Night wrapped the city in a deceptive silence.
The lights from the buildings illuminated the nearly empty streets as two figures walked without hurry.
Justin kept his hands in his pockets.
Jack walked beside him with the same calm expression as always.
Neither of them spoke for several minutes.
Only after they were far enough from the place where they had seen the Clown...
Justin finally broke the silence.
—That was interesting.
Jack didn't answer immediately.
He kept walking, his eyes fixed ahead.
—Yeah.
—Very.
Justin smiled.
—It wasn't exactly what I expected.
—Neither was it for me.
They arrived at an abandoned building.
Its windows were shattered.
Its walls were stained with dampness.
At first glance, it looked like a place forgotten by time.
They entered without making a sound.
They climbed to the second floor.
Only then did Jack speak again.
—He found us before we found him.
Justin leaned against a wall.
—Looks that way.
Jack crossed his arms.
—And he wanted us to know it.
Justin let out a quiet laugh.
—Yeah.
—He could've stayed hidden.
—But he chose to reveal himself.
A brief silence followed.
Justin looked out through one of the broken windows.
—Do you think he was trying to intimidate us?
Jack slowly shook his head.
—No.
—It was a message.
Justin raised an eyebrow.
—What message?
Jack answered without taking his eyes off the darkness.
—He's done investigating us.
—Now the hunt begins.
Justin smiled.
—I thought exactly the same thing.
The two remained silent for a few more seconds.
Finally, Justin spoke again.
—What about the girls?
Jack answered without emotion.
—They're no longer useful.
—They were only tools.
Justin chuckled quietly.
—That's a shame.
—They were entertaining.
Jack glanced at him.
—Don't get distracted.
—Our objective has changed.
Justin sighed.
—I know.
Every trace of amusement disappeared from his face.
—First, we'll eliminate the Clown.
Jack slowly nodded.
—After that...
—we'll decide what to do with everything else.
Justin looked over the city once more.
—Do you think he's working alone?
Jack remained thoughtful for a few seconds.
—I don't know.
—But someone capable of preparing all of this...
—doesn't seem like the type to improvise.
Justin crossed his arms.
—Then he'll be waiting for us too.
A faint smile appeared on Jack's face.
—I hope so.
For a brief instant...
Both of their pupils glowed with a faint purple light.
As quickly as it appeared...
It vanished.
Justin smiled one last time.
—Tonight...
the game ends.
---
Meanwhile...
I had just arrived home.
I locked the door behind me.
Slowly removed the Clown mask.
And placed it on my desk.
Then I poured myself a cup of coffee.
I needed to think.
Not act on impulse.
Not again.
I sat down at the desk.
Took out a blank sheet of paper.
And began writing.
Options.
The first.
Ambush them.
I crossed it out almost immediately.
If they truly had training...
A direct ambush could end very badly.
Second option.
Kidnap them.
I crossed that out as well.
I had no idea what they were truly capable of.
Trying to capture them alive could easily become my own grave.
Third option.
Wait.
I slowly shook my head.
No.
Waiting would only give them more time to move their own pieces.
I set the pen down.
Took a deep breath.
Then I realized something.
I didn't need to hunt them.
They would come to me.
After seeing me...
After realizing I had been watching them...
They wouldn't be able to sit still.
They would come looking for me.
And this time...
It would be on my terms.
A small smile appeared on my face.
—Perfect...
I stood up.
Opened one of the closets.
Inside were several firearms I had acquired from the police without spending a single dollar.
There were also dozens of boxes of ammunition.
I used my storage space to put the entire arsenal away.
---
An hour later...
I stood inside an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
The building had been abandoned for years.
No nearby neighbors.
No cameras.
No witnesses.
Exactly what I needed.
I slowly walked through the building.
Inspecting every corner.
Every entrance.
Every window.
Every possible escape route.
Then I got to work.
I nailed the first runic plate onto a support column.
Then another.
And another.
Each one was hidden in plain sight.
Across the concrete floor, I drew several magic circles.
To an ordinary eye, they looked like nothing more than cracks in the concrete.
But a small amount of magical energy would be enough to activate them.
I continued working for hours.
I placed temporary barriers.
Prepared escape routes.
Marked several positions I could relocate to if the battle became difficult.
Every rune was connected to the others.
Every magic circle served a different purpose.
When I finally finished...
I looked over the entire warehouse.
It looked exactly the same as before.
I smiled in satisfaction.
—Much better.
If they survived the first minute...
Then I'd improvise.
But at least...
The opening move would be mine.
---
I returned home shortly before sunset.
There was still one final matter to take care of.
I took out a sheet of paper.
Picked up my pen.
And began writing.
---
My esteemed employees:
Your work is finished.
You have successfully completed the mission I assigned to you.
From this moment on...
Do not approach Justin or Jack again.
Do not accept any new invitations.
Do not try to follow them.
For the next few days, remain in public places whenever possible.
Shopping malls.
Cafés.
Restaurants.
Avoid walking alone at night.
If you notice anything unusual...
Use the coins immediately.
I'll handle the rest.
Thank you for your hard work.
—The Clown
---
I carefully tied the letter around the neck of a bird-shaped balloon.
With a small burst of magic...
The balloon floated out through the window.
It disappeared among the city's lights.
I hoped they would understand the message.
I didn't want to involve them any further.
This was no longer an investigation.
It was a hunt.
---
At Vivian's house...
The balloon gently tapped against the window.
Tap.
Tap.
Vivian looked up.
—Again.
She opened the window.
The balloon slowly floated inside.
Brittany smiled as soon as she recognized it.
—It's from the Clown.
Vivian took the letter.
The two of them began reading.
Silence filled the room until they reached the end.
Brittany let out a long sigh.
—So...
He's really going to face them.
Vivian carefully folded the letter.
—Yeah.
—I think he's already made his decision.
Brittany looked at the black coin resting in her pocket.
For the first time since this mission had begun...
She was afraid the Clown might not come back.
Vivian slowly put the letter away.
—I just hope...
—he knows exactly what he's doing.
Neither of them spoke another word.
---
Night had completely fallen.
The streets were nearly empty.
I walked without rushing.
The mask once again covered my face.
My coat swayed gently in the wind.
There was no need to hide anymore.
They knew I existed.
And I knew they would come looking for me.
I turned a corner.
Then I saw them.
Justin.
Jack.
Both stood in the middle of the street.
As though they had been waiting for me for several minutes.
Neither carried a visible weapon.
Neither looked worried.
Both walked into that night convinced they would leave it alive.
Justin slowly began applauding.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
A smile spread across his face.
—Nice entrance.
Jack tilted his head ever so slightly.
—We thought you'd take a little longer.
I didn't answer.
I simply looked at them.
Three people.
Separated by only a few meters.
The wind drifted slowly through the street.
No one made the first move.
Finally, I spoke.
—So you've finally stopped hiding.
Justin stopped clapping.
His smile didn't disappear.
If anything...
It grew a little wider.
Jack held my gaze without blinking.
—And you've finally decided to step out of the shadows.
None of the three of us moved.
For weeks...
The three of us had been moving pieces from the darkness.
We had observed.
We had waited.
We had prepared the board.
But the time for strategy had ended.
Now...
All that remained was to discover who would be the last one left standing.