The streets of New Alexandria echoed with chaos that day, filled with the sounds of alarm and panic. A grisly murder had taken place right outside a man's residence, leaving the passerby with uneasiness.
"Is that Tom?"
"Yeah. He had been murdered this morning. Poor man."
"I heard he was in enormous debt. Could this be the reason he was killed?"
"Maybe, or this is simply a mugging attempt ending bad."
A police officer approached the onlookers. "Stand back! This is a crime scene! Stand back!"
According to many, the Crystal Cross Gang was behind the brutal act, having had some undisclosed conflict with the victim. The law enforcement officials, however, remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the dispute.
The victim's residence became the epicenter of morbid curiosity as a large crowd gathered around it, hindering the police's efforts to manage the situation.
"When will you arrest them?!"
"We want to be safe!"
I reworked this chapter. The number of words increased, and I changed some aspects related to Erik's thought process.