PROLOG
Leaves of the London plane tree swayed gently, a soft rustling sound rising as the morning breeze passed through them. Its branches stretched wide, casting shade over a black sedan parked along the roadside.
Inside, a man in a black suit sat in the driver’s seat, silent, his eyes fixed beyond the windshield.
“The teenager matches the listed characteristics,” he said flatly, briefly glancing at the document in his hand.
“He lives on the second floor, room number eight.”
Silence. The girl in the passenger seat only let out a long breath. The faint scent of citrus from the air freshener lingered in the air. She rested her chin on her hand, lightly blowing away a strand of hair that had fallen across her view.
Across the street, a teenage boy walked casually along the sidewalk, blending into the crowd. His silver-gray hair shimmered under the morning sunlight.
“At last… we meet again, Ezel,” the girl murmured softly, a faint smile forming on her somber face. Her gaze remained fixed across the street.
But something happening on the sidewalk caused that smile to fade.
The teenager suddenly stopped.
“Hm…?”
Ezel held still. He felt as if someone was watching him, though he couldn’t tell from where.
“Tch....irritating”
He pulled his hoodie lower, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Pedestrians passed by without paying him any attention. Vehicles moved along the road, and several cars were parked beneath the shade of the trees.
Ezel exhaled slowly. Everything seemed normal. He then continued on his way back toward his apartment.
A few seconds of stillness passed. The teenager had disappeared from view.
Inside the black sedan, the girl let out a rough breath.
“Heh?”
She raised one eyebrow, slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected the boy to notice her gaze earlier. A faint smile curved across her lips, more pronounced than before.
“Interesting…”
