Alright, gentlemen, I say calmly. Tell me, do you want to talk the easy way or the hard way?
I'm magnanimous. You can choose either.
But remember this: we're playing the Tormented One's game.
If you lie, I'll know. So I want everything.
The two men glance at each other.
"We'll talk," one of them says. "We were only supposed to watch and follow that girl. That's all."
I study them. It's clear they were just watching… but something doesn't add up. I still remember the guy who was following Ana. He could feel my gaze. These two don't have that ability.
"Tell me," I ask, "how many girls have you been watching in this county?"
"Uh…" They hesitate, exchanging looks.
I release a bit of my aura and let it seep into their lungs.
Fear does the rest.
Breathing becomes difficult for them.
Good. No need to overdo it.
"Talk," I say, but my voice is no longer elegant. It sounds dark, twisted. The voice they hear now isn't the same as before.
They start trembling.
"Four."
I raise an eyebrow and stroke the chin of my mask. Four. The same number as the missing girls in this county.
"Only four?" I ask with interest.
"Yes… that's how many we've watched."
"Just the two of you?"
They fall silent for a few seconds and exchange glances.
They're lying.
"Last question," I say. "Do you operate only in this county?"
"Yes. Only here."
I release more aura and activate my magic.
"I remember saying I wanted everything," I whisper. "No half-truths."
Suddenly, one of them stops breathing.
I frown.
That's strange. I didn't use enough power. That spell wasn't meant to kill.
The other starts gasping. His skin turns red. His body begins to swell.
I teleport out of range.
The explosion shakes the rooftop.
The second body, already dead, explodes as well.
Interesting.
It's clear something marked them to keep them from talking too much.
At least I got something, even if the information is mixed with lies.
I turn my gaze toward the restaurant where Ana is. From what I can see, she's fine.
I decide to keep watching, just in case they send someone else.
Minutes pass and the group disperses. Ana says goodbye to several guys who want to go to a bar. It's obvious what they were trying: alcohol, a relaxed atmosphere, an easy night.
She's smart. She sees through it and leaves.
One of the guys ends up alone. The others manage to get closer to Ana's friends.
I feel a bit of pity for him. It's happened to me too. I don't mock him.
Just pity.
I follow Ana. She arrives at a house. A woman in her fifties opens the door. Her grandmother. It seems Ana lives with her grandparents, not her parents.
I look around. Nothing out of the ordinary.
A wasted day.
I teleport home.
I collapse onto my bed, trying to sleep.
The phone rings.
I try to silence it with magic.
It doesn't work.
I sit up abruptly and answer.
"Hahaha, Ryan… how are you?" the clown says. "I saw your pathetic attempt at an interrogation. Did you really watch movies to come up with those lines?"
I clench my fist.
"I expected more from you," he continues, "but I suppose this is already too much for a simple programmer."
"That game… 'the Tormented One,'" he mocks. "What a pathetic name for an amateur."
He sighs.
"You didn't get anything important, did you?"
My veins throb in my forehead. I want to smash the phone.
"Calm down, Ryan," he says. "You're still a novice. Supernatural entities aren't humans you can intimidate so easily. Some have lived for centuries… others for millennia."
I swallow.
"Remember those light novels you used to read. Learn from them if you want to survive."
The call ends.
I remain silent.
Now I understand better.
This isn't just human crime. There's something supernatural behind it. And it has influence.
How much… I still don't know.
Tomorrow, I'll decide what to do.
The next day, I enter the school. Everything looks the same, but people look at me differently. Probably because of Victor.
I don't care.
I see Madison with Chloe. Beautiful. Popular. They always have been.
And yet, the future vision still doesn't fit.
If I don't save Vivian… will I see another vision? One involving one of them?
I don't control that power. Not yet.
I keep walking toward the classroom.
Later, in the cafeteria, while I'm eating, I turn around and see Madison smiling lightly at me.
For a second, I lose my composure.
Whispers spread.
Madison smiling at a nobody.
Victor watches from afar, incredulous.
He clenches his fists. The popular guy at school who once competed with the bad boy, Tairon, over Madison… and she rejected them both.
For someone like her, the richest and most beautiful girl in school, to show interest in a nobody like Ryan feels strange to everyone.
I'm oblivious to Victor's thoughts.
I see Vivian enter with her friends. Bright red hair, green eyes, a striking figure. She knows how to use her body to draw attention.
But that doesn't matter.
I look for the guy who's following her.
And I find him.
This one is different.
The men from yesterday never entered the school.
This one did.
I'll have to deal with him after classes.