[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Q2Lwo25.png[/img][/center]The late arrival of a certain flamboyant—in more ways than one—mage pulled Grain's attention away from her fidgeting hands. She had heard about Val-Verde before but the rumors didn't make justice to the real deal. The way that Saturday's head all but disappeared within those breasts was certainly a sight to behold...

However, Grain couldn't let the almost slapstick comedy nature of the scene distract her from the matters at hand. She shook her head lightly as she heard the next replies before saying, [color=83EEA7]"Well, it's not like the murderer tossed the bodies on the street. Leaving bodies in a back alley isn't that out of the ordinary. In fact, if rats and other scavengers got to it before the police, maybe the missing organs wouldn't even be noticed. Furthermore, maybe, inducing fear in their victims before slaying them is part of the ritual. It was quite common in cultures that practiced human sacrifice to do that as a way of pleasing whatever entity the sacrifices are meant for. What better way to guarantee that their victims are dreading their own demise than allow the chance of some of their killings spreading to the media?"[/color]

[color=83EEA7]"If the killer needs something not only out of the body, but of the soul of their victims as well, this would explain why they don't get the organs in less conspicuous ways. Since the soul should already have departed from a body by the time it reaches a morgue, or any other place you would be able to smuggle a human corpse from. Maybe a mage could be able to ascertain that, by looking for psychic impressions on one of the crime scenes?"[/color]

[color=83EEA7]"Di—Divination!? I could try something like it but..."[/color] Grain glanced at her right thumb while her cheeks got slightly pinkish with a sudden influx of blood. [color=83EEA7]"Why don't we try something else like... searching one of the alleys, or laying a trap for the murderer? I'll be the one who shall be the bait if it comes to it. I'm confident in my capacity to survive no matter what happens,"[/color] she added.