«Sometimes honesty and transparency, even at the minimum, can be detrimental to any plan, even mine; that is why deception is a must.»
Within a large hotel somewhere in District Forty Two was a room of faint interest.
The hotel room was small but cozy, with dim lighting and a minimalist decor.
It consisted of a queen-sized bed, a compact desk by the window, and a single armchair in the corner.
The walls of this room were painted in a soft beige, and the curtains were drawn, letting in only a sliver of the city's glow.
On the bed, a woman with short black hair lay curled up against a man with blonde hair, her head resting gently on his chest.
Her hair was slightly messy, the strands brushing his chin as she shifted closer, eyes closed in a quiet moment of peace.
One of her legs was tangled with his, and her hand rested lightly on his side, painting a peaceful picture for any observer.
Of course, this woman was Lia, and the man she was leaning on was Andrew Vermont, the rich kid.
"Ring!"
Her phone suddenly began to ring, waking her up from her slumber. Her form stretched like a tired kitten.
"Hewo?" She yawned into the line, her voice faint as she let out a breath.
"Hey babe," a voice came through the other end its tone soft and caring.
Lia recognized this voice immediately, her form sitting up in shock as she glanced at the man sitting beside her. "Valen," she hummed before asking, "is there—"
"There's something I have to tell you," Mr. Valen cut her short, almost like he did not hear her, his tone leaving a pause.
Letting out a breath, Lia calmed down, noting that Mr. Valen had no idea, her tone calm, "Yeah, what is it?"
"I love you—"
"Beep!"
His voice was followed by a long beep signifying the end of the call, and at the same moment, Andrew stirred awake.
"Hey stranger," his voice trailed from behind with a deep growl, but Lia did not answer, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Is there a problem?" Andrew asked as he noticed Lia's expression, but still no response.
Turning on the TV, she leaned in and kissed Andrew on the forehead, her eyes locked on his form as she said. "It's fine, it's just-"
"Wait a moment, isn't that Valen?" Andrew suddenly interrupted, his eyes narrowed to slits.
His words earned him a laugh of amusement from Lia, who spoke while looking at him, "Haha, very funny, you got me."
"I'm not joking turn up the volume," Andrew intoned while pointing at the TV.
As Lia glanced at the TV, she noticed a picture of Valen on it, and in the next moment, her eyes widened as well.
[Unprecedented events shook the city this morning. At approximately 9:00 AM, police responded to a noise complaint in a quiet residential area. Upon arrival, officers discovered two deceased individuals and traces of blood belonging to an unidentified third person.]
[Forensic analysis later confirmed the blood belonged to a 25-year-old orphan named Valen. Authorities immediately tracked the suspect to his workplace, where they discovered an ongoing robbery.]
[Despite police intervention, Valen managed to evade capture, abandoning his partners, leading police on a high-speed pursuit that culminated in a local shopping mall. In a bizarre twist, Valen vanished without a trace inside the complex.]
[Our reporters remain on-site at the scene, where police are continuing their search. Until further updates, we bring you exclusive footage from the chase that has left the city stunned.]
The footage transitioned to pre-recorded scenes of Mr. Valen performing daring stunts in a chase.
Meanwhile, both Andrew and Lia visibly gaped, with Andrew turning to Lia, his face paling. "What the fuck... this is the kind of guy you're cheating on? Do you want him to fucking kill me?"
To his words, Lia did not answer; instead, she packed her things, changed swiftly, and stormed out of the hotel room.
From her purse, she retrieved a second phone, which she turned on quickly, and upon turning it on, she noticed about sixty mixed calls from an unknown number.
"Buzz!"
As though sensing that her phone was on, this unknown number called again, and when she picked up, a very annoyed voice came through.
"You are bold girl to ignore me," the voice intoned before adding, "You fail me as Lexa did. You were supposed to watch him. How could you not know the boy had awakened?"
Obviously, this voice belonged to Vald, his tone threatening.
Upon hearing this voice, Lia trembled a bit taking a deep breath to quell her confusion.
"I-I'm sorry, sir, but he didn't show any signs," Lia stammered, biting her lip. "He called me just now—"
"He called you?" Vlad cut her short before asking. "Haha, all men are fools in love. He called you with his normal number?"
"Yes—"
"Beep!"
A long beep could be heard as soon as Vlad got confirmation leaving Lia confused in the bright hallway.
--------------
Meanwhile.
"Vroom!" A police car and two luxury cars pulled up at a familiar abandoned factory.
It was the same factory where the rift had appeared before, and also the place where Mr. Valen had requested his materials be delivered.
Quickly, Chief Richard and the two Wizards stepped out of the car, a certain tension among their ranks.
One thing to note was the fact that Chief Richard was brandishing a heavy shotgun.
"You sure he's here?" Sir Walter suddenly asked, his robe flickering in the wind, but Chief Richard did not respond; instead, he ran into the building, Sir Smith following behind.
"What's the rush?" Sir Walter muttered before also moving with exceptional speed, catching up to them in an instant.
Reaching the entrance of the factory, Chief Richard's boots hit the dusty concrete floor with a heavy thud, the weight of his weapon slowing his steps.
The air was stale, filled with the biting stench of oxidized metal, mold, and something faintly sour, like spoiled meat.
Behind him, Sir Smith and Sir Walter moved with a presence that didn't require sound.
Their crimson eyes glowed faintly even in the dim light, and though neither spoke, the heavy atmosphere seemed to ripple around them like heat waves.
Though Chief Richard did not like them, he had to admit that their presence was reassuring.
There was an unspoken understanding, if danger presented itself, these two would level the building without breaking stride.
And even if Mr. Valen managed to escape by what could only be described as sheer luck, officers hidden in shadowy alcoves around the factory would intercept him.
They cleared the first floor quickly, but even then, Chief Richard had no intention of slowing down.
"To the second floor," he barked, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
Heeding his words they moved, the staircase groaning in protest as the three ascended, flakes of rust falling like dirty snow with every step.
The second floor was the same—dusty and littered with large hollow crates here and there—but in the far corner, illuminated by the sun's bleeding light, lay a figure.
It was a man in a black hoodie, lying sprawled on a makeshift bed of crushed cardboard and tattered blankets.
They had found him.
The moment they entered, this man's shoulders stiffened, as though sensing their presence.
He did not move, nor did he speak. He only shivered slightly, as though touched by a cold wind.
And yet his disposition mattered not to the group.
"Stand up," Chief Richard ordered coldly, his shotgun locked on his prey. His expression was a mix of agitation and curiosity.
He was finally about to meet the man who had caused him so much trouble.
The sleeping man obeyed the Chief's words and got up slowly, painfully.
Each of his movements was uncoordinated, like his limbs weren't fully his to control, like he was weakened.
His back remained to them, hunched and trembling. When he finally turned, the sight was almost pitiful.
His face was lined with grime and exhaustion; hollow cheeks twitched involuntarily as his lips parted for air.
Yellowed eyes darted between the three men, unable to focus on one of them, his form trembling in fear.
His stench hit them a second later—sour sweat, urine, and weeks of rot—causing Richard to instinctively pull his head back slightly.
This man was not Mr. Valen but a homeless man who had taken shelter in this factory.
"The heck," Sir Smith cursed, his brows furrowed.
Sir Walter also bit his lip in annoyance, walking in a small circle as he caressed his temple.
Chief Richard, on the other hand, despite his annoyance, did not show it. Instead, he retrieved his phone from his pocket and, with a pointing gesture, said, "Have you seen this man?"
He displayed a photo showing a high-definition image of Mr. Valen.
At the sight of the photo, the homeless man's pupils dilated.
He gasped audibly, drawing in a shaky breath that rattled in his chest.
Seeing such a reaction, Chief Richard glanced at Sir Smith, who narrowed his eyes, waiting for the man to speak. "H-Him, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's him..." he began, his tone revealing not so subtly his mental instability, his voice shaky and trailing off. "He... him the smart one... Like a shadow, that one."
As he spoke, he pointed a finger at the image, his eyes aglow with a certain fondness. "He gave me food, many many foods. He gave me warm clothes. He told me I could sleep here... Said it was safe, said he would come back with more food..." His voice suddenly rose to a yell. "BUT IT HAS BEEN A WEEK! NO FOOD!"
"He told you to sleep here?" Chief Richard asked, narrowing his eyes, his voice grave.
As though sensing the change in Chief Richard's mood the man jerked, hugging himself and backing away into the shadows.
At that moment, Sir Walter leaned slightly toward Sir Smith and murmured what everyone was already thinking: "He expected us."
Meanwhile, Chief Richard stared hard at the homeless man, gears turning behind his cold expression. 'If what this guy is saying is true,' he thought, 'then Valen purposely dropped this location with the Magentas, hoping we'd show. But why?'
Though Chief Richard asked, the answer was clear as day: Mr. Valen was diverting their attention, buying time. But what did he plan to achieve with it?
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, Chief Richard felt his phone vibrate, and on it was an unknown number. Without thinking much, he picked up the call.
"Hello, Sir Vlad," he intoned, knowing who was at the other end.
Sir Vlad didn't seem surprised Chief Richard knew it was him. Instead, he spoke, going straight to business. "While the lot of you dance like headless chickens, I have found him."
"So capture him yourself," Chief Richard said with a scoff knowing all too well Vlad was unable to.
It was illegal for Wizards or Witches to interfere in police matters, and even though they broke this law constantly, they never did it openly.
With a pause, Sir Vlad continued his voice deep, "Though the boy is smart, he is fool in love. I use his recent call with his lady friend to trace his location."
"So where is he?' Chief Richard asked inquisitively while gazing at Sir Smith and Sir Walter.
"He is in a small hotel, South of the District. I track him with my contacts in the service provider industry. I'll send you his location now."