The sky over the city had turned a dull grey, the kind that presses down on your shoulders like an invisible weight. Rain hadn't started yet, but the clouds hung like bruises, ready to open.
Inside the investigation wing, Arjun stood motionless, staring at the evidence board.
Photos. Locations. Notes. Blood. A taunting letter.
His knuckles were still red from punching the side of the forensic table earlier. The sight of the girl's half-burned body had drilled something into his chest that he couldn't shake.
Agent 2713 had been watching from behind the tinted glass. Quiet. Analytical. But underneath that was worry. Not for the case. Not even for the killer. For Arjun.
He stepped inside the room. The door clicked shut. "Arjun."
Arjun didn't move.
"Sit down."
"I'm fine, sir."
"I didn't ask."
With a reluctant sigh, Arjun dropped onto the bench. Agent 2713 walked over, placed a file on the table, and leaned in slightly.
"I want you to step away from this case."
Arjun blinked slowly, then looked at him as if he'd misheard.
"You're emotionally compromised," Agent 2713 continued. "You're too deep in. And the killer knows that. He's not just taunting you anymore—he's targeting you. Personally."
"I'm handling it."
"No, you're not," the agent said, firm now. "You haven't slept in two days. You're ignoring protocol. You're reacting emotionally. That's exactly what he wants."
Arjun's jaw clenched. "Then who'll take it? Rohit?"
Agent 2713 exhaled slowly. "Officer Ram."
The name struck like thunder. Not in Arjun, but in the room around him.
Outside, two officers who had been walking past the corridor froze mid-step.
Inside the observation booth, the junior analyst spilled her tea.
Even Rohit—who was usually unbothered by anything—stiffened, eyes darting toward the window like a storm had just passed.
Arjun noticed it all. "What… Who is Officer Ram?"
The room seemed to grow colder.
Agent 2713 sat down slowly, folded his hands on the table. "He was transferred here two months ago. Under classified reasons. No introductions. No press. We didn't even announce it internally."
He paused.
"Because people fear him."
Arjun frowned. "Fear?"
"He's brilliant," 2713 said. "Tactically superior. Razor-focused. Sees patterns in shadows. He solves cases before most people even realize there is one."
"But?"
"But he's... not like the rest of us," he said, eyes distant. "There's a violence in him. Calculated. Controlled. But... raw. Some say he enjoys it. Some say he's a necessary evil."
"I don't care what people say. This case—this girl—isn't just a case to me. I was responsible for that patrol. I ignored the first clue. I missed the connection. And now she's dead."
Arjun stood, his voice shaking slightly but still strong.
"My team looks at me with respect, sir. Not fear. I can't lose that."
Agent 2713 said nothing.
"This is my fire. My failure. If I hand it to a man no one dares to stand near, what does that say about me?"
A long silence followed.
Finally, 2713 nodded, barely. "You've got 48 hours."
"Done."
No more words. Arjun turned, grabbed the file, and stormed out of the room.
Outside, the breeze had picked up. Loose papers fluttered across the open balcony. Thunder rolled in the distance.
Arjun stood near the railing, breathing in the heavy air, letting the wind cut through his frustration. Then his phone vibrated.
Rohit: Got something. Surveillance team pulled video footage from 6 months ago.
He rushed back in.
In the tech lab, a monitor flickered with an old recording—slightly grainy, timestamped from 182 days ago. A quiet street. Rani walking. A guy runs up to her, stops. He pulls out a flower. Nervous. Anxious. She steps back, shakes her head, and walks off.
The guy watches her leave, his face slowly falling.
"Pause."
Rohit froze the frame. The guy turned his face for just a second. Enough.
"Zoom in."
They did.
It was faint. But clear enough to make out his features. Late 20s. Thin face. Disheveled hair. A quiet desperation in his eyes.
"Screenshot that. Enhance it. Send it to every officer, checkpoint, and intel unit we've got."
"Yes, sir."
Arjun stared at the face for a long time. His mind buzzed. Everything started to line up—the strange behavior of her friends, the silence of Surya, Rakesh's shifty eyes when questioned.
A picture began to form in his head. Something he hadn't seen before.
He whispered to himself, "He's not just killing... he's performing."
Rain began to fall outside. Heavy. Sharp. The kind that made the city feel smaller, lonelier.
Arjun didn't flinch.
This wasn't just an investigation anymore.
It was personal.