The room felt colder than usual.
Eliot sat at the head of the stone table, his fingers tracing the carved patterns along its surface. His eyes, though sharp as ever, held a weight in them—a weariness that came not from battle but from the endless questions swirling in his mind. The figure tied to the chair in front of him—slumped and breathing heavily was not just any enemy. He was a familiar face, a face Eliot had seen in the village, laughing, working, living.
"Ren," Eliot said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. The name of the man tied to the chair echoed in the heavy silence. "You've been part of Division 3 for over a year. Why? Why did you betray us?"
The man, Ren, lifted his head slowly, his eyes bloodshot, his body shaking with a mixture of fear and exhaustion. His lips trembled as he tried to speak, but no words came. Only the shallow breaths of a man caught between fear and desperation filled the space.
Eliot looked over at Kaito and Lara, who stood behind him. Kaito's fiery temper was barely contained, his fists clenched tightly as if ready to strike. Lara, on the other hand, was calm, her sharp eyes focused, trying to understand the situation from every angle. She had always been good at reading between the lines, finding the truth hidden beneath layers of deception.
"You need to start talking, Ren," Kaito growled, his patience wearing thin. "You were the killer, weren't you? You used the cover of Division 3 to get close to the villagers—hiding in plain sight."
Ren's breathing became more erratic, his body shaking harder. Eliot frowned, something wasn't right. He leaned forward, his voice soft but commanding. "Ren, we need answers. If you were part of this, if you killed all those people... why? What drove you to this?"
For a moment, it seemed like Ren would speak, his eyes darting nervously between them. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out—only the frantic gasps of a man caught in a trap far beyond his control. Eliot could see it now. There was something deeper here, something darker than they had anticipated.
"I-I wasn't…" Ren stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't... I didn't want to... I didn't kill them..."
Kaito took a step forward, his face twisting in disbelief. "What do you mean? We caught you! We have the evidence, the marks .. everything points to you!"
Lara placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder, stopping him. "Let him speak," she said quietly. Her eyes never left Ren, and in that moment, Eliot could see the doubt in her expression. Lara had always been the most observant among them, able to see things others couldn't.
Ren's voice cracked as he tried again, his eyes wide with terror. "I'm not... I'm not the one you're looking for... I was forced... He... He made me do it…"
Eliot's heart skipped a beat. He? A chill ran down his spine.
"Who?" Eliot asked, his voice steady but urgent. "Who made you do this, Ren?"
Tears welled in Ren's eyes as he looked at Eliot, desperation and fear written all over his face. "He told me… if I didn't… if I didn't swap places with him… he'd kill my family. I had no choice, Eliot, please! You have to believe me…"
Eliot's grip on the table tightened. The real killer... had used Ren as a scapegoat. But who? And why?
Kaito, still tense, glanced at Eliot with a mixture of anger and confusion. "Swap places? What is he talking about?"
But Eliot knew. He could feel it now, that darkness that had been lurking in the background, always a step ahead. The real killer… they knew I was planning to catch them. They were watching us.
Ren sobbed, his body convulsing with fear. "I was just supposed to… take the fall. He said they wouldn't figure it out… that I'd be fine…"
Eliot stepped forward, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder, his voice low and steady. "Who, Ren? Who is behind this?"
For a brief moment, Ren looked up, his lips parting as if he were about to reveal the truth, the one piece that could tie everything together. But then..it happened.
The room darkened. Ren's body jerked violently, his eyes widening in horror. A black, inky mark began to crawl across his skin—starting from his neck and spreading rapidly. It was like a curse, coiling around him, suffocating him.
"No—no!" Ren gasped, his hands clawing at his throat as the curse wound tighter and tighter.
Eliot's eyes widened. "Ren! What's happening?!"
Kaito and Lara rushed forward, but before they could reach him, Ren let out a blood-curdling scream. His body twisted in agony, and then, with a sickening crack, he collapsed. The room fell into an eerie silence.
Lara knelt beside the body, her hand hovering over Ren's lifeless form. Her expression, usually so controlled, showed a flicker of sadness. "It was a curse," she said softly. "Whoever forced him into this… they made sure he couldn't talk."
Eliot stood still, his mind racing. The killer had been watching, anticipating every move. And now, their only lead had been silenced—brutally, without warning.
"Whoever they are," Eliot muttered, his voice low and cold, "they're playing a dangerous game."
Kaito, fists clenched in frustration, punched the wall beside him. "Damn it! They're always one step ahead!"
Eliot didn't respond. His thoughts were clouded, a storm of confusion, anger, and guilt swirling inside him. He had been so close, and yet, the real killer had slipped through his fingers—again.
He glanced down at Ren, his heart heavy. The man had been just another pawn, used and discarded by someone far more powerful, someone who was pulling the strings from the shadows. Whoever this was, they weren't just targeting random villagers. They were after something.
The realization hit Eliot like a punch to the gut. The killer hadn't just been murdering for the sake of it. There was a purpose—a method behind the madness. But what was it? What were they after?
Lara stood, brushing off the dirt from her hands. "This wasn't just a random attack, Eliot. The killer has been planning this for a long time. They've been watching us, manipulating us."
Eliot nodded, his gaze dark and unfocused. "We've been looking at this all wrong. It's not about the killing..it's about control. They're trying to send a message. And now… they know we're getting close."
Kaito turned to face Eliot, fire burning in his eyes. "Then we go after them. We track down every lead, every clue. We tear this village apart if we have to."
But Eliot shook his head. "No. This killer isn't like the others. They want us to react. They want us to lose control, to act out of fear. We can't give them that."
"So what do we do?" Lara asked, her voice quiet but firm.
Eliot closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, the fire was back. But this time, it was controlled, focused.
"We outsmart them," Eliot said, his voice steady. "We draw them out. But this time, on our terms."
The room fell silent, the weight of the challenge ahead pressing down on them all. The game had changed. The real killer was still out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for their next move.
But Eliot wouldn't let them win. Not this time.
He glanced once more at Ren's lifeless body, his heart heavy with the loss, but his resolve unshaken.
It wasn't over.
The real battle had just begun.