Hiroto’s heart raced as he followed Malcolm out of the courthouse. His mind reeled from the day’s events. The sight of Aiko in handcuffs, looking puny and vulnerable, had stabbed him in the heart. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to lash out at Malcolm.

“We must free her,” Hiroto grabbed Malcolm’s arm just short of his sleek black car. His determination was palpable. “Now.”

Malcolm’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “Patience, my dear boy. All in good time. Or have you forgotten about our deal?” Hiroto’s mind flashed back to the night he had made that devil’s bargain.

A wave of cold chilled Hiroto’s spine. The things he had done and lines he had crossed to save his skin... He pushed the memories away, but the realization of Malcolm’s manipulation was dawning on him. He shook his head.

“She’s safe,” Malcolm said, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Now, get in. We have matters to discuss.”

Hiroto complied, his body tense as he settled into the passenger seat. As Malcolm pulled away from the curb, Hiroto reached for his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found the number for Operator 47.

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you,” Malcolm said, his eyes never leaving the road. “He won’t answer.”

Ignoring the warning, Hiroto pressed the call button. The phone rang once, twice, three times before going to voicemail. He tried again, with the same result.

“Damn it,” Hiroto muttered, shoving the phone back into his pocket.

Malcolm chuckled. “I told you. We should head to the detention center. You’ll see for yourself that Aiko is well.”

Hiroto’s head snapped up. “You’re taking me there? Now?”

“Of course.” Malcolm’s words were smooth as silk. “I’m a man of my word, after all. And I assure you, the court proceedings were for show. It needed to look convincing. Aiko will be out in no time.”

As they drove, Hiroto’s mind raced with possibilities. Could he trust Malcolm’s words? Was there a hidden agenda behind all this?

Malcolm’s phone rang, cutting through the tense silence. The older man’s expression darkened as he answered, his voice low and clipped as he spoke to the person on the other end.

Hiroto watched Malcolm’s demeanor change, an icy dread settling in his stomach.

Something is off.

As Malcolm ended the call, Hiroto wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.

I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance. Are you kidding? He has Sumoto and me by the balls. No escape from this mess!

Several tense minutes later, they pulled up to the detention center. Hiroto’s eyes widened at the sight before him. The facility was on total lockdown, with police cars surrounding the perimeter with flashing lights.

“Stay here,” Malcolm quipped.

Hiroto watched as Malcolm strode toward a group of officers, his white suit a stark contrast against the sea of blue uniforms. With a start, Hiroto recognized several of the officers from the Westchester PD. He slouched down in his seat, trying to stay out of sight. Time dragged on as Malcolm spoke to the officers. Hiroto strained to hear their conversation, but the distance and the noise from the sirens made it impossible. The police finally dispersed after what felt like hours.

Malcolm returned to the car, his face a mask of cold fury. “Come,” he said, opening Hiroto’s door. “We’re going inside.”

Hiroto followed Malcolm into the detention center’s visitor section, a cold and sterile space that seemed to suck the warmth from the air. The guards eyed him with suspicion, but no one moved to stop them.

“I want to see Aiko,” Hiroto demanded, his voice hoarse with tension. “Now.”

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Malcolm nodded to a nearby guard. “Bring her,” he ordered.

The guard’s eyes widened in recognition. “Yes, Warden,” he said, his voice trembling slightly as he hurried through the corridor, a clear sign of the respect and fear Malcolm commanded.

Warden? Hiroto thought, his mind reeling. Just how deep did Malcolm’s influence go?

Minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. Hiroto paced the small waiting area, unable to stand still. Finally, the guard returned, his face pale as he whispered something to Malcolm.

Malcolm’s expression didn’t change, but Hiroto saw a flicker of something—surprise? Concern?—in his eyes. “It seems,” Malcolm said, turning to face Hiroto, “that Aiko is missing.”

The words hit Hiroto like a physical blow. “Missing?” he repeated, his voice barely audible. “What do you mean, missing?”

Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. “Exactly what I said. She’s not in her cell, and she’s not anywhere else in the facility.”

Hiroto’s mind raced, trying to process this new information. Had Aiko somehow escaped?

“This is your fault,” Hiroto snarled, taking a step toward Malcolm. “If anything’s happened to her—”

Malcolm held up a hand, cutting him off. “Control yourself, Hiroto. This... complication... is as unwelcome to me as it is to you. But we will find her.”

Hiroto’s fists clenched at his sides, his whole body trembling with rage and fear. “How? How will we find her when you don’t know how she disappeared?”

A bitter smile played at the corners of Malcolm’s mouth. “Oh, I have my ways. And you, my dear boy, are going to help me.”

“Like hell I am,” Hiroto spat. “I’m done playing your games, Malcolm. I will find Aiko myself, and when I do, I’m getting her as far away from you as possible.”

Malcolm’s hand shot out, gripping Hiroto’s arm with surprising strength. “I don’t think you understand the situation, Hiroto. You don’t have a choice in this matter. You will help me find Aiko, or I’ll ensure that your friend Sumoto and his sister meet a most unpleasant end.” Hiroto felt the fight drain from him, replaced by a cold, hollow feeling. He was trapped, caught in Malcolm’s web, with no way out.

Hiroto felt the fight drain from him, replaced by a cold, hollow feeling. Hiroto felt trapped, caught in Malcolm’s web, with no way out.

“Fine,” he said, his voice faint. “What do you want me to do?”

Malcolm’s grip loosened, and he patted Hiroto’s arm almost paternally. “That’s better. Now, let’s start by reviewing the security footage. I want to know how our firefly escaped.

As they made their way to the security office, Hiroto’s mind raced. How had Aiko escaped? And more importantly, where was she now? His heart swelled with relief, praying that she had successfully evaded danger and outmaneuvered Malcolm’s goons. But a nagging doubt gnawed at him. What if Aiko didn’t escape? What if someone else had taken her? Aiko in someone else’s hands, worse than Malcolm, sent chills down Hiroto’s spine.

I have a bad feeling about this.

The security office was a cramped space filled with monitors displaying various areas of the detention center. A nervous-looking guard vacated his chair as Malcolm approached, allowing him to take control of the system.

“Let’s see what our cameras caught, shall we?” Malcolm murmured, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Hiroto leaned in, eyes scanning the screens as Malcolm cycled through different camera feeds. It seemed normal once they reached the footage from Aiko’s cell block.

“There,” Hiroto said, pointing to a screen. “That’s her cell.”

They watched as Aiko paced her tiny cell, her body language tense. The image flickered for the briefest of moments. The cell was a flurry of light then—empty. When the picture stabilized, Aiko was gone.

“What the hell?” Hiroto breathed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Malcolm’s brow furrowed as he rewound the footage and played it again in slow motion. Another girl, several years older than her, led her out of the cell. Even in slow motion, the image was rapid.

“Interesting,” Malcolm mused, his voice calm. “It seems our brief experiment has yielded unexpected results.”

Hiroto’s head snapped toward Malcolm. “Experiment? What are you talking about? Who is that other girl?”

Malcolm’s lips curved into a bitter smile. “Come now, Hiroto. You didn’t think Aiko was just any prisoner? She, her companion, has been part of something greater.

A chill ran down Hiroto’s spine as he remembered the footage he and Sumoto had discovered—the girl bursting into flames, the talk of developing powers. “What did you do to her?” he demanded, his voice shaking with barely contained rage.

“We unlocked her potential,” Malcolm replied, his eyes gleaming with a fervent light that made Hiroto’s skin crawl. “And it seems she’s progressed further than we expected. Teleportation, perhaps? Or maybe some form of phasing ability...”

Hiroto felt sick to his stomach. Malcolm’s sick experiments had twisted and changed the Aiko he knew and loved. Now, she was out there somewhere, alone and scared, with abilities she couldn’t control.

“We have to find her,” Hiroto said, his voice hoarse. “Before someone else does.”

Malcolm nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Indeed we do. And you, my dear Hiroto, will be instrumental in that search. You know Aiko best, don’t you?”

Hiroto’s mind raced as Malcolm began outlining his plan to locate Aiko. He meant to find her and free her from Malcolm’s manipulative schemes. But how? With Sumoto and his sister’s lives hanging in the balance, how could he outmaneuver Malcolm?

For now, Hiroto knew he had no choice but to play along. But as he listened to Malcolm’s cold, calculating voice, he made a silent vow. His mission: finding and saving Aiko from Malcolm and from herself. And then, somehow, he would bring this corrupt system down around Malcolm’s ears.

The stakes were higher as the game changed. Hiroto was going to unravel this mystery, no matter the cost.