Sean stood slowly, letting the silence stretch. He had a hard look on his face now, and that terrified Sink, who was still trying to get used to the reality he was now in, but the look Sean gave him made it hard for him to do so.Gig, Sink, and Evan remained tied, still coughing lightly from the tape, their eyes wide as they watched him.He didn’t speak immediately.Instead, he let them stew in their panic, letting the memory of his sister flash in their minds, the fear, the emergency surgery, the life-threatening air she’d been exposed to.Finally, Sean’s voice cut through, calm and sharp.“You wanted to play with my family. You wanted to endanger someone I care about. Do you understand the weight of that?”Gig swallowed, his jaw tight. “W-we didn’t mean… we didn’t know…”Sean’s smirk didn’t reach his eyes. “You didn’t know? You didn’t think for a second about her life? About what could happen? Let me make it very clear: ignorance is not an excuse in my world.”He stepped closer, the

Sean circled them slowly, letting the silence hang, letting their guilt sink in like lead.“Lesson three isn’t over yet. You will carry this with you—not because I tell you to, but because you experienced it firsthand. Every choice you made brought someone else to the edge of death. And now, you know exactly what that feels like.”“Now, with that understanding… we can move forward.” He finally stepped back. “And yes, the next lesson will decide what comes after comprehension. Lesson Four will teach you about choices—and the consequences that follow every single one.”The three of them sat slumped, chests heaving, faces wet with tears and sweat, their bodies exhausted but their minds trembling under the weight of Lesson Three.Sean looked over them, unimpressed. Their shaking, their tears, their broken breaths, none of it moved him anymore.“I thought Lesson Four would be interesting,” he said quietly. “But looking at you now… I’m bored.”Gig’s head snapped up weakly. “S‑Sean… please—

Sean stayed on the spot as soon as Evan was taken away. Glancing at the door, he simply tugged his phone into his pocket.The "lesson" was complete; there was no need to stay. His intention had been fulfilled, and now, he had to leave.His thoughts already moved past the dusty, forgotten room and onto his only priority: his sister. He needed to be at the hospital.Pulling his dark trench coat around himself, concealing his harness and the weapons strapped beneath—Sean moved toward the exit.Reaching the door, his hand closed around the cool metal of the handle. Even before the knob turned, his training registered the subtle shift in air pressure, the faint, unnatural sound of multiple men breathing.The presence of several people waiting outside was undeniable.Sean didn't flinch or retreat. He wasn't surprised; in his world, silence often meant a waiting threat.His sister called, and these men were now a predictable obstacle in his path.The door opened, and Sean stepped out into t

“Take the shot,” Wraith hissed into his comms. “He’s exposed.”“Negative, Wraith,” Spectre replied. “Too much movement. They’re still stampeding. I can’t guarantee a clean kill without hitting a civilian.”“Same here,” Phantom added.Panicked patrons surged past the diner’s windows and exits, their bodies forming a chaotic, shifting screen. Any shot carried a high risk of collateral damage. Morality wasn’t the issue. Tactics were. Killing civilians drew law enforcement and specialized agencies—attention no one wanted.As long as people were running, none of them had a clear shot.Wraith watched in helpless fury as the target methodically finished his steak.Bite. Slow chew.Then cold eyes lifted toward the rooftop, sending a spike of dread straight into Wraith’s gut.You wasted your chance.The chaos finally ebbed as the last customers fled, leaving the diner in ruins, overturned chairs, spilled coffee, and shattered calm.By the time the line of sight cleared, Sean was done.He pla

Wraith reacted on instinct. He spun, bringing the MP5K up in a frantic arc.“FREEZE!” he screamed, already squeezing the trigger.The MP5K roared, spitting a rapid burst of controlled 9mm rounds. The sound ripped across the open rooftop, sharp and deafening.Too late.Sean didn’t use the HVAC unit for cover.He surged forward, exploiting Wraith’s recoil and surprise. Even as muzzle flashes tore through the darkness, Sean launched sideways, closing the critical distance between them.Rounds chewed through the air where Sean had been a split second earlier, sparking violently as they slammed into the reinforced metal behind him.Sean didn’t evade.He attacked.The impact was immediate and overwhelming. Before Wraith could correct his aim, Sean was on him. His left hand clamped onto Wraith’s wrist, wrenching the weapon skyward and out of the firing line.Wraith screamed in panic. He’d expected a fight, not a human battering ram in a trench coat.Using the sniper’s arm as leverage, Sean