The first kill is never clean. That's how it stains best.
---
2:44 A.M.
Old Subway Access Tunnel – Sector 8
The air is damp. Rust clings to every wall. This place hasn't seen maintenance in years.
Kai stands alone. His hoodie clings to him in the dark. In his hand: a crowbar.
He waits.
Footsteps echo.
A man approaches. Mid-40s. Broad-shouldered. A whistle on his neck — he used to be a youth coach.
Hiroshi Tanaka.
The man doesn't see the boy in the shadows.
> "Kid? You alright?"
Kai doesn't speak.
He remembers the stories. His friend's bruises. The police report that was thrown out. The apology that never came.
He steps forward. Gripping the crowbar tighter.
> "You remember Daichi Nakamura?"
"No? Funny. He remembered you. Right before he jumped."
Tanaka blinks. "What the hell are you—?"
CRACK.
The first swing is sloppy. Hesitant.
The second isn't.
The third is blind rage.
---
3:17 A.M.
Abandoned Office – 3 Blocks Away
Silas wipes blood from Kai's cheek with a clean towel.
Kai is shaking. Hands red. Pale.
Silas offers him a glass of water. He doesn't take it.
> "It doesn't feel like I thought," Kai whispers.
Silas crouches beside him.
> "That's because you still think like a victim."
He leans in close.
> "This is your rebirth. Your hands were washed in truth tonight."
Kai finally drinks.
And something in his eyes begins to die.
---
6:09 A.M.
Naomi's Apartment
She's awake already.
Her phone vibrates.
> [Anonymous Tip]
"Sector 8 access tunnel. Blood trail. One body."
She drives without backup.
She knows who did this.
And she's almost sure...
It wasn't Silas.
---
6:41 A.M.
Subway Tunnel – Crime Scene
Blood everywhere. No weapon found. No camera feed.
She kneels by the body.
Hiroshi Tanaka. Confirmed predator. Former coach. Cleared of allegations by two stacked hearings.
Now a corpse.
On his chest, someone carved a single word:
> "REMEMBER."
She stares at the wound. The strokes are uneven. Jagged. First time hand.
She knows that handwriting.
Kai.
---
11:33 A.M.
St. Gabriel's High – Rooftop
Naomi calls him up under a lie — "psychological support interview."
Kai sits, bag in his lap, face unreadable.
> "I want to talk to you, Kai," she says.
"About what's been happening. The people getting hurt."
He shrugs. "I heard rumors. That someone's taking out bad people."
> "Do you think that's right?"
He stares at her.
> "Do you?"
Naomi doesn't answer.
Kai stands. "If I told you I was glad that coach is dead… would that make me a suspect?"
Naomi clenches her fists.
> "It would make you human."
But inside, she's screaming.
---
1:19 P.M.
Silas's Studio
Silas watches the rooftop footage. School security feeds are child's play.
He zooms in on Naomi's face. Pauses.
> She knows.
He sees it.
But she hasn't acted yet.
> Because she also knows...
She's too late.
---
3:11 P.M.
Underground Chatroom – Invite Only
A new thread appears.
> Thread Title: "Is the Hollow real?"
First Post:
"The predators are dying. The devils are bleeding. Justice isn't blind — it's smiling."
It goes viral within hours.
---
8:03 P.M.
Naomi's Apartment
She pours herself a drink.
She doesn't drink.
Not usually.
But tonight, she needs to feel something dull.
Because she just printed Kai's full arrest file. He's now her prime suspect.
And she can't bring herself to sign the warrant.
She closes her eyes and whispers:
> "Please… let me be wrong."
---
Final Scene
Kai kneels in Silas's hidden room. No masks. No ceremony.
Just a question.
> "Who's next?"
Silas places another folder in his hands.
No answer.
Just a smile.
---
Final Line:
> "You don't need to be like me," Silas says softly.
"You just need to believe the world's too broken to fix."
---