The Scorch Marks of Doll Street

Morning arrived, the sun climbing high and bestowing its light upon the city once more.

In Saroyan’s East District, from West Street to Doll Street, sunlight spilled into every nook and cranny of the alleys.

This included the vanished #14 Doll Street, where the bungalow was utterly gone, leaving behind only a scorched trench in the ground.

****

“Indeed, as we can observe, what was once a neat row of bungalows now features a gaping, rectangular hole. Scorch marks mar the ground and walls, creating an impromptu thoroughfare from the main street to the back alley.”

The Bard from the Saroyan Daily delivered a live report amidst the throng of onlookers.

“Was this the result of a gang war, or a personal vendetta? Let us consult an expert, Master Charlie from the Boxer Training Hall.”

Beside him, a brawny man declared, “Observe the scene. This trench is remarkably precise, imbued with a potent fiery aura, devoid of any other chaotic elements. This indicates it was wrought by a single skill.

“After discussions, research, and deductions with my colleagues, we surmise the perpetrator’s level must be around 50.”

The Bard gasped in astonishment. “Level 50?”

“Precisely. A combatant of that caliber is typically a leader within a gang. Such an individual would not act alone in this manner, ruling out a gang conflict,” Master Charlie calmly analyzed. “The most probable explanation is a personal vendetta.”

“Thank you for your insights, Master Charlie. Now, we turn to the landlady of Doll Street, Mrs. Sanders. Hello, Mrs. Sanders.”

The plump woman beside him offered a smile to the crowd. “Hello, everyone.”

“All the properties here belong to you, do they not? Do you recall anything about the tenants of Number 14?”

“Oh yes, they arrived just yesterday,” Mrs. Sanders quickly responded.

“I didn’t count them precisely, but they rented a large bungalow. Each of them wore long robes and kept their heads concealed beneath hoods.

“They spoke very little when inquiring about the rental, only stating they were willing to pay extra. Honestly, I only let them stay out of sympathy, seeing how late it was, not for those few thousand gold coins.”

“So you rented it to them?”

“Indeed. I never imagined they’d cause such a commotion. It just goes to show, people who hide their faces always have something to conceal. Next time, I certainly won’t be so charitable.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Sanders, for your time. Now, for a quick update from our newspaper…”

****

Not every corner of Saroyan was blessed with daylight.

In the workshop’s cellar, for instance, the subterranean room remained perpetually dark, illuminated only by a dim, yellow lamp that sent shivers down one’s spine.

“You are tense, but you shouldn’t be. I am not the one you should fear right now.”

“Perhaps you should have been wary of me at first, but now, the die is cast. The true threat you face, trapped in this cellar, no longer comes from me.”

The cold, elegant voice of the young girl, which had shattered his leg last night, now continued to dismantle his resolve.

Jellyfish Tentacle’s despair was profound.

While the loli was undeniably cute, her downward gaze, fixed upon him, was unnerving and terrifying.

“Jellyfish Tentacle, that’s what they call you, isn’t it? Actually, I’ve wanted to say this for a while now. More accurately, I want to champion your cause.”

“You are not from Saroyan. You’ve come from a distant land, knowing almost nothing of this city. You are unaware of its rules, its customs, where to go, or the best way to accomplish anything.”

“You’ve worked hard, endured much hardship, I imagine. Of course,”

Iordera let out a cold, soft chuckle. “Had you not suffered, you wouldn’t be here.”

Jellyfish Tentacle’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Given that her interrogator possessed the power to effortlessly shatter his bones, every single word she uttered placed immense pressure on Jellyfish Tentacle.

“So, I’ve been wondering, perhaps you made a mistake and were sent here as punishment?” Iordera tilted her head, a faint smile gracing her lips, her slender neck creaking audibly as it bent at a ninety-degree angle. ‘Working against so many disadvantages, accomplishing so much for so little reward.’

…Jellyfish Tentacle’s eyelids twitched a few more times.

While that wasn’t entirely accurate, the difficulty of his current mission was indeed formidable.

No one had anticipated such circumstances.

“Surely you understand? Even if you managed to return, would you still be trusted? Captives who survive the enemy’s grasp rarely earn much trust.”

“Your superiors haven’t offered you any aid these past days. You can’t possibly hope they’d believe you remained silent, can you?”

Iordera twisted her neck in the opposite direction. “How about I offer you a path? I could tell you who you’re truly working for. If I were to eliminate him, wouldn’t all your worries vanish?”

“Think it over carefully. I’ll give you until after breakfast.”

She rose, beckoning to the young girl beside her. “Come, let’s go up for breakfast.”

Sophia stared, dumbfounded, taking a moment to process. “Ah, time to eat?”

She had been utterly captivated by Iordera’s interrogation.

The two ascended from the cellar to the surface. Iordera grasped the yard’s trapdoor, slowly closing it, inch by agonizing inch, as the sliver of sunlight diminished, growing smaller and smaller…

“This ritualistic act is a form of psychological coercion,” Iordera whispered to Sophia. “Watching the light slowly fade is incredibly oppressive.”

Sophia blinked, a hint of confusion in her eyes. ‘How could this loli be so normal one moment, then suddenly transform in the cellar? So cold, so wicked, so wild, even adopting a strangely alluring way of looking at people.’

Sophia had thought she’d turned dark, but upon returning to the surface, Iordera immediately reverted to her usual demeanor.

“What’s wrong? Why the daze?” Iordera asked, serving her a bowl of porridge. “How was my interrogation performance?”

‘Eh, so it was an act?’

Sophia scratched her head. “It was quite impressive. Who taught you?”

“From… well, from someone whose name cannot be spoken,” Iordera waved her hand dismissively. “I had to exhaust every method, enduring hardships to learn it over a long time.”

‘She meant playing “Red Light, Green Light” with the Witch, staring at each other for half an hour.’

“Will he talk?” Sophia asked, cradling her porridge bowl.

“I don’t know, it’s hard to say. But time is on our side,” Iordera quirked a corner of her mouth. “We’ll find a way to make him talk.”

After breakfast, they rested for a while in the shop, even purchasing and reading a newspaper.

Once sufficiently refreshed, Iordera lifted the cellar trapdoor and descended once more, with Sophia hurrying to follow behind her.

*Creak, creak, creak.*

As the footsteps approached, Jellyfish Tentacle, the lanky man, did not raise his head. Instead, he instinctively recoiled, moving his completely shattered leg further away from the young girl.