The looming silence lasted for two agonizing weeks. Marcus maintained maximum alert, his senses extended, his family operating under the pretense of "deep security drills." They were aware of the gravity, though not the full details of The Syndicate's imminent threat.
Then, the first strike came. It wasn't a physical assault on Seabreeze, but a surgical, digital attack designed to cripple Marcus's most vital resource: Leo's developing counter-surveillance technology.
One morning, Leo burst into the kitchen, his face pale, his hands trembling. "Dad! My workshop… all my data! It's gone! Wiped clean! And the network… it's completely scrambled!"
Marcus felt a cold surge of dread. They had found a way to pinpoint Leo's work, to eliminate his nascent threat. This was a sophisticated, highly targeted cyberattack, far beyond anything The Weaver could have managed.
"How?" Marcus asked, his voice sharp.
"I don't know," Leo stammered, running a hand through his hair. "It's like... a ghost just walked through my system. No trace. No entry points. Just... gone."
Marcus immediately went to Leo's workshop. The damage was extensive. The computers were bricked, the hard drives wiped clean. The data, Leo's brilliant research on the Quantum Cipher vulnerability, was irretrievable. This wasn't just a hack; it was an act of digital destruction, a clear message. The Syndicate knew about Leo's work. They were watching.
He examined the remnants, searching for a trace, a digital signature. He found it: a minuscule, almost undetectable, electromagnetic pulse residue. It wasn't a standard hack; it was a physical attack, likely delivered by a stealth drone or a covert operative using advanced EMP technology. This meant they were in Seabreeze, or close enough to deploy.
He looked at Leo, whose face was a mask of devastation. "It's not your fault, son," Marcus said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't an ordinary hack. It's a sophisticated, physical strike. They knew what they were doing."
Anya, entering the workshop, saw Leo's despair and Marcus's grim expression. She didn't need words. She saw the silence, the destruction, and the fresh fear that gripped her family.
Marcus knew The Syndicate had deliberately chosen this attack to send a message. They were reminding him of his vulnerabilities, the people he cared for. They wanted to see his reaction, to force his hand. The loss of Leo's research was a significant setback, but it was also a confirmation: The Syndicate was here, and they were dangerous.
The quiet general had underestimated their technological reach, their ruthlessness. The first strike had landed, and it had hit close to home. Now, Marcus had to pivot. His defensive line was holding, but his offensive capabilities had been severely compromised. The battle for Seabreeze was about to become far more direct, and far more personal.