Paris went dark. The usually glittering city was now drowned in pitch darkness, except for one spot on the banks of the Seine.The glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum glowed dimly, lit by emergency generators brought by Arthur Vexley's troops. Beneath the iconic glass structure, David walked alone across the Napoleon Courtyard. His footsteps echoed in the silence of the night; every click of his dress shoes was a ticking clock counting down to confrontation."They are inside, Boss," Isabella's voice sounded through the earpiece. "Franky detected heat signals in the Denon Wing. Arthur isn't alone. He brought a platoon of Black Saber.""Stay in position," David commanded calmly. "Arthur wants a solo exhibition. I'll give him one."David entered through the glass doors that had been blown open. He passed the lobby, climbing the marble stairs toward the Grande Galerie.The scene there was surreal. The long hallway filled with Italian master paintings wa

The fire in the master bedroom of Château de Sterling licked at the oak wood, casting long shadows that danced wildly on the stone walls. Outside, the storm raged even fiercer; thunder rumbled as if the heavens were angry witnessing the forbidden ritual about to take place inside.Lady Victoria Sterling stood before the fireplace, her porcelain-white body exposed without a single thread. She didn't cover herself. She stood tall with the elegance of a Duchess facing a firing squad. Her eyes looked at David Vexley with frightening absolute trust.David approached. He had removed his bandages. The wounds on his body were still red, but his energy was fully focused."This isn't romance, Victoria," David's voice was low, hoarse, trembling with the weight of responsibility. "This is a cancelled execution. I will take you to the edge of the abyss. You will see that darkness. Are you ready to stare back at it?"Victoria stepped forward, placing her hand on David's broad chest, right over his

"Splitting the inheritance?" Arthur Vexley chuckled, though cold sweat soaked his temples under David's grip. "You're too confident, Brother. Do you think I'm alone here?"David frowned. His black eyes detected a strange vibration in the floor, extremely heavy footsteps."Let me introduce you to my masterpiece," Arthur whispered, his hand secretly pressing a red button under the console table. "The Surgeon."CRASH!The steel wall on the right side of the control room exploded inward, rammed through by a giant shoulder.Dust and debris flew everywhere. From behind the dust, a nightmare figure stepped in.Two and a half meters tall, bigger than Robert. His body was a conglomeration of corpse parts crudely stitched together with steel wire. His skin was deathly pale, smelling of formalin and engine oil. His face was covered by an iron mask welded to his skull, leaving only yellow eyes glowing with madness.But the most terrifying part was his hands.His right hand had been amputated to t

The Hotel Residenza Paolo VI was located directly across from St. Peter's Square. From the window of the top-floor suite they had rented under false identities, the Basilica's dome seemed so close, as if watching them with a giant eye glowing in the darkness of the night.In the living room, Elena and Victoria were reviewing old sewer blueprints leading to the Vatican underground. Mei Lin was sharpening her sword in silence. Franky was asleep on the sofa with a laptop on his lap, mentally exhausted.David stood on the balcony, smoking. His eyes watched the black shadows of the fake Swiss Guards patrolling down below.However, his mind was troubled. Not by the enemy, but by the absence of one aura that was usually the loudest.Isabella.The woman had disappeared into the bathroom half an hour ago. The sound of the shower ran continuously, but there was no sign of her coming out.David put out his cigarette. He went inside, passing Elena who g

David's hand pressed against the cold metal surface of the Thanatos door. The vibration spreading from behind the door wasn't just machinery; it was the heartbeat of something primordial. The ring on his ring finger wasn't just glowing anymore; it was burning his skin, screaming to return to its home: the keyhole in the center of the giant door."Argh..." David hissed, trying to pull his hand away, but a strange magnetic force held him there."David! What's wrong?" Elena shouted, trying to approach."Don't touch me!" David snapped. "This energy... it's too wild."Suddenly, the purple smoke that usually seeped from the ring exploded in a massive volume. The smoke didn't disperse; instead, it solidified rapidly beside David.Grandpa Zypher's form appeared.However, this wasn't Zypher the hunched old ghost who loved cracking dirty jokes. The figure before David now stood tall, two meters in height. His face was young, in his thirties—hand