The press room was packed. Camera flashes, the buzz of whispered questions, and the heavy hum of air conditioners filled the space. At the podium stood Officer Ayame Aizen(Bleach refferance. Wanted a name. Sounded cool.) — the same man who had questioned Izaru days earlier.
His knuckles tightened on the wood. He had seen it. The CCTV, the impossible light, Izaru entering that crack in the wall and disappearing.
But how was he supposed to tell anyone that? He'd be laughed out of the force, branded insane, probably fired before nightfall.
So he cleared his throat and adjusted the microphone. "Regarding the disappearance of Sakatu Izaru," Aizen began, "the investigation is ongoing. We have reviewed surveillance footage and… it seems the subject managed to escape custody during a moment of distraction."
Reporters immediately erupted with questions.
"Escape? How?!"
"He was restrained, wasn't he?"
"Are you saying your officers just let him walk out?"
Aizen raised a hand, forcing calm into his voice. "He was clever. Exploited a lapse in procedure. We believe he used a blind spot in the building's security layout and fled through an emergency exit. By the time we noticed, it was already too late."
A murmur ran through the room. Not everyone bought it, but it sounded plausible. A reporter in the front row narrowed her eyes.
"So you're admitting a twenty-five-years-old man outsmarted your entire department?"
Aizen's jaw twitched. "…We underestimated him. That won't happen again."
The reporters scribbled furiously, headlines practically writing themselves.
'A Teacher In His Thirties Outwits Police.'
'Security Breach at Central Precinct.'
Aizen's stomach churned. He had successfully diverted the storm — for now. But deep down, he knew the truth: Izaru hadn't escaped into the streets. He had vanished into another world. And Aizen was the only one who knew it.
The worst part was-
-that he couldn't tell anyone else.