2026-02-02 08:07:13The house hadn’t changed. That was the first thing Ethan noticed. Same porch light flickering like it always had.
Same wind chimes Maya insisted were “calming.” Same white curtains that never quite closed all the way. Comfort preserved. Like nothing had happened.
Ethan sat in the parked car across the street, engine off, hands resting loosely on the steering wheel. The encrypted phone lay face-up beside him, dark and silent. Observe. Do not engage.
He watched Maya move through the living room, phone pressed to her ear, pacing in slow circles. “No, Victor, I don’t care how it looks,” she said, voice faint through the glass. “I want to know where he is.”
She stopped pacing. Listened. Scoffed. “Don’t tell me to be patient. He doesn’t just disappear.”
Ethan tilted his head slightly. She still believed she mattered enough to be chased. Caleb appeared from the hallway, rubbing his face.
He took the phone from her hand.“Victor,” Caleb said, lowering his voice, “look… if he’s gone, isn’t that better for everyone?”
Maya snatched the phone back. “Better for who?”
“For you,” Caleb replied. “You won. He didn’t fight.”
“That’s the problem,” she snapped. “Derick always fought. About stupid things. About nothing.”
She turned toward the window. Ethan shifted lower in his seat, instinctively. Maya stared out for a second too long. Her brow creased. “Did you hear something?” she asked.
Caleb frowned. “Hear what?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It feels like”
She shook her head. “Never mind.”
Ethan exhaled slowly. Feeling wasn’t knowing. Not yet. The phone buzzed.
Unknown: What do you see?
Ethan typed with one hand. ''Comfort. Arrogance. No fear.''
Three dots blinked. ''Fear comes later.''
Ethan glanced back at the house. Maya dropped onto the couch, frustration spilling out of her body language. “I hate this,” she muttered. “He’s doing this on purpose.”
Caleb sat beside her. “You wanted him gone.”
“I wanted him predictable.”
Caleb didn’t respond. Ethan’s jaw tightened. Predictable. That was the word that buried him. The phone buzzed again. ''What do they believe?''
Ethan watched closely. Maya picked up her wine glass, took a long drink. “He’ll crawl back,” she said, more to herself than anyone else. “They always do.”
Caleb shifted. “You sure about that?”
She shot him a look. “You doubting me now?”
“No,” Caleb said quickly. “Just… thinking.”
“Don’t,” Maya replied. “Thinking makes people soft.”
Ethan smiled faintly. ''They believe I’m weak,'' he typed.
The reply came instantly. ''Good.''
A car pulled into the driveway. Ethan stiffened. A man stepped out. mid-thirties, clean-cut, confident walk. He adjusted his jacket like he belonged there.
Maya’s head snapped up. She stood quickly, smoothing her hair. Ethan felt something cold settle behind his eyes. The man entered without knocking. Caleb stood. “You said he wouldn’t come tonight.”
“He didn’t,” Maya replied, already smiling. “I changed my mind.”
The man kissed her cheek. Casual. Familiar. Ethan’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. The phone buzzed. ''Breathe.''
Ethan obeyed. The man laughed loudly. “You look tense.”
Maya rolled her eyes playfully. “Long day.”
“You still dealing with him?” the man asked.
Caleb’s shoulders stiffened. “Who?” Maya said.
“Derick,” the man replied. “Or whatever his name is.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. Maya waved dismissively. “He’s gone.”
The man smirked. “Good. He was dead weight.”
Silence hung in the room. Caleb looked away. Ethan memorized the man’s face. ''New variable'', he typed. ''Identify.''
A few seconds passed.
Already known.
History: short-term patterns. Opportunistic.
Weakness: ego.
Ethan watched Lucas stretch out on the couch like he owned it. Lucas chuckled. “You know what I liked about him?”
Maya glanced at him. “What?”
“He made me look impressive,” Lucas said. “Next to him, anyone does.”
Maya laughed. That laugh. Ethan didn’t move. Didn’t blink. The phone buzzed again. Emotion detected. Suppress.
Ethan swallowed. Acknowledged.
Lucas leaned forward. “So what happens now?”
Maya shrugged. “Now I upgrade.”
Caleb stood abruptly. “I need air.”
He walked toward the door. Ethan tensed. Caleb stepped outside, rubbing his neck. He scanned the street absentmindedly. For half a second, his eyes passed over Ethan’s car. Then paused.
Ethan lowered his head just enough for the shadow to cut his face. Caleb squinted. “Get a grip,” Caleb muttered to himself.
He lit a cigarette and turned away. Ethan released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The phone buzzed. ''You were almost seen.''
Noted. Adjustment required.
Caleb exhaled smoke and stared up at the night sky. “I feel like we messed up,” Caleb said quietly.
Maya’s voice floated out through the open door. “You always feel like that. It’s why people walk over you.”
Caleb flinched. Lucas laughed. “She’s got a point.”
Caleb crushed the cigarette under his shoe. “Yeah. Guess she does.”
Ethan watched guilt settle into Caleb’s posture like a weight. Weakness wasn’t cruelty. It was pressure. The phone buzzed again. ''What do you feel?''
Ethan didn’t answer immediately. He watched Maya lean into Lucas. Watched the house glow warmly behind them. Finally, he typed: Nothing loud.
A pause. ''That’s progress.''
Ethan shifted his gaze to the street beyond the house. Movement caught his eye. A black SUV rolled slowly past, then parked two houses down.
Engine stayed on. Ethan’s pulse picked up. The phone buzzed again. ''Do you see it?''
''Yes.''
''Good. They’re watching too.''
Ethan’s brow furrowed. ''Who?''
The reply took longer. ''Not everyone believes Derick Hale vanished on his own.''
Ethan’s grip tightened. The SUV door opened slightly. Closed again. Someone inside was waiting. Maya’s laughter rang out again.
Lucas said something Ethan couldn’t hear, but Maya slapped his arm playfully. Caleb stayed outside, pacing. Three players. One observer. One shadow.
The phone buzzed. ''Decision point approaching.''
Ethan stared at the house. ''I’m not supposed to engage. Correct.''
Then what’s the decision?
The dots blinked longer this time. ''Who sees you first.''
Ethan’s gaze flicked to the SUV. The window lowered a fraction. A face inside turned toward Ethan’s car. Ethan and the stranger locked eyes across the distance.
The phone buzzed one last time. ''Drive. Now.''
Ethan started the engine. The SUV’s headlights flared on. Behind him, in the house, Maya suddenly froze. “I just got chills,” she said.
Lucas frowned. “From what?”
Maya walked toward the window. Outside, Ethan pulled into traffic, calm and precise. The SUV followed. Maya stared into the night, heart pounding for reasons she couldn’t explain. “Derick?” she whispered.
Miles away, Ethan Black smiled for the first time. Not because he was seen. But because the game had noticed him back.
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CHAPTER 9 — WHEN GHOSTS BLEED
The engine growled as Ethan pushed the car past its comfort. Red lights blurred into streaks. The city bent around him, familiar roads turning sharp and narrow as he cut through traffic with ruthless precision.He didn’t use sirens. Didn’t need them. Fear cleared paths faster than authority ever could. Jonas’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Teams are five minutes out.”“Too long,” Ethan replied.“You’re not equipped for direct engagement.”Ethan turned hard onto Maya’s street. “I’m equipped for inevitability.”Silence followed. Jonas knew better than to argue now. Ethan parked three buildings down, engine still running.He stepped out, jacket unzipped, movements unhurried. Anyone watching would mistake him for another late-night passerby. That mistake would cost them.He crossed the street, eyes scanning reflections, windows, parked cars, puddles of old rain. The building loomed ahead, lights dark except for one apartment on the third floor. Maya’s.The front door was ajar. Eth
CHAPTER 8 — THE PRICE OF BEING HEARD
Lucas liked to talk when he felt safe. Ethan had learned that years ago, back when Lucas still borrowed money and promised repayment with dramatic sincerity.Now, safety looked different. It was confidence inflated by victory, by the belief that Derick Hale was dead and buried. That belief made men sloppy.The feed played silently on the wall. Lucas paced his apartment, phone pressed to his ear, drink in his other hand. His laughter was loud, careless.The kind that came from thinking the storm had passed. Jonas watched Ethan from the corner of his eye. “We can mute the audio if you want.”“No,” Ethan said.Jonas nodded to a technician. Sound filled the room. “…telling you, man, it’s clean,” Lucas said. “No body, no mess. Guy just cracked. Happens all the time.”Ethan’s jaw tightened, just a fraction. Jonas leaned closer. “You recognize the voice on the other end?”Ethan listened. The voice was distorted, filtered, but the cadence was sharp. Professional. Curious. “No,” Ethan said. “B
CHAPTER 7 — ECHOES PEOPLE CAN’T EXPLAIN
Ethan didn’t leave immediately. That was the first deviation. He stood just outside the building, under the wash of white security lights, letting the city’s night air cool his skin.The rooftop’s laughter still echoed faintly above him, distorted by glass and height. The phone vibrated.Unknown: You were instructed to exit.Ethan typed with one hand. ''I did. I just didn’t vanish.''A pause. ''Careful.''Ethan slipped the phone into his pocket and stepped into the street. He walked instead of driving. That was the second deviation.The city rewarded walkers with truths drivers missed, arguments spilling out of bars, quiet deals in shadows, the real rhythm beneath curated noise.Ethan moved with the crowd, head down, posture unremarkable. His reflection appeared in a shop window. Adrian Cole looked comfortable. That disturbed him.A familiar voice cut through the air behind him. “Hey.”Ethan didn’t turn. The voice came closer. “Adrian.”He stopped. Caleb stood a few feet away, jacket
CHAPTER 6 — A FACE THAT DOESN’T EXIST
The file arrived at 4:03 a.m. Ethan was still under the overpass, engine off, city noise muffled by concrete and distance. The encrypted phone vibrated once, no warning, no urgency.He opened it. Identity Packet — ACTIVEA face appeared first. Not his. Mid-thirties. Clean haircut. Forgettable in a way that felt intentional. The kind of face people remembered only after it left the room, and even then, vaguely.Name: Adrian ColeOccupation: Independent logistics consultantHistory: Plausible. Boring. Verified.Digital Footprint: Eight years. Clean.Social Access Level: ModerateFlags: NoneEthan scrolled. Bank accounts. Rental history. Travel stamps. A handful of photos at networking events. Smiling beside people who didn’t matter. “Adrian Cole,” Ethan murmured.The phone buzzed. Unknown: Say it.Ethan didn’t hesitate. “I’m Adrian Cole.”Good.Tonight, you’ll attend a gathering, Invitation already sent.Ethan frowned. To who?The reply came with a location pin. His old world. Maya’s wo
CHAPTER 5 — WHEN SHADOWS MOVE
The SUV stayed two car lengths behind him. Not close enough to be aggressive. Not far enough to be coincidence.Ethan merged smoothly into traffic, posture relaxed, hands steady on the wheel. Speed didn’t change. Breathing didn’t change. Panic was loud, and he had already buried loud things.The encrypted phone vibrated once. Unknown: Confirm tail.Ethan checked the rearview mirror casually, like any bored commuter. Headlights. Same grille. Same patience. Confirmed, he typed.Good. Don’t lose them.Ethan’s lips twitched. So this was the lesson. He turned left at the next light. The SUV followed. Right turn. Followed.Three blocks later, Ethan slowed just enough to let a taxi slide between them. The SUV adjusted instantly. Professional.The city stretched out around him, late-night Lagos energy still alive. Street vendors closing up. Music bleeding from open windows. Neon signs flickering like tired eyes.Ethan didn’t rush. He let the SUV believe it had control. The phone buzzed again.
CHAPTER 4 — WATCHING WITHOUT BEING SEEN
The house hadn’t changed. That was the first thing Ethan noticed. Same porch light flickering like it always had.Same wind chimes Maya insisted were “calming.” Same white curtains that never quite closed all the way. Comfort preserved. Like nothing had happened.Ethan sat in the parked car across the street, engine off, hands resting loosely on the steering wheel. The encrypted phone lay face-up beside him, dark and silent. Observe. Do not engage.He watched Maya move through the living room, phone pressed to her ear, pacing in slow circles. “No, Victor, I don’t care how it looks,” she said, voice faint through the glass. “I want to know where he is.”She stopped pacing. Listened. Scoffed. “Don’t tell me to be patient. He doesn’t just disappear.”Ethan tilted his head slightly. She still believed she mattered enough to be chased. Caleb appeared from the hallway, rubbing his face.He took the phone from her hand.“Victor,” Caleb said, lowering his voice, “look… if he’s gone, isn’t that
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