Location: Secret Hideout – Night
I pulled the jacket tighter around me, feeling the comforting weight of the beastcore crystals stitched into the lining. Adjusting the sleek, matte-black mask over my face, I stepped out into the freezing Shanghai air.
The stars above blinked faintly, as if winking at the chaos about to unfold.
"Luxembourg..." I muttered, voice low and sharp like a blade unsheathed.
"Time to pull the first thread."
I hailed a private jet through one of my old mercenary contacts — under the alias Hunter Croix. Within two hours, I was in the air, the city lights shrinking behind me as the engines roared.
While cruising at 30,000 feet, I opened my encrypted tablet.
One by one, the layers of Willam's precious offshore empire lay bare before me. Each account a monument to his greed, each company a fake smile painted over the scars he gave others.
"NovaCap, FalconRise, Azure Horizon..." I read aloud, lips curling in disgust. "All of it's coming down."
---
Sixteen Hours Later – Luxembourg Financial District
The wind was colder here, sharper, cutting through the thick city haze like a knife. I moved between glass towers and marble walls, blending perfectly with the steady stream of executives.
Inside the FalconRise Ventures building, polished floors and fake smiles filled the lobby. I stepped up to the security checkpoint, flashing a forged ID that listed me as Inspector Croix from the Luxembourg Financial Authority.
"Bienvenue, Monsieur Croix," the receptionist said sweetly. "Your meeting is on the 17th floor."
I smiled underneath my mask.
Good. Right where I want to be.
---
17th Floor – Executive Offices
I kicked open the door to Marcus Doyle's—no, Andrew Yates's—fake office.
Andrew sat behind the mahogany desk, feet propped up, tossing a stress ball lazily in the air.
"You're not with the Authority," he said with a bored expression. "Who the hell are you?"
I closed the door behind me with a soft click.
The temperature seemed to plummet.
"Me?" I chuckled darkly, stepping forward. "I'm the ghost your father forgot to exorcise."
Andrew froze.
I yanked him by the collar before he could even blink, slamming him into the reinforced glass wall hard enough to make spiderweb cracks.
"Start talking," I growled. "Where's the contingency account?"
Andrew whimpered, pale as a corpse. "I-I don't know what you're—!"
I pressed a clawed fingertip — just lightly enough — to his throat.
"You're lying. Try again."
Fear cracked him open faster than any encryption ever could.
"There's a vault... under Azure Horizon Bank. Dubai. Father keeps everything there! Names, bribes, insurance policies—everything!"
I smiled coldly.
"Good boy."
---
Minutes Later – As alarms blared across FalconRise Ventures
I casually walked through the panicked lobby, blending in with the fleeing crowd, slipping out before the local police even knew where to look.
Above me, the sky rumbled.
Clouds swirled into an ominous vortex.
A sign.
The world was shifting.
And I was the storm coming to tear it all apart.
---
[System Notification]
Quest Progression: "Shatter the Yates Empire" - Stage 1 Completed
Stage 2 Unlocked: Infiltrate Azure Horizon Vault in Dubai
Rewards for Stage 1: +10,000 EXP | Beast King Reputation increased among Shadow Brokers
---
I smirked beneath the mask.
"Willam… enjoy your last days on top."
I turned my back on the burning building behind me and vanished into the night.
The hunt had only just begun.
________________________________________
Location: Luxembourg Streets – Early Morning
The dawn mist rolled low over the cobblestones as I weaved through the winding alleys.
The streets were quieter at this hour, except for the occasional murmur of life stirring awake — café owners setting up tables, the scent of fresh bread sneaking through the cold air.
I tugged the brim of my cap lower, keeping my face hidden.
No need to draw attention right now.
I crossed the small plaza near Place d'Armes, moving fast, eyes locked on the tram station ahead.
That's when I felt it.
A gaze — sharp, familiar — like a thread trying to catch and pull me back.
I glanced sideways, and sure enough...
There she was.
Yvette Jennings.
Standing beside a luxury black sedan, dressed in a sleek grey coat, hair tied up in a loose bun, sharp and effortless like she always was.
Her eyes widened the moment she recognized me — a glimmer of disbelief flashing across her face.
"Owen?" she called out, her voice cutting through the crisp air like a song I didn't want to remember.
My steps didn't slow.
I simply shifted course, blending into a passing group of tourists, my head low.
She started to move toward me, hesitating, as if unsure if it was really me or some ghost haunting her.
I didn't turn around.
Couldn't.
Not now.
Not when so much was at stake.
Not when my hands were already dirty from pulling the first threads loose.
I heard her voice behind me again — quieter this time, almost wounded:
"Is it really you...?"
I clenched my fists inside my jacket pockets.
Don't look back, Owen.
Not yet.
Instead, I disappeared into the misty crowd, letting her vanish behind me like everything else I'd sacrificed.
---
[Inner Thoughts]
I'll face you properly someday, Yvette.
But not today...
Today, I have a kingdom to burn to the ground.
---