the end of storm

[Scene: Prison – Martin's Glass Cell, Evening]

James begins walking away after Martin's eerie monologue.

Martin (smiling softly):

"But you know, James… there's a reason I told you we're the same.

Same pain. Same fire. Same cracks in the mirror."

James pauses, hand on the door.

Martin:

"You understand me better than anyone else ever could. That's why I like you."

James (without turning around):

"I see."

He steps backward, never breaking eye contact with Martin through the glass.

Martin (calling out):

"Next time we meet… how about tea?

I'll tell you my full story. Fair's fair, right? You told me yours."

James:

"Sure… Next time."

He exits. Martin sits back, smiling with blood-stained teeth, playing a haunting tune on his violin as the echo fills the room.

---

[Scene: New Crime Scene – Beach | Two Children Dead]

Lucas kneels beside the sand mound, inspecting a buried child victim. James watches quietly.

Lucas (coldly focused):

"Two more. Both under ten.

But here—see that? An old man's footsteps. Heavy, slow…

And faint murmurs—locals said he was humming something while walking the shore."

James:

"Finally, something. A sound, a direction."

Lucas:

"If it's beach territory, this killer knows it like home.

We'll need to move with agents. Quiet. Wide patrol."

---

[Scene: Several Days Later]

Surveillance fails. Days pass. Then one night, a masked figure is spotted moving near the waterline. James catches a glimpse from a distance. Wind pulls back the mask.

James (under his breath):

"…It's him. The old man."

But he doesn't pursue. He waits.

---

[Scene: Marketplace – Day]

The old man walks calmly through a crowded market. James, blending in, bumps into him "accidentally."

James (handing back a wallet):

"Your purse, sir."

Old Man (smiling gently):

"Ah—thank you, child. Kind of you."

James watches him leave, cold suspicion in his eyes.

---

[Later That Day – With Lucas]

James:

"I ran facial through café security. The old man's name is Alejandro.

Retired schoolteacher. Lives alone near the northern cove."

Lucas (nodding):

"Got it. Good work. Let's be careful with this one.

He's killed kids. This isn't a 'harmless old man'—he's a predator."

---

[Scene: Alejandro's House – Night]

The old man invites James in, warm and welcoming. Tea is served.

Old Man:

"You know, I've always believed in kindness.

Wouldn't you agree, James?"

He stands.

Old Man:

"Excuse me—restroom's down the hall."

As soon as he leaves, James sniffs the tea. A strange scent. Poisoned.

James (quietly, to himself):

"Knew it."

He vanishes from the sofa. Seconds later, when the old man returns, he carries a sharpened shovel in hand.

Old Man:

"Such a shame. I really liked you, boy."

Suddenly—

James (behind him):

"Yeah? That's mutual."

James punches him hard. The old man collapses against a table, smashing it. He swings the shovel, but James ducks, grabs it mid-swing, and drives it into the man's gut.

Old Man (coughing blood, laughing):

"You think… you've won?"

James:

"No. I just made it poetic."

---

[Cut to: Beach – Morning]

The old man's corpse is found half-buried in the sand, arms folded. His body placed the same way he posed his victims. A symbolic reversal. Lucas arrives just as forensics takes notes.

Lucas (softly):

"So… poetic justice?"

James stands nearby, silent. He doesn't answer.

---

[Scene: Police HQ Rooftop – That Night]

Lucas talks with Sofia under the stars, away from the chaos.

Lucas:

"James is slipping. He did what needed to be done, sure…

But the way he did it… that wasn't law. That was vengeance."

Sofia:

"And you? What do you think about Martin now?"

Lucas (long pause):

"He may be behind glass. But somehow…

I think he's still orchestrating the play