Though no one knew why Luo Hai had suddenly given such an order, no one doubted his judgment as the commanding officer.
Within ten minutes of his command, three teams were dispatched to investigate the locations he had named. In less than fifteen minutes, reports came back.
Not only had drugs been stolen—but theft had occurred at all three locations simultaneously. The missing drugs were all of the same type, and the quantity was significant—over a hundred doses in total.
“What exactly was stolen?” Fanny asked, speaking through a video call with an officer at the Pathology Research Institute.
“We’ve been asking for ages, but we can’t get an answer! The researchers here keep saying it’s some kind of classified project and refuse to tell us anything!”
“It’s already a crisis! What kind of classified project still needs to be kept secret at a time like this?” Fanny was frantic, pacing like an ant on a hot pan. “We have a search warrant from the prosecution office—make them talk, now!”
On the screen, chaos unfolded. An officer held a simple, unmarked injection box while a few researchers stood to the side, hesitant and stammering.
Fanny was so anxious she wished she could reach through the screen. “Well? Did they say it or not? What exactly is it?”
One of the officers picked up his communicator. “After pressing them hard, they finally gave us two words. They said it’s called… an inhibitor.”
“Huh?” Fanny made a bewildered sound.
Luo Hai stood to the side, silent, his gaze fixed on the plastic box in the officer’s hands.
No one knew better than him what was inside.
The others were still confused by the name. Aside from him, no one had yet realized the significance of the stolen drug.
No one had realized that a few tiny vials would bring about an earth-shattering change.
No one had realized yet that the grand, terrifying, admirable, and insane rebellion all began with these small vials of medicine.
Luo Hai braced both hands against the table, his mind buzzing. As Fanny and the officers discussed the drug’s purpose, an even worse premonition surged in his chest.
What else?
What else had he overlooked?
Eugene had designed such an intricate trap—there was no way he hadn’t left himself an escape route.
What if he had anticipated their discovery? What if something had gone wrong during the heist?
More importantly—how was he going to ensure the Omegas could successfully escape after stealing the drug?
Even if they had just realized it now, they could still deploy forces immediately. The chance of capturing them was still high.
And Eugene himself was still wearing an ankle monitor, under surveillance.
Unless…
Luo Hai’s head snapped up, his pupils dilating in an instant.
“Fanny!” He raised his voice. “Where are the explosives confiscated from Eugene’s house?”
Fanny hesitated. “They’re… in the evidence room at the station, along with other Omega-related case files. We haven’t had time to process them yet.”
“Send people there now! Get those explosives out of—”
Before Luo Hai could finish, the ground suddenly trembled. A split second later, a deafening explosion tore through the air, nearly rupturing their eardrums.
Fanny, Luo Hai, and every officer in the room rushed outside, looking in the direction of the blast.
The police station’s windows had shattered, and flames erupted from the evidence room, spreading rapidly.
On the nearby road, cars slammed on their brakes, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. Some people got out to take pictures; others shouted profanities. The entire scene was pure chaos.
Fanny inhaled sharply.
It was too late. Eugene Oddis had played them all for fools.
With the evidence room destroyed and traffic in gridlock, they had lost their last chance to pursue the Lightwing society.
“Everyone, come with me!” Fanny shouted. “Save whoever we can! Control the fire before the firefighters arrive!”
As the officers ran toward her, Fanny noticed Luo Hai moving in the opposite direction.
“Luo Hai! Where are you going?”
But he didn’t answer. His figure quickly disappeared into the crowded streets.
……
Would he make it in time?
He didn’t know.
Luo Hai’s mind was a whirlwind as more and more people gathered, staring up at the explosion site.
He crashed into several people; others bumped into him. He lost patience, abandoned his manners, and shoved pedestrians aside like obstacles.
Did someone curse at him? Did he curse back? He couldn’t remember.
All he could think about, amid the blazing firelight, was getting back to the apartment.
The traffic jam made the journey even longer than expected. In the distance, smoke billowed into the sky, and the wailing sirens of the late-arriving fire trucks pierced the air.
Finally, he saw his apartment.
And then—he abruptly stopped.
Eugene stood beneath a red maple tree just a few steps away, amber eyes reflecting the sunlight. The usual playful curve of his lips was nowhere to be seen.
This spot was well over a hundred meters from the apartment—yet Eugene was completely unscathed. His ankle was bare.
The monitor was gone.
Eugene gazed at Luo Hai with a calm expression.
Luo Hai stared back.
The wind rustled through the trees. A dried leaf drifted down, brushing against Eugene’s shoulder before landing on the ground.
Luo Hai pulled his gun from his waistband and aimed it at Eugene’s head.
Although he had rarely fired a weapon since becoming a prosecutor, back in university, he had been the top marksman in his class.
At this distance, he wouldn’t miss. A single shot would go straight through.
His hands wouldn’t shake. His aim wouldn’t falter. His heart wouldn’t ache to the point of numbness. He would finish what he should have done long ago.
Yet, Eugene’s expression didn’t change.
He didn’t even flinch, let alone try to dodge. He remained in place, watching Luo Hai quietly.
Luo Hai cocked the gun.
Eugene let out a faint smile. “You never sent me the photo.”
Luo Hai had to tighten his grip to keep his gun steady. “What?”
“The picture we took under the maple tree that day. You promised you’d send it to me—but you never did,” Eugene said lightly.
“That’s what you want to say right now?” Luo Hai stared at him in disbelief.
“And also, those cufflinks really suit you,” Eugene said with a smile. “Especially when you’re holding a gun—they match your eyes perfectly.”
Luo Hai tightened his grip on the gun, his voice rising in anger. “Are these your last words? Is this really the final thing you want to say to me when you’re at death’s door?!”
Eugene’s smile faded. “No. There are so many things I want to tell you. I want to tell you about the new recipes I’ve been working on, share gossip from my old jobs, ruffle your messy hair when you’ve just woken up, and tell you how much you’ve always meant to me… But there’s no time for that now, is there?”
As Eugene spoke, his expression remained relaxed. He took a step closer to Luo Hai. “Shoot me. Only by killing me here can you put an end to this for good. As long as I’m alive, Lightwing will never be destroyed. It will always threaten this hypocritical, unjust, Alpha-dominated society.”
Luo Hai’s fingers started to tremble uncontrollably. This time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t steady his grip on the gun.
How could someone like Eugene Oddis exist?
If Eugene were angry at him, disappointed, or sorrowful—if Eugene had turned and run—then Luo Hai could have put his cold mask back on and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
But instead, he stood there just like he always did.
With the same expression, the same demeanor, looking exactly as he did every day when Luo Hai came home and saw him standing in the dining room.
Eugene took another step forward. Luo Hai’s finger was locked on the trigger, gripping it with all his strength, yet he still couldn’t pull it.
“Kill me, Luo Hai,” Eugene said softly. “Or… leave with me.”
Luo Hai’s eyes widened in shock. “What did you just say?”
“Come with me. Leave this place with me,” Eugene said calmly, reaching out a hand toward him. “Leave the Prosecutor’s Office, leave Nantes, leave this wretched place where the strong prey on the weak. With me, you won’t have to put on a front, won’t have to hide your identity, won’t have to bow to those Alphas or be seen as different.”
Luo Hai didn’t speak. He didn’t move. His body was frozen in place, as if trapped in the icy grip of the polar cold. No matter how much time passed, he couldn’t move a single muscle.
Eugene remained still as well. He simply held out his hand, the two of them locked in silence, a faint smile lingering on his lips as he quietly waited.
His heart shouldn’t hurt this much.
His breathing shouldn’t be this unsteady.
Just like Eugene shouldn’t have said those words—because both of them knew, all too well, that it was something that could never happen.
Words were powerful. Like the fairytale promise of a happy ending—one that you knew was false, yet still couldn’t help but long for. And when the harsh reality crashed down, that fragile illusion would only leave you bleeding even more.
Luo Hai pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the air.
A scorch mark was left on the stone tile at Eugene’s feet. He stared at Luo Hai in shock, unable to speak before a second and third shot followed.
Every bullet narrowly missed his body, hitting the ground or the trunk of the nearby tree.
Luo Hai kept pulling the trigger, again and again, until the chamber was empty and all that was left was the faint, hollow click.
“Go,” Luo Hai’s voice was so hoarse he could barely hear himself. “Leave this place. Go as far away as you can. Never come back. Never… let me see your stupid face again.”
🥹🥹🥹😭