The city lights shimmered off the wet asphalt, painting the streets in gold and silver reflections. Niran Woraset walked quickly, heart still pounding from the awareness of danger that had been growing over the past week. Each step felt heavier, as if the fog around him carried unseen eyes.
Kit followed from the rooftops, close enough to notice every twitch, every cautious glance, every tightening grip on the notebook. Tonight he would take more deliberate action. Not enough to endanger Niran, but enough to test the limits of control he held over the boy's life.
A man stumbled from the shadows, seemingly lost, but then lunged toward Niran, brandishing a knife. Niran froze. Panic surged through him. Kit was already moving. He tipped a nearby trash can so that it rolled between the attacker and Niran, tripping the man. Niran didn't even realize he had been saved until he was safely inside his apartment, gasping for breath. Kit melted back into the night, unseen.
"They must see. They must understand why it must be me," Kit whispered to himself.
....
Krit Veerayut was at the café, reviewing the latest reports from the city. The pattern was becoming undeniable. Someone was orchestrating events, manipulating circumstances around those closest to him. The attacks, the near-misses, even the subtle misdirection of witnesses all indicated a careful, deliberate hand.
Pha noticed the tension in Krit's posture. "You're acting like a predator," he said lightly, though his concern showed. "And you've been doing it for days."
Krit looked up sharply. "It's necessary. Someone close is involved. Someone moving unseen. I will identify them before anyone is harmed."
Pha's frown deepened. "Someone we know, you mean?"
Krit's eyes didn't leave the reports. Possibly. Speculation is dangerous until confirmation.
....
At the police precinct, Detective Prakan and Detective Mali grew increasingly frustrated. Every lead turned into a dead end, false witnesses and coincidental overlaps creating confusion.
"This isn't luck," Prakan muttered. "Someone is orchestrating this with precision. But who? And why?"
Mali shook her head. "It's as if they're toying with us. Every lead is calculated to mislead."
Prakan's jaw tightened. "They're studying patterns. Timing, victims, locations. They're smarter than anyone we've dealt with."
....
Later, Niran met Krit outside his apartment. "I don't know how to feel anymore," Niran admitted. "Everywhere I go, I feel like I'm being watched. It's… exhausting."
Krit's expression softened. "You're not alone. Awareness is the first defense. You must trust your instincts, but trust me as well. I will protect you."
Unseen, Kit watched from a rooftop, noting the tension and the subtle hand-holding as they parted. Each small connection, each moment of comfort, strengthened his obsession.
Soon, they will understand. Soon, they will know why it must be me.
....
Pha returned to Krit's mansion that night, unease clear in his posture. "Something's wrong," he murmured. "There's tension in the air. You're different. This isn't just about the murders."
Krit's gaze remained fixed on the skyline. "The pattern is emerging. Someone is close, patient, and precise. I intend to uncover them before any harm comes to those I care for."
Pha's eyes narrowed. "Someone close… you mean?"
Krit nodded slightly. "Yes. Observation is key. Awareness is everything."
Across the city, Kit's shadow lingered over Niran's apartment building. Every step, every glance, every small interference had been recorded. The threads connecting their lives were taut and invisible, pulling them toward a collision no one yet understood.
The storm was approaching, and the first revelation would change everything.