Chapter 3

I was once again standing at the intersection with my phone pressed against my ear when I regained consciousness. The number on my arm had gone down to "2".

I still had a chance. I would live as long as I managed to escape the cycle of death. I tried my best to calm my breathing as I smoothly dodged out of the way of the drunk driver. I then hung up on Dad.

I wouldn't go home this time. I wouldn't run into the killer as long as I didn't go home. Worried that Dad would suddenly appear again, I hastily changed directions and sprinted toward my rented apartment.

I didn't know how long I ran for. I bonelessly slumped down on the floor and heaved for breath when I finally stepped into my familiar apartment.

It was 11:00 pm. There was no danger here.

Just then, my phone rang again. Instead of rejecting it, I picked up the call this time.

As expected, Dad's furious shouts came from the other end of the line.

"Where the hell are you, Luke?" he demanded. "You said you were going to come home to do the chores! Don't you dare hang up on me again. I'll take Miles with me and look for you at your company if you do!"

I believed him. He was truly capable of such a thing. To avoid any unnecessary trouble, I had no choice but to lie to him that I was sick.

"I suddenly felt really weak right after leaving the apartment. I'm at the hospital now. Oh, that's right, Dad. I don't have enough money to pay the medical fee. Can you drop by the hospital and settle it for me?"

I had intentionally told him that to scare him. He loved money more than anything else. Ever since I graduated, they used my money as if it belonged to them while never giving me a single cent.

As expected, Dad's fury swiftly dissipated on the other end of the line. "About that… Miles is hungry. I need to prepare some food for him. You're a grown man who earns his own paycheck every month. How shameless do you have to be to ask me for money?

"You should ask your colleagues instead if you want to borrow money. I don't have a single cent on me. Don't forget to give some to me if you managed to convince someone to lend you some money. I need it for my card games."

I only kept 1,000 dollars from my monthly salary for myself, giving the rest to him. It was blatantly obvious that he just didn't want to part with the money.

Dad was just about to hang up when I couldn't help myself and blurted out, "Don't leave the house after midnight. I heard that there's a killer roaming around in that area."

I had no idea if the killer was going to show up there this time. However, if he did appear, and I wasn't there to protect them, Miles and Dad could be in danger.

"Fine. Get well as soon as possible. You can only earn money when you're not sick. I'm hanging up now."

A wave of exhaustion washed over me after I hung up. I lay on the bed, wanting nothing more than to have a good night's rest.

I didn't know how much time had passed. I was sound asleep when a burst of pain suddenly lanced up my leg. A chill ran down my spine when I peeled my eyes open.

The killer was standing at the end of my bed. The door that I had locked earlier was open.

Pain shot up my leg again when I was still in a daze. The killer had stabbed another hole into my leg.

"Die!" I screamed.

Pain and fury made my adrenaline surge. I leaped up from my bed and grabbed the nearby barbell that I used when I worked out, swinging it at the killer's lower half. The barbell smashed against his knee, causing him to crumple to the floor.

Seizing the opportunity, I smashed the barbell against the top of his head with all my might several times until he was completely unconscious.

My strength fled me after the danger had passed. The barbell clattered to the floor. My bleeding leg gave out, unable to support my weight anymore, sending me staggering to the floor.

However, the killer was still right next to me. I didn't dare let my guard down as I crawled to my bed and grabbed my phone to call the police.

The call rang for a short moment before it connected.

"Hello. This is the police station."

"Hello, I'm calling from Harrington Street in Cloudvale. Unit number 39 on the fourth floor. There's a—"

I let out a loud shriek before I could finish my sentence. The killer had regained consciousness and sliced my throat open in one swift movement.

"Hello, sir? Are you still there?"

Blood gurgled in my throat when I tried to answer. I only lost consciousness after the excruciating pain faded away. The time on my phone was 12:00 am. I had failed to escape death again.

But why did the killer appear in my apartment? Wasn't he supposed to be in Dad's area? Could it be that he would always appear wherever I went?

"You're still not back yet, Luke—"