The clapping from the expo still rang faintly in Ethan’s ears long after he’d stepped off the stage. The flashbulbs, the praise, the forced smiles — all of it dissolved into background noise once he caught sight of her across the room. Lena Brooks. Her silhouette framed against the towering holographic displays, her expression unreadable, her presence unavoidable.He had wanted to walk away. He had told himself he would. Yet the small token she had pressed into his hand earlier — the rare prototype component from his own sketches burned like a living brand in his pocket. Every time his fingers brushed against it, memories stabbed through him like glass: the first nights he stayed late at Brooks Corp labs, designing side by side with her, when they weren’t husband and wife, traitor and betrayed, but just two dreamers trying to build something bigger than themselves.Paragon’s voice had been sharp all evening, warning him, repeating the same caution like static through a failing speaker

The rain beat against the glass walls of Ethan’s office, each drop like fixed noise against his thoughts. He stared at the cascading red alerts running across the transparent holo-screens — a breach report. Not just a simple intrusion, but a coordinated siphoning of data packets from deep inside his tech division’s core.His jaw tightened. “Who the hell signed off on this clearance?”Paragon’s voice pulsed in his mind, clipped and urgent. “Unauthorized access was disguised through an encrypted authorization key. Traced to Brantham Corp servers. But the signature does not match their internal encryption standard.”“Brantham Corp,” Ethan muttered, pacing across the office. “They were supposed to be allies. I gave them access to only surface-level APIs, not core modules.”“And yet,” Paragon snapped back, “your trust is being weaponized. Again.”Before Ethan could respond, his private comm pinged. Brantham’s CEO, Alexander Kael, appeared in a projected call-window, looking both defensive

The night was cozy with a gentle rain, and the city lights sparkled like little jewels in the water streaming down the glass of Ethan’s office. Bright reports danced across the holographic display—red alerts, breach notifications, and facility distress signals that kept him on his toes. Paragon’s voice was clear and precise, making sure every detail was understood.[Paragon]: “Unauthorized incursion at Node Facility Seven. Hostile signature detected. Defensive countermeasures deployed, but seventy-two percent of systems were bypassed before lockout engaged.”Ethan leaned forward, hands pressed against the desk.Ethan: “Facility Seven? That’s just a testing hub, not a critical site. Why there?”[Paragon]: “Analysis inconclusive. Damage sustained, but resource core untouched. Attack vector suggests symbolic strike, not full-scale sabotage.”Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He hated half-measures. In his world, enemies never wasted energy without purpose.Before he could process further, the offic

The boardroom of Brooks Corp felt unusually quiet, the vibrant city skyline visible through the glass walls adding a stark contrast to the somber mood inside. Ethan sat at the far end of the long, polished table, his hands clasped tightly together. Across from him, the seat meant for Harold Brooks—the beloved uncle to Lena and the board member who had often championed Ethan—stood conspicuously empty.The news had come that morning. Harold had been found in his penthouse, and though the official report termed it an “accident,” a gnawing unease settled in Ethan’s stomach.“Uncle Harold was—” Ethan’s voice caught, and he looked down for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “He was the only one who truly—” He paused, his throat tight with emotion.Lena approached quietly, her heels making soft clicks on the floor. Until now, she had maintained a composed demeanor throughout the emergency meeting. She gently placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, leaning in just enough to create a sense of intima

The basement chamber was oddly quiet, almost like a secret hideaway. There were no windows and it felt a bit chilly, but the soft hum of machines filled the air and a gentle light swung above a table that had clearly seen better days. Lena Brooks walked in confidently, her heels echoing on the concrete, determined not to show any signs of discomfort.At the far end of the room, Specter sat calmly, their mask gleaming as they tapped their fingers rhythmically on the table, almost as if counting down the minutes. Next to them, another Host dressed in black stood very still, their presence added a mysterious weight to the atmosphere.Specter greeted her with a hint of teasing in their voice. “You’re late.”Lena raised an eyebrow playfully. “If you’re looking for punctuality, maybe you should hire an assistant! You called me here for a reason, so let’s skip the small talk.”The masked figure leaned slightly, their voice low and distorted. “What do you think you have that we can’t obtain o