The rain fell softly over the winding road leading to her secluded home. Selene Voss, wrapped tightly in her coat, watched the fog spread over the hills. Solitude had taught her peace… and pain.
The phone rang. The name flashing on the screen made her flinch: Marcus Hale.
She answered, her voice cautious and cold.
— "Selene."
— "Marcus…" she whispered, hesitant.
There was a heavy silence before he spoke, his voice trembling with urgency:
— "Selene… my son… he's missing. I don't know what to do… I… I'm begging you, please help me."
Selene felt her chest tighten. The shadow of her past was closing in again. She shook her head:
— "Marcus… I can't. I won't go back into that world."
He pressed, desperation clear:
— "Selene, you're the only one who can find him. No one else understands… you know how they think, you know how to track them! I… I beg you, for him… for the other children…"
Selene remained silent for a long moment. The rain fell in a steady rhythm, like a countdown. Finally, she sighed, her gaze hard but resolute:
— "Alright… I'll come back. But I'll do it my way."
Time was running out. And for Selene, it was returning to the place where she lost everything, facing her demons, and hunting dangerous criminals. She grabbed her coat and black notebook, ready to plunge back into the city's darkness, where every step could reveal a clue… or a danger.