In the next half hour, Walker never once brought up the anonymous sender of the photo.
He was playing long. Careful. Calculated.
And Myth knew exactly what that meant—Walker didn't believe a word, but he wasn't ready to show his hand yet.
Instead, the detective leaned forward and started with a flat tone.
"Tell me about Sid Hayden."
No emotion. Just pressure.
"Who were his friends? Can I contact them?"
"Where did he live? His address?"
"Where did you two meet?"
"His digital footprints?"
"Your mother's a lawyer, right? Why didn't you ask her for help? Or did you want to keep this from her?"
Each question came quick. Clean. Almost rehearsed.
Myth kept his face steady. He had expected this.
He gave answers that seemed detailed but didn't commit to hard facts.
He simply paint a story as such
"I met Sid when I was eight. He was fifteen," Myth said, his voice steady, eyes holding Walker's gaze.
"We lived in Aurvyn City. He was a student at military Academy—an elite prep school near the border district. But he helped me a lot back then. A mentor, in a way."
"When I turned ten, he was seventeen. That's when he became a Seeker—a Rook."
Myth paused for breath.
"Two years later, Sid told me he had to leave. Something big had come up. He didn't share much, just that it was a high-priority project—something dangerous. Said he'd be working with a Bishop Seeker. He sounded… proud. Determined."
Myth exhaled. His tone stayed level, but the weight in it deepened.
"That was a year before the portal incident."
"After that, nothing. No calls. No letters. Nothing for five years."
A brief silence. Then:
"And then one day, someone contacted me. Sent me a photo. Told me Sid was involved in Ashfall portal incident "
He leaned forward. "I had no choice but to chase that lead."
He kept his voice calm, precise, like he was recalling not creating.
Inside though, Myth was tracing every word for inconsistencies before they even left his mouth.
He couldn't slip. Not once.
Walker, Seeing no luck on his front.
Started to question Myth in such a way that would show how illogical his story is. How farfetched it sounds to push Myth on the back foot in the conversation for the next part to come .... The most important part.
"So… a fifteen-year-old Sid a part of military academy, and he still had time to mentor an eight-year-old stranger in the city?"
"You never tried to look for Sid before this photo? Not once in five years?"
"And yet now, suddenly, you're here—with forged IDs and a full backstory."
Walker's voice dropped. Cold. Final.
"Is this photo the only evidence that connects Sid to the portal incident… and Ryan Reed?"
Myth kept his voice even.
"No. There's a person who worked with both Ryan Reed and Sid Hayden. He's the one who sent me the photo."
He was about to continue, but—
"Stop."
Walker cut him off with a sigh.
"Sid disappears for five years. No contact. Then you get a photo. Why would the sender contact you after all this time?"
"Why not Special Forces? Why not the police? Why you, specifically?"
Myth sighed, tension pressing deep into his shoulders. The back of his throat was dry.
"Can I get a glass of water, please?"
"No."
Walker didn't flinch.
"Answer the question."
Myth shifted, leaning forward slowly, deliberately, before speaking with quiet restraint.
"Yesterday, when I filed the complaint about Sid Hayden and Ryan Reed… someone in your department leaked my name."
"I was attacked yesterday"
"The person who sent me the photo knew there was a mole inside the police. He said he's already under surveillance if he went through the system he'd be silenced.
So he came to me—and told me exactly how to avoid the mole"
A beat. Myth's voice darkened slightly.
"The Special Forces tried to erase Sid's existence entirely. Why would he go to them?"
He paused, then added:
"And… it wasn't just me. He went to others first. But none of them wanted anything to do with it."
Myth turned his head, locking eyes with Ashley.
Just for a moment. A flicker of something—a quiet accusation.
"Eventually… he got desperate enough to reach out to me."
The silence after that was loud. And then—
Ashley leaned in.
"Why exactly was he desperate?"
Myth hesitated—then spoke with a thread of fear behind the words.
"He said something big is going to happen. Day after tomorrow."
"He's got a shift tomorrow. Portal Facility. Three to eleven."
Myth looked up, gaze flicking between the two detectives now.
"He said… come in the evening. Come under my case—interrogate people. You'll see for yourself what's happening."
"He'll help you. But he has to stay anonymous."
Some time passed. The room had settled. Then Walker leaned forward again.
"Do you have any proof of the supposed attack?"
Myth didn't blink.
"Yes. I do."
He turned toward Ashley.
"Ashley… could you lend me your phone? I need to show you something."
Ashley handed it over. Myth opened up the video—grainy dashcam footage and a social media from his account.
He handed the phone to Walker.
The room went quiet again as Walker watched. Ashley hovered behind, her eyes narrowing.
When it was over, Walker raised his brow.
"So how does this help you? Last I checked, your goal was to find your brother—or Sid, whatever he is to you."
Myth didn't hesitate.
"Exactly. And exposing what's happening inside that portal facility is how I'll get answers."
"Answers about what really happened back then… and what happened to Sid Hayden."
He let the silence hang for a beat, then added casually—
"Oh, and I and one more person will be joining you when you interrogate them."
Walker's face tightened.
"Excuse me?"
Myth leaned back slightly, eyes sharp.
"I don't like being in the dark. And want to know what happened to Sid"
The words weren't a request. They were a challenge.
Walker didn't answer.
Walker knew ... Myth was lying and Walker was 99% sure about it, he was just no able to catch Myth ...
Even for that slight 1% chance. He had to follow the case.
they had no choice now.
They had to interrogate.
They had to follow.