Three days after the new source activated, the first murder happened.
Xin stood over the body. A man in his forties. Throat cut. Normal knife. No source energy involved.
"The source does not allow killing," Ren said. "But a normal knife still works."
Xin knelt. Checked the wound. "Who found him?"
A woman stepped forward. "I did. He was my husband."
"Who killed him?"
"I did."
Xin stood. "Why?"
"He was going to destroy the source. He found a way. I could not let him."
Ren pulled out his notebook. "How do you destroy the source?"
The woman pointed at the man's pocket. Xin reached in. Pulled out a small crystal. Black. Pulsing.
"Old source residue," Ren said. "Enough to create a feedback loop. If he had activated it, the new source would have collapsed."
"Where did he get this?"
T
