The Academy: Detective Stories - Part I

Chapter 15. Going Under

Jackie was sitting on the ground, staring at the book, when Elisa's alarmed voice interrupted her. "Someone's coming!"

Jackie turned back. Someone ran to them from the side of the lakeshore. It was a woman in her early forties. Her face was red and wet from tears, and she was shivering under her shabby black coat. Jackie raised her hand to comfort her but stopped halfway. The leftover power of Elisa's Gift was still in her, and she could hurt the woman. To avoid trouble, Jackie hid her hands in her pockets.

"Are you lost?" Elisa asked.

She shook her head. Her voice was quiet. "Me ... my husband..."

Thankfully, Elisa took the situation into her hands. She gave the woman a comforting look. "It's okay. We are guardians."

Jackie nodded. In fact, they were just cadets, not guardians. But there was no one else around, so it was their duty to help. "Is anything wrong?" Jackie asked.

The woman took a deep breath and pointed at the side of the lake. "There!"

Without delay, they rushed in the direction of the lake, with the woman following closely behind. When they arrived at the lakeshore, the trees parted, revealing the water encased in ice. A full moon illuminated the smooth white surface, and a round hole blackened the ice a few feet away. The local men must have made it for fishing.

They walked over to the ice hole, where something dark lay nearby, resembling a piece of cloth. Jackie leaned down and picked it up – a dark blue scarf belonging to a man.

"My poor husband, we were skating," the woman explained, pointing at the ice hole. "And he fell in there!"

The hole was wide enough for an adult human to fall into. Jackie wondered how they hadn't noticed it with the bright moonlight. If the man had indeed fallen in, he was likely dead by now.

"When did it happen?" Elisa asked in a firm tone, following Don's strategy. He believed that clarity helped victims recall important details more quickly, saving precious time in cases like this.

The woman shrugged her shoulders and sobbed. "Several minutes ago. Then I saw the fire and ran there to call for help. Oh, my poor Jonathan!"

"I see," Elisa said. "And what's your name?"

"Kathy."

"Don't despair, Kathy. We can still save him," Elisa said confidently.

Jackie looked at her in hesitation, trying to understand how exactly they could save a man who hadn't been breathing for several minutes.

Elisa shifted her eyes to her. "Jackie, can you evoke a Searching spell?"

She nodded. Without further questions, she placed the scarf back on the ice and covered it with her blue Light. Then she whispered a spell. The scarf shimmered and flew up, slowly floating further to the northeast, with all three women following it. The current likely carried the man away, but not too far.

"You see," Elisa explained as they walked, seizing the moment. "The water is icy cold, which means that even if his heart stopped beating, his body is frozen. This protects the brain from decay, giving us more time to find him. And when we do, he can be brought back."

Kathy sobbed. "Oh, I can't believe he is gone!"

"He is NOT gone," Elisa insisted. "Trust me, I was in a much worse situation. Hope dies last."

As the scarf fell on the ice, the light dimmed. Jackie sighed, recognizing that the color change indicated a weakening connection with the man.

"But we better hurry up," Elisa concluded, raising her hands. "Everyone, step back!"