"How are you?"

"Devasted, I'm completely lost right now."

Officer Zed with a lifeless look in his eyes.

Three days after the incident, Officer Zed is currently having a conversation with Officer Raze, a junior officer he have known for at least 5 years and someone who completely trust.

Officer Raze, a junior officer whom Zed trusted, entered the room. Concerned, she looked at Zed and said,

"Senior Officer, what happened? You seem completely lost."

Zed stared out of the window, his gaze fixed on something far beyond. He remained silent, his thoughts consumed by the horrors he had witnessed.

"The higher-ups are pressuring you to make progress on this case. They have no leads, and the media is labeling you as the killer."

Raze explained, her voice tinged with worry.

Still lost in his own despair, Zed didn't respond.

"I'm here to help you, but I need you to open up to me. I know you could never commit such acts."

Raze continued, her words filled with sincerity.

Zed finally turned his gaze towards Raze, his eyes filled with pain.

"What kind of person do you think I am?" He asked, his voice trembling.

Raze looked at him earnestly.

"You are a righteous person, Senior Officer. You prioritize the safety of others above your own. You despise injustice, and you have always been competent in apprehending criminals."

Zed's eyes welled up with tears at Raze's words.

"You're wrong. I'm useless, incapable of fulfilling my duties as a police officer. I don't even deserve to hold this position."

He said, his voice heavy with self-doubt.

Raze felt a mix of shock and sadness. She had never seen Zed in such a state before.

"Senior Zed, please trust me. I'm here for you. Tell me what happened in that abandoned factory."

Zed hesitated, fearing that revealing the truth would make Raze look at him with disappointment. After a moment, he said,

"Give me some time to collect my thoughts."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Raze nodded and left the room, giving Zed the space he needed.

Alone once again, Zed continued to stare out of the window, his mind filled with haunting images of the gruesome scene. Minutes turned into an eternity as he tried to gather his thoughts and find the strength to recount the events.

Soon, the door creaked open, and the grandmother of Andrei, the university dean, entered. Zed immediately recognized her and fell to his knees before her.

"I'm sorry! I failed to protect your son and his friends. As a police officer, I couldn't do anything to prevent this tragedy. Please, punish me for my incompetence!"

Zed's voice cracked with desperation, tears streaming down his face.

He believed that apologizing and taking responsibility for the incident was the only way to atone for his failure.

To his surprise, the old woman also knelt down, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry! Arrest me! I need to escape from that monster. If I don't pay for my sins, he will come after me." She pleaded.

"Release the sin of my grandson in the media too! I shouldn't have back him up if I knew this is the result I will get. I took the matter with my own hands and now I'm going to get killed too! Please help me!"

The old woman once again, begged.

"Monster, no wonder Andrei grew up to be one."

Zed innerly muttered as he saw the old woman in front of him not even paying attention to his apology but instead worrying about herself like her grandson and the students from her university didn't experience an horrifying event.

Based on the old woman's words, he included one thing, the criminal he met three days ago came to the dean to probably threaten her.

"Ma'am, you met that guy right? What did he say to you?" Zed asked.

The old woman's face suddenly turned pale as she recall Jade's terrifying eyes staring directly at her while choking her.

"Do you want to know why I will spare you?" Jade coldly asked.

The old woman couldn't say anything because of Jade's tightened grip.

"It's because you still have a use for me. Go to the police officer who's supposedly with the five students during the incident and tell that you're going to pay for your sins. Tell him that he should expose the truth about Mark's death and how those students and you are involved on it."

"I will monitor you, if you don't do what I say, you can say goodbye to this world."

Jade said with a murderous look in his eyes.

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"Right, tell the officer these exact words. [Remember what I said to you in the factory, you must change yourself if you want to kill me. Become a monster like me if you want to be my enemy. After this old woman says everything to you, you must decide what will you tell to everyone about what happened that day. I'm looking forward to your first step to become a complete new version of yourself, Officer.]" Jade said to the old woman.

Analysing the whole conversation in his mind, Zed concluded that Jade is trying to control him.

After a moment of contemplation, Zed told the dean,

"I will do everything he asked. Rest assured, ma'am."

The old woman's face filled with relief.

"You are a lifesaver. As long as you can guarantee my safety, I won't hold any grudges. It doesn't matter that you couldn't save my grandson and those students."

She said, seemingly indifferent to the horrifying events that had taken place.

Zed couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust towards the woman before him.

"Perhaps this is your punishment, having a grandmother who doesn't care about you." He thought, gazing up at the sky.

Thirty minutes later, Officer Raze returned to Zed's office.

"So, are you ready to tell me everything now?"

Raze asked, her voice filled with anticipation.

"Raze, whatever I say next must remain between us. Do you understand?"

Zed's tone was serious and unwavering.

Raze realized the gravity of the situation and responded with equal seriousness,

"You can count on me, sir."

Zed proceeded to recount the events he had witnessed. He shared Mark's true story and the conversation he had with the dean. Raze listened intently, her expression alternating between horror and disbelief. The revelations about the inhuman beings involved in the incident shook her to the core.

"Sir, based on what you've told me, this person is the most terrifying criminal we may ever face. His intentions are unknown, and he seems to manipulate others to fulfill his dark desires."

Raze said, her voice filled with anxiety.

"Yes, he is the most heinous criminal I have encountered. The image of him using my knife to stab those students in front of me haunts me every day. I will never forget that moment."

Zed confessed, his voice heavy with trauma.

Raze couldn't help but shudder at the thought of such cruelty.

"Sir, please promise me that you won't become like him. Don't let him control you. It will only lead to more harm."

She pleaded, her eyes filled with concern.

Zed's response caught Raze off guard.

"I will do whatever it takes to kill him, even if it means letting him manipulate me. I will not rest until I have him in my hands."

Zed declared, his tone chilling.

Raze felt a mix of fear and disappointment. The person before her seemed like a completely different individual from the righteous and just police officer she had known. She struggled to comprehend his drastic change in attitude.

"I've decided, I will not let his identity be exposed on media. I will say that I didn't witness anything because I was unconscious."

"But why? You're scaring me sir, do not let yourself become someone he wants to be. It will do you no good!"

Raze shouted with disappointment.

"I've made up my mind. If you choose to expose the truth, I will resign and give up my position and plans. But if you choose to help me pursue him, you will become an accomplice. Decide what you think is best, as I can't do this alone."

Zed stated firmly.

"Sir! You can't do that, you're the most competent officers out there, you can't use that to corner me like this."

Raze angrily said.

"If you decide to let me do what I want, erase all the possible footage of that man. You and I will analyze that ourselves because I don't plan on letting others catch him. I will do my best to tamper the evidence about the murders but I'll expose the truth behind Mark's death but I'll say that I have no idea who and why someone killed those students."

"Wow, you're not the same person anymore. The Officer Zed I knew wouldn't even dare to say those words. That's illegal, you're saying you want to become a criminal? And you also plan to drag me?"

"That's why I told you that it's up to you to decide what will happen. I'll simply quit and give up my position and plan if you decided to tell everyone the truth. However, if you decided to let me chase him, you'll automatically be an accomplice. Choose what you think is better since I don't have the power to do this alone." Zed said.

Raze understood that his senior is completely serious right now. She couldn't help but be surprised that Zed completely changed because of a single incident. Because of this, Raze pondered what she should do for at least thirty minutes.

A half hour of an silence was broken by Raze's question,

"Are you sure we can catch him?"

"To be honest, I'm not confident, if you were in that place, you'll understand this lack confidence of mine. However, this is what I must do."

Zed firmly answered.

"Senior, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I will stand by your side. I can't let a horrifying criminal like him roam free."

Raze said, her voice filled with determination.

A sense of relief washed over Zed as he heard Raze's decision.

"Thank you, Raze. Your trust means a lot to me." He replied, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.

With their alliance formed, Zed and Raze began discussing their plan of action. They knew they needed to act discreetly and gather as much evidence as possible without alerting the media or the higher-ups. The task ahead was daunting, but they were determined to bring down the criminal known as Jade.

Raze, being technologically savvy, proposed taking care of the CCTV footage surrounding the area. She would ensure that no evidence of Jade's presence remained in public records. Together, they would analyze the footage in search of any clues that could lead them to Jade's identity.

Zed instructed Raze to proceed cautiously and to report directly to him if she made any breakthroughs. They both understood the risks involved, but they were willing to go to great lengths to apprehend Jade and put an end to his reign of terror.

One day later, Zed executed the first part of their plan. During a press conference, he revealed the truth behind Mark's death and the involvement of the five students and the university dean. However, he deliberately withheld any information regarding the killer's identity, claiming that he was rendered unconscious during the incident and couldn't provide a description.

Reporters bombarded Zed with questions, eager to uncover the identity of the culprit. But Zed maintained his stance, refusing to reveal any details that could compromise their investigation. The public was left puzzled, unsure of the motives behind the brutal murders.

As the press conference concluded, one question lingered in everyone's minds: Was the killer a vigilante seeking justice, or a twisted individual using injustice as an excuse for heinous acts? The true nature of Jade remained shrouded in mystery.

Meanwhile, Jade, sitting in his secluded hideout, watched the press conference unfold on television. A wicked grin formed on his face as he listened to Zed's statements.

"So, you've decided to hunt me down, just as I desired. Don't disappoint me, Officer Zed. I eagerly await your transformation. Let your pursuit of me reveal the true nature of cruelty."

Jade whispered to himself, a chilling excitement in his eyes.

Seconds later, Jade made a phone call to Ray, a trusted ally he had enlisted for help in hiding his identity. They had taken precautions to erase any traces of Jade's existence from official records.

"Uncle, is everything in place?"

Jade inquired.

"Yes, I have successfully wiped away all information about you. You will be like a phantom, invisible to the world."

Ray assured him.

Jade expressed his gratitude to Ray for his assistance. The call concluded with a lingering question from Ray.

"Jade, I can't help but wonder why you involved that police officer in your path. It seems like you have a plan for him."

Ray inquired, his voice filled with curiosity.

After a moment of silence, Jade responded cryptically,

"Let's just say that he had the misfortune of crossing my path."

With those words, he ended the call, leaving Ray with unanswered questions.

"He needs to witness the cruelty of this world. Our encounter is only the beginning. His righteousness will be tested, and when it crumbles, I will show him the true face of cruelty."

Jade whispered to himself, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.