Aqua burst into the dance studio, his breath sharp from the run.
But the scene in front of him froze him in place.
A man in a grey T-shirt and white mask loomed behind Ruby, long black hair tied back, the gun in his hand aimed unflinchingly at her head.
Ruby's eyes widened.
"Don't come close, Onii-chan! He'll hurt you!"
Aqua clenched his fists but didn't move.
"What do you want?" he shouted at the stalker.
The masked man snarled.
"Shut up! Don't come closer if you want her to live!"
Before Aqua could say anything else, a portal of swirling light suddenly tore open in the middle of the studio.
From it stepped the same mysterious man in a dark hooded outfit, his very presence seeming to bend the air around him. He scanned the scene with cold, calculating eyes.
The stalker froze, his knife trembling in his grip.
Then—clink.
The blade fell from his hand, hitting the floor.
Ruby tore away from him and darted behind Aqua, clutching his arm.
The mysterious guy began walking toward the stalker without a word.
The stalker's fear cracked into panic.
"Who the hell are you? Stay away from me!"
The stalker lunged forward, grabbing at the mysterious stranger's wrist, trying to stop his hand. With his other hand, he clawed at the stranger's mask, fingers tangling briefly in his hair.
But he was too slow.
In a swift, almost invisible motion, the mysterious stranger drove the blade forward.
Thwack!
The knife buried itself in the stalker's back.
The man collapsed, groaning in agony.
"Aaaagh…"
His mask lay discarded nearby, his face exposed.
The stranger knelt, gripping the knife's hilt. Without hesitation, he yanked it free.
The stalker screamed.
"Aaaaaahhh!"
Ruby covered her mouth. Aqua's eyes widened, but his body stayed rooted.
The stranger raised the blade again—this time toward the stalker's neck.
Ruby's voice shook.
"Onii-chan… what's going on?"
"I… don't know, Ruby," Aqua replied, his own voice low.
The stalker's lips curled into a grim smile.
"We'll meet soon… in hell."
Before Aqua could move, the mysterious stranger's knife swept across the stalker's throat in a single, clean motion.
Blood pooled on the floor.
The killer stood, turning his gaze to Aqua and Ruby. His stare locked on Aqua's eyes.
"We'll meet soon… and I'll get my revenge."
Then, as suddenly as he had arrived, another portal tore open behind him. He stepped through without looking back.
The studio was silent except for Ruby's shaky breathing.
The front door swung open.
Akane rushed in, her eyes immediately falling on the stalker's body. The pale blue hoodie hanging loosely over her shoulders fluttered as she dropped to her knees beside him, black fabric visible beneath it.
"No… it shouldn't have gone this way."
Aqua stepped forward, his voice sharp.
"What's going on, Akane?"
Her face hardened.
"He was from the agency. He played his role to draw out the mysterious man… and sacrificed himself in the process."
From her bag, she pulled out a pair of tweezers. Carefully, she pried loose a few strands of hair from the stalker's clenched fist and slid them into a small paper envelope.
Aqua's eyes followed her movements—until realization struck. The hairs were from the mysterious man.
His heart skipped a beat.
The hairs belonged to that man.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: "The Smoke of Suspicion"