THE 30 DAYS

LEAVE HER...

As the tension among Clay, Zack, Ryan, and the masked man thickened under the pale glow of the park lights, a sudden buzz broke the silence. Ryan's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out slowly, staring at the screen.

Unknown Number.

Ryan chuckled.
"Looks like someone missed me."

He picked it up and casually stepped a few feet away, placing the phone to his ear.

A deep, gravelly voice bled through the speaker.
"It's been a long time, Ryan."

Ryan's grin widened, amused. He tilted his head slightly as if enjoying a private joke.

"Well, well, well... look who climbed out of the dollhouse," he said with playful malice.

The man on the other end didn't laugh.
"Speaking of dolls... I found a few of yours. Watched one try to run. Poor thing didn't make it. Got a bit... crushed."

Ryan exhaled with a sly grin, unbothered.
"Aw. You played without me? That's not very polite."
He paused. "So tell me... where's the tea party?"

The man's voice dropped colder.
"In your house, kiddo. See you soon."

The line went dead.

Ryan lowered the phone slowly, eyes still gleaming. Then he turned to the others with that signature unsettling smirk on his face and said,
"Looks like the party's starting early."

Clay narrowed his eyes as Ryan pocketed his phone and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Clay called out, raising his voice.

Ryan stopped mid-step, glancing over his shoulder with a cocky grin.
"Change in plans," he said coolly. "And don't worry—my friend here will explain everything."

Zack flinched, half-ready to protest, but Ryan held up a finger, silencing them all.

"See you at the party," he added, giving a mock salute before disappearing into the night like he'd rehearsed it a hundred times.

Clay and Zack exchanged glances—uncertainty and frustration boiling just under the surface—while the masked man stood motionless, eerily quiet.

The silence that followed was deafening.

The masked man stood still, the little girl clinging to his side, eyes wide but silent.

He turned his head slowly toward Clay, whose hand hadn't moved far from his holster.

"I know you've got a lot of questions," the masked man said, voice rough, distorted, calm—but edged with something cold.

"But if you even think of pulling that gun out again..." He slightly tilted his head. "...I'll snap her neck in one swift motion."

Zack flinched, instinctively stepping closer to his daughter.

"I'm not holding any weapon," the masked man continued, lifting his empty hands slowly to show he meant it. "So let's not make this uglier than it has to be."

Clay's jaw clenched. He didn't lower the gun, but he didn't raise it either.

The masked man exhaled once, then looked at both of them.

"So... where should I start?"

The masked man's vision began to blur, like a screen losing signal. The little girl's face flickered. The park dissolved into smudges of light and shadow. The air felt suddenly thinner, as if the world itself were exhaling.