Project 100

Connections and Conspiracies

"Gosh! This is tough," sighed Tom, exhaustion evident in his voice as he tilted his head. "It wouldn't be so tough if you actually tried to focus," Alex retorted, teasing Tom amidst the chaos. Victor, lost in thoughts of the accident, interjected, "Guys, how about we take a break and grab some coffee? I could really use some relaxation." "Oh, so you've finally come to the realization that you need to relax too. Well, that's the eighth wonder of the world," Han joked sarcastically.

While they were at a cafe, sipping coffee, a lady approached Victor with a shy demeanor, nervousness flickering in her eyes. Victor, sensing the reason for her approach, internally rolled his eyes. "Hey! Can I talk to you for a second in private?" she asked, emphasizing the word "private" and glancing over at his friends. "Okay, sure we can leave, y'all talk," Alex said, teasing his friend as they got up to give them some space. Tom walked over to Victor and whispered in his ear, "She looks beautiful, so you better not reject her." After his friends left, the lady introduced herself, "Oh wait, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Angela, the cafe owner's daughter. You look interesting, so can we be friends?". Victor tilted his head as a yes which made Angela smile widely. "Do you come here often?" asked victor, "I'm here quite often and I've noticed you around. I thought today would be a good day to finally say hello." 

After a little bit of chit-chatting about their lives, the lady left and his friends returned to the table. Tom couldn't resist teasing Victor, "Well, well, look who's making new friends!" he exclaimed with a playful grin. Victor chuckled, feeling a glimmer of warmth in his heart for the first time since his sister's passing. Angela's unexpected approach had lifted his spirits, even if just for a moment. As they resumed their coffee break, Victor found himself lost in thought, pondering the possibility of a new connection in his life.

The night wore on, and Victor found himself consumed by the weight of the recent events that had turned his once vibrant spirit into a shadow of its former self. He couldn't get rid of the persistent guilt that tormented him, blaming himself for his sister's tragic death. It had become a nightly ritual, this cycle of self-blame and despair that seemed to have no end in sight. After a few minutes of contemplation, tucked himself to sleep.

He woke up when he felt someone licking all over his face and as he opened his eyes, he was met with the comforting sight of his loyal dog, the sole reason for his existence, gazing back at him with a warm smile.

He awoke to the sensation of wet kisses covering his face, and as he opened his eyes, he found himself greeted by the familiar and comforting sight of his loyal dog, whose presence was the sole reason of his existence, looking back at him with an affectionate smile. After playing with his dog for a while, he went for freshening up. He went to the office smiling.

But his smile vanished, replaced by a stoic expression as he encountered several police officers waiting in his office. "Good morning, sir, we need to discuss something important," one of the officers began. Victor ushered them into his office, where the conversation took a serious turn. "We're here about the Raven case," the officer continued. "This month alone, the suspect has targeted 99 individuals, all wealthy. Based on last month's pattern, where the 100th victim differed economically, we suspect this might occur again." Victor nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the implications. "That might be a deliberate pattern, perhaps to throw us off or send a message," he suggested, aligning his mind with the complex puzzle.