Detective Mila Torres stared at the official documentation that had just slammed shut her entire line of inquiry. She had been ecstatic when Vicky Thorne publicly dismantled Vance Holdings at the university gala; the incident provided the motive, the method, and the financial paper trail she needed to justify a deeper look into Nightwatch Holdings.
However, the next day, a sweeping Senate Edict had arrived, signed by Senator Julian Hayes (Vicky's newly turned political asset). The edict, framed as an urgent "Crisis Stabilization Measure," transferred all investigative oversight of the Vance financial collapse and related corporate shell activity from the local precinct to a new, specialized State Regulatory Body.
Mila slammed her hand on the desk, startling her former partner, Frank.
"They've boxed me in," she muttered, pointing to Hayes' signature on the order. "It's too clean. The moment I get a concrete lead, a state Senator steps in and moves the target out of my jurisdiction. Why would Hayes care about a local real estate collapse?"
Captain Hayes walked past and offered a smug confirmation. "See, Torres? High-level politics. Nothing to do with your 'Red Flash' conspiracy. The case is now entirely state-level bureaucracy. Your mandate is closed."
Mila felt the cold realization: the opponent wasn't just a powerful student; he was assembling a sophisticated defense. The anomaly was now protected by the very system designed to catch it. She had the key to Vicky's digital life—his phone number—but no official reason to use it. Her only path forward was personal deception.
The Casual Deception,
Later that afternoon, Mila stood outside the Central Precinct, dressed in sharp civilian clothes. She typed a text, carefully choosing her words to maintain her guise as an ambitious financial journalist.
Mila (Analyst):Hi Vicky, it's Mila from the university meeting. I just saw the news about the Vance drama—masterful. Would you be open to an informal lunch this week? I'd love to get your thoughts on "financial correction" for my piece. My treat.
The response came back almost instantly.
Vicky Thorne:Lunch is busy, Mila. But I always make time for the highly motivated. Let's make it coffee tomorrow, 11 AM, The Azure Tower. I'm curious what your 'article' is really about.
Mila smiled, a knot of nervousness and triumph tightening in her stomach. He was playing a game, testing her motivation. She was about to meet the monster she was hunting face-to-face, armed only with a fake press pass and her detective's intuition.
The Crimson Pact's Foundation,
Deep beneath the city, in the colossal, secure space of the newly acquired Old Veros Bank Vaults, Vicky Thorne was planning his next evolution. The revenge phase was over; the empire-building phase had begun.
He was currently Level 5 (65/1200 XP) in Tier 2 - Vampire. His target was to hit Level 6, which would provide another essential Stat Point (Tier 2 grants x3-x6 points per level, a significant jump from Tier 1's x1-x2).
Lieutenant Keller (The Strategist, Tier 1) was overseeing the installation of secured comms and biometric security. Lieutenant Vance (The Enforcer, Tier 1) returned from the docks with his first batch of ten new low-tier recruits—desperate, grateful, and fiercely loyal individuals.
Vicky addressed his core Lieutenants. "The Vances were a distraction. Our objective now is XP and influence. Keller, your next task is to begin acquiring commercial properties surrounding the Vaults. We build our fortress aboveground, in plain sight, through legitimate means. Vance, prepare your recruits. We are going back to the tunnels. Level 6 requires a coordinated Tier 2 hunt, and I will not enter the next level alone."
Vicky brought up his system status screen, staring at the long, daunting climb ahead:
VICKY THORNE: TIER STATUS
Tier: 2 - Vampire
Level: 5 (65/1200 XP)
Next Tier (Vampire Knight): Level 30
The path to Tier 3 - Vampire Knight was long, requiring hundreds of kills and dozens of conversions, but his entire organisation was now focused on this single goal: Ascension.
Vicky and Mila now have a date set for coffee, marking the start of their personal, high-stakes deception, while Vicky's organisation solidifies its influence over the city.