Uche had long grown familiar with this pain—sharp, fleeting, no more than a couple of seconds—that always turned into a vivid vision. Strangely, he had been waiting for it this time, almost anticipating it over the last few days.
He couldn't quite believe it himself; who waits for something so unnervingly specific, something that comes with pain?
But here he was, waiting.
Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind and focused, forcing himself into a state of clarity as the vision began to sharpen. Just like the last few times, he saw a familiar book lying open on a table, with a pen hovering above it as if controlled by a strange hand.
The pen hesitated, drifting over the blank page, as though whoever was writing was deep in thought.
And then, it began to move.
The first word appeared:
*Hey, where have you been? I thought you were dead. I was worried sick.*
The words were accompanied by a few smirking sketches and, surprisingly, some that seemed sad. The sight of it all made Uche clench his fists, and he barely kept himself from shouting.
"That bastard."
He muttered under his breath as the pen continued its message.
*Anyway, glad you're still alive... I guess. How about a meet-up? I'm sure you're dying to see me, aren't you?*
And just as suddenly as it had come, the vision faded. Uche let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, nearly choking on his own surprise.
"He... wants to meet me? That bastard."
His blood was boiling now, and his pulse quickened as he waved a hand at the empty space in front of him, almost as though he could reach out and grab the words Snowflake had written. He grinned with grim satisfaction.
"Well, this is good... too good."
But before he could let his imagination spiral further, he remembered someone he could share this with.
"Mira! Where are you?"
He called, his voice carrying urgency as he left his room and strode toward her door.
Without stopping to knock, he burst into her room.
"Mira, Mira, you won't believe—"
The words froze in his throat as he registered what he had walked into.
Mira was half asleep and half-naked, the covers clutched hastily over herself as she jolted awake at the sound of his voice. Her eyes were wide with a mix of shock and irritation.
"Damn it,"
He thought to himself.
"When did I lost my manners?"
He quickly turned away, his face burning with embarrassment.
Mira, with a raised eyebrow, gave him a pointed stare over the edge of the sheet she was using to cover herself.
"What is it?"
She said, her voice laced with irritation. "Why are you barging in here and shouting my name like that?"
"Uh… sorry. It's nothing, really,"
Uche stammered, feeling his face redden.
"I thought… never mind. Go back to sleep."
Without giving her a chance to respond, he stepped out and closed the door behind him, sighing as he walked back to his room.
But the image of her startled face—and the graceful lines of her half-covered figure—refused to leave his mind. He shook his head, trying to dispel it.
"Damn… her skin looked so flawless,"
He muttered under his breath, as the image resurfaced once again.
"What am I thinking?"
He groaned, frustrated with himself.
Luckily, he was saved by another wave of that familiar, faint pain. This time, he welcomed it, letting it take his mind off his embarrassing encounter.
As he closed his eyes, the vision formed again—the same table, the same book. But now, there was more writing.
At the top of the page was an address, clearly spelled out in bold letters, followed by a stark message:
*Be there tonight at 9 PM. Come alone, or else…*
There was a warning symbol sketched at the end of the line.
*…or else you'll regret it, and you'll never get your eye again, lose it forever.*
The vision faded, and Uche opened his eyes, his brow furrowed. Something was different this time. There were no mocking sketches, no smirking jabs, only a blunt, almost hostile message.
"Why does he sound so serious?"
He wondered. Snowflake's tone had never felt this menacing before.
But he shrugged it off.
"Doesn't matter,"
"e muttered, reaching for his phone. He quickly typed the address in, ensuring he wouldn't forget it later.
Just then, his door creaked open, and Mira stepped into his room, still clutching the duvet around her shoulders. She walked toward him slowly, her expression unreadable.
For a split second, Uche had the overwhelming urge to disappear into the floor. He felt as embarrassed as he had when he barged in on her earlier.
"Hey, what was that about?"
She asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and annoyance.
"You can't just burst into my room and leave without saying anything."
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Uh… sorry. I thought I was disturbing your sleep,"
He said, looking away, his voice shaky.
But then he remembered why he'd gone to find her in the first place.
"Actually, Snowflake contacted me again."
He added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
That caught her attention. Mira's eyes widened, and she leaned forward.
"What? What did he say?"
He raised his phone, showing her the address.
"He told me to come here tonight… alone, or he said I'd regret it."
He paused, trying to keep his voice steady. "And he… said I'll not get my eye back."
Mira blinked in surprise.
"Did you ask him why he wants you to come?"
Uche gave her a flat look.
"How does that matter, and did you forget he's the only one who can control the conversation."
Mira nodded, processing his words. Then, a spark lit up her eyes.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's come up with a plan."
---
Half an hour later, both Uche and Mira were seated in front of her computer, a virtual map spread across the screen. The display was well-lit, showing every building, street, and alley in a part of the city they hadn't frequented often.
"Are you sure this is right?"
Uche asked, studying the map carefully. His mind was racing as he mentally traced every possible route in and out of the district.
"Trust me," Mira replied, giving him a confident smile. "That bastard isn't getting away this time."
The screen zoomed in on a small district nestled between two high-rise buildings.
They could see a narrow alley leading to a quiet side street, a handful of people scattered along the sidewalks. This was where Uche was supposed to meet Snowflake—at the fifth building on the street, a 50-story tower nestled in the midst of others.
They'd come up with a plan that Mira believed would give them the upper hand.
Uche would go into the meeting alone, just as Snowflake had instructed, while Mira would station herself in one of the tallest buildings in the area. She'd watch from a vantage point outside the street, prepared to intervene if anything went wrong.
Mira handed him a small device that looked like a sleek wristwatch.
"Take this. It'll transmit everything you say, so I can hear the entire conversation. And it's also a tracker, just in case anything goes south."
Uche fastened it onto his wrist, feeling its weight as a mixture of reassurance and responsibility.
He glanced back up at Mira, nodding. "Thanks. I owe you one."
Mira just rolled her eyes playfully.
"You can pay me back by making sure this is worth it,"
She said, standing up and clapping him on the shoulder.
"Let's make sure this Snowflake gets what's coming to him."