Chapter 297: Judgement in the Living Room
Luna went pale as soon as she realized the implications of what Leo had discovered. While Adam had reason and intent to kill Elise, she had no such reason to justify the fact that she was the reason why a man who had fallen victim to a Demon’s temptation had died!
Of course, no one could honestly blame her for what happened. It was either a kill or be killed situation.
Without any prior warning, Rachel snagged the control from Leo’s hand with her prehensile tail who then immediately turned up the volume on the news report.
The screen flickered for a moment before settling on the calm, composed face of a female news anchor sitting behind a desk.
"We’ve now received confirmation on the identities of the two other victims from yesterday’s tragic incident," she began. "The men have been identified as Warren Varic and Dominic Heller."
She paused, her eyes scanning the teleprompter again, but her expression faltered. The confidence in her voice dipped, and she adjusted slightly in her seat before continuing.
Authorities have confirmed that both men were not simply victims. According to official reports, Warren Varic and Dominic Heller were wanted fugitives, suspected in connection to over three hundred unsolved homicides across multiple provinces. The police have confirmed they were both serial killers who operated independently with completely different motives and methods. The discovery has shocked investigators and brought long-awaited answers to grieving families across the country."
Her voice grew quieter near the end, as though the weight of what she was saying had finally caught up to her.
"Warren Varic was previously unknown to police due to the nature of his methods resulting in no traces of his presence. Dominic Heller on the other hand was known to police but was living in hiding off the grid. Today marks the end of a reign of terror held by the Notorious Serial Killers the Watcher and Inquisitor."
The room was silent. The words hung in the air like a storm cloud that had just broken.
Luna stared at the screen, her mouth slightly open, but no words came out. Her hands trembled faintly in her lap. It didn’t feel like a victory. It didn’t feel like anything other than a mistake she had somehow survived.
Even Adam looked stunned, his eyes narrowing in thought as the weight of the revelation sank in. Leo’s gaze remained fixed on the television, unreadable. Penny and Aria exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing.
Rachel, as usual, was the first to break the silence. She leaned back on the couch with a low whistle, her green tail flicking once behind her as if the tension in the room simply bounced off her.
"Well... guess you’ve got a higher body count than expected," she said with a dry chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. She gave Luna a gentle bump with her elbow. "But seriously? Come on, Luna. You didn’t just survive. You took out a demon’s little plaything. That guy wasn’t some poor sap who made a bad choice. He was a monster."
Luna didn’t look at her. Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper.
Rachel’s expression softened. She reached out and gave Luna’s shoulder a squeeze.
"Yeah. But now you do know. And whether you meant to or not, you did the world a favor. You didn’t kill some helpless guy. You ended the story of the Watcher. You shut down the Inquisitor. That’s not murder, Luna. That’s hero work."
Luna blinked slowly, her throat tightening. Her heart still raced, and guilt still weighed heavy on her chest, but Rachel’s words planted a seed that was small and fragile, but undoubtedly there. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t the monster she thought she was.
Rachel patted Luna’s shoulder and then started to head for the hallway, most likely to take a shower.
However Luna suddenly grabbed her tail preventing her from leaving.
"While I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, you have something else you need to do."
Rachel began to have beads of cold sweat drip down her back as she could swear she heard literal rumbling coming from Luna’s body.
"You and Penny need to clean this shit up. Now."
Rachel froze in place, her body tensing as Luna’s fingers curled tightly around her tail. She glanced back slowly, the usual confidence on her face rapidly crumbling when she saw Luna’s expression. Her eyes were calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that made your instincts scream that something was very, very wrong.
"Uh... clean what up, exactly?" Rachel asked, her voice a nervous chirp.
Luna stood up slowly, her eyes sweeping across the living room with the measured precision of someone about to deliver judgment. Empty bags of snacks were piled on the coffee table. Half-finished cups sat on every available surface.
A crumpled blanket was stuffed under the couch. Glitter shimmered faintly on the floor near the windows.
"The living room is a disaster," Luna said, her voice low. "And I’m betting the kitchen is worse."
Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but the slight rumble that came from Luna’s direction cut her off. She couldn’t tell if it was growling or something more supernatural, but it made her hair stand on end.
Luna tightened her grip and looked over at Penny, who had tried to silently step behind Adam in hopes of disappearing.
And you," Luna said, pointing directly at Penny. "You helped her make this mess."
"I was... I thought you were all gonna be asleep for a while," Penny mumbled. She glanced up at Adam, wide-eyed with panic. "Adam, please. Help."
Adam didn’t even blink. He kept staring forward, arms crossed, the picture of stoicism.
"I didn’t see anything," he said flatly.
Penny’s face crumpled in betrayal.
Before she could protest, Luna had already crossed the room and grabbed her by the collar.
"No no no wait I’m fragile," Penny squeaked, feet dragging against the floor as Luna hauled her over to Rachel, who yelped when Luna’s hand latched back onto her tail.
"You two are coming with me," Luna said, her tone brooking no argument. "We’re going to see exactly what kind of disaster you left in the kitchen."
"I just wanted chips," Rachel whimpered.
Penny looked like she was about to cry. "I thought the slime would stay in the bowl."
The others watched in silence as Luna marched the two of them toward the kitchen like a warden leading prisoners to judgment. Rachel dragged her heels in protest. Penny clutched her hoodie like it was a lifeline. Neither dared to escape.
Moments after the three disappeared into the kitchen, a roar of rage rang through the house, confirming what the others already knew.
Rachel and Penny had fucked up