Kai crouched low behind the steel railing of the rooftop, his eyes tracing the faint glow of the device in his hands. The pulse had shifted again, sharper now—almost deliberate. Someone was trying to anticipate their moves, testing boundaries.
Jax adjusted his stance beside him, scanning every alley and side street with meticulous precision. "They're getting bold," he muttered. "Trying to lure us out."
Kai's fingers hovered over the controls, steady, measured. "Boldness without understanding is recklessness," he replied. "And recklessness always leaves a mark."
A distant clatter echoed below—a metallic scrape, soft but unmistakable. Kai's eyes flicked down. A courier, moving too quickly, carrying a small case that hummed faintly. "There," he said quietly. "They just exposed themselves."
Jax's eyes narrowed. "You want to move now?"
Kai shook his head. "No. We watch. Let them make the next mistake. Every miscalculation gives us leverage. Patience is our weapon."
The pulse from the device flared again, and this time the rhythm was unmistakable—someone was adjusting their position, confident, unaware that their every motion was being logged, analyzed, and anticipated.
Kai traced the pattern carefully, noting the hesitation in their steps, the irregular timing, the micro-pauses. "Here," he whispered, pointing. "Their route isn't as clean as they think."
Jax followed his line of sight. "I see it. So what now?"
Kai's expression was sharp. "Now, we let them proceed just a bit further. The first misstep will come, and when it does, we exploit it fully. No reaction before it's earned."
Minutes passed. The courier moved forward, every step a calculated risk, yet missing one detail—the faint signal Kai had identified. With precise timing, Kai activated the device briefly. A subtle interference, barely noticeable, but enough to throw off the courier's path.
The result was immediate. A stumble, a falter, a momentary loss of rhythm. The courier hadn't known the trap was there. Kai and Jax observed silently from above, their patience paying off.
Kai exhaled softly. "There it is. First misstep. And now the board is ours to play."
Jax's eyes glimmered with anticipation. "I've been waiting for this."
Kai smiled faintly. "The city teaches in whispers, Jax. Every misstep, every hesitation—they all speak. And if we're listening carefully, we never lose."
The device pulsed steadily again, but now the rhythm was different—controlled. Kai and Jax had shifted from observers to directors, subtly guiding events without anyone noticing. The real game had begun.