After walking for nearly half an hour, Elara was finally getting close to the meeting place where she and Janice had agreed to meet.
Suddenly, her attention was caught by a news report playing on the televisions displayed inside an electronics shop window. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes fixed on the screen, listening intently.
"And now, another breakthrough story brought to us by the one and only, two-time award-winning photojournalist and investigative journalist—Jake Matthews."
"So, that bastard isn't just any ordinary reporter," Elara muttered under her breath, her voice cold and serious as she kept her eyes glued to the screen.
"This latest piece earned him his second award!" the reporter continued enthusiastically. "Jake Matthews is renowned for his work focusing on crime and psychology. He possesses an uncanny ability to dissect the victim's mindset, analyze the culprit's motives, and break down every grueling detail of a murder—including exactly how it was carried out. His meticulous approach has earned him immense respect in the industry. He is also the leading journalist covering the infamous 'E-Murders'—a series of crimes where all the victims' names start with the letter E..."
Elara felt her blood run ice cold. A terrifying realization hit her like a physical blow.
The victims in his articles... their names start with E... Her mind raced, her hands clenching into tight fists and her jaw locking tight. My name also starts with E... Did he... Is he the one behind this?! Is all of this... just for the sake of a story?!
"Just for a story?!" she whispered, her voice shaking with rage and horror.
Suddenly—Tap.
A hand touched her shoulder.
Elara reacted instantly, spinning around and tensing her body, ready to fight or flee.
"WHO'S THERE?!" she shouted sharply.
"What is the matter with you?" Janice asked, her tone icy and serious. She looked Elara up and down with deep suspicion, clearly noticing how pale and shaken she was. "You've been acting strange ever since we spoke on the phone. Tell me right now—what is going on? Are you really alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Elara said, trying to sound enthusiastic though her voice trembled slightly. "I just got distracted by the news for a second."
"Are you sure?" Janice asked calmly, letting out a sigh of exasperation. "We can call this off if you're not feeling well."
"No, let's go!" Elara insisted, forcing a genuine smile.
My theory holds up, Elara thought. In the original timeline, this moment never happened. So the chain of events is shifting. Now that we're moving, I need to see if the places we go and the things we talk about before I leave her at the café remain the same... though it feels impossible now that Alice is gone...
But I can't get Jake out of my head either. If he's just reporting the story, how does he know everything with such absolute accuracy? Unless... he is the one behind all this? Or is he just a genius who understands human nature too well? Either way, his eyes are on me now. Damn it! Now I have to worry about more than just the masked killers!
Under a lamppost nearby…
Jake stood perfectly still in the shadows, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Elara, stalking her every move.
In a hidden alley close by…
"What's our move now?" the female killer whispered curiously.
"We follow them," the male killer replied coldly. "We watch. We need to be absolutely sure if Janice is still a threat. If she proves to be harmless… then perhaps we can go straight for Elara."
He paused, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper.
"She cannot outrun her fate. She will never escape what is meant to happen to her."
— TO BE CONTINUED —