"Kai, tell me where they are hiding."
The bully doesn't talk.
"Ren, switch back with me," Kai.
"Why? He didn't even speak to us yet."
The bully looks confused.
"…Who are you speaking to?"
Then he laughs.
"You're crazy… you're not right in the head."
Kai looks at him coldly.
"Yeah… I'm not."
"…Because you guys killed me."
The air goes still.
Kai steps closer.
"Remember the forest?"
"…I was laying there."
"…Chained up."
The bully's face changes.
"No… it can't be… you're dead… we killed you."
Kai doesn't look away.
"Yeah."
"And I came back dead…"
"…to hunt you all down."
Silence.
Kai's voice drops.
"Let's kill him."
Ren answers immediately.
"No."
"That's the job of the police."
"…We should take him in. Let them deal with him."
Kai looks at him.
"Why not us?"
Ren's voice stays calm.
"Because we can't just give justice to people like we're some kind of heroes."
"…That's the work of the police."
Silence.
Kai's expression hardens.
"How much justice did they bring to the lost children at school?"
"…Nothing."
"They didn't even find the people who keep killing."
His voice gets sharper.
"…It's time for us to step up…"
"…and become the justice they need."
Silence.
Then—
Kai looks at him seriously.
"So none of them can be killed like I was."
His eyes darkened.
"…So now we're just going to hand this guy over…"
"…and hope they suddenly start doing their job?"
Ren's expression tightened.
"…We don't become killers."
Kai didn't back down.
"…Then what do we become?"
Silence.
The bully watched him—
Confused.
Terrified.
"…You're arguing with yourself…" he whispered.
Kai ignored him.
His voice was sharper now.
"…We need to be what they're not."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"…And that is?"
Apex predator that will hunt them.
The word hung in the air.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Ren shook his head slowly.
"…That's right."
Kai stepped closer.
"…Then what is?"
Silence.
Ren didn't answer immediately.
Because deep down—
He didn't fully know.
Kai's voice softened slightly.
But it carried weight.
"…If we don't stop them…"
"…more children will die."
The bully looked at him—
Breathing uneven.
"…W-what are you going to do…?" he asked.
No one answered.
Because right now—
They weren't just deciding his fate.
They were deciding what they were going to become.
To be continued...