12. The Sevestar Prince Darker Version

Chapter 58

"April 4th brings us to the case of Trenton," Minami reveals, her voice taking on a somber tone. "He was found hanging from a tree with vines in Eterna Forest."

Alice's expression darkens as she recalls her own experiences with Trenton. "That's... strange. Why would he hang himself? Especially considering how he used vines to torment me..." She shivers slightly at the memory, the trauma of those moments still fresh in her mind.

The group is left perplexed by Trenton's death, the circumstances of which seem to defy logic.

"May 15th, in Haina Desert, we have a girl named Ella whose remains were discovered underground," Ash continues, his voice grave. "She was believed to have fallen into quicksand and was buried alive."

Alice's eyes widen in shock. "Wait... May 15th? Haina Desert? But we were at Tapu Village around that time!" Her realization is met with concern from Minami.

"Didn't you two meet up then?" Minami inquires, trying to make sense of the discrepancy.

Alice's hand instinctively goes to her head, a troubled expression on her face. "I... I don't remember what happened that morning," she admits, her voice tinged with confusion.

Ash, sensing something amiss, decides to delve into Alice's mind. After a moment of probing, he discovers a troubling revelation. "Alice," he begins slowly, "it seems that your memory of that morning was forcefully deleted."

"What?" Alice gasps, stunned by the revelation. "But who would do such a thing to me?"

"It's hard to say," Ash responds gravely. "This kind of memory manipulation is beyond my ability to undo. It must have been done by a highly skilled aura user or a Psychic with powerful abilities."

"June 25th, Corey's body was discovered in Mt. Silver," Minami recounts, her tone solemn. "He was found locked inside a freezer room and had frozen to death. Surprisingly, the key to the room was found beside him the entire time, leading to confusion as to why he didn't use it to escape."

"Unless the key didn't work for some reason?" Alice suggests, searching for a logical explanation.

"No, the key was tested by the owner in front of the officer, and it worked perfectly," Ash interjects. "Yet another perplexing case..."

The group is left baffled by Corey's mysterious demise, the circumstances of which seem to defy reason.

"July 11th, in Mesagoza, we have Genome," Ash continues somberly, "who died from a knife stab to the heart—a classic case of murder."

"The police officer's report offers the usual response: murderer unknown, with only a clue pointing to a highly skilled assassin," Ash adds, his voice reflecting the frustration of dealing with such a case.

Alice's mind races with possibilities. "A highly skilled assassin? But we've encountered and dealt with numerous assassins during our missions for the International Police. Could the culprit be someone from our past operations?"

"It's difficult to say," Ash responds thoughtfully. "We've faced some of the most dangerous criminals as assassins for the International Police. While it's possible, we can't jump to conclusions without concrete evidence."

"August 1st, in Wyndon, we have Tokui," Ash narrates, his tone tinged with disbelief. "She was found dead in her house due to food poisoning. The police suspect she committed suicide by ingesting poisoned food that she cooked herself."

Minami scoffs at the explanation. "That's the most absurd cause of death I've ever heard. It's obvious that someone must have poisoned her food. But the police are convinced because there was nobody around her house at the time."