The afternoon passed more slowly than Aren expected. He wasn't chasing a lead or standing under flashing police lights. Which upset him somewhat. He sat in the small living room, listening to the familiar sounds of home. His mother moved around the kitchen, humming softly while preparing dinner.
It was… peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Aren leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. His mind, however, refused to rest.
Three murders. A pattern.
And now, Lucian Vale.
"Aren."
He looked up. His mother stood near the doorway.
"You've been quiet all day."
"I'm just thinking.." he replied.
She smiled gently.
"You've always done that too much, Aren, try to relax sometimes"
He let out a small breath, almost amused.
"Occupational hazard." and smiled faintly.
She shook her head.
"Stay for dinner." Aren hesitated for a moment. Then nodded. "Yeah… I will."
Later that evening, the sky had turned a soft shade of orange fading into grey. Aren stepped out of the building, deciding to take a short walk before dinner. The street was calm. Children played near the corner. A vendor arranged fruits under a dim light. Normal life continued. And for a moment, Aren allowed himself to just walk without thinking.
"Giving up already?"
The voice came from behind him.
Calm, measured. Aren stopped.
He didn't need to turn immediately. He...felt strange.
Slowly, he looked back.
Lucian Vale stood a few steps away, hands in his coat pockets, expression relaxed—as if they had planned to meet.
Aren's gaze sharpened.
"You shouldn't be here."
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"That's a very obvious observation."
Aren didn't respond. He studied him carefully. No panic. No rush.
Lucian wasn't hiding.
That made him more dangerous. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Lucian broke the silence.
"I expected you to react faster."
"To what?" Aren asked.
Lucian's eyes flickered with quiet interest.
"To the pattern."
Aren's expression didn't change.
"I don't take advice from criminals."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Of course you don't."
He stepped a little closer, not threatening, just enough to close the distance.
"But you do notice things."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the street.
"Three victims. Three locations."
"A triangle." Aren's silence confirmed it.
Lucian's smile deepened slightly.
"Good."
Aren crossed his arms.
"If you came here to play games, you're wasting your time."
Lucien let out a soft breath, almost like a quiet laugh.
"No."
"I came because you're the only one who might understand what's happening."
Aren's eyes narrowed.
"Then say it."
Lucian studied him for a moment.Then spoke, his voice lower now.
"The killer isn't choosing victims randomly."
"He's choosing positions." Aren frowned slightly."Positions?"
Lucian nodded.
"Yes."
"Think of the city as a map… not of people…"
"…but of points."
"Each murder is placed."
Aren's mind immediately began connecting the idea.
Lucian watched him closely.
"See?" he said softly.
"You're already following."
Aren took a step forward.
"Why are you telling me this?, if you know this much, you must have done a check on me too, and i am suspended."
Lucian didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Aren more carefully now.
Not like a stranger.
Like something… worth understanding.
"Because," Lucian said finally,
"you're still trying to protect people."
Aren's jaw tightened slightly.
"And you think that makes me useful?"
Lucien's expression didn't change.
"No."
"It makes you predictable."
From a nearby window, faint light spilled onto the street. Voices from inside the building, voices of soft female could be heard from Aren's house.
Lucian glanced toward it.
"Your mother?" he asked casually. Aren's eyes hardened instantly.
Lucian noticed, And smiled.
"Relax," he said.
"I'm not interested in hurting her."
"Not everything is a threat."
Aren stepped closer, his voice firm.
"Then what do you want?"
Lucien met his gaze directly.
"To see what you do next."
Aren didn't move, Lucien stepped back slightly, creating distance again.
"This killer…"
"…is smarter than the police think."
"And slower than you think."
Aren frowned "What does that mean?"
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
"It means…"
"…you still have time."
Lucian turned to leave. A moment of silence fell, Aren trying to decode.
But just before walking away, Lucian said without looking back:
"Try not to miss the next pattern, Officer Aren."
"Not everyone gets a second chance."
"What?" Aren thought to himself. Aren stood still, watching him disappear into the dim street.
His mind was already working. Positions. Not victims. A pattern across the city.
From a distance, hidden beyond the streetlights, Lucian stopped once more. He glanced back briefly, looking at Aren. Aren hadn't moved. Still thinking.
Lucian smiled faintly, intrigued
Back inside the apartment, Aren's mother called out softly:
"Aren? Dinner's ready."
Aren didn't respond immediately.
His eyes were still on the city, reflecting on what Lucian had told him.
"A second chance?" Cracking this case would help him get his job back?