"Don't move, Wolf." The cold voice lingered in the stuffy air of Clara's car, echoing from the now-dead emergency phone speaker. The shadow of the Mentor still clung to Harry's retina. Clara slammed on the accelerator in panic, pulling away from Marcus's black van, which had been chasing them from a distance before finally disappearing into the traffic."He's in the back seat! He's here!" Harry screamed, the pain in his left shoulder now like living fire. The gunshot wound from City Hall felt deeper than before.Clara’s face was taut with driving focus as she quickly glanced at the rearview mirror. "I don't see anyone, Harry! It must be some kind of audio interference or—""He's real, Clara! Marcus died protecting me from someone higher than Thorne! We have to get out of the city, now!" Harry tried to stand, but his body spasmed from the intense pain. Blood dripped from his shoulder wound, soaking through the expensive servant uniform that was now ripped.They managed to lose their im

Harry kept running, leaving behind the ruins of Grey's apartment, which now stood as a silent witness to his failure. His body screamed in agony from the stab wound in his back; the burning pain intensified because he hadn't had time to properly clean it before fleeing The Mentor's pursuit. He ran without a fixed destination, driven only by a wild instinct to escape the cold scent of power emanating from the cloaked figure.Arthur. Clara. They must still be detained. Harry only had the wooden box, the drawer key from Grey's safe, and Marcus's notebook."I have to go to the ruins," Harry muttered, his breath short and strained. Grey's letter was very clear: The last piece of evidence is where you were born. Use your necklace. It was the only place where he might be able to access the hidden truth without having to confront Thorne directly in the city.He moved quickly through the dark back alleys, staying clear of the main streetlights. He had to move toward the city outskirts, toward

Harry felt a sharp injection in his neck followed by a cold sensation spreading rapidly throughout his body. His muscles tensed, and his vision began to blur. The scent of damp forest earth mixed with the cold metallic smell that stung his nostrils. He felt the cold hand release him, and before he truly collapsed, he heard Alpha roar in the distance, a warning howl that tore through the morning silence.He staggered, trying to keep his body from hitting the debris. His eyes strained to focus on the figure who had just injected him. It wasn't The Mentor. The figure was shorter, wearing a black uniform Harry recognized as the elite Black Hand minion attire."He's helpless, sir," the man said in a flat tone.Harry tried to scream, to call Alpha whose howl was getting closer, but his voice only produced a choked moan. The man roughly grabbed Harry's backpack, taking the wooden box and Grey's data drive, then ripped the silver necklace from Harry's neck."This will go straight to Mr. Thorn

Harry clutched Clara's final message, the chill of leaving Alpha at the forest's edge now mingling with the bitter reality of Arthur's sacrifice. He successfully reached Clara's safe house in the Northeast, a small building camouflaged among old warehouses. Clara had arrived before him, her face strained, and Arthur, severely wounded, lay on an emergency cot in the basement."Arthur, are you going to be alright?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse as he spoke. He saw Arthur's wound was deeper than he had imagined—a stab wound to the abdomen, now roughly bandaged.Arthur groaned faintly, but his eyes, usually full of anguish, now seemed clearer. "I... I'm fine, Harry. I managed to give her everything I had before they came. Clara... she's incredible. She saved both of us."Clara emerged from the shadows, exhausted but her eyes blazing with determination. She held the wooden box from the church and a small data drive."Harry, you're safe. I'm so relieved," Clara said, her voice catching in h

Victor Thorne snapped his jaw shut, his eyes narrowing as if staring down an insect that should have already died. Reports from the nightclub incident and then the chaos at City Hall had filtered through to him, even though he had successfully avoided the public turmoil himself thanks to rapid coordination with his most loyal henchmen."He's alive," Thorne said flatly, his voice barely audible over the hum of his luxury office's ventilation system. He stared at the report from Marcus, now mysteriously marked as 'missing' after the City Hall incident. "He's moving fast. Too fast for a wild child just emerging from the woods."A cold-faced man, assigned by Thorne to handle the Harry problem after Marcus's mission failed, stood before the mahogany desk. The man was an internal strategist for the Black Hand, appointed directly by the Mentor to ensure Harry did not return to disrupt the Aubrey family's affairs."Sir, we have filtered all security footage from the area near City Hall. His s