Elsa walked out of the factory, her boots echoing against the wet ground. The night was still thick with silence, but her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen—Mathew.
She answered.
"Elsa, did you get anything useful?" Mathew's voice came through.
Elsa let out a frustrated sigh as she approached her car. "No. It seems the D-Gang is more mysterious than we thought."
"Is that so… Then we need to look more into it."
"Definitely."
Mathew paused. "Well... don't worry. I got something here. Come home so we can look into it."
Elsa froze mid-reach, her hand just about to open the car door. She leaned against the side of the vehicle. "Really? What did you find? Where?"
"In our warehouse. I found something I didn't expect to see there. It might give us a clue about Dad's case."
Elsa straightened, excitement rising. "Wait for me. I'll come as fast as I can. Oh, by the way—did you call Freddy?"
"He's already here. Said he was coming early. Told me we all need to talk—and to call you too. He doesn't get serious often. I think it might be better if you're here too. So you—"
Elsa cut him off while opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat. "Wait for me. I'll be there soon. I've got some interesting news to tell too."
She ended the call and slammed the car into gear, tires squealing into the night.
Meanwhile, James was taking a shower in his home gym, warm water cascading over him as thoughts swirled in his head.
Elsa George… She's quite skilled. And Freddy's sister. They're clearly looking for something, poking around where most wouldn't. Elsa said she came for info... which means the death of George isn't an ordinary one.
And today… I killed for the first time.
I don't even know how I feel about it. But what matters now is information. That's what I want the most.
And to get information… the best option is The Rusted Crown. Even the bartender there knows more than the George siblings. From the sound of it, there's some internal conflict in Rusted Crown. I need to make a move. I need a good ally.
James stepped out of the shower, dried off, and changed into a plain white shirt and jeans. He exited the house and stepped outside, where he saw his father, Hajun, quietly watering flower plants, sitting in his powerchair.
James stood there for a moment, watching him with a faint smile.
He turned to leave.
But Hajun spoke without looking up. "I thought you had something to ask. Since you came all the way here… why didn't you just ask? Or do you think I'm that unreliable now?"
James stopped, turning back. His voice was low. "I… I just thought I'd leave you alone. You seemed happy watering your plants."
Hajun chuckled softly, still holding the hose. "This thing I do only benefits me. But what you do—what you're trying to do—benefits society. Don't be silly. Ask what you want."
James stepped closer, eyes heavy. "I… I killed people today. For the first time."
Hajun didn't flinch. He kept watering the plants as he asked, "How do you feel? Do you regret it?"
James shook his head. "No, I don't. I feel like I did what I should've done."
Hajun nodded slightly. "Then that's not what's really bothering you, is it?"
James looked down. "Yeah... it's about the roots of the drugs. I made an oath—to myself, and to you too—that I'd erase drugs from their roots. But now it feels like... it's not that easy to uproot them. So... I..."
Hajun turned his powerchair to face James directly, eyes sharp despite the years on his face.
"James," he said quietly. "What you're facing… is the worst kind of evil. And to face that, it's inevitable—you'll have to become something close to evil yourself."
"You can't fight monsters with just your goodness. If you do, the result will be... just like me."
He motioned to his legs, lifeless in the chair. His voice was steady. "I lost my wife. My leg. My career. My world. To the people outside, I'm probably just a memory—if they even remember me at all. Maybe they think I'm dead."
"So listen to me, my son. Be a good person, yes. But don't use that goodness to fight evil. To fight evil, you may have to go to war. But never, ever forget your will. Do you understand?"
James nodded. "I understand. This war… it's not between good and evil. It's between evil and greater evil. Lesser evil and greater evil."
Hajun smiled faintly, proud and sad at the same time. "Then I won't see you off. Since you've already decided to leave."
James gave a small nod. "Yes."
And he walked off—once again, toward the heart of the city.