Interrogation Room - 9:44 AM
Emma and Alex stepped carefully around the blood, their shoes making an unpleasant stick with every step. The station was filled with murmurs, officers whispering about the chaos that had unfolded.
They found Cain sitting quietly on a bench, his legs swinging idly. His small hands rested on his lap, and his face remained unreadable, neither anxious nor afraid.
Emma crouched slightly to his level. "Cain, we need to talk. Please come with us."
Cain blinked up at her, his expression blank before he gave a small nod. Without protest, he hopped off the chair and followed them.
Alex, however, kept his gaze locked on the boy. Something about him made his gut twist. not in a way he could explain, just... something.
Before they could leave, Kath stepped in, placing a protective hand on Cain's shoulder.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice firm. "Is everything alright?"
"Not now, Kath," Alex muttered.
Kath frowned. "I'm just asking why you're treating him like a suspect, that's all."
Her tone held an edge of accusation, and Alex clenched his jaw. But before he could snap back, Emma spoke first.
"Kath, we're not treating him like a suspect," she assured. "We just need to ask some questions."
Kath hesitated before letting out a small sigh and stepping aside.
Cain, silent throughout the exchange, watched them carefully-not like a frightened child, but as if he were trying to understand them.
"Thank you," Emma murmured before leading Cain away.
Interrogation Room
As soon as the door shut, Alex slammed a paper onto the table.
A drawing of an eye.
Cain flinched slightly at the sudden movement, his wide eyes blinking in confusion.
"Is that... an eye?" he asked hesitantly.
Alex leaned in. "Tell me what you know about this."
Cain furrowed his brow. "It's... just an eye, right?"
Alex scoffed. "Okay, smarta-"
"Stop it, old man," Emma cut in, her voice sharp. "We're not intimidating him. We're trying to understand."
Alex let out a long breath, rubbing his temple. This case was getting to him.
He looked back at Cain. The kid looked so small in that chair, his feet barely touching the ground. But there was still something about him that didn't sit right.
Alex sighed. "I'm sorry, kid. I just don't get it. Your mom had this symbol on a paper. A junkie had it too and killed himself, a famous business man. And now we find it in a 15-year-old case file the case of a missing boy who looked exactly like you."
Cain's mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he hesitated. Slowly, he leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"That... does sound strange," he admitted, his voice quiet.
Emma watched him closely. "Cain... do you believe in angels?"
Cain blinked. Something flickered in his expression just for a second.
He smiled, but it was small, almost uncertain. "I think... a lot of people believe in angels."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "That's not an answer."
Cain tilted his head slightly, thoughtful. "Maybe the real question is... do you?"
A silence settled over the room.
Emma studied him. Her gut told her that Cain wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling them everything either. Not in a manipulative way, but like a kid who was confused. Or maybe scared.
Alex clenched his jaw. "Kid, this isn't a game."
Cain's smile faltered. He looked down at his hands, hesitating. Then, in a soft voice-
"It never was."
A knock on the door made them all turn.
Kath peeked her head in, her face tense. "Sorry to interrupt, but... we have a situation."
Emma stood immediately. "What is it?"
Kath stepped inside and handed her a crumpled photo. A piece of paper with hurried, shaky writing.
"She wasn't supposed to see."
Emma felt her stomach drop. "Where was this found?"
Kath hesitated. "On Jia's nightstand."
Alex's heart pounded. "Where is she?"
"She's fine," Kath assured them. "But her father said she had trouble sleeping. She kept hearing noises outside her window."
Emma exchanged a look with Alex.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Cain stared at the paper, his fingers no longer tapping the table. His expression was unreadable.
Cain swallowed. "I don't think she was supposed to see... whatever it was."
Alex straightened. "Do you know what she saw?"
Cain shook his head quickly. "No. But..." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "If she saw something she shouldn't have... maybe that means someone's watching her."
Emma felt a chill run down her spine.
A tense silence filled the room.
Emma and alex walked out leaving Cain on his own.
Cain sat frozen in place, gripping the edge of the chair. His small fingers trembled.
From the one-way mirror, his reflection stared back.
And for the first time, Cain didn't smile.
Emma leaned on the now closed door and sighed
Emma: we're running in circles..
Alex: more like we're led in circles.
Alex ran a hand down his face, exhaustion seeping into his voice. "We've got too many loose ends. The eye symbol, the junkie, Cain's mother, the missing boy from fifteen years ago, the business man, none of it adds up."
Kath shifted uncomfortably. "And now Jia."
Emma looked up. "Right. Someone left that message on her nightstand. 'She wasn't supposed to see.'" She shook her head. "See what?"
Alex's jaw tightened. "And why her?"
Kath hesitated. "Her father said she's been struggling to sleep. She kept hearing noises outside her window."
Emma and Alex exchanged a glance. That detail felt too deliberate.
"Do we have security footage from her house?" Emma asked.
Kath nodded. "Already requested."
Alex exhaled. "Good. Let's move."
Emma glanced at the interrogation room one last time. Through the one-way glass, she could see Cain, still sitting calmly at the table. His hands were folded neatly, his face unreadable.
For a kid who had lost his mother in a brutal way, And had been pulled into a case tangled with symbols, death, and eerie coincidences. he looked unnervingly at peace.
"Let's go," Alex said, pulling her attention back.
They walked off, leaving Cain alone in the room.
Inside, Cain finally stopped tapping his fingers. He turned slightly toward the mirror, tilting his head as if sensing the eyes watching him from the other side.
Then, for the first time since the interrogation began, his expression shifted.
A faint, knowing expression.
The drive to Jia's mansion was tense. It was alreadymorning, the weight of the case pressing heavier with each passing second. When they arrived, her parents were already waiting, worry etched deep into their faces.
"She hasn't been herself," her father said. "She barely talks, she won't eat... and last night, she-" He hesitated, looking at his wife.
"She screamed in her sleep," Jia's mother finished, her voice unsteady. "She wouldn't wake up. When she finally did, she just kept repeating, 'I saw him. I saw him.'"
Emma and Alex exchanged a glance before stepping inside. Jia sat curled up on the couch, her knees hugged to her chest, staring blankly at nothing.
Emma crouched in front of her. "Jia, sweetheart, can you tell me what you saw?"
Jia's fingers clenched into the fabric of her pajama pants. "He was there," she whispered. "But he wasn't."
Alex frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jia hesitated, then shook her head. "He was there. And then he wasn't."
A chill ran down Emma's spine. "We need to check the security cameras."
The family's private security team had already gone over the footage multiple times but found nothing unusual. But Alex wasn't satisfied. He played the footage over and over, frame by frame.
And then-
"There."
The room fell silent.
On the screen, in a single frame, just outside Jia's window-
A face.
Grinning.
The junkie.
And then, in the very next frame-
Gone.
While Emma and Alex remained at Jia's mansion, reviewing the eerie footage, the decision was made. The higher-ups ruled that they couldn't keep Cain in custody any longer. With no formal charges against him, he was to be transferred to Elizabeth's Jaunveil Center, a facility for unfortunate youth to keep him safe while at the same time under surveillance. The center was about an hour away from the station.
But the real question was
"Who's protecting who?"
As the officers escorted him out, Cain walked calmly, his hands in his pockets. Just as he stepped into the transport vehicle, he exhaled a quiet murmur-so soft that no one seemed to notice.
"Took you long enough."
The drive was silent. The officers didn't speak much, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror. Cain simply sat there, staring out the window, his expression unreadable.
When they arrived at Elizabeth's Jaunveil Center, the gates creaked open, revealing the looming facility. It wasn't run-down, but there was something about it-something in the dim lighting, the eerily quiet halls-that made it feel... wrong.
As soon as Cain stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted.
The staff, dressed in their standard uniforms, paused what they were doing.
Their eyes landed on him.
Not in curiosity.
Not in confusion.
But as if they had been expecting him.