The air was thick with tension. The smell of gunpowder lingered faintly in the warehouse-like chamber, where broken crates and steel pipes were scattered across the floor like remnants of a forgotten battle. Blood hadn't yet been spilled, but violence clung to the air like humidity before a storm.
Théodore stood still for a moment, his sharp eyes scanning the expressions of the gang leader and the customer—no, the fake customer. Both wore matching looks of confusion twisted with irritation, their eyes narrowing in response to a single, calmly delivered sentence:
"And here's the funny part. Your mysterious 'leader'? He never planned for me to figure this out this fast. But unfortunately for him…"
Théodore's lips curled into a confident, mocking smile. He lifted his arm slowly and pointed directly at the gang leader and the supposed customer.
"This... right here? This is the evidence of how deep you're manipulated by your so-called 'leader'. And not just manipulated... but sacrificed."
The silence cracked like glass under pressure.
"He expected you to fail. That's what's truly pathetic." Théodore chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "He knew—long before you arrived here—that I would untangle this web. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was aware of me from the very moment I stepped foot in the Indian airport… maybe even before that. He knew who I was—the detective of the Core. And the entire criminal underworld? They know too."
He took a slow step forward, his boots echoing slightly in the silence.
"So why did he send you?" Théodore raised a brow. "Simple. To test me. To gauge my intelligence. My speed. My perception. This wasn't a mission... it was an audition. And, I must say, I passed it rather easily."
The gang leader clenched his jaw. The supposed customer looked away, shame and doubt flickering behind his previously defiant expression.
Théodore grinned. "Let me walk you through it—just in case you missed the brilliant deduction trail I left behind. When I arrived here, brought in by our dear customer, something felt... off. He was too ready to act scared. His body language was tense, before you even showed up. Almost like he was rehearsing fear. That wasn't the fear of a victim—it was the performance of one."
The gang leader's fingers twitched near the trigger. Théodore didn't flinch.
"And then, when your gang entered, you didn't attack as a unit. You came in one by one, like choreographed movements in a test. Why not overwhelm me at once? Because your leader instructed you to test me individually. That was another giveaway."
He stepped closer, just outside the leader's firing range.
"Then came the revolver. A typical revolver has six chambers. You fired once, and when I snatched it and looked inside, there were seven slots. And four bullets were fired by me, which left two rounds still in the weapon. You had a perfect shot at the customer—who you claim was innocent—but you didn't pull the trigger. That made no sense. I've dealt with countless criminals, and there's one constant—they don't hesitate. You, however, did. Why?"
Théodore narrowed his gaze.
"Because you were confused. Because somewhere deep down... you knew. You were being used."
He gave them a moment to process it all, then sighed.
"To be honest, I could've arrested you way earlier. But I needed to show you this... clearly. Your leader isn't ordinary. He's manipulating people at a level that distorts identity, loyalty, even reality. And he used you as expendable pieces on his board just to understand me better."
Théodore's voice dropped, softer now.
"I don't even know if I'm smarter than him. What I do know… is that he fears what I might do to his plans. That's why he needed this test."
He walked between the two, speaking now not just to their minds, but perhaps to what was left of their buried conscience.
"And that brings us to this moment. If you two vanish, he'll know I passed his little exam. If I let you go, he'll know I showed mercy. If I kill you—he'll learn I'm unpredictable. But I'm not cruel. I won't kill pawns. You'll go to jail with the others, and both of you will come with me—for interrogation. I need to understand how far his influence goes. You're not free men anymore… but you're not just criminals either."
He extended a hand.
"I'm giving you a chance. Come with me."
For a moment, silence dominated the chamber. No words, no bullets, just the echo of truth reverberating in their minds. The gang leader's hand trembled slightly. The fake customer's expression had changed. From arrogant indifference… to shaken realization.
Théodore stood still, unmoving. His outstretched hand was not just an offer—it was a challenge to reclaim what was left of their humanity.
"I don't know how your leader manipulates. But I do know this—he never saw you as special. You were just tools, offered up for a small objective. And people like that?" Théodore's voice dropped to a whisper. "They burn through pawns every day."
He lowered his arm and took one last glance at both of them.
"Changing you might be impossible. But I can try. If not for your redemption—then for the war that's coming."
And then... silence again.
The three of them stood there. Frozen. Suspended in the quiet before a decision.