A Game of Princes

Alex Chen leaned over his computer, eyes fixed on the lines of code scrolling across the screen. His fingers moved rapidly over the keyboard, fueled by the adrenaline of being so close to the truth. "I have to find those names tonight. Nothing's stopping me," he whispered to himself, determination hardening his voice. Suddenly, the screen flickered, and the police database login page appeared. His heart was beating as he typed in the password.

The cursor blinked slowly, teasing him until finally, he was in. "Yes!" Alex quietly cheered, pumping his fist in victory. "I've got you." His fingers flew across the keyboard as he quickly pulled up the case files, eyes scanning each document with laser focus. Then, he saw it, the name. The face. The truth he'd been chasing. Alex froze, staring at the screen in disbelief.

 The names and faces of two detectives stared back at him. It felt like a punch to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He could hardly breathe as the weight of what he'd just uncovered sank in. "No... This can't be," Alex muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Detective Ryan and Detective John? They're the ones who... who..." His voice faded as he tried to make sense of it all. He'd always known his parents' murder was the work of a corrupt cop, but he never imagined it would be these two. Men he had trusted. Men, he thought, were fighting for justice, not hiding from it. "Should I tell the sheriff about my plan?" Alex asked himself, his mind racing. "No... that's too risky. I need to act fast and make them pay."

 As Alex mulled over his next move, a sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "There's no need to tell anyone about this," he whispered, a sense of clarity washing over him. "I need to bring these two men to justice... alone." A plan began forming in his mind. "So many criminals, politicians, and dirty cops have slipped through the cracks. It's like the system is designed to protect them," he murmured, his resolve hardening. "The justice system is broken, and something needs to change. I'll make sure of that." Fueled by determination, Alex walked over to his bed and lay down, his thoughts spinning with ideas about how he could create a new kind of justice. But the weight of the day's revelations and exhaustion finally caught up to him.