Blades of Secrets: The Endless Night

CHAPTER 1

He ran through the woods, the echoes of voices shouting his name. The clouds dark and grey overhead.

His 16-year-old self wasn't as strong, and couldn't run as fast. A gun pointed at him. The person was blurred in his vision- all he could focus on was that gun. Pointing straight at him. The person looked like smoke, something inhuman.

The sound of a bang rang out through the woods, flocks of birds taking flight. Blood sprayed out of his shoulder in crimson red droplets, and he fell to the floor feeling nothing, no pain. It was just, numb.

He looked over to a tree which had 173 and 23 roughly carved into the wood. He couldn't move his body, everything was still. The thing's hand came in front of him revealing a flower necklace on its translucent wrist. Everything blurred and blurred until everything swirled together before it went dark.

Cheng Xing woke up in his dark room with a gasp and sighed. The alarm went off and Cheng Xing flopped back onto the bed.

Cheng Xing walks into the station wearing a white shirt, a beige woolly jumper, blue jeans, and black sneaker shoes. Cheng Xing bows as he walks in, people looking at him. Cheng Xing walked over to the first desk closest to him. A dark eyed, handsome young man with hair pulled neatly into a ponytail sat there on his computer.

"I'm sorry but do you know where I'm supposed to be? I'm new here."

The man immediately stood up.

"Hey, you must be Cheng Xing? I'm Wen Zhang." Wen Zhang dips his head in a small bow and flashed a friendly looking smile.

A stern looking woman wearing a skintight black dress walks out, her heals clacking on the station's floor.

"Are you Cheng Xing?" she said. Cheng Xing nodded.

"Come into my office," she said with a sigh and walked into a room. Cheng Xing glanced at Wen Zhang questioningly. Wen Zhang merely gave him a thumbs and a smile. Cheng Xing sighed and a followed her in.

She placed her arms on the desk.

"I'm Xiao Mei, the head of the police force. I've assigned Li Ming-" she looks over at a guy sitting in a chair in a blue suit with a white shirt, black shoes and red tie, like some humanized Thomas the Tank Engine. But more serious. And unfairly handsome, but that's besides the point-

"-who'll be helping you out for the first week," she continued, snapping him out of his inner monologue.

"If you need any help, you can come and ask me or ask Li Ming," she said smiling. Cheng Xing nodded.

"There was a murder that was reported this morning, it would be good if Cheng Xing and Li Ming-"

"No," Li Ming said directly and sharply. Xiao Mei takes in a deep and sharp breath in.

"Cheng Xing, can you wait outside."

Cheng Xing walked out the office, standing facing all the policeman. He awkwardly smiled at them and waved. Wen Zhang waved back, all the way from his desk.

Li Ming got up from his seat. "He's new, he can't just be put on a homicide case straight off the bat- "

"Li Ming, this is a chance to give him some experience. I'm the leader of the police force and this is an order, you'll also oversee him for this week. He is your partner. I expect you to treat him as such," Xiao Mei said, raising her voice. Li Ming opened his mouth but decided it wasn't the best idea to retaliate. Li Ming sighed and bit his lip. The door opened moments after, Li Ming walking out, Cheng Xing's sleeves brushing against Li Ming's as he passed. Cheng Xing turned to Li Ming.

"Nice to meet you Li Ming," Cheng Xing said with a smile. Li Ming looked at his shoulder where he had bumped him and brushed it off. He put his hand in his pocket tilted his head and rolled his eyes as he walked off. Geez, who pissed in his cereal? Cheng Xing felt a small flash of annoyance.

He walked back into the office.

"Cheng Xing, you're going to go to a crime scene with Li Ming and Wen Zhang. Li Ming can drive you there. You can watch what Li Ming and Wen Zhang does in these situations. After, you can go train with Li Ming."

Xiao Mei stared Cheng Xing down. It was a strange stare which wasn't exactly cold like Li Ming's, but wasn't warm either. There was something else to her which was catching him off guard, making him uncomfortable. Cheng Xing nodded.

Li Ming shuts the car door to see Cheng Xing standing on the other side. Cheng Xing tried to open the door. Li Ming holds up the car key.

"It's locked," Li Ming says, annoyed.

"Xiao Mei said I'll be riding with you to the crime scene."

Li Ming clenched his jaw and glares at Cheng Xing. Li Ming unlocked the car.

"Don't. Touch. Anything."

Cheng Xing hops into the Light Blue BMW. Li Ming hopped in and eyed him from the corner of his eye.

They reached the crime scene which was in park under a tree. The place was bordered off and multiple news reporters gathered around the scene. Wen Zhang comes around, clipboard in hand.

"Victim's 172 cm, 6.4 feet. Female. Was a lawyer. Was caught speeding once and quit being a lawyer. After that, she was a prostitute for around 5 months."

Cheng Xing looked at Wen Zhang.

"Wait Wen Zhang what exactly is your job?" Cheng Xing asked, curious.

"I'm a forensic pathologist so I look at the bodies first to examine causes of death and help Li Ming behind the desk when he needs any information-"

Cheng Xing nodded like a kid half understanding a maths question. Wen Zhang couldn't blame him, it's not that well known of a job.

"-or sometimes he's just too lazy to get coffee, SO, being the wonderful, amazing, supportive friend I am, I'll go get some for him," Wen Zhang added with a flourish.

"Well anyways, the cause of death was hemorrha- ah, blood loss. Probably from the cut throat," Wen Zhang said getting back on topic as he pointed to a cut crusted with dried blood on her throat. Li Ming and Wen Zhang were discussing the situation in the corner. Cheng Xing walked around the crime scene. People were using UV lights around the place and on the body, taking photos and examining. Cheng Xing looked under an inconspicuous looking leafy plant to see a footprint. Of course. He stepped over the footprint, shuffling his foot and removing the previous footprint.

"I think the killer went that way."

Everyone turned to Cheng Xing.

"What do you mean?" Wen Zhang asked. Cheng Xing points towards a broken branch.

"The killer is unexperienced. They leave tracks everywhere; a professional would try to hide it."

Wen Zhang shrugged, "You're the expert."

Li Ming clenched his hands, gripping his arms tightly.