The precinct smelled of paper, coffee, and tension. Rain streaked windows, casting long reflections over walls covered in maps, photos, and timelines. Arata stared at the wall, his fingers tracing a series of interconnected lines.
"Every victim… every crime… it's all connected," he muttered. "Someone is orchestrating these murders with access to information only an insider could have. But who?"
Officer Raghav peered over his shoulder. "Sir… are you saying the Reaper is… someone we know?"
Arata's jaw tightened. "Yes… and they're clever, methodical… and always one step ahead."
Lucian walked through the crowded streets, his golden hair glinting under neon lights. He smiled, joked, flirted, and laughed—but each laugh was hollow, his eyes flickering black every few moments. Kane's presence was growing stronger.
Sera followed discreetly, noticing the subtle shifts. "Lucian… stop pretending. You're not fine," she whispered under her breath.
Inside his mind, the battle raged:
Kane, cold and ruthless, demanding action and judgment
Lucian, playful and romantic, fighting to retain control
Arata's moral, disciplined voice, urging restraint in some subconscious way
A shadow of fear settled over Lucian. Every step felt like walking a tightrope over a city that could collapse around him at any moment.
Back at the precinct, Arata noticed a chilling pattern. Every Ribbon Reaper victim had been previously reported in cases he had handled. Every target was known to him—but the Reaper always struck before he could act.
He traced the timestamps, the locations, the methods. "It's like… they're reading my mind," he whispered.
The thought was terrifying. Someone is always one step ahead… and it feels personal.
That night, Lucian strolled near a busy street corner. A man who had been involved in trafficking crossed his path. Lucian's grin faltered, and for a heartbeat, his eyes went completely black. Kane had taken control.
The man froze, sensing danger. Kane's presence surged. Within moments, the crimson ribbon marked the man's crimes. He trembled, terror etched into every line of his body.
Sera, watching from the shadows, gasped. She saw the shift, the deadly precision that wasn't Lucian. Fear gripped her heart—this was no longer playful, this was something darker.
Whispers of the Ribbon Reaper spread faster than the rain could fall. Some hailed him as a god of justice. Others feared him as a harbinger of death. The public was divided, and criminals began to tread carefully, sensing a judgment they could not escape.
Lucian, drenched and trembling, returned to the rooftop. Sera confronted him. "Tell me the truth… what's happening inside you?"
He forced a weak laugh. "I'm… fine. Really."
But deep down, he knew: the three personalities were spinning dangerously out of control, and the city's fate rested on whether he could hold them together.