June 19th, 2054, Dox's News.
Around 8:45 pm a tragic car crash occurred involving a family of three:
a mother, a father, and their 12-year-old son.
Police launched multiple operations and investigations to find the culprit.
At first, the main suspect was a 37-year-old man known as Coach Terry Jones, also called Coach TJ. He was arrested shortly after the incident.
But four years later, new security footage surfaced — revealing that the crash had actually been caused by four young boys who had held a grudge against the family's son.
The news broadcast transitions from the anchor desk to the field reporter.
"I'll pass it to you, Jon," the anchorwoman, Elizabeth, says as the screen shifts.
Jon, dressed in a black suit, nods.
"Thank you, Elizabeth. As you can see, we're here at the courthouse, waiting for justice to finally be decided. Over a thousand people have gathered today."
The camera pans across the massive crowd of protesters.
Elizabeth's voice cuts in, surprised:
"A thousand? How did it get that many?"
Jon adjusts his earpiece as he explains:
"Police have increased security to prevent any potential riots.
From the reports we've received:
• 50% of the crowd is here because they believe Coach Terry Jones was falsely accused,
• 20% are teachers and students from the school where the victim's mother worked,
• 27% are supporters of the victim's father — a highly respected man and multibillionaire. Many of his co-workers and employees are here as well. The remaining people are protestors bringing up other allegations against Coach Terry Jones, including claims of sexual assault and predatory behavior."
Jon is about to continue when he presses a hand to his earpiece.
"Well—"
The TV suddenly cuts off.
We pull back to reveal Waze, holding the remote, smirking.
"Well… Jack is coming home then. Can't wait," he says with a smile.
We see Jack, now 16 years old, staring out at the massive crowd gathered outside the courthouse. His chest rises and falls nervously as he signs a document.
"Don't worry, the court session will only last a few hours," his father's partner says calmly.
"I hope you practiced what we discussed."
"Yes, sir," Jack replies quietly.
But then his voice shakes.
"B–but… what if it was my fault?"
He turns away, guilt tightening his throat.
"If I didn't fight those guys… they wouldn't have died."
Tears spill down his cheeks. The man reaches over, offering him a tissue.
"Jack… we all make mistakes. No man is perfect."
Jack wipes his face but the pain doesn't fade.
"I know that. But this mistake took two lives. And I was the one who brought them there."
He drops his head into his hands, trembling.
The man sighs deeply and looks out the window before speaking again.
"Picture this," he says.
"You walk past murderers and their victims every day. When you were younger, did anyone stop them?"
Jack sniffles. "Because we can't identify them."
"Exactly," the man says.
"We don't know who the monsters are. We can't predict who, where, or why. The truth is—
every human being carries a monster… or an alien… inside them.
And in this case, those boys were the monsters."
He looks directly into Jack's teary eyes.
"Sometimes we blame ourselves for other people's sins because it makes us feel like we're not the monster they are. But moments like this… that's why we have judges — to decide who is the monster and who is the prey."
Jack's voice cracks with pain.
"I don't understand…"
"It's not something you're meant to understand," the man says softly.
"It's something you're meant to be aware of… about the world we live in."
A woman approached—slightly chubby, warm-looking, and Filipina.
She smiled as she shook the partner's hand.
"Mr. Wang," she greeted. "Nice to see you today, sir."
Then her eyes shifted to Jack.
"And you must be Jack."
She stepped forward and gave him a gentle, respectful hug before letting go.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," she said softly. "This should not happen to anyone. I promise you—I'll do everything I can to make this right. Everyone is with you on this."
She finished with a reassuring smile.
"Mr. Wang, a minute please. I found something interesting," she said, her face turning serious.
Mr. Wang nodded. "I'll be right back," he told Jack.
"Okay," Jack answered, watching them step away.
His eyes wandered around the lobby… then froze.
Near the far side of the room stood a man with a presence looking straight at him.
Calm posture, relaxed shoulders, and a gaze that didn't waver.
There was no tension on his face—just a cold, he wasn't bothered by the people speaking to him the kind that made it impossible to tell what was going on behind his eyes.
Jack shifted in his seat, uneasy under that steady attention.
Trying to shake it off, he stood and headed toward the restroom, glancing back every few steps.
The man hadn't changed position.
But that gaze stayed locked on Jack, following him without a single movement.
Jack slipped into the restroom and closed the door behind him, letting out a shaky breath of relief.
For a moment, the lobby noise faded.
Then footsteps approached.
His heart jumped. The handle rattled.
A woman's voice came through the door.
"Um… is someone in there?"
Jack froze.
Oh crap… this is the girls' restroom, he realized.
The door swung open before he could react.
"What the—?"
A young Japanese girl stood in the doorway, staring at him. Jack scratched his head and forced an awkward smile.
"I'm really sorry. It's not what it looks like," he said quickly.
Her face twisted.
"This is awkward on like… ten different levels."
Jack apologized again and tried to step past her, but she suddenly grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back inside, shutting the door.
"Hey—" Jack started.
She cut him off with a quiet "Shh."
Her eyes were sharp now, all the earlier awkwardness gone.
"Keep your voice down. Someone's watching us."
Before Jack could ask what she meant, a heavy thud echoed from outside.
A bootstep. Then another.
The first door to the restroom banged open.
Jack's stomach dropped.
Oh no… why did he follow me?
The footsteps came closer.
End of Chapter 3