Upon seeing Vanesa's belongings scattered across the ground in terror, her parents didn't hesitate to call the police. Similarly, faced with a sickening lack of certainty, Ima's parents also alerted the authorities. The group's night at the concert had ended at 8:00 PM; by 10:00 PM, Ima and Vanesa had been kidnapped; and by 10:30 PM, the police received two missing persons reports from different locations—remnants of a struggle that forced them to move with haste.
Despite their analysis, the initial group of officers couldn't draw enough conclusions due to their total lack of knowledge regarding the two missing teens. In their anguish, Vanesa's parents even began to blame Ima, suggesting he might be the kidnapper or that he had abandoned her. Driven by the uncertainty, the authorities contacted specialized units to dig into the backgrounds of the victims. It was thanks to this that they linked the case to Ima's past and called the detective who had interrogated him once before.
The detective arrived at the scene with a mix of professional detachment and curiosity. He made a few quick deductions, contacted his colleagues again, and finally—thanks to the speed of the reporting—realized that while one team was attending to Vanesa's parents, Ima's were dealing with another group of agents simultaneously. A chill ran down the detective's spine as the pieces clicked into place.
"I'll leave the scene to you, boys," he told the small group inspecting the belongings on the ground. "I already know what's happening here." He headed straight for his car and grabbed the radio.
By 11:00 PM, a task force had assembled to prepare for an emergency kidnapping response. The detective ensured someone stayed behind to handle the families, informing them only that he was certain he knew where the young pair could be.
"So, you finally decided to snap, huh?" he muttered aloud while driving. He keyed the radio. "This is an emergency requiring immediate attention. I'm requesting backup and an immediate search for suspect Barry Werkins; he is likely involved in the abduction of a male and a female minor."
II
A couple of hours later, near midnight, Ima woke up tied to a chair, his head spinning. He was dressed only in his underwear. In front of him, Vanesa lay on the floor, her hands and feet bound behind her back in a position far more agonizing than his own.
A profound dread washed over Ima as he saw her lying there, so defenseless, surrounded by a horrific environment. Faded walls, dark curtains covering the windows, flickering yellow lights, and the sound of something dripping slowly. No matter how violently he tried to thrash against his restraints or tip the chair to break it, he only succeeded in exhausting himself. He called out Vanesa's name loudly, but she remained unconscious.
"Vanesa, wake up!" The chair rocked back and forth but wouldn't fall. "Dammit!" He gritted his teeth, tensing every muscle. "Is someone there?! Why are you doing this to us?!"
Ima's screams echoed strangely through the room. They would have continued if not for the monstrous, crazed figure that emerged from the shadows.
"I see you're finally awake. I thought this would take longer, and I was starting to get anxious," Barry said, finally stepping into the light. "It was quite difficult carrying your bodies all the way here, though I'm grateful for the solitude of the trip... and this strange strength."
Ima couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't just fear; it was a horrific feeling of helplessness and cold. He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Barry… why are you doing this? I..."
"Silence!" Barry interrupted. He approached Vanesa with a metal bucket he'd grabbed from the same shadows. He doused her with it, and she jolted awake instantly.
"Good morning, Vanesa. How's the cold bath?" he mocked, while she began to scream in terror and cold. "Quiet. I won't do anything to you, but you're going to witness something grand. It all depends on the other idiot in the chair..."
Leaving Vanesa writhing on the floor, he turned toward Ima.
"Please, Barry! We can talk about this, you don't need to do this... if you don't stop, you won't get out of prison for a long time! Please!" Ima shouted, shaking his head.
"That doesn't matter anymore, Ima. Nothing matters now." Once he was close enough, Barry smiled grotesquely and landed a powerful punch directly into Ima's face. "This is my revenge, after all. I hope nothing interrupts us."
"Stop it, Barry!" Vanesa cried. "Please let us go... if you do, I promise we won't tell the police anything. They won't suspect you!" she offered, tears forming in her eyes.
"It's too late regardless. I've removed my ankle monitor; I threw it far from here wrapped in aluminum... I have plenty of time to do as I wish, because they'll come looking for me the moment they realize the monitor is gone. And when they don't see me there, they'll come here," he smiled again. "After all: I'll either be arrested or end up right here for what I'm about to do." He turned back to Ima. "Right. Let's begin."
He retreated into the shadows again, and suddenly, new lights flickered on the ceiling. He grabbed Vanesa and propped her up vertically. Then, with unusual strength, he moved Ima—chair and all—to a table directly under the light. On it, Ima saw objects that immediately made him fear the worst.
"Well, I have... two options for you. You choose, and I promise I will fulfill my part completely." He leaned against the table, fiddling with a soldering iron. "Do you offer to sacrifice yourself for the girl you love? Or would you prefer she suffers for you? You have five seconds to decide."
"Wait... what are you saying, Barry? This can't be real, can it?" Vanesa's voice began to break. "You can't put us against the wall like this! Please!"
"One!"
If only I hadn't relied so much on these abilities... If I had just stayed a loser, I wouldn't be in this situation. What do I do now?! I can't think of anything! Please, someone help me! Ima's mind generated one shiver after another; he felt a desperate urge to break something, to free himself, but nothing would work now.
"Two!"
"We can reach an agreement! If you need money, we can give it to you—whatever it is, please! Don't hurt either of us. Don't be a monster, Barry!"
"Three!"
"Ima, please, nothing will happen! I promise everything will be okay!" Vanesa's attention was fixed on him, her shadow cast over his pathetic, bound figure.
"Four!" Barry smiled, looking back and forth as they both seemed to break.
That's the only way... isn't it? God... he thought, and finally lifted his head.
"Leave her alone. I'm right here..." he muttered, his face cast in shadow.
An onomatopoeia—a notification—appeared before Ima's eyes:
<< You have made a significant decision! >>
Barry let out a laugh until he choked, tightening Ima's ropes even further. Ima could feel the friction starting to redden and raw his skin.
"Fine. Let's start with this." Barry placed the soldering iron he'd been playing with onto Ima's left leg and plugged it into a socket beneath the table. Finally, he turned to Vanesa and adjusted her bindings once more. "Make sure you don't look away from this."
Grabbing Vanesa's head, Barry ensured she wouldn't miss the first of the many tortures he would expose Ima to. The soldering iron on his leg had already disturbed Vanesa; she watched in horror as it scorched his skin, smoke rising steadily. Ima's screams were more than enough proof of the severe burns he began to suffer as the iron heated up.