POV: The Spy
The dropship sliced through the upper atmosphere like a silent blade, leaving no trace behind. Inside, the spy sat alone, helmet at his side, watching the shifting lights of the Voidstream beyond the window.
His hand rested over the broken Spiral symbol on his glove.
The energy still burned beneath his skin.
Kael Riven.
The name pulsed in his mind, over and over.
He shouldn't exist.
And yet… he does.
The ship landed at a blacksite hidden within a dying moon's hollowed core. A GenCore insignia flashed briefly over the reinforced gates, but it was only a mask.
This was no standard facility.
This was where they operated.
The ones who didn't appear on records. The ones even the ruling families pretended not to fund.
The spy passed through layers of security, his credentials perfectly forged, his cover identity airtight. To everyone here, he was Operative Varn, elite field unit, loyal only to GenCore.
No one knew who he truly was.
Not even the director who greeted him.
"You failed," the man said coldly, sliding a report across the glass table. "Kael Riven escaped."
"I engaged him alone," the spy said. "It was a field test."
"And?"
The spy's eyes narrowed. "He's not normal. His Spiral gene activated mid-fight. No core beast. No card trigger. It responded on its own."
The director leaned forward. "Then we need to retrieve him. With force."
"No."
The room went still.
The director blinked. "Excuse me?"
The spy didn't flinch. "He's too unstable right now. If we push him, we lose him. Let him move freely. Let him reveal what he is."
The director frowned. "You speak like you're… impressed."
The spy stood slowly. "I'm calculating risk."
He turned to leave, but paused at the door.
"Request: I remain on assignment. Continue observation. Alone."
"Denied," the director said flatly. "You're compromised. We'll send a retrieval squad"
"I wasn't asking," the spy said quietly.
A long silence.
Then the director gave a small reluctant nod. "Fine. One last chance."
Later, deep in his private chamber, the spy removed his field gear and stood before a mirror. Without the mask, he looked younger than expected, no older than Kael himself.
He touched the side of his neck where a small seal shimmered, an encrypted sigil that only responded to blood.
The mark of the House Thalor, one of the Seven.
Born into power.
Trained in shadows.
But in the world outside, no one knew. Not even his targets. Not even Kael.
And he intended to keep it that way.
"Kael Riven…"
"You should have died like the others."
"Instead, you broke the chain."
"Now I want to see how far you go."
He didn't smile.
But for the first time in years…
He was curious.
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End of Chapter 9 of Volume 2