Prison.


    Officer Baldwin wheeled Inmate No. 13 into theputer room. As soon as No. 13 looked up, he noticed the 360-degree surveince cameras overhead, a sly, almost mysterious grin forming on his lips.


    Feeling a bit awkward, Officer Baldwin said, "Hey, don''t take it the wrong way. My colleagues aren''t trying to be nosy; they''re just really fascinated by how a genius like you operates."


    No. 13 let out a dismissive snort, "Hypocrites."


    Officer Baldwin felt a twinge of embarrassment and wondered why he''d even bothered to exin. No. 13 wasn''t just brainy; he had this uncanny ability to see right through people, almost like he could read minds.


    Word around was that he''de up with his own psychological theories, enabling him to figure out someone''s personality just by looking at their facial expressions, with an uracy that was almost spooky-like ny-nine percent.


    While Baldwin was lost in his thoughts, No. 13 had already maneuvered his wheelchair to theputer. His long, nimble fingers danced across the keyboard at an incredible speed, making it impossible to keep up with what he was doing.


    Yet, theputer''s response was something to behold, bursting to life with a disy of endless lines of code.


    "Wow, how''d you pull that off?" Officer Baldwin asked, genuinely impressed.


    No. 13 shrugged, "I''m not a fan of cameras watching me."


    Officer Baldwin blinked, confused, "What do you mean?"


    Just then, a shout came from the next room, "Hey, what the heck, the cameras are all down!"


    Officer Baldwin gaped at No. 13, "Did you just hack our surveince system?" No. 13 casually switched screens, "Don''t worry, it''ll fix itself in a few minutes." Baldwin was flustered, "You know this could get you into big trouble, right?" "For someone doing life, does it really matter?" No. 13 replied, unfazed.


    "Don''t you want to get out someday?"


    “Sure, but I''m not gonna live to see that day."


    Before Baldwin could respond, a map suddenly appeared on the screen, showing


    a spot crowded with blinking red dots.


    No. 13 pointed at the map, "Your daughter''s there."


    Baldwin''s heart skipped a beat...


    It felt like searching everywhere only to find what you''re looking for without any effort.


    "That fast?" Baldwin said, amazed.


    "If you hadn''t interrupted me, it would''ve been faster."


    Baldwin was left speechless.


    No. 13 shut down theputer, and the cameras flickered back to normal. "Hurry and save her. Every second your daughter''s there, she''s in more danger."


    Baldwin was filled with gratitude, "No. 13, if I can bring my daughter back safe, I''ll owe you big time."


    He instructed that No. 13 be escorted back, then rallied his team for the rescue mission.


    The winter sky was biting cold.


    But where the sun peekeit


    was bright and warm, casting a golden glow. In the shadows,


    though, it was chillingly cold and


    eerie.


    AS


    No. 13 gazed out at the shifting light and shadows, memories of thest thirteen


    years flooding back.


    Everyone called him a genius, almost otherworldly, but if only they knew the truth.


    They only saw the bright, shiny


    results, not the years he spent


    hidden in the dark, worn down


    ess hunt for those t


    Finally, those vile traffickers were about to be caught.


    "Nathalie. Just like you wanted," he thought, closing his eyes.


    The Ruins.


    Officer Baldwin, taking them by


    fed his team in quickly


    his


    the ruins, catching


    criminalspletely off guard.


    the