In no time, Liang Wei, Jed, Kon, and their comrade Mark arrived in front of a secluded standalone house. Kon was the wielder of the "Control" element, while Mark, his body nearly fully mechanical, was a bona fide cyborg—essentially an indestructible force.
The house was tightly cordoned off with yellow tape, the air thick with tension.
"Ninjas? What are you doing here?" The guards at the front gate looked genuinely surprised.
"Your captain requested our presence," Jed replied coldly, his face expressionless.
"I see... Please, come in." The guard immediately removed the tape, ushering them inside.
Ninjas frequently assisted law enforcement in tackling high-level criminal cases. Their presence often signaled hope. If not for them, many of the toughest cases would still be unsolved. Police officers held them in great respect.
"Thank you," Jed nodded, leading the group inside. The others followed closely.
The moment they stepped in, a chilling scene greeted them—a corpse lying at the center of the living room, blood splattered across the floor like a gruesome canvas. Officers bustled about, photographing every inch of the house, careful not to miss a single detail.
"Ah, Liang Wei. You made it," the chief inspector called out upon noticing their arrival.
"What kind of messed-up case is this?" Liang Wei crouched beside the body, examining it. His eyes widened slightly—deep knife wounds covered the corpse, especially concentrated on the head, abdomen, and heart. The cuts were so deep, the bone was exposed in places.
"The victim's name is Zachary, 35 years old. A senior government official. He's been in office for about ten years. From what we've gathered, he was well-liked, no known enemies," the chief explained, flipping through his notes.
"Sure doesn't look like someone died in peace. These wounds aren't random—they're precise, deliberate. Someone really wanted him dead. This looks personal." Liang Wei looked up, his brows furrowed.
Mark stood silently beside the body, his expression unreadable, but his eyes filled with suspicion.
"You see something?" Jed noticed Mark's reaction instantly.
"There's something... odd," Mark muttered, kneeling closer. "It's like... there are mechanical components inside him."
"You mean... he's like you? A cyborg?" Jed asked, surprised.
Mark shook his head slowly. "Not exactly."
The tension in the room spiked. Silence hung heavy in the air until two nurses entered, breaking the uneasy stillness.
"We're here to move the body for autopsy," one of them announced.
"Go ahead," Liang Wei said, standing up. "I've seen enough for now."
As the nurses approached to lift the corpse, a sharp "click" echoed from within the body.
"Stop! Put it down! Get down!" Kon shouted instinctively, sensing something horribly wrong.
Before anyone could react, flames burst from the corpse's chest. The nurses screamed as the fire scorched their hands, forcing them to drop the body.
Liang Wei lunged forward, shielding the nurses, while Jed and Mark threw themselves on top of the other officers.
A split-second later, the corpse exploded from the inside—charred flesh and shrapnel rained across the room. The blast knocked over a nearby bookshelf, crashing it into the only exit and sealing the door shut. Burning debris landed on flammable furniture, and in mere moments, the entire house was engulfed in flames.
"Is everyone okay?!" Liang Wei cried, helping the nurses to their feet. Thankfully, their injuries were superficial.
"We're fine, but we have to get out—now," Jed said, pulling another officer to his feet.
Everyone's eyes were suddenly drawn to one of the walls. The flames licked upward, illuminating a cryptic message written in faint letters:
"Even in believe, there's a lie."
A chilling line that sent shivers down their spines. What was the killer trying to say? What lie was hidden beneath the surface?
There was no time to ponder. Survival came first.
"What's going on in there?! Are you alright?! Backup is on the way!" shouted a guard from outside.
"We can't wait. This place could come down any minute!" Mark shouted, dashing into the inferno. With a mighty heave, he threw his mechanical arms under the burning bookshelf, trying to lift it. It was far too heavy for anyone else, but Mark managed to create a small gap for others to crawl through.
"One at a time—hurry!" Jed ordered. Everyone scrambled toward the narrow opening.
Suddenly, the floor gave way beneath the corpse. Kon looked down and froze—beneath the floor was a hidden basement, lined with at least a dozen barrels of gasoline.
And the burning corpse had just landed right next to them.
"GO! NOW! It's going to blow!" Kon screamed, voice cracking with panic.
Everyone sprinted toward the exit. Liang Wei was the last one out—but Mark was still inside.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A second, even louder explosion ripped through the night. The shockwave blasted them all off their feet. Nearby cars shattered, windows exploded, and the ground trembled beneath them. Flames towered into the sky as the building was reduced to rubble.
Fire trucks and ambulances screeched onto the scene.
"Put out that fire!"
"Check for survivors!"
"Get the wounded out!"
Amid the chaos, Liang Wei lay on the grass, ears ringing, vision swimming. Red emergency lights danced above him like ghosts. His thoughts drifted, scattered.
"You alright?" a rescue worker knelt beside him, slapping his cheek gently.
Liang Wei blinked back to life, forcing himself upright. He looked around—injured officers lay everywhere. Then it hit him.
"Mark... Mark's still in there! You have to save him!" he shouted, heart racing.
"We can't. The fire's too strong right now. We're trying everything we can," the rescuer replied grimly.
"Then I'll go myself!" Liang Wei stumbled to his feet, limping toward the inferno.
"Stop! You're injured! You'll die in there!" Jed grabbed him from behind, wincing from his own wounds.
Liang Wei knew he was right. There was nothing he could do but watch helplessly as the flames devoured the last traces of the house. Tears welled up in his eyes.
But then—a silhouette emerged from the fire.
The figure stumbled forward, flames dancing across their body. The firefighters gawked in disbelief before instinctively hosing the person down.
As the smoke cleared, Liang Wei's eyes widened.
It was Mark.
"You're alive?!" Liang Wei gasped, overwhelmed. The adrenaline wore off, and he dropped to his knees.
"I'm a cyborg, remember?" Mark chuckled, kneeling beside him. "I'm not that easy to kill."
Jed gave a rare smile. "You had us scared."
"Gotta admit, I'm gonna need a new pair of arms. Kinda leaking oil everywhere," Mark grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
Kon approached, his arm bandaged. "We're fine... but the others weren't so lucky."
Mark's smile faded. All around them, officers and rescue workers tended to the wounded. The cost had been high.
In the gathering crowd of onlookers, one figure stood silently, a faint smirk playing at his lips.
Without a word, he turned and disappeared into the night.