Chapter 3: Eyes Everywhere

Ren climbed out of the city like a ghost, rain clinging to his skin, lungs still burning. The subway noise faded, but the pressure didn’t.

He felt it.

Eyes.

His phone buzzed.

UNKNOWN: You survived.

Ren stopped walking.

REN: They shot at me.

UNKNOWN: Because you ran.

The message vanished. Signal gone.

Windows reflected him back in fragments—hood up, face tight, hands shaking. This wasn’t panic. It was realization. The city wasn’t chasing blindly. It was measuring him.

A convenience store. Bright lights. Normal people. Ren bought water, left, and felt it again—footsteps, slow and confident.

Hunter.

Ren hid behind a truck, heart screaming, body still. A man passed. Calm. Focused. Not searching.

Tracking.

Ren didn’t breathe until he was gone.

By dawn, Ren locked himself inside a ruined apartment. He slid down the wall, pressing his palms together, forcing control.

The phone buzzed again.

A photo loaded.

His hand. The moment he grabbed the chip.

UNKNOWN: You took leverage.

Another message followed.

UNKNOWN: Twelve hours.

Ren stood, fear hardening into resolve.

If the city was watching—

he wouldn’t break quietly.