I dropped the bloodstained flash drive onto the asphalt — the price I paid for Aisyah's precious life. That bastard immediately snatched it from my hand, his grip rough and iron-strong, before dragging Aisyah away from me. He pulled her violently, disappearing around the dark corner of the alley, leaving me alone in the shadows.
I collapsed beside the cold, frail body on the ground. The weight of it all crushed me. My eyes burned with tears of rage and frustration, but I forced myself not to cry. I had lost again. I had failed again to save Aisyah. And now, I had to face everything — alone.
Suddenly, my right palm burned hot. The strange symbol there began to glow red again. I checked the torn pocket of my hoodie, making sure the other flash drive I had stolen from the warehouse was still there. Thankfully, it was safe. So he had only taken the one from the corpse earlier.
I stood up, my body still aching all over, but anger and vengeance had completely taken control of me. I had to leave now — to find out what was really going on, who had betrayed us. I had to unlock this flash drive before it was too late.
I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the pain in my back and the blood dripping from my temple. I headed for the only place I thought was safe — Andaru's new house, the one with an insanely tight security system. I needed to open the data there, away from any BIN agents who might be watching.
When I arrived, I slammed my injured shoulder into the small teak door, breaking it open. Inside, the room was a complete mess — papers, office equipment, and old files scattered everywhere. I didn't have time to clean anything up. I went straight to his desk, where piles of documents and folders were stacked high.
Andaru's laptop was still there, turned off — abandoned, like he had left it on purpose. That laptop was the key to everything. I turned it on, waiting anxiously as the slow startup screen loaded. My heart pounded furiously.
I wiped the blood off the flash drive, rubbing it hard against my dirty pants, trying to clean off what was left. I didn't care about the smell of iron in the air. I just needed to know what was inside. I needed to know what Andaru had discovered — before BIN found me.
I jammed the small device into the USB port. A single encrypted folder appeared on the screen, slowly opening. I held my breath as I read the name: "ARCHIVE P-73: PROJECT SUN ZERO."
I didn't know what it meant, but it felt important.
"Damn it, Andaru… what the hell did you hide in here?" I muttered, my hand trembling as I moved the cursor. I hit Enter — and froze.
What I saw next hit me like a punch to the chest. My stomach churned. Hundreds of high-resolution photos filled the screen — gruesome images of illegal surgeries performed in filthy, dark rooms.
Human organs — kidneys, livers, even eyeballs — laid out on stainless trays, displayed like goods in some sick black-market bazaar.
The images were horrifying. Some organs were still fresh, as if just harvested. My stomach twisted; I turned away, swallowing back vomit. This wasn't just a black market — this was hell.
"Korpora… those heartless monsters," I hissed under my breath, trembling with fury. I almost threw the laptop but stopped myself. I needed to dig deeper. There had to be more.
Scanning the folder, my eyes caught on details in the background — stacks of cash, silver coolers lined up neatly. They were transporting human organs like expensive contraband, wherever their buyers were.
Then, amidst the horror, one face froze my blood cold.
It wasn't the buyers — it was the leader of the transaction, standing there clearly under a dim neon light, a faint smile on his lips.
It was Surya.
A face I knew too well — a senior BIN agent I had trusted, respected, admired. And now, he stood there, immaculate in his black suit, orchestrating the entire atrocity. My entire world collapsed in that instant.
"No… no, damn it! You liar! You bastard liar, Surya!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I jabbed at the screen, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Betrayal tore through my chest like a blade. Surya… the traitor we'd been hunting all along — he was the mastermind.
Rage swallowed me whole. The heat of it burned hotter than any wound. He had stabbed Andaru. He had kidnapped Aisyah. He had destroyed everything we fought for.
I would kill him. With my own hands. I swore it — for Aisyah.
I zoomed in on his face, scanning for clues — and noticed a shadowy figure behind him, tall and broad, with glowing red eyes.
The third man from the warehouse. He had vanished when the lights came back on. It had to be him. Surya's bodyguard — or perhaps, his superior. Someone far darker and more powerful.
"You cowardly bastard," I growled through clenched teeth, tears and blood streaking down my face. I gripped a rusted iron pipe tightly, pain shooting through my arm — but I didn't care. I had to fight. I had to end this.
I opened another folder, searching for bank accounts, addresses — anything. But suddenly, the screen flickered violently, then went black.
A message appeared in bright red text across the center:
"SESSION MONITORED. YOUR LOCATION IS KNOWN."
My body went rigid. Someone was watching me — right now. They knew where I was. They knew I had accessed the data.
And they were coming.
I panicked, trying to yank out the flash drive, but my hands were shaking too hard. I hit the Power button, desperate to shut the laptop down — too late.
The screen shifted again, revealing Surya's face.
He was smiling. A slow, venomous smile.
"Welcome to my game, Gamali," he said, his voice calm and razor-sharp, crawling from the broken speakers like poison.
"You think you're smart, huh? You think that cheap flash drive can beat me? Too late, boy."
"You bastard!" I roared. "You killed Andaru! You took Aisyah! You'll pay for this, I swear—"
Surya laughed — a cruel, echoing laugh that hollowed out my chest.
"Pay? You've got nothing, Gamali. You're alone. Weak. Useless. Just another pawn without a master."
"Aisyah… where is she?!" I shouted, my voice trembling between fury and despair. I needed to know — I had to.
He stopped laughing. His expression turned cold, lifeless. "She's where she belongs," he said softly. "And soon you'll learn, you can't save anyone. Especially the ones you love."
"Enough of your bullshit! Tell me where she is — or I'll find you and rip your throat out myself!" I snarled, every word shaking with hate.
"Revenge?" he whispered. "How amusing."
Then he leaned closer to the camera, his smile vanishing. His eyes turned pitch-black.
"Try, Gamali. But before you come… here's a little parting gift."
The laptop emitted a high-pitched whine; the webcam light blinked rapidly.
Then — gunfire. Deafening bursts from outside the apartment. Getting closer.
"Run, Gamali," Surya's voice whispered coldly. "Or die like Andaru. Your choice, loser."
The screen went dark.
The room filled with the echo of heavy boots outside. Three shadows appeared through the broken door, rifles raised.
"There he is! Shoot him! Don't let him escape!"
I clutched the bloodied flash drive — the truth in my hand — as the muzzles aimed straight at my head.
Trapped between the truth and death, I had only seconds left.
I had to choose — surrender to fate…
or fight to the death for Aisyah.