Vencor's Office — The News Arrives
A long, quiet hallway.
No footsteps.
Just the slow click of a door being opened.
Two of his men entered — carrying Roland's corpse on a heavy stretcher.
Roland's face… was barely a face anymore.
Vencor was sitting at his desk.
Back straight.
Coat over his shoulders.
No expression.
He didn't speak.
He didn't stand.
He just looked.
Slow.
Cold.
Studying the body of the man who had been with him since the beginning.
Someone else would've screamed.
Broken.
Thrown a table.
Vencor simply asked:
"Who did this?"
One soldier swallowed.
"Emma Elarat… sir."
Silence.
No one breathed.
Vencor leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked.
His voice was calm — too calm:
"Start from the beginning."
They explained:
Roland fought Valeria.
Valeria stabbed him.
Roland killed her.
Emma arrived later.
Emma fought Roland.
Emma killed Roland.
Each sentence felt heavier than the last.
When they finished, the room was dead quiet.
Vencor looked at Roland again.
His right hand.
His shadow.
His executioner.
His oldest friend.
Gone.
Killed.
By Emma.
He did not show anger.
But his eyes changed.
They hardened.
A slow inhale.
A slower exhale.
"I underestimated her."
Then he stood.
Not fast — steady.
He looked powerful just by existing.
His voice was soft:
"Prepare the council."
Everyone stiffened.
"And bring me… the Chain of Ruin."
Someone froze.
"S–sir, that weapon is only used when—"
Vencor's eyes shifted toward him.
Just one look.
The man went silent.
"Emma has crossed the threshold."
"There is no going back."
He looked down at Roland once more.
Not sad.
Not angry.
Just… remembering.
He placed his hand briefly on Roland's chest — respectful, not emotional — and whispered:
"You did well."
He turned.
Without looking back.
---
Vencor's Mind Now
He finally acknowledges Emma:
Not as a mere threat.
Not as another gang member.
But as a rival.
Someone who can shake his throne.
And for someone like Vencor?
That is the first step toward war.
---
Vencor — Speaking to the Photograph
After everyone left the room, Vencor stayed behind.
The lights dim.
Silence.
Just him and Roland's corpse.
He walked slowly to the far wall — to a framed photograph.
A man in a military coat.
Dark eyes.
Sharp presence.
Ethan Elarat.
Emma's father.
Vencor placed his hand on the frame lightly — not respectfully, but in familiarity.
They used to know each other.
Old allies.
Old rivals.
The kind who learned to read each other's moves like chess.
Vencor's voice was low.
Almost… reflective.
"Ethan."
He exhaled, long, steady.
"Your daughter is truly something else."
He wasn't angry. He wasn't amused.
He was simply acknowledging reality.
"I thought she was just sharp like you."
His eyes narrowed.
"But no."
"You raised a monster."
He stepped back, looking into Ethan's cold eyes in the photo.
"Not a soldier."
"Not a leader."
"A force."
His gaze hardened — finally showing emotion.
Not fear. Not sadness.
Respect.
"If you could see her now…"
He smirked — a thin, dangerous one.
"…you'd either be proud."
His voice dropped:
"Or terrified."
Then he turned away.
Coat swaying.
Bootsteps echoing.
"Prepare everything."
"Emma has declared war."
The doors slammed behind him.
Flashback — Ethan Elarat's Reflection
The room was dim. Rain tapped softly against the window.
Ethan Elarat stood tall, coat slightly wet, hands behind his back. He spoke to a man who smirked, confident, dangerous — Vencor.
"Heh… Vencor."
He paused, voice calm, but carrying weight.
"You don't know."
"I may have made a hard choice… putting everything on top of my daughter."
His eyes drifted to the city outside — lights shimmering like memories he couldn't erase.
"But… after all. She's my daughter."
"A girl. She shouldn't have to do all this."
A brief sigh, almost like a confession.
"But… after all."
"I have too."
His hand clenched at his side.
The decision. The sacrifice.
All the plans.
All the pain he'd endured, all for her.
"I hope… she understands one day. That I only wanted to protect her… even if the world I chose forced her into a storm she didn't deserve."
The sound of rain grew louder.
The flashback faded.
Chapter end