Code Nexus

A thick gray fog covered the busy road.

Cassian sped through the gray streets of Salia. His mind was working as fast as his ride, the cityscape around him.

The twisted puzzle of this case pinched at him, telling him he was just a little bit far from the truth. He had already visited the victims' houses before deciding to head to Reen Manor, since they were on the way.

And he had made a discovery or two regarding the scales and SolTech.

"Victims turned into dolls, the mysterious scales left behind, and now, the connection to SolTech Industries."

He was getting closer to something, but there was still a piece missing, a very big one.

After a long ride, he finally arrived at the Reen estate, a mansion surrounded by tall iron gates and towering trees. The estate sat on the outskirts of Salia, distant enough from the industrial chaos but close enough to remind him of the city's shadow.

A deep red flashed before his eyes when he glanced at the house, the feeling of uneasiness coating his senses.

Dismounting from his bike, Cassian took a deep breath. The air here was cleaner, the scent of the forest mixing with the distant continuous sound of machinery from the city. The contrast wasn't huge, but it did little to calm the tension building within him.

Darius Reen, one of SolTech's higher-ups, was likely the next target. If the pattern held—which Cassian had figured out after some thinking—there wouldn't be much time.

He approached the front door and knocked. Moments later, the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged man with sharp features and graying hair—Darius Reen himself. He had a cautious look in his eyes, the type of wariness that comes from someone who knows they're in danger but doesn't fully understand why.

"You must be Cassian Black," Reen said, his voice gruff. "I was told you'd be coming."

Cassian nodded. "I'm here to investigate and help. I understand you might be in danger."

Reen stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. "We've all heard about the others. The shareholders are being turned into… dolls." His voice faltered for a moment. "I have no idea why anyone would target us like this, but I assume you're here to stop it."

"That's the plan," Cassian replied as he stepped inside, the opulent interior of the mansion feeling oddly sterile. "I looked at the crime scene from one of the previous victims. Do you have any clues why this is happening?"

Reen nodded. "I don't know why we are being targeted, but, oh well, we have a lot of enemies, so we can't exactly pinpoint who it might be," Reed said as he led Cassian. "I have something to show you. It's in my study. Follow me; it might just help you. We can't release it to the public; that's why it's with me."

Cassian followed Reen through a series of long hallways, each adorned with lavish paintings and antique furniture. Despite the grandeur of the estate, it felt cold. There was too much tension, not just in the house but within Reen himself. He was scared—understandably so.

They arrived at the study, and Reen unlocked a drawer, pulling out a small metal box. Inside was a scale—identical to the ones Cassian had read about in the case files and seen at the other victims' houses. It was a dull, metallic fragment, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Engraved on its surface was a sequence of numbers: 1908-215.

Cassian frowned, turning the scale over in his hand. "Do these numbers mean anything to you?" he asked, his eyes studying Reen's reaction. He had a clue about them, but he needed to confirm it.

'If this number means anything, the possibility of this being a revenge murders raises new highs and basically confirms it.'

Reen shook his head. "Not a thing. We've tried to figure it out, but it's just a jumble of digits to us."

Cassian's mind worked quickly, turning over the possibilities. The numbers had to mean something—it wasn't random. He pulled out his phone and accessed the victim list again, cross-referencing the dates. And then it hit him.

"These numbers…" he muttered, mostly to himself, "they're dates."

Reen blinked. "Dates?"

Cassian nodded, feeling the rush of a breakthrough. "The first sequence, 1908, corresponds to the year one of the victims joined SolTech Industries. The second set of numbers, 215, could be the specific day of the year—likely counting the days from the start of the year."

Reen's eyes widened. "So the killer is marking their victims by when they joined SolTech?"

Reed looked worse as he said something. "You might be right; this is my joining date at SolTech…" He looked up at Cassian with a pale face.

"It looks that way," Cassian confirmed, a knot tightening in his stomach. "This isn't just a random attack. Whoever's doing this is targeting specific people for a reason, and it all ties back to SolTech."

Reen's face grew paler. "But why? What's the connection?"

"I'm still figuring that out," Cassian said. "But it's clear that it's personal. This is more than just revenge—it's systematic. The scales, the dates… it's all deliberate."

As Cassian studied the scale further, another thought crossed his mind. "Do you know anyone named Karl Millers?"

He had found out about this person when he was looking through some photo albums at the second victim's house.

Reen stiffened at the mention of the name. "Karl… Millers. Yes. He used to be on the board at SolTech. He was one of the key figures in the company, but he died a few years ago—car crash, tragic accident. His entire family was killed."

Cassian's instincts flared. "Do you think his death might be connected to these attacks?"

Reen hesitated. "I never considered it. Karl was well-liked, respected even. But I suppose… now that you mention it… his death was sudden, and there were rumors. Some thought it was suspicious, but nothing was ever proven."

Cassian's mind raced again. Karl Millers. A respected figure at SolTech. A suspicious car crash. And now, a series of targeted attacks against the company's shareholders. A revenge plan. The pieces were falling into place, but the picture was still incomplete.

"I need to talk to the remaining targets on this list," Cassian said. "Can you arrange a meeting with the others?"

Reen nodded. "I can reach out to them. Most of them are already on high alert after what happened to the other families."

"Good," Cassian said. "And one more thing—make sure you and your family stay safe. Whoever's behind this isn't done yet."

As Reen made the calls, Cassian stepped outside for a moment.

The scales, the dates, Karl Millers' death—it all pointed to something deeper, something buried in the history of SolTech Industries.

Within an hour, the remaining targets had gathered at the Reen estate. Cassian stood before them, their anxious faces reflecting the weight of their situation. These were powerful people—board members, shareholders, and influential figures in the city. And yet, they looked fragile, vulnerable.

'All this money, and they still are scared of death,' Cassian thought inwardly.

One of the targets, a woman named Eliza Hart, spoke up. "Do you really think we're in danger?"

Cassian nodded. "Yes. The pattern is clear. Whoever's doing this is targeting you all systematically. They're not just attacking randomly—they have a plan."

"And you think it's connected to Karl Millers?" another man asked, his brow furrowed.

"I do," Cassian replied. "His death might have been the catalyst for all of this. I'm still investigating the details, but I believe someone close to him, or someone affected by his death, is behind these attacks."

Eliza frowned. "But why would someone go after all of us? We had nothing to do with Karl's death."

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Cassian said. "But I have reason to believe that whoever's doing this blames SolTech as a whole. They're attacking the company by targeting its most important people—those at the top."

There was a murmur of unease among the group. Cassian could see the fear in their eyes, the realization that their wealth and power couldn't protect them from what was coming.

"I'll do my best to protect you," Cassian assured them. "But I need your cooperation. Stay together, stay alert, and report anything suspicious. This isn't over yet."

As the meeting ended, Cassian couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off. Things all pointed to a larger conspiracy. But there was still one crucial piece missing. And until he found it, the attacks would continue.

Later that evening, he stood alone in the Reen estate's study, staring down at the scale in his hand, along with the scales that the other families and members had brought at his request.

The numbers gleamed under the light. Whoever was behind this was methodical, calculating. And they weren't finished yet.

Cassian clenched his fist around the scale, trying to determine what the missing piece was.