The Hunt Begins

The rain struck my skin like daggers while I dashed through the streets, my breath escaping in quick, measured gasps. My boots splattered in puddles, creating ripples on the shiny pavement. The park stretched out before me—opaque, thick, and filled with darkness. If I were Logan Pierce—if I were Cipher—that's the place I'd choose.

The storm obscured the outlines of the structures as I walked by, yet I didn't require clarity at the moment. My intuition buzzed like an electric current, drawing me toward the woods.

Until something caught my eye.

A flickering neon sign on the left. District 48 Police Station.

I skidded to a halt, rainwater sloshing beneath my feet. My pulse thundered in my ears. Logan was fast, but if he was running into the woods, I could use every bit of backup I could get.

Without hesitation, I veered toward the glass doors, shoved them open with my shoulder, and stepped into the station, dripping water across the marble floor.

The room froze.

Desks, telephones, officers sorting through files. The instant I walked in, heads turned. Recognizing me. My mask was practically calling out the name of my alias, but it was my name itself that carried weight.

Mr. Dust. Registered B-Rank Detective with association to A-Rank firefighter Mr. Fox.

The officer nearest to the front desk, a man with graying hair and a thick mustache, straightened in his chair. His eyes widened slightly as he took me in. "Mr. Dust?"

I slapped my ID on the counter. "I need a firearm. Now."

The man blinked, hesitated. "Uh, sir—"

"I'm chasing Cipher."

His eyes snapped to full alert. The entire station seemed to exhale and then inhale as one. Cipher. That name was the number one topic circulating since yesterday. It was whispered in investigative briefings and late-night meetings across districts. An arsonist with a knack for precision. And now I was giving them a chance to catch him.

The officer snatched the ID, confirmed it with a glance, and yelled, "Get this man a sidearm!"

The room burst into motion. Drawers opened, safeties clicked, weapons checked. A young officer sprinted over within seconds, presenting me with a standard-issue Glock 17. I accepted it with a curt nod, checking the chamber. Loaded. Safety off.

"District 48, listen up!" I barked, voice slicing through the commotion. "Cipher's on foot. He's headed toward the park. Spread out and block every exit. We stop him tonight."

The officers didn't question me. Radios crackled to life, dispatchers repeated my orders, and within seconds, boots hit the pavement behind me.

I was already gone.

The rain had intensified into a solid curtain by the time I reached the park entrance. My heart pounded not from exhaustion, but from focus. My Instinct (Lv. 4) tugged at me like an invisible leash, pulling me deeper into the shadows.

Behind me, faintly, came the sounds of sirens. Police from Districts 47, 48… maybe even further out. Cipher had been marked as a high-priority criminal after Sasha's interrogation. They wouldn't stop until he was in cuffs—or in a body bag.

A sharp ping sounded in my head. The system interface flickered across my vision.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: EVENT QUEST: The Hunt for Cipher ACTIVATED]

Target: Cipher (Logan Pierce)

Objective: Capture or eliminate Cipher within 6 hours.

Completion Reward:

Rank Upgrade: Detective (B-Rank) → Detective (S-Rank)

Special Recognition: Citywide Commendation for Public Safety

The stakes had just skyrocketed. Not only for me—but for everyone connected to the system. The police officers behind me saw it too. I heard it in their sharp breaths, the curse words whispered under their breath. Every cop in the city was now sprinting toward the same ghost.

Cipher.

The man who killed Chief Ryan. The man who turned fire into a weapon. The man who ran when his web of lies collapsed.

I was going to find him.

The park swallowed me whole as I pushed deeper through the muddy pathways. My boots slipped on wet leaves as I ducked beneath sagging branches. The scent of damp earth filled the air.

Behind me, footsteps crunched in unison—officers forming a loose perimeter across the eastern paths. I glanced to my right, activating Scan as I looked at the men alongside me.

[SCANNING…]

Names and stats shimmered faintly in my periphery.

Officer Delaney: C-Rank, Combat Proficiency (Lv.5)

Officer Mendez: B-Rank, Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lv. 5) 

Officer Grant: A-Rank, Firearms Expert (Lv. 6)

"Grant!" I called out, slowing slightly. The broad-shouldered officer adjusted his grip on his shotgun and moved up beside me.

"Sir?"

"Stick to my right. Cipher might try to circle back toward the service trail."

"Got it."

We advanced together, the rain muffling our footsteps. The deeper we ventured, the more my Instinct pulsed.

He's here.

Fifteen minutes passed.

The forest thickened. The other officers had spread out, their shouts growing distant. My pulse quickened with each step. My eyes scanned the terrain—footprints half-washed away in the mud, broken branches, disturbed moss.

"He's close," I whispered.

Grant gave a short nod and raised his shotgun. We moved slower now, step by step. The rain trickled down my collar, cold and sharp.

Crack.

Behind me.

I spun, weapon raised.

A squirrel darted across the ground, seeking shelter beneath a rotting log. I exhaled sharply, lowering the gun. Grant did the same, muttering a curse.

But the second I turned back around—

Thunk.

Pain exploded along the side of my head. The world tilted. My knees buckled. I hit the ground hard, the mud swallowing my shoulder. The Glock slipped from my grasp, landing somewhere beyond my reach.

"Grant—!" I tried to shout. But the word came out slurred.

All I heard was a gunshot, before a figure moved in my fading vision. It was similar to a shadow bending over me.

And then—

Everything went dark.

I awoke to the sound of rain. The metallic scent of blood lingered near my nose. My head throbbed with every heartbeat.

The room was dim. Wooden walls. A fireplace crackling in the corner. Thick rope bound my wrists and torso to a chair, tight enough that the coarse fibers bit into my skin. My coat was gone, and so was my hat. My holster was empty. 

Footsteps creaked across the floor.

I raised my gaze.

Logan Pierce stood there, arms crossed, eyes glinting in the firelight. His lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Evening, Mr. Dust," he said softly. "Took you long enough to find me."