The room erupted into chaos as Gregory grappled with the intruders. Every muscle in his body screamed, but adrenaline kept him pushing forward.His fists flew with fury, every punch fueled by years of humiliation and rejection. He could feel the weight of his newfound purpose driving him, refusing to let the enemy take control.But they were trained. The two men were fast, experienced, and ruthless. Each move they made was calculated, precise. One of them managed to slam Gregory into the wall, the impact rattling his bones. For a moment, everything went black.“Gregory!” Naomi’s voice pierced through the haze of pain.He shook his head, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. His body was sore, but the fire inside him refused to dim, Just as the intruders prepared to land another strike, the door to the room exploded open, sending splinters flying in all directions.A new figure stepped through the cloud of debris, his silhouette cutting through the dust like a shadow.“Enough!” the fig

The sound of the click echoed in Gregory’s ears long after it faded. He didn’t dare turn around to confirm what he already knew, that someone was following them, watching their every move.The weight of the situation pressed heavily on him, a gnawing sensation deep in his gut. Logan and Mr. Sutherland were already moving toward the elevator, but Gregory’s legs felt like lead. His pulse raced, and he could feel the heat rising in his chest as panic threatened to take hold.The last thing he wanted was to be alone in this situation again, vulnerable and exposed, like the frightened boy he once was.But no one seemed to acknowledge the presence that loomed just behind them. Logan, as ever, was focused on the task at hand, his steps steady and deliberate.Mr. Sutherland, as usual, betrayed nothing, but there was a quiet tension in the way he scanned the hallway. They were both aware of something that Gregory wasn’t a detail, a subtle clue that he hadn’t yet pieced together.“Are we being

Gregory’s breath caught in his throat. The figure standing before them in the elevator wasn’t just any man, it was Adrian, the very person he had thought had vanished from his life years ago.A man who had once been his mentor, his protector, and yet had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Now, here he stood, blocking their path, his dark eyes fixed on Gregory with a knowing intensity.Adrian hadn’t changed much over the years. His hair, once a vibrant brown, now had streaks of gray, and his face had hardened, but the same calculating look still lingered in his eyes.He wore a sharp, dark suit, his hands tucked into the pockets as if he had all the time in the world.For a moment, none of them spoke. Gregory’s heart raced, his thoughts a jumble of disbelief and confusion.How had Adrian found them? Why had he disappeared in the first place?Logan was the first to speak, his voice low and guarded.“Adrian. What the hell are you doing here?”Adrian’s lips curled into a faint smile

The elevator doors closed with a soft whoosh, enclosing Gregory, Logan, and Mr. Sutherland in a small metal box that felt increasingly like a tomb. In the oppressive silence, Gregory’s phone vibrated sharply in his pocket.He pulled it out, his eyes scanning the screen. A single message had come through, its words chilling him to the bone: “You can’t escape this, Gregory. It’s already started.”The message pulsed on the screen in harsh red letters, as though it were burning into his mind. For a long heartbeat, no one spoke.The confined space amplified every sound, the faint humming of the elevator’s cables, the steady pulse of Gregory’s heart, and then, the voice came over the phone’s speaker, distorted yet unmistakably urgent: “Gregory, listen carefully. They are closer than you think.The game you believe you’re playing has already begun its move. Accept your past, or it will consume your future.”Gregory’s mind swirled with questions. Who was “they”? The forces that had defined hi

The air in the hall thickened, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for the storm to unleash.Gregory’s heart beat loudly in his chest, matching the heavy silence that lingered after the gunshot. He hadn’t expected the harbinger to shoot, everything had been too sudden, too cold.But as the echoes of the blast reverberated through the chamber, he realized that the stakes had just escalated beyond anything he’d anticipated.“Gregory!” Naomi’s voice sliced through the air, filled with both fear and determination. Her hand shot out toward him, but he was already in motion, moving toward the intruder who stood between him and whatever truth lay beyond those ancient doors.The harbinger’s gun lowered slightly as he stepped closer, his movements deliberate.“You think you’re ready for this?” he taunted, his voice cold as steel. “You have no idea what you’re up against.”Gregory’s mind raced. The words haunted him, but something inside him burned with an unexpected r