"Yes, Big Sister, we finally found the 'Link' after all this time."
A feminine voice echoed inside the moving car. The woman who kidnapped Leo sat in the front seat calmly, speaking into a phone, her tone confident yet tinged with excitement. Her eyes flicked toward the sack that was resting on the seat behind her, its fabric bulging slightly with movement.
"Details? Well..." she turned to glance over her shoulder at the squirming sack, "his name is Leo. He's an orphan, currently working at some shady bar part-time, and full-time? He's a thief. A clever little one, at that. That's all we know for now."
The sack suddenly jerked violently, writhing in resistance.
"I am not a thief!!" a male voice shouted from within, muffled yet furious. The fabric strained as Leo thrashed around inside, attempting to force his way out.
The woman giggled as she talked to the phone, "Oh, come on now. I'm not making the same mistake I made last time. I've done my homework. This time... I know I've got the right one. You just need to come back to our base. That's where it all begins—the ritual..." Her eyes lifted to the window as she noticed the moon above slowly shifting in hue, turning an ominous shade of crimson. Her voice dropped, becoming sharper, colder. "We're running out of time."
She cut the call with a single tap and locked eyes with the guard in the driver's seat.
The Guard nodded without a word and pressed down on the accelerator. The vehicle surged forward, roaring through the near-empty midnight roads with trained precision, weaving through turns without hesitation.
The woman leaned slightly toward the backseat and muttered under her breath, "I know this all seems insane to you, Leo. You must be terrified and confused. But we've been watching you closely. We know exactly who you are and what you're capable of. You're not just some bar boy—"
She trailed off, her eyes widening in confusion as she turned her head fully to the backseat—only to find it empty.
"Huh?"
"Haha! You really should've tied my hands if you wanted this to work!" Leo's voice erupted from near the back of the driver's seat. Before she could react, he yanked the sack off his head and violently pulled it over the guard's face, wrapping the rough fabric tightly.
"Hey! What the hell?!" the guard shouted, swerving slightly as the sack blinded him.
SSssrrcchhh!
The tires screamed as the car lurched wildly across the road. Leo struggled to hold the sack firm against the guard's face, both of them wrestling in the front seats. The steering wheel spun under the guard's loosened grip, sending the vehicle veering sideways.
It was nearly midnight, and the streets were eerily quiet. Just a few scattered cars passed by in the distance, their headlights flickering like ghosts.
The woman shrieked, "You idiot! Do you want to die?!"
Leo's eyes darted toward her, his expression fierce and raw, "I hate your ugly face!" he barked, swinging his fist with all his strength.
SMACK!
His knuckles collided with her cheek, sending her head whipping to the side. "NIIFFF!" she cried out, clutching her nose as blood gushed between her fingers, her eyes watering from the sting.
Leo flinched for a second, surprised by how hard he'd hit her, but didn't hesitate. He turned back to the driver, who was now swerving uncontrollably.
"Stop the car now if you don't want to die!" he growled, wrapping the sack around the guard's neck like a noose and pulling hard.
But the guard didn't stop. Instead, they stomped harder on the pedal, the car accelerating dangerously.
"You... t-think you can order me around?" the guard hissed—and Leo's eyes widened.
It was a woman's voice.
"What the hell...?"
Suddenly, a parked car loomed ahead. Leo reacted instantly. He lunged across the guard, seized the steering wheel with both hands, and yanked it hard to the left.
Ssssscrrrhhh!
The tires screeched like banshees as the vehicle skidded, the rubber smoking from the friction. The car swerved violently, metal groaning, and slammed into the side of an abandoned vehicle.
There was a deafening crunch of steel—
BANG!
—and the entire car flipped into the air. Everything blurred.
The world turned upside down.
Metal twisted. Glass shattered. Bones slammed into hard surfaces. The entire cabin turned into chaos.
Thud.
Crack.
Smash.
Another roll.
Another slam.
Then stillness.
Leo's body rolled like a ragdoll between seats. His head slammed against the car door. Blood filled his mouth. Then—silence.
Crack... Thud...
The driver-side door creaked open, hanging awkwardly off its hinges. Leo's trembling hand pushed it wider. His fingers were bloodied and shaking. Slowly, groaning, he crawled out from the wreck.
His skin was scraped raw, wounds trailing across his arms, his legs barely holding him upright. His shirt was torn, soaked in blood and sweat.
"Damn it..." he muttered, spitting blood onto the road as he looked around. The street was empty—no sirens, no help, no witnesses.
He turned back to the wreckage and saw the two others inside, unconscious, but breathing. Gritting his teeth, Leo staggered forward, grabbing their arms and dragging them out one by one. Their bodies were limp, bruised, but still intact.
Then—
BOOM!
The car behind him exploded in a blinding flash of fire and smoke. The heat scorched his back. He dropped to the ground, shielding his face as the blast sent debris flying.
Flames roared as the vehicle was consumed.
Leo coughed, ash falling onto his shoulders. He turned his head, staring at the two unconscious women lying beside him, their faces lit by the flickering firelight.
He didn't know who they were.
He didn't know what they wanted.
But they hadn't been police. That much was certain.
As he stumbled to his feet, his legs shaky, he whispered, "What did she mean... Link? Ritual?"
Still limping, still bleeding, Leo turned away from the fire and stepped into the shadows of a nearby alleyway, his mind spinning with questions, and the night colder than ever.
"Saving the people who kidnapped you? How noble of you."
A calm yet mocking feminine voice echoed in the night air, carrying a cold amusement. Before Leo could turn around and see who it was, a sharp blow landed on the back of his neck.
His vision spun... The world darkened.
And just like that—he collapsed, consciousness slipping away like sand between his fingers.
The mysterious figure caught his falling body with ease, cradling him effortlessly in her arms. She stared ahead as two other figures approached hesitantly.
"I cannot believe you two couldn't even kidnap a single human properly," the woman said in a voice laced with disdain. "If Big Sister hears about this... she'll have you rotting in hell for all eternity."
The two who had initially captured Leo bowed their heads in fear, trembling slightly.
"F-Forgive us..."
"Please, don't tell Big Sister... we beg you!"
"Hmph," the mysterious woman scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Get moving. We don't have time to waste on this foolishness."
****
Leo's eyelids fluttered open slowly. Darkness. His head throbbed dully, and his breath came in shallow, confused bursts.
His head was covered with a sack. The inside stank of sweat and dust. As he tried to shift, his muscles tensed—but the chains around his wrists and ankles immediately dug into his skin. Metal cuffs clanked, and pain flared in his shoulder as he pulled.
He was tied up to a hard metal chair, completely immobilised.
"...What the..." he muttered, his voice raspy.
"Didn't you say I should've tied your hands?" a familiar feminine voice said teasingly. "So I tied everything."
Leo froze at the sound, recognising her voice. He groaned and slumped forward a little.
"Fine... you win. I was the one who took those jewels. They're in my shoes... and in my pocket. Take them," he said with a tired, defeated tone, no strength left in his words.
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"Hahaha... look at him!"
"Hah!"
"Haha... what a naïve little boy."
Laughter echoed from around him. Three distinct voices—each unmistakably female—mocked him with cruel amusement.
They already checked his body and took them all.
Leo stiffened slightly. 'Three of them? All women?' He bit his lip, mind racing. 'What did I even do to deserve this? Did I cross them somehow?'
One of them spoke again, this time less cruel and more curious. "Still though... I didn't even notice it until we were in the car. He's really got a knack for stealing things."
It had all happened so fast—almost like a blur. When she had stumbled, just a slight misstep, and in that very motion, he reached out as if to catch her. One hand went to her shoulder for balance, or so it seemed. But the other... the other hand moved with practised precision.
While her attention—and everyone else's—was on his hand pressing against her to keep her from falling, the real work happened with his other hand. Gracefully, almost like a gentle caress, his fingers slipped the jewels right from her wrist.
And then, just as smoothly, as though he were helping her steady herself, he gave a little supportive pat to her shoulder—during which he skillfully slid the stolen jewels down into his shoe, then to his pocket.
So smooth.
So fluid.
Not a single soul noticed.
He was a Smooth Criminal!
There was a pause—one of those rare moments where someone gave him credit, even in the middle of a kidnapping. The tone was almost impressed.
Leo squinted through the tiny pinholes in the sack, trying to glimpse something—anything. But all he could see was light filtering through. The place was brightly lit, but the sack kept everything blurry and shapeless.
Then—
Thud!
A heavy door creaked open, the hinges groaning as if warning the room of what was coming. Footsteps followed—measured, calm, and chilling.
A voice cut through the air, far more dangerous than the others. Soft, but cold like ice sliding down a spine.
"You brought the 'Link'?"
"Yes, Big Sister," all three of them said in perfect unison.
Each one instantly dropped to their knees and lowered their heads in deep reverence. The air felt heavier, as though the very presence of the new arrival bent the space around her.
Leo held his breath. He didn't know what 'Link' meant. He didn't know who this 'Big Sister' was.
But he was certain of one thing— He sure F'ed up!