Suddenly, the lights in the museum turn red, darkening some areas of the rooms and creating eerie shadows.
The background music stops, and an unsettling silence fills the air.
Black smoke billows from the ventilation ducts, enveloping the room and creating a spectral atmosphere.
The screams of visitors begin to rise.
"What's happening?" asks a woman, her face pale and her eyes wide.
"I don't know," replies a trembling man.
"Let's get out of here!" yells someone, rushing towards the exit, panic in their voice.
The frantic crowd rushes out, creating chaos and confusion. The security guards attempt to calm the situation but fail miserably.
"Good," I say as I put on my Enigma costume.
Last night, I went to the museum to prepare; with the security system hacked, it was easy to infiltrate.
I placed explosive balls made of Lira in the air ducts, which I discovered explode naturally when exposed to sunlight for a certain amount of time.
Each explosion is timed to create maximum chaos.
I calculated the necessary time and the right amount of heat for the explosion.
I programmed a timer to activate the red lights, creating an illusionary effect that makes all the colors yellow, red, blue, purple...appear in black.
Finally, I hid the costume in a remote part of the museum to avoid drawing attention.
If even one person discovered me, I wouldn't just face the punishment of losing a limb; if the word got out that I am Enigma, I could lose more than one: 2, 3, 4...
That thought sends shivers down my spine, but I can't stop now.
After putting on the outfit, I take a deep breath. The show begins.
***
Jack, the head of security at Museum V, thought it was just another normal day: checking people at the entrance, monitoring the rooms, and ensuring the safety of the exhibits.
But as he monitored the rooms, red lights began to flash, accompanied by thick smoke that spread through the corridors.
"Attention! Everyone head for the exit!" he ordered, trying to maintain calm among the panicked crowd.
The situation was quickly spiraling out of control.
In the chaos, he noticed a shadow moving quickly among the visitors.
It was Enigma. Jack immediately recognized him by his flashy costume and the mask that hid his face, which had gone viral a few days earlier.
"Stop!" he shouted at the thief, who had already taken the precious spessartite garnet, making a hole in the glass that protected it.
"Stop me... why would I do that?" Enigma replied, smiling, showing the gem to Jack as if to mock him.
Haste
For a few seconds, the speed of the people running seemed to slow down, including Enigma.
This was Jack's ability, which allowed him to accelerate his speed five times for a brief moment.
A number that might not seem like a lot to true trained heroes, but it was more than enough for a normal person to not see it coming.
Running forward, he attempted to grab the gem, but just as he was about to touch it, he failed because Enigma managed to dodge.
"What?" Jack exclaimed, surprised.
"You're surprised, aren't you?" Enigma said, amused.
"You're probably wondering how I managed to find out," he added, dodging another attempt by Jack to take the gem from him.
"Do you happen to know Einstein's principle of relativity?"
"Principle of relativity? Who is Einstein? Are you deceiving me?" Jack replied, confused.
"It seems that Einstein does not exist in this world," thought Enigma, noticing Jack's answer.
"Einstein's principle of relativity," Enigma began to explain, "emphasizes that time and space are interconnected.
"When you move fast, your perception of reality changes."
Jack listened intently, trying to grasp the concept. "So, you can move so fast that we can't follow you?"
"Not exactly," Enigma replied with a smile. "When you speed up, like you did, you gain a temporary advantage.
"But if you know your surroundings and how people react, you can anticipate their moves."
It's like a game of chess, except I'm always one step ahead of you."