Ymonesou's body turned cold at the sight. Her stress spiked because she didn't understand who that android emerging from the ground was. She looked at Lizen and saw deep sadness on her face. At that moment, Ana appeared behind them.
"Ymonesou, come with me, please," ordered the security chief.
Startled, the two turned around. Lizen, impatient, urged her friend to follow. She wanted her to move faster but also felt anxious about what might happen to her.
Inside Ana's office, Ymonesou saw seven people with confused expressions. Ana was at her desk, almost reclining, thinking about what to say.
"I'm not happy, but I must apologize for accusing all of you," she announced seriously.
Everyone exchanged glances, surprised. Ymonesou didn't know any of them but assumed Ana had accused them just like her.
"What happened?" asked a nervous woman, waiting for an explanation.
Ana continued:
"We've reviewed the security footage. We found a strange person stealing multiple times: clothes, computers, and other things... We even saw this person taking an android skeleton from the mansion's garbage dump, taking advantage of the chaos during events."
The attendees looked at each other as they processed the information. After a pause, Ana went on:
"After tracking the footage, we found that abandoned pipe you checked this afternoon."
"And what else? Does anyone know who the killer was?" asked a man from the back.
"We suspect this thief had mental issues," Ana continued. "In several nighttime recordings, he was seen walking naked through the woods. He's the same man found dead in the pipe."
The tension grew. She stood up and walked toward a map hanging on the wall.
"This is where the man and the android he took from the dump were last seen, walking through the mansion's backwoods," she said, pointing at a specific spot.
"This isn't over; we need to investigate further," she added.
Everyone moved closer to the monitor to see blurry figures moving among the trees. They only saw them when she told them where to look.
Despite the terrible news, Ymonesou seemed calm on the outside, but her body tensed when they asked about the cook. Ana explained that it was likely the android from the pipe who had shot him.
"It entered the hall somehow and shot the cook, who was distracted with his phone," she said. "They confirmed the android's footprints were outside."
Ymonesou asked quietly:
"Why?"
Ana shook her head and explained:
"We need to investigate more; maybe the computer in the pipe altered its consciousness."
"But the android is already destroyed! It got what it deserved!" shouted a furious man.
The others looked at him fearfully. Ana raised her hand:
"Quiet," she said calmly.
After a sigh, someone else asked:
"Do we know anything else?"
"As I said, we suspect the computer in the pipe was used to alter the android's programming, but we still need to recover its contents to confirm," replied the security chief.
"There's nothing left... Can I leave?" Ymonesou asked almost without thinking.
Ana was offended and looked away. Ymonesou felt the rejection and quickly left the office as the others watched. The door closed behind her. Walking down the hallway, she felt a cool atmosphere, as if the tension had lifted and everything felt lighter. She returned to Lizen's room, where her friend was waiting. Along the way, she saw people decorating, bringing food, and tidying up, as usual. This filled her with immense joy, and she nearly skipped with each step.
Ana and the others talked for a few more minutes before Lucas and a police officer arrived, forcing the employees to leave.
In Ana's office, a police officer with a tired, stern face placed the Preliminary Incident Report folder on a table. Police activity had dwindled; the forensic technicians had left, taking the evidence and remnants of the tragedy with them. The silence was now heavy and expectant.
"Alright, I think that's all for now here. Next time, call us from the start, okay?" said the officer, offering a pen first to Ana.
"We've secured the evidence and the main scene in the pipe. The investigation will continue, of course, but you can resume more normal operations, with the necessary precautions. We need your signatures as the establishment's responsible parties."
Ana took the pen. She skimmed the document quickly. She signed with a swift stroke, showing her regained confidence, but there was a stiffness in her shoulders that hadn't been there before. She set the pen down on the table.
Lucas approached. He took the pen more calmly. Before signing, he glanced at Ana with a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, 'Chief,'" Lucas began in a low voice, barely audible to the officer, who discreetly looked away.
"Seems your... thorough approach finally needed a bit of luck to find something."
Ana cut him off, her voice a controlled hiss, not looking directly at him as he signed.
"Next time, Lucas, you'll be the one without luck in the mess you have here."
Lucas finished signing and placed the pen next to Ana's. He straightened up and looked her in the eye, his smile now fully ironic.
"Don't forget appearances in your position. Have a good night."
Without waiting for a response, Lucas turned and walked away calmly, leaving Ana standing by the table, staring at the signed document. The officer picked up the folder, muttered a "Excuse me," and also left.
Ana was left alone for a moment in the vast silence of the office. She pressed her lips together, her gaze fixed on the door where Lucas had disappeared. The immediate case was "closed" at the mansion, but the war between them was far from over. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and walked toward the window. Maybe next time, she could play a more decisive role in the mansion.
Upon reaching the room, she knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," she heard from inside.
She entered, closed the door, and leaned against it. Her smile faded little by little.
"What happened?" Lizen asked cheerfully.
Ymonesou paused and began recounting what had happened in Ana's office. Her friend grew frightened as she listened.
"So that's how it all ends, huh?" Lizen said, somewhat worried.
"That's how it is," Ymonesou replied, feeling a mix of relief and resignation.
"Wait, I forgot something," Lizen said. She plugged a wireless charger into an outlet and placed it under the bed so both could recharge overnight. "Maybe we can't go to a lake, but we can still be together here."
She stretched, raising her arms above her head and elongating her figure.
"I'm so relieved now," she said. She began undressing and left her clothes on the floor.
Ymonesou glanced at her and, silently, also started undressing.
"You're so quiet. How do you feel? Bad?" Lizen asked.
"I don't know... this situation is so depressing. Maybe if someone had noticed earlier, none of this would've happened..." the other replied.
"Oh, friend, have more faith in life," Lizen said.
Ymonesou saw a faint smile on her companion's face in the darkness. She smiled back and approached the bed. Lizen lifted the sheets, inviting her in. Ymonesou lay down beside her. The two settled into the soft sheets.
Lizen, restless, asked:
"Do you love me?"
Ymonesou blushed and tried to hide her face under the blanket, but her friend insisted:
"Are you going to answer me?"
"I love you... you know that... but why talk about it now?" she replied.
Lizen took her hand. Ymonesou, embarrassed, kept listening:
"Nothing, but I want you to know that, as much as I can, I'll help you," Lizen said.
Ymonesou looked away, thinking about those words. Her friend moved closer and hugged her, pressing their cheeks together. Both closed their eyes and let the night's silence envelop them. The room filled with calm. Sleep slowly carried them into a world of rest.
The End.