Naseria

Chapter 1

"As usual, excellent work, sir. We can win this case with ease because of you."

His colleague's remarks made him smile. To begin with, this matter is not that difficult for him. He had already resolved other challenging cases.

He moved to his desk and placed all the case-related files into the drawer that holds the files for other cases that have been solved. After a tiring day in the courtroom, he sits down in the chair and takes off his neckties, finally allowing himself to breathe. He looked through his phone for any important messages. He noticed a group chat from his university days had suddenly become full of messages as he scrolled down the thread. He thought it odd because there had been no activity from that group since their previous graduation ten years prior. He read the message after opening the group chat.

"An invitation to a reunion? Who was the one that send it?"

There was commotion in the chat room because someone had received an unexpected reunion invitation. That individual requests confirmation from all other individuals as to whether they received the same invitation letter that he did. However, the primary cause of the chat group's rapid message overload is that everyone receives the invitation as well, and oddly enough, nobody comes to claim that they sent it.

"An unknown person sends an invitation to us. What kind of jokes is this? How can an outsider know everyone address and send the letter? Well, since I don't receive the letter is that means that person doesn't know where I'm?"

However, as soon as he put down his phone, he noticed an unexpected letter on his desk. The letter looks similar to the one his pals sent with the picture.

"Since when this been here?"

He carefully examined the letter. His name, his address, and his title everything is perfect. He called for his colleague and ask him about the letter.

"Mason, has you seen anyone approach my table?'

"No, sir. As you had instructed no one will be dares enough to touch your desk without your permission"

Yes, he clearly informed his coworkers not to touch his table because it contained numerous essential papers and information. He is terrified that if anyone carelessly touches them, the files may be lost or, worse, information about a certain case will be leaked to their opponent.

"What kind of joke is this?"

He said while looking for letter cutter. He carefully opened the letter and read everything write on it, trying to find even the little clue about the sender.

The letter:

Dear, Mr. Osborne,

To commemorate your first reunion with your fellow classmates, we cordially invite you to our Eden Hotel. As a thank you for selecting us as the venue for your event, we are pleased to welcome you as an honorary guest. This letter is enclosed with the schedule for the programs. On that day, we are excited to meet you.

Sincerely,

Eden Hotel

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Venue: Eden Hotel

Date: 1/09/2034

Time: 1.30 p.m.

------

"The renowned five-star Eden Hotel. Given how difficult it is to get a room at that hotel, the person who organized this reunion is not your typical person. So, should I accept this invitation from an unknown person or not?"

He placed the letter into his briefcase. He decides to give this some more thought once he gets home. It is quite exhausting for him to consider this insignificant issue now. But he can't help but ponder about this issue on the walk home. For him, it seemed like an intriguing puzzle or task. Whoever this individual is, they truly know how to pique everyone's interest.

Next day

"What?"

"I say, you are not on duty on that day, so you can go and enjoy your reunion"

He gives his supervisor a disbelieving look. His supervisor called him in as soon as he got to work this morning, and the moment he saw him, the boss gave him a sudden vacation so that he could attend a reunion. What shocks him even more is that, despite never telling anyone about the reunion, his supervisor of all people is now aware of it.

"Sir, may I ask, how do you know about this reunion? I never told anyone about this"

"Well, I'm not sure how I found out about this, but wouldn't it be fantastic to finally see those friends who studied with you in a distant country after all these years? You guys are undoubtedly closer than a family"

"I still haven't decided whether or not to go to the reunion."

"Don't tell me you don't want to attend because you think it's a waste of time and you should use that time in solving cases," he reprimanded him after giving a gentle slam to the table.

"Well..."

"Alright, consider it as part of your job. You claim not to know the sender's identity, don't you? Then, go there to discover who it is. Can you hear me? It's work, not a vacation!"

"Yes, sir." In the end, he surrenders to his supervisor word.

As soon as he awakens from his slumber, everything seems off. An alarm that he can't recall setting off kept him awake. He doesn't recall scheduling this reunion, but he did receive a notification on his phone about it. The most amusing thing, though, is that a driver who is supposedly assigned by Eden Hotel to bring him up is waiting for him. How far will this unidentified person go to ensure that he shows up for the reunion?

A receptionist opens his door for him as soon the car pulls into the parking lot in front of the hotel's main entrance. He gives the man a thank you and surveys the hotel's majestic beauty.

"It makes sense that it is among the most luxurious hotels in this city."

Just as he is getting lost in his thoughts, another car pulls up. A familiar face emerges from it—the person he used to share a room with during their study abroad. The man saw him and gave him a smile.

"Long time no see, bro"

"Yeah..."

Unfortunately, the receptionist ends their conversation before they can say anything further. "We are pleased to welcome Mr. Osborne and Mr. Henric to our hotel. Please follow me."

They follow the receptionist to the venue without making any noise. They reach the reunion location—which is on the top level of the hotel—after a little stroll. The receptionist opens the hallway door and lets them in.

"Everyone finally arrive, right?"

As soon as they entered the hallway, which was already filled with faces they knew, the speaker's voice welcomed them.

"My honourable guest, welcome to our first and last reunion"