In the silence of the cold November night, driving through empty streets, they were no longer a criminal and a detective.

  They were simply human...two souls tormented by inner demons that never stopped haunting them.

  Fueled by the desire to avenge the lives they had lost.

  Even if no one else understood them, they understood each other and that was enough.

  “We’re almost there.” Takashi said softly, breaking the silence.

  He reminded himself not to push, afraid of crossing a line.

  So he remained quiet, waiting for Sota to speak first.

  “You can leave me here. My apartment is in that building.”

  Takashi nodded toward the one on the right side of the road.

  Sota slowed the car and parked quietly.

  “Do you need help?” Sota asked, his hands resting on the steering wheel.

  “No, it’s okay.” Takashi said as he unbuckled his seat belt.

  Takashi opened the door slowly.

  Cold air rushed inside the car.

  “Detective Mori…?”

  Sota called his name out of nowhere.

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  Takashi already had one foot outside the vehicle, but he stopped for a moment.

  “Yes?”

  “You wanted to know the truth about your father.” Sota continued quietly.

  “I don’t think I can help you much. I was very young when your father joined the organization.

  And yes…

  during those two years, we were close.”

  He paused for a moment.

  “I always felt there was something different about him.

  But I only learned he was a detective when I saw it on the news.”

  Sota’s voice lowered.

  “They said a detective had been found dead by the shore. That was when I learned he was Detective Hiroto Mori.

  To me…he was Kaito Takeda.”

  He looked away.

  “After that…no one ever spoke about it again.

  And I never dared to ask.”

  The words hit Takashi harder than he expected.

  Takashi slowly settled back into the car, closing the door behind him.

  It’s now or never, he thought.

  The rage he had carried for years stirred inside him, heavy and burning…

  ready to finally break free.

  He was angry at his father for choosing to leave him and his mother behind.

  Angry for those two years he had been Kaito Takeda and not his father.

  He wanted to shout everything he had never said.

  All the words he had swallowed when he was fifteen years old…

  left alone to take care of his emotionally unstable mother.

  And yet...once again...he remained silent.

  “It’s been ten years since his murder.” he finally said.

  Rage twisted his expression completely.

  “Back then, they found no evidence connecting it to the organization.” he said bitterly.

  “I know they did it.

  But after all these years…I’m starting to realize I may never find anything.

  All these years, I’ve been trying to take them down, but they keep slipping through my fingers…and it drives me crazy.

  They’re always one step ahead of me.”

  The detective inside him stirred awake.

  The fearless and determined Takashi Mori.

  “I want to take them down one by one...no matter the price.” Takashi almost shouted.

  Sota’s eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.

  He didn’t look surprised by Takashi’s words at all.

  In fact…it seemed he understood him perfectly.

  “Tell me, Detective Mori.” Sota said quietly.

  “What do you want me to do?

  I’ll help you.”

  “But you need to understand.” he continued.

  “They’re far more dangerous than you realize.

  Once you step into this, there may be no way back for either of us.”

  He turned to look at Takashi, as if waiting for him to reconsider.

  “Are you ready to risk it all, Detective?”

  “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” Takashi said quietly.

  “If you’re willing to help me…then I’m willing to risk everything.”

  Their eyes met.

  This time, there was no hesitation between them...

  no fear, no shame.