Ren sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the half-open window. His reflection on the glass looked tired, almost like he was on the verge of fainting.

He muttered under his breath, "They've probably figured it out by now."

His voice was low, but even he could hear the worry hiding beneath it. It wasn't paranoia—it was logic. He'd been gone for too long. If his family hadn't already sent authorities looking, they would soon. The idea of them discovering what he'd been doing behind their backs made his stomach twist.

"If they find out…" He leaned back and exhaled, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah, that'll be the end of me and my careful plans."

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to push the thought away, but another name surfaced in his mind before he could stop it.

"Luxy."

The name came out in a quiet sigh. "What the hell are you doing?"

He frowned. "You didn't even come to help. Don't tell me you can't track me down. You're an angel, well half-angel.."

He chuckled bitterly, then shook his head. "Maybe she's just busy playing that game of hers and didn't even notice my message. As if even she's not that irresponsible."

His train of thought broke as the door creaked open.

Silver stepped in, balancing a tray in one hand. "If you think any harder," she said with a teasing smile, "your head's gonna explode."

Ren blinked, caught off guard by how casual she sounded. "You eavesdropping again?"

"Please." Silver placed the tray on the small table beside him. "You're loud enough to count as background noise."

She pushed a glass of water toward him. "Eat something before you collapse. Your body needs food after everything."

Ren stared at the food for a moment, then looked at her. "Do you serve any family or anything like that?"

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I serve any family?"

Ren studied her—her loose blond hair tied into a messy braid, the sleeveless shirt, the faint grease marks on her hands. "Obviously not,"

"Oh?" She smirked. "So you're saying I don't have that kind of vibe?"

"Yeah. You have more of a… troublemaker vibe."

Silver grinned. "You say that like it's an insult."

"It's not," Ren replied with a shrug. "Just an observation."

For a few moments, the only sound in the room was the faint ticking of the old clock. Ren picked up a piece of pizza bread, tore it in half, and chewed slowly. His eyes were still distant, thoughts tangled somewhere else.

Silver noticed. "You looks like you want to leave but you don't want to at the same time."

Ren looked up. "What makes you say that?"

"You keep glancing at the door every five minutes," she said, leaning against the wall. "That's not something people do when they're planning to settle down."

He chuckled softly. "You're observant."

"I have to be. Keeps me alive."

Ren sighed, pushing the tray aside. "I can't go back yet. Not normally, at least."

"Because?"

He hesitated. "Because someone might've figured out what I've been doing. Or maybe not. There's still a chance they haven't. But if they have… things will get ugly."

Silver crossed her arms. "You got yourself mixed up in something dangerous, huh?"

"You could say that."

She tilted her head. "And you plan to fix it by sitting here and staring at walls?"

Ren gave a small laugh. "I'm working on a plan."

"Uh-huh. Sure you are."

He ignored her sarcasm and leaned forward. "If I can pin this on someone else, maybe I can buy time. There's this woman I know She's perfect for it."

"Perfect for blaming your mess on?" Silver asked with a grin. "Nice. I like that kind of things."

"Don't make it sound like that," Ren said, though a small smile crept onto his face.

Silver chuckled. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Still, I'll need a way to contact someone without any trace."

"Oh?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah. I can't use anything that can be traced back to me or possibly you. If my family finds a signal, I'm done for."

Silver looked amused. "Fair enough."

"Careful planning," he corrected.

Ren gave her a curious look. "Maybe you can help. You got a disposable number? Something untraceable?"

Silver blinked. "That's… oddly specific."

Ren's tone didn't waver. "Do you have one or not?"

For a moment, Silver just stared at him, then let out a low whistle. "You're lucky, mister secret man. Because I do."

She walked over to a small drawer by her workbench and started rummaging through it. Bits of metal, wires, and small tools clinked together as she searched. "Let's see… burner phones, fake IDs, spare keys to a warehouse I don't remember renting…"

Ren blinked. "You really keep all that in one drawer?"

"I move from place to place," she said proudly. "Don't judge."

She pulled out a small SIM card and held it up like a prize. "Here. This one's clean. No registration, no history, and no reason for anyone to think it exists."

Ren reached out and took it carefully. "You're a lifesaver."

"Don't thank me yet." She wagged a finger. "Once you're done using that, destroy it. Snap it, melt it, feed it to a dog—whatever. Just don't let anyone find it."

"Got it."

Silver sat on the edge of the desk and watched him. "So, what are you going to do with it?"

"Make a call. Send a few messages. Maybe mislead a few people."

"Sounds shady."

"It is shady."

She laughed. "At least you're honest."

Ren smirked. "Now you have another job to do."

Silver tilted her head. "Hmm~ mister secret man...you sure are needy for someone I met just now."

"Well... I am a man. In this world, men need to be needy," Ren muttered with a smile, as Silver sighed, knowing she had indeed found an interesting specimen of a man.

***

Amanda stumbled as Grooty suddenly tugged her forward again, her shoes dragging on the dirt road. "Grooty—slow down!" she shouted, but the dog only barked once and kept running.

Behind them, Meiling and Misa followed, their pace steady and unnaturally effortless for how far they had run but their faces were intense. They had been running for what felt like miles, far too long for anyone to just walk. Yet neither Meiling nor Misa looked the least bit tired thinking about Ren.

Amanda, on the other hand, was gasping. Her legs burned, and her chest felt tight as she struggled to keep up while being half-dragged by the overexcited dog.

"Wait—wait, please!" she wheezed.

As if hearing her plea, Grooty suddenly stopped. Amanda nearly tripped, catching herself on her knees as she panted heavily.

"Grooty…" she muttered between breaths, bending down to pat the dog's head. "You're gonna kill me…"

Meiling and Misa caught up seconds later, both of them barely sweating.

"What happened?" Meiling asked, glancing around.

Amanda looked up at Grooty, who was staring left and right, tail lowered. "She's… confused," Amanda said.

"Confused?" Misa frowned. "What do you mean?"

Amanda stood, still catching her breath, and pointed down the road. "It looks like Ren was here. But…"

She pointed again, this time toward two diverging paths up ahead. "Grooty keeps switching between these two. Left and right. She can't decide."

Misa looked between the roads. "So… he split up?"

Amanda nodded slightly. "Either that, or something's messing with his scent."

Meiling folded her arms. "So what do we do? Should we split up and cover both?"

Amanda shook her head immediately. "No. That's the worst idea."

"Why?" Meiling asked.

"Because neither of you can take on the Faceless Woman if she shows up," Amanda said flatly. "And from what I understand, she won't hurt Ren. Not physically, anyway. So we stay together. Check both routes, one at a time."

Misa frowned. "You sound like you're sure she's not going to hurt him."

Amanda gave a small shrug. "If she wanted him dead, she had so many chances...she doesn't want him dead. She wants him for something else."

Misa and Meiling both understood what Amanda was trying to say and their faces went sour even more.

Meiling clenched her fists, teeth grinding. "If only my mother was here…" she muttered under her breath.

Amanda heard but didn't comment. She just kept her eyes on the road.

Misa finally asked, "Amanda, do you know any special places around here? Somewhere that Faceless Woman could take Ren?"

Amanda shook her head. "No clue. She could be anywhere. That's the problem."

The silence that followed was cut short when Misa's phone suddenly buzzed. She looked at the screen, startled. "Unknown number."

She pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

For a moment, there was nothing but heavy breathing. Then, a distorted female voice spoke, low and chilling.

"Ren is with me… If you want him back, come to the old warehouse near the highway. Bring ten thousand dollars… or you'll regret it."

Before Misa could respond, the call cut off.

She stood frozen, eyes wide. "That… that was her!"

Amanda looked at her sharply. "Her? Who?"

"The Faceless Woman!" Misa said. "She said Ren is with her. She wants ten thousand dollars!"

Amanda's expression darkened. "Did she say her name?"

Misa blinked. "What?"

"Did she say she was the Faceless Woman?"

Misa hesitated. "No, but—who else could it be?"

Amanda's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then it's not her."

Meiling glanced between them. "Wait, what are you saying?"

Amanda crossed her arms. "It sounds like a normal kidnapping to me. The Faceless Woman doesn't ask for money. She doesn't need it."

"How are you so sure?" Meiling questioned.

"Because I know... I've been chasing her. Nothing she's done so far has had anything to do with money," Amanda replied.

Misa looked confused. "So… what do we do?"

"We go to the police," Amanda said simply. "If this is a regular kidnapping, they'll handle it."

Misa shook her head quickly. "No! What if they hurt Ren if we involve the police?"

Amanda sighed. "Misa, listen. If it's a real criminal group, they'll contact again. The police can track them, or at least be ready."

"But if they panic—"

"They already called you," Amanda interrupted. "That means they won't act until they get their moeny. We need to act careful."

Misa bit her lip, torn between fear and logic.

Amanda turned to Meiling. "We'll gather ten thousand dollars, pretend we're doing what they want, and use it to lure them out. The police will handle the rest."

Meiling nodded slowly. "That could work… if we move fast."

Amanda's tone was calm but sharp. "Good. Let's get moving, then."

Misa frowned, still doubtful. "You really think it's not her?"

Amanda's lips curved into a thin smile. "No it isn't."

Meiling's eyes flicked toward Amanda. Something about her expression had changed—it looked calmer, more composed than before. The instant the call came, Amanda's entire demeanor shifted. The worry from earlier vanished, replaced by sharp focus… and a hint of her professional self.

As Amanda turned toward the path back to town, Meiling muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

"This woman… she's not after Ren's safety."

Her gaze lingered on Amanda's back.

"She's after the Faceless Woman."