Chapter 21: The Stranger in Gray

We go into the village that afternoon to buy supplies. The innkeeper, Mrs. Sato, has been kind, but we cannot rely on her charity forever. I have withdrawn the last of my savings from an ATM in the next town over, wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, hoping the Cleaners do not track bank transactions.

The village is sleepy in the late afternoon sun. Dust motes dance in the light. It feels peaceful, timeless.

But as we walk out of the convenience store, I feel it.

The static.

It spikes. Violent. Sharp. Like a needle in my ear.

I stop dead in the street, dropping a bag of rice.

"Juiro?" Minaki asks, concerned.

"Someone is here," I whisper. "Someone... wrong."

Hitane is instantly on alert. She scans the street, her eyes narrowing. "Where?"

"I do not know," I say, pressing my hands to my temples. "But the space... it is bending. Someone is pushing against the reality here."

We look around. The street is mostly empty. A few locals chatting. A delivery truck.

Then I see him.

Standing at the far end of the street, near the bridge that leads out of town. He is wearing a gray suit that looks out of place in the rural setting. He is standing perfectly still, watching us. He is too far away to see his face, but I can feel his gaze. It feels like a physical weight.

"Gray suit," I hiss. "Three o'clock."

Hitane looks. Her face goes pale.

"Cleaner," she says. "A Scout. They found us."

"How?" Minaki asks, her voice trembling. "The phone call?"

"Maybe," Hitane says. "Or maybe they just followed the ripples. We have been using our powers a lot the last few days."

The man in the gray suit takes a step forward. Then another. He is walking towards us, not running, just a steady, relentless approach. He reaches into his jacket.

"Run," Hitane says. "Back to the inn. Now!"

We turn and sprint. We dash down a side alley, knocking over a stack of crates. My heart is hammering. The static in my head is a roar now. The peaceful village suddenly feels like a trap.

We burst into the backyard of the inn. Hitane slams the gate shut and locks it.

"Pack your things," she orders. "We have to move. If there is a Scout, the Squad is not far behind."

"Where do we go?" Minaki asks, panic rising in her voice. "This was the safe place!"

"Nowhere is safe," Hitane says grimly. "Not anymore."

Suddenly, the air in the garden shifts. The sunlight seems to dim. The birds stop singing. A heavy, oppressive silence falls over us.

I look up.

Standing on the roof of the inn, looking down at us with a blank, white mask covering his face, is the man in the gray suit.

He has not used the gate. He has moved instantly.

"He is a Jumper," I whisper. "Like me."

The man tilts his head. He raises a hand. The air around him ripples.

"Triad," a mechanical, filtered voice speaks from behind the mask. "Your resonance has been detected. Deletion is authorized."