In the city of science, Skyla, a young man named Sam was staring at his book with visible boredom, while the teacher stood at the front of the class explaining the lesson in a monotonous voice.
Sam was not listening.
He was silently blaming himself; because he had shown his excellence more than he should have, and because he allowed them to see in him a rare mind, the result was his scholarship to Skyla at the age of sixteen.
If only he had pretended to be a little bit stupid… if only he had hidden his intelligence, he would have stayed in his country, far from this cold place, and these faces that meant nothing to him.
Suddenly, from the classroom window, he glimpsed something strange.
Something like a ring… falling from the school roof.
At that same moment, the teacher's voice rose:
— Sam! Focus with us on the lesson, it is very important.
Sam jumped, feeling that all eyes had turned toward him.
He said quickly, trying to steady his voice:
— Yes, of course, teacher… I apologize for what happened a moment ago.
The teacher waved his hand indifferently:
— No need to apologize. Alright, let us continue the lesson.
The explanation resumed, but Sam was no longer mentally present.
He felt a suffocating annoyance from the students' stares that remained fixed on him until the session ended, and the school day finally came to a close.
Sam hurried out to the courtyard, his eyes searching unconsciously.
And there… he saw it again.
The ring.
It was on the ground, but this time covered in blood.
He hesitated for a moment, then approached, leaned over, and picked it up. He began to examine it carefully; the blood was not old, nor was it dry.
Carrying the ring, he climbed to the school roof, searching with his eyes for any trace of its owner… but he found no one.
Only scattered bloodstains, as if something had suddenly disappeared.
Sam ignored the matter, or so he convinced himself, and left the place, the ring in his pocket.
On his way to his apartment, he encountered a girl named Layla.
She said with a smile:
— Wow, Sam? You're here? I expected you to go to the gaming cafe as usual.
He answered with cold calmness:
— No… I just want to sleep.
Layla fell silent for a moment, then began walking beside him. They lived in the same building, neighbors for some time.
But Sam was annoyed by her presence, and as soon as they entered the building, he ignored her completely and walked away.
Layla stopped in her tracks, looking at him in surprise, while he had already disappeared.
On the way to his apartment, he encountered old Nicholas.
He said in a hoarse voice:
— You annoying boy… do not make noise.
Sam did not respond.
He entered his apartment, closed the door behind him, and took out his phone.
He sat on the sofa and started playing indifferently, until he suddenly froze.
The ring.
He took it out of his pocket, stared at it for a long time, then said in a low voice:
— I feel something strange from you… I don't know what it is, but your blood-covered appearance…
He suddenly smiled an unnatural smile, a cold, psychopathic smile.
— Wonderful… truly wonderful.
— I missed solving cases.
At that moment, a sharp alarm rang out.
It wasn't just from his phone… but from everywhere in the building.
Sam's eyes widened, and he opened his phone quickly.
A warning message appeared:
Emergency Alert: Radioactive chemical explosion inside the city of Skyla.
The blood froze in his veins.
As the sirens wailed in the neighboring buildings, Sam slowly raised his head, pressing the ring between his fingers until it sank into his skin, then whispered in a voice filled with both panic and pleasure:
— It seems that the entire city… has become a perfect crime scene.