Sanemi was momentarily lost for a moment, paralyzed by the shocking intimacy of Mia's embrace. The feel of her body and the scent of her perfume were overpowering, threatening to pull him under.
He quickly fought back, adrenaline snapping him back to reality.
He shoved his hands against her shoulders, creating immediate distance between them.
"What do you think is going to happen if Mom sees us?" he said, his voice ragged with fear and anger.
Mia didn't look embarrassed or apologetic. She just smiled, her eyes radiating pure satisfaction. The message was clear: I own you now.
Sanemi didn't wait for a reply. He spun around and hurried into the building. His mother was waiting for him anxiously in the apartment.
"Okay, now, my son, tell me, who is Rina?" she asked immediately, her patience gone.
"Mom, she is just a girl we study in the same class..." Sanemi started, trying to make the relationship sound trivial and innocent.
"No. I need you to tell me everything," she insisted, her voice firm. "We are in this situation right now because of her. You can't lie to me."
Sanemi knew he had no choice. He sat down and told her the truth about Rina—how they met, how they started hanging out, the gentle progression of their young connection.
"But you never told me anything!" his mother said after listening, hurt coloring her tone.
"But Mom, I wanted to tell you. I was just waiting for the right time," he explained, feeling guilty for the unnecessary secrecy.
She moved closer, her expression softening. "You know I am the only one here for you, Sanemi. You don't have a father to talk to about things like this, so don't feel shy to talk with me about anything." She comforted him, rubbing his arm.
"Okay, I understand," he replied, feeling a relief of the immense burden he carried.
"I think you have to take a rest now," she said, giving him a gentle nudge toward his room.
He went to his bed, collapsing onto the mattress. His mind, however, refused to rest. He thought relentlessly about Rina—where she was, what was happening to her, and the devastating silence from the VAbyss system. The system had gone unnervingly quiet since the deadline passed, adding a layer of mystery to the whole kidnapping.
Then there was Mia, who was deliberately pulling him into her own complex and dangerous world.
He let out a deep, shaking breath and remembered the one person who knew the impossible truth: Vito. He pulled his phone from his pocket and called him.
"Hey, man! You're out!" Vito shouted into the phone, clearly excited.
"Yeah, all thanks to you," Sanemi said, his voice thick with gratitude.
"It's not a big deal, man, but you made me do things I never did in my life. I'm still afraid to death," Vito admitted.
Sanemi felt a fresh wave of sorry for his friend. He desperately wanted to pull him out of the danger. "I'm sorry, Vito. You don't have to involve yourself in this anymore. I'll figure it out."
"No!" Vito insisted firmly. "I will help you to the point where I can't no more. We're in this. And tomorrow, I'm coming to check out your computer to see if there is anything about this V-thing."
Sanemi was deeply touched. After everything he saw—the glowing veins, the confession, the terror, I thought he might be afraid, but he's still willing to help. The loyalty was a lifeline. Soon after they finished talking, and with the heavy burden of isolation lifted, he finally fell into a deep sleep.
At the police station, the exhaustion was palpable, but the new lead kept the team moving. They were still working to find definitive information based on the anonymous tip and the partial plate number: 843 XK.
They managed to obtain CCTV footage from the neighborhood and confirmed a black SUV matching the description leaving the area at high speed just minutes after the abduction. This was the first concrete lead.
Following the vehicle's likely route, the officers found it abandoned somewhere near the sea. The discovery sent a fresh wave of terror through Chief McKay, transported by water. This suggested the kidnapper was professional and was taking Rina far away, possibly out of the city entirely.
McKay immediately extended the search, scrambling coast guard boats and setting up checkpoints. Detectives carefully processed the abandoned SUV for any clues.
Unfortunately, the car was clean; fingerprints were either wiped or were partials that didn't match any known criminal records. Furthermore, the car's registration was fake or unknown, indicating a vehicle stolen specifically for the job.
The search was now vast and terrifyingly cold. The only path forward was the vast, dark ocean.
***
Sanemi was yanked from his deep, exhausted sleep by the persistent, jarring ring of his phone. He blinked, the dark room slowly coming into focus, and grabbed the phone. The caller was an unknown number. Groggily, he swiped to answer.
A voice, deep, cold, and devoid of emotion—hit him like a slab of ice.
"If you want your girl to live, come to Area A, Building number 67, within thirty minutes."
That was all. No explanation, no further threats. The line went dead with a sharp click.
Sanemi was instantly wide awake, every muscle in his body tensing with terror. Rina. He looked at the clock; it was the middle of the night. He jumped out of bed, his adrenaline pumping. He knew he had to go.
What should I do? Maybe call the police? The thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately dismissed it.
No. He said, 'if you want your girl to live.' I can't risk her life by involving Chief McKay and his officers. He had to trust the kidnapper's demand, terrifying as it was.
He quickly pulled on a dark shirt and his hoodie. He couldn't risk waking his mother, who had just spent a horrifying day waiting for his release.
He moved silently to the window, hoisting the sash and climbing out into the cold, quiet night, feeling like a criminal once more.
Walking the empty streets, his heart pounded against his ribs. He was still trying to rationalize his actions. What gives me this courage to go on? It wasn't the mission, not anymore. It was Rina. The girl he barely knew, the daughter of the man who just arrested him. Is this it? Is this what they call love? He pushed the confusion aside; all that mattered was getting to the location.
Area A, Building 67 was a grim, half-finished structure, what was meant to be an apartment block, still clearly under construction.
The silence here was heavy, broken only by the distant sounds of the city. He located the makeshift stairs and began climbing.
On the way up, his hands were shaking, his entire body trembling with fear and exhaustion but he forced himself upward. He had no other choice.
When he reached the rooftop, the city lights seemed miles away. He saw the person immediately: a figure draped entirely in a black cloth and mask, blending into the shadows. The figure was moving slowly, deliberately, toward him.
"I told you last time about the mission and the consequences if you screwed up," the figure said, the voice the same, it was deep and terrifying, the Watcher from the other night.
The realization hit Sanemi: The person who gave him the VAbyss tasks was the same person who just kidnapped Rina.
"You were supposed to be dead by now," the Watcher continued, his masked face tilted slightly. "You are so lucky."
Rage cut through Sanemi's fear. "Why are you doing all this? What is the point of kidnapping her?" Sanemi demanded, his voice echoing slightly in the vast space.
"Don't ask me such kind of questions," the man replied, taking a step closer. The Watcher did not deal in explanations, only in orders and consequences.
"Where is she now?" Sanemi pleaded, desperation thick in his voice.
"Just let her be free. I will do anything, anything, but don't do anything to her."
The Watcher stopped just a few feet away, a towering shadow against the night sky.
"You have been given another chance, Sanemi. You failed the Ivanovna mission, but your existence is still needed. The punishment has been enacted, and now you have a chance to earn back what you lost."
The Watcher reached into his pocket.
"If you fail this one too, that will be the end of everything you care about." He pulled out a new, unmarked cell phone. "Take this. From now on, everything will be given from here."
As Sanemi reached out to take the device, the Watcher's black sleeve rode up slightly on his wrist. In the dim light filtering from the city below, Sanemi saw it, a distinctive, scorpion tattoo, its tail curled and ready to strike.
The clues he had seen in his psychic vision were not a dream. They were real. The Watcher was the kidnapper. Sanemi had come face-to-face with the man holding Rina's life in his hands.