The Standoff in the Dead Zone The Vassal’s red eyes flickered with a mixture of surprise and cold amusement as his ice magic dissolved into mist. "Do you truly believe a mere pistol will make me tremble like the coward beside you?" he sneered, his voice steady despite the suppression field. "Before I was gifted with power, I was a master of the martial arts. Magic was only the polish on an already lethal blade."
Elias didn't lower his weapon. His finger remained firm on the trigger. "So, you’re a man of physical prowess then? Good. Because from what I gathered downstairs, your job is to protect this 'Pure Blood' traitor I’ve just bound. Do you think your reflexes are faster than a bullet? And even if you dodge, can this bumbling fool behind me do the same? Or better yet... how much longer do you plan on watching from the sidelines, Jennifer?"
The Partner’s Entrance With a sudden crash of glass, Jennifer leaped through the shattered office window, landing with the predatory grace of a cat. "Not bad, Investigator," she said, her eyes fixed on the Vassal. She turned to the red-eyed man with a mocking tilt of her head. "You think you’re the only martial artist here? Even if our positions were reversed, I’d still find a way to break you."
Elias glanced at her, his annoyance breaking through his calm facade. "Why didn't you alert me when he approached?" Jennifer shrugged, a playful spark in her eyes. "I wanted to see what you had in your arsenal, Elias. I had a feeling you were hiding a few tricks." "What a cooperative partner you are," Elias muttered, his sarcasm biting.
The Gift of the Singularity The bound man, whom Elias now addressed as Alphonse, looked between them in terror. "How... how can you talk of gaining magic?" Elias demanded, turning back to the Vassal. "Magic is a birthright, a genetic glitch. You don't just 'acquire' it."
The Vassal remained silent, his face a mask of stone. Elias smiled grimly. "Ah, I see. You can't speak of it, can you? The 'Vassal’s Mark' would end you before the words left your tongue. But you’ll tell me, won't you, Alphonse?"
Alphonse shivered, the name dragging him back to a reality he had tried to bury. "That name... I spent years trying to forget it. Fine! I’ll tell you. It is one of the Entity’s abilities. The Singularity can bestow the gift of magic—specifically the power of Water—upon the devoted. Do you realize now what kind of god you are meddling with? You are fighting the very source of creation!"
The revelation sent a shockwave through Jennifer and Elias. The difficulty of their mission had just tripled; they weren't just fighting a cult, they were fighting an army of artificially empowered sorcerers.
The Unexpected Strike In the middle of the tense silence, a knife whistled through the air. It was a blur of steel aimed directly at Alphonse’s heart. Despite their elite training, neither Elias nor Jennifer sensed the killing intent—it was as if the attack was launched by a machine.
Elias’s survival instincts took over. He fired his pistol, but not at the knife—he aimed for the Vassal. The red-eyed man fell, a mocking grin on his face as he hit the floor. "You... you underestimated me," the Vassal coughed, blood bubbling at his lips. "Magic wasn't all I had. I don't know if I should thank you, Investigator. You’ve finally freed me from the darkness I lived in... and the darkness that lived in me."
With his final breath, the Vassal whispered a dying secret: "There is only one true Founder. The rest... like this fool Alphonse... are just 'Honorary' puppets. A promotion to keep the masses obedient. There is no immortality for them... only the cage."
The Burden of the Healer Jennifer rushed to Alphonse. The knife was buried in his shoulder, missing the heart by a fraction of an inch. "Don't you dare die yet!" she shouted, her hands moving with surgical precision to staunch the bleeding. "You are my only hope for revenge... for my brother! I won't let you escape into the grave so easily, Father!"
Elias watched her, a newfound respect mixing with his confusion. "Do what you must. I’ll be outside."
He stepped into the corridor and pulled out his phone, dialing his assistant—his sister, Leonore. "Elias? Is that you? Are you safe?" her voice crackled with anxiety. "I'm fine, Leonore," he replied, his voice softening as he leaned against the peeling wallpaper. "Tell me... is it a requirement for the Chinese branch to be master surgeons as well?" Leonore let out a breath of relief. "You met Jennifer then? Elias, don't be too hard on her. She’s an exception. She spends her free time performing surgeries for orphaned children for free. She’s... she’s a saint in a den of thieves."
Elias looked back through the open door at Jennifer. She was covered in blood, her face a mask of grim determination as she fought to save the man she hated. He realized then that she didn't belong in this world of filth and 'glitches'. She was a seeker of justice in a world that had forgotten the meaning of the word
