A/N: The three stars represent switching between two characters, whereas just a space represents "some time later." xD

~~~

               The sound of blood splashing onto the walls echoed. Nothing else could be heard. He took the bloody knife out of the dead body, and wiped it clean with his handkerchief. Placing the knife back into his boot, he turned around and walked away, the ends of his coat billowing as he did so. The door slammed shut behind him. Besides that, and the lifeless body that remained, there was no proof that he had ever been there.

***

                Detective Baekhyun’s phone rang. Baekhyun clicked a button and the voice of the gorgeous Lee Jinhee came into the room, alerting him of the newly found information on the case.

                “Another one, found this morning at 3:00 AM, at the Church. Body appears to belong to a college aged female student, not yet identified by our agents. Same surroundings as the last four.”

                Baekhyun’s fingers went to his temples. “And the girl?”

                “Same as well, sir. Silk, form-fitting black dress, with dark, smoky eye shadow. No signs of abuse in sight, just the stab to the heart. Scrawled message in a golden envelope carefully sealed together with glue.”

                Baekhyun stood up. “I’m on my way.” The phone clicked off into silence. Baekhyun groaned. This case boggled his mind. They’ve been on it for more than a month, with no avail. Each step they took, each bit of progress they made, still got them nowhere.

                His team made it to the scene, but yet again, they were one step behind in the game.

                Like cat and mouse, he mused. A game. It was all a game.

                He put his sunglasses on and walked out of the building to his car.

***

                He sipped his coffee silently. Sitting in his booth, he watched the customers walk in and out of the café. Happy, laughing couples. A group of bachelors drinking and chuckling loudly. At 42, Kim Minseok had finally memorized all the fundamentals of life. Seven years after the death of his one and only love, he had finally begun to find happiness.

                But what voice of reasoning made her do such a thing? That was one thing he didn’t understand. Maybe there was no voice of reason.

                Do birds ruffle their own feathers?

                Did cars discard of their broken engines?

                Did women cut off their own heads?

                He couldn’t fathom what lead her to do such a thing. He even offered to take her head.

                He lifted his hand, gesturing for the bill. He set his finished coffee down, throwing a twenty on the table. He stood up, only to be stopped.

                “Please wait for a bit, sir.”

                Kim Minseok looked back at the women.

                Blonde locks, to the waist. Large, round blue eyes, with green specks accentuating the brightness in her.

                He smiled. She would do.

***

                Baekhyun walked to the scene alone. He heard his footsteps on the gravel, thinking the sound was much similar to the virtuoso killer. But it was different. He had had the girl.

                Had she come willingly? There were no marks on her. There were no bruises, no marks of restraint on her wrists to show struggles. Drugged, but much as to complete abidance?

                What do you say? What do you do to earn their complete trust?

                Baekhyun set his laptop and a knife with the blade of the same size down on the table. With a fresh piece of chalk, he carefully wrote the killer’s message on the adjacent wall.

                “EDEN GONE, BEAUTY LOST

                             INTELLIGENCE HIDDEN, CENTERED

                            I CAME TO HER, SHE SM