Cyanica

WRATH: 1

Note: This chapter is one of the longest ones, so make sure you're all good and cozy before beginning!

Ceruli woke up the next morning when her phone started ringing. The call was coming from a number that she didn't recognize, and she was not ready to take any business calls. So she declined the call and started her normal morning routine.
A typical morning started with a cup of coffee, a small pastry, and a quick scroll through the news that day.
But while scrolling through, sipping on the coffee in her hand, she noticed a small piece on Cyanica.
Intrigued by the mysterious figure, she read the article that was titled, "Cyanica, A True Fashion Emergency", thinking it was just some story on how he can't dress himself. That was not the case.
In the article, it's mentioned that Cyanica has struck before, but under a different alias. A fashion designer in Sisteron was shot execution style in his own apartment. All that was left as the scene was a cyan colored piece of ribbon, tied around the right index finger in a bow.
Another designer, this time in Sicily, was also killed the same way in her studio, with the telltale cyan ribbon around her finger in a knot.
Ceruli knew this person, whoever it was, was due to strike again. Not wanting to be just another victim of a serial killer, she tried to learn everything she can about Cyanica. There was only one other article about Cyanica, from the perspective of one of his victims.
Stefani Trigatelli, age twenty seven, was targeted by the madman. But she survived the assault, hanging on for dead life thanks to a flask tucked in to her shirt pocket. When the flask was punctured, the liquid inside started to leak out. Stefani couldn't stand whiskey, so in her flask was Hawaiian Punch and berry vodka, which was a deep red color. Cyanica thought that he had shot her dead, and had ran off onto the next ferry out. She called the ambulance immediately, and had passed out from the shock about five minutes later.
Ceruli read on, desperate to get any information like a description or if he was wearing a mask.

Nothing.

She then thought back to last night, when Giovanni had called her about Cyanica, and suddenly felt a wave of dread fall over her. Was she really in danger? Should she have left the country by now, or would Cyanica just track her down again?
The paranoia was growing ever-present, when a knock on her door nearly made her choke on her coffee. The clock on the stove read 9:15, which was way too early for any of her scheduled appointments that day. A sigh of relief left her lips when she looked through the peephole and saw Ingrid, looking adorable as ever.

"Ingrid, good morning!", she exclaimed, a sign that she had spent a lot of time with either Mistress Marino or Giovanni.
"Good morning, ma'am. I came by to check on you when I read about that Cyanica person who showed up at Mistress Marino's gala last night", Ingrid responded.
"I'm fine, Ingrid, but thank you for asking. If anything gets dicey, I'll just catch the next plane to Paris", she said.
"As long as you are sure, ma'am. Oh, quick reminder. You have a meeting with Michal Net at 10:30 today", Ingrid said, reverting back into assistant mode.
"I don't remember scheduling that meeting", Ceruli said. It was true. She really didn't remember scheduling any meeting with anyone named Michal.
"I had it scheduled, ma'am. He's also involved in Cyanica's case, and I figured it would be good to talk about anything you know about", Ingrid explained.
"Okay, let me get dressed, and then we can go. Would you like to come inside?", she asked.
"I wouldn't mind sitting for a minute", Ingrid said jokingly.
Ceruli's home was extremely spacious, and surprisingly colorful. Greens and golds danced on her walls, twisting and making interesting patterns.
The furniture was high quality, and most of it was upholstered with a deep blue leather, which showed no signs of cracking or weathering. Plants lined every wall and filled the space with a soothing atmosphere, which made sense considering how stressful Ms. Taquo's day to day life was. This was an environment perfectly curated by the people's fashion designer for the ultimate sense of safety and comfort.