Daniel Bowen’s heart felt like it stopped for a moment. His hand trembled as he gripped the phone tighter, pressing it closer to his ear. “What did you say, Marcus?” he whispered, his voice cracking.“I am sorry, boss,” Marcus replied with a heavy sigh. “Yes, your son Leo is dead.”The words hit Daniel like a hammer to the chest. He staggered slightly, leaning against the wall for support. His throat tightened as he tried to breathe, but the air felt thick and suffocating. For a moment, the noise of the world around him faded, leaving only the echo of Marcus’s voice.“For about a week now,” Marcus continued, cautiously, “we’ve been investigating what led to your son’s death.”Daniel swallowed hard, trying to keep control of his emotions. His voice was low and heavy. “What did you find out?”Marcus hesitated, as if searching for the right words. “I’m very sorry, boss,” he said finally. “He was murdered. Killed in cold blood. We’ve been digging into it, trying to uncover who was behin

Mr. Richmond slowly rose to his feet, trembling with a mixture of anger and disbelief. He turned his eyes toward Evander Velcan, the man he thought might still be an ally despite all the allegations and turmoil. “Evander Velcan,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, “even you? You’re going to take sides with them against me?”Evander’s face was hard, his expression turned into one of disgust. He spoke slowly, his words were sharp and cutting. “Words cannot describe how much I hate Tariq Khyber. I despise everything about him. But,” he paused, leaning forward slightly, “it seems like he is a better man than you will ever be.”The words hit Mr. Richmond like a hammer, and he gasped audibly. “What!” he exclaimed, his voice was filled with shock and humiliation.Evander didn’t stop. He pressed on, his tone growing colder with every word. “There is enough evidence to prove why you cannot be trusted, Mr. Richmond. You sabotaged your alliance with Daniel Bowen, and worst of all, you kill

Mr. Christopher stood and gestured for Marvin to follow him. “Come with me,” he said, his tone was serious. “Your training starts now.”Marvin nodded, his resolve was firm. He followed his uncle down the narrow corridor that led to a steel door, heavily secured with multiple locks.Mr. Christopher keyed in a code, and the door slid open with a low hiss, revealing his hidden lab, filled with the advanced machinery and robotics that Marvin had seen the previous time he arrived here. Glowing holograms, and a centerpiece chair surrounded by intricate synaptic connectors were also in the room.“This, as you know,” Mr. Christopher began, motioning to the room, “is where I discovered your Ultra Mega Synapticore Force, Grade 3. But raw power alone isn’t enough, Marvin. To awaken it, you need clarity, control, and unshakable willpower. That’s why this phase begins here—with mental and emotional conditioning.”Marvin frowned, his fists clenching. “Control? Clarity? After all I’ve been through,

Daniel stood frozen at the foot of the staircase, his legs had refused to move. His father’s voice still echoed in his mind, and each word was heavy with authority and menace. His heart pounded in his chest as his eyes darted between the staircase and his mother, who was staring at him with pleading eyes.“Daniel,” Dana whispered, with a trembling voice, “don’t go. Please.”Daniel hesitated, his fists were clenching and unclenching as he wrestled with himself. Part of him wanted to run, to avoid the storm brewing in his father’s chambers. But another part of him, perhaps his pride or his sense of duty, or even a greater fear of what consequences his father would rain down on him told him to face whatever was coming. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Daniel took a step forward. “I’ll be fine, Mom,” he said, his voice was soft but strained. He glanced at her with a weak, forced smile. “Don’t worry.”Dana’s face fell. She knew

Her sudden presence seemed to pierce through the boiling rage in Mr. Richmond’s expression. His glowing mark flickered for a moment, but the fury in his eyes hadn’t yet faded."Just doing some necessary discipline on him."Dana dropped to her knees beside Daniel, her hands were trembling as she begged her husband. “He’s your son!” she shouted, her voice was breaking. “You can’t do this to him!”The light on Mr. Richmond's forehead flared even brighter, flooding the room with an intense glow. The searing pain in Daniel's forehead increased tenfold, drawing louder, more desperate screams from him. His body shook violently as he clutched at his head, unable to bear the excruciating agony.“Dad, please… please stop! I don’t want to die! Please, Dad, I don’t want to die!” Daniel’s voice was raw and broken, each word was punctuated by sobs of desperation.But Mr. Richmond’s face remained hard, his anger unrelenting. His glowing Synapticore mark pulsed with power as he took a step closer