Rain on the GravelCold water soaked straight through my dark suit jacket, weighing down my shoulders as I stepped onto the roof. The storm over River City had turned brutal, whipping sheets of freezing rain across the wide expanse of crushed gravel. Lightning cracked low over the skyline, flashing white against the gravel bed.Fifty yards out, crouched near the edge of the parapet, stood the sniper. He was already packing his long-range rifle into a modular case. His hands moved fast, precise, trained. He thought he had another three minutes before building security even figured out which floor the shot came from. He didn't expect the bodyguard he just fired at to be standing behind him on the roof.So, he was in for a bad night.I didn't bother hiding my footsteps. The crunch of wet gravel under my boots cut right through the roar of the downpour.The sniper froze. In one continuous motion, he abandoned the rifle case, spun around, and reached for his tactical vest. No hesitation. N

The syndicate cuts power to River City, trying to ruin Sterling Tower's midnight reveal. Lucas uses his Shadow Syndicate satellite backup generators to turn the building back on within seconds, making it the only bright spot in a blacked-out city.The glass walls of the Sterling Tower penthouse gave us a front-row seat to the River City skyline. Midnight was ten minutes away. Below us, thousands of investors, reporters, and tech enthusiasts packed the grand plaza for Evelyn’s global product reveal.Evelyn smoothed down the front of her navy blazer, her fingers trembling just enough for me to notice. "Everything rides on this launch, Lucas," she murmured, gazing out over the glittering lights of the financial district. "If the board sees a single glitch, my uncles will use it to challenge my voting rights again.""They won't get the chance," I said, leaning against the doorframe in my dark suit. "You've prepped for six months. The grid is stable, the press is hungry, and your security

The bank chairman waits three hours in the lobby, then drops to his knees in front of everyone to hand over the released account papers.The lobby of Sterling Tower was quiet, save for the soft drone of the air conditioning. Bank Chairman Vance sat on the edge of a leather couch, drenching his Italian suit collar in cold sweat. He checked his watch for the twentieth time in ten minutes.Three hours. I had kept him cooling his heels right there on the ground floor while Evelyn finished up her routine afternoon budget reviews.Standing near the elevator bank, I maintained my quiet posture. Simple dark suit, posture loose, hands folded casually behind my back. To the passing receptionists, I was just the quiet bodyguard standing watch. To Chairman Vance, I was the living shadow that had bought out ninety percent of his bank's voting stock with a single phone call to the Black Iron Treasury.So, power shifts fast in River City. One hour you think you can freeze Sterling Enterprises' liqui

Evelyn opens the iron case containing a red-wax-sealed martial challenge scroll from the Crimson Dragon Syndicate. When their arrogant courier tries to intimidate her team, I destroy his formal robe with a single finger tap, completely shattering his composure.The heavy iron case sat on the polished mahogany table inside Evelyn’s private conference room. It smelled like damp earth and old copper. Red wax sealed the front latch, stamped with the coiled emblem of the Crimson Dragon Syndicate.Evelyn stood at the head of the table, her security team forming a tight perimeter around her. Her uncles were nowhere to be seen, probably still busy scrubbing the ground floor rest rooms with their new janitorial gear."Are we sure we want to open this?" her lead guard asked, his hand hovering near his holster."Open it," Evelyn said, her voice smooth as glass.I stood two steps behind her left shoulder, keeping my hands resting casually in my dark suit pockets. The ghost had already pinged my e

This covers the Crimson Dragon champion taunting River City after defeating its fighters, ending with Lucas stepping out of the dark.The noise inside the underground arena was deafening, but it carried no joy. It was the sound of complete, overwhelming humiliation.Spotlights cut through the thick haze of cigar smoke and dust, focusing entirely on the reinforced fighting ring at the center of the hall. On the blood-stained canvas lay Master Iron Oak, the strongest martial leader River City had to offer. He was gasping for air, clutching his shattered ribs, totally unable to drag himself back to his feet. Around him, three other local martial masters were already slumped against the ropes, unconscious and broken.In the center of the canvas stood foreign champion Vladimir, the lead enforcer sent by the Crimson Dragon Syndicate. He wore no shirt, revealing skin covered in jagged battle scars. He did not look tired. He did not even look winded. He stood over Iron Oak with an arrogant s