The rooftop garden of Aeris Holdings was nothing short of a modern-day zen temple in the sky. Above the chaos of Valemir's financial district, it stood serene—bamboo-lined pathways, minimalist sculptures, and a view that made even hardened CEOs pause to breathe.
But today, Chess wasn't here to breathe.
He was here to think.
And that was far more dangerous.
A soft breeze tousled his dark hair as he sat alone on a stone bench, a tablet in his hand, displaying live surveillance feeds. Onscreen, Kip Mandari was pacing in the lower-level parking structure of Jefferson Global's west wing.
"He's too calm," Chess muttered to himself. "Either he's preparing for war... or he knows something we don't."
The shadows around Chess stirred slightly.
"You've been watching him for weeks," came a voice—Kaito, one of the silent watchers from Chess's inner circle. A man who operated off-grid, a ghost even to intelligence agencies. "And yet he never steps out of line. Not enough to expose himself fully."
"That's what makes him dangerous," Chess replied. "He doesn't want to win... he wants to inherit."
Kaito nodded. "He's still protected by the Jefferson family name. Too many old-money ties that don't question his loyalty."
"He's banking on the past," Chess said coldly. "But we'll show him how fast the future arrives."
Meanwhile – Jefferson Global, Elsa's Office
Elsa stared at the old scroll laid out on her desk. Imported just the night before from Kavaria, it had taken months to recover—a map believed to trace the ancient seal line that now pulsed within her chest.
The seal energy had grown stronger since Valemir.
But it also left her feeling... watched.
Almost as if something ancient recognized her now.
She reached out, fingers brushing the parchment. Symbols shimmered faintly beneath the surface—runes neither modern nor ancient, as if time itself bent around them.
A knock interrupted her trance.
"Come in," she said without turning.
Nyra stepped into the office like a gust of wind—quiet, graceful, and entirely unreadable.
"You called for me?" she asked, folding her arms.
Elsa gestured at the scroll. "Tell me what you see."
Nyra's eyes scanned the runes. For a moment, her cool facade faltered.
"Where did you get this?" she asked sharply.
"Kavaria. Why?"
"Because this isn't just a seal map," Nyra said, voice low. "It's a gate key. You're standing at the edge of something much larger than just your power."
Elsa frowned. "A gate to what?"
Nyra hesitated. "Not a what. A who."
Chess – Inside Aeris Holdings' War Room
The lights dimmed automatically as Chess walked into the high-security vault beneath Aeris Holdings. This was his kingdom's pulse—where tech met strategy, and the city's deepest secrets were stored and tracked.
He placed his palm against the central pillar. A low hum activated as encrypted files projected midair.
"Kip Mandari's offshore movements... his backers... financial routes... all too clean," Chess said.
"Too clean means someone's doing the scrubbing for him," Kaito replied.
Chess nodded slowly. "Let's find the cleaner."
He swiped through the data and paused.
One name blinked into focus—Caden Lysell, a corporate fixer based in Duskshore. Ex-mercenary. Ties to several silent dissolutions of rival CEOs. A ghost who made people disappear.
Chess leaned back, eyes narrowing.
"If Kip's reaching out to Caden... it means he's preparing for open war."
Late Evening – Elsa's Penthouse
The city lights danced through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting reflections on the polished floors. Elsa sat curled up on the couch, still holding the scroll, when Chess walked in.
He didn't say anything at first—just walked over and sat beside her, their shoulders brushing.
"Trouble sleeping?" she asked, echoing the words she'd once said to Kip.
"Only snakes toss and turn," he replied with a small smirk.
Elsa laughed softly, then handed him the scroll. "Tell me what you see."
He scanned it slowly, eyes darkening.
"This isn't just power," he murmured. "This is a path. A calling. And it's waking up because of you."
Elsa looked at him, her voice soft. "Do you think it's meant to destroy me?"
"No," he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think it's meant to remind you of who you've always been."
There was silence between them again. Not heavy. Not uncertain. Just full.
Full of fire, and promise, and war.
And just before the city outside could pull them back into its chaos, Chess leaned in—and this time, their kiss wasn't about escape or silence.
It was about belief.
In each other. In everything they would burn down and rebuild together.