(Author's note: The dialogues in telepathy are italicized.)

  When the detectives arrive at the scene, only tragic remnants of what appears to be a car accident remain. William Kensington is gone. The police officer in the driver's seat and senior detective Marcus Fields have both died in the line of duty. Staring at the still body of their longtime teammate, James and Kyle stand stunned, unable to accept what they see.

  Marcus lies there, in a pool of blood. His lifeless eyes are wide open, frozen in a moment of tension. Kyle's heart throbs uncontrollably, and he turns away to wipe his tears.

  Though equally mournful, James remains composed, knowing this is not the time for emotions. With a strangely sharp and fierce expression, the usually kind and gentle detective crouches down beside his fallen colleague. As he examines Marcus closely, James lets out a deep sigh. He then holds his hand above Marcus's chest, his eyes glowing as he activates his special ability—"intuitive deduction".

  Everyone at the scene keeps their distance as James visualizes the events leading to the accident in his head. He sees himself sitting next to Marcus in the car, the crash, the driver's instant death, and Kensington's attempt to escape, thwarted by Marcus. The brave detective grabs the offender's leg, bringing him down. Kensington struggles, but Marcus overpowers him. Just then, someone stabs Marcus in the back while he is distracted. Fatally wounded, Marcus refuses to let go, holding onto Kensington until his last breath, enduring the criminals' relentless kicks and stabs.

  James closes his eyes, tears streaming down his face. He stands up to speak with Kyle.

  "William Kensington is the co-murderer of Marcus. He's capable of killing despite being a dominant. Someone helped him."

  Kyle looks at him wide-eyed and speechless.

  "I know; I wouldn't believe it if not for my deduction," James continues."Can you contact the surveillance team? Ask them to track Kensington's current location."

  "I just did, while you were deducing," Kyle replies, swallowing hard. "They said the CCTVs around here were hacked and lost connection during the accident. They're extending their search area to find the perpetrators, but no luck yet."

  "Look how thorough these criminals are," James comments bitterly. "They planned this to get Kensington out. If he escapes abroad, it will be much harder to find him. We don't have time."

  "What should we do?" Kyle asks, growing restless. "If only Marcus were still with us. He could use his 'blood tracking' to locate the targets instantly."

  James ponders Kyle's mention of Marcus's unique ability to track anyone who comes into contact with his blood through their wounds. That power has helped the police trace countless criminals, no matter how cunning or dangerous they were.

  "Wait... Marcus tried to hold on to Kensington until the very end," James realizes. "He was trying to use his ability."

  "You mean... like that time?" Kyle recalls when they chased a criminal. Marcus caught up and subdued the runaway with his skillful moves. When James and Kyle joined him, they were surprised to see Marcus's blood from his cuts and scratches glowing like embers. Seeing their astonished faces, Marcus laughed, "This happens when my blood is within a 20-meter radius of my tracking target. Cool, huh?"

  "Call the other teams to prepare a stakeout at locations like the airport, harbor, train station, Ms. Ryler's place, and Anna's too," James decides quickly. "Distribute Marcus's blood to the teams. Report immediately if there's a signal."

  "I'll arrange that!" Kyle nods.

  "I'm checking on the surveillance team," James says urgently, glancing at his watch. "If they can't locate Kensington in time, we'll have to rely on Marcus's final lead."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  ___

  "What are you saying?" Gabriel shouts into his phone, struggling to hear over the roaring crowd at the outdoor concert. "I can't hear you! Hold on!"

  Once he finds a quieter spot, Gabriel continues, "Sorry, Kay. I'm outside buying snacks for An. She's hungry before going on stage." He adjusts the plastic bag in his hand. "What's the matter?"

  "Stage?" Kyle shouts, urgency in his voice. "Which stage?"

  After Gabriel informs him, Kyle shows up, looking intense.

  "Wear this around your neck and don't take it off." Kyle hurriedly hands Gabriel a string with a small tube attached. The tube contains a deep red liquid.

  "What's this?" Gabriel asks, looking at the tube in confusion.

  "It's an alarm," Kyle replies in a low voice. "It will glow when the Black Hood gets close."

  "The what?" Gabriel startles.

  "William Kensington," Kyle sighs, glancing around to ensure no one is listening. "This is a safety measure until we pinpoint his exact location."

  "He's on the run?" Gabriel mutters, flustered. "I need to get An out of here!"

  "She won't listen to us," Kyle replies, shaking his head. "That stubborn kid is serious about her shows. Plus, revealing the case details would be risky with this huge crowd."

  "Then are we just supposed to wait here?" Gabriel asks, bewildered.

  "The other teams are searching for him," Kyle reassures. "Some officers are on their way here. I'll join you too after I check on the others. Don't worry!"

  Gabriel nods, though he looks anxious as he glances at his watch. It's half past seven, just thirty minutes before the show starts.

  ___

  An hour and a half ago, at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Coldor, William Kensington was brought before a mysterious man. Hardly anyone can believe that the infamous Black Hood, a serial murderer who has instilled fear in the citizens of Coldor for months, is now keeping his head low in this man's presence. Yet, only William understands how much this person means to him.

  "I knew you would come to rescue me," William says, dropping to his knees before the enigmatic figure, hesitant to draw closer. "Thank you."

  "Well, if it's for my friend," the man replies, his face obscured by shadows and his voice altered by a device, "I'll do anything!"

  William's eyes light up with joy at those touching words.

  "What about you?" the man in the dark asks. "Can you do me a favor?"

  "Uh... what is it?" William hesitates, still the cautious psychopath he's always been.

  "The thing you do best," the man urges eagerly. "And if you succeed, I'll help you escape this country for good!"

  "Really?" William's expression brightens. "What do you want me to do?"

  "Here," the man signals for his assistant to hand William a photo of Anna. "Do you like concerts?"

  ___

  Thirty minutes before the show begins, William has successfully infiltrated the crew. Thanks to his memory manipulation ability, it's easy for him to remind the event organizers that he belongs among their staff. However, he's not in a good mood. William grumbles silently as he watches Anna prepare for her performance from a distance. If it weren't for her and that man's strange obsession with her, he wouldn't be dealing with this hassle while the police are already on his trail.

  But to William, that man is important. They met in a gathering of like-minded souls who feel trapped in this dull, miserable world. From the moment he first saw that man, William recognized him as a true predator, unbound by the stupid killing barrier. For as long as he could remember, William had been stuck being a psycho who couldn't kill. But this man offered him a way to break free from it, allowing him to end lives as he had always desired. Understood and supported by such a powerful figure, William wouldn't dare oppose him.

  Anyway, this situation is starting to irritate him. Last time, the man gave him a pair of lock-laced sneakers that didn't even fit, insisting he wear them to be seen by some girl on purpose, which put William at great risk. Now he's ordered to kill another girl? Seriously, what's this man's deal?

  William smirks to himself. Not that he's complaining. Killing has always been his morbid hobby, and targeting easy victims has grown boring. The more resistance or challenge his victims present, the more exhilarated he feels. And now, he gets to prey on Anna Lanes, an elite surrounded by admirers and protectors.

  Tonight, at the moment she shines the brightest and most beautifully, that moment will also be her last.

  "Hey, Will! There you are! I've been looking for you!"

  Someone's calling momentarily pulls William from his dark thoughts.

  "What's up, Terrence?" He turns to the approaching person, putting on an innocent facade.

  Terrence, the camera director responsible for recording the entire concert and one of those affected by William's memory alteration, rushes toward him.

  "You can handle the close-up shots of the artists, right?"

  "Yes," William replies with a confident smile. "You can count on me."

  "Great! You've never let me down." Terrence pats William on the shoulder, visibly relieved. "Get the best shots, okay?"

  As the camera director hurries off to continue preparations for the big event, William's friendly smile vanishes without a trace. He reaches into his jacket, where he is keeping a gun, and mutters to himself, "Sure, I'll take the best shots ever!"