"The story begins in Russia, with your father, Damian," Jake said, his one hand resting easily on the steering wheel as the Bugatti sliced through the midnight streets.
"My father?" Ethan murmured, leaning closer.
Jake nodded, his eyes fixed on the open road. "Your father was the kind of man who always looked out for those beneath him. He was born with overwhelming physical strength and other strong genetics, but he believed that the sole purpose of possessing this power was to protect those who are weak or below him."
Ethan listened attentively, a quiet pride swelling in his chest.
"One day, when he was little, Damian got into a, you can call it a massive fight," Jake continued. "In the middle of the chaos, he met someone—another guy who was absurdly strong. It didn't take long for them to become close friends. Many years passed like good friends, That other guy was already famous, and because of their bond, your father was dragged into the spotlight too. But happy days didn't last long, and a much 'Greater Threat' emerged."
"A greater threat?" Ethan asked.
"They had a specific name for themselves back then, but it's not even worth repeating," Jake dismissed with a wave of his hand.
"What happened to them?" Ethan pressed. "Did my father manage to beat them?"
"Yes he did, but no he didn't," Jake replied cryptically.
Ethan frowned, about to ask what that meant, when Jake smoothly pulled the supercar up to the golden, gleaming entrance of a massive luxury resort and casino.
The valet rushed forward as Jake stepped out, casually tossing the key fob to the boy. Ethan climbed out of the passenger side, taking in the towering structure of casino.
"Follow me," Jake said, stepping toward the grand entrance.
Two burly security guards in tailored suits moved to block Ethan at the velvet ropes, but Jake didn't even turn around. "He's with me."
The guards immediately nodded their heads and stepped aside, ushering them through.
As they strode across the marble floor of the gaming hall, hushed whispers followed in their wake. Group after group of glamorous women turning heads to watch them pass.
"Look at those two... they're handsome."
"Should we go talk to them?"
"I know the one in front—that's Jake."
"Then the guy with him must be his friend, yeah."
Ignoring the attention, Jake led Ethan to a private elevator that swept them up to the top floor—home to the most exclusive penthouse suites in the world.
They stepped out onto a sweeping, open-air balcony overlooking the glittering skyline, complete with a private infinity pool reflecting the night sky.
They took their seats at a sleek glass table near the edge of the balcony.
Jake leaned back, staring out at the city lights. "Your father defeated the enemy, but to an extent not fully. But how much he tried, he couldn't stop their growing power. But your father, he never stopped and tried his best to defeat this growing power. But then an strange accident occurred and your father died in a mysterious way."
Ethan's breath hitched, his eyes widening. "My father failed... and he died?"
I always knew something felt off about my father's death. Ethan thought.
"He died, yes. But he didn't fail," Jake corrected gently. "In fact, his death triggered the very thing that broke them. A massive problem occurred in the upper echelons, which lead to a bloody civil war that nearly destroyed their entire organization, this civil war broke the organization's back and bought it to it's knees."
"So my father didn't destroy them directly?"
"Indirectly, he was the architect of their collapse," Jake said. "When the civil war broke out, the coalition your father had built took immediate advantage. They launched a global counter-offensive, reclaiming territories and driving the enemy back."
Ethan nodded slowly, piecing the timeline together. "Did they eliminate them completely?"
"They managed to kick that massive power out of Russia, but the organization still exists today by a different name," Jake explained. "The civil war destroyed them in the worst way possible, and even though they've been trying to rebuild—thanks to a dangerous man who took charge during the final phase—they're still miles below what they were in their prime. During the civil war, your father's allies took the occupied locations back."
"So... peace finally came at the end?" Ethan assumed, letting out a small breath.
Jake let out a low, laugh. "That was only the beginning."
Ethan frowned. "What do you mean? If the main enemy was broken, shouldn't everything have gone back to normal?"
"The human heart is a greedy thing, Ethan."
"Explain," Ethan demanded, his chest tightening. "My father's allies took the land back. What went wrong?"
"Your father had gathered too many allies, just like a massive military force, divided into regional groups," Jake said, leaning across the table. "Those groups were supposed to take back those territories stay there, just in case the enemy launched a counter-attack. But once the threat faded, greed took over."
Ethan's eyes widened as the dark reality sank in.
"They claimed those regions as their own personal kingdoms," Jake continued. "Dozens of warlord factions popped up overnight across the globe, taking over every stronghold the old enemy had abandoned."
"What happened next?"
"Two years after your father died, while all these local factions were tearing each other apart for land, one faction unified and conquered every group across North and South American Continents."
Ethan leaned back, genuinely shocked. "A single group took both continents?"
"Every occupied place, which was under factions," Jake confirmed, his eyes narrowing. "After unifying, They started calling themselves the Loop. That was the birth of the Loop."
Ethan shook his head, puzzled. "Hold on. If the Loop once controlled two entire continents... how were they reduced to just Four Branches today?"