" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

ii | special records

yuanfen.
act one, chapter two.
"special records"

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IF THERE WAS ONE trait that Dahlia inherited from Sam Blackrock, it was her stubbornness. Once she set her mind to something, it was nearly impossible to sway her away. While stubbornness could arguably be considered a good trait, it often got her in trouble with the Commander and Captains. Even so, despite her run-in with Ana Amari just that morning, the threat of getting caught yet again didn't stop Dahlia from sneaking out of the lab as soon as Winston went on his lunch break.

    She felt almost bad taking the gorilla scientist's identification card that he had carelessly left beside several empty jars of peanut butter. If Winston didn't want anyone taking it, he should have brought it with him, she tried to convince herself as she shoved the card into her pocket.

    Minutes later, Dahlia found herself standing in front of a locked door that she knew led to a room filled with confidential files. She hesitated, Winston's keycard gripped tightly in her clammy hands, and wondered if it was really worth the risk. This room was locked for a reason; the files that lay beyond the door were legally sealed, kept away from the public eye for the safety of those whose information they contained. Dahlia cursed under her breath and swiped the keycard before she was able to convince herself otherwise. The device that kept the door locked lit up green, and a moment later she was able to slip inside.

    The amount of files inside the room was completely overwhelming, though thankfully they were sorted in alphabetical order. Dahlia immediately headed towards the files labeled with a B, wasting no time before she began searching. She soon found a box of files labeled with her father's name, and she pulled it out. She sat down on the floor, back against the shelf in which she pulled the files from. She pulled out a file and began reading. Her eyes scanned over the cause of death, something that she had been told several times but never once read herself.

    Cause of Death: Single Gunshot Wound to the Head.

    Dahlia grimaced and tore her eyes away from the file. She recalled the gurney that carried the lifeless body of her father after he was killed. She remembered the sheet that covered his body, as well as the scarlet blood that stained the white fabric hiding his head from view.

    Dahlia tossed the file aside and grabbed the box once more. She rummaged through the various papers within it, searching for any form of evidence that had been extracted from the body or his bedroom. Her fingers skimmed over a tiny bag buried at the bottom of the box. Tugging it out, she let out a soft cheer of victory upon seeing what it was. Sealed within the tiny evidence bag was a bullet; the copper object glistened in the fluorescent light, though Dahlia shrunk away at the sight of a bit of dried blood still covering the tip. She shoved it into the pocket of her hoodie, hoping to find a way to trace the bullet back to its owner.

    Dahlia began to return the evidence and files back to the box, satisfied with what she found. She covered it with the lid once more, pulling herself to her feet and returning it to its respective place on the shelf. She turned around to leave the room, eager to get back to the lab before Winston returned from his lunch break and noticed both her and his keycard missing, though she froze as she realized that she was no longer alone in the room.

    Commander Morrison was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his broad chest and a sympathetic frown pulling downwards on his thin lips. "I knew we should've kept those files in Special Records."

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    Dahlia studied her hands in her lap as though they were the most interesting thing in the world. She twiddled her thumbs, doing her best to ignore the disappointed look she was receiving from Commander Morrison. The pair had been sitting in silence for several moments now; she wondered if he was waiting for her to speak first, though she knew better than to speak without permission. She was already in enough trouble, she wasn't going to risk angering Morrison even more.