Kelvin and his friend didn't speak for a long time after escaping the warehouse. They kept walking through narrow streets, changing direction often, afraid that even the sound of their footsteps might give them away. Every passing car made Kelvin tense, and every stranger felt like a possible enemy.
"Where are we going?" Kelvin finally asked.
"Somewhere quiet," his friend replied. "Somewhere they won't expect."
They arrived at a small abandoned bus stop at the edge of the city. The old building was cracked and covered in graffiti, but it was empty.
Kelvin sat on one of the broken benches, trying to calm his racing heart.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep running," he said.
"You don't have a choice," his friend replied. "Not anymore."
Kelvin pulled out the flash drive and stared at it."My father knew this would happen… he prepared for it. But I don't even know where to begin."
His friend sighed."Then we start by understanding the enemy."
Kelvin opened his laptop again. This time, he went deeper into the files. He found hidden logs and encrypted folders his father had protected with layers of security.
One folder stood out.
THE WATCHERS
Kelvin clicked it.
Dozens of images appeared. Surveillance photos of powerful people meeting in secret. Politicians. CEOs. Military officers. Even famous public figures.
"They're everywhere," Kelvin whispered.
His friend looked over his shoulder."That means no one can be trusted."
Kelvin found another file — a voice recording. His father's voice played softly through the laptop speakers.
"They call themselves the Watchers. They don't rule with weapons. They rule with information. If you control what people know, you control the world."
Kelvin's stomach turned.
"So they're watching me right now," he said.
"Yes," his friend replied. "They probably know we escaped."
Suddenly, Kelvin's phone vibrated again.
Unknown Number:"You are clever, Kelvin. But clever people still make mistakes."
Kelvin's blood ran cold.
"They know my name."
Another message followed.
"We let you run… because we wanted to see where you would go."
Kelvin felt sick.
"They've been playing with us," he whispered.
A strange feeling hit Kelvin — the sense of being observed. Slowly, he looked up.
A small red light blinked above the bus stop ceiling.
"A camera," his friend whispered.
Kelvin jumped up."We need to leave. Now!"
They ran out into the street, but Kelvin could feel it — they were no longer running away.
They were being hunted.
Hours later, they reached a crowded marketplace. People moved everywhere, shouting and bargaining. For the first time, Kelvin felt slightly safer.
"They won't attack us here," his friend said. "Too many witnesses."
Kelvin nodded, but his phone vibrated again.
"Crowds don't protect secrets."
Kelvin clenched his teeth.
"What do they want?" he whispered.
His friend stared at him."They want the flash drive."
Kelvin looked at it.
"And if I give it to them?"
"They'll kill you anyway."
Kelvin swallowed.
"Then we fight."
Kelvin returned to the files. His father had left instructions hidden inside the system.
One message appeared on the screen:
"Kelvin, if they are already after you, then the time for hiding is over. You must find the Archive. It contains proof of everything."
Kelvin's heart raced.
"The Archive," he said. "That's what we need."
His friend nodded."If we get that, the Watchers are finished."
Kelvin closed the laptop.
"For the first time, I don't feel powerless anymore," he said. "I feel… angry."
And anger was dangerous.
Far away, in a dark room filled with glowing screens, several figures watched Kelvin's image on a monitor.
"He is learning too quickly," one of them said.
"Let him," another replied calmly. "Hope makes people reckless."
"Should we move against him now?"
The leader smiled.
"No. Not yet. Let the game continue."
Kelvin had no idea.
But the enemy was no longer hiding.
They were watching.