2025-08-10 14:39:55
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Chapter Thirteen — The Owner
The voice wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be, It carried the weight of someone used to being obeyed, not out of fear alone, but inevitability. Ethan turned, every muscle tensing, The tunnel behind them was no longer empty.A tall figure stood in the shadows, framed by the faint yellow light from farther down the corridor. The face was hidden under the hood of a long, dark coat, but what caught Ethan’s eye wasn’t the figure’s size, it was the way the air around them seemed to bend slightly, as if reality was leaning away.The woman with the silver streak moved first, blade raised. “You’re not supposed to be here.”The hooded figure chuckled a sound with no warmth. “Neither are you. But here we are.”The suited man shifted to block Ethan from view. “He’s under protection. Walk away.”The figure’s head tilted slightly, and Ethan caught the gleam of eyes that reflected like a predator’s in low light. “Protection? From me?”The hatch behind them groaned, the metal hand tightening its gr
Chapter Twelve — Asset Retrieval
The word Asset stuck in Ethan’s head like a splinter. Not a person. Not a name. Just a thing to be tagged and taken.The three masked figures didn’t rush. They moved with the kind of confidence that said no one had ever successfully run from them, The one in the center stepped forward, boots crunching over broken wood.The woman with the silver streak didn’t let go of Ethan’s arm. “We don’t have time for this.”The suited man had already drawn a pistol, sleek, black, and fitted with something that hummed faintly, not a standard suppressor.The masked figure spoke again. “Asset 108, your transfer has been authorized. Your consent is irrelevant.”Ethan’s chest tightened. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”The figure tilted its head. “That is… incorrect.”The first shot from the suited man’s pistol cracked the air, It wasn’t like a gunshot, more like a whip-snap and the smell of ozone.The bullet didn’t shatter the silver mask, it bent around it, ricocheting into the wall. The masked fig
Chapter Eleven — The Vault
The key was colder than it should have been. Not just metal-cold, unnatural, like it had been sitting in ice for days. It bit into Ethan’s palm as though it didn’t want to be held for long.The old man kept smiling, his head tilted slightly, as if waiting for Ethan to understand something he couldn’t yet see. “Where is it?” Ethan asked.The old man tapped one long, bony finger on the table. “You’ll see soon enough. But you will not open it alone.”The man in the tailored suit, whose presence still felt like a wall Ethan couldn’t get past, stepped forward. “I’ll take him.”The woman with the streak of silver in her hair didn’t move from the doorway. Her eyes followed Ethan, measuring him.“Be careful with this one,” the old man said, voice dipping low. “He has his father’s look when cornered. That’s when they’re dangerous.”Dangerous? Ethan thought. They were talking about him like he was a weapon, They led him back to the car. This time, there was no cityscape outside. The drive was l
Chapter Ten — The Debt
The box was small enough to fit in Ethan’s palm, yet heavy in a way that felt deliberate. Matte black, no markings, no lock, just a simple hinge on the back.He hesitated, feeling the man’s pale gaze fixed on him like a predator watching prey. “Go on,” the man said softly. “It’s yours now.”Ethan lifted the lid, Inside, on a bed of crimson velvet, lay a single gold coin, Old, worn, but the kind of old that whispered history. Its edges were uneven, its surface scarred.An engraving covered one side, a raven, wings spread, clutching a crown in its talons. The other side bore words in a language Ethan didn’t recognize. He looked up. “What is this?”The man didn’t blink. “It’s the beginning of your inheritance.”Ethan’s laugh was hollow. “This? A coin?”The man’s lips curved into something between a smile and a warning. “That coin has bought kings, ended wars, and condemned nations. It is not the gold that makes it valuable, but the power it represents.”Ethan set the coin back in the box
Chapter Nine — The Room Without Windows
The bed was too soft. The sheets smelled faintly of lavender. His shoes were gone. So was his watch. A set of folded clothes sat neatly at the foot of the bed, not his own.The room around him was rectangular, walls paneled in smooth dark wood. There were no windows, only a single brass door. A muted lamp glowed on a low table beside the bed.It didn’t feel like a cell. It felt like a hotel room in another century, He swung his legs over the side, the cool floor sending a shiver up his spine. The door opened before he could even approach it.A woman entered, moving with the deliberate grace of someone who had spent a lifetime in high society. She wore a black dress with a thin silver chain at her throat.Her hair was streaked with grey at the temples, though her posture was ramrod straight. “You’re awake,” she said.Ethan stared. “Where am I?”“You’ll have your answers,” she replied smoothly, “but first, you’ll have breakfast.”A second person entered, pushing a cart. The scent of fre
Chapter Eight — The Buyer
The gunfire came fast, Two sharp cracks echoed in the chamber. The driver dropped instantly, clutching his thigh, blood seeping between his fingers.Victor moved on instinct, shoving Ethan behind a rusted generator, returning fire with three controlled bursts. One of her men went down hard, but the rest kept advancing.“You’re surrounded, Victor!” her voice rang out. “Don’t make this ugly.”“Too late,” Victor growled, ejecting a spent magazine.The steel doors ground toward each other, their closing gap narrowing the dim light from outside. The noise was deafening, like a countdown to their tomb.Ethan’s heart pounded. He wanted to scream, but shock pinned him to the cold concrete.Then a deeper rumble shook the ground. The girl glanced toward the far side of the chamber. A section of wall split apart, a hidden freight elevator rising from somewhere far below.Its gate clattered open, revealing a single man, He stepped out with the slow confidence of someone who never needed to run.T
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