Chapter 19
Leo's head buzzed with unanswered questions as the name "Black Feather" echoed in his thoughts. Over dinner, he casually asked Kai, the enigmatic advisor who had been lingering around him lately, "Do you know anything about Black Feather?"
Kai paused mid-bite, his expression unreadable. "I don't," he said flatly, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. "It's not something I've had the pleasure of encountering."
Leo's sharp eyes caught the flicker of hesitation in Kai's otherwise steady demeanor. "You're lying," Leo said, leaning forward, his tone low but charged. "You've heard of it, haven't you?"
Kai chuckled lightly, brushing off the accusation. "Perhaps you're imagining things, Leo," he replied, standing to refill his glass of wine. "But if I knew, wouldn't I have already told you?"
Leo narrowed his eyes, frustrated yet intrigued by Kai's elusiveness. The man always seemed to know more than he let on, and it was starting to gnaw at Leo's patience.
---
The night stretched on, and Leo's paranoia deepened. He paced the length of his office, his mind playing out worst-case scenarios. What if Black Feather was a code for a hit? What if Kai wasn't who he claimed to be? Leo hated unanswered questions, and this one felt like a thorn he couldn't remove.
His thoughts were interrupted by an urgent knock on the door. One of his trusted guards entered, visibly shaken. "Boss, there's something you need to see."
Leo followed him to the surveillance room, where the screens displayed live footage from the outer perimeter of his mansion. A black-feathered arrow was lodged in the ground, right at the front gate. Attached to it was a note.
The guard handed it to Leo, who read it aloud: "The sky watches over the restless. Don't look too deep, or the feathers will turn red."
Leo clenched his jaw. "Who delivered this?"
"No one saw anything," the guard admitted. "It just… appeared.
Kai found Leo brooding in the study later that night, the note clenched tightly in his hand. "What's troubling you?" he asked, his voice smooth as ever.
Leo glanced at him, the frustration evident in his eyes. "Don't play games, Kai. I know you know something. Who is Black Feather?"
Kai's expression softened, and for the first time, there was a hint of genuine concern in his eyes. "Leo," he began, his voice quieter than usual, "some questions are better left unanswered."
But Leo wasn't the type to back down. "I'm not afraid of answers," he said firmly. "I'm afraid of lies."
---
Meanwhile, in the depths of the city, an underground meeting was taking place. A hooded figure addressed a group of shadowy individuals, their voices low and urgent. "We've made our move. He'll come looking for answers now."
"And if he doesn't?" another voice asked.
The hooded figure smirked. "Oh, he will. Leo has always been curious. It's his greatest strength—and his greatest weakness."
As the group dispersed, the hooded figure removed their cloak, revealing none other than Kai, his expression unreadable as he stared at a black feather in his hand. "Let's see how far he's willing to go," Kai murmured to himself.
---
Back at the mansion, Leo stared at the note again, his mind racing. Who was watching him? And why did it feel lik
e the answers were closer than he wanted to admit?