I

  I sat alone in a large, strangely empty room.

  The ticking of the only clock hanging above the entrance echoed across the entire space, amplifying the unpleasant feeling the place gave off.

  I had been sitting there for half an hour already, yet without the clock I would have sworn half a day had passed.

  The unbearable monotony was finally broken by the loud clang of metal doors.

  Two gendarmes stepped inside.

  Without a word they took positions on both sides of the entrance and stood there like statues.

  A moment later another person entered the room.

  The sight of him calmed me instantly.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Morgan said, already walking toward the exit without waiting for me.

  I simply nodded and followed him, passing the soulless silhouettes of the soldiers.

  As we left, I glanced back at the building. From the outside it looked immaculate — clean, almost corporate.

  Just like the entire district.

  I got into the car with the commander and we drove toward the gate of Sector One.

  Until we reached the gate, an awkward silence filled the car. It only made the surroundings feel even emptier — not just in terms of people, but everything else as well.

  Finally Morgan spoke.

  “They didn’t beat you too badly in there?”

  “I don’t think so,” I answered dully. “They even took the bullet out of my leg.”

  Truth was, I felt terrible. It was as if all my muscles had been stripped away and I was moving only on bare bones.

  Still, my determination to work was stronger than before.

  I had no intention of waiting for the moment when I would magically feel better.

  There was no time.

  “I probably shouldn’t push you anymore today,” Morgan said.

  “I’ll manage.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “I don’t doubt that,” he replied with a tired smile. “But managing and succeeding are two different things.”

  “We don’t have time to wait,” I muttered.

  “We don’t,” he said, clearly hearing me. “But some things require time whether we have it or not. Especially since solving this case isn’t just up to us anymore.”

  Those words made me shiver.

  My anger only grew stronger.

  At that moment the car stopped.

  I looked outside.

  We were already in front of my building.

  I hadn’t even noticed we had crossed the entire Sector Three — which looked nothing like Sector One.

  “I’ll contact you in a few days,” Morgan said before leaving. “I’ve got some things to deal with.”

  After saying goodbye he drove off.

  And I returned to my cramped apartment.

  II

  I crossed the rotten threshold and collapsed onto the floor like a corpse.

  Only now did I start feeling the pain from everything that had happened.

  The adrenaline had completely worn off.

  I lay there unable to move even a finger when a sharp pain stabbed my chest.

  “Whatever it is… not now,” I muttered.

  “Oh come on!” Susan shouted. “I just want to know what happened!”

  I didn’t answer.

  I didn’t have the strength.

  All I wanted was to sleep, wake up, and get back to work.

  But my roommate refused to give up.

  She turned on the TV and cranked the volume all the way up.

  “Do you really have to?” I hissed.

  My voice drowned in the noise.

  A moment later she turned it off.

  Instead I felt a heavy punch on my back.

  “So?”

  “Fine, okay, okay,” I groaned.

  “Great. So did you catch the guy?”

  “What do you think?” I replied sarcastically.

  “Next question. Did he beat you like that, or did you get into trouble again?”

  “Both.”

  “And what did he look like? The killer, I mean.”

  “Nothing special.”

  “You’re incredibly talkative tonight,” she said sarcastically.

  “And you’re very cheerful.”

  An awkward silence followed.

  This time I didn’t mind.

  Exhaustion finally took over.

  After a moment I felt something on my back again, but this time it was softer.

  “Don’t sleep on the floor.”

  “Where else am I supposed to sleep?”

  “On the couch.”

  “Isn’t that yours?”

  “You’ll fit somehow.”

  I stood up painfully and looked around the room.

  Compared to how it looked before, it was now far more cluttered, though somehow it also seemed less ruined.

  I changed into clothes that weren’t soaked in blood, sweat, or designed to stop bullets.

  I sat down heavily.

  Susan leaned against my shoulder with a small smile.

  “You’ve gotten awfully sentimental lately.”

  “And you’ve gotten even colder.”

  “I was never expressive.”

  “There’s a difference between being cold and being quiet.”

  I sighed.

  Maybe she had a point.

  But the man responsible for all of this was still out there.

  And that was something I couldn’t accept.

  I pushed the thought away and fell asleep almost instantly.

  III

  When I opened my eyes it was still dark outside.

  I tried to get up but felt something heavy on my chest.

  Susan had turned me into her pillow.

  Carefully I moved her aside and got dressed.

  Outside everything looked gray.

  The smoke of the city blocked almost all sunlight.

  At first I didn’t think much of it.

  Then I checked the clock.

  “Six…?”

  I had slept through the entire day.

  The cabinets were nearly empty.

  Reluctantly I grabbed my money pouch and went out to the store.

  As I walked, I was once again alone with my thoughts.

  I was still sore, but at least I could function.

  The only person I could rely on already had more problems than she could handle.

  And that guy was still out there.

  “What am I supposed to do…” I muttered.

  One thing was certain.

  I had to catch him

  as soon as possible.

  With that thought in mind, I stepped into the nearest shop and returned to reality.