The phone rings—one of those old rotary things. You haven't had a client in weeks, and the bills are stacked like poker chips in a losing hand. Rain hammers against the window, matching the slow, cynical rhythm of Eden City.
You answer it, not out of duty, but because you're bored of the silence. The voice on the other end is ragged, panicked.
"Detective Cade? It's happening again. There's another body."
You recognize the voice. Captain Reyes. You haven't spoken in six months—not since the Harbor Slasher case went cold.
"Warehouse District. Pier 9. Same signature. You coming or not?"
Minutes later, you're outside, pulling your coat tight, revolver heavy in your pocket. The fog's rolling in thick, wrapping Eden in smoke and secrets.
---
Pier 9 — 12:26 AM
The red and blue flashes cast the dockyard in a crime‑scene glow. Reyes is already there, waiting at the edge of the yellow tape. He hasn't changed—same scowl, same trench coat—but there's more gray in his beard now.
"Didn't think I'd see you again," he says, voice low. "Figured you were buried in that bottle by now."
Inside the warehouse, the smell hits first: copper and chemical. A woman's body lies posed, arms folded neatly. A white chrysanthemum rests over a clean incision where her heart should be.
You kneel beside her. No bruising, no sign of struggle. Her eyes are wide, mouth slightly open. She's smiling. And between her lips, tucked like a grotesque message, is a rolled‑up piece of paper.
You call Reyes over. A tech pulls out the note and hands it to him. Reyes reads it aloud:
> "She saw beauty where there was none. Now she is beautiful forever."
— E.
It's a first. The killer's never left a note before.
---
Outside the Warehouse
You step out for air, needing distance from the body and the stifling tension. You light a cigarette, watching the smoke curl into the fog.
Then you see it. A figure, across the street, half‑shadowed by a stack of shipping containers. Still. Watching.
Your eyes meet—just for a moment—and then the figure turns and disappears into the mist.
You stay where you are. No sudden moves. Just watch. Whoever it was, they moved with purpose, not panic. Like they wanted you to see them.
From behind, Reyes's voice cuts through the quiet. "Cade! You better see this!"
You turn back toward the warehouse. But something stops you.
Taped to the windshield of your car, fluttering in the damp wind… another note.
> "Hello, Detective. Let's play."
— E.
---
End of Chapter One
Your choices have set the tone. The killer knows you. The game has begun.