Rain struck the windows like bullets.
Kai Ren stood in his office—midnight shadows dancing across the marble floors.
The silence was thick… until the encrypted phone on his desk buzzed.
Only one line of text.
PRIORITY ALERT: CODE BLACK — SUBJECT L FOUND.
He stared at it for a moment before answering.
A voice came through. Shaken. Nervous.
"Sir… we've just intercepted chatter off the shadow net."
"Someone claims they have Lisa—Nyxara. Captured. Alive."
Ren didn't blink.
"Who?"
"An unknown local syndicate. Small. Underrated. No known territory. No flag."
"And they're… they're asking for the original bounty."
"One hundred million."
Silence.
Not shock.
Just silence.
Ren's jaw tightened under the mask.
"They wouldn't know her name," he said slowly."Not unless someone gave it to them."
"Not unless they were meant to."
He moved to the map console—watched the data scroll.
No chatter in major zones.No syndicate responses.Just one tiny flare in an otherwise dead network.
Too quiet.Too clean.
"And they're broadcasting through unshielded channels?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. Unencrypted. As if they want to be found."
Ren's gloved hand tapped the screen once.
"It's a trap."
"No one captures a ghost like her.Not without losing something first."
But deep down?
Something twisted.
What if it wasn't a trap?
What if she let herself be caught?
Or worse…
What if this was all part of her next move?
"Dispatch Ghost Cell 7," Ren commanded."Do not engage. Just observe."
"And prepare my transport. I'm going in myself."
The officer paused.
"Alone?"
"Yes," Ren said.
His voice was cold. Final.
"If it's a lie… I'll end them.If it's real…"