THE PLAN BEGINSThe night was very quiet except for the soft sound of rain hitting the windows of Vex’s big mansion. Usually, the place was loud and full of people having fun, but now it felt heavy and dark. Vex sat alone in his private office. The room was mostly dark except for the glowing screens all around him. Every screen showed pictures or videos of a man named Griffin old videos, security camera shots, even blurry photos from many years ago.Vex really hated seeing Griffin’s face. He hated the bad things that name stood for.He whispered to himself, “Griffin, you’re finished.”Then, suddenly, something strange happened. Vex saw his reflection in the glass of a monitor, but for just a moment, it wasn’t his own face. It was Griffin’s face, with cold eyes and a smirk that looked like it could destroy everything. Vex blinked quickly and the strange image disappeared. His heart beat loudly in his chest.He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes, thinking maybe he was just t

THE FALL OF VEXGriffin walked into the underground lab. The alarms were loud, and red lights flashed everywhere. The floor was metal, and his boots made a loud sound when he stepped. He did not hurry because he already knew something was wrong. He smelled fear in the air. But the fear was not his. It was from the men waiting for him.The first group of guards appeared from behind the big steel pillars. They were carrying guns, wearing helmets, and looked ready to fight. But their hands shook. They had heard stories about Griffin. They knew his name was real.“Don’t move!” one guard shouted, but his voice was shaky.Griffin did not even blink. He said calmly, “You should have run.”The guard fired his gun first. That was a mistake.Griffin moved fast, like a shadow. The bullets flew around him, but he did not stop. He grabbed one guard by the neck and slammed him into the wall very hard. Another two guards tried to attack from the side. Griffin quickly took one of their guns and twist

IT WON’T FADE The room was filled with a cold, steady hum from the machines. These were the machines built to create Vex’s new world the same machines meant to erase Griffin’s name forever. Selena stood frozen in the quiet. Her knees felt weak, and it was hard to breathe. Griffin’s body lay still on a cold steel table. His chest didn’t move. His eyes were closed. Blood was drying on his neck where Vex’s last blade had cut him.But what was strange was the silence.No alarms rang out. No footsteps hurried nearby. No technicians rushed to the room.It felt like the entire underground base was holding its breath, waiting.Selena stepped forward slowly. Her hand shook as she touched Griffin’s arm. It was still warm, but lifeless. “Griffin…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Please wake up… don’t leave me with only ghosts.”Rico rested against the wall. His shoulder was still wrapped in bandages. His eyes were red from guilt and worry. “They didn’t just want his body,” he said quiet

WHEN THE DEAD MAN BREATHESThe storm had stopped before the first light of dawn, but the city still felt hurt and broken. Water from the rain dripped from shattered rooftops. The air smelled sharp, like gunpowder. Vex’s reign was over. The man himself was dead, lying cold in the underground fortress. Griffin had killed him with his own hands.But winning felt empty.Outside the ruined fortress, Selena stood alone. Her clothes were soaked with rain, and her hands shook. She looked again and again toward the entrance. Waiting. Waiting for Griffin to come out. Waiting to hear his confident voice say it was all finished.But no one came.Dante came with three of Griffin’s faithful men. They silently searched through the ruins. Minutes passed, then an hour, then two.At last, Dante returned, eyes red from the search.“Selena, we didn’t find him.”Her breath caught. “What do you mean? He was with Vex. He killed Vex. He should be here.”Dante took a deep breath. “Vex is dead. His body is the

The night was very dark and heavy. Thick clouds covered the whole city like a soft, heavy blanket. The streetlights were dim, barely daring to shine through the gloom. Inside a quiet, safe house, the air felt cold and still. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for something important. Something terrifying.Selena couldn’t sleep. She sat on the edge of the old mattress, her fingers trembling over the folded shirt Griffin left behind days before the war ended. The smell on the shirt was almost gone, but her memories of him were still fresh and painful. She remembered the loud sounds of gunshots, explosions, the last breath Vex took, and the moment Griffin disappeared into the smoke. Every night, this memory cut deep like a wound, as if half of her heart was missing.Rico stood silently near the door. His eyes were filled with worry and guilt. “He didn’t want you to fall apart,” he said softly.Selena didn’t look up. “Then he shouldn’t have died,” she said with q