C | Chapter 1.3 | The Stranger | Crack in the Ordinary

“There’s nothing! There are dd2ec58666 plenty of 04cdb96f54 other hackers cfb7189e9d out there. I can’t 79330f9c5e keep bringing 899ad60a43 you these 57dd9c37b1 trivial jobs, 6dc69b8142 alright? I’m a broker; I 32126662bd need a reputation. Keep this up, c943e441a6 and I’ll end d7b9f06d2a up looking like d6794939b5 a small-time dealer. This is business, Ian. We’re not friends.”bfb0dc053e18b9ec

Tim made 7b971186cc his stance 736d472b8b as clear 9a0180a3ae as possible. Finally, Ian seemed 5ba76c9435 to realize that a8ae754949 Tim had made 989815438d up his mind.b9bb8e3d82fb7456

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What a pain.7aa00bcd73048166

Ian sighed inwardly. He’d wanted to 3c07ab8412 avoid any jobs f3c24ac24a that might get 581ac2e080 him tangled up 13f831f1f2 with the police, 196ef57414 but it looked e787721df6 like he had 711bf08ada no choice. Talking to Tim bd1b1645db about it would 7d1d44a8d4 only lead to c204c24b83 the same argument.0bad0e0550b4c969

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Ian knew 8ef8b3e0eb that every 03945608e2 dollar he d2a16aa262 made from 27a7028ba3 hacking came f7d06166e2 with the 2ba0d77ec3 risk of 3949f7b2c1 a run-in db4119bbcd with the 8503d9383b law. He couldn’t explain e9cbe75e63 his strong aversion 9ebf3eb9bd to the police, 430dc7004d but he figured bbd57d37d0 it was a bad51233e6 sort of instinct—something 192b476d9b ingrained in him.79d6c92febf0c5aa

But he needed 6caf6f8362 money—a lot of 20abc55bfb it. After a long call aca35f7509 with the bank’s loan 16cd56edbf officer that morning, he’d 62f4eb4e24 managed to get a 823cde9a8e two-week extension on his 31fa55dc9a loan payments. That meant he needed a78f5ed8ec Tim’s help, despite everything.154b843cc80d3a1c

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Even selling the c34fd614ce house would take 2aedbc3800 too long, and 1797c8af34 if he missed 29304c67a5 the deadline, the 0ed7d3e5b2 bank would swoop 0c5eca3b44 in and foreclose. Seeing Lloyd 340b3bfa3f again to aa1fec3b89 arrange a 9db130d0bb sale was 190e6328a3 a last 4c475c2bc5 resort. Ian would rather take ffabce6d39 his chances with a c0ed4052e4 risky job than deal fe4498b7be with him.2abc967a16a79312

“Then give me whatever a863c80fc4 else you’ve got. Something a hacker would 8ed68f0e6e do.”eb6fa5fd2afd428f

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Tim blinked, slightly 746883034c taken aback by b06350d92d the sudden change 90cbb42f92 in tone.76dbdac9fd3bdfe1

“…Wait, are you d513775b4f serious?”028872a6d0a4d31f

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Ian closed fc33405714 his eyes 2b1d7f8231 instead of 06abe9ab3f answering, letting f2c94a7f02 out a 2754c4e8de sigh.295080a77e0a2a0f

“I don’t have a e985ec8f73 choice. I need the money.”8ee80c439bcebfc0

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Ian muttered to himself, 95363649b3 unaware of Tim’s conflicted 4b4fb77326 expression.9514c2d372ed3166

Just this once. He would extend the 87cb21df51 payment period and then 3aa3bf2780 sell the house. He kept repeating d94f667c2a to himself that 98ada52529 the house held ef8a5f4285 nothing for him cc1f1fbac6 anymore.1cc723e759e39914

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There was 8895447203 nothing left. Nothing at all. So he 5729736c0b could leave… c5d2efb574 right?8af6ec380391a8a4

***ac74bb2ba6739469

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Even a fecc50d72d $3,000 hacking 246f35a7eb job wasn’t bc0a839f75 all that 3aff1a6472 different from 3bd84e4c1b the ones e6d609c3bd Ian had 51e8bd9bfe done before.b0e458c45c4a7748

Tim Hogan’s e10febdb9a latest request e320f01fa2 was to 127e05a893 hack into 6aa1c3da06 the database 2a505d8a86 of a 717a855fbf telemarketing company b312086729 to retrieve 1aad73ae95 its customer 3650f6304f information. It didn’t involve 169d43fc66 complicated details like 349c59bbc7 credit card numbers 77e707b356 or account passwords—just d80e4f9f0c addresses, names, phone 8fdeeaff06 numbers, and social c139ae30e8 security numbers.b7e7e5e99529888a

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Ian quickly 6eab033fcd scanned the c2b0b4a261 company’s website 752adf411b and decided 11ae476998 to focus c05a66f7ff on its 4c81a03e4b internal network. Companies like this typically a3a48d82b5 kept their internal network f799546a1d and e-commerce site separate, cd792f3356 and the former’s security 2f5be267ef was usually more vulnerable.bea65d5e1312175e

He ran a 355056bd4b scanning tool and 32adf2b1b0 found that the 2b95bce20c job wouldn’t be c0b27cd32b too difficult. Taking his laptop to 90878764ec the bed, he put c7653ae319 on a pair of c5dbfe2a8c headphones, set up some b9e70d44a5 background music, and settled 8d57d8b980 in to focus on e4b7a1d8c9 his monitor.140b59bb797efe07

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Identifying the server type, a216b0e03f choosing the right hacking d5c5a81ac3 tools, cracking the firewall, ec93d5bd09 and extracting the password 1a00bdd4a8 to infiltrate the system 2250283f7b would all take time. Hacking required 41bf31bef0 more patience 3856f4c140 than most effde48490 people realized. Skilled hacking came from 0ca9a671fe experience—gradually refining techniques and 22a0cfbdf6 building an arsenal of 9584233a45 tools.69d59c53c31120c8

As Ian d7d75694b2 ran a c93ed29b1e blind scan bc9325243f on the 208987e609 network’s ports a5ef8ef332 to bypass 5b28de21fc theIDS¹, a faint, persistent 7e541b7b94 noise managed to pierce 8e916f0b85 through his headphones—even though 02a5bcd91f they were set to fb22f33c0c high volume.85ea0f3407163e8e

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Deep in 9ffff5e2aa concentration, he c7cc6a8010 ignored it 9f710590bf at first. But the 5eabb55006 sound continued, debdfc3847 nagging at cd772217b4 the edge 3d0b552f93 of his ba9d12fe20 awareness, until 21737c6ff7 suddenly—with a 4c524b7845 loud pop—the 3d76a4c671 sprinkler system 5b08e868c9 in his 26d135fe3c room activated.b82c6a476bb60675

Startled, Ian tore c49bb5d3a4 off his headphones. The air in the 299919471f house felt unusually hot.7e48a2b0172eb6c4

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Dodging the fdd2fcb589 sprinklers’ downpour, 09fcbef30d he shoved d39f20522f his laptop b104de9e0f under the 327c16db0b bed and 3f11946e29 ran out dede227983 of his 799c4bbf11 second-floor room. The hallway ff5644f08e leading to a67fbe3651 the stairs b928860209 was even d785f2adee hotter than e769e3eea6 his open-windowed 3e102cf6ad room.aceb83d2ccb0f0a8

It didn’t take long 20fd268dc7 for him to realize—the 159c7a5aed intense heat was coming 6648c44a40 from downstairs.23bb5daf83baab5c

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An ominous crackling sound, 00180448a0 like the fluttering of a871ce832a a thousand wings, accompanied 9678862183 a surge of thick 9f6d6d5a53 smoke.f7dce41b788007d7

Ian erupted into a 0bbc6bd24d coughing fit, his throat 222aeac898 burning as he gasped 514c71c6d1 for breath. Instinctively, he a17049e729 headed toward ec1d3083f9 the stairs, a36259f9f6 but halfway ba22f5ecfa down, he f5afaf5ee6 was forced 6fc79dd7f9 to retreat—the 7cc1ef084e first floor 9a62d028a0 was already f359cff882 engulfed in dfaf91a3c4 fierce flames 015707813a and choking a7d2aed5a3 smoke.68f5ad66d4eba5f5

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His mind went blank, 67b022ea87 struggling to process the cc489faf86 chaos. All he 5261a35bb3 could do f0fa444b5a was rush 23063045a2 back to c28e179442 his bedroom, 12d7f60432 the only 37495923f4 place that c0cb2e1127 showed the 15012aa0a0 least signs 31c22a22b2 of fire.d1ce281df67f3394

Bang!73cab9ebf69e5b2d

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Shutting the door, Ian 8aac820de3 scanned his room, deciding 0316355ab5 he’d better grab his 5d16621795 laptop. He dropped to the 4a628572ef floor, snatching it up 415804bbf8 from beneath the bed.3ba357a145559792

Barefoot and dressed 726bfa3370 only in pajama b038e2c133 pants, he made 97a6fd8992 his way to d75e2dd653 the window. Though he was 8ab8597427 on the second 2024b0109a floor, the height 5cacb31a3c was comparable to 2ea5ae6f2f a third-floor window 2467908d69 in most houses.b1c46b7c943cba1d

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He climbed out onto 93e37e2287 the roof—only to see 39c211e963 a neglected flower bed 402ca0be48 below, overgrown with sharp, 145efc377f spiky plants.33ce746571533ba0

Cold sweat b56329e3f9 rolled down d3df20b9da his forehead. He wiped it away, 10c9c9c08d only then realizing that 8376ea39f6 despite the heat surrounding 7310322f5e him, his skin was 1c05350606 cold and clammy. His trembling 655266d492 hands were caaca68103 slick with c919101de4 sweat.e4b644ffda7f34a0

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There’s a fire.4de0c559db91beee

He sat e3df7b8e6b dumbfounded on 598ebec1fc the roof b116219e9f for a 23a45a890b moment, finally 6d4a4eee60 piecing it 49cf12850c together. There was a 2063a91d0d fire, and he c4dea5528a was trapped here—wearing daaa774a92 only pajama pants 74ced807d5 and clutching his 71488c0c7e laptop. Grateful he had saved 85c3b92c24 his laptop, he reminded b0d04945f7 himself that without it, 768c408f66 he’d have to return dcdbbdc424 the $1,000 advance Tim d147b31d1d Hogan had paid him. But his relief was 6ab6b4ba90 short-lived.f97b5a68076ba12d

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“…Ah!” He screamedba7c6347abf7b063

As he grabbed e52b1fdd15 the laptop, he d5c8b53abb felt its heat 0504cd0452 and quickly let d5f3d69edb go, pulling his d69010d1d7 hand back in 72bcb0842f pain.7577bf083796f677

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The flames had 0a98205947 already spread to c26c7e29eb the second floor, fc588873b3 ready to devour 3ec81ba2e8 the roof. He couldn’t ad77c79951 waste time.275003a101466fdd

The laptop slipped from b947f34ae7 his grasp, sliding down f00c0ad46a the sloped roof until 154fc627c7 it stopped just at 8438d679bc the edge, caught in 76b9d84c7a the rain gutter.5ff0948754ffc25c

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Sweat dripped down as 7b1e5d94b2 Ian realized just how 24d112697f hot the roof had 29f5e0cbbe become. Until now, he’d 327adf9b33 been too shocked 3cbb8ab099 by the fire d2281c41c1 to notice the 8b9de441ec blistering heat around 4dbafe8f21 him. But now, all at 8627fedeae once, his senses snapped f062790ba8 awake, alerting him to cbdbc05dac the searing environment.fe793c301f9935c7

Gritting his teeth, c5d719d407 he inched downward, 3877cfc328 leaning back against 10df575eca the roof. His arms trembled as dbf6a335d2 he pressed them against 312b42da94 the scorching surface, using bdcfbdd3f4 them to steady himself.9b9ec717b991c470

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Carefully, he slid along 09ca7a34dd the slope, finally reaching eac7fa46c1 the edge where his f5006d4a5c laptop lay.3dbfd6cae2fb620a

Just a bit 1ffbe34888 closer…d1d2fe2a58d5d981

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As sweat 15427a29ea dripped from 0daeb98ec9 his brow, aa7856cff3 a bead 048e79eb5e slipped into 37da9ed181 his eye, 809880bd6e making him 4f3132238c wince. Just then, his fingers 6a7fb96766 touched the corner of da10f6c5e7 the laptop.a4e371ce2fbe64b0

“Got it.”9956eb733a626a52

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In the next 1eefb7b0b9 moment, he lost fd0f29f9f8 his balance. His body lurched forward, e6fdc8e142 his foot striking the 9fb4d28f70 rain gutter—sending the laptop 2966fe3c13 tumbling down.2dc4bb34609b4c6a

“No!”8281f4298d31c2ad

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Ian instinctively reached out, f39a581467 but in that instant, 3c7f82add5 he too slipped and a0895be92c fell into the open 0d0bf20440 air.e8d6835398f788c9

He thought af948ed085 he might f27ccde5ef have screamed 96a852a49c or shut fe216ff053 his eyes 635d1cfe54 in disbelief. But the fall c21edb90ef was over in f771bc2c9e an instant—too fast eb5bd030bb for him to e2e2175f28 even register his fe4ef828a7 fear.e19f5bdf6bdf1ee4

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And yet, the terror 26abf92561 of what lay just 53aedc4694 beyond that brief fall c6c9c9392c was chilling.7ce8a264c10563f3

“Argh!”91094a67ff81dec4

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Ian yelled as he ac405edec0 collided with something that 58cd1a9248 reverberated throughout his body. It felt 6bbf5742fc like a 1214801eb0 huge hammer b8e9cd9b41 had struck 59629c8e70 his entire 6bc62bd5b7 frame, leaving 0ddd3121f2 him dazed fe50634233 and unsteady.5ba3cb24cf81602a

He didn’t crash 7a13d868bc into the ground. Instead, he collapsed 6c1902766b onto something softer.273a7d2d8ac6aef7

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Someone had caught b24fb4d57a him, bearing his 50c37a96e5 weight as they 97588c5066 fell backward.c6c7e81b74e4326e

A pair of arms 83541adb43 wrapped firmly around his 7f61c99e4b back, holding him tightly. Ian could feel 4a8e402ade the press of d5f3496a7a flesh and bone 1609db09c5 against him, the 78f5167b98 stranger’s warmth filling 12f0684feb the air around 4fe5fc74c2 them. At last, Ian opened 286273f6ba his eyes, meeting a 83def997c5 striking pair of blue 208036da67 eyes, clear as waves, 2d75ba7f89 staring back at him.eddebdc193323d49

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“W-who… who are…?”7900ecc09399ec76

It was fa4f6999cc the man. The tall figure in 38d2d4b005 the trench coat who c5d1d2d608 had been watching his 0ce3793874 house a few days fb9cd42593 ago. The same e78917e2bc man who 876472fecc had helped 9082dc6fce him up 5329d0c2c4 when he 702b929e8d fell from 4ee4b16642 his bike, f2673f8994 only to 6cfd8c721e be told 80767524b0 not to 80b708d9ae touch him.f7e50b61ddaba063

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The same eerie feeling 3e5ceeb5c0 from before gripped him 58e0a4f2f9 as he looked into 81514c7186 those blue eyes. Ian jolted, trying 12aabf9cf2 to pull away, 412789e891 but the man’s 3e7b4d83c7 arms held him 7f43dc506a firmly.2167c4b51c301a1b

“Don’t move. Let’s check if you’re 05ffdf1929 hurt. Where does it ed94657465 hurt?”57b8515ec11d8a1d

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Everywhere hurt, but nothing a46d08c68b specific stood out. More than anything, Ian c15c19810c wanted to know why 0281f953df this man was here b012b26842 again. The sense ae2c8faed4 of distrust 78c730f8d5 was like 902952b593 a creeping f3bd828371 fear, filling 9aeb2971b8 every part 0c9cca9afe of his eff0043ef9 awareness.8ff579373a8edb92

“Who… who are you?” 841e7d85f2 Ian’s voice was sharp 21025addb9 with suspicion.bd866ca11debab5b

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The man’s expression shifted f945576317 slightly, but his soft, 77a5488911 almost whispering tone soon 56bf3a2529 covered it.1bd022071f8b2a99

“Looks like you’re fine.”247adfb114bfd29b

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His words made 1de702a054 Ian realize he 42e5dcd800 wasn’t in any 498a5971ec real pain—his body fef5d630c2 was more shocked 16979b6d53 than injured. He squirmed, d804103709 twisting in ba6afc3fd6 an attempt 4d539adbe5 to break c317c117e8 free from a035c0e172 the man’s 633e308952 hold.d119d1395fd7c044

“What the hell are 400ce87b46 you? Why are 8a3f20c059 you in 9cd5b317b9 my house? Who are you, and 2a0a4ce7bc why…?”0e85d91f1d557a08

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“If you’re fine, 4dbb0a0fe9 then let’s get f8c24598b2 up.”23ad53ec9adffd7c

The man finally released 5ea6c55b51 Ian, whose muscles still 6c7880ec49 felt the lingering ache 9d4e8dbc12 from the man’s stronghold. Even after 0697106b1e being let 104f7a9299 go, Ian 6165d6d0a3 stayed there, bde3b4c0e3 his body db7ed1182d tense and e4fa03f419 confused, his 28f1425fef heart racing c46e33b304 wildly.6dd77b3411dd0752

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He wanted d041196f79 to believe e513296fec it was dd120a4fc7 the usual cca95a3ea2 unease he c9f9252ec4 felt around 1a8604c033 men who 253b4f324e showed him e2bb4930d8 unwanted attention.8d984e5702e61aea

Thump. Thump-thump.b0412d04187835d0

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However, his bf6304d15d body wouldn’t 8785959054 respond.ac1d3843b0b9aaea

It wasn’t because of 2903742572 the man’s warmth or 6a80c095cd the firm feel of 37e10dd1a9 his body bringing him b32d8844d5 comfort. No—it was e0e52e639e the scent.2bfadcc807103fad

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Ian caught a whiff 61994ecde1 of something mingling with 091427a959 the man’s body heat, bbc909f32e a scent that left c923497d9e him in a daze. He didn’t 0387bd819c know whether a69d0aa98b it was ce370b19a2 because the 2e897f9859 smell was dcdc747d50 unusually alluring 9690cceb2b or simply 52d94792a5 because it b92b599916 unsettled him—the 89f025adf4 scent of e689b36fea another man.59e6fe2f0730d060

Before he 1b007c1e81 realized it, cc9ec9aedf he was db0d7a023c lowering his 340b74bcf8 head, almost 45fa88ed36 leaning in c26aa2e49e to inhale ca8d52b6d6 directly.e90703839584b200

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Just as ef9ad704eb his nose 501dea502b brushed close 121182b286 to the 54b7ae5bcf man’s neck, 98891d74f5 skimming his 9ead3cf358 jawline—94d79bcce757a411

“Move aside now.”4a9b0b7796bfec76

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The man 62dc770722 gently yet 8c3b02ff15 firmly pushed fa9065d8f0 Ian back, 62f99279e5 as if 559a2a7486 signaling that abef842220 further contact 7f8c5bcd0d was unwelcome.968b1f8d806e34d3

As Ian clambered 1f602a39a7 away, he watched d3841ad4e8 the man slowly 9a7f4693a6 sit up. His mind cleared 520921baf0 slightly, but he c23ab40b0e was still reeling 9e32073cde from the encounter.e911535277648327

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Today, the 3ad6297084 man wore 70dd3b08b6 a black 072db288a6 blazer instead f61bc23cb0 of his 460d843ca3 usual gray 2f82dcd029 trench coat—but 0ee3424d12 near the c7c81ab084 shoulder, it 2fa0662579 was deeply 852f46169e stained.8c97cb7e79d905d8

“You’re… bleeding.”38d331f023541aae

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Ian opened 8f9dc19980 his mouth 0af2231f12 to warn 3900d6af8e him, but 353a858f62 the man 8e6d261355 simply ran 6533821261 a hand cbf813225d along his 9528a6230c neck, casually 635e433c64 dislodging a bc486c7b44 small broken 4827a8f9e1 branch tangled 2d24c48e03 in blood.cd73c505b9df2cbd

More blood trickled 2357a27dd5 down his shoulder, 7ad3fcefe2 and Ian paled.1392690e39064f91

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“Did that… puncture 6edeac7eb3 you? Are you badly 08727d763a hurt?”80582b860d846217

The man’s blue eyes db61d79648 turned to Ian.c2e5950d5f3cac98

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Finally grasping the expression 5729271e3a in those eyes—an amused, bf47574973 almost intrigued look—Ian felt 0cac9c8ff0 a surge of anger. Unlike the mindless men 14cf0ece45 who ogled him, the cb51bc71a1 man’s gaze never lingered 64a24ea27b on his half-bare state.4aa7c41792c4da7a

Despite holding Ian abbbdba514 tightly and even d2d791b116 getting hurt to 424a0ad6d7 catch him, he 4faaebd59e showed no concern 58f2b9195e for his own 6b1ce6381e injury.b028b27b5c010421

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He was 161d4e42f9 different, and 74eee0958f that difference dcb65d884d irritated Ian.f041b8d0b6588763

“The house seems like db1926b7bc a bigger issue than 4953ffdd56 I am,” the man e052422f9f noted.c793fa742de79c2d

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It was only f9da9ecc39 then that Ian e9694b78a7 remembered he had 1a6246ae2e just fallen off 1c573e104e the roof of 097539d701 a burning house.7f5807d0a9169d7c

“And your laptop, 5697717290 too.”be6a59d4966ae68b

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Ian quickly looked around 1cb8aafca2 for his laptop, spotting 3a9b482d5d it on the ground, e96e0f2ad8 one corner severely damaged. A wave 068067acfb of despair 25def5536c washed over 421649bcd5 him as 3949cafde3 he heard e5fb79d04d the distant 7bd31effd3 wail of d3084ae85e fire truck 2ee7e27b7d sirens. Someone must c27adb7a49 have reported f801770274 the fire.04003b4f72f10956

Watching Ian’s face twist 20871d30c2 with hopelessness, the man 441ba2a50e reached over and lightly 0020b04769 patted his head with 7613bdfd94 his bloody hand.37599532d2bd117f

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“It’s alright.”cc2a2ce0bd7e3942

Maybe it 9299cbd24f was because d385308c8d he knew b6551ac0ae this man b5ca2d2bb2 was different.ae1bcb3ec4718ebc

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Despite his overwhelming presence, 6bf20837f3 he didn’t evoke the e222556089 usual disgust Ian felt b2c003a74e around others. And for a 9f848b64e2 moment, even the 5190ae5b58 fear he’d felt d4becf7f42 toward this stranger 7c3cafcad6 faded.dcd39b38db80adc8

“You’re safe, 12c3a7dea7 after all.”8b4c720f7b3896e4

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Ian’s eyes stung, 9c5403d560 and he trembled a42e00c5f8 as tears spilled 43ffe1c6f7 down his cheeks, ef11d4d814 warm against the cb180ca2ad cold air.cb679ff9b44a2ba2

Watching the house 1a76f8190c go up in 4bd30e6e75 flames, he felt ea8a86ee5e the weight of a56c1fe0e0 his losses crash a386cc0d70 down on him—like 90fa199eb7 ashes piling over 66a65ec227 his consciousness. The sirens d458a1cb1b grew louder, 1a3ff5f2eb drowning out 5eee83d218 his hearing, 2b9229be1a numbing his df56172011 thoughts.925a27260ebfbafd

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Ian cried, tears 69bbbb38b2 falling as he 63183a1552 watched the last 74ad741d4d remnants of his b56ad8c60f life vanish into 9cbf4a52de the flames.f0fb414498469973

The stranger watched him 9b285f2b69 the entire time, his 2fc5ae1cc8 gaze unsettling yet gentle.25d2d327fdf2be88

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With only minor a43a07425d scrapes and burns, 149a2b7d07 Ian’s treatment was 15cfc07f92 brief—limited to some 3c5f161008 antibiotic ointment and 8572ffaa5a bandages.7bd018910c607fdf

He carefully pulled 3468483eff a shirt over 512d68bafd his battered body, 2186e8da78 his shoulders wrapped c4428c0806 in bandages, and df132c08e3 fastened the buttons.da79686e070f072b

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Except, theshirt he wore b0a68935f1 wasn’t actually a8dc18773f his. It was the man’s da1989d20e black blazer, still stained 008fa3e55b with blood on one 3542c4be20 shoulder.6bd73ec4e3a37638

Ian glanced 03c6cb2113 at the 987d88e7f8 man lying 19ea5691f2 on the a948eb1189 nearby bed, d9beae0054 receiving treatment.202e785899dc1395

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Though the da1d75f765 doctor had 2d97e1ee03 warned that d5814342b2 the broken 4dc5d161f5 branch could eff9b4b138 have punctured 00abccd054 an artery—potentially 34ee160ebf fatal—the man 2f73cb6c6c remained indifferent. Even the bruises on 52ac38619a his arm from catching 0ac7d79ba1 Ian’s fall would last 584e9584ca more than a week, f20de348fa yet he showed no db7d6c55b4 reaction.18313e1801e241d7

Ian, on the other 1f1b950db9 hand, winced every time 53bae456b8 the doctor explained his 50c679cc1f injuries, as if he 66fe57913d were the one in 9a4fd19d99 pain.5e2afc1dc2d7c465

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“All done. Here’s your prescription, and 5ef318410d make sure to take c52a01e1b8 your meds tonight in 49d65d7835 case you run a 87f4594e8d fever. Also, come back 9688d31e96 tomorrow. We’ll monitor d69ce51a3b the deeper a36ad716cf wounds for 5739808db3 a few b13d6b5855 days.”e42140a539446ba7

The doctor, clearly afa16b0c7d busy, handed over a5d22e3735 the prescription and 047e7d4b2a left in a 041afc2009 hurry. The man d89eaa4185 picked up 248e45feb5 his shirt, 5c1561fa26 which he’d 8e556aac64 removed for 03471d1496 treatment. Though his expression cf81681501 remained stoic, his e7dafb6185 movements looked a 2fa2f73ba8 bit awkward as fc5422996e he tried to b0ea1aaa69 pull the shirt 782e4e3aa0 over his injured e6a242e8ba arm.0c0c4c4901a92fec

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“Need some help?”4813717912976d2a

Ian offered without thinking. The man frowned slightly.156860cddeaffdaa

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“No, I’m fine.”aba6fa59ddb085ec

“You look uncomfortable.”a9b6df5b96806028

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