As Jean and Sage sprinted to the van, the others followed close behind — Rai, Sam, Jake, Prez, Rowon, Felton, Juli, Ray… no one stayed behind. The beach was no longer full of laughter and lights — only shadows and unease. Sand clung to wet feet as thunder grumbled in the sky like a warning.
They were scouring the area when it happened.
A scream.
Piercing.
Muffled.
From a black van speeding into the night.
Prez, eyes wide in horror, didn't even think — she ran.
Jake: "PREZ—NO!!"
Too late.
The black van skidded and turned, tires screaming against the dirt road, Prez chasing right after it with no plan — just panic.
Lightning split the sky. Thunder cracked hard above their heads.
Sage (firm): "Everyone back to the hotel. NOW."
Rai (dead serious): "We'll handle it. You go back."
Jean (defiant): "We're not leaving them!"
Rai: "Someone has to report it to VP Desai."
Sage: "If you want to help them, you need the adults involved."
Rowon and Felton were already sprinting after the van. Felton nearly slipped on the soaked ground, but caught himself. Still, they couldn't catch it. The van had vanished into the winding coastal road.
Hotel Lobby –
Everyone was drenched. Panic replaced playfulness. Students paced, some silent, others near tears. VP Desai, now wide awake and fully alert, stood in the center — trying to make sense of it all.
Rowon: "Sir, someone took Miana. "
VP Desai: "What…? How? From here?"
Juli (frantic): "Wait. Where's Mr. Sage?"
Ray (looking around): "Wasn't he right behind us?"
Rai said nothing. His jaw was tense. He knew Sage had slipped away — he just didn't know why.
Then Jake froze.
Jake: "Wait a damn minute… WHERE'S PREZ?!"
A silence fell again — but this one was different. Sickening.
Jean (slowly): "You don't think she… followed that van?"
Jake: "FUCK!"
He punched the wall, ignoring the pain.
Rai (snapping into action): "Everyone, stay here. Rowon, with me."
But the students didn't listen.
Sam: "We're coming too!"
Jake: "Like hell I'm staying behind!"
Jean: "She's one of us."
Juli: "Let's go."
Rain pounded harder now. Wind lashed their faces. But none of them hesitated. Together — Sam, Jake, Jean, Juli, Ray, Rowon, and Rai — they ran back toward the darkened beach.
—
Back at the Beach
The bonfire was now nothing but embers soaked in sand. The shore was abandoned, the laughter long gone. They spread out across the sand, yelling at the top of their lungs:
"MIANA!"
"PREZ!"
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Jean ran toward the alley that looped behind the vendor stalls. Sam and Jake scanned the tree line.
Then—
BANG.
Gunshots.
Two in a row.
Close.
They froze.
Jake (wide-eyed): "That was—"
Sam: "Come on!!"
They bolted toward the sound.
And just like that, the fun, the vacation, the joy of youth — was over.
This was real now.
And the worst was only beginning.
___________
Prez hadn't been kidnapped.
She had run.
Because she knew.
When Miana was molested before, Prez had slipped a GPS tracker into the locket she gifted her. Just in case. A quiet protection. A sister's shield.
So when the van vanished and chaos broke loose, Prez didn't scream. She sprinted. Alone. Into the downpour. No plan. No warning. Just her, her panic, and the sharp pulse of the tracker blinking from her phone.
Now, soaked to the bone, Prez stood in front of a rusted, worn-out warehouse on the outskirts of Phuket. Thunder cracked above. Her lungs burned. Her shoes squelched with every step.
But what she saw through the cracked door…
"Shit."
At least fifteen people inside. Teenagers. Kids. Girls and boys—drugged. Limp. Unmoving. Including—
Miana.
Lying on the ground. Head tilted. Eyes half-closed.
Prez's heart slammed in her chest. She couldn't save everyone. Not now. But Miana?
She had to.
She waited, pressed against the back wall, as two men stepped outside for a smoke. The second they turned the corner, she made her move—sprinting into the warehouse, crawling low to Miana's side.
"Mia… Miana… Wake up…"
Nothing.
She checked her breath—still faint, but steady.
Prez looked around. She couldn't carry two. Couldn't drag fifteen. But she could do this.
Piggybacking Miana, Prez bolted.
But her shoulder clipped a hanging plank of wood—CRACK.
The echo bounced through the warehouse.
Shit.
Shouts.
Footsteps.
They're chasing her.
Prez didn't stop. Couldn't. Miana was slipping. She ran, ran, rain blinding her, her ankle throbbing, her back screaming.
She turned sharply around an alley corner—
SPLASH.
The mud gave out.
She fell.
They both hit the ground hard.
Prez protected Miana's body, gritting her teeth, breath ragged. Her knee bled. Her ankle twisted. Her hands scraped open.
"Miana… wake up. Please. Come on…"
The thunder roared.
And then—
A silhouette.
Tall. Cloaked. Masked. Silent.
Behind them, the kidnappers were closing in.
The masked figure stepped forward—then lunged.
One man? Lifted by the throat.
Another? Shot. Clean headshot.
The first was dropped to the ground—his leg blasted before he could run.
Prez flinched. The rain seemed to stop, even as it poured. Her heart thudded too loud.
The masked man knelt in front of her.
Prez sat soaked, panting, bleeding, gripping Miana's limp form.
He extended a hand. A gun in his palm.
Prez: "Why?"
Masked Man: "Now or never."
The voice.
So familiar.
Prez's fingers curled around the grip. The masked man adjusted her arms from behind. His hands steady over hers.
"Shoot."
BANG.
BANG.
Two headshots.
Her hands trembled. Her body frozen.
Masked Man (softly): "Good girl."
He took the gun from her and stood. As he turned to leave—
Prez: "There are more kids in there."
Masked Man: "I know."
Prez: "Did you… do this?"
Masked Man: "You think I need to stoop that low to reach my goals?"
A scoff.
"I'm not that desperate."
She didn't reply. Didn't need to.
She knew.
Then—
"PREZZZ!!"
Jake's voice cracked the night.
She turned. Eyes lit up with relief.
Jean, Sam, Jake, Juli, Ray, Rai — all sprinting toward her.
Jake dropped to his knees beside her. Sam immediately took Miana into his arms.
Juli: "Prez?! What happened? How did you find her?!"
Jean: "Juli, later. She's hurt."
Rowon: "We need to get out of here. Now."
Jake swept Prez up in his arms. Sam carried Miana. Rain soaked everyone, but no one cared.
As they turned back—
Two corpses lay in the alley.
Blood.
Silence.
A hint of smoke from the gun.
Rowon leaned in to Rai.
Rowon (low): "Go with them. I'll catch up."
Rai hesitated, then nodded.
The group ran for the hotel, but Rowon waited behind.
Moments later—Felton appeared.
Felton: "Why didn't you leave?"
Rowon: "Warehouse needs cleaning."
Felton: "Sage is already on it."
---
Outside the Hotel
Rai didn't step out.
Jean turned.
Jean: "You're not coming?"
Rai: "You go ahead. I'll be back soon."
Jean nodded. The rain had slowed now, but the storm wasn't over.
Rai checked his phone — a message from Rowon.
Coordinates sent.
He shifted gears and drove off.
His eyes cold.
Purpose sharp.
Tonight… the fun ended.
_________
The warehouse stood isolated, rain lashing against rusted tin walls, thunder crackling like war drums overhead.
Inside—chaos.
Sage was already in motion, gunshots echoing as he moved through the shadows like a specter. One after another, the vermin dropped. These weren't amateurs—they were predators, and they had drugged dozens of Phuket's local teens. But Sage?
He was the real monster tonight.
A second shot rang out—not his.
A body dropped behind him.
Sage turned just in time to see Rai lower his gun, stepping from the dark with his usual glare.
Sage (dryly): "You're quite early, detective."
Rai (reloading): "Can you please shut that mouth of yours."
Sage (grinning): "Oops. Thought that bullet was for me."
Rai: "Cut the crap. What's the plan?"
Sage: "Obviously? Kill them all."
Rai didn't argue.
The two launched into action—guns blazing, fists flying. Sage moved like a storm, smooth and merciless. Rai fought with ruthless efficiency, backing Sage without hesitation.
Enemies closed in—
BANG.
CRACK.
THUD.
Bodies hit the floor. Groans turned to silence. Blood smeared the concrete.
Sage (glancing over): "Nice moves, Rai."
Rai (still aiming): "You're not bad yourself."
They fired the last shot—
All clear.
A beat of silence. The stench of gunpowder. The hum of violence still in the air.
Then—
Felton and Rowon burst into the warehouse.
Rowon: "Damn. You two killed all of them? You could've left some for us."
Felton was already moving, his expression unreadable as he began dragging the nearest body toward the van.
Sage (smirking): "You know what to do, Fox. You're the best at this."
Felton: "Go back. We'll handle the cleanup."
Rowon: "Wait—we? What do you mean we?!"
Felton grabbed him by the collar, dragging him toward the bodies.
Rowon (grumbling): "A grave-digging date, huh?"
Felton sighed. "Get to work."
—
Outside, Rai leaned against his car as the storm began to fade, the sky still grumbling above.
Rai: "We should go. The students are back at the hotel. Pretty sure the VP is losing his mind by now."
Sage (mocking): "Aw, should we go comfort them?"
Rai ignored the jab.
As he opened the door, he paused—eyeing Sage sharply.
Rai: "You sure you had nothing to do with this?"
Sage: "You think I'd waste my time with filth like this?"
Rai: "You have a base here. Doesn't sound too far-fetched."
Sage: "If I was behind it, do you really think you'd have found it this easily?"
Rai didn't answer.
Because deep down—he knew Sage was right.
Sage (chuckling): "For your help, I'll give you a reward."
He slid into the passenger seat like he owned the car.
Rai (incredulous): "You think I'm a dog or something?"
Sage: "A good one."
Rai: "You're insane."
Sage: "And yet here you are—driving me home."
Rai muttered under his breath as he started the engine, "Crazy piece of—"
They drove off into the night, the tail lights of the car fading into the mist as the rain began to lighten.
Behind them, Felton and Rowon quietly cleaned the wreckage—no words, just the grim ritual of monsters cleaning up after bigger monsters.