The rain fell like it wanted the city to drown.
Gravehaven City was soaked in neon and sin—every street a confession, every alley a secret. The lights flickered like dying stars, reflecting off the wet pavement as if the city itself was bleeding.
I stood under a cracked awning, lighting a cigarette.
The flame shook.
So did my past.
Eva.
Her name was a scar inside my head.
Some scars never heal. They just echo.
My name is Ryan Cross.
Private detective.
People think I look for criminals.
Truth is, I look for answers that don't want to be found.
The phone buzzed in my pocket.
"Cross," I said, already tired.
"Another body," the voice replied.
Lucas Helm. The last honest cop in a department full of liars.
"Where?"
"Dockside. Old Iron Pier. But this one's… different."
Different was never good.
"I'm on my way."
The line went dead.
Just like the silence before a gunshot.
Old Iron Pier – 22 Minutes Later
Police lights painted the rain red and blue, turning the pier into a crime scene from hell. The crowd watched from behind the tape, eyes wide, feeding on tragedy like it was entertainment.
I ducked under the line.
"Ryan," Lucas said, rubbing his face. "I was hoping you wouldn't answer."
"Then you shouldn't have called."
He pointed toward the body.
Male. Forties. Expensive suit. No umbrella.
One bullet to the chest. Clean. Precise. Professional.
But that wasn't what froze me.
It was the symbol carved into his palm.
A broken circle.
Split straight through the middle.
My breath caught.
I had seen that mark before.
Years ago.
The night Eva vanished.
"Who is he?" I asked, my voice low.
Lucas hesitated.
"Victor Kane. Businessman. Real estate. Shipping. Officially clean."
"Officially," I repeated.
Lucas leaned in.
"This symbol… it's been found on two other bodies. Different places. Same mark."
A pattern.
A message.
And it was meant for me.
The rain hit harder, like the sky was screaming.
I looked at the corpse again.
The past wasn't dead.
It was hunting me.
I crushed the cigarette under my boot.
And for the first time in years…
I welcomed the fight.