The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 4

“I want to see her again.”

It was nothing more than a wistful wish. A desire I knew was impossible, uttered even though it was meaningless. Yet, something unbelievable happened. Through my blurry vision, I caught a glimpse of a sight that made me blink hard.

I hurriedly wiped away my tears, but the vision didn’t disappear. Someone stood in the middle of the backyard, looking at me. A woman with red hair, reminiscent of flowers, and deep blue eyes. My mother, who shouldn’t be here.

“Moth…Mother?”

As I stood there, gaping, a smile spread across my mother’s face. Her cheeks, tinged with a delicate rosy hue, were full of life rather than the pallor of illness. She extended her hand to me.

“Come here, my son. My one and only Sei.”

My one and only Sei. It was something Mother often said. Words I thought I would never hear again.

Hesitantly, I reached out to her. But before I could, a small hand reached for hers before mine.

“Mother! The flowers are so beautiful!”

“…!”

With a bright voice, someone brushed past me and embraced my mother. A little boy with black hair, smiling like sunshine and basking in her affection. A younger version of myself.

“It’s nice to go for a walk, isn’t it, Sei? Mother feels good too.”

“Yes, Mother! I wish the weather was always this nice.”

The two figures from my past, ignoring me as I stood there in a daze, wandered through the garden with happy faces, just like my mother and I used to.

I pulled back my outstretched hand and watched them blankly. Then, I heard that faint sound again. Like children chattering in the distance, mixed with laughter. I still couldn’t make out the words, but it was clear this wasn’t the sound of the wind.

While I watched the affectionate scene, it began to fade. I took in my mother’s disappearing form until my vision went dark, and I lost consciousness.

One thing became clear.

Someone had responded to my wish, showing me the past memories held by this place.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a space shrouded in thick, white fog. No matter how many times I experienced this vivid vision, it never got any easier to get used to.

‘I should have kept this ability hidden until the end.’

Back then, I was still naive and couldn’t clearly distinguish between what should be shared and what shouldn’t. No matter how much I ruminated on it, the regret tasted bitter.

As my vision adjusted, I slowly looked around. Though the light had dimmed abruptly, the surroundings remained unchanged. However, the bloodstains and sharp marks on the wall had vanished. Sometimes, these visions revealed entirely different periods, but luckily, it seemed accurate this time.

Step, step.

Soon, I heard footsteps in the distance. Someone was approaching, gripping a sword tightly. As they drew closer, their figure became clearer. Despite their tall stature, they had a youthful face. It was most likely Arno Siegel, the most recent victim.

“Damn it, why can’t I see it? I swear it went this way.”

He muttered nervously, his face filled with fear as he looked around, seemingly searching for something. Then, after a brief moment,

“Heh, you traced my steps all the way here. Impressive.”

“Wh-Who’s there!”

Arno Siegel shouted, startled by the eerie voice that came out of nowhere. Even though I knew what was about to happen, I was just as shocked. Looking up, I saw a dark figure crouched on the wall.

‘That’s the serial killer…’

He appeared much larger than most adult men. The sheer size of his figure was intimidating, and his unnaturally bright eyes made him look even more monstrous. It seemed Arno Siegel was utterly overwhelmed. He could only swallow hard, unable to move from his spot.

“This one should be useful for a while.”

The killer licked his lips, eyes lingering on his prey with satisfaction.

“Hiiiek!”

Finally snapping out of his shock, Arno Siegel made a hissing sound as he stumbled backward. But his legs, already weak, faltered. He dropped the sword he had been clutching like a lifeline without even attempting to use it.

“Sp- spare me…”

A sickening stench, like that of decaying flesh, began to waft from somewhere. The gray fog mingled with the metallic smell of blood from an unknown source.

A voice, barely containing its glee, laughed softly. Sharp beast-like fangs, dripping with blood, were visible in his mouth. Arno Siegel’s eyes widened in terror. In that instant, the savage shadow pounced on him.

“Ahhhh! Aaaahh! Aaaahhh!”

His desperate screams echoed through the air.

“Officer Sei! Can you hear me, Officer!”

Somewhere, a frantic voice reached me. As I gasped for breath and lifted my head, I saw Count Rael looking at me with a worried expression.

Ah, reality. I had returned to reality. I was still leaning against the wall. The sight of the dark red stains that covered the area made me feel nauseous. I quickly pulled my hand back and waited for the dizziness to pass. My whole body was drenched in a cold sweat.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes, I am.”

“So, did you see anything?”

His voice was filled with urgency. When I nodded, his face lit up with hope. Behind him, the investigation head and the other agents from the Security Department looked confused, not understanding the situation.

“You saw the crime scene, correct?”

“Yes, I saw everything.”

The atmosphere grew tense. Confused, bewildered, skeptical, and questioning gazes scattered around us. The only person genuinely happy, without any reservations, was Count Rael.

“What did the perpetrator look like? Was it a human or a monster?”

“It appeared human.”

“Really? Then…!”

“What, human?”

At that moment, the Investigation Head, unable to hold back any longer, interrupted. His face was contorted with anger.

“I’ve been struggling to understand your actions, and now your answer is disappointing! Human, you say? Do you think the marks on that wall were made by human strength?”

“Well…”

“Maybe if it was someone with supernatural abilities, but how do you explain the other evidence? You probably didn’t know, but there were monster tracks found at the scene. And all the biological traces of the suspect found at the various crime scenes could not be identified. Are you saying our forensic team has been incompetently missing the mark all this time? Can you take responsibility for that statement?”

His already bloodshot eyes grew even redder with rage. The other agents glared at me with hostile eyes as well. This was why unpaid overtime should be illegal and workers’ minimum sleep time must be ensured—people were far too aggressive. Seeing Count Rael trying to intervene, I signaled that it was okay and took a deep breath.

“Apologies, Officer Raydan, but I believe you misunderstood my answer.”

“What did I misunderstand?”

“I never said it was human.”

“What does that mean…?”

The Investigation Head, in the middle of a retort, stopped short. His eyes began to show doubt. Staring at him squarely, I brushed back my sweat-drenched hair and spoke clearly.

“The perpetrator is a different race.”

* * *

The distinction between a monster and a human is the presence of self-awareness.

The simplest way to determine this is through the use of language. Even if a creature closely resembles a human, if it doesn’t use spoken or written language, it is classified as a monster. Conversely, if it can utilize language, it is considered human, even if its appearance is different.

In our world, there exists another form of humanity classified in this manner. They are commonly referred to as “different races.”

‘It spoke human language.’

And it spoke the common language of the western territory perfectly. But it was clearly not human.

No one would call a being with a reptilian tail, crocodile-like teeth, raptor claws, and mane-like hair a human. Humans don’t have claws as long as sword blades, don’t have vertically slit pupils, and don’t have eyes that glow eerily bright. Most importantly, humans don’t eat other humans alive or drink their blood.

“A Spirit communicator? Are you referring to that person?”

Even after recounting everything, I couldn’t shake off the nausea. While trying to settle my churning stomach, I heard a high-pitched voice. The Investigation Head, with a face of utter shock, was pointing at me almost accusingly. Count Rael grabbed his arm and lowered it.

“Lower your voice. Do you plan on announcing it to the whole world?”

“Well, how can I not be excited after learning such an extraordinary fact? A Spirit Communicator, what the…”

“I’m not sure what to call it exactly. But according to Officer Sei, something shows him scenes from the past.”

“Shows him the past?”

“Yes. Like grass growing on the wall or trees, for example. Since spirits are said to inhabit nature, I guess he communicates with them. That’s just my own speculation, though.”

“My goodness…”

The Investigation Head swallowed a groan and rubbed his face repeatedly. The agents, who had been standing at attention almost as if they were being punished, were visibly restless.

“He looks quite young. How long has he been with us?”

“About three years, I believe.”

“Three years? Three years? Why hasn’t such talent been deployed in the field and is still stuck in the Administrative Support Department? Didn’t you know about his abilities?”

“Well…”

“His name is Sei, right? Just stating his name suggests he’s a commoner. …Is that why he’s been left marginalized?”

His questioning tone already conveyed certainty. When Count Rael failed to provide a solid answer, the Investigation Head’s expression grew even more resolute. Just then, a Security Department agent raised his hand cautiously.

“Department head, I’ve heard the name Sei before.”

“Really?”

“If my memory serves me correctly, Sei was the name of the youngest successful candidate from three years ago, a commoner.”

“The youngest successful candidate?”

“He was sixteen when he joined.”