"In this cruel world, if your heart remains gentle, feel proud. Many have hardened theirs to avoid the pain."
Maria was sobbing, her body trembling with the weight of her tears. Mion, understanding the depth of betrayal Maria felt, gently took out a tissue and wiped her friend's eyes. "Don't be sad," Mion said softly. "I need your help. Can you do something for me?"
Maria looked up, her eyes red and swollen. After a brief conversation, Mion asked her if she wanted to teach Leon a lesson and guide him toward the right path. "We need your help to change Leon. Your tears are proof that you still love him. Don't worry, we'll support you."
Maria agreed. To lighten the mood, Mai suggested, "How about we watch Netflix?" They settled in to enjoy the evening. Manabu and others were lounging on the sofa when Manabu got up to use the bathroom. After refreshing himself, he came out to find Mion waiting. She asked, "What do you think? Is it safe to trust Maria?"
Manabu replied, "I'm not sure if she's being honest or not. Her expressions didn't seem fake, but it's hard to tell." Mion handed him a towel, saying, "You're going to take a shower, aren't you?" Manabu asked, "How did you know?" Mion smiled and said, "I know you well. Goodnight."
That night, Manabu and Taiju shared a room, while Maria and Mai slept in another. Stealthily, someone entered Maria's house and made their way to her bedroom. Observing that everyone was asleep, the intruder handed Maria a drink. A mark—a deer skull with horns—appeared on her head, burning into her skin before the intruder left, taking nothing with him.
The next morning, Maria awoke with a pounding headache. She went to the bathroom to wash her face and noticed her head was red. Concerned she might be ill, she dismissed it and prepared for a shopping trip with Manabu and the others. Maria, now a good friend of Mion's, called her father to inform him of her plans. Kami granted her permission before declining the call to attend a high-stakes meeting with politicians, special officers, and government officials.
During the meeting, Kami was asked if his daughter's call was more important than the meeting. Kami replied, "It is. More than anything. My daughter called, and she needed my permission. That's a father's duty."
When the American president entered the room, everyone stood to greet him. He made his way to Kami and embraced him warmly.
"Kami, my friend, it's been a while! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to meet your son," he said, his voice filled with regret. He expressed his shame as a friend for not being able to meet Kami's son, who had been lost for 17 years.Kami and the president were close friends. Kami had even played a crucial role in helping him reach his current position. There was a time when people had offered Kami the presidency for his efforts in saving the world, but he had selflessly passed on the opportunity to his friend.
After exchanging a few words, the meeting commenced. An officer connected a laptop to a projector and began his presentation.
"A few days ago, a bomb blast occurred at the Statue of Liberty,"
the officer began. "The great statue was destroyed in a chilling event. Fortunately, no one died. And right 7 hours before the blast, near a nearby police station, a wanted criminal was thrown out of a van. He was heavily drugged with a banned substance called 'Toxican-Drug.' An extreme dose of this drug can kill, but it does so slowly, destroying cells in a painful manner."
The officer paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in.
"The criminal's name was Steve. He was injected with maybe around 10-20 grams of the drug—enough to kill a person. Upon examining the body, the doctors discovered a pen drive sewn into his stomach. The pen drive contained a message, which we're about to show you now."
The room fell silent as the video played on the screen.A man was recording the video. Steve was tied up, passed out but breathing heavily. His face was flushed, and his veins were visible. The man behind the camera spoke, his tone casual but chilling."So, I am—Hey, don't move! This is the last dose. Your face looks red, but don't worry, buddy, you'll have fun," he said with a twisted smile. "So, I am your new friend. You can all call me… Uh… Mr. X, that's good for now. Maybe… AHH! WHATEVER... So call me whatever you want. I'm gonna start some terrorism, and today my first blast will be at the great Statue of Liberty. I planned it... uh... maybe a long time ago, I forgot. Sorry. But today is the deadline. So I don't know if you guys can make it in time or not, but—Good luck... Uh... what am I supposed to say? Whatever. Give me a knife."
In the video, the unknown man, Mr. X, cut into Steve's belly, placed the pen drive inside, and then sewed it back up. After he finished, he spoke again.
"Well, it's done. Take him guys and make sure he stays alive. Sorry buddy you tried to betray me... f*cking kind human Asshole"
he sneered, kicking Steve in the head. "Motherf*cker," he spat, and then turned the camera to himself, revealing that he was wearing a mask.
"Sorry..Uh..Mr. Government and Policemen whoever is watching, I can't show my face,I am Mr-X, It might look like a joke but this isn't a joke. It's dead serious. This blast will happen at the Statue of Liberty, and if you don't make it in time, people might die. Let's play a game. And NO CHEATING."
The video ended with a sinister laugh.The room was filled with a heavy silence, disturbed and scared by what they had just seen.The officer continued, his voice tense. "As the video warned, the blast actually happened. People were shocked, and unfortunately, the police were too late to prevent it. This is an open act of terrorism, and it's fearsome."He turned off the projector.The leader of the Anti-Terrorism Unit decided to take immediate action to prevent further disasters. They asked the president for permission to implement extra security measures and ensure the safety of civilians.
Kami spoke up, "We need a trusted task force for this mission." He turned to the head of the anti-terrorism squad. "Colonel, begin working on this immediately. The terrorist usually gives a warning before an attack, so we have some time." Kami then apologized and thanked everyone before leaving the meeting.
Meanwhile, Manabu and the others finished their shopping. They were disappointed as they hadn't enjoyed it as much as they had hoped. Mion suggested they return another day, as it was already evening. They headed home.
At around 7:30 PM, Leon hurried towards an orphanage. The caretaker met him at the door. "Mr. Leon, you're two hours late. You were supposed to arrive at 6 PM."
Leon apologized, explaining that he had been working. He asked, "Where is she?"
The caretaker replied, "She's in her room." Leon rushed up to the second floor, where children and caretakers gathered outside a locked door.
Roy said, "She's locked herself in and has been crying."
Leon knocked on the door. "I'm back, Sumi. Open the door. I'm sorry, I had a job."
From inside, Sumi's voice came, "Today is my birthday, and you care more about your job. I hate you."
Leon pleaded, "No, you're the most important to me. I'm sorry. I promise this is the last time."
Thinking quickly, Leon said, "Sumi, I brought Mom with me."
Sumi hesitated but unlocked the door. "You did?"
Leon nodded. "Yes, I found Mom. Please forgive me."
Sumi opened the door but retreated to her bed. Leon entered, hugged her tightly, and apologized repeatedly. He handed her a teddy bear and her favorite chocolate. She thanked him but then asked, "Where is Mom?"
Leon hesitated, glancing at the other kids and caretakers, who encouraged him with their gestures. "I know you're lying. Mom is never coming back."
Leon sighed, "You're right. I can't lie to you. You're my sister."
Sumi said, "Even if you can't bring Mom, you should find someone who can take care of me like she did."
Leon was confused. "What do you mean?"
A little boy, Max, whispered in his ear, and Leon's eyes widened with realization. Sumi wanted him to find a girlfriend.
Leon protested, "That's not possible."
Sumi retorted, "You even have a bad relationship with Maria, but she wished me a happy birthday before you did. You didn't even call."
Leon apologized again. Sumi inquired about the people who visited him. "Are they your friends?"
Leon nodded. "Yes, they're good friends. You'll meet them soon."
They celebrated Sumi's birthday with cake and joy. After Sumi fell asleep, Leon tucked her in and quietly left. He noticed a cigarette packet in Roy's hand, discarded it, and warned, "Smoking kills."
Roy apologized. As Leon prepared to leave, the caretaker, Charlie, informed him of a call. Leon thanked her, took the call, and said, "Yes, thank you for everything," before heading out.
The next morning, Manabu and the others planned to buy more clothes and have fun. Taiju complained, "You girls never finish shopping in one day. It's day two and you're still at it."
Mai replied dramatically, "Choosing a dress is hard. We have to pick one from thousands. It's a tough job."
Taiju countered, "Then why should we go too?"
Maria interjected, "Mr. Taiju, don't you think it's a man's job to protect women?"
Taiju responded, "It's a combined strike on a man's emotional, rational, and masculine nature." Just then, the doorbell rang. Leon stood at the door.
Sasha asked, "Why are you here?"
Leon replied, "Your dad said I have to go with you. It's an order."
Mion patted Sasha's shoulder and nodded. They went to a mall.Taiju went for walk, He is pissed by their shopping,After sometime Sasha Reminds that yesterday was Sumi's birthday and she didnt give her anything,bought a hairband for Sumi. They discovered a casino inside the mall and decided to check it out.Taiju returned in that time, Manabu played a chess game called "Gamble is Gamble" against a grandmaster AI. Though Taiju lost the first game, Manabu won three times in a row, earning $7,000.
They noticed Leon's name at the top of the leaderboard with 30 wins and a top streak of 18. Leon explained, "This casino makes a lot of money. Chess is fair, but the rest is a scam. The guy over there is a hired cheater."
After leaving the casino, Leon received a call. Sasha handed him his phone, saying, "Oh, you have it with you? I forgot to take it with me. Thanks!" Leon had to leave for an important job. Manabu and the others grew suspicious of him.
Meanwhile, Morgan's phone kept ringing. "Mom, take the call," he shouted from the bathroom. His mom answered and said it was his colleague. Morgan told her, "I'll call back."
After his shower, Morgan called back, "Hey, Noor, what's up?" They discussed a vacation in Los Angeles. Morgan's mom packed while he finished dinner. The next morning, they picked up friends and family and drove to Los Angeles.
Upon arrival, they had dinner at a hotel. During the meal, Morgan's colleagues asked about his knack for solving cases. Morgan downplayed it, attributing it to experience. Jack praised Morgan's abilities, saying there wasn't a case he couldn't solve.
A new colleague asked if there was ever a case he couldn't solve. Morgan thought of the German Butcher Brothers. "It was the most complex case. They killed people, butchered them, and sent videos to their families. It was gruesome."
Morgan excused himself to the bathroom, where he imagined blood flowing from the tap. Jack followed to check on him. "Are you alright?" Jack asked.
Morgan nodded, though he was clearly shaken. He stepped outside for a smoke, gazing at the dark sky and thinking of his daughter. His eyes filled with tears.
Jack explained to the new colleagues that Morgan's daughter was a victim of the Butcher Brothers case. It changed him forever. His wife had died during childbirth, leaving him alone with their daughter. The Butchers killed her when she was nine. Morgan received her body in a box with a video. She had called out for him, "Dad, save me,"
That time Morgan was broken He went crazy
"I- I am powerless,That Bastard–THAT BASTARD RIPPED MY DAUGHTER APART!"
Although Morgan eventually tracked down and killed the Butchers' older brother, the younger one managed to escape. This trauma hardened Morgan, transforming him into a more relentless detective. Despite rejoining the group, his colleagues could see the pain he carried with him.
Morgan's mother joined him at the beach, embracing him as he cried. The loss of his daughter was a wound that never healed, and his grief remained a constant companion.
To be continued...