Chapter 11: The Balloon Killer's Trail
Dawn broke with a whisper of frost over the city. Rin adjusted the thick cloak wrapped around his shoulders, his breath curling in the frigid air as he stood beside Chad. The Black Frost Guild members moved with quiet efficiency, gathering what they needed for the hunt.
Chad, ever the jovial strategist, clapped his hands together. "Alright, kid. We're heading to the old market district. Expect alleys that stink of regret and people who don't talk unless their silence is bought."
Engine handed Rin a small blade. "Take this. You might need it."
Rin examined the weapon, feeling its perfect balance. "Expecting trouble already?"
"Trouble is already here," Engine said, his eyes sharp.
The group split up upon arrival, with Chad and Rin assigned to follow a merchant who had reported seeing a balloon before the last killing.
The market was a maze of collapsed buildings and makeshift stalls, people huddled in corners, their gazes filled with suspicion. The scent of decay and stale food mixed in the cold morning air.
They spotted the merchant—a wiry man with shifting eyes. Chad approached first. "Friend, we're looking for information about the balloons."
The merchant stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Rin stepped forward, producing a small coin and flipping it between his fingers. "This says otherwise."
The man hesitated, then leaned in. "I saw a balloon two nights ago. Red, floating near the bakery. Minutes later, I heard a scream. A woman fell—dead before she hit the ground. No wounds, no sign of struggle. Just… gone."
Rin's fingers tightened around the coin. "Did you see who left the balloon?"
The merchant nodded. "A man in a patchwork coat. Face hidden. He walked like he was humming a tune."
Chad's eyes gleamed with interest. "And where did he go?"
The merchant swallowed hard. "Into the tunnels beneath the city."
Rin exchanged a glance with Chad. "Tunnels."
Chad exhaled. "This just got interesting."
With the lead secured, they turned toward the direction of the underground passages, stepping deeper into the killer's trail.
Here's an expanded Chapter 11, incorporating the full mission and the revelation that the killer is actually a bomber.
The tunnels beneath the city were a labyrinth of damp stone, flickering gas lamps, and the echoes of unseen things moving in the dark. Rin and Chad stood at the entrance, the stench of mildew and rot thick in the air. Behind them, the old market district still bustled, oblivious to the danger lurking below.
Chad adjusted his coat, his jovial demeanor replaced by the keen alertness of a man who knew how dangerous a hunt could become. "I hate tunnels," he muttered. "They're like stomachs—full of acid, darkness, and the remains of things that don't make it out."
Rin smirked. "You always talk in riddles?"
"Only when I think we're about to die," Chad shot back, stepping forward. "Come on. Our bomber is down here somewhere."
They moved cautiously, the damp walls pressing in around them. Footsteps echoed in the distance, too erratic to be rodents. Rin tightened his grip on the knife Engine had given him. The information from the merchant replayed in his mind: a man in a patchwork coat, humming a tune.
Then, a soft sound drifted toward them—a gentle melody, almost childlike.
Rin froze. "You hear that?"
Chad nodded. "Our guy likes to hum. Creepy."
They rounded a bend and spotted the source. A lone figure sat on a broken crate, hunched over something in his lap. His patchwork coat was stitched together from different fabrics, colors clashing wildly. In one hand, he held a deflated red balloon. In the other, delicate wires and a small metal sphere.
A bomb.
Rin exchanged a glance with Chad. The pieces fell into place. The killer wasn't using balloons as a calling card. He was a bomber—each balloon carrying a hidden charge, capable of releasing toxins or explosives when triggered.
Chad exhaled slowly. "We need to take him alive. The Wall will want answers."
Rin nodded. "How do you want to do this?"
Chad pulled a small throwing knife from his sleeve. "I'll distract him. You move in."
Before they could act, the bomber looked up. His face was pale, gaunt, with wide, feverish eyes. He grinned. "Are you here for the performance?"
Then he squeezed a small trigger in his palm.
The world exploded.
Rin hit the ground hard as the explosion rocked the tunnel. Dust and debris filled the air. His ears rang. Through the haze, he saw Chad rolling to his feet, cursing.
The bomber was running.
Rin pushed off the ground, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He sprinted after the man, boots slamming against the stone floor. The tunnels twisted unpredictably, but the bomber moved with confidence—he knew these paths well.
Chad followed close behind, his breath ragged. "This guy—he's fast!"
Rin didn't respond. He focused on the bomber's hands—still clutching another balloon. If he set it off in a crowded area, the damage would be catastrophic.
The tunnel ended in a rusted metal door. The bomber threw himself against it, bursting into the night.
Rin followed and found himself in the upper city, on the fringes of a crowded festival. Fireworks painted the sky in vibrant colors, and laughter filled the air.
A perfect cover for a killer.
The bomber was already moving through the crowd, inflating another balloon.
Rin swore. "He's going to set it off here."
Chad grabbed his sleeve. "We need to be smart. If we scare him, he might drop it."
Rin took a breath. Chad was right. If the bomb went off, there would be chaos, and they'd lose him for good.
Moving quickly, they flanked him, slipping through the revelers unnoticed. The bomber was focused, oblivious to the hunters closing in.
Then, as he lifted the balloon to the sky, Rin lunged.
Rin tackled the bomber, slamming him into a food stall. The balloon slipped from his fingers, floating upward.
Chad moved fast, snagging it before it got too high. He examined it quickly. "No fuse. Remote trigger. We need to get this to the guild."
The bomber struggled beneath Rin, laughing. "You think you've won?" he rasped. "You have no idea what's coming."
Rin twisted his arm, pinning him. "honestly am I've gotten used to those words but then tell me."
The bomber grinned, revealing teeth stained with something dark. "The balloons were just the beginning."
Then his body convulsed. Foam bubbled at his lips.
Chad swore. "Poison. He took it himself."
Rin eased back as the life drained from the man's eyes. He wasn't going to talk.
Chad sighed. "Well. That was anticlimactic."
Rin stood, scanning the crowd. If the bomber had allies, they'd have seen what happened. And if he was telling the truth… the real danger was still coming.
They needed answers—fast.
And the Black Frost Guild was the only place they'd find them.