Elsewhere…
In a sleek, modern office dimly lit by city lights, a man sat behind a polished desk, glaring at the blank holo-screen before him.
"That bastard cut me off mid-call…" he muttered, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair.
The office door creaked open. A young man stepped in, his expression tense, his hands trembling slightly despite trying to appear calm.
"Father… how did it go?" he asked.
It was Alex—and he was visibly shaken.
The man, Lyon, sighed. "It seems we're on our own."
Alex's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Are you saying Ethan's still alive? How? He was just a Level 1!"
Lyon looked at his son carefully. He could see the fear behind the boy's eyes, the panic barely held together by pride.
It had started after they rescued the people Alex had sent after Ethan. One of them had confessed so Ethan knew who had sent them.
Since then, Alex had been haunted—by the thought of a boy he once dismissed now rising far beyond expectation.
