Code Nexus

Salia, one of the most industrialized zones of Ekoris, was a sprawling jungle of metal and concrete. The air smelled of machinery, with the constant noise of factories in the background.

Towering company buildings lined the streets, their sleek and modern exteriors reflecting the sky above.

Cassian couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed in the massive industrial district. The vast expanse of similar-looking structures stretched endlessly in every direction, making it easy to get lost in the maze of streets and alleyways.

The place was nearly impossible to navigate without a map or phone.

The similarity of the buildings and the sheer size of the zone—it was like a giant organism. Even though he had grown accustomed to the usual urban landscapes, Salia had a way of making him feel small and insignificant in its vastness.

He checked his phone again, making sure he was heading in the right direction. It buzzed with updates from his contact, and although he wasn't exactly thrilled about being here, he knew this mission was important.

'Okay, the first step is to find the local branch,' he thought.

He nodded to himself as he tapped on his phone and pulled up Branch Nilya's location.

He walked toward the station management office and entered, removing the badge that Dorian had handed to him that morning.

He showed the badge to the officer at the desk. The officer looked up and said, while looking at the badge, "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"

"HQ said they would be preparing a ride for me," Cassian replied.

The officer nodded and then handed a key to Cassian.

"The ride is parked outside," the officer said.

Cassian took the key and pocketed his badge. He walked out of the office and toward the exit.

The type of key in his hand told him exactly what kind of ride he was getting—something fast and sleek. A bike. And not just any bike.

'A fast bike at that,' he thought.

He walked toward the parking unit and saw a black and red sleek motorcycle.

It was a deadly machine, the kind that screamed speed and power. The matte black finish absorbed the dull light of the overcast sky, while the red streaks along the sides gave it an aggressive edge.

This was exactly the kind of thing he needed—a distraction, something to focus on other than the heaviness of his mission.

He swung his leg over the seat and inserted the key, the engine roaring to life with a deep growl. He revved the engine once, feeling the power beneath him.

With one last glance at his phone for the directions, he put on his helmet and sped off into the heart of Salia, the wind whipping past him as he navigated the industrial maze.

His mind was set on Branch Nilya, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to unfold. Upon arriving at the branch, he barely parked the bike when a young officer ran out toward him.

"Are you Cassian Black?"

Cassian blinked as he leaned back on the bike.

"Yes?" he answered firmly but with a tone of inquiry.

"Great, here—take this file," the young man handed him a device—in actuality, it was a USB drive—and continued, "It has everything you will need for the mission."

"Can I even have a moment to rest?" Cassian asked, noticing the urgency of the mission.

The young man shook his head in the negative and answered, "It's an urgent matter that needs to be resolved quickly."

"Why?" Cassian asked, getting the feeling that this was leading to a much deeper problem than he had expected.

"Because, sir, the victims are important people from SolTech Industries, and they would like to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more work to do."

The young man bowed, turned, and ran back inside the branch, leaving Cassian outside and a tad confused.

He raised his eyebrows as he attached the USB to his phone. A notification popped up about the drive, and as soon as he tapped 'confirm,' the screen filled with information and locations of the victims and possible targets.

There were a total of three victim families, all having the same cause and attack pattern. In the end, all of them were turned into dolls.

The more he scrolled, the more unsettling the pattern became. The victims were always found in their homes, with no signs of forced entry and nothing stolen.

The only clue left behind at each scene was a small, metallic scale—a cold, dull fragment with strange numbers engraved on it.

The numbers never seemed to make sense at first glance, but he had a gut feeling that they were part of the key to solving this twisted puzzle.

The method used to turn the victims into dolls was labeled a Rank D Band, a term that immediately caught his attention.

Rank D Bands, while less powerful than their higher-tier counterparts, still had a high danger rate and could wreak havoc in the wrong hands.

But to turn people into dolls? That required a whole new level of precision and cruelty.

His mind raced as he pieced together the basic details. The scale with the numbers, the fact that the victims were all major shareholders, and the consistent method of attack—there was something much bigger at play here.

As he continued looking through the file and reports, he felt something was missing: the main part of the puzzle, the piece that completed the big picture.

Cassian's phone buzzed with another notification, this time showing a list of potential future targets. As he tapped through, he began to see how much darker things were.

The targets listed were even more influential than the previous victims. If whoever was behind this continued, it wouldn't be long before the entire board of SolTech Industries was wiped out, leaving the company vulnerable to an internal collapse—or a hostile takeover.

But one question burned in his mind: 'Why them? Well, they have a lot of enemies, but this feels very targeted and revenge-driven…'

Whoever was doing this wasn't just killing for power or money. There was a methodical, almost pleasurable principle usually observed in revenge cases.

Turning people into dolls wasn't just about eliminating them—it was about controlling them, taking away their humanity, and reducing them to objects.

It was personal—very personal!

'Also the scales… I have a feeling this is connected to Libra somehow.'

Cassian closed the file and put the phone in his pocket. The metallic scale, those strange numbers—he would have to figure out their meaning. It might lead him to the perpetrator or at least offer some insight into their twisted mind.

Plus, after reading the file, Cassian now understood why the young officer and Branch Nilya were in a state of urgency regarding this case.

The next move was obvious: investigate the crime scenes. He needed to see these scales for himself and find out how they connected to the victims.

Switching on the bike, his feet shifting the gear back, he glanced down at the map on his phone one last time. The next victim on the list was a man named Darius Reen, one of the higher-ups at SolTech. He had an estate on the outskirts of Salia.

If the pattern held true, it wouldn't be long before Darius and his family were added to the growing list of human dolls.

Cassian revved the engine, his mind now laser-focused on the case. He needed to get to Darius before it was too late. Something big was happening, and this was only the beginning. But the missing puzzle piece weighed on his mind.

As he sped through the industrial jungle of Salia, weaving through traffic, the weight of the mission settled on his shoulders.

There was no time for distractions now. He had to stop the person responsible for this before they struck again.