Jared Alonzo stared at the black screen.
System crashed.
Access denied.
Trace cut off.
"…expected."
But not a failure.
Information gained:
Target is real
Target is cautious
Target is capable of countermeasures
"…which means…"
Jared's eyes sharpened.
"…they're not invincible."
He restarted the laptop.
Slow.
Calm.
Controlled.
If direct tracing fails… indirect approach required.
At school—
Jared was quieter than usual.
Not distracted.
Focused elsewhere.
Iris noticed.
"…you're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"That thing," she said. "Where you look like you're solving ten problems at once."
"…approximate."
She sighed.
"Is it about the 'someone watching' thing?"
"…yes."
Silence.
Iris leaned closer.
"…how serious is it?"
Jared paused.
"…unknown."
"That's not comforting."
"It's accurate."
She studied his face.
"…you're not stopping, are you?"
"No."
"…of course you're not."
Iris leaned back.
"…then at least don't drag me into something dangerous."
Jared didn't answer immediately.
Because—
She's already involved.
"…noted."
That night—
Jared began again.
But this time—
Different strategy.
Indirect infiltration.
Instead of chasing the source—
He created bait.
A false vulnerability.
An open channel.
"…if they're watching…"
His fingers moved faster.
"…they'll respond."
Minutes passed.
Then—
The screen flickered.
Jared didn't move.
A window appeared.
"You learn quickly."
Jared typed.
"You're predictable."
A pause.
"Confidence without experience is dangerous."
"Observation without action is useless."
Silence.
Then—
"Interesting."
Jared leaned forward slightly.
Engagement confirmed.
"What do you want?"
This time—
The reply came slower.
"To see what you become."
Jared's eyes narrowed.
"…experiment."
"Then you already have your answer."
A pause.
"Not yet."
The screen glitched.
Then—
Something new appeared.
Coordinates.
Jared froze.
Location data.
"If you want answers…"
"Come."
The screen went black.
Silence.
Jared stared at the coordinates.
Risk: extremely high.
Potential reward: unknown.
"…acceptable."
Meanwhile—
In that same dim office—
The man leaned back.
"He'll come."
Another voice spoke.
"…too early."
The man smiled faintly.
"That's what makes it interesting."
The next day—
Jared stood at the edge of the city.
The coordinates led here.
An abandoned building.
Old.
Quiet.
Isolated.
Perfect for an ambush.
Jared didn't hesitate.
He walked inside.
Dust.
Broken glass.
Silence.
No visible movement.
But—
That didn't mean empty.
"…I'm here," Jared said calmly.
His voice echoed slightly.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
From the shadows—
A figure emerged.
Not armed.
Not threatening.
But—
Confident.
"…Jared Alonzo."
Jared's eyes locked onto him.
"…you've been watching me."
The man smiled slightly.
"And now…"
A small pause.
"…I'm meeting you."
Silence filled the space.
Two minds.
Two observers.
Finally—
Face to face.