabbed his hand. Shoving him towards me, I glared at him demandingly.

"Why aren't you answering me?" After what seemed a minute, he took a step back and stared into the skies. "One of his puppets. I separated myself from him due to his demanding nature. That was probably fifteen years ago. I haven't been in touch with him."

I furrowed my eyebrows at thought of puppets. "What are you trying to say? Were you also his puppet once?" He left me speechless and run around when he heard rustling noises from the bushes. He stepped back when a wild rabbit rushed off into another bush behind us. He closed his eyes from relief realizing there was no threat.