I'm going back there. To find out exactly what happened.
I arrived at the scene and stepped out of the car. My mind was still consumed by the thoughts of that creature. Was what I saw even real?
I walked up to Rina's apartment, the place where it all began. For several long minutes, I searched every corner. I found nothing. No clear fingerprints, no physical marks that could serve as a lead. Absolutely nothing.
"This is unnatural," I muttered to myself. "Honestly, what's happening here makes no sense."
I sat in the living room, trying to piece together the events. Any rational explanation or connection I tried to form felt completely illogical, missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. Damn it.
Yara had previously handed me the spare key to her apartment, so I let myself in. Strangely, the lights were working fine now. The kitchen was a disaster, littered with the shattered remains of glasses and plates. Yet again, after a meticulous search... not a single piece of evidence.
"That only leaves the bedroom," I said, walking toward the room I had breached earlier. At least I wouldn't have to kick the door down a second time.
The room was still in total disarray. It was glaringly obvious that the entity had entered through the window, just as they had described. I leaned out and looked down. There was no ledge, no pipe—no physical way for anyone to climb up or down.
This left me facing only one conclusion...
KNOCK! KNOCK!
A sudden knocking at Rina's apartment door cut through my thoughts.
It seemed he had finally arrived. I walked out of the room and opened the door.
"You're a bit late, Hakan."
"Look at the time," Hakan sighed, stepping inside. "It's nearly three in the morning!"
"I know. That's why I appreciate you showing up."
"You owe me a massive favor at work for this!" Hakan remarked with a sharp chuckle. "Honestly, I just wanted to see you struggle with something simple for once."
He paused, glancing around the dimly lit apartment. "Alright... let me see if I've got this straight. Correct me if I'm wrong. This 'ghost' first appeared here, in Rina's place, and then trapped them next door in Yara's apartment. Right?"
"Yes."
"And it cornered them in the bedroom until you burst in and saved the day?"
"Exactly."
Hakan shrugged. "This sounds like a bad horror movie. I'm going back to bed."
Before he could turn around, I grabbed his shoulder with a firm, iron grip. "You're not sleeping tonight. We have a long night ahead of us."
"Come on, man," Hakan protested, turning to face me. "Back when I worked in this city's underworld, I dealt with brutal gangs and ruthless mafia syndicates. But a ghost? Do I look like an exorcist to you?"
"I thought you were already convinced. That's why you're here."
"I came expecting to find a simple problem we could solve quickly. But thinking about it now, I feel like I've walked into a children's fairy tale. Do you really expect me to believe—"
"I can see you understand the gravity of the situation now," I interrupted smoothly. "So stop joking around."
Hakan's expression hardened, his playful demeanor vanishing. "Are you talking about... that recent murder in the Kenada district?"
"Just so you know," I replied, my voice dropping, "the exact same thing happened in the Sherry district near the mall this evening. I expect it'll be all over the news by tomorrow morning. This time, the victim was a university student."
"Are you saying that... whatever did this tonight is responsible for those murders too?"
"I'm not entirely certain, but it's highly probable. The common denominator is the absolute lack of forensic evidence. During my search before you arrived, I found nothing at all. It's as if nothing ever happened."
Hakan let out a dry, breathy laugh. "A few hours ago I was having a peaceful dream, and now I'm caught up in a supernatural murder investigation. Can we please go back to dealing with the mafia? I genuinely prefer them over this stuff."
"I need to ensure this doesn't happen again. You're going to help me."
Hakan sighed, defeated. "No way out of this one, huh? You want to visit the new crime scene, don't you?"
"I'm coming with you. I need to know one thing."
"You want to see if it's the exact same 'ghost'..." Hakan concluded.
"Yes."
"Well then... what are we waiting for? It's already late enough."
"You're right," I nodded, heading for the exit. "Let's go