Lines of Deception

Case File Entry #026

The HQ buzzed with activity as Ohm entered, his expression drawn but resolute. Phana was waiting in the lobby, standing apart from the commotion with a clipboard in hand. His face was pale, his eyes shadowed with sleeplessness, but he straightened when he saw Ohm approach.

"Here's the testimony," Phana said, handing the clipboard to Ohm. His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, a tension barely hidden beneath the surface.

Ohm scanned the document briefly, then gave a nod. "It looks good. Thanks for doing this. I know it wasn't easy."

Phana managed a faint, bitter smile. "Easy? No, not at all." He hesitated, then gestured vaguely. "That's actually why I'm here. I needed to see you. To... not be alone tonight."

Ohm frowned, his mind already spiraling with the weight of the case and the unanswered questions surrounding Nanon. But Phana's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Come for a drink," Phana urged, his tone almost pleading. "Please. Just one. I can't keep all this inside anymore, Ohm."

Ohm hesitated, his instincts tugging him back toward the case—and Nanon. But he owed Phana. Without his help, they wouldn't have gotten this far. With a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Just one."

The bar was dimly lit, the murmur of quiet conversation and the clink of glasses filling the air. Ohm sat stiffly at the table as Phana slid a drink toward him, his own glass already half-empty.

"You used to like whiskey," Phana said, his tone light but carrying a thread of something deeper.

"I'm not much of a drinker these days," Ohm replied, his fingers drumming lightly on the table.

Phana smirked, tilting his head as he studied Ohm. "That's new. You were always the steady one, but you weren't boring."

Ohm let out a faint sigh, his gaze drifting to the glass. His mind was too preoccupied, the threads of the case tangling and twisting into an overwhelming knot.

Phana leaned forward, his voice softening. "You're thinking too much. I can see it."

Ohm looked up, meeting Phana's gaze briefly before glancing away. "I've got a lot on my plate."

Phana reached out, his fingers brushing against Ohm's wrist. The touch lingered, just enough to draw Ohm's attention. "You always do. But when was the last time you thought about yourself?"

Ohm stiffened, his jaw tightening. "This isn't about me."

"Isn't it?" Phana countered, his voice dropping an octave. He leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "You've always carried the weight of the world on your shoulders, Ohm. Maybe it's time someone took care of you for a change."

Ohm's gaze snapped to Phana, but before he could respond, Phana's hand moved to his shoulder, his grip firm but not forceful. "We used to be close," he said softly, his tone laced with a bittersweet nostalgia. "I still remember those nights we'd stay up talking about everything and nothing. I miss that."

"Phana—" Ohm started, his voice tinged with warning, but Phana cut him off.

"I miss you," Phana admitted, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "And I can see it, you know. You're tired. Distracted. Let me help you forget, just for a little while."

Before Ohm could react, Phana leaned in closer, his hand sliding up to the back of Ohm's neck, his intentions unmistakable.

Ohm's body tensed, his mind snapping back to the present. "Phana, stop," he said firmly, his voice cutting through the charged air.

But before Phana could respond, Ohm's phone buzzed loudly on the table, shattering the moment. Ohm snatched it up, grateful for the interruption.

"Kim?" he answered, his tone sharp.

"Sir," Kim's voice came through, tense but steady. "The girl finally spoke. She says she's Nanon's sworn sister. They grew up together at the orphanage."

Ohm's pulse quickened, his grip tightening on the phone. "Did she say anything else?"

"Not yet, but she's calmer now. I thought you'd want to know immediately," Kim replied.

"I'll be there soon," Ohm said, cutting the call.

He turned back to Phana, who was watching him with a mixture of frustration and something darker.

"I have to go," Ohm said curtly, standing and pulling on his jacket.

Phana leaned back, his smirk returning, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Of course you do."

Ohm didn't respond, his thoughts already racing back to HQ. As he walked out of the bar, the weight of the case pressed down on him harder than ever, but now he felt the threads beginning to form a clearer picture.