The morning sun cast long shadows across the pristine grounds of Maxwell Corporation. Director Elias Cox sat in his vehicle, fingers drumming an anxious rhythm, staring at the building before him.

Today was supposed to be straightforward—the Project Aegis Collaboration Meeting for the Black Ocean Project. Everything was in order. Or at least, it should have been.

When the hovercar touched down with a whisper-soft hum, the cabin door slid open with mechanical precision. He reached out to the door to prop himself up, but his hand froze mid-motion.

A familiar silhouette moved with nonchalance near the building’s eastern corner—a figure that absolutely should not have been there. He wore more civilian clothes, but Director Cox still recognized him.

Ethan Goelet.

His pulse quickened, throat suddenly dry. His weathered face betrayed nothing of the anxiety coiling in his gut. But the anxiety only increased as his gaze swept across the landing area.

What in the seven hells was he doing here?

Director Cox’s mind raced through all kinds of things before he decided to act natural and adjusted the lapels of his charcoal-gray suit. His feet carried him toward the main entrance as questions ran through his mind.

Hadn’t Ethan submitted a leave request?

The timing looked as suspicious then, but Director Cox had chosen not to question it. Now, seeing the man lurking in the shadows like some bargain-bin spy, Director Cox felt the familiar weight of dread settle onto his shoulders.

Director Cox pretended to check his light brain, then wandered toward the building’s edge as if seeking better signal reception. Within moments, he had slipped into a concealed gap.

"What are you doing here?" Director Cox kept his voice low, barely above a whisper, but the words still came out harsher than intended.

Ethan leaned against the wall indifferently. A slim cigarette dangled from his fingers, its tip glowing with the faint pulse of synthetic tobacco. His eyes fixed on Director Cox with amusement and contempt.

"I thought you would pretend that you didn’t know me." Ethan’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Walk right past me like I was invisible. That’s what people usually do when things get... complicated."

Director Cox felt the heat rise to his aged face but remained serious. "How can I even dare to ignore you?"

"That’s good." Ethan brought the cigarette to his lips, inhaling slowly. The synthetic smoke curled upward before dissipating into nothing—no smell, no residue, no evidence. "I was worried you would develop courage overnight."

Director Cox’s expression became grave, and he continued to read Ethan’s expression. As an elder, he didn’t press on unnecessary things.

"What’s going on?" He asked instead. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan’s expression changed, shedding all the playfulness before.

"Relax. There’s still no evidence." He tapped ash from the cigarette with a flick of his finger. "However, they do want to get me before the evidence arrives."

Director Cox felt his stomach drop, but continued to probe. "They? Who’s ’they’?"

"Does it matter?" Ethan shrugged lightly but still explained vaguely. "Maxwell’s people. Hunter’s intelligence network—maybe both. They’ve been sniffing around my lab for weeks now. Running background checks on my staff. Requesting access to sealed research files."

Hearing all these made Director Cox even more alarmed by the situation.

He asked, "And you’re sure there’s no evidence?"

Ethan’s gaze sharpened. "Why should I lie to you?"

"Maybe you didn’t know," Director Cox pressed, his voice tight with barely contained anxiety. "Maybe they already have the evidence, and you’re the last one to find out?"

For a long moment, Ethan stared at him. Then he laughed—a soft, humorless sound that made even a seasoned businessman like Director Cox’s skin crawl.

"You think I’m that careless? You think I survived this long by leaving loose ends?"

He pushed off the wall and walked towards him. He closed the distance between them until Director Cox could smell the faint chemical sweetness of the synthetic tobacco.

Up close, Ethan looked like a refined gentleman who worked a regular job in the office, but Director Cox had already seen the monster underneath this man’s skin.

Ethan simply said, "I’ll just make sure they don’t catch me."

Director Cox gritted his teeth.

"I know you won’t be caught. You’re far too clever for that, too cautious even. But what about the others?" His hands clenched at his sides. "Are you sure others won’t be caught?"

The question hung in the air between them, heavy with implication.

Ethan’s smile returned, but this time it carried an edge sharp enough to draw blood.

"That’s why I’m here." He reached out and straightened Director Cox’s tie—an intimate gesture that felt more like a threat. "I’m here to make sure you don’t make a mistake. You know that, right? He wouldn’t be happy if you spoke too much."

The mention of "he" sent a chill down Director Cox’s spine. They never spoke that name aloud. Never. Not even in the shadows, with no one to overhear.

"When have I ever said anything about him?" Director Cox said as he glared at the young man.

Ethan nodded, his pale eyes boring into Director Cox’s.

"And that’s exactly why you’re still breathing. Good that you know." He paused, letting the weight of his next words settle. "If possible, keep it to your grave."

Director Cox’s jaw tightened until his teeth ached. "I will."

"See that you do."

A soft chime sounded from somewhere behind them. Ethan glanced over Director Cox’s shoulder, his expression changed from predator to professional in an instant.

"Sir," a voice emerged from the shadows.

It was one of Ethan’s men. Director Cox hadn’t even noticed him coming. How long had he been standing there, watching them?

"Sir Seaton is coming."

Seaton? Was he referring to Julius Seaton, the head of security in the Maxwell Corporation?

He had heard that the man had a reputation for sniffing out corruption like a hound on a blood trail. Of course, he would be here for the Black Ocean Project meeting to patrol the grounds.

Ethan looked at Director Cox one last time. Then he reached out and patted Director Cox’s shoulder—a gesture that might have seemed friendly to an observer but felt to Director Cox like a brand being pressed into his flesh.

"Keep your word," Ethan said quietly.

Then he was gone, melting into the shadows with his men in tow.

Director Cox stared at the space where Ethan had stood. His hand throbbed, and when he looked down, he realized his nails had dug crescents into his palm deep enough to draw blood.

"You did give me a favor," he murmured to the empty air. "But I didn’t owe you my life."

Then, with movements that felt mechanical and detached, he pulled out his light brain and typed a sequence of codes he had hoped never to use. There was a soft beep, and then a sensation as a microscopic device activated beneath the skin of his palm.

When he turned his hand over, a tiny red dot of light pulsed once before going dark, visible only to him, known only to him.

"If I can’t survive this," Director Cox whispered, his voice cold as the void between stars, "no one will."

He straightened his suit and composed his expression into its usual seasoned businessman aura. He walked out of that place and toward the main entrance. As an important member of the company, he should be setting an example and not be late.

...

In a modest apartment within Maxwell Corporation’s employee dormitory, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different.

Sunlight streamed through climate-controlled windows, casting warm rectangles of gold across rumpled bedsheets.

Neville lay sprawled across his bed with one arm hanging off the mattress. His silver-touched hair was a bird’s nest of tangles. A thin line of drool connected his slightly parted lips to the pillow.

The sun was already up, but he was still deep in his sleep, forgetting the time.

He had no idea that above his head, the system interface had activated its holographic display.

[NEW SIDE QUEST!

Current Favorability: 12%

Side Quest: Save Your Target!

Time: D-10

Target: Grayson Maxwell

Reward: ???

Penalty: DEATH]

With no confirmation received, the system popped Shelly out of her little space without her consent and forcibly showed her the notification. Shelly was still trying to widen her sleepy eyes awake.

She had only read the last part and exclaimed. [What the—?!]

As soon as it was confirmed that she saw it, the system released another notification.

[Notification will be redelivered upon awakening.

Estimated time to natural awakening: 47 minutes.]

Her eyes looked like they were swirling in the information that she had just read.

DEATH? As in Dead, DEAD? Where did the system get the courage to issue death as a penalty to a free worker?

Even as a guide, Shelly felt that this was incomprehensible. However, she could only wait for her host to wake up and discuss it with him.

[Host,] she murmured, filled with worry, though Neville couldn’t hear her, [please wake up soon.]