Chapter 9: A Provocation

The city streets were unusually silent as Karon made her way out of the precinct late that night. The air was thick with tension, her own nerves still raw from the latest discussions in the office about the recent killings. Each new case chipped away at the calm façade she worked so hard to maintain. But she kept her mask in place as she stepped into the cool night air, letting the darkness soothe her agitation.

As she crossed the quiet courtyard outside the precinct, something caught her eye—a shadow lying near the base of the stairs, almost hidden by the dim glow of the streetlights. She paused, narrowing her gaze, an unsettling suspicion creeping up her spine. The closer she got, the more clearly the shape came into focus.

It was a body. A young woman, barely 23, sprawled out at the foot of the stairs. Her face was twisted in a contorted expression of terror, eyes wide open, mouth slightly agape, as if she had tried to scream but couldn't. Her clothes, a torn white blouse and dark jeans, were drenched in blood. Her neck had been slashed violently, the gaping wound still dripping onto the concrete. A dark pool of blood had already begun to stain the ground, spreading out in all directions like a dark omen.

Karon's jaw clenched, her fingers twitching in anger. The audacity of this other killer, leaving a corpse just outside *her* precinct, was a taunt—an insult she couldn't ignore. The burning rage within her was instant, sharp, and unrelenting, making her fists tighten as she fought to suppress the torrent of fury that threatened to rise.

She knelt beside the body, her eyes scanning the details—how the blood soaked through her clothes, how her skin was pale from the loss of it. The girl was young, too young to die like this, and the brutal, messy nature of the kill made Karon's blood boil.

This wasn't just another murder. This was a direct challenge, a mocking of her skill, her method. Whoever had done this didn't just kill for necessity; they did it to provoke her, to mock her in the one place she thought was safe from the chaos she controlled.

The officers on duty began to gather around, murmuring in shock. Karon could hear Jade's voice cutting through the crowd, his commands snapping as he approached the scene. She stood up slowly, brushing her hands against her pants, forcing herself to look impassive as her body seethed with anger.

Jade appeared at her side, his jaw tense, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight. "What the hell is going on?" he muttered, his gaze sweeping over the body. He glanced at Karon, expecting some kind of reaction.

Karon gave him a brief, hard stare. "Another one," she said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion. "This one's different though. Sloppy. They want us to find it. And they want us to know they're watching."

Jade's eyes flicked to her, studying her with a careful, almost suspicious look. "Doesn't seem like it's the same person, does it? It's not clean—nothing like the others."

Karon's fists clenched at her sides. *This wasn't how it was supposed to be.* Whoever was behind this had crossed a line. She'd been careful, methodical. She never left behind such a mess.

"Whoever did this..." Jade continued, his voice low, "They're making a statement. They want us to think they're taking over."

Karon's lips curled into a tight smile, though her eyes were filled with a cold fury. *No one takes over my game.*

Jade continued to examine the body, oblivious to the inner storm that raged inside Karon. He didn't see it—the way the victim's eyes were wide with fear, almost as if she had been in the middle of something more than just a simple murder. He didn't see the way Karon's pulse quickened, how she was holding herself back from doing something reckless. She would show them.

She would show *them all.*

---

Later that night, Karon returned to her apartment, the image of the young woman's lifeless body burned into her mind. She should have felt something—remorse, maybe, or guilt for the innocent life that had been taken—but all she felt was rage. This wasn't supposed to happen. The game was hers, and hers alone.

As the hours passed, the anger simmered inside her, turning into a cold, precise determination. The next move had to be hers, not just to regain control, but to send a message. Whoever had dared to kill outside her territory would feel the full force of her wrath.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a text from Jade: *Any insight on this? We can't figure out why she was left here. Looks like the killer wanted us to find her.*

Karon's fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before she typed back: *I'll have to think about it. But this isn't over. Not by a long shot.*

She set the phone down, staring out the window into the night, a grim smile forming on her lips. Tomorrow, she'd make sure the city knew exactly who controlled its dark corners.

The game was far from over.