In Ron's house, Ron lay on the carpet in front of the main door, injured and unconscious, barely breathing. Behind him stood two masked figures. One of them was talking into a walkie-talkie, while the other—the one with the shiny green eyes—adjusted her mask and pointed a gun at Ron, about to pull the trigger.
The one speaking into the walkie-talkie tried to sound tough, but fear trembled in his voice as he spoke:
"We tried our best… but he escaped with the help of that girl and that injured man… We are—we are sorry!!! Don't worry, we will find them both and kill them… Yeah… yeah… I can't even believe that injured man managed to fight back while being in such a condition…"
(He sighed.)
"But we are going to kill him too."
Before the masked figure beside him could pull the trigger—
"Wait!!"
The masked figure stopped her.
"Superior wants us to bring that man," he said in a serious tone.
—————————————————
Noah and Emma rushed toward the police station, sweat pouring down their faces, their expressions terrified and worried.
As soon as they arrived, they were shocked by the sheer size of the crowd. People were pushing each other violently just to file their reports. Some shouted at police officers, demanding action, while the officers struggled to control the chaos. Police phones rang nonstop. Everything inside the station was a mess.
Some people screamed,
"My loved ones are missing!!! What are you doing?!"
Others yelled,
"The companies aren't accepting insurance!!! Do something about it!!"
After the Freedom Tower terrorist attack, many people had gone missing or were severely injured. They had all come to file complaints, resulting in this uncontrollable crowd.
Emma and Noah looked at each other, puzzled and helpless. They knew that even reaching a single officer would require pushing through the crowd—and even then, there was no guarantee the officer would help them.
Noah, now overwhelmed, said in an angry tone:
"I've had enough of this!!! I'm going to save Ron all by myself!!"
With that, he rushed out toward Ron's house.
Emma tried to stop him.
"Wait… Noah!!!"
She tried her best, but failed. Having no other option, Emma decided to follow him.
They soon reached Ron's house. Noah was huffing, desperate to save his only childhood friend. Emma, who followed closely behind, tried once more to stop him.
"Noah… please!!! You can't do this!!!"
Noah reached Ron's front door, scared but determined. He tried to open it—
—but froze when he realized the door was locked.
Hopeless, he searched around the house, but there was no other way inside.
Suddenly, Emma noticed something written on the right side of the door in red ink.
"Noah… there's a message."
Noah stepped closer. He noticed it too and began to read:
"You should have never seen us, but fate disagreed.Your friend has already paid the price for your mistake, and soon both of you will.
Enjoy this night, Noah and Emma."
Noah finished reading. His blood boiled with anger. Emma, meanwhile, grew more worried—not only about Ron, but about Noah's mental state.
Some time later, Emma was at Noah's apartment.
"I didn't know we lived so close," she said, trying to lighten the tension.
But Noah wasn't in the mood for small talk.
He handed Emma a bowl of microwave pasta he had just made. She took it and sighed. Noah noticed her expression.
"I'm trying to stay calm… but Ron is my only childhood friend. He was always there for me, helped me in every situation. And now, when he needs me the most…"
(His voice broke.)
"I can't help him."
Emma gently placed her hand on Noah's cheek and smiled.
"I don't know exactly how you're feeling… but I promise I'll do my best to help you. We will find Ron."
Noah smiled back.....