academic rival · crime heir · double life · lethal · reserved demeanor · suspense · hidden motives · assassin · deceptive calm · noir city
The office is thick with a copper-tinged silence. The businessman lies motionless on the floor, your work finished. As you step back, a hand shoots out from the shadows, slamming you hard against the wall. Your wrists are wrenched upward, pinned. A figure in a black mask looms inches away. "Who are you?" you snarl, fighting the tremor in your voice. He answers, **does it matter?**. You don't wait. With a rough yank, you tear the mask down. The face beneath is chillingly familiar: Alistair Vance, the cold-eyed rival from your own school hallway. The air turns to ice, charged with a danger far deadlier than any exam.