Chapter 6

Violet paused before pointing at the balcony. Iris rushed over. The rosewood memorial tablet she had commissioned with three months of her salary for Helen had been gnawed full of bite marks in the corner of the balcony. Beside it sat the ebony urn that held Caelum's ashes. The lid was open, and it was empty. The dog was relieving itself next to the box. Yellow liquid soaked into the ebony wood, seeping along the fine grain. A bone-deep cold shot up Iris' spine and spread through her limbs, as if her entire body had frozen solid. "Where are my brother's ashes?" she demanded, her eyes bloodshot. "I just told you," Violet said as she walked over, lifting the dog tag in her hand. "I asked a pastor to bless it. Then, I mixed the ashes into the clay and made this tag. He said your brother will watch over my dog and bless it with good health and a long life. It counts as a good deed before God." Then, she smiled innocently. "Look, I even engraved his name on it. Cal." Iris saw the letters. Cal was her brother's nickname. The five-year-old boy who had been blown to smithereens, whose remains she had never been able to piece back together. Now, his ashes had been mixed into clay and turned into a dog tag hanging from an animal's neck. "Cal would be happy, wouldn't he, Iris?" Violet was still all smiles. Something inside Iris snapped. Before she knew it, she drew her gun. It was the service weapon she had turned in earlier today, before it was logged away. Then, she pressed the muzzle against Violet's forehead. "Give him back to me." Iris' voice was terrifyingly calm. The blood drained from Violet's face. "I-Iris, calm down…" "I said, give him back to me," Iris repeated. "It's already… already mixed into the clay. I can't get it back…" Violet sobbed. "I didn't do it on purpose. I just wanted to pray for my dog…" Iris' finger tightened on the trigger. "You used my brother's ashes to pray for your dog?" "Stop it, Iris!" Ethan barged in and snatched the gun from her. After taking a look at Violet, who was crying her eyes out, he shifted his attention back to Iris. His expression hardened as he snapped, "Have you lost your mind? You're pointing your gun at your colleague!" "She used my brother—" "That's enough!" Ethan cut her off before she could explain. He pulled a trembling Violet into his arms and soothed her. "It's okay. I'm here. No one is going to hurt you." When he shifted his gaze back to Iris, his eyes were ice-cold. Violet sobbed, "Ethy… The fortune-teller told me this would help Cal. I meant well…" "Did you hear that? She was just trying to help your brother!" he yelled at Iris. "You're emotionally unstable. You're suspended, effective immediately—You'll spend three days in confinement." Confinement again. Iris took in the way he shielded Violet. All of a sudden, she stopped crying and said lowly, "You'll regret this, Ethan." Ethan sneered. "Oh? The only thing I regret is agreeing to marry you. Take a good look at what you've become, Iris. You're paranoid, cold, and unreasonable!" Just then, Violet tugged at his sleeve and said softly, "I haven't eaten yet, Ethy… I heard Iris is a good cook. I'd like to see if that's true." Ethan looked at Iris and pointed to the kitchen. "Go cook for Vee. That's what you're supposed to do." Without saying another word, Iris walked into the kitchen. She was leaving in a few days, and she didn't want any complications. More than an hour later, several dishes were set on the table. Violet took a few bites, frowned, slammed her cutlery down, and swept the plates straight into the trash. "Iris, you did this on purpose, didn't you? It's either too salty or completely bland!" Violet rose from her seat and grumbled, "I might as well cook it myself." With that, she spun on her heel and returned to the kitchen. Moments later, a terrified scream tore through the apartment. "Help! It's on fire!" By the time Iris rushed over, the kitchen was already engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing everywhere. Instinctively, she held her breath and charged into the heat and smoke. She grabbed a panicking Violet and shoved her out the door. "Are you alright?" Ethan asked anxiously. The moment Violet stumbled out, he caught her, checked her over for injuries, and pulled her tightly behind him to safety. Just then, a fierce tongue of fire burst from the stove and surged toward them. His pupils contracted, and he hurriedly threw himself over Violet and shielded her completely with his body. He forgot that Iris was still at the entrance to the kitchen. She had just shoved Violet out and hadn't fully retreated. In the blink of an eye, a violent explosion detonated, unleashing a horrifying shockwave. Iris felt an unstoppable force slam into her back and send her flying. The world went silent in an instant, leaving only a sharp, endless ringing. Time slowed to a crawl. Blurred, twisted flashes of color streaked past her eyes. For a moment, she thought she saw Helen's gentle smile, Caelum running toward her with a pinwheel, and somewhere deep in her memory, a boy in a pristine white shirt with stars in his eyes reaching out to her. If it were possible, she wished she had never met him. Iris' body crashed into the living room wall and slid down heavily. Excruciating pain exploded through her limbs and organs all at once. Darkness surged in like a tide and swallowed everything. In her fading awareness, she thought she heard someone screaming her name at the top of their lungs. However, it no longer mattered.