Chapter 6 - Peaceful Night

None the wiser even with their age 

Equipping their mentality with blind rage 

Seeking the truth on top of the other's stage

Only to be trapped within the devil's cage 

Even though their fates were already on the edge 

They still ignore their true duty and their true pledge

Will they ever learn, Will they ever change

Only time will tell, for on days gone, war is all they wage

          -Page 7, Chapter 2. Poem of the condemned by George J. Northtooth. 

…. 

Looking around the place in search of any unusual sight or something as such, Elizabeth only found nothing out of the ordinary. The living room was still as neat as she recalled it to be, apparently having not been touched ever since her absence within the residence. 

She strides onto the rest of the place, where the lamps haven't been activated and create a lot of shades within the space. As the light illuminated the darkness away, anyone would see that the decorations and design of the house was giving out a tidy and orderly look. Some trophies and frames of photos, which held certain memories within them had decorated the place. 

Even though she was living alone for now, she used to live with her adoptive father back then. But then, one day, her adoptive father's company suddenly had to send him overseas, leaving Elizabeth to take care of herself, while he was supporting her by sending her some cash for her livelihood. 

Without any noises except for herself, the desolate atmosphere always irked Elizabeth. Taking a nearby remote control, she turned on the cable TV in the living room while putting down her stuff at the couch to lessen the pain in her sore shoulder. 

"According to the newest information we acquired, the police force have taken the matters of the last few days in a more serious and grave manner. This time, they are issuing a full wide scale investigation for the mysterious serial killer, who only leaves a puddle of blood in every crime site." 

The voice of a young, beautiful reporter lady was speaking on the television screen. Blue, long wavy hair slightly covered her well rounded, charming face. Graceful and delicate pink eyes could be seen within her pretty visage as she revealed a solemn and professional attitude. Even though the scenes in the background were noisy and chaotic, she was still capable of focusing her attention on the audience behind the screen, while she broadcasted the information that she and her team had found so far. 

"A serial killer?" 

The word had attracted Elizabeth's attention as she took off the dress she wore for the day and changed it to some more casual, comfortable clothes that she took out from her wardrobe in her room. With her being the only resident of the building, she would always act like the whole house was her own private place. Occasionally, she would even walk naked around the place if she felt like it. 

"Since when have we had a serial killer around here?" 

Unlike a national TV channel, which would report what was happening all around the country, the current news channel on the TV was a local one. The channel would inform their audience of the situation within the city. For this case to be publicized in this channel, then, there was a huge change that the serial killer mentioned was someone who lived around the area of her neighborhood, or even in her friend's neighbourhoods. 

Walking to the fridge, Elizabeth took out a frozen dish and put it inside the microwave. With her ears listening to the rest of the news, she prepared her dinner leisurely as she pulled out a bottle of cold orange juice to enjoy. 

"There was also a report from the law enforcement that everything is within their control and they asked for the citizens to not be anxious. Even though the mysterious killer leaves almost no traces or little clues in the crime sites, there would always be a pattern on it or a drawing of some sort of ritual. There is a high chance that the murder is a cultist that wishes to sacrifice other people's lives for the purpose of their religion."

"A cultist? Ritual?" 

Elizabeth who listened in the kitchen near the living room revealed a weird expression. She thought that it was just the author of the article her friend had mentioned, but now, even a reporter of the local TV was talking about rituals… 

'Everyone sure wants to talk about fantasy stuff these days.' Thought Elizabeth to herself as she shook her head slightly. 

Five minutes later, the microwave let out a ding noise to indicate the food inside of it was ready to be served. Taking the food out of the microwave, Elizabeth strode upon the couch in the living room with a bottle of orange juice in hand. 

With the background of the voice from the television to fill the silence within the space and made her feel less lonely, Elizabeth started to enjoy her dinner while she sent an occasional glance to the TV to see what else it could offer. 

The night passed by peacefully and Eliza enjoyed her food as she switched the news channel onto the more entertaining channels. After she finished her dinner, Elizabeth walked to the dishwasher machine and put her dirty plate inside. 

The next moment she had activated the machine, a cheerful ringtone sounded out of her smartphone in her pocket. Wondering who had sent her a message at this hour, Elizabeth swiftly checked out on her smartphone display and saw a familiar name.

"Ah, it's Ellie." Mumbled Elizabeth to herself as she took a glimpse of the context of their message. A faint smile creeped onto her face while she felt a little grateful for her friend's reminder. 

Apparently, one of the professors in the college who had favored her friend had told her in secret about the same surprise quiz tomorrow. Because of that, Ellie quickly redirected the message of the professor to Elizabeth and added a few lines about Elizabeth should study the subject of tomorrow's quiz. 

Stretching her body by locking her fingers and tiptoeing at the same time, Elizabeth sighed a little and glanced her eyes to the direction of her bedroom, watching her study desk right beside her bed from the opened door. 

"I guess, it's study time."