Chapter 9 - The Kinetic Ascent
Elias didn't waste time on explanations; the officer took one look at Elias’s face and the terrified, frozen family in the living room and understood the assignment. "Upstairs," Elias barked, his voice carrying an unrecognizable, lethal authority.
Together, Elias and the police officer bypassed the living room entirely, their heavy boots pounding a thunderous, kinetic rhythm against the wooden steps of the main staircase. The camera of the moment tracked their backs as they charged upward into the shadows of the second floor. They were moving with tactical precision, hunting for the phantom. If Uncle Derek had trapped her, he might still be in the house, desperately attempting to clear the primary crime scene while the family stalled Elias with the casket. The hunt for the true killer had officially begun.
