Noah and Ron were both sitting in the front seats, silent and terrified. Their minds were still trying to process what the hell had just happened.
Suddenly, their ears were struck by a massive sound of falling debris. Noah hurriedly looked behind to see what had happened and saw that the upper half of the Freedom Tower had collapsed to the ground. The atmosphere around the collapsed tower was completely devoured by smoke. The only thing still visible was the fire, slowly taking over the remaining half of the tower.
Suddenly, many ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars passes over Ron's car. Noah was startled by the sound of so many sirens and the number of emergency vehicles rushing by.
After some time, Ron's car stopped in front of an old apartment building, about ten floors tall. Noah got out of the car. They remained silent, and without saying a word, Noah entered the apartment.
Inside, the walls and tiles were old and dull, some of them cracked. Straight ahead were the stairs, and to the right was the lift. Yellow Do Not Pass tape was wrapped around the lift, with a poster attached that read: "Still under construction. Do not enter." Noah took the stairs and silently reached the third floor.
After reaching the third floor, he turned left and walked down the corridor until he reached Room Number Twenty-Seven. He took the keys from his pocket, unlocked the door, and went inside.
It was a small room, in the same poor condition as the apartment building. A dusty closet stood in front of the door, and to the right of it was a small open kitchen. On the front right side was a door that led to a combined bathroom and toilet.
Noah was completely exhausted from the chaotic incident. He lay down on the floor. His mind was so stressed and tired that as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep.
———————————
In a dark and mysterious place where nothing was visible, someone was approaching. Their footsteps echoed through the emptiness. This was no ordinary group. They wore wooden masks and red cloaks. After walking a few steps, they bowed down.
One of them spoke in a respectful tone:
"We have done our work, and they aren't even thinking we were the ones who did it. Everything is going as you planned."
In front of them was a golden throne. Seated upon it was a man whose face was hidden in darkness. He spoke in a deep but calm voice:
"Did anyone notice you?"
One of the masked figures replied confidently:
"No one. People were too panicked to notice our car."
The man in the throne leaned back on his throne. He again ask the question but still was calm.
"I said—did anyone notice you? We don't want any suspects. Everything must go exactly as I want "
The room fell silent under his calmness. They knew his tone was calm but not his intentions
Suddenly, another masked figure with "shiny green eyes" spoke in a frightened voice:
"A man looked into our car, and he noticed my mask when I was inside the tower… That's all I noticed."
The man on the throne sighed irritably and said:
"We cannot afford a witness. I want you to kill him."
The masked figures looked at one another in confusion. One of them questioned him, hesitated and still remaining respectful:
"Only one man saw us. We shouldn't worry. After all, what can he do?"
The man stared at him, as if looking straight into his soul, and then spoke:
"Fate is a very interesting thing. Even when we expect nothing dangerous from a small mistake, fate can turn it into our destruction. I don't want the man who looked into your car roaming free. Even if he isn't suspicious of us—if he saw us, he must die. I don't want to play these kinds of games again. Go and kill him."
The masked figure standing in the middle bowed even lower and replied:
"Just as you wish…. Lord Yin"