Chapter 22 The Shadow Of The Elevator

• The figure stood still in the night mist, like a nail driven into the thick darkness. The dim streetlamp, its shade fogged with moisture, cast sickly light that shattered in the night, a halo of malaise. Kai stepped onto the gravel path, his footsteps swallowed by the wind, leaving only the rustle of leaves, like sandpaper grazing skin.
• He stopped three meters from the figure. The cap’s shadow hid their expression, revealing only deep, chilling eyes. The night breeze carried the scent of grass, fluttering their clothes in unison. Kai’s right hand slipped into his jacket pocket, fingers brushing the cold metal of the stun device, his heartbeat steady as a taut drum.
• “Of course it’s me,” the figure said, voice raspy, like dry leaves scraped across stone, tinged with mockery. They took two steps forward, zippers clinking faintly. “You love deducing, don’t you? Guess—why’ve I been tailing you?”