The warehouse was silent.
Ricardo, Stiven, Mike, and the rest of the bosses remained asleep, tied to their metal chairs.
I watched them for a moment.
"I already received the message," I whispered. "It's time to end this."
I vanished.
---
Loren's safe zone.
More than a hundred armed men surrounded the complex.
Loren felt "safe."
But something inside him screamed that he wasn't.
The phone rang.
He knew who it was.
He answered with a trembling hand.
"Hello, Loren, my friend… I'm on my way. Don't move, understood?"
Silence.
"The preparations are ready. I already warned the spectators… the fireworks are about to begin."
A pause.
"Goodbye, Loren."
The call ended.
Loren let out a nervous laugh, filled with rage.
"If that's what you want… you damn clown… you'll get it."
He called his men.
"Get ready. And prepare an escape route."
But deep down… he knew it wouldn't be enough.
---
I was already there.
Watching the complex from a distance.
Too many men.
Too many guns.
I tilted my head.
Two options.
Stealth… or no holding back.
I chose the second.
I appeared walking straight toward the entrance.
The guards saw me.
"Stop! Private area!"
I stopped.
I released an invisible leash.
It floated in the air.
They hesitated.
Then they opened fire.
Nothing happened.
The leash moved like a ghost dog.
Screams.
Blood.
Chaos.
I leaped among them.
Knife in hand.
Throats opened.
Heads rolled.
In minutes, the path was clear.
I entered.
Gunshots everywhere.
I ran.
Fast.
Precise.
Every cut was clean.
Every death theatrical.
My laughter echoed through the hallways.
I reached the main room.
Loren wasn't there.
He had escaped.
"Coward…"
I snapped my fingers.
Fire.
The entire safe zone began to burn.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"I'll find you, Loren."
---
At the same time…
A red balloon floated toward Brittany's window.
She opened her eyes.
The balloon disintegrated into glowing red particles that formed words in the air:
"Get ready.
The fireworks are ready."
---
Another red balloon reached Vivian's window.
"I already warned Brittany.
You're invited.
Bring Ana and Madeleine."
Vivian felt a knot in her stomach.
Both girls stayed awake, staring at the illuminated night in the distance.
They knew something big was about to happen.
---
Back at the warehouse.
The bosses woke up suddenly.
They looked around, confused.
The place was filled with explosives and fireworks.
I appeared in front of them.
"Good that you're awake."
I smiled.
"But it doesn't matter anymore."
I vanished.
One second of silence.
Then…
Explosion after explosion.
The sky over Trenton lit up with bright, deadly colors.
Beautiful fireworks.
Absurd.
Lethal.
The entire city woke up staring at the sky.
---
On a private plane flying over the state…
Loren breathed with relief.
He thought he had escaped.
He was wrong.
A balloon appeared inside the VIP cabin.
Pop.
A knife flew straight into his chest.
Screams.
Another balloon.
Pop.
Yellow paint covered everything.
Loren tried to move.
He couldn't.
He felt something cold on the back of his neck.
He closed his eyes forever.
---
On the ground…
I watched the plane in the distance.
"Running from death is useless, Loren."
I smiled.
"Oh… I almost forgot."
The look on your face… was worth it.
A low laugh.
Empty.
Satisfied.
---
In my room.
I took off the mask and left it on the desk.
I sat on the bed and looked out the window toward the counties that now belonged to me.
The phone rang.
I answered.
The original clown's voice came through, cheerful and sinister:
"Well done, champion."
"But this was only the warm-up."
A pause.
"The real entities are waking up."
Another pause.
"Are you ready for the true show?"
I hung up.
I lay back down.
I stared at the ceiling.
I smiled.
But this time…
the smile didn't quite reach my eyes.