This will be the first time I kidnap someone.
The thought lingers in my mind longer than I would like to admit. Not because of hesitation, but because I've never done something like this before. In the end, I do the most absurd and logical thing possible: I spend several hours watching movies.
Old movies.
Kidnappings, interrogations, damp basements, men who beg, others who lie.
I'm not trying to copy anything exactly.
I just want to understand the rhythm. The patience. The precise moment.
In the end, the conclusion is clear.
The man following Vivian is not an option. He communicates too much. He's always calling someone. If he disappears, they'll notice immediately.
But the one from the other county…
He's different. He watches. He waits. And he doesn't seem to report in very often.
He'll do.
I just hope the girl hasn't already been kidnapped. If that's the case, I won't have any choice but to go straight after the one following Vivian.
I exhale deeply.
Let everything go according to plan.
The next morning, as soon as I wake up, I get ready and teleport straight to Redwood County.
If my assumptions are correct, she should be heading to school at this hour.
And she is.
Ana enters one of the most well-known schools in the county. From a distance, it's clear she's not just any girl. Several people greet her as she walks by. Some guys turn their heads to look at her. A couple try to say something and stop halfway.
Popular.
Very popular.
I search for the man who followed her days ago, but I don't see him.
I'll have to wait.
A group of girls approaches Ana. All of them well dressed, heavy makeup, branded clothes. The kind of group that knows it rules the hallways.
"Ana, where did you disappear to the other day?" one of them asks. "Half the school was asking about you."
"Yeah," another adds, "even the history teacher noticed you weren't there."
They talk about trivial things until one of them smiles maliciously.
"I heard a weird guy approached you in a café."
Ana laughs, not bothering to hide her disdain.
"Yeah, but he was nothing special," she says. "Come on, I could go out with anyone here."
The others laugh with her.
I clench my jaw slightly.
For a moment, I consider giving all of them nightmares. Just to balance things out a bit.
But no.
She isn't the target.
She's the bait.
I decide to infiltrate the school. I use magic to hide my presence and follow her throughout the day. Ana moves from group to group, talks to everyone, ignores most of the guys who try to get close to her.
She's used to being desired.
At the end of classes, just when I'm about to consider the day a waste of time, I see them.
Two men.
Ana sees them too.
She pauses for a second. Her expression changes. Not panic, but discomfort. Instinct.
One of the men steps forward.
"Hi," he says with a practiced smile. "I've seen you around here a few times. I thought maybe you'd like to grab a coffee."
A direct move.
Ana blinks, surprised. Then she smiles, polite but cold.
"No, thanks," she replies. "I'm going with friends."
At that moment, a group of guys approaches her. Local team players, laughter, confidence.
"We're going to the movies," one of them says. "Everyone's going."
Ana hesitates for a second.
Then she nods.
She leaves with them, along with her friends. Laughter, light shoving, trivial comments.
Smart. Surrounding herself with people is the right move.
But the men…
They don't leave.
They watch.
They wait.
Good.
Everyone ends up at the movie theater. I go in too and sit far away. The dark room smells of burnt popcorn and spilled soda. On the screen, they're showing a slasher movie without too many digital effects. It's decent, but for someone used to higher definition and better quality, it's boring, so I don't pay attention.
The men never take their eyes off Ana.
At one point, the guy who invited her to the movies tries to get a little too close. Ana leans away, clearly uninterested.
She has high standards.
And plenty of options.
When the movie ends, the group slowly disperses among comments, flirting, and failed attempts.
Ana stays with her friends.
They go into a café.
The men following her go in too.
So do I.
I sit apart and order something. I listen to fragments of their conversation.
Ana notices the men are still there. She also sees me. She recognizes me, the guy from the café.
For a moment, she looks at me with curiosity… then loses interest.
The men, however, stand up.
I pay immediately and leave.
Ana sees me go.
She also sees that the men have left.
Now it's time.
I follow them.
They walk quickly, confidently. They stop on a lightly trafficked street.
I smile.
I teleport behind them before they can react. I grab their heads and, in the blink of an eye, we're on a rooftop. The cold wind cuts like a knife.
Shadows rise and pin them to the ground. They can't move. They can't scream.
I change my voice with magic.
It comes out elegant. Cold. Distant.
As if the original clown were speaking through me.
"Tell me who you are."
Silence.
Just as expected.
I tilt my head slightly.
"Fine," I say. "Then let's try something different."
My smile slowly widens.
"It's called the Tormented."
Their bodies begin to tremble.
As if they've finally realized they're no longer the hunters.
And I…
I'm in no hurry.
Because the show is just beginning.