Code Nexus

The numbers swirled in his mind—1908-215. Then, as if immersing himself in deep thought, he blocked out the world around him.

In this state of intense contemplation, time slipped away, and what felt like minutes was no more than a few fleeting seconds.

Something hit him. These scales were more than mere objects; they were symbols of pain and revenge, a pathway back to Karl Miller.

'That's it,' he understood, returning his mind back to the estate.

With urgency, he shoved the scales into his pocket and rushed toward the gathering of board members. He knew the gravity of his discovery and could practically feel the danger closing in around them.

As he entered the living room where they had convened, several startled faces turned to him.

"Everyone, we need to talk," he said, projecting calm authority. "Things are a lot more serious than I expected."

"What do you mean?" Reen asked in concern. "What did you find out?"

Cassian kept himself relaxed, choosing his words carefully as he said, "I need to call for backup. This is something I'd prefer not to handle alone."

Eliza impatiently interjected, "You can't just leave us without any details. Exactly what's going on?"

'Is it a good idea that they should know?' he thought to himself.

Finding it plausible to at least shed some light on the situation, he stated, "Libra is behind this…" Then in a firm voice, he finished, "And... Karl Miller is alive."

Gasps came from all directions, mirroring the shock cascading through the room. Reen stood, agitated. "Alive? That's impossible! We saw the report—the car accident…"

"Yes, that's what the public media released," Cassian added. "But the evidence I've gathered leads me to suspect otherwise. Karl Miller survived and must have acquired a Rank D Band, one that's given him the power to transform his victims into dolls."

Keen eyes probed his face for assurance or confirmation of his theory.

"So, he really has been behind all this?" Eliza asked in a shaking voice. "But why? Why would he target us?"

"I can't explain that part yet," Cassian admitted, "but I have a few guesses."

What Cassian wanted to say was that perhaps Karl blames all of them for what happened to him, or maybe he sought to dismantle SolTech for a personal reason.

Cassian reached for his phone, prepared to dial for help from AU, but when he glanced back at the group, he found them staring at him with skeptical looks.

"What's the matter?" he asked, trying to calm the tension.

Just as he began to dial, a man yelled in frustration, "Hold on a second! You don't have any proof! You can't just throw out accusations without backing them up."

This was the same man who originally questioned Cassian on whether or not this case was connected to Karl. While that man might not have sounded condescending before, hearing the truth seemed to have pricked at his pride.

Cassian stopped to eye him. In a cool tone, he said, "I don't believe I ever asked you your name."

"Victor Lanes," he answered with a little arrogance in his tone. His disdainful glare showed doubt in the revelation. "You think Karl Miller's still alive? That's poppycock."

Cassian neither liked Victor's tone nor that someone was questioning his authority on this matter. But rich men like this man weren't enough to stir him.

He quickly brushed aside the urge to retaliate with anger. Instead, he stepped towards Victor, forcing the man to take a step back.

"Think through the evidence," he said. "The victims ended up as dolls, tied to a pattern with scales—a clear indicator of revenge. Karl would have required a Band capable of executing such acts. A high-level organization like Libra could easily grant him that power, wouldn't you agree?"

Reen had to ask, "So you're saying Karl has made a pact with the rebels or something?"

"Yes," Cassian nodded. "It's a means for revenge."

"But what did we ever do to him and his family?" Eliza probed.

Cassian didn't have the entire story yet, but the attack on their families directly ties back to Karl, and that was enough for him to deduce the internal conspiracy of SolTech.

He looked around at the frightened board members, feeling the intensity of their gazes.

"That's the big question, isn't it? Karl's supposed death was perhaps a turning point for him. Your connection to the company was more or less his way to get back at everyone."

Victor wasn't buying it. He tried to accuse Cassian of being a poor detective. But when Cassian approached him and asked, "Did you attend his funeral?" he remained speechless.

With that, Cassian returned his attention to the phone, intending to finish dialing for help. But in that moment, he noticed the signal had dropped to zero bars.

"Crap," he said, turning to the others.

"Now what?!" Victor beamed.

As if sanctioned by the revelation, the power in the mansion suddenly shut off. Lights flickered and then extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.

The board members gasped as they scrambled for their devices, only to find the same result—a complete loss of signal.

Cassian had made a mistake: he had unwittingly gathered all of Karl Miller's targets in one room, making them vulnerable to an ambush.

The moment he understood that, an eerie silence filled the air, interrupted only by the echo of slow clapping from the shadows.

"Very good, detective of AU," a voice said in a malicious tone.

Everyone turned to where the sound was coming from. A board member pointed their flashlight from their phone, and it landed on a figure emerging from the darkness—a man dressed in a sharp suit with a menacing demeanor.

"Karl Miller," Cassian revealed.

The shock was more intense than the others could fathom.

A malicious smile spread across Karl's face, illuminating his features in the light as he said, "It's delightful to see you again, Cassian. I've taken a keen interest in your work… and I must say, you've found your way back into my plans rather nicely."

"Again?" Cassian repeated. "You've been following me?"

"Following you…? Oh no! Quite the contrary…" The board members recoiled, unable to comprehend the figure before them. "I was getting a little bored with just killing people off, so I waited for someone like you to help brighten things up for me."

Cassian's earlier deductions were right. What troubled him, however, was whether or not Karl had backup. If he did, this was going to be much more than he could handle.

"Why are you doing this, Karl?" Eliza demanded in a shaky voice.

Karl's smile faltered for a moment, eyes locked on her as he answered, "Let me guess… You want me to say something like revenge? Well, you're wrong; it's retribution!"

'No,' Cassian thought, 'something's off.'

"I miss that look on your face, Reed," Karl continued. "You like to focus on the idea of justice, but let's face it: justice is a farce in Salia—no, all of Zephorya! What I'm doing is more direct, something that SolTech or even AU can't hope to accomplish!"

"So you sided with rebels?!" Victor accused, pointing a finger forward.

Karl's smile became more predatory as he stepped forward. The light caused his shadow to look like he was possessed.

"You, Victor… I actually liked you. Joining forces with Libra provided me with the tools I needed. Those scales," he gestured carelessly, "are just identifiers of claims. A mark of the victims' past. But that all changes after I liberate you all."

Cassian closed his eyes for a second. He was cautious at first upon discovering Libra was behind this all. But based on Karl's speeches, he honestly had nothing to worry about.

"Retribution," "Liberate?" These were all words of a man seeking unjustified revenge for trade and business deals. And beneath the surface of that was a puppet being played.

The only thing that made that puppet so frightening was what was around his wrist.

Cassian slowly opened his eyes, not letting the tension brew any further.

He looked behind him at the frail, vulnerable board members. Because of him, he had led them to a path of no escape, right into the enemy's hands. Then there was Reed's family, who were still in the mansion.

Cassian had to take accountability whether he wanted to or not.

The only illumination came from the flashlight, a small light against the darkness. But he knew he needed to act. The scales, the dates, the very fate of the board members—they were all his responsibility now.

"Wait!" Victor yelled. "I've never done anything to you, Karl! Spare me, and I'll give you fifty percent of my shares—no seventy!"

"Shut up for once, Victor…" The board members had expected Karl to answer, but it was actually Cassian to quell the room. "Don't you know how to bridle that tongue of yours?" He then looked at Karl and said in a leveled tone, "It's people like you that are the easiest for them to target…"

Karl's smile grew even deeper as he laughed, "Hahaha! You're smart; I'll give you that, but just what the heck does a young man like you know?!"