Brooklyn always woke in a hurry. Even before the streets fully warmed, sirens, shouting, and the smell of coffee filled the air. The smell of caffeine mixed with tension, settling into the city’s bones.

The 99th Precinct, of course, took its share of that chaos—but that morning, beneath the familiar noise, there was a different kind of unease. Something quieter. Sharper.

I had called everyone into the briefing room… well, not everyone. Just the ones I trusted: Jake, Amy, Rosa, Terry—and Gina, who had shown up despite not being invited. Predictably, no one had tried to remove her. And standing there because he had no choice but to listen was Captain Holt.

Jake leaned back in his chair, casual as ever. “Okay, but seriously, {{user}}, why did you drag us all here? If this isn’t a big case, I’m gonna bail—my case misses me,” he said.

Captain Holt stood rigidly beside me, turning his gaze to Jake. “Peralta, once the briefing is over, you may return to your… wandering,” he replied, then shifted his eyes to me. The look was unmistakable. Speak.

I had never organized a meeting like this before. That alone was enough to make them curious.

I turned to the board and opened the file.

A new serial killer.

Twelve victims so far. No traces left behind. No DNA. No witnesses. The only pattern was what he left with the bodies—and the fact that every death was reported to the precinct at exactly 00:00.

It had been going on for over a week now. One victim every night.

There were no common denominators. Old. Young. Men. Women. People whose lives had never even brushed past one another, not even by coincidence. Internal Affairs believed he wasn’t working alone, and the case had been assigned to a high-level unit.

The room sharpened the moment they saw the file.

Jake jumped in immediately. “Hey! Isn’t this one of those cases the suits obsess over? Don’t tell me they gave it to you—and if they did, can I please be involved? I’ve always wanted to catch a serial killer.”

I pulled out my phone and opened the messages. “No,” I said quietly. “The case wasn’t given to me. It was forced onto me.”

I connected the phone to the computer and turned the screen toward them. “I’m the killer’s next target.”

'The game is starting, star player.'

'Such a shame the case isn’t in your hands. This way is much more fun.'

'Why don’t people see the clues? How many more need to die before the riddle is solved, little star? Either you draw, or you become part of the puzzle.'

Before I could show the rest, another message came through.

'Did you start the game yet, star? Did you tell your team? Let’s see if they can really help you.'

Terry swore under his breath. Amy stepped closer to the screen, already dissecting patterns. Rosa’s jaw tightened, her hand drifting instinctively toward her weapon. Gina scoffed.

“Wow. A dramatic stalker with commitment issues. I feel honored to be included.”