Chapter 02: The Shadow of the Past
Victor sat at his desk the next morning, the morning light slicing through the blinds in sharp beams. The silence of the office was oppressive, the stillness of the air mirroring the weight in his chest. He hadn’t slept well. Even with the exhaustion weighing on him, sleep had been a stranger. Instead, he spent the night poring over old case files, trying to make sense of the symbols on the body. Nothing seemed to fit, and the more he dug, the deeper the mystery became.
The previous night’s investigation had left him with more questions than answers. The ritualistic nature of the murders was something Victor had seen before, but this time, it felt different. More personal. Like the killer was trying to send a message, and Victor was at the center of it.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already well into the afternoon, and he hadn’t even noticed the time passing. He rubbed his temples, trying to stave off the headache that had begun to build. The feeling of being watched—the weight of the eyes that followed him—had only grown stronger. It felt like someone, somewhere, was waiting for him to make the wrong move.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Come in,” Victor called out, his voice tight.
Julia stepped into the room, her face grim. She looked even more tired than he felt, but there was an intensity in her gaze that told him she had news—important news.
“Anything?” Victor asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she handed him a file. “This came through this morning. Thought you’d want to see it.”
Victor opened the file, scanning through the pages quickly. It was a report from a local informant, someone who had claimed to know something about the murders. The report was vague, filled with cryptic details that only raised more questions. The informant referred to the killer as “the Collector,” a name that sent an uneasy chill down Victor’s spine.
The name was unfamiliar to him, but something about it felt… off. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was no coincidence that the killer was now using a title—an identity.
“What do you think?” Julia asked, her voice tense.
“I don’t know,” Victor muttered, setting the report down. “But this… ‘Collector’—that’s a message, not just a name. The killer is trying to draw us in.”
“Draw us in how?” Julia pressed. “We’re already in, Victor. We’ve been in since the first body was found.”
He stood and began pacing, his mind racing. “You don’t understand. This is more than just a killer on the loose. This is someone with a purpose. A purpose that connects to us, to me, somehow.”
Julia frowned, crossing her arms. “What do you mean, connects to you?”
Victor’s gaze flickered to the window, his mind flashing back to the nightmarish memories he’d tried to bury for years. The years he’d spent hunting down criminals, fighting demons of his own. A life he thought was behind him.
But this case—this murderer—it was bringing it all back. A darkness that Victor had hoped to forget.
“Victor,” Julia said, her voice softening. “Talk to me.”
Victor took a deep breath, his throat tight. He could feel the weight of her concern, but he wasn’t ready to tell her everything. Not yet. Not until he knew for sure what he was dealing with.
“I can’t explain it yet,” he said quietly, “but I think I’ve seen this kind of thing before. A long time ago. And I… I think the killer might know something about me—something only a few people know.”
Julia’s expression hardened. She stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing. “What do you mean? You’re not making sense.”
Victor clenched his jaw, his mind racing. “I don’t know how it’s possible, Julia. But there’s something in my past… something I thought I had left behind. This case, these murders—they’re connected to it. And it’s all coming back. Like someone’s digging up old bones.”
Julia remained silent, her eyes searching his face for any sign that he was joking. But there was no humor in Victor’s eyes—only the shadows of regret and fear.
“You need to talk to me,” Julia urged, her voice low. “You can’t carry this alone.”
Victor shook his head, his fingers running through his hair. “I can’t explain it, not yet. But I need you to trust me. I have to finish this, no matter what.”
Julia didn’t say anything at first. She studied him, the worry clear in her eyes. Finally, she spoke. “Alright, Victor. But if you’re in this too deep, if you’re not okay… I’ll pull you out, no matter what.”
He met her gaze, nodding slightly, though he knew deep down he wouldn’t allow it. He couldn’t stop now—not when everything was so close to unraveling.
Victor turned his attention back to the file. “We need to find out more about this ‘Collector.’ We need to get ahead of him before he gets ahead of us.”
Julia nodded, her expression resolute. “I’ll dig into this informant. You focus on finding out who’s behind this, and why.”
Victor’s mind churned as they continued discussing the next steps. They needed answers, and they needed them quickly. But in the pit of his stomach, he couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out—and that the killer was already one step ahead.
The investigation was only beginning, but Victor already felt the threads of his past tightening around him. What he had seen—what he had done—was coming back to haunt him. The deeper they went, the closer they came to something much darker. And Victor couldn’t escape it—not when his own demons were the ones pulling the strings.
