Prologue: Discovery

The flashing lights of the cameras flickered in the night. The sound of sirens filled the air, intermingling with the fervent whispers, the shouting voices, and the rumbling car engines. To a person used to the normal busy, yet tranquil mood of the night, the scene would have been alien. To a person who knew the city well, the sight of the police sirens would have been ordinary, something that was always present in everyday life. To a person who recognized the building, the situation would have been worrying.

The Vandwell Company headquarters was renowned everywhere. It was a stupendous skyscraper, one of the first of its kind, and it belonged to a powerful private business enterprise. Just mention the word Vandwell, and everybody from the poor to the rich to the foreign would know who one was talking about. Mention the name Anthony Vandwell, and a mixture of reactions would be produced. There would be fear. There would be anger. There would be pride. There would be happiness. There would be wariness. Of course, such reactions were expected to be produced for the founder and CEO of Vandwell Company.

He was the man who brought the Vandwell family to fame and fortune. He was the man who betrayed countless people to reach his current position. He was the man who controlled everything in the car industry – the man who managed to circumvent all government laws concerning monopolies and who always got what he wanted when he wanted it. He was the man who made Vandwell Company what it was – a domineering, overreaching syndicate which frightened any competitors from ever trying to beat it.

So, at the very moment, the question on everybody's mind was this: Just what was happening in the Vandwell Company? What scandal was occurring? Why were the police there?

Inside the headquarters office building, people felt differently. They would much rather have never seen or even known what had happened. They would much rather have left the whole thing alone. But they couldn't because what had happened was a matter of law and murder.

In a conference room, lying on a long table, there was a dead body. The body belonged to a middle-aged man with thinning gray hair and a comely beard. There was a bullet wound through the body's head and multiple stabs in several different areas. It was clear the man had died a nasty death.

A few feet away from the dead body lay another body, though this one was only unconscious. The man was lying in a pool of blood, which no doubt belonged to the dead man. In his right hand was a gun. A distance away from him was a bloody knife.

A police officer kneeled down by the unconscious man and slapped him hard to awaken him. The man instantly jolted up and began looking around, appearing very confused.

"What happened?" the man asked. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"What's your name?" the police officer asked, paying no attention to the man's anxiety.

"Mar-mar-marcel Sanders."

The police officer sighed and pulled out handcuffs. He linked a cuff on the man's hand and the other cuff onto his own hand.

"Well, Mr. Sanders, I'm sorry to tell you this but I'm arresting you on the charge of murder. The murder of Anthony Vandwell to be exact."

A/N: Important notice: This is the second story in a series of stories. Reading the first story (Prejudices Lying) will give a better perception of events. However, at this point in time, not reading the first story will not impair understanding of this one. All that needs to be known is the following:

1) The story takes place in a different universe known as the Sphere. The Sphere is broken up into tiny pieces known as "fragments" (think of it as if all the states in the U.S. had different time flow and cultures).

2) The Group is a group of detectives, working under an organization known as "Parliament," to stop an unknown evil known only as him.

Thanks so much for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

Signing off...