2025-03-25 05:48:51Queens Safehouse – 10:45 A.M.
Ethan stood by the window, staring at the burned-out skyline in the distance. His hands were clenched into fists.
Sebastian Vance.
The name alone left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Evelyn sat on the couch, arms crossed. “You sure about this?”
“No,” Ethan admitted. “But we don’t have a choice.”
Sebastian was more than just an insider—he was a former Dominion strategist, someone who had walked away but never really left. If anyone knew what Solstice truly meant, it was him.
Leo, still looking rattled from the chase, sighed. “If we’re doing this, I’ll set up a secure line.”
“No.” Ethan turned, grabbing his coat. “I’ll talk to him in person.”
Evelyn’s brow furrowed. “Where?”
Ethan exhaled sharply.
“Monte Carlo.”
Monte Carlo, Monaco – The Mirage Casino – 11:58 P.M.
The Mirage was Sebastian Vance’s empire—a high-stakes casino, built on secrets, power, and money.
Ethan walked in through the main entrance, past crystal chandeliers and high rollers in tuxedos. Every step felt heavier.
Memories hit him like a sucker punch.
He and Sebastian had once fought side by side, saving each other’s lives more times than he could count.
But now?
They were just two men on opposite sides of the same war.
A hostess approached. “Mr. Vance is expecting you.”
Of course he was.
The Private Suite – 12:07 A.M.
Sebastian Vance lounged in a plush leather chair, whiskey in hand.
He hadn’t changed much—dark hair slicked back, sharp blue eyes, a jawline cut from glass. But there was something colder about him now.
“You look good, Cross,” Sebastian said, swirling his drink. “Considering you’re a dead man walking.”
Ethan sat across from him. “Cut the crap. You know why I’m here.”
Sebastian smirked. “Solstice.”
Ethan leaned forward. “Tell me what you know.”
Sebastian chuckled. “You come into my casino, sit in my chair, and demand answers?”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “People are going to die, Vance. Millions.”
Sebastian exhaled, then set down his glass. “And what makes you think I care?”
Ethan stared at him. “Because once upon a time, you did.”
Silence.
Sebastian tapped a finger against the table, considering.
Then—he slid a USB drive across to Ethan.
“This has everything I know.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes. “Just like that?”
Sebastian’s smirk returned. “Not quite.”
He leaned in. “I want something in return.”
Ethan’s stomach twisted. He knew this wouldn’t be free.
Sebastian’s voice dropped lower.
“I want you to kill Adrian Locke.”
Ethan’s pulse spiked. “You want me to take out The Dominion’s top enforcer?”
Sebastian’s smirk faded.
“No, Cross. I want you to burn The Dominion to the ground.”
Ethan exhaled.
A devil’s bargain.
And he had no choice but to take it.
The Mirage Casino – Monte Carlo – 12:15 A.M.The air in the private suite thickened with tension. Ethan’s fingers hovered over the USB drive. He knew what it meant—the weight of Sebastian’s demand.
Burn The Dominion.
Not just take down Adrian Locke. Destroy the entire network.
Ethan’s voice was tight. “This isn’t just about Locke, is it?”
Sebastian smirked, but there was no amusement in his eyes. “No.” He leaned back, rolling his glass between his fingers. “This is about revenge.”
Ethan stayed silent. He knew better than to push.
Sebastian had always been controlled, calculating. But something had shifted in him. His vendetta against The Dominion was personal.
Finally, Ethan spoke. “I need more than names.”
Sebastian exhaled, then slid a second USB drive across the table.
“This has operational blueprints, financial records, safehouse locations. Everything.”
Ethan picked it up, feeling the weight of his next move settle in his chest.
Sebastian stood. “Now that I’ve given you the keys to the kingdom, tell me—do we have a deal?”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. He didn’t trust Sebastian, but he needed him.
Finally, he extended a hand.
Sebastian took it, his grip firm.
A blood oath was made.
Monte Carlo Streets – 1:30 A.M.
Ethan walked out of The Mirage, stepping into the cool Monaco night air. He pulled out his phone.
Evelyn picked up on the first ring.
“You’re alive. I’m shocked.”
Ethan ignored the jab. “We have a problem.”
Evelyn sighed. “Of course we do. What now?”
He stared at the USB drive in his hand.
“Sebastian gave me everything. But there’s a catch.”
Evelyn groaned. “There’s always a catch.”
“He wants Adrian Locke dead.”
Silence.
Then, “That’s suicide, Ethan.”
Ethan’s grip tightened around the USB. “Then we better make sure we do it right.”
The Hitlist – 2:00 A.M.
Back in his hotel room, Ethan plugged in the USB. The screen lit up with classified intelligence.
The Dominion was bigger than he thought.
• International arms deals
• Cyberwarfare units
• Political assassinations
• Bribery reaching the highest levels
And at the center of it all? Adrian Locke.
Ethan’s stomach twisted as he scanned the files. Locke wasn’t just an enforcer—he was the architect of Solstice.
Killing him wasn’t an option anymore.
It was a necessity.
Then—
A new notification appeared on the screen.
UNKNOWN CALLER.
Ethan’s gut screamed trap—but he answered anyway.
A familiar voice crackled through the line.
“Ethan Cross,” Adrian Locke drawled. “I hear you’ve been making deals with ghosts.”
Ethan’s pulse spiked. “Locke.”
Adrian chuckled. “I warned you, Cross. You should’ve stayed dead.”
Ethan’s eyes darkened. “And you should’ve shot me when you had the chance.”
A low hum. Then—
“See you soon.”
The line went dead.
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Chapter 159- The Veil of Silent Worlds
Dust motes drifted across the Arclight’s observation dome as Ethan Cross studied the holomap, each green node a world awakened, each gray one a planet still wrapped in silence. Beyond the ringed cyclones of Lysia-Prime lay swaths of uncharted starfields—systems whose denizens had never heard the Accord’s call. Somewhere among them awaited the next echo, the next memory to reclaim.Mira Vale joined him, her expression a mixture of resolve and wonder. “We’ve done ten worlds,” she said softly. “Each a new hymn in the Accord’s chorus.”Ethan nodded. “But the universe is vast. For every world we light, ten more remain unlit.” He tapped the holomap. “Next target: the Sable Expanse—three planets cloaked in atmospheric ash, where data streams vanish and echo beacons fail.”Lumen’s tone came through the intercom. “They fear the p
Chapter 158-The Guardians of Forgotten Echoes
The Arclight slipped through muted starfields, the Echo Core’s new beacon casting a soft cerulean glow against its hull plating. Above the crystal seas of Zyphera, below the ruins of Virellos, and beyond the ringed world of Rhalos Prime, Ethan Cross navigated by memory more than charts. Ahead lay the Lysian Trench—a network of oceanic planets that had never heard the Covenant’s call, their shores silent to the Accord’s song.Mira Vale joined him at the helm, eyes bright behind her visor. “Our beacon is live. We should see responses soon.”Ethan nodded, voice low. “The Forgotten Expanse awakened the Lumari. Zyphera reclaimed its coral song. Now let’s find the Lysian worlds—and give them their voice back.”Behind them, Arin Soh monitored the holomap. “I’m picking up three replies: Lysia-3, Lysia-7, and Lysia-Prime. All within jump range.”
Chapter 157-Echoes of the Forgotten Expanse
The Arclight glided silently through the vastness of space, its hull reflecting the distant starlight. Ethan Cross stood at the observation deck, gazing into the void, contemplating the journey ahead. The recent integration of Zyphera into the Accord had been a significant milestone, but the path forward was fraught with uncertainty.Mira Vale joined him, her presence a comforting constant amidst the ever-changing cosmos.“The Forgotten Expanse,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “A region untouched by the Dominion, yet shrouded in silence.”Ethan nodded. “It’s time we break that silence.”As the Arclight approached the coordinates of the Forgotten Expanse, the crew prepared for the unknown. The region was a vast stretch of space, dotted with ancient stars and veiled in cosmic dust. Sensors picked up faint energy signatures, hinting at the presence of
Chapter 156-Beneath the Crystalline Tides
The shuttle’s grav-grip hooks disengaged from the Arclight, and Ethan Cross stepped onto the glimmering deck of the Niven Dawn, the first of the Covenant’s mobile hubs. Below him stretched the crystalline ocean of Zyphera—its waves incandescent with bioluminescent coral that pulsed in fractal patterns, casting ripples of pale violet across the sky. The air smelled of salt and phosphor, a scent at once new and urgently familiar.Mira Vale followed, her boots sinking slightly into the transparent deck. “This place is alive,” she whispered. “The sea itself remembers.”Archavist Serene Selene, recently returned from Rhalos Prime, met them at the gangway. Her robe of woven holographic tendrils shimmered in step with the tides. “Welcome to Zyphera. The Covenant seed here will bloom beneath these waves.”Ethan scanned the horizon. Far off, floating platforms tethered to the
Chapter 154- The Ashes Between Worlds
The sky over Virellos fractured like a mirror, its once-sterile clouds now streaked with obsidian tendrils, curling as if breathing. Ethan stood beneath it all, boots slick with ash, blood dried in streaks across his jaw. Behind him, the ruins of the Spire still smoldered, its collapse echoing through the war-torn city like the aftershock of a fallen god.“We’re out of time,” said Myra, her voice edged in steel as she crouched beside a dying agent. “The Rift’s widening—if we don’t sever the link, it’ll consume the last of this quadrant.”Ethan’s fingers twitched toward the glyph core strapped to his chest. “Where’s Eilion?” he asked, already dreading the answer.Myra met his gaze. “He’s not coming. The Ninth Host intercepted him on the Vantrex Bridge. He bought us the window to reach the Core. That window’s closing.”
Chapter 155-From Ashes, the First Dawn
Smoke curled above the shattered Spire’s ruins like the last breath of a dying god. In the hush that followed the Rift’s collapse, all who remained on Virellos bore wounds that went beyond flesh. Yet, as the first light of morning filtered through ash-laden clouds, there was a fragile promise in the air: the promise of a world remade.Ethan Cross woke to the taste of blood and the weight of iron on his ribs. Pain seared through him with every shallow breath. He tried to rise but found himself cradled in Myra’s arms on a bed of broken obsidian fragments. She held a damp cloth to his temple, her eyes red-rimmed but unbowed.“You’re safe,” she murmured. “Vasha succeeded. The Rift is closed.”Ethan’s vision swam. “Vasha?”Myra swallowed. “She… she gave everything. There was no pulling her back.”He c
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