CHAPTER 4:Sealed fate

Malcolm's pleas echoed through the small holding cell. His hands clutched the iron bars, his wide, desperate eyes locked onto Aaron and Sarah.

"Please," he begged, his voice raw. "You don't understand… I can't be in here. You have to let me go. I swear I won't run!"

Aaron leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching him carefully. The man had barely spoken during the ride back, but now—now he just wouldn't shut up.

"Malcolm, we're trying to help you," Sarah said, exhaustion in her voice. "We can't just let you go."

Malcolm shook his head violently. "You think I don't know that?!" His voice cracked. "I know what's coming. And if I'm trapped here when it does…"

He trailed off, his eyes darting to the ceiling, as if he could see something beyond it.

Aaron's jaw clenched.

There was something about Malcolm's fear. Something real.

Something that sent a cold shiver down his spine.

He was about to say something when the door swung open.

Their boss, Chief Inspector Graves, stepped in. Tall. Built like a war veteran. His sharp eyes scanned the room, landing on Malcolm first, then shifting to Aaron and Sarah.

"I hear we got ourselves a miracle," Graves said, his voice even.

Aaron frowned. "What do you mean?"

Graves pulled out his phone, tapping the screen.

"A report came in from the other precinct investigating Malcolm's house. Guess what they found?"

Neither Aaron nor Sarah answered.

Graves looked at them.

"Nothing," he said. "The house was empty."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Sarah's breath hitched. "That's impossible. We found him inside."

Graves's expression didn't change. "Well, they didn't. House was abandoned. Like no one had lived there in years."

Aaron felt his stomach drop.

They had seen Malcolm curled up in terror, barely able to speak.

They had pulled him out of that place.

So how the hell had the other officers found it empty?

Graves stepped closer, his voice lowering. "You did good work bringing him in. The higher-ups are impressed." He clapped Aaron on the shoulder. "I expect the full report by the end of the day."

Then he turned to leave.

Aaron and Sarah stood frozen.

Graves paused at the door, giving them one last look.

"You should be proud."

Then he was gone.

Malcolm let out a broken laugh. A whisper of insanity.

Aaron and Sarah turned to him.

He smiled weakly.

"You still don't get it, do you?" His voice was hollow. "They think you saved me. But I was never meant to leave that place."

His eyes locked onto them.

"And now, neither were you.Our fate is sealed".

Aaron's grip on his holster tightened.

Because deep down, he knew—Malcolm was right.

The station buzzed with routine activity, but for Aaron and Sarah, the air felt heavier. Something was wrong,from the very beginning.

The reports. The empty house. Malcolm's words.

And now—David.

David had always been persistent. Not just with cases, but with Sarah.

And today was no different.

He leaned against Sarah's desk, arms crossed, his smirk just shy of smug. "You two have been acting… different lately."

Aaron, standing nearby, rolled his eyes. "Not now, David."

David barely glanced at him. His focus was on Sarah. "It's just… funny. The moment you two bring Malcolm in, every lead we have on him turns into a dead end."

Sarah kept her face neutral. "Maybe because there was no case to begin with?"

David chuckled. Fake. Slow. "Or maybe you're hiding something."

Aaron stepped forward.

"Back off, David."

David raised his hands innocently. "Relax, man. I'm just saying…" He leaned in slightly. "If something's up, I'll find out."

Sarah's fingers tightened on the pen she was holding, but she forced herself to stay calm.

Then, Graves' voice cut through the room.

"Aaron. Sarah. My office. Now."

Aaron and Sarah exchanged glances before heading in.

David, grinning, followed.

Inside, Inspector Graves stood behind his desk, hands on his hips. His usual stern expression was even sharper than usual.

"I've made a decision," he said. "David's joining your investigation."

Aaron's stomach dropped. "What? No."

"Not up for debate," Graves said. "David made a good point—this case is bigger than just Malcolm. We have multiple disappearances. And I want you three on it."

Sarah shot David a glare.

David just smiled.

Aaron clenched his jaw. "Sir, with all due respect—"

"It's an order, Aaron," Graves said firmly. "You're all on this now."

Aaron exhaled slowly.

He didn't like it.

Sarah hated it.

And David?

David was loving every second of it.

The air inside the office felt stifling.

David leaned back in his chair, pleased with himself.

Aaron's fist clenched at his side.

Sarah's expression didn't change, but Aaron knew her well enough to see the tension on her shoulders.

"Fine." Aaron finally said, his voice tight. "What's the plan, sir?"

Graves sat down, lacing his fingers together.

"We have three more reported disappearances in the last two weeks. No bodies, no evidence, just gone." He slid a manila folder across the desk. "Your job is to connect the dots. See if there's a pattern."

Sarah grabbed the folder, flipping it open. Three names.

Liam Carter, 32 – Last seen leaving work.

Jessica Rowe, 27 – Vanished from her apartment complex.

Noah Briggs, 19 – A college student who disappeared during a camping trip.

"And before you ask," Graves continued, "we checked their homes. No signs of struggle. No forced entry. No evidence."

Aaron nodded slowly, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Three people.

Just like Malcolm.

Sarah tapped the folder. "Did they have any connection to each other?"

Graves shook his head. "None that we can find."

David chuckled, stretching his arms. "That's where we come in, right?"

Aaron ignored him. His eyes were locked on Noah Briggs' file.

"This one," he said, tapping the page. "The kid went missing during a camping trip. Where?"

Graves pulled out a map, circling a location.

"Near an abandoned village"

Aaron and Sarah stiffened.

David leaned forward, smirking. "Huh. You two look nervous."

Aaron forced his voice to stay level. "When do we start?"

Graves leaned back in his chair. "Tomorrow. Get some rest. You'll need it."

David grinned. "Guess we're going on a road trip."

Aaron didn't answer.

Because deep down, he knew—this wasn't just an investigation anymore.

The station was never quiet. Even at night, officers moved in and out, phones rang, and the distant hum of city life seeped through the windows.

But tonight felt different.

The air was too still.

A cold unease settled in the bones of those working the late shift.

Then came the screams.

Sarah and Aaron snapped awake in the break room, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.

A panicked officer burst through the door. Wide eyes. Sweating. Terrified.

"Malcolm… something's wrong with Malcolm!"

Aaron and Sarah rushed out, their boots slamming against the tiled floor as they sprinted toward the holding cells.

The moment they reached the hallway, they froze.

The fluorescent lights flickered, casting long, unnatural shadows.

The officers standing outside Malcolm's cell were pale, their hands gripping their weapons but doing nothing.

And inside…

Malcolm wasn't human anymore.

His body was shrunken, almost skeletal, his skin ashen and cracked like dried clay. His mouth was slack, his hollow eyes staring at nothing.

The same man they had rescued yesterday was now a husk.

Sarah covered her mouth.

Aaron forced himself to step closer.

"Malcolm?" he called, his voice hoarse.

No response.

Then—

Malcolm's head twitched.

His hollow eyes snapped toward them.

Aaron and Sarah staggered back.

"Jesus Christ," one of the officers muttered as they all drew their guns.

Malcolm's mouth moved, but no words came. Just a dry, cracking sound, like a whisper from a throat that hadn't breathed in hours.

Then, a single word slipped through his lips—

"Run."

The lights flickered violently, plunging the hallway into darkness.

And in that moment, a shadow passed through them.

Cold. Silent. Watching.

By the time the emergency lights flickered back on, Malcolm was gone.

The cell door remained locked.

But Malcolm was no longer inside.

Only a dark stain was left on the floor, shaped like a man.

Aaron felt his pulse hammering.

Sarah whispered, her voice shaking. "We never saved him… did we?"

And for the first time since this all started—

Aaron had no answer.