2025-11-17 23:56:17The street was silent.
Too silent.
A thin layer of fog drifted across the asphalt as Ethan moved to the center of the road—straight-backed, expression calm, hands loose at his sides.
Hale stood behind him, tense but ready.
“Sir… Black Serpent is sixty seconds away.”
Ethan didn’t blink.
“Good.”
THE APPEARANCE OF DEATH
The fog shifted.
The first figure stepped through—tall, armored in matte black, visor glowing faintly red.
Then another.
Then ten more.
Twelve soldiers.
Twelve lethal machines disguised as men.
They formed a wide semicircle around Ethan, their synchronization disturbing.
No breathing.
No speaking.
No hesitation.
Their leader stepped forward.
“TARGET CONFIRMED: ETHAN COLE.
THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME.
EXECUTION PROTOCOL: OMEGA.”
Hale whispered,
“They’re using Omega Protocol… sir, that’s kill-without-recovery.”
Ethan stepped one inch forward.
“Protocol won’t help them.”
THE FIRST STRIKE
Three Black Serpent operatives lunged at once—perfect formation, zero wasted movement.
Ethan moved faster.
He parried the first strike with a forearm, dodged the second with a twist of his torso, and slammed his elbow into the third soldier’s visor—shattering the reinforced glass like brittle plastic.
The soldier fell without a sound.
But Black Serpent didn’t pause.
They never paused.
Five more attacked simultaneously—two from the front, one from behind, two from the flanks.
Ethan dropped low, sweeping his leg in a flawless arc.
Two soldiers crashed to the ground.
He pivoted, grabbed another by the back of the helmet, and hurled him into the oncoming pair.
CRACK.
CRACK.
Four down.
Hale exhaled in awe.
“Sir… you’re dismantling an elite kill squad with your bare hands.”
Ethan didn’t respond.
His attention didn’t waver.
Black Serpent was adjusting.
Their AI-like coordination shifted rapidly.
This time, six came at him in a tight, deadly formation—perfectly designed to overwhelm any human.
Except Ethan wasn’t “any human.”
GHOST COMMANDER RESURRECTED
Ethan inhaled once.
And then—
His movements changed.
More fluid.
More efficient.
More ruthless.
This was the style only whispered about in elite circles.
The style that earned him his title.
Ghost Discipline — Level Zero.
A style designed for one purpose:
End battles before they begin.
Ethan stepped into their formation.
Not away from danger—
into it.
His hand sliced through the air.
A soldier’s visor cracked.
Another’s ribs folded inward.
Another dropped after a single throat strike delivered with terrifying precision.
Hale whispered, unable to stop himself:
“He’s not fighting them…
He’s dismantling them.”
THE FINAL THREE
Only three remained—more cautious, repositioning with machine-like accuracy.
Their leader issued a cold command:
“ADAPTIVE MODE: ACTIVATE.”
Their armor hummed.
Their movements tripled in speed.
The leader blurred forward with a reinforced blade, aiming straight for Ethan’s neck.
For the first time tonight—
Ethan smiled.
A small, cold, lethal smile.
He sidestepped the blade, grabbed the leader’s wrist, and twisted—
SNAP.
The blade dropped.
Before the leader could recover, Ethan seized him by the collar and drove a knee into his chest.
The soldier’s armor dented inward like tinfoil.
The last two tried retreating, recalculating.
Too late.
Ethan seized one by the helmet, swung him like a weapon, and slammed him into the other.
Both collapsed.
Silence.
Twelve Black Serpent operatives lay incapacitated around him.
Ethan hadn’t taken a single wound.
Hale’s Realization
Hale approached, breathing hard—not from the fight, but from witnessing it.
“Sir… this is the first time I’ve seen you use Level Zero since the incident five years ago.”
Ethan wiped dust from his knuckles.
“That’s because there hasn’t been a threat worth using it on.”
Hale flinched.
“Does this mean… the real war is starting?”
Ethan looked down at the Black Serpent leader, still gasping for air.
“That depends on one thing.”
Hale swallowed.
“What, sir?”
Ethan crouched beside the nearly unconscious soldier.
“Where Slate hid the file.”
The soldier’s visor flickered, damaged.
Ethan spoke softly:
“Where is it?”
The soldier’s voice was distorted, but audible:
“Central… Vault… District 7…”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“So he moved it.”
The soldier choked out one last detail:
“Slate… knows the name… of the man who betrayed you…”
Hale stiffened.
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“Give me the name.”
The soldier’s visor flickered one last time.
And he whispered:
“It was… someone from your own family…”
Ethan froze.
The street fell silent again.
And the war—
truly began.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter Fourteen
The Dawson house was too quiet.Too still.Too heavy.Lila stood in the middle of the living room, the broken door replaced temporarily by Riker’s men, the shattered glass swept away, the blood stains scrubbed clean.But the silence remained.The kind of silence that sits on your chest.The kind that changes something.She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the cold settling into her bones. Every few seconds she replayed the moment Ethan walked away. The way he didn’t look back. The way he spoke as if he were someone else. Someone she didn’t know.Someone she might never have known at all.Riker cleared his throat behind her.“Ma’am,” he said gently, “the perimeter is secure.”She didn’t turn.She didn’t trust her voice yet.A moment passed, then another.“Ethan… he’s gone to fight that man, isn’t he?” Lila said softly.Riker hesitated.“Specialist Cole is responding to a breach. That’s all I can say.”“That’s not an answer,” she whispered.“It’s the safest one I can give.”Lila
Chapter Thirteen
The city lights of District 7 flashed beneath the aircraft as Ethan stepped onto the ramp, black coat whipping in the wind.Hale’s voice cut through the comms.“Sir, Central Vault security is collapsing. Slate deployed a Phantom Unit—full optical camouflage.”Ethan adjusted his gloves.“Phantom won’t stop me.”The strike craft dove lower, slicing through fog like a blade.Below, alarms wailed across District 7. Roads were blocked, drones spun out of control, and the entire security grid flickered as if something—or someone—had overwritten its core.Slate.He was already inside.Ethan exhaled once.Cold.Steady.Purposeful.“Open the hatch.”The ramp snapped downward.Ethan jumped.He landed on the rooftop of Central Vault—silent impact, controlled descent. The black monolith towered above him, its armored surface vibrating from internal shockwaves.Hale landed beside him, panting.“Sir, we can still intercept him if we move—”Ethan was already moving.THE FALL OF THE VAULTThey reache
Chapter Twelve
The garden was silent.Shattered wood, broken armor, and the crushed body of the Black Serpent scout lay at Ethan’s feet. The porch light flickered above him, casting jagged shadows across his face.Lila stared at him—eyes wide, chest rising and falling fast.This wasn’t the Ethan she knew.This wasn’t the quiet, obedient, overlooked husband.This man looked like a weapon.A storm.A warning.Her voice trembled.“Ethan… what… what did you just do?”Ethan didn’t answer.He turned instead—slowly, controlled—and locked eyes with Riker’s operative who had taken cover behind the torn doorframe.“Report.”The operative stood at once.“Sir! Two scouts down. One escaped toward the east block.”Hale’s voice burst from Ethan’s earpiece.“Sir! We have visual on the runner—Slate’s men are initiating Phase Two. They’re retreating to regroup.”Ethan’s eyes narrowed.“Not on my watch.”⸻THE ONE WHO ESCAPEDThree blocks away, the surviving Black Serpent scout sprinted across rooftops, armor sparking
Chapter Eleven
Ethan… someone is outside the house.”Lila’s whisper trembled through the phone.Ethan’s blood went cold, but his voice remained steady.“Where?”“By the gate. I—I think they’re watching the house. I saw shadows moving. And the lights flickered. I don’t know what’s happening.”Hale stiffened.“Slate’s already deployed. They’re targeting civilians.”Ethan pressed the phone closer.“Lila, listen to me carefully.”Her breathing was shaky.“Okay…”“Do not step outside. Stay away from the windows. And whatever you do—don’t open the door.”“O-okay. Ethan, what’s going on?”He didn’t answer.He couldn’t—not yet.Instead, he signaled sharply.“Riker. Full speed. Dawson residence.”“Yes, Young Master!”The convoy surged forward, engines howling as they tore through the streets.⸻OUTSIDE THE DAWSON HOUSEThe night was unnaturally quiet.Three figures in dark tactical suits crouched near the Dawson gate, their movements precise, their breathing controlled. Their visors glowed faint red—Black Se
Chapter Ten
The fog was clearing.The bodies of the Black Serpent operatives lay scattered across the street, armor cracked, visors shattered, their once-perfect formation now nothing more than broken metal.Ethan stood still.Only his eyes moved.Hale approached carefully.“Sir… did he say what I think he said?”Ethan didn’t respond immediately. His mind wasn’t on the dead soldier.It was on a memory he had buried years ago.A banquet hall.A glass of wine.A smile that wasn’t a smile.And a betrayal that nearly killed him.He exhaled slowly.“Yes,” Ethan finally said. “Someone in my family sold me out.”Hale stiffened.“The Cole family is huge… thousands of people have benefited from your downfall.”“No,” Ethan said quietly.“It wasn’t the outsiders.”His eyes hardened.“It was someone close.”⸻THE CONVOY ARRIVESEngines roared across the street.Three armored SUVs pulled up, headlights slicing through the fog. Ethan’s men emerged—silent, disciplined, dressed in matte black with the Cole insig
Chapter Nine
The street was silent.Too silent.A thin layer of fog drifted across the asphalt as Ethan moved to the center of the road—straight-backed, expression calm, hands loose at his sides.Hale stood behind him, tense but ready.“Sir… Black Serpent is sixty seconds away.”Ethan didn’t blink.“Good.”THE APPEARANCE OF DEATHThe fog shifted.The first figure stepped through—tall, armored in matte black, visor glowing faintly red.Then another.Then ten more.Twelve soldiers.Twelve lethal machines disguised as men.They formed a wide semicircle around Ethan, their synchronization disturbing.No breathing.No speaking.No hesitation.Their leader stepped forward.“TARGET CONFIRMED: ETHAN COLE.THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME.EXECUTION PROTOCOL: OMEGA.”Hale whispered,“They’re using Omega Protocol… sir, that’s kill-without-recovery.”Ethan stepped one inch forward.“Protocol won’t help them.”THE FIRST STRIKEThree Black Serpent operatives lunged at once—perfect formation, zero wasted movement.Ethan m
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