Emerald Radiance Grand Hotel.
Inside a luxury suite on the 36th floor, a middle-aged man sat focused on the report in his hands. Beside him lay a mobile phone, ready for incoming calls.
At the door stood mafia bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses. Inside the room, a few more mafia members sat around chatting in hushed voices.
"Boss, weren't we supposed to head back by now? Why are we still here?" one of the mafia members asked.
Another nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the auction ended ages ago. What's taking the Ryze family so long?"
The middle-aged man looked up, frowning. "Enough. We're just here to follow orders. Those top dogs are way out of our league—we're just errand boys."
Although their Nostrala family controlled the underworld in a small city, they were nothing compared to the real powerhouses here. In a place crawling with heavy hitters, they knew better than to stir trouble.
Hearing their boss's words, the others fell silent and turned their attention back to their distractions.
Just then, a voice came from the inner room.
"Daddy, come here! Daddy!"
"Boss, your daughter's calling," one of the guards at the door said with a grin.
The man—Lait—stood up, letting out a helpless smile. "I knew I shouldn't have brought her along."
"It's rare for the young lady to go on a trip. It's fine," the underling said with a chuckle.
Lait adored his daughter, especially since his wife had passed away. This trip was mainly for business, but after her constant pleading, he finally agreed to let her come.
Tidying up his weary appearance, Lait walked into the room.
The TV was playing some late-night variety show. His daughter lay across the table, busily scribbling.
"Daddy, hurry up!" she waved him over with a bright smile.
Lait smiled indulgently and ruffled her hair. "What's the matter, Neon? It's so late—you should be getting ready for bed."
"Just a sec!" Neon waved it off, clearly excited.
She pulled him to sit across the table.
"Daddy, tell me your birthday and blood type. I'm going to give you a fortune reading—I just learned how to do it!" Neon beamed, like a child showing off a new toy.
Lait smiled helplessly. He never turned down sweet little moments like this.
Sitting down properly, he said, "Well then, my adorable little fortune-teller, what does the future hold for me?"
"Let's find out! Quick, tell me your birthday!"
"All right, all right," Lait said, amused.
It was just a fun game—no need to ruin her excitement.
Once Lait gave his birthday and blood type, Neon picked up her pen. Suddenly, her body froze and her movements stiffened. She lifted her arm slowly and began writing on the paper.
The shift made Lait frown slightly, but seeing her handwriting steadily forming, he didn't interrupt.
When she finished, the eerie moment passed like it had never happened.
"All done! Here's your prophecy for the month!" Neon said cheerfully, handing over the paper.
Lait smiled. "Why don't you read it to me?" It would make the bonding even sweeter.
But Neon shook her head seriously. "Nope! Fortune-tellers can't read their own prophecies, or they lose their power."
"Fair enough." Lait didn't push her, and took the paper.
To his surprise, the writing had an uncanny sense of rhythm and mystery.
When the bell tolls on the seventh night,
A black envelope will fall into your palm.
Follow the unbreakable will of the wolf to the east—
March in silence, with your fangs beside you.
The newborn beast rejects rot and chains—
You, too, are one of the rejected.
If your tongue spills poison,
The claw of judgment shall descend.
Your fragile life will be spared,
But pain, etched deep, is unavoidable.
Golden lies crumble into ruin;
Only truth can build a tower to salvation.
The beast of gold will question you—
Now is the time to choose:
Speak and rot in stagnation,
Or break your chains and face the distant sky.
Reading the prophecy, Lait felt a strange weight in the words. Though he knew it was just his daughter's imagination, it still carried an unsettling tone.
He carefully folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket. This was a gift from his daughter, after all.
Patting her head gently, he checked his watch. "Almost midnight. Time to sleep."
Neon, looking sleepy now, nodded. "Okay. When are we going home, Daddy?"
She'd grown tired of staying here for months and missed home.
"Soon, probably this month," Lait replied, though he wasn't sure himself. After all, he was just a small-timer tagging along with the big shots.
He closed the door and returned to the main room.
"All right, it's late. You guys should get some rest. Big day tomorrow."
The mafia members nodded and left for the adjoining rooms. Only a couple of guards remained with their weapons, watching over the boss.
Among his own men, Lait was a respected leader—even if he was a nobody in the grander scheme of things.
Rubbing his temples, he was just about to rest when his phone rang.
He hurried over and answered immediately after seeing the caller ID.
"Yes, understood. I'll be ready."
After hanging up, he glanced at the time—midnight, on the dot.
He had assumed the call was about preparing to leave. Instead, there was one more small task for him.
He was told to bring two men tomorrow to assist with something the higher-ups were doing.
Just a small errand—probably just to make up the numbers or give him a little experience. Lait had seen this kind of thing often enough to not think much of it.
The real power still rested with the big bosses.
He yawned. Yeah… time to sleep.
Wait… is today Sunday?
The question popped into his mind out of nowhere.
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