Kínitos cut the engine and sat in the silence for a moment, staring at the industrial building ahead. 1247 Industrial Drive looked like every other warehouse in this part of the city—gray concrete walls, high windows dark with grime, and loading docks that hadn't seen a truck in years. But somewhere inside, Sarah was waiting. Somewhere inside, a killer was expecting him to walk through those doors. An obvious mouse trap.
He stepped out of the car, his hands shaking. The evening air carried the smell of rust and old oil. Train tracks ran behind the building, just like the first location, and he could hear the distant rumble of freight cars in the distance. His phone felt heavy in his pocket—he'd already texted Monty: Sarah got kidnapped. Need help. 1247 Industrial Drive. No response yet.
Kínitos stared at the building, paralyzed. What was he supposed to do? He wasn't trained for this. He didn't have powers he could control. He was just a guy with a boring office job who'd gotten dragged into something way over his head. Every instinct told him to call the police, but the killer's message had been clear—come alone. What if involving anyone else got Sarah killed?
"Shit I can't take that risk, I'm coming Sarah," he thought to himself
He spotted a fire escape on the side of the building, rusty but intact. Maybe he could… what? He had no idea. His heart hammered in his chest as he realized he was about to walk into a trap with no plan, no backup, and no clue what he was doing. from above, see what he was dealing with before—
"We lost them," Jade said, his fingers flying across three different keyboards simultaneously. Multiple monitors displayed heat signatures, satellite imagery, and communication feeds. "Dante's at the decoy location, and Kínitos just went dark on GPS."
Jes leaned against the wall of the command center, arms crossed, her expression grim. "The killer played us. Separated them perfectly." She shook her head. "This isn't random. Whoever's doing this knows how we operate."
"Actually," Jade said, pulling up another screen, "we got tricked, but I've still got eyes on Kínitos." A blinking red dot appeared on a map of the industrial district. "I planted a micro-tracker on him when he was unconscious after the hospital attack. Old habits."
Jes raised an eyebrow. "You bugged someone who wasn't even part of the team?"
"Good thing I did." Jade's fingers moved across another keyboard. "Dante's already en route to the real location. ETA two to three minutes." He looked up at Jes. "Kínitos just has to survive three minutes."
Kínitos took a deep breath and forced himself to move toward the building. The main entrance was too obvious—he circled around to a side door that hung slightly ajar. He slipped inside, trying to keep his footsteps quiet on the concrete floor.
The warehouse was a maze of old machinery and support pillars. Dust particles floated in shafts of dim light from the high windows. He moved from shadow to shadow, his heart pounding so loud he was sure everyone could hear it.
Then he heard voices—Sarah's muffled crying and a distorted voice from deeper in the building.
"I know you're in here, Kínitos," the killer's mechanically altered voice echoed through the warehouse. "No point in sneaking around. Come to the back room. Now. Or I start cutting."
Coming closer he peaks into the room. Kínitos's hand trembled as he slowly pushed the door open wider. The hinges creaked softly, but the sound was lost in the echo of the warehouse. He stepped inside, and the full horror of the situation hit him.
Sarah was tied to a metal chair at the far end of the room, positioned against the back wall like some twisted centerpiece. Her wrists were bound behind her, and her ankles were secured to the chair legs with thick rope. Duct tape covered her mouth, but her eyes were wide with terror and relief when she saw him. She tried to speak, the words muffled and desperate.
The killer stood between them, their back to Kínitos. The black tactical armor was even more intimidating up close—every piece fitted perfectly, designed for purely killing. The helmet completely obscured their identity, and when they moved, it was with the fluid confidence of someone who had done this before.
"Wait that military uniform, it's high tec, how the helm a random killer got his hand on a million dollar suit," he thought trying to make sense of all of this.
Slowly, deliberately, the killer reached into the open suitcase and withdrew a long, curved knife. The killer examining the edge with professional interest.
"I've waited a while to kill an unbound," the killer said, their voice distorted through the helmet's speakers.
"Shit what the hell he killed paradox's" Kínitos thought to himself
Sarah's muffled cries snapped him back to the present. The killer still hadn't turned around—they knew he was there, but they were playing with him, drawing out the moment.
"You can come in properly now, Kínitos," the killer continued, still focused on the knife. "No point lurking in doorways. We have so much to discuss."
Kínitos remained frozen in the doorway, his mind racing. He couldn't just walk in there—that would be suicide. His eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that could help him. Sarah's muffled cries grew more desperate as she saw his hesitation.
Then he spotted it. Near the entrance, partially hidden behind a fallen beam, was a piece of rebar—about three feet long and heavy enough to do some damage. It wasn't much, but it was better than going in empty-handed.
Kínitos took a careful step toward the metal rod, trying not to make any sudden movements. His fingers were almost around the cold steel when the killer's voice cut through the air.
"Fine," the killer sighed, the sound distorted and hollow through the helmet speakers. "If you're going to play hard to get, then I shall come for you."
The killer raised the blade and brought it down in a violent arc. The knife didn't just cut through the air—it sliced clean through the metal doorframe itself, splitting the reinforced steel as if it were paper. Sparks flew as the blade carved through the metal, leaving a perfectly clean cut that glowed red-hot at the edges. Kínitos mind flash back to the apartment attack and the hospital.
"Shit what do I do now," he said to himself
Kínitos dove backward, grabbing the rebar as he rolled. The killer stepped through the destroyed doorway, pieces of molten metal still dripping from where the blade had passed through.
"Now you see what you're dealing with," the killer said, advancing slowly. "This isn't some ordinary weapon. And you're not dealing with some ordinary person."
Not again Kínitos thought not again. His life was taken from him and now he's in a random warehouse facing a killer that killed paradox users. Out of his depth would be an understatement for this 9-5 office worker. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be real.
But Sarah's terrified whimpers from behind the killer were very real. She was still tied to that chair, still counting on him to save her, even though he was clearly outmatched by whatever this monster was.
The killer took another step forward, and Kínitos made his decision. He had to get back to the doorway—had to find some way to turn this around. Maybe if he could get the killer away from Sarah, maybe if he could buy some time…
Kínitos gripped the rebar tighter and lunged forward.
"All he has to do is survive for three minutes huh," Jes thought with a smile on her face "Hell he can survive a whole day Kínitos got this,"