The rain had stopped, but the streets were slick and shining, reflecting the neon lights of the city. Adrian walked without purpose, his mind spinning. Every step seemed heavier than the last. He could still feel the burning symbol on his wrist a mark that wasn't there before.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he muttered.
He ducked into a narrow alley to avoid the press and the curious onlookers. The golden glow on his wrist pulsed as if it were alive, sending warmth through his veins. Then, a whisper echoed in his mind:
"Truth must be weighed… Lies cannot hide."
Adrian froze. No one was around. His heart raced.
He tried to ignore it, telling himself it was a trick of adrenaline. But as he looked up at the city skyline, he noticed something strange. Screens flashing on nearby buildings, normally filled with advertisements, now showed snippets of evidence images of crimes, falsified documents, and court records all pointing to cases he had lost.
It wasn't coincidence. Someone or something was showing him the truth behind the lies.
A sudden noise made him turn sharply. A shadow moved across the alley: a woman in a leather coat, gun in hand, eyes scanning the street.
"Adrian Vale?" she asked. Her voice was calm but firm.
"Yes… who are you?" he asked, instinctively stepping back.
"Detective Elena Cross. I've been following your… activities," she said, her eyes narrowing. "I think you've noticed something. Something the courts don't want people to see."
Adrian glanced at his wrist, then back at her. "You know about… this?"
She nodded. "I've seen it before. People like you… they get marked by The Law. It shows them what lies in plain sight. But it's dangerous. Every truth you expose comes with a price."
Adrian swallowed hard. "Why me?"
"Because the city is drowning in lies," Elena said, stepping closer. "And someone has to pull it to the surface. You're just… the first to notice it."
A chill ran down his spine. His life, until now ordinary, had just become a battlefield. And the first enemy wasn't even visible yet.
Somewhere in the city, in the dark towers of power, someone was already watching and waiting for him to make a mistake.
Adrian clenched his fist, golden light glowing stronger than ever. "Then I guess… I start learning the rules."
Elena gave a small, approving nod. "Good. But don't think you can do this alone. You'll need allies… and enemies will come for you faster than you realize."
The city hummed around them, unaware of the war about to begin.
And in that hum, Adrian could feel the first stirrings of a power he didn't yet fully understand but would soon have to master.