THE LETTERThe atmosphere inside the old master’s room instantly became silent after Raymond unfolded the note. Even the faint sounds coming from the damaged courtyard outside seemed to disappear at that moment. Isabella stood beside him quietly, while the old man on the bed stared at the silver key with a complicated expression in his eyes.Raymond’s gaze remained fixed on the first sentence written across the aged paper.If you are reading this, Raymond… then it means they finally found you.For a brief moment, his breathing slowed slightly.The handwriting was firm and familiar despite the years that had passed. Although many memories connected to his father were blurred and incomplete, something deep inside him still recognized it instantly.His fingers tightened unconsciously around the paper.Then he continued reading.You are probably confused right now. If everything happened the way I feared, then our family would have already fallen, and you would have spent years believing

THE PHOENIX MARKThe explosion outside the estate instantly threw the entire mansion into chaos once again. Alarms began echoing through the corridors while hurried footsteps filled the hallways outside the room. Several guards shouted orders frantically as smoke drifted past the windows from the direction of the front gate.Agent Morgan reacted immediately.“All agents move!” she ordered sharply before turning toward the doorway.The federal operatives near the entrance instantly rushed out of the room with weapons drawn. Deputy Chief Warren could also be heard barking orders somewhere farther down the corridor as police officers scrambled to contain the situation.But Raymond barely paid attention to any of it.His eyes remained fixed on Morgan’s wrist.The phoenix mark.Even though she had already lowered her sleeve again, Raymond had seen it clearly.A small crimson phoenix surrounded by faint black lines.Exactly as his father described.Interesting.Very interesting.Morgan noti

THE MAN IN THE DARKDarkness swallowed the corridor completely after the lights exploded. The only illumination left came from the distant emergency lights flickering red through parts of the mansion, casting distorted shadows across the shattered hallway walls. Gunfire continued erupting from different directions while guards and agents shouted over one another in confusion.But amid all the chaosRaymond focused on only one thing.The presence was moving toward him through the darkness.Fast.Cold.Dangerous.His sharpened senses immediately locked onto it.Unlike the masked attackers from earlier, this person moved with terrifying control. Every step was precise, almost silent despite the destruction surrounding them.Interesting.Very interesting.Raymond’s pupils glowed faintly gold again as the strange energy within his body surged harder than before. The pressure inside his veins intensified rapidly, spreading through his muscles and senses until even the chaotic battlefield ar

THE ARRIVALThe entire mansion trembled again as the deep mechanical sound echoed upward from the lower floors. Without electricity, the estate had fallen into near-total darkness except for faint moonlight filtering through broken windows and the occasional red emergency backup light flickering weakly through the corridors.But despite the darknessEveryone in the hallway felt it.A presence.Heavy.Oppressive.Different from the Black Serpent operatives.Different from Kael.Even Lucien’s calm expression had changed slightly after hearing that sound.Interesting.Very interesting.Raymond noticed it immediately.Fear.Not obvious.Not dramatic.But present.And if someone like Lucien could feel fear…Then whatever had arrived below was far more dangerous than anything tonight had shown so far.Morgan stepped forward immediately.“What did you do?” she demanded coldly.Lucien slowly shook his head.“This wasn’t us.”Kael’s silver eyes narrowed sharply as he glanced toward the stairwe

SUBJECT ZEROThe ruined hallway fell into complete silence after the Directorate operative spoke.You were never supposed to survive infancy.For a brief moment, even the chaos throughout the mansion seemed distant again. The crackling sparks from broken electrical wires, the drifting smoke, the distant screams downstairs, all of it faded behind the sudden pounding inside Raymond’s chest.Subject Zero.The words echoed repeatedly through his mind.Interesting.Very interesting.Fragments of memories began flashing violently behind his eyes again.Cold laboratory walls.Machines.Bright surgical lights.Pain.Then screaming.Not his.Other children.Raymond’s golden eyes flickered sharply as his breathing slowed unnaturally.Morgan noticed immediately.“Raymond,” she said carefully, “listen to me.”But Raymond’s gaze remained locked onto the Directorate operative.“What did you mean by that?”The operative slowly stepped forward through the destroyed corridor, completely unafraid despi