Chapter 1

It was a fine morning. A man in his early forties stepped out of his home, dressed neatly in a proper jogging outfit and striking blue running shoes. A pair of wireless Beats earbuds nestled in his ears, pulsing with a steady rhythm. His slightly tousled hair and golden-brown framed glasses gave him a distinctive, intellectual look. On his wrist, a bold G-Shock sport watch gleamed, displaying the time—6:30 AM.

The world outside was still cloaked in darkness. Not a single soul stirred on the street, except for a stray dog wagging its tail, pacing back and forth like a silent guardian of the early dawn.

A notification popped up on his phone screen:

"Please come early. Don’t miss the appointment like last time."

The date read 01 August 2025.

Seeing the message, the man—Johnny—smiled. A series of memories suddenly played like a reel in his mind.

"Jack, why are you smiling like that?"

The unexpected voice came from the other side of the street. It was Susan, his longtime partner. She was elegant even in casual wear, her confident aura matching her title as the CEO of Melisphere Corporation. A single mother, Susan had been in a relationship with Jack for almost twelve years.

Their relationship had once stirred whispers. Jack had been the reason Susan left her husband. But neither of them carried guilt. Their love had endured the years, and they lived it unapologetically.

Jack chuckled and responded, “It’s from Johnny. I told you—we have a meetup this evening. He just sent me a reminder.”

“A reminder? At 6:30 in the morning?” Susan raised an eyebrow. “What are you two planning? I hope this isn’t like those times…”

Jack quickly interjected, “No, babe. Nothing like that. That was a bad nightmare—long gone. We're moving on now.”

“Even after 25 years,” she sighed, “it still feels like it happened yesterday. And it shouldn’t have ended that way… but sometimes, fate doesn’t ask for permission.”

Jack nodded silently.

Susan smiled faintly and said, “Come on, let’s go. Time to start our day on a healthy note.”

“Right behind you,” Jack said, picking up his pace to catch up with her.

The trail was quiet, covered in a thin layer of dew. Jack and Susan jogged side by side, their footsteps in sync. The rising sun painted golden streaks across the sky, but the chill in the air lingered.

Jack’s mind, however, wasn’t on the run. It kept circling back to Johnny’s message.

Don’t miss the appointment… like last time.

Those words weren’t just a reminder—they were a warning.

He glanced at Susan, her face calm, focused on her breathing. If she knew what Johnny really meant… No. Jack shook the thought away.

“Do you still think about it?” Susan suddenly asked, without looking at him.

Jack slowed down just slightly. “Every day.”

Susan gave a faint nod. “It’s like we’re being pulled back into it. Like we never really got out.”

Jack stopped running. The same old weight returned, heavy on his chest. “Do you think Johnny blames us?”

Susan turned to face him. “He doesn’t have to. We already blame ourselves.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant bark of a dog and the rustle of leaves. Jack exhaled sharply and took a few steps forward.

“We made choices,” he said. “We thought they were right. But people got hurt.”

Susan’s gaze was unreadable. “Some deserved it.”

Jack looked at her. “Some didn’t.”

The phone buzzed again in his pocket.

New Message from Johnny:

“Don’t forget the location. 7:30 PM. Same place.”

Jack’s grip tightened around the phone.

Whatever this meeting was… it wasn’t just a reunion.

It was unfinished business.

Evening fell with a strange stillness.

Johnny stood near the old park entrance, where the streetlights flickered like they were struggling to stay alive. He checked the time—7:27 PM. Just a few minutes early.

Then he noticed something.

A figure was standing across from him, barely ten feet away.

Not Jack. Not Susan.

Someone else.

The man wore a red shirt with bold white letters that read: "Are You Serious?". A grey hoodie hung loosely over it, sleeves slightly frayed, and he had on worn blue denim jeans with a pair of spotless Puma sneakers.

He wasn’t just standing there.

He was smiling.

A slow, deliberate, evil smile.

Johnny’s breath caught in his throat.

In a flash, it all came back—25 years ago. The screams. The blood. The betrayal.

And the one mistake that changed everything.

Tears welled in Johnny’s eyes. Not just from fear—but guilt. And this time, Susan wasn’t with him. She had said she’d come, but now… he was alone.

The man took a step closer.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly, almost like a whisper inside Johnny’s mind.

Before Johnny could speak, pain exploded in his right eye.

A small knife—clean, quick, and merciless—stabbed into the side of his face.

He stumbled backward, clutching his head, but the agony didn’t stop. The man slammed Johnny's skull against a streetlamp post with brutal force.

Johnny dropped to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

Suddenly—“STOP!”

The voice rang out, breaking the nightmare.

Susan.

She ran toward them, face pale with horror. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she screamed, but her body gave out before she reached Johnny. She collapsed, unconscious, hitting the pavement hard.

And just like that—the red-shirted man was gone. No footsteps. No sound.

Only the silence. And Johnny, barely breathing.

It was 9:30 PM when Jack’s phone rang.

Unknown number.

He hesitated for a moment before picking up.

“Hello?” Jack answered.

A calm but firm voice came through the speaker. “Good evening, sir. Is this Mr. Jack?”

“Yes, speaking.”

“Sorry to disturb you at this hour. My name is Detective Michael. I’m calling from Cheras Police Station. By any chance, do you know someone named Johnny?”

The name hit Jack like a brick wall. A knot twisted in his stomach. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.

“Yes… I know him well,” Jack said cautiously, his voice suddenly dry. After a pause, he asked, “Why? What happened, sir?”

There was a brief silence.

“Sir, I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss this over the phone,” the detective said. “Can you come to Cheras Police Station immediately? It’s urgent. Delaying even a minute could put another life at risk.”

Jack’s hand trembled slightly as he ended the call. His world was spinning—something inside him screamed that this wasn’t just about Johnny.

From behind him, a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Hey, what’s up, buddy? Why so serious?”

It was Vikram, Jack’s business partner. His usually bright demeanor turned concerned the moment he saw Jack’s face.

Jack didn’t turn around. “It was Detective Michael. From Cheras station,” he said flatly. “From the tone of his voice… I think Johnny’s gone.”

Both men went pale.

For a few seconds, neither spoke.

Then Vikram asked, his voice low: “Is it… him?”

Jack didn’t answer right away. He stared at the floor, breathing heavily. “I don’t know, buddy. But I have to get to the station. Fast.”

“I’ve been trying to call Johnny for days. He wasn’t answering anything—not calls, not messages.” Jack ran a hand through his hair. “We were supposed to meet today. At my house. But instead… something happened with Susan. Something stupid. And now—now we’re in real trouble.”

Vikram looked like he wanted to ask more, but Jack was already grabbing his keys and rushing toward the door.

As it slammed shut behind him, the storm that had been buried for 25 years began to rise again.

Jack sped through the near-empty streets of Kuala Lumpur, the city lights blurring past as Detective Michael’s words echoed in his mind.

> “Delaying even a minute could put another life at risk.”

His hands tightened around the steering wheel of his white BMW, but it wasn't the road he was focused on—it was the storm in his head.

> Johnny, why didn’t you answer my messages?

Why did you run away from me?

His jaw clenched. None of it made sense. Something about this night felt like a bad dream that had finally caught up with him.

15 minutes later, Jack pulled up and parked just across the street from Cheras Police Station.

Before he could even step onto the pavement, a figure came rushing out of the shadows.

Susan.

She looked broken, her face soaked with tears, her expression wild with rage and grief. Without warning, she grabbed Jack by the collar of his shirt and shoved him back.

"You killed him!" she screamed. “You kept sending him those filthy appointment messages! For a week! I told you something bad would happen. I knew it! And now look—LOOK what you’ve done!”

Jack’s eyes widened, stunned by the sudden attack. “Stop it, Susan! Are you out of your mind?”

Her hands trembled against his chest.

“You know I’ve been out of town,” Jack continued, voice tight. “I told you—there was an issue with my wife. I was trying to fix things. I’ve been away for almost a week.”

He stepped back, trying to compose himself. “And when I got back, I immediately reached out to Johnny. I even told him to come over today. Ask Vikram. Ask my wife if you don’t believe me.”

Susan’s breath hitched. Her anger hadn’t left, but it was tangled in confusion now.

Jack’s voice softened, but his pain cracked through. “You’re not the only one who feels lost, Susan. I still can’t accept it. I still can’t believe Johnny is… gone.”

They stood there under the streetlight, shadows dancing across their faces, both drowning in a truth they weren’t ready to face.

Just then, the door of the police station creaked open.

Detective Michael stood there, waiting.

INT. DETECTIVE MICHAEL'S INTERROGATION ROOM – NIGHT

Detective Michael sits behind his desk, calm but observant. Across from him sit Jack, Susan, and Vikram.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

(leaning forward slightly)

Good evening, everyone. I’m Detective Michael, handling Mr. Johnny’s case. I’ll need to ask you all a few questions. Let's start with you, Jack.

(turns to Jack)

Hi, Mr. Jack. How are you? Where were you on the night of August 1st, 2025?

JACK

(nods politely)

I'm doing okay, Detective. That day, I was in Johor during the morning. I returned to KL around 6:30 p.m. After I got back, I tried calling Johnny, but he didn’t pick up.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

According to Susan’s statement, you’d been in touch with Johnny for about a week prior. She mentioned you were planning some kind of reunion. She also felt it wasn’t just an ordinary gathering. Care to explain?

JACK

(looking surprised)

What’s going on here? I’ve been trying to reach Johnny for almost a week, but I couldn’t get through to him.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

Can you back up that claim?

JACK

Absolutely. I’ll need the phone company’s help to verify my call records. Also, I can prove I wasn’t in town that night.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

Noted, Mr. Jack. We’ll verify your movements. We already have Mr. Johnny’s cellphone and belongings. Our forensic team is working on them.

(then turns to Susan)

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

Susan, how long were you in a relationship with Johnny?

SUSAN

More than ten years.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

Did Johnny have any enemies… any personal issues?

As soon as the question drops, Jack and Vikram visibly tense. Their expressions shift subtly—faces pale. Detective Michael notes the reaction without a word.

SUSAN

(shakes her head softly)

Honestly, Johnny was a kind man. Despite being a multimillionaire, he was always grounded. He helped people whenever he could—donated generously, ran charities, and even set up a trust that helps hundreds of students graduate every year. I can’t imagine someone like him having enemies.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

(picking up on a discrepancy)

Mrs. Susan, you mentioned you’ve been with Johnny for over ten years. But records show you became a single mother about seven years ago. Are you saying you were in a relationship with Johnny while still married?

(pause)

Could it be your ex-husband had a motive? Maybe... he’s the one behind this?

SUSAN

(sighs deeply, composed)

I knew that question would come up. James and I separated a long time ago. He migrated to Canada shortly after we parted ways. I don’t see why, after all these years, he would suddenly seek revenge. Besides, our children are still under his custody. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that.

DETECTIVE MICHAEL

(pointed tone)

Still, Susan, we’ve seen evidence suggesting your marriage broke down because of Johnny. Infidelity, emotional fallout. Would you care to explain how Johnny factored into that?

SUSAN

(looks away for a moment, then back at the detective)

Johnny didn’t ruin my marriage, Detective. My marriage was already falling apart. James and I were just... surviving under the same roof. Johnny showed me what it felt like to be seen, to be appreciated. Yes, I admit we got close before my marriage officially ended—but love doesn’t always follow rules. And whatever happened, it doesn’t make James a killer.