Lathel chuckled, rolling his shoulders as he sauntered toward Ethan. The room stank of gun oil and blood, and his boots echoed against the marble floor. His pistol hung lazily from his hand, pointed at Ethan’s chest. “You know,” he sneered, his voice full of smug poison, “you’ll be joining your sweet little savior on the floor in a second. Right beside her. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll bleed out slower.” Ethan’s entire frame froze. Alice. She was still. Too still. Crimson stained the delicate folds of her gown—right where her side had been. Her hair was fanned out beneath her like a broken halo. The blood trailed slowly across the polished floor, as if time itself had started to drag. Lathel noticed Ethan’s stare and laughed cruelly. “Aw. That’s right. You cared about her, huh? She thought she could play hero. Idiot girl.” He raised his pistol. “Guess you’ll both die heroes.” But Lathel didn’t get to fire. Because in the space of a heartbeat, the air shifted. Etha

Sierra and Marcus stood frozen, backs pressed against the cracked marble wall, but the look on their faces had shifted—from terror to disbelief, even disgust.Not Ethan.Not like this.Blood painted the room floor, streaked like someone had spilled rage across the tiles. The air reeked of gunpowder and death. Trained killers lay in mangled heaps, as if tossed by something inhuman.“He didn’t even blink,” Marcus muttered, voice low and sharp, not in awe, but horror. “Jesus Christ, he’s a freak.”Sierra’s legs trembled, but she forced herself upright, eyes hard. She shoved Marcus back, not to protect him—but to get a clearer view.“Ethan,” she said, her tone slicing the room like a whip. “What the hell is wrong with you?”Still, he didn’t turn.Didn’t glance at them.His eyes locked onto Rhett, pinning him to the wall by the throat like he was nothing but garbage.“Please… I can explain—” Rhett rasped, legs flailing weakly. “Lathel was in charge—I didn’t order anything—I didn’t know she

The soldier blinked. “S-sir?” Lathel stood, adjusting his tie. “Let them storm this place. Let them waste their ammo. While they chase shadows…” he gestured to another monitor. On it, a map of Nova Corp—was marked with red dots. “Our men are already inside Nova’s core systems. Soon, their walls will fall. Their power grid will collapse. Their leaders will be slaughtered.” He sneered. “And when that happens… the Bellano family’s plan will be complete. Crimson Serpent will have nothing left to protect. And Knox Wilder will realize—too late—that he walked into a trap.”- - - - -Smoke seeped in through the cracks of the marble walls. The once-untouchable fortress of Delta was crumbling from within, but Lathel still wore that infuriating smirk.“Few more minutes,” he muttered, watching the red dots on the Nova Corp map blink steadily. “Any second now…”The door to the command chamber burst open.Knox Wilder stepped inside like a phantom born of war—armor scorched, eyes glinting like

City General Hospital – 3:28 a.m.The red glow of Surgery In Progress still burned behind Ethan’s eyes, even as the buzz of tension swelled around him.“I said,” Langford growled, “you’re coming with us. Now.”Ethan didn’t turn away from the glass. His fists trembled at his sides.“I already told you,” he said, voice barely above a growl, “I’ll talk to my lawyer. You want to book me? Fine. But not while she’s still on that table. Not when I don’t even know if she’s—”“Spare me the dramatics,” Langford snapped. “You think you’re special because some girl took a bullet for you? That doesn’t make you less of a suspect. Frankly, it makes you look worse.”Ethan turned his head, slow as ice cracking, and finally faced the officer.“I’m warning you,” he said, stepping forward until they were toe-to-toe. “Back off.”Langford’s lip curled. He raised a hand—and the officers moved. Boots thundered. Metal clicked. One of them drew cuffs.“Get on your knees,” one barked.Ethan didn’t move.Langfor

Police Station – Interrogation RoomThe room reeked of sweat, metal, and bad intentions. Harsh overhead lights buzzed like dying insects, casting long, warped shadows across the grimy walls. A dented steel table sat between two chairs—one empty, the other occupied.Ethan sat shackled to the bolted-down chair, his dark dress shirt clinging to his frame in the stale heat. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing lean, veined forearms. His coat was gone, his tie loosened and collar askew, but his composure remained untouched. Calm. Almost bored. His dark eyes followed the pacing officer like a predator watching prey.Detective Langford prowled the room with barely contained fury, his fists clenched at his sides, jaw ticking with every step. The tension was thick enough to slice.“You’re gonna talk,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “One way or another.”Ethan tilted his head ever so slightly. “Interesting. I always thought the badge meant something. Justice. Honor. But here we