Sam Nicholas stood in the center of the precinct, surrounded by holographic maps of the city and digital files of the elemental legends. He had been tracing the patterns of the disappearances, trying to predict where the shadow would strike next. Based on his research into the old "Book of Void," he narrowed the next potential victims down to two names: Lucas or Savior. These were the remaining pillars of the original circle who were still unaccounted for in the year 2070.
However, a quick search of the global database revealed that Savior had not been seen or heard from for many years. His records ended abruptly decades ago, making him a ghost even to the most advanced surveillance systems of the new world. This left only one person in the immediate vicinity who matched the profile of the killer's hit list. Sam realized with a jolt of adrenaline that Lucas, the legendary healer, was the only remaining target in the city.
Without waiting for official backup, Sam grabbed his gear and sprinted toward his patrol vehicle, his mind racing with the implications. Lucas was known to the community as a retired doctor, a man who had dedicated his sunset years to helping the sick in a quiet residential district. He was a man of peace, but to the killer, he was a legendary remnant of a forgotten war. Sam knew that every second he spent in transit was a second the doctor's family spent in mortal danger.
The drive to the Lucas estate was a blur of neon lights and screeching tires as Sam pushed his car to its absolute mechanical limits. He arrived at the gates of the large property, only to find them standing wide open, swaying slowly in the evening breeze. The front door of the house was ajar, and the interior was cloaked in a heavy, oppressive darkness that signaled a recent intrusion. Sam drew his service weapon, his senses heightened as he stepped across the threshold into the silent home.
He moved through the rooms with professional caution, checking the kitchen, the study, and the bedrooms for any signs of the doctor. The house was empty, and the air carried that same metallic, ozone-heavy scent he had encountered at the Gravitus crime scene. It was a cold realization that hit him in the gut: he was too late to prevent the strike. The predator had already come and gone, leaving behind nothing but the echoes of a family that had been torn apart.
As Sam stood in the middle of the empty living room, his phone buzzed with an incoming high-priority alert from the forensic unit. He listened to the update for only a few seconds before his face drained of color and his hand began to tremble with shock. The news was so devastating that it changed the entire scope of the investigation into the elemental gods. He immediately called Patel and told him to leave the precinct and meet him urgently, knowing they could no longer follow standard procedures.