The excitement from yesterday's meeting with the President quickly faded. The reality of the task ahead of me hit hard. Visor was no ordinary individual. He had no records—nothing in any hospitals, no files with the association, no digital footprint. His presence was as if he'd simply appeared out of nowhere.
But I couldn't afford to let doubts creep in. I made a vow, a promise, and I would see it through.
I spent hours scouring every available resource, hacking into the city's security cameras, the records, anything I could get my hands on. I scrolled through endless feeds of mundane city activity—people walking, cars driving, shops opening. Until, finally, there he was. On the screen, a figure entered an abandoned house on the outskirts of the city.
The building was listed as strictly off-limits due to its demolition risks. No one was supposed to be inside.
I checked the cameras again, my heart racing. Visor hadn't left. This was it.
I didn't hesitate. I grabbed my gear, ready to take action. The thought of wasting this chance was unbearable. Five hours of driving, all through heavy traffic, didn't deter me. I couldn't let him slip through my fingers. Every second was precious.
When I finally arrived at the decrepit building, I checked the monitors once more. He was still inside. Without a second thought, I made my way toward the house.
The moment I stepped inside, the silence was overwhelming. The walls creaked, the air was thick with dust, and the floorboards groaned beneath my boots. The smell of mold and decay filled the air. Rats scurried in the dark corners. It was a place where no one should be, yet here I was—walking through the remnants of a forgotten building, seeking someone who might change everything.
And then, it happened.
A sharp metallic click.
I froze.
A voice, low and cold, echoed in the empty room.
"If you move, you will die. If you scream, you will die. But if you cooperate, I will let you live."
I didn't flinch. I didn't speak. Instead, I let the moment wash over me, taking in every detail. His voice carried a deadly calmness, but there was something else—a strange, almost intrigued tone beneath it. He was sizing me up.
He stepped closer, the flashlight beam bouncing on the walls as he moved. Then, the man grabbed my arms and, with surprising speed, tied them to a rusted pole. His hand hovered over his weapon, his eyes glinting in the dim light.
I stayed still, waiting for the right moment.
Suddenly, I felt a shift. Something wasn't right. He was... too close. I could sense the change in his stance, a slight relaxation. In that moment, my body moved without hesitation. My hands, bound only by a loose knot, easily slipped free. Before he could react, I struck—hard and fast. My fist landed with precision, sending him crashing to the ground.
The man, disoriented, tried to recover, but he didn't expect the quickness of my attack. I stood over him, my expression cold.
"You will join my team," I told him firmly.
He blinked in surprise, his head tilting in confusion, like a child being reprimanded.
"Who are you to order me around?" he asked, his voice dripping with incredulity.
I raised my hand, the fire swirling in my fist, lighting up the room with a bright green glow. "Do you want to try me?"
Before he could say another word, I closed my fist, bringing the flame inches from his face. The heat radiated off me, a threat hanging in the air.
"Okay." he exclaimed, his tone shifting from defiance to submission. "I'll join."
I blinked, taken aback by how easily he capitulated.
I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you joking?" I asked, more out of confusion than anything else. This wasn't the kind of resistance I expected. He was powerful—he should've fought back harder. Yet, he simply agreed.
He didn't respond, his eyes blank and unreadable.
Without wasting any more time, I stepped back and handed him a card. "Be there at exactly this time," I told him, my tone serious.
He looked at the card and nodded, his expression still neutral.
As I turned to leave, I felt the unsettling sense that something was off. But I didn't let it bother me. I knew I couldn't keep him in a confined space; the risk of him escaping was too high. Instead, I slipped a small tracker under his skin—subtle, undetectable. He wouldn't be going anywhere.
I walked away, knowing that I had just secured the second member of my team.
The road ahead was long.
I had no idea what would come next. But I could feel it—Visor was an unpredictable piece in this game, and he would change everything. There was more to him than met the eye, and I needed to find out exactly who—or what—he was.
But for now, I had what I needed. One down, many more to go.
And I wouldn't stop until the promise I made to Yuki and Zeff was fulfilled.