1. The Uncontrolled Disappearance
New York at night was like a painting soaked in neon lights, with bustling streets, hurried pedestrians, and endless streams of traffic. Yet for Jack Matthews, all of this was merely background noise. He sat alone in a dimly lit corner of a Brooklyn café, tightly holding a slightly faded photograph. The woman in the photo, named Samantha Green, had a faint smile on her face, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes.
Samantha's family had reached out to Jack, hoping he could help find her. The police had already given up on the case, believing that Samantha might have simply left on her own, perhaps not wanting to be found. But Jack didn't think so. As a private detective, he had seen too many similar cases. The reasons for a disappearance varied, but there was usually some hidden truth behind them.
The café's clock pointed to midnight. Jack looked up at the time and decided to visit Samantha's apartment once more. Even though he had checked it before, he felt there was still a crucial clue he might have missed.
Samantha's apartment was located in an old red-brick building in Brooklyn, with narrow hallways and peeling walls. The air was thick with a persistent musty smell. Jack pushed open the half-closed door and stepped into the still and quiet apartment. Everything inside seemed to be waiting for Samantha's return: an unfinished cup of coffee sat on the table, and the green plants on the windowsill were still vibrant, as if time had frozen during her absence.
He slowly scanned the room, trying to spot any details he might have overlooked before. Jack noticed that the corner of the rug near the sofa seemed slightly raised. He knelt down and gently lifted the corner of the rug—underneath, a thin card lay silently.
Jack picked up the card and examined it closely. It was a black card, with worn edges, but the center bore an intricate zodiac symbol. He frowned, trying to remember where he had seen a similar symbol before. Suddenly, he recalled the card he found on Samantha's desk—they were almost identical.
Jack fell into deep thought. This symbol didn't seem to be an ordinary astrological sign; it appeared to be something specially designed. He decided to go back and research the symbol, hoping to uncover the secret behind it.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Jack quickly turned around to see two uniformed police officers burst into the room.
"Stop! Don't move!" one of the officers shouted, pointing his gun at Jack.
Jack slowly raised his hands, remaining calm. "I'm investigating Samantha Green's disappearance. I'm a private detective."
"We know who you are, Jack Matthews," the other officer said coldly. "But right now, you're a suspect. You were seen at the victim's home, and the timing is highly suspicious."
Jack sighed in resignation. He understood how unfavorable this situation was but knew he had to state his case. "I'm just here looking for clues. You can search my belongings if you don't believe me."
The officer took the card from his hand, while the other officer began searching the room. "What's this?" the officer asked, his expression growing more serious as he looked at the card.
"I don't know either. That's one of the reasons I'm here," Jack replied as calmly as possible. "But I can tell you that this card might be related to Samantha's disappearance."
2. Misunderstandings and Suspicions
The officers eventually lowered their guard, but they still regarded Jack with suspicion. They searched the room thoroughly but found nothing suspicious. However, Jack knew they wouldn't let him off easily.
"We need you to come back to the station for further questioning," one of the officers said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
Jack didn't argue. He understood that in this situation, the only thing he could do was cooperate. He slowly exited the apartment and followed the officers into the police car. Throughout the ride, his thoughts were racing. That card, the mysterious symbol, and Samantha—there had to be some connection between them, and he had to figure it out.
At the station, Jack underwent several hours of interrogation. He was questioned about his relationship with Samantha, why he was at her apartment, and the origin of the card. Despite his repeated explanations that he was investigating the disappearance at the request of Samantha's family, the police were clearly skeptical of his story.
After the questioning ended, Jack was allowed to leave, but he knew he was now deeply entangled in the case. The police clearly suspected he was involved in the disappearance, and even though he hadn't been formally charged, his every move would be closely watched.
As he walked out of the station, night had already fallen, and the air carried a slight chill. Jack pulled out the card the police had returned to him and studied the symbol on it. The symbol seemed to mock him silently, filling him with confusion and unease.
"I need to find out what this is," Jack muttered to himself. Several experts in astrology who could potentially help flashed through his mind, and there was one old friend who might be able to solve this mystery. He decided to visit him first thing in the morning.
On his way home, Jack felt a growing sense of urgency. This case was far more complex than it appeared on the surface, and he was already caught up in it. No matter what, he had to find Samantha, or at least uncover the truth about her fate.
3. The First Zodiac Card
Back home, Jack sat at his desk, opened his notebook, and began recording all the clues he had gathered. Samantha's disappearance, the card in her home, the police's suspicion, and the second card he found under the rug—these scattered pieces needed to be put together to reveal the full picture.
He opened a thick book on astrology and began searching for content related to the symbol on the card. Although he wasn't well-versed in astrology, his years of experience as a detective had taught him that sometimes even the most insignificant clue could be the key to solving a case.
Hours passed, and Jack's eyes began to grow tired, but he didn't give up. Suddenly, he found a similar symbol in the corner of a page—one that closely resembled the one on the card. It was an ancient astrological symbol representing a "turning point of fate."
"A turning point of fate?" Jack muttered, frowning. This symbol was typically associated with major life events, particularly in astrology, where it represented some irreversible change or significant impact on the trajectory of life.
He tried to connect the symbol with Samantha's situation, searching for any possible link. If the symbols on these cards represented a "turning point of fate," were they hinting at a specific destiny or a change in certain people's lives?
Jack decided to take a break and continue his investigation the next day. He knew that the mystery before him was far more complex than he had imagined, and solving it might be fraught with danger.
The night's chill seeped through the windows. Jack pulled his coat tighter around him and stared at the mysterious card on the table. The symbol seemed to be silently telling a story, and he knew he had to uncover its secret if he was going to find Samantha and the truth.
4. Unwittingly Involved
Meanwhile, across town in Manhattan, Marcus Jensen sat in his apartment, staring at the lines of code on his computer screen. For days, he had been decrypting various data on a hacker forum, but tonight was different. Marcus had accidentally stumbled upon an encrypted file that seemed connected to a mysterious astrological symbol. Though he had no interest in astrology, as an IT expert, cracking such codes was just another daily challenge for him.
It took him several hours to finally break the code, but the result sent chills down his spine. What appeared on the screen wasn't ordinary text, but a set of zodiac charts accompanied by a series of strange annotations. The notes were written in an ancient language, of which Marcus recognized only a few symbols, some seemingly related to astrology.
"What the hell is this?" Marcus muttered, trying to use translation tools to decipher the text. However, as he began typing, the screen suddenly flickered, and a strange pop-up appeared: "Stop your investigation, or face the consequences."
Marcus froze, then quickly regained his composure. He tried to close the pop-up, but it stubbornly stayed in the center of the screen like a virus. Seconds later, the screen went completely black, and all the data vanished.
"Impossible!" Marcus frantically tried to recover the data, typing in a series of recovery commands, but all efforts were in vain. It seemed his computer had been hacked, and all his work had disappeared in an instant. Then, his phone rang suddenly, with an anonymous text message flashing on the screen: "Leave this alone, or you'll regret it."
A cold chill ran down Marcus's spine. He quickly checked his home network, finding nothing unusual with his router or firewall. Yet, this mysterious hacker had slipped into his system like a ghost, wiping out all traces.
His heartbeat quickened as Marcus realized he might have stumbled into something dangerous. His mind raced with thoughts—should he continue investigating or drop the matter immediately? As he hesitated, the doorbell rang suddenly, the knocking urgent and unsettling.
He slowly approached the door, peering through the peephole. Outside stood two unfamiliar men, dressed in neat suits, their faces expressionless. A sense of foreboding washed over Marcus—who were they, and why were they at his door at this hour?
He didn't open the door right away but instead quietly retreated back to his room, picking up his phone and scrolling through his contacts until he found a number he had rarely used. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to make the call.
"Jack Matthews?" Marcus said in a low voice, with a hint of tension. "We need to talk."
5. The Beginning of Danger
The night grew darker, and the streets of New York remained noisy, but Jack's mind was unusually calm. He stood on the corner, gripping his phone tightly, with Marcus's voice in his ear. Although Jack didn't know this IT expert, his instincts told him that they were both being drawn into the same mystery, one that was likely more dangerous than he initially thought.
"How did you get my number?" Jack asked, his tone carrying a hint of caution.
"I'm a tech specialist; I have my ways," Marcus replied calmly, but Jack could detect the tension in his voice. Marcus quickly got to the point. "I decrypted some data and found something related to astrology, then... my computer got hacked, and I received a threat."
"A threat?" Jack raised an eyebrow, now intrigued by Marcus's experience. "What does this have to do with Samantha's disappearance?"
"I'm not sure, but I know I'm in danger now," Marcus paused, "You're investigating the disappearance, right? Don't you think this case is too strange?"
Jack was silent for a moment, recalling the interrogation at the police station and the mysterious zodiac card. "You're right," Jack finally said. "This isn't just any case. And that astrological symbol you mentioned—I've seen it too."
Marcus's breathing quickened on the other end. "You've seen it? Where?"
"At the missing person's home," Jack's response was brief and to the point. "That symbol might be connected to her disappearance. We need to meet and talk."
"I agree," Marcus's voice now carried a note of determination. "I don't want to face this alone."
Jack took a deep breath, looking up at the distant neon lights, his mind made up. He felt that this case was no longer just about a disappearance but the beginning of a larger conspiracy. He needed allies, and Marcus seemed like a suitable one.
"Alright, 11 p.m. tonight at Max's Café downtown," Jack quickly named the meeting place and hung up.
The night wind blew, carrying a faint chill. Jack slipped his hand into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the cold surface of the zodiac card. Perhaps Marcus's tech skills could help him uncover the secret behind this card.
The night sky over New York was still ablaze with lights, but the shadow in Jack's heart grew darker. He knew he was already caught in this dangerous game, and now, he was standing on the edge of the vortex.