Across the desk, Izwan had also begun reviewing the file, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a sharp focus. Both men were silent, absorbed in the magnitude of what lay ahead. The air in the room felt heavy with the anticipation of what their next moves would be.

***

The clock on the wall read half past twelve, and the soft glow of the desk lamp illuminated Iyaan’s face as he scribbled down the last few notes from the case file. His eyes were tired but focused, the weight of the investigation heavy on his mind. Beside him, Izwan stretched his arms above his head, releasing the tension that had built up from hours of poring over documents. He let out a quiet groan as he leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his movement.

"Are you done as well?" Izwan asked, his voice casual as he glanced over at Iyaan’s desk.

Iyaan simply nodded, not bothering to respond verbally, his attention still fixated on his notebook. The silence between them was comfortable, both of them accustomed to working late into the night, often in silence.

Izwan swiveled his chair in a slow circle, the movement almost aimless as his thoughts wandered. After a moment, he stopped and jumped up, his energy suddenly returning. "So, where do we start?" he asked, his tone more enthusiastic now.

Iyaan turned his chair to face Izwan, raising his notebook as though it held the key to their next move. "In the past eight years, there were a total of seventeen deaths," Iyaan began, his voice steady and precise. "Two in each year, but three in one particular year. And before that, for two years, these deaths didn’t occur. But if you go back further, six more died in the three years prior to those two years of no incidents."

Izwan’s brow furrowed as he processed the information. The pattern was irregular, but the numbers were undeniable. Iyaan stood up, his movement deliberate, as he made his way to the staircase. Izwan followed closely behind, listening intently as Iyaan continued to speak.

"Some of the victims were male, some female, but they all had one thing in common—they were all either college students or at best, not fully employed elsewhere."

Izwan quickened his pace to keep up with Iyaan as they descended the stairs in a light jog. "So then," Izwan interjected, piecing together the clues, "our only leads are that they all worked at the Mind and Heart Hospital and were college students?"

Iyaan shook his head as they reached the ground floor. He adjusted his blazer as they made their way towards the gate, the cool night air slipping in through the entrance. "No," Iyaan corrected. "The only lead we have is that they were all college students."

Izwan stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Wait, what?" he stammered, completely thrown by Iyaan’s words. The information didn’t line up with what he had assumed all along. He stood there, dazed, as Iyaan continued walking towards the gate, already heading for the parking lot.

It took a moment for Izwan to shake himself out of his confusion. Realizing Iyaan was already halfway across the lot, he jolted into action, running after him. By the time he caught up, Iyaan was in the process of unlocking his car door.

"Wait!" Izwan shouted, grabbing Iyaan’s shoulder and spinning him around.

Iyaan nearly dropped his car keys in surprise. His expression flashed with irritation as he yanked his shoulder out of Izwan’s grip. "What the hell, Izwan!" he snapped. "Why would you pull me like that?"

Izwan ignored the outburst, his own frustration bubbling to the surface. "What do you mean that’s our only lead?" he asked, his voice rising with urgency. "I thought you knew Nur was the criminal—the doctor at the hospital!"

Iyaan's expression remained calm as he adjusted his blazer again, brushing off Izwan’s words with an air of indifference. "I do know that Nur is the criminal," he said flatly.

"But nothing points to her!" Izwan pressed. "The files didn’t mention her at all, but you and Senior Officer Johan keep talking about her like it’s a done deal. I thought you guys had some kind of hidden clue. You do, right?"

Iyaan's hand paused on the door handle as he looked at Izwan, his gaze steady and unflinching. "No," he said simply, opening the car door and slipping inside.

Izwan stared at him in disbelief, his mind racing. "Wait—what?" he shouted, his frustration spilling over. "You have nothing against her, but you want to catch her? That’s not how this works, Iyaan!" His voice was loud, filled with a mixture of confusion and anger.

But Iyaan didn’t respond. The engine of his car roared to life, and without another glance in Izwan’s direction, he shifted into gear and began to pull out of the lot.

"Iyaan!" Izwan shouted, running after the car in a desperate attempt to get answers. "Officer Iyaan!" His voice echoed in the empty parking lot, but the car sped away, leaving him behind, breathless and overwhelmed.

Izwan slowed to a stop, watching the taillights disappear into the distance. He stood there, panting, his mind swirling with more questions than answers. The case they had been so deeply invested in just an hour ago suddenly seemed even more tangled, and now, with Iyaan’s cryptic attitude, Izwan felt as if they were on the brink of something huge—something far more dangerous.

But without solid evidence, without any clear leads, what did they have? And why was Iyaan so determined to catch Nur, even without proof?

Izwan’s fists clenched at his sides as the weight of uncertainty pressed down on him. Whatever Iyaan was planning, it was going to be risky. And Izwan had no choice but to follow along, whether or not he understood where this path would lead.

***

Iyaan drove across the quiet, empty streets, the rhythmic hum of his car engine blending with the occasional whoosh of passing Grab cabs and bikes. The city was bathed in the soft orange glow of streetlights, casting long shadows on the road. It was already half past one, and the world around him seemed to be winding down, slipping into the stillness of the night. The silence was comforting, yet it left too much room for his thoughts to wander.

He was just a few minutes away from his apartment when his mind began to drift, piecing together fragments of memories and concerns that had been haunting him for weeks. What was Nur doing in Kota Kinabalu? he wondered. It had been a month since he had unexpectedly seen her in that café—the same day he and Tenuk had gone there to catch up. Seeing her again after all these years had sent a chill down his spine, but she had disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared. There hadn’t been a single sign of her since.

Iyaan had transferred here from Kuala Lumpur precisely to avoid running into her. It was a fresh start, a chance to dig into the records, to gather information without the looming threat of Nur finding out. Tenuk would be safe that way, too. But now, her sudden presence in Kota Kinabalu raised too many questions. Why is she here? Does she know what I’ve been doing?

His grip tightened on the steering wheel as his mind raced through possibilities. The Mind and Heart Hospital, where all the mysterious deaths had occurred, was also in Kuala Lumpur. Nothing connected it to Kota Kinabalu—at least, nothing obvious. As he tried to piece together the puzzle, his thoughts spun faster, tangling in knots of suspicion and uncertainty.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man appeared directly in front of his car.

Iyaan barely had time to react. His heart leaped into his throat as his foot slammed on the brake, the tires screeching against the asphalt in protest. The car skidded to a halt just inches from the man, but not before the impact. The man hit the hood of the car with a sickening thud, his head striking the spot just below the side mirror, and then he crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll.

For a split second, everything stood still. The world around Iyaan seemed to freeze as his mind struggled to catch up with what had just happened. His breath caught in his chest, his pulse thundering in his ears.

Then, reality crashed back into focus.

Iyaan shoved the car door open, the cool night air hitting him as he scrambled out. His hands shook as he rushed to the front of the car, his legs moving almost on autopilot. Panic clawed at his throat as he reached the man lying on the road. His heart pounded violently, fear gripping him tighter with each step.

When he finally reached the front of the car, the sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks.

Lying on the pavement, motionless and crumpled, was the man—but what shocked Iyaan to his core was the man’s face. He recognized him immediately. His breath hitched, and for a moment, he thought his heart might stop altogether.