A stranger starts appearing in Alan's co‑working space — black suit, quiet steps, eyes that study him a little too closely. He calls himself Gary. He blends in. He shouldn't.

As Alan pushes deeper into the decryption work, the atmosphere around him shifts. The encryption grows stranger. Pavel grows sharper. And then someone from the Safehouse Devs suddenly goes silent — gone without warning, leaving the team rattled and Alan's chest tight with unease.

Meanwhile, Gary keeps drifting closer. A casual question here. A friendly smile there. A gaze that lingers just long enough to feel intentional.

Nothing overt. Nothing he can point to. Just a pressure building under the surface, like the moment before glass finally cracks.

Alan tells himself he's imagining it.

But the Light World is starting to feel wrong — and the only person still standing close to him might be the one he should trust the least.

The complete version of Shadow World : Decryption — Chapter Three is available on Substack: 👉 https://bondleung.substack.com/p/shadow-world-decryption-507?r=7i1xoq