Mr. Chen Yu and Director Kamikura from UDI arrived at the UDI evidence repository together, a ce where UDI stores case evidence as well as the remains of individuals unimed by anyone. The evidence repository is located underground, and even though it is lit, it still feels somewhat eerie and even a bit chilly.
"This is our UDI''s evidence repository. All remains that are identified through UDI will have their rted evidence preserved here for a year. The evidence rted to the case Dr.
Misumi is currently handling has been stored here for over half a year." Because the repository houses arge number of ashes of the deceased who remain unidentified and unimed, it was clearly not a ce for light-hearted conversation. Director Kamikura introduced the ce to Mr. Chen Yu with a solemn and serious expression on his face.
"As for the bodies thate through UDI, some remain unimed because their identities cannot be found. After cremation, their ashes are temporarily stored here. Though it''s called temporary storage, the reality is that it''s highly unlikely anyone wille to take them home." Director Kamikura led Mr.
Chen Yu to the shelf holding the ashes of the unidentified, and though he was used to it, he couldn''t help but let out a deep sigh.
Mr. Chen Yu could certainly understand Director Kamikura''s sighs. Even though they looked like just boxes on a shelf, just thinking about how each one represented a vibrant life that had ended in some unexpected way was enough to sadden anyone.
"Director Kamikura, will the ashes of these deceased be stored here indefinitely? If no one ims them, do they have to stay here forever?" Mr. Chen Yu asked softly.
As a Necromancer, Mr. Chen Yu could clearly feel the souls and the sadness and obsession emanating from the boxes storing the remains of the deceased. These wereints about fate, the injustice they had suffered, cries of loneliness in life, and in death, a yearning for a ce to belong.
Feeling these emotions radiating from the souls, Mr. Chen Yu could easily shield himself from their influence, but he chose not to. Instead, he seriously took in the persistence of these souls, listening to their usations against the cruelty of fate and their longing for life, hoping to do something for them.
"For now, it is so, because ording to regtions, we cannot dispose of these ashes at will; we can only store them here and wait for family members to im them." Director Kamikura''s words were filled with helplessness. As the head of UDI, he had seen this previously empty evidence repository fill up gradually with ashes and, like anyone, wished to do something for them.
However, whether it was the police or other agencies, none could identify these deceased individuals, and their bodies remained unimed. Even if Director Kamikura wanted to give them a proper burial, he didn''t even know what names to write on their tombstones.
"This is Xiao Sanmao''s ashes. Sigh, it''s so tragic; she died so young." Director Kamikura led Mr. Chen Yu to a box on the shelf, perhaps because of his age, he couldn''t help but sigh again.
Looking at the box before him, Mr. Chen Yu also felt a twinge ofpassion. He had learned about this girl from Misumi Mikoto. Simply a poor individual who lived a drifting life in Tokyo, without any support and suffering from the pressures and istion of life to the point of harboring a desire for suicide, entertaining the thought of ending her own life.
From her left behind possessions, one could glimpse into the poor girl''s heart. She had written words like "I want to die. What would it be like to die?" in her notebook. Undoubtedly, the poor girl felt extremely lonely and isted deep inside, to the extent that she lost hope in this world and also the desire to continue living.
However, a girl who contemted death and sought to end her own life was deceived by malicious individuals online. She, along with another girl who had simrly lost hope in life, fell into the murderer''s trap and was ultimately killed in a brutal manner.
But in her final moments, this girl sacrificed her life in a bid to save another girl who was imprisoned with her. With tremendous courage and resolve, she wrote a plea for help and swallowed it, hoping that the message would be discovered when her body was found and sent for a forensic autopsy.
Chen Yu didn''t know what the girl was thinking as she approached death, nor did he fully understand the friendship and bond she shared with the other kidnapped girl. But to make such a choice and take such actions under those circumstances, she was undoubtedly extraordinary and courageous.
Moved by her bravery, Chen Yu wanted to help her rest in peace, ensuring that the soul, which had been filled with loneliness in life, could find reprieve and sce in death, even if only slight.
After receiving Xiao Sanmao''s ashes from Director Kamikura, Chen Yu looked at him and asked, "It won''t be a problem to hand them over to me, will it? I would feel terrible if it caused you any inconvenience, Director Kamikura."
"Don''t worry. Although it''s against the rules to do so, just keeping them here doesn''t do any good either," Director Kamikura shook his head, indicating it was okay. "If you, Mr. Chen Yu, take care of it, at least she will beid to rest. She wouldn''t wait for her family to find her if we kept her here. You burying her is a good ending for her."
"I will bury her properly. Thank you, Director Kamikura," Chen Yu nodded and made a promise to Director Kamikura.
"Of course, of course. I really wish to do something for the people left here too, but I''m powerless to do so. Our UDI''s funding relies solely on subsidies from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and to attempt more is really... ah, if only there were more people like you, Mr.
Chen Yu, at least they would have a resting ce," Director Kamikura waved his hands repeatedly, seeming relieved that Chen Yu would give Xiao Sanmao a proper burial. However, looking at the shelves filled with unidentified ashes, he still felt mncholic.
Seeing Director Kamikura''s demeanor and sensing the stubborn spirits dwelling in the remains left here, Chen Yu felt a pang ofpassion and asked Director Kamikura, "Director Kamikura, for these people left here, if their identities are verified, can their ashes be sent to their families?"
"That''s certainly possible, but establishing their identities is far from easy!" Director Kamikura of course wished to do that, but it was evidently a difficult task.
"I know a Spirit Medium who is highly skilled and formidable. He canmunicate with spirits and ghosts. If you wouldn''t mind, Director Kamikura, I can ask him to try. It''s more efficient to ask the deceased directly, rather than us blindly investigating, don''t you think?" Chen Yu suggested, considering his profession, to Director Kamikura.