The Scent of Illusion (Published under IMMAC)

Chapter 5: The Skirt Charade

Trigger warning: May contain sensitive topics such as death, sex, profanity, suicide, self-harm, drugs, alcohol, mental health, sexuality, etc. There might be depictions or references to sexual harassment. Please be guided accordingly and read at your own risk.

—

Accepting a helping hand would have been an easier movie, giving Eli more room to do other things rather than digging his heels deeper into the rocky soil of that night's events. His rather stable senses gripped him, telling him that it was his duty to get to the bottom of it. Not only that but there was the lingering feeling of guilt that had made a home in the pit of his stomach.

As tempting as Jinia's offer was, Eli could not take that chance, especially since they were not entirely well-acquainted, and placing that kind of responsibility on a subordinate was not how he would handle it.

"Are you sure that you don't need my help, sir? I'm very much willing to work on this," Jinia said, voice filled with conviction. Despite the clear instruction, Jinia stayed firm on her goal that the desperation was faintly rising to the surface.

But she was not the only one who was not going to waver. Eli had clearly made up his mind that instead of answering the woman, he settled at the table and plugged on the earphones that came with the receiver as he carefully listened in to what was happening on the other side of the interrogation room as he looked through the one-way mirror.

There were a couple of guards, including Franky, who had entered the room but mostly to make sure that Aurora would not go anywhere or would not do anything if she was left unattended. With one arm, Franky scooped up Aurora and harshly placed her on the chair before standing by the doorway.

Slouching on the chair, there were a few mumbles from Aurora's lips that were inaudible for the most part. "Can I have some food and water?" she asked. Her words were coated with a thin layer of innocence but thick desperation laid underneath it.

But the only answer that any of the guards ever uttered were low growls to indicate that her request had been rejected. No matter how many times she begged for food and water, hoping for some kind of sustenance that they would be willing to give, they would only reject her with sounds that were meant to intimidate her. There was not one word uttered by the largely built guards who stood by the doorway with their furrowed brows and avoidant eyes that refused to meet Aurora's pleading pair.

And yet no one could really blame the guards. Blood Rage had been notorious for stealing food or using their charms to get into the Grey Shadow in order to get a sliver of bliss, a peek into a more comfortable life―the life that they were not granted to have, the life that they kept on trying to achieve.

"Please. I would just like something to fill my stomach." The more she begged, the more hostile the growls had become. "You guys have a lot of that, right? Why don't you try giving me some?" she exclaimed, almost demanding. Her tone was stronger and it was evident that she was trying to provoke the guards.

On the other side of the room, Eli was holding a newly printed file that contained the outline of everything that Aurora had done that night. Checking the time on the clock and those that were written down, nothing seemed to be out of place. The record only showed that she would normally go out of the brig to scavenge for food. And at the bottom of the paper, it showed the time she spent in the woods which he knew all too well.

His mind was whirring, mostly questions swarming around with no answer to appease the raging thoughts that seemed to just go faster by the second. He was trying to make sense of everything but he had little to no pieces that incriminate Aurora for stealing information. Even as he continued to listen to what was happening on the other side through the recording device's microphone that he had attached to Aurora's dress, she was not providing anything vital, not even a hint.