The Debt Vision

7. The Name that shouldn't Exist

For the first two time since Sebastian had met him, Nathan wasn't smiling. He looked terrified.

“No.” Nathan’s voice came out as a little more than a whisper as his eyes were glued to the brass key in Sebastian's hand.

Sebastian tightened his grip around the cold metal. His ribs still ached from the beating and dried blood clung to the corner of his lips. His breathing remained uneven, but his gaze never left Nathan.

“You know this key?”

Nathan didn't answer. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. Behind him, six investigators from Blackstone Asset Recovery entered the warehouse, their eyes sweeping across the room. They froze when they noticed the cracked concrete floor.

One of them muttered under his breath. “It's already been opened.”

Nathan shot him a sharp glare. “Shut up.”

The investigator immediately lowered his head and Sebastian noticed every reaction of them.

Nathan wasn't acting like a man who had come to arrest someone. He was acting like someone who had arrived too late.

Sebastian looked toward the warehouse’s exit where Edward Gray was standing a few minutes ago and now he was gone. There were no traces remaining behind him, no bodyguards and no vehicles. Everything had disappeared as though they had never existed. Even the thugs disappeared as soon as they heard vehicle's sound outside. It was all empty. But how ?

They couldn't have vanished in less than a minute. Nathan followed Sebastian's gaze before letting out a slow breath.

“So..” He forced a smile onto his face. “..you have made some interesting friends.”

Sebastian stayed silent as Nathan took another step forward. His black shoes crunched over the broken concrete.

“You've had a few rough months.” His tone softened unexpectedly. “I know we've had our differences.”

Sebastian almost laughed hearing his words. Differences?

Nathan had mocked him in public, humiliated him whenever he got the chance and watched his life collapse with satisfaction on his face.

And now all of a sudden he wanted to sound sympathetic ?

Nathan spread his hands. “Give me the key.”

“No. I won't.” Sebastian instantly answered without hesitation.

Nathan sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn't make this difficult.”

Sebastian tilted his head slightly. “ Difficult for who?”

Nathan's shoulder stiffened. “For Both of us.”

“I don't think we're on the same side.”

For a brief second, irritation flashed across Nathan's face but then vanished just as quickly.

“You don't understand what you're holding.”

“Then explain it.”

“I can't.”

“Or you won't ?”

The room fell silent as Sebastian nodded slowly.

“That's what I thought.”

One of the investigators stepped closer. “Sir, we should confiscate….”

Nathan raised a hand and the man stopped immediately.

“No.” Nathan’s eye never left Sebastian.

“If we force him now…” He stopped speaking realizing he'd said too much.

Sebastian caught it instantly. If we force him now …. NOW ?

That meant there would be another chance or another plan where they'll met again.

Nathan recovered quickly. “You've always been smart, Sebastian.”

The compliment somehow sounded strange coming from him.

“I admired that.”

Sebastian's expression remained cold. “You had a funny way of showing it.” He taunted.

Nathan chuckled. “Business isn't personal.”

“It became personal when you laughed while everyone called me a fraud.”

Nathan's smile faded. “You still believe I enjoyed that ?”

“I saw your face.”

Nathan looked away for a moment and an unreadable expression flashed on his face. When he looked back his eyes carried something Sebastian had never seen before.

He saw regret which lasted less than a second before it disappeared. “You should leave the city.”

Sebastian frowned. “What ?”

Nathan stepped closer, reducing the distance between them. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. “Just disappear.”

Sebastian stares at him in disbelief while Nathan's jaws tightened. “You've already been noticed.”

“By who?”

Nathan glanced toward the warehouse entrance before answering.

“The people who don't forgive mistakes.”

Sebastian's heart pounded faster inside his chest. “You mean the people who framed me?”

Nathan didn't respond. Instead, he took out a folded business card from his pocket and slipped it into Sebastian's jacket.

“If you ever decide staying alive is more important than finding answers..” He paused. “...then call me.”

Then he turned around. “Let's go.”

The investigators exchanged confused looks but followed without questioning Nathan.

Within moments, only Sebastian remained inside the warehouse. Silence settled once again as he exhaled slowly. His heart was still racing as none of it made sense to him.

Nathan had come for the key yet he left without taking it. Why?

Sebastian pulled out the business card from his jacket and was surprised as there was no company logo or phone number on it. Only a handwritten address and below it were four words highlighted in black.

Come alone at midnight.

Sebastian frowned and before he could think further, silver text appeared before his eyes.

Side Quest Updated.

Meet Nathan Nathan Brooks.

Reward : Unknown.

Risk Assessment : High.

Sebastian slipped the card into his pocket while his gaze drifted back toward the cracked concrete. His mind recalled the earlier conversation where Ethan Gray handed him the key. But a key needed a lock. So where was it?

As though answering his thoughts, the brass key in his hands suddenly grew warm. Sebastian instinctively loosened his grip. The engraved symbols along its surface began glowing faintly one by one while a thin beam of silver light shot downward and it pointed directly beneath the broken concrete.

His heartbeat accelerated. “So that's it…”

He knelt, ignoring the pain in his ribs and brushed away the loose chunks of cement with both hands. Dust coated his sleeves and his fingernails scraped against the rough stone.

Several minutes passed before his fingers struck something smooth. His breathing became ragged as he cleared away more debris until a small iron box emerged from beneath the floor.

It wasn't large but about the size of a briefcase with no lock. Only a keyhole in its center and exactly the size of the brass key.

Sebastian swallowed the lump formed in his throat. “This is what everyone was looking for…”

He slowly raised the key as the tip hovered over the keyhole. His hands stopped automatically as Edward Gray's final words echoed inside his mind.

“When they ask…tell them you never met me.”

But why? And what was inside this box? Was there money inside ? Or some documents or evidence ? Or something far more dangerous ?

His fingers tightened as slowly he inserted the brass key with his trembling hands.

CLICK

The sound echoed through the empty warehouse and suddenly the silver screen flashed before his eyes.

[Hidden Vault Detected.]

[Authorization Accepted.]

Then every muscle in Sebastian's body went rigid because another line appeared beneath it.

[Welcome back….Sebastian Kane.]