Part 12: A Cornered Prey’s Last Move

Takeshi's body was failing.

His breathing had grown more ragged. His steps were barely holding.

It hadn't been long enough.

They had run on pure adrenaline before, but now, standing still, the exhaustion and poison were hitting him harder.

She couldn't carry Takeshi. And she couldn't fight.

Her mind raced.

Think. Think. Think.

That crushing weight pressing down on the air itself. The sensation had been growing stronger by the second, like a vise closing around her chest.

But the moment she had moved—It had weakened.

Distance mattered.

She didn't know how or why, but the man's ability seemed to be limited in range.

And if that was true—They just had to outrun him.

Footsteps pounded against the pavement.

Takeshi was keeping pace with her, but she could tell—he would surely die if he didn't get treatment soon.

She gritted her teeth.

The 'ability'—or whatever that was—had hit him harder than it hit her.

Was it because he was the target? Or was it because she had reacted faster?

She shook the thought away. It didn't matter.

Not now. Not when—

"Ah—!"

Takeshi stumbled.

Connie barely caught him before he hit the ground.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

If he collapsed now—They were dead.

A voice drifted through the night air.

Calm. Amused. "You know, running is pointless."

Connie's blood ran cold.

She turned her head just slightly.

The man hadn't moved. He was still standing where they left him.

But his smirk had widened.

"You can run all you want," he continued. "But you won't escape."

Her breath hitched.

What did that mean—?

Suddenly, Takeshi gasped.

His knees buckled.

She barely kept him upright.

Panic surged through her.

Whatever this man's ability was—it was still affecting Takeshi. Even from a distance.

Her pulse pounded.

This wasn't just about running. They had to figure out how his power worked.

And fast.

Connie clenched her fists.

She forced herself to think.

The moment the man had lifted his hand, she had felt the pressure. A crushing weight—almost like the air had thickened.

And when she moved further away, it weakened.

But Takeshi…It was still affecting him.

Her stomach twisted.

Then—she understood.

It wasn't just area-based. It was target-based.

The ability wasn't just controlling the space around them. It was locking onto Takeshi specifically.

Her grip on his wrist tightened.

If that was true, then no matter how far they ran—He wouldn't be able to escape it.

As if the situation wasn't disastrous already, another man stepped out from the intersection ahead of them, closing their only path of escape.

He looked to be around his mid-late twenties, and was slightly taller than the first man.

The man had a calm, but threatening feel around him.

He had sharp, scrutinizing black eyes, as if they wouldn't let even the smallest thing go unnoticed.

He was wearing a long, elegant dark red coat.

Together with his pitch black hair, he somewhat looked like a mysterious detective from a book.

But he was clearly on the first man's side. The bad side.

They had already failed to escape from just one person, but now another one appeared?

Connie felt all hope of survival vanish.

But then she noticed something.

The System didn't reset yet.

This meant that there still a way for them both to escape. Although she didn't know how.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the second man tilted his head forward, watching them with mild curiosity.

"Takeshi Aizawa."

He murmured, as if testing the name on his tongue. "You were harder to find than expected."

Takeshi flinched.

They knew his name.

She swallowed hard.

This wasn't a random attack. This was a planned capture.

And that meant—they had been watching Takeshi for a while.

The second man exhaled.

"No need to be so tense," he said smoothly. "We're not unreasonable people."

His gaze then flickered to Connie.

Her blood ran cold.

But she didn't react. Didn't move. Didn't even breathe.

If she looked weak, if she hesitated even slightly—

They were done.

She held his gaze. And waited.

The second man sighed.

"Well, this is awkward," he muttered. "Usually, people start talking by now."

Then—his expression shifted.

"Come with us."

The words were spoken calmly, but Connie felt the weight behind them.

It wasn't a request.

It was a command. And the moment she heard it—

Her chest tightened.

If they went with them—They weren't coming back.

Fighting back was impossible. Takeshi could barely stand, still being affected by the ability and the poison.

Connie had no weapons, no experience.

Running was almost impossible, too.

Almost.

Because a thought popped in her mind. A way out of the situation.

A single, dangerous opening.

She took a slow breath, steadying herself. Then—

She spoke.

"What makes you think he'll go with you willingly?"

The second man raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he said, amused. "You want to negotiate?"

She wasn't negotiating.

She was buying time.

Because the moment she spoke—The first man's smirk flickered.

She felt a little bit lighter.

Just slightly.

And that told her everything she needed to know.

His ability needed concentration.

Her pulse spiked.

That was it. That was their chance.

Connie didn't hesitate.

She grabbed Takeshi's arm—And yanked him forward.

Takeshi stumbled—completely off-balance.

And that was exactly what she needed.

Because the second man flinched.

Not at her. At Takeshi.

His instincts kicked in—he moved to catch him.

And in that second—

his focus broke.

Connie lunged forward, dragging Takeshi with her.

She felt the shift in the air—the first man's ability snapping back into place—

But it was too late.

They had already moved out of his range.

She had realized something else about the first man's ability after the second man appeared.

Why didn't he just target both of them to make them stop?

Why hadn't he immobilized them both, the same way he had when he first appeared in front of them?

That was because his ability controlled a certain area around the target.

They could escape that range, but only if they started moving before the ability did, without ever stopping.

The second man cursed.

They were through, and they kept running without looking back.

Takeshi was barely holding himself up. His body wasn't cooperating.

Every step was too slow. Every breath was too weak.

They weren't going to last like this. She needed to find a way to hide.

Fast.

Then—She saw it.

A train station.

Her pulse spiked.

A crowd. A train. Noise. Distractions.

It was their only shot.

She pulled Takeshi forward. "We're going in there."

He didn't respond.

She dragged him anyway.

The noise swallowed them as they entered.

People. Lights. Movement.

They disappeared into the chaos .Blending in.

For now.

But Connie knew—This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

They were going to come again. And next time—

They might not be so lucky.

She took a shaky breath. They needed a plan.

Now.