When A Villain Falls [Yandere Villain x Hero]

Chapter 21 - Calm

In the days following my meeting with Sam, I threw myself headfirst into dissecting every shred of evidence surrounding Joey's disappearance.

Poring over case files, analyzing the burner phone for any potential leads, cross-referencing witness statements from all those years ago. It was like assembling a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces, but the picture was starting to take shape.

Sleep became an afterthought, mere catnaps between deep dives into the tangled web of Joey's last known whereabouts. Each discovery, each new piece of information, felt like a step closer to the truth.

I was consumed, driven by a singular purpose that allowed me to push Plague's deranged obsession to the fringes of my mind. The darkness of his influence receded, replaced by a sliver of hope and determination.

For once, I felt in control again. Not the powerless pawn being jerked around by a madman's twisted games. If this new lead was legitimate—and despite my nagging doubts, I desperately wanted to believe it was—then I might finally be able to find the closure I'd been seeking for over a decade. The prospect of answers was intoxicating, a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

My team walked on eggshells around me, no doubt concerned about the toll this was taking. But I waved off their attempts to make me rest, eat, or talk about what I was going through. This was my burden to bear, not theirs. Joey's case had always been personal.

This wasn't just about solving a crime—it was about reclaiming a piece of my soul that had been lost with him.

Julian did his best to be supportive, bringing me sustenance and fresh coffee at regular intervals. He knew better than anyone how much Joey's case had haunted me all these years. His presence was a comforting constant, a reminder that I wasn't alone in this.

"You know, if this is too much, you can take a step back," he said one afternoon as I massaged my throbbing temples. "Let the rest of us handle things for a while."

I shook my head, not even looking up from the file I was re-reading for the hundredth time. "Not a chance, Julian. I have to see this through to the end. No matter what."

He sighed, squeezing my shoulder gently. "Just...don't let this break you, okay? We need you in one piece when the dust settles."

His concern only strengthened my resolve. I was so close, I could practically taste it. No deranged psychopath's obsession, no amount of exhaustion, would keep me from the truth this time. The idea of finding Joey, of finally knowing what happened to him, was a lifeline I couldn't let go of.

At least, that's what I told myself as the hours blurred into days. Patterns began to emerge in my sleep-deprived delirium—strange inconsistencies in the old witness statements, unexplained gaps of time, cryptic details that didn't quite add up.

My mind raced, trying to connect the dots, to see through the lies and half-truths that had clouded this case for so long.

I started piecing together a new timeline, new theories about what may have really happened that fateful night Joey vanished. The more I unraveled, the more convinced I became that someone—maybe even Sam himself—hadn't been completely forthcoming all those years ago. Doubts crept in, poisoning the fragile hope I had built.

Then, in the dead of night during one of my brief respites of fitful sleep, I was startled awake by a sound. A floorboard creaking in the hallway outside my apartment. My senses snapped to attention, adrenaline surging through my veins.

My hand instinctively moved towards the gun on my nightstand as I strained my ears.

Had I imagined it?

Or was someone there, watching me while I slept?

The silence was oppressive, thick with the promise of danger.

The hairs prickled on the back of my neck as a familiar sense of dread washed over me. No...it couldn't be.

Not him, not now when I was so close.

The timing was too perfect, too calculated.

But as I rose from the bed, gun drawn, and crept towards the living room...

there he stood.

A towering silhouette in the shadows, unmoving, unmistakable. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a thunderous warning.

"Hello, my dear," Plague's smooth voice caressed the air like poisoned silk. "Did you miss me?"

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

I felt like a mouse caught in the gaze of a snake, paralyzed by the malevolent intelligence behind his eyes.

"What do you want, Plague?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides. "I'm done playing your games."

His chuckle was low and menacing. "Oh, but my dear, the game is far from over. In fact, it's only just beginning."

Every instinct screamed at me to shoot, to end this nightmare once and for all. But a small, rational part of my brain reminded me that I needed answers. Plague was the key to Joey's case, to understanding the twisted web he had spun around my life.

"Stay back," I warned, tightening my grip on the gun. "Don't come any closer."

Plague tilted his head, regarding me with an almost paternal amusement. "You think you can stop me? You think this little investigation of yours can break the bonds that tie us together?"

His words sliced through me, rekindling the doubt and fear I had fought so hard to suppress. But I forced myself to stand tall, to meet his gaze with unflinching resolve.

"I will find Joey," I said firmly. "And I will stop you. Whatever it takes."

Plague's smile widened, a grotesque parody of affection. "We shall see, my dear. We shall see."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving me trembling and alone in the silence of my apartment. The encounter left me shaken, my hard-won resolve crumbling in the wake of his sinister presence.

As I lowered the gun and collapsed onto the couch, I couldn't help but wonder if I was in over my head. Plague's obsession was deeper, more insidious than I had ever imagined. And now, he had made it clear—he was watching my every move, ready to strike when I least expected it.

But even in the face of this overwhelming dread, a spark of determination flickered within me. Plague might think he had me cornered, but I wasn't going to let him win. Not this time.

I would find Joey. I would unravel the truth behind Plague's sick games. And I would bring an end to this nightmare, once and for all.

No matter the cost.