The wind howled through the cracked window, rustling the thin curtains. Nate sat at the edge of his bed, lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the lights flickering in the distance. It felt as though something was lurking, just out of reach, but slowly drawing closer. His mother's worried glances and the constant ache of unresolved questions pressed down on him like a weight he couldn't shake off. The betrayal from his father still lingered in his mind, each day growing heavier, leaving him more disconnected from his past.
Lately, the news had been flooded with reports of strange, gruesome murders across Coast City—disturbing enough on their own, but something about them felt off. The media had started calling the culprit The Specter, a shadowy figure who left no trace of their presence but was tied to each of these killings in some way. There was an eerie sense of inevitability in the way things were unfolding, as if the pieces of Nate's life were finally coming together to form a picture he wasn't ready to see.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking his reverie. Nate grabbed it quickly, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the unknown number flash across the screen.
"You don't know who you're dealing with. The one who caused the destruction of my life will regret it."
It sent a cold shiver down his spine. Nate had no idea who this was, but it didn't feel like a random threat. The message was too personal, too calculated.
He put the phone down slowly, his thoughts racing. The Specter was no ordinary killer; this felt like something much bigger. And whoever they were, they were coming for him.
The sound of footsteps outside his door startled him, and his mother knocked softly before opening it.
"Nate, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Mom," Nate lied, flashing her a half-smile. It had become his reflex, even if the words didn't hold much truth.
She hesitated at the door, concern etched on her face. "You don't have to carry this burden alone, you know. I'm here for you."
Nate couldn't answer. What could he say? She didn't know about the jinn, about the dark wave explosion, or about the things he'd done since then. The last thing he wanted was to burden her with the truth.
Before he could offer another reassurance, his phone buzzed again. He picked it up, expecting more cryptic threats, but instead, it was an email from Henry.
"Nate, you need to see this. Meet me in the lab."
Nate's heart skipped. If Henry was calling him down there, it was serious.
He kissed his mother on the cheek, muttered an apology, and headed downstairs to the lab, where Henry was already poring over a new set of data.
"Nate," Henry said without looking up, "I think we've got a problem."
Nate approached, watching as Henry swiped through multiple files on his laptop. "What's going on?"
Henry clicked on a report, bringing up an image of the most recent murder—a body found in the center of an abandoned factory. The crime scene photos revealed strange, almost unnatural patterns around the body, but what caught Nate's attention was the faint, glowing energy that seemed to emanate from the victim's remains.
"What is that?" Nate asked, his voice tense.
Henry's brow furrowed. "I think it's related to the Specter's power. But it's more than that. This energy, it's identical to the signature produced by the dark wave explosion."
Nate's breath caught in his throat. "You think the Specter is connected to the explosion?"
Henry nodded gravely. "It's more than just a connection. According to the data I've gathered, the Specter believes that you are the one responsible for the explosion."
Nate felt his pulse quicken, a sickening feeling settling in his stomach. "What?"
Henry pointed at the screen, which now displayed a series of connections—each linking the dark wave explosion of 2007 to Nate's power. "From his research, he's concluded that the energy signature released that day matches the one you've been using. He believes that you somehow triggered the wave, and in his mind, you're responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter."
Nate's mind spun. He was the cause? It didn't make sense. He had been an infant when the explosion happened. He had nothing to do with it, except the fact that the jinn had transferred into him.
"But why target me? I didn't even know any of this until recently," Nate muttered, a twinge of frustration creeping into his voice.
Henry sighed, rubbing his temples. "Because The Specter is a genius. He's figured out that the power you wield, the same power that's inside you from the jinn, is identical to the one that destroyed his life. He's convinced that you're the reason for everything he's lost."
Nate clenched his fists, the weight of it all crashing down on him. "So he's hunting me down because of something I had no control over?"
"Exactly," Henry replied. "And now, he's coming for you."
Just then, Nate's phone buzzed again. He picked it up, his heart pounding as he read the new message.
"The time has come for you to answer for your sins. I will make you regret the day you set that wave in motion."
The Specter wasn't just a killer. He was a man seeking vengeance, driven by grief and a thirst for power.
Nate turned to Henry, determination hardening in his gaze. "I'm not going to run from this. I need to stop him before he destroys anyone else."
Henry nodded. "We'll do it together."
As Nate prepared to face this new threat, he couldn't help but feel the weight of everything—the dark wave explosion, the power of the jinn, and now, this relentless figure who believed Nate was the source of his torment. But one thing was certain: Nate wasn't going to let this man take anything else from him.
The fight was coming, and this time, Nate would be ready.